What began as any other day for a group of sand crabs on Oahu's North Shore turned out to be a virtual feeding frenzy. It seems the dynamic duo (Beth & David) stumbled across the hapless crabs during a Friday afternoon adventure. The two travelers were munching away on cheap pork skins when David noticed that a certain sand crab had come out of his hole to get a closer look at his snack. When David tossed him a crumb, the crustacean side-stepped over, grabbed it, and quickly dragged it back into his ocean-front kitchenette. Beth thought the crab maneuver was so intriguing that she tossed a crumb toward another little pair of eyes. He quickly followed his neighbor's example and stashed it away. Then David noticed the first crab was back on the surface staring at him. You guessed it, he tossed another piece of pork skin. Soon the two beach bums were feeding a whole group of crabs that definitely had a better appreciation for cheap pork rinds than a couple of white people.

They were wondering how deep the crab's sand hole was, and what would happen when the hole filled up? After they had given away all their food, David sat right in front of his favorite crab hole and waited for him to come out. Finally the crab came out with an arm-load of sand; he was making the hole deeper in anticipation of MORE FOOD! However, David noticed that this "all you can eat" thing had affected the crab's brain. Mixed in with the sand

he was removing was a piece of food! * David grabbed the extra food and

waited. When he came out again, David tried to get the crab to take it from his hand.

Now.., if you think David and Beth have a pet crab at home your wrong. The crab wouldn't get near him.

* Editor's note: I believe the crab's wife was at the bottom of the hole telling him to get rid of the extra food he had brought home, and accusing him of planning a beer-drinkin, football watchin party for all of his friends!

After weeks of gruesome training (3 to be exact), Beth and David take pride in their Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) open water certificate for self contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving. The editor is unsure of the textbook definition of "open" water. It might mean that they aren't allowed to dive in confined pools such as swimming pools, or even small lakes. But who really cares as long as they are allowed to take advantage of the plentiful opportunities that await them in Paradise.

Hawaiian waters are teeming with colorful tropic fish. The endless beauty that abounds in formations of coral and underwater plants gives divers a glimpse of a wondrous world that only divers know. The temperature of the water stays at a fairly constant 78 degrees. As long as you don't spend time worrying about jellyfish stings, drowning, or being eaten by a 15 foot tiger shark, diving is a very relaxing sport.

Actually, Shark attacks are extremely rare, and just because a woman was killed by one last week, is no reason to worry. David has been doing some research on the subject and has developed an interesting theory. Most sharks are very interested in ecology and the saving the environment. Notwithstanding any "radical" pro-industry sharks, David believes that by painting the words "Not Dolphin Free" on his wetsuit, the preponderance of Hawaiian sharks will not want to eat him, but would be more likely to eat Beth, who has "I use Aerosol" on her wetsuit.

Beth and David send a warm welcome out to all their family and friends who would like to visit the islands. They have lots of room, and don't charge for tours of Oahu. (such a deal!)