Chris and Crystal recount a family crab feast and discuss how to pick, eat, and enjoy steamed blue crabs.

Topics discussed include:

• A quick shoutout to the friendly folks at Trident Seafood Market in Hebron, Maryland.

• Old Bay Seasoning vs. J.O. Spice.

• Many people think they're eating Old Bay when it's actually J.O.

• Crystal's strong opinions about how to pick a crab properly.

• It's just a blue crab, not a "Maryland" blue crab.

• Backyard crab pickin' beats crab house dining.

• They're called hush puppies because that's what crab house servers give you to hush you up when you want more crabs.

• Don't talk about how you prefer non-local crabs (i.e., snow crabs) during a Delmarva crab feast.

• Traditional seafood seasonings before Old Bay and J.O., including an interesting grocery store ad from 1930s Baltimore.

• 1870s crab recipes featuring mustard, cayenne pepper, and other familiar ingredients.

• Invasive blue crabs in Europe.

• Will Luke McFadden go to Italy to teach them how to be crabbers?

Chris and Crystal sit down with award-winning photographer Russell A. Taylor III of Delmar and Laurel for a deep dive into his story. The conversation runs the gamut from laugh-out-loud hilarious to deeply sobering.

Topics discussed (to name a few of many):

• How a childhood interest evolved first into a passion, and then a mission.

• Russell's mentor, Delmar High School teacher and photographer Sam Ellis.

• The Ward Museum Photo Festival.

• Is it unusual for a wildlife photographer to also be a hunter?

• How to share hunting-related photos tastefully and considerately.

• Transitioning from wildlife photography into human subjects like hunters, farmers, and first responders.

• Capturing a beloved dog's final hunt.

• The tragic killing of Corporal Keith Heacook of the Delmar Police Department in 2021, and Russell's role in documenting the difficult days after his passing.

• Behind the Line, Inc., a nonprofit geared towards supporting first responders.

Connect with Russell on Facebook, Instagram, and littlecreekstudio.com.

Chris and Crystal chat about their backyard Delaware chicken flock and the recent hatching of five baby chicks.

The Delaware chicken breed (not to be confused with the Blue Hen) was developed in Ocean View in the 1930s-1940s, and was once the favored bird of the broiler industry. It is an excellent choice for backyard flocksters in Delaware and elsewhere, good for both meat and eggs, and comfortable during cold winters and hot summers.

In the fourth episode of the Slower Lower podcast, Chris and Crystal sip Orange Crushes and react to the news that Maryland has finally named the wildly popular summertime drink its state cocktail after Delaware, in a puzzling breach of etiquette and sense, did the same last year.

Topics discussed:

• What is an Orange Crush? (Fresh-squeezed orange juice, triple sec, vodka, and Sprite or Sierra Mist on crushed ice.)
• Invention of the Orange Crush at Harborside in West Ocean City, Maryland, in the fall of 1995.
• Uncertainty about how quickly the cocktail spread to other beach bars, including in Delaware and beyond.
• Why are so many Delawareans unaware of the drink's heritage?
• The State of Delaware claims the drink was "perfected" in Delaware. What does that even mean?
• Chris admits he has never had an Orange Crush at Harborside or the Starboard, but wants to try both.
• There is little difference between one good Orange Crush and another, but there are bad ones.
• What's an Orange Skinny?
• Delaware should come up with a different state cocktail, maybe one with a Delaware chicken egg white and/or scrapple in it.

While Crystal battles allergies and a stubborn cough, Chris does a solo "quickie" episode about Delmarva's ancient caste system of locals, tourons, and come-heres. What are the differences between these groups? How did they evolve? Can a touron or a come-here become a local?

This episode of the Slower Lower podcast is brought to you by Bald Cypress Books, independent publisher of new and old books about the history and folklore of the Delmarva Peninsula. We do not publish e-books; you already spend way too much time looking at a screen.

Connect with the Slower Lower podcast on Facebook and Instagram.

On the second episode of the Slower Lower podcast, Chris and Crystal chat about their Memorial Day weekend road trip away from Slower Lower Delaware and into the mountains of western Pennsylvania, discussing topics such as: AirBnB etiquette, including what to do if you spill wine on the host's Oriental rug; historic Fort Bedford and the modern town of Bedford; visiting the Whiskey River Pub (shoutout to the friendly barman, Chris); breakfast at Lifestyle Next Door; sights along Route 30; an unplanned stop at the Flight 93 memorial; Ligonier and the Diamond; Fort Ligonier; the unbelievable taxidermy museum inside Joe's Bar; dinner at the legendary Eastwood Inn; the astounding Wicked Googly; eating breakfast and dinner at the Kitchen on Main and getting the same server; Braddock's Grave; Fort Necessity; and, perhaps most importantly, how listeners can write in.

In the inaugural episode of the Slower Lower podcast, Chris & Crystal chat about the highlights of their weekend, including the Vernacular Architecture Forum's visit to Laurel's Old Christ Church; lunch at the Groove; Chris's presentation at a Sussex County Genealogical Society meeting; lunch at the Lewes Oyster House and why it's their favorite restaurant on the Delmarva Peninsula; and the unusual sights and sounds at a sea shanty festival hosted by the Lewes Historical Society.