Whatever Works

  Down near the pier, there is a little area where the marsh was wallowed out by a tractor that became mired years ago.  The folks who put in the posts for the pier obviously were not too familiar with their machine and did a grand job of getting it stuck.  While this was both humorous and aggravating for me at the time, I must admit that this hole has become a favorite place for photography.  

  Critters love the mudflats and tidepools that were left behind.  The other day, I was trying to get a picture of a cottonmouth moccasin that was slithering through the mud but once he saw me, he made a quick retreat into the marsh.  I thought this was a tad strange since usually the snakes are not intimidated by a mere human especially one only armed with a camera.  I sat still long after he disappeared and finally realized that there was another reason besides me that the small snake made his hasty getaway.  The snake had been making its way through a small canal that had washed through the marsh.  This is now a favorite passageway for many critters as it leads from one section of the Bayou right to this little pool.  Everyone seems to want to dine on the fat bull minnows that frequent the pool.  The snake was no different from any of the rest.  As I sat there waiting, a head popped up from the middle of the passageway.  Ahhh, a large snapping turtle had buried itself under the mud right in the midst of the canal.  There, it had the perfect vantage point to catch anything that dared to wander in its path.  The turtle would have made short work of the snake.

  While I was photographing the turtle's snout, a bit of color caught my eye.  It is a rare thing to see color on the drab gray of the mud.  That had to be something of interest!  Sure enough, a damselfly had come to visit.  The brightest green and blue adorned this slim figure of an insect.  Damselflies are in the same family as dragonflies and do a lot of the same things.  These, too, eat a lot of other insects so are a good thing to have around the Bayou.  My interest left the beast of a snapping turtle and turned to the beauty of a damselfly.  

   I got to thinking about how the turtle used its drab coloring to aid in its quest for dinner.  The color perfectly matched to color of the mud. As it sat waiting for something to cross its path, it blended well with its environment.  The camouflage was perfect.  Then there was this bright damselfly.  Its coloring did just the opposite. It made the insect stand out against the drab background.  No camouflage was needed as the damselfly, like its cousin the dragonfly, depends on speed and agility to catch its prey.  It is this way with many of the critters that call the Bayou home. Some blend well with their surroundings and depend on secrecy and cunning while others stand out and rely on their wit and speed. When it comes down to brass tacks, it is all about survival.  Whatever works...whatever works.