dungeness crab season opened in Oregon on Dec. first.  we started hauling pots at 12:01 AM.  they were all full, and there was joy on the Melko.  the freezing rain, however, managed to somewhat temper our enthusiasm.  not to mention the fact that winds approaching 100 mph are supposed to blow through here over the weekend.  this means that we can't put our traps back in the prime spot.  we have to stack them on deck and move them off into safer, deeper water and hope they survive the blow.  and this process is made difficult by the space limitations on the Melko and the fact that the wind is starting to puff already.  dawn brings more snowflakes than sunlight.  by mid-morning we're forced to head for the dock and it's all our captain can do to get us home safely as the Melko pounds and slides through huge, unpredictable seas.  i try to sneak out for some sweet pictures and a wave crashes over and washes out my camera.  (i'm going to try to get some from one of the other guys)  i try to think about the positives - we caught a lot of crab, we protected most of our gear(maybe), and most importantly, we got home safe.  but it's tough to know that there's a fortune waiting out there for us, right there, and due to circumstances beyond our control, we will probably miss our opportunity to claim it.  most of the energy spent in Astoria, OR this weekend will be attempting to avoid a nervous breakdown.