VEREEN GARDENS (Day 4 - part 1)

In the morning, we swung by the Country Rooster store in Little River.

This cider is made from Scuppernong grapes, which are are light-colored muscadine grape. They have a fruity taste but are not too sweet. Scuppernong comes from wild grapes along the Scuppernong River in North Carolina and was the first grape cultivated in the US.

We made a quick visit to the Intracoastal Waterway in Little River.

Another male fiddler crab

Next... Vereen Gardens!

Vereen Memorial Gardens are located on land that was once part of Big Landing Plantation, acquired by Jeremiah Vereen Jr. in 1797. The family arrived from France in the 1680s. The area was donated to the county in 1972 by a descendant.

And still more male fiddler crabs

Finally some female crabs!

We encountered a fisherman with a bucket full of blue crabs so we were able to get a close look at them!

The blue crab's scientific name, Callinectes sapidus, translates to "savory beautiful swimmer." Large males are called Jimmies by fishermen. They have brilliant blue claws and legs. Mature females are called sooks and have bright orange tips on their claws.

Blue crabs have two compound eyes, located on stalks. These are controlled independently and can lay back into sockets in the shell.

Like all crustaceans, these crabs grow by molting (or shedding their hard shell). Young blue crabs molt quite often but only once a year when they are older. Interestingly, females undergo molting and mating at the same time. Molting also includes the lenses of her eyes... essentially making her vision extremely blurry. The males, however, can see perfectly. So when they are busy showing off their claws and waving about their walking and swimming legs to impress her, she can't see it! Love truly is blind!

Overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway

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