Crabbing season opened last month, but the low crab population and cool spring has many watermen stuck on the dock, waiting for the first beautiful swimmers to arrive. It means a lot of empty picnic tables and crab feasts turned into last-minute barbecues here in the Chesapeake, where crabs mean summer, prosperity, and the essence of the best of the Bay.

Photo courtesy of Edwaste on Flickr: http://bit.ly/1ko0X0B