The fire snapped and popped as the small tinder disintegrated under the engulfed tree branches in my beach fire pit. The sizzle of cooking meat had an enchanting melody to it almost as delicious as the smell of the smoldering flesh itself.

Having placed the entire limb in the base of the firepit, pulling the parts out was becoming a challenge. Spearing at the limbs with a small poker-sized branch I successfully rescued four of the five sacrificed bodies. Their tender insides, well done and drenched in their overflowing juices, the hard exterior was no match for a three pound beach rock.

While the flavor was definitely of the sea, the best foods are served to the newly saved and these were the best tasting crabs I had eaten in my life. Fruit of my own hands, proof that survival is not only for the skilled and practiced.

But what to do now with my new skills and recently conducted practice?