Go Where You Can Thrive

  Yesterday, I spent the afternoon photographing birds and critters down in the creek behind the Little Bayou House.  I had nothing better to do or, at least, I had nothing I would rather have done than tromp knee-deep in the ferns and spider lilies.  It is just a great way to escape from reality for a bit.  As I was trying to get a photograph of a Red-bellied Woodpecker, I noticed something a tad strange about the tree in front of me.  The bird had flown from a black gum tree to a longleaf pine and it was that pine that seemed unusual.  The limbs were gnarled and twisted into what almost seemed like knots.  Pondering this, I checked the other pines and saw that a few were in the same condition.  Others, however, had "normal" limbs.  What was up with the odd trees?

   Looking at the trees, I began to realize that they were all more or less in a "row" and other trees in that "row" were just as twisted. Perhaps these were all damaged by storm winds years ago.  Hurricanes spawn lots of tornadoes which could twist and tangle the limbs in such a manner.  Regardless of the force that was put on this tree, it stood fast.  While pines normally have a tendency to "top out" during hurricanes, this one held its ground. The winds twisted and turned the limbs as the storm ravaged the area.  After the hurricane passed, the tree continued to grow.  Instead of succumbing to the forces around it, the tree survived.  Its limbs now a tangled mess, strengthened as it grew. 

  Tromping about in the depths of the creek can bring a lot of things into a clearer perspective.  Life is short and you have to make do the best you can.  When life throws woes at you, it is best to use those to make yourself stronger.  Don't let others twist and turn you enough that you cannot thrive. What you do with your life does not matter diddlysquat to others in the long run, so I say, do what makes YOU happy.  Personally, the bog makes me happy so I am heading back tomorrow.