I have today and tomorrow as good working days. Then it gets rainy/windy for a few days. So I go to the river, and dig shells today.

When I roll back in this evening I have to unload my take, store them in the shop, and put water in the buckets they are in, so they can hopefully stay alive for a couple of days. (They are a lot harder to process when they start dying.)

Then I have to take stock of my gear, make sure everything is up to snuff, and gas up the boat for the following day. Pre trip inspection goes like this: bags/flags/buckets/tools/fuel/wet suit/cooler. By now it’s darn near dark.

Day two, same as day one.

Then the day after that, I have to cook all of them out. Estimate 750-900 lb green shell for 2 days. Then, when I can manufacture a minute, I have to bag them up, according to predetermined sizing, and weight, for sale.

…and that folks is how two days of work, turns into nearly four days of work. Then it takes me a couple days to get over my exhaustion and pain, so I can go again. I have to be careful the entire time, not to have a muscle spasm, because then I’m done for a good while. Have to pace myself, and rest when necessary. Believe it or not, getting the shell is the easy part.

Wife is going with me today, so I’ll have a deckhand 😉

P.S. Our local buyer is currently shut down. Or I’d sell the shell green and avoid the extra work. But, there is an out of state buyer who wants them. So, they have to be processed. I also had to get a commercial tag for my 3/4 ton truck, as hauling shell out of state is interstate commerce. Also, have to carry $300,000 of liability! (all tax deductible!) And, if that isn’t enough, I have to keep a log of any commercial trip. Plus… The state of Tennessee wants to be paid a shell tax! (The buyer takes care of the tax, but it’s another step in the process.) Are we having fun yet?

It takes me a good while to get up enough shell to make a trip. Which by itself, is one long day. My truck is rated for hauling #3000. That is also the maximum weight I can legally carry, as that brings my total weight, truck and load, right up to the commecial tag rating of #9000 total weight.

I can only make three trips a year, as there is a limit to how much $$ I can make in actual profit. To be honest, it’s about all I can handle anyway, and that’s pushing it. But I’m going to get what they will let me have dammit.

Everything is loaded up, I got to go.