"I remember the sweet meat of the crabs. They came down from the cliffs on long spider-web ropes every spring and caught by great grandfather's father's father's five children--six boys and six girls--in great baskets woven of grapevines.

"The family was all but wiped out by the white blotch disease back in '93. A cousin's cousin married Red Harry and they were all drunks and accountants and programmers which to this day is how the family maintains itself."