Misconceptions?

   It fully befuddles me how the brain works or, at least, how my brain works.  I see things in a totally different way than most folks.  Perhaps, this is due to the time spent in solitude where I can ponder things without the interruptions of the world happenings.  This solitude, even self-inflicted (such as mine), is wondrous once you get accustomed to it.  Pondering is equally wondrous.  Still, there are times when others brains and their thinkings purely bemuse me.

  Others often see me as eccentric or even downright odd and I am quite ok with that.  Still, there is no obvious reason to overthink that I am anything but myself.  I am eccentric but that is not necessarily a reason to jump to conclusions.  All of this leads to the bemusing part simply because of an odd arrangement of items on the old woodburning stove.  The stove (when not in use) is a convenient "catch-all".  The top is sturdy cast-iron so it can withstand even heavy items being placed on it.  This time, however, nothing was heavy just an  melange of knickknacks that reached that handy spot as I was cleaning the shelves.  

 "You really should not be doing this!  You are going to get into things that are evil!"  Well, now!  I am all for not cleaning but I had to wonder how this was going to bring the forces of evil upon me???  Then...a fit of giggles as I realized that my hodgepodge was misconstrued as a perfected arrangement. I suppose I am now an enchantress?  Awesomeness!  The "brains" of the world will never cease to bewilder.  Selective perception totally blocked out any reasonable explanation.

  In all fairness, my living room is kept quite dark with only a few small funky lamps and an oil warmer going at any given time.  Perhaps the lighting lent a mysterious aura to my pile of junk?  By the harsh glare of overhead lights, the old stovetop look just like it actually is...a mess...nothing magical...nothing mysterious...nothing but a pile of junk waiting to be put back the shelf or stowed in a closet until the next clue hunt calls for props.  I do think it looks a little more offbeat without the overhead lights which may be why I hate using them!   

Tiny Bits of Magic!

   Most folks who know me have serious doubts about my sanity, I am sure.  I tend to live in "my own little world" and block out the woes of the world.  People take things far too seriously and never allow themselves to cut loose and dwell in a fantasy land for a while.  Maybe I am totally wrong on this.  Perhaps others live in a fantasy world full of strife, conspiracy theories and unrest.  Maybe...just maybe...my Bayou is the "real world" and here is where real life takes place.  Then again...there are those who have doubts....which is fine by me because I do not have to be bothered with inane problems that can never be solved.  Mysteries...on the other hand...do not NEED to be solved!  They need to be enjoyed for what they are and that is it.  Mysteries and magic of the Bayou are all it takes.

  On my hikes about the place, I can find endless mysteries and copious amounts of pure magic.  (That is another fallacy being spread about.  Most say that magic has to be made.  Nope...it happens.  It just happens and is there for the fortunate to find and enjoy.)  This morning led me far down behind the canebrake where I was in hopes of finding mosses and ferns still intact after our bout of freezing weather.  The mosses were fine but the fern fronds were brown and withered.  This saddened me as the creek bed is one of the few places left wild.  It is full of magical happenings there!

  One point of beauty simply was found underfoot.  Fairy Footprints!  Yep, those tiny, white flowers were popping up everywhere!  These are some of the first wildflowers to bloom each year after winter starts to wane.  They do not seem to mind overnight frost as long as the days warm.  In fact, they do not even mind the shady nooks of the creek bed...those places overshadowed by underbrush or leafy oaks.  This groundcover is also often called Roundleaf Bluets or simply Innocence.  I call it magic for no other reason than the smile the blooms can bring to the face and the joy to the heart.  Find your magic, folks.  Find it...I promise, it is not something that needs to be made...it is already there.

Golden Clams

   I often speak of the "golden glow" of the water during some sunrises.  The entire Bay and Bayou appear to be afire with the reflection of the horizon.  It is mesmerizing.  In fact, I am rarely missing from the pier at daybreak simply because the kaleidoscopic colors send the brain into a frenzy of happiness.  This morning, however, that did not happen.  I was there, the sun rose but the water was missing.  The north wind had pushed the water far out from the shoreline so there was no glorious color being cast.  Mud does not do as well.  Not that I was too disappointed as...the sun did rise and I was alive to see it.  It is just a case of finding other magical moments to entertain the mind.  I did.  As I turned to head back up the hillside, a glimmer of "gold" was found!  Embedded in that slippery mud was a hefty clamshell.  While the mud does not reflect the sunrays, that clamshell sure did.  In fact, it practically gleamed!  There...there was the magical moment!

  It does not take much to make the wheels in my brain to start whirring with excitement.  All sorts of thoughts reeled about in a frenetic pace but the most prevalent was "How have I never seen the incredible beauty in a common clamshell?"  The mud, itself, even became more lovely simply due to how it held the shell.  As I pondered the shell and mud, the sun slid a bit further above the horizon behind me and caused a deep, dark shadow to form behind the clam.  This!  This was the perfect way to spend the morning...on the pier staring at a clamshell...by myself...completely engulfed in tranquility.  Bayou magic!  Nice!

A Post, A Skink And Magic

   Son has often made the statement that I am easily amused or entertained.  He claims that my mind can find joy where others refuse to look.  To my way of thinking, that is how things are supposed to work.  We should not have to constantly be bombarded with artificial stimuli to keep the brain moving.   There is far more than enough to stimulate any brain without smacking it with only others' ideas.  My brain wanders in a different route.  I can find joy and beauty in just about anything.

  This morning, I sat in the garden with my first mug of coffee pondering the chore plan for the day.  With storms threatening to enter the Gulf in the next few days, my time would be spent hauling the planks that were salvaged from Hurricane Zeta up the hill a bit further.  Over two thousand boards had been de-nailed and stacked but were now needing to be restacked where possible flood waters would not reach them.  What a job!  But this morning as I sat sipping the coffee, my brain slipped off into a wonderland of thoughts.  Sitting in the garden can do that to you!  Ideas of new features for the area swirled with wild abandon.  Don't get me wrong, my gardens are about as hodgepodge as they come but that is the way I love them.  Suddenly, my eyes focused on a single post in the midst of the purple basil and wild ageratums.  Ahh, that is lovely!  The post has no apparent reason for being in the flower bed other than I thought it needed to be there.  So, I stuck it there...randomly but on purpose! 

  As I was sitting there, the post suddenly came magically came alive.  A quite large skink slowly made its way to the top then turned to go back down about halfway.  There it stopped to bask in the morning sunlight.  What is so magical about a post and a skink, you may ask.  Well, I had just recently thought it would be nice to have one of those ceramic lizards somewhere just as a point of interest.  Nope!  I do not need one.  I have the real thing and it is far nicer.  The Magic of the Small Gardens came into play once again.  There is no limit to the wonders of nature.  (Or perhaps Son is correct and I am easily amused.)

Magical Bayou Skinks!

   There is an oak tree that is right next to the arbor that covers the French doors.   The tree is hollow with lots of openings in roots and even holes in the trunk.  This makes it perfect for lots of critters to hide.  Recently, there are skinks in the hollow tree.  This is good, by my way of thinking, as they can rid the place of other critters.  Since I work in the plants a good bit, the skinks have come to realize that I am not going to harm them and, hence, have come to be quite sociable.  If I am watering or trimming the plants, the lizards will often come out and hang with me.  To me, they are beautiful creatures and I am happy for their company.

   A couple of days ago, someone asked me "What does it mean if a skink is in your house?"  I suppose by living on the Bayou and by living the way I do, I am supposed to believe in a whole bunch of superstitions.  Actually, it is just the opposite.  My way of life has made me able to see things in blunt ways of reality.  Hocus pocus is for those who wish to be something they are not.  Not that the things I do are not questionable by some folks' standards, it is just that I have a more logical way of thinking than seems to be the consensus.  Anyway, the question was posed so....I answered.  

  It was all I could do to keep a straight face when giving my "insightful" answer.  After much ado about nothing I finally delivered my thoughts in such a way that the answer was purely magical!  "Well, if a skink dwells within your home, it means you have roaches."  Yep!  How was that for an answer from someone who deals with "potions, magic and spells"?  Really, now?  Come on, folks.  Bayou Magic!  You gotta love it!

Purely Magical Sunrise

  After a pretty much sleepless night, I headed to the pier before dawn.  Tossing and turning in the bed is ridiculous.  It was time to start the day.  Once there, I realized that this was no ordinary day.  It was more on the weird side than anything.  The sunrise was not even "right".  In fact, in all my years being on the Bayou, I had never experienced a day breaking in such a manner.

 

  There was a slight ridge of fog out over the mid part of the Bay.  It started back in the bowels of the Bayou and streamed out to the middle of the open water.  Fog is not anything new but seeing a long streak was.  Usually, the fog is low-lying and spread more over the marsh.  Then when the sun started to peek over the pines, it illuminated the fog streak near the mouth of the Bayou with such a brilliance that it was almost blinding.  The sky above the fog was blue and dotted with white clouds and this was mirrored in the still waters.  It almost had an ethereal glow to it.  I was spellbound.

  Then, the sky turned golden and the fog thickened to block out everything making it seem to be a lot darker than it should have been at that time.  The sun, however, was higher and absolutely blinding.  I was so enthralled by the phenomenon that I hardly noticed the family of otters playing nearby or the osprey flying overhead.  The mystical view had captured my full attention.  Folks, you never know what you will miss by lingering inside.  Get outside...see the magic!

Some Things Are Never Explained

   Now that I am regaining the freedom to roam the Bayou and surrounding areas, I had to go back and check the creek bed.  I have missed the magic of the swamp.  The critters, the mosses, the huge palmettos and tangle of vines makes the creek bed an enchanting spot.  One fully expects some mystical creatures to be lurking in the shadows.  A fleeting glimpse of something hastily moving across the sun-dappled ground or the soft whispers of wings in the treetops add to the feeling that you are not alone.  This, my friends, is a favorite spot.  One where the imagination is free to roam where it may and where it is not hindered by the naysayers of the world.

  While I was crossing the small creek, I noticed one moss-covered stump that seemed to be ancient.  A tree had obviously been cut here, at some time.  This, I found strange as not one tree this far in the creek has ever been felled by saws since I came to live on the Bayou.  Plenty have fallen due to hurricanes but no one has ever cut a tree in probably some fifty or sixty years and, yet, the stump remains intact.   I pondered the age of the tree remains and who had felled it.  Years and years ago, Pop had told me of a sawmill business that had been on this land before Grandpa purchased it.  That was nigh on a hundred years ago.  Could this stump have lasted that long?  Surely not but...if not, who had cut the tree?  And why cut one in the creek if not for such a thing as a sawmill?  This will most likely remain as one of the mysteries of the Bayou. For now, however, I will just be pleased with my find of yet another mossy area.

Bayou Three Step

   It occurred to me early this morning that the state of the world nowadays is in a fine fix.  Not that the world has suddenly run amok nor that my brain is just kicking it in gear but rather that it occurred to me as I realized how at peace I am, as of late.  Once you clear the turmoil from your own brain and disruptive people and things from your life, you can see how messed up everything else is.  The revelation this morning made me want to bottle up this peace and use it as a vaccine for turmoil.

  

  As I stood watching the sky redden with the coming of dawn, the Magic of the Bayou washed over me and made me wish I could share this enchanting euphoria with everyone.  Why shouldn't others delight in tranquility?  Well, that lasted just about five minutes when another revelation hit me.  A lot of people revel in their self-righteous agitation.  Too many feel that they are right, everybody else is wrong and if you have an opinion, it offends!  To them, I say..."Keep it!"  I do not want it!  I am too busy loving a peaceful, happy life to worry about everybody's hissy fits.

  Folks, find your own magic place somewhere and be spellbound by the peace and tranquility.  Leave behind the chaos.  It all begins within you...within me.  The only way things are going to get any better is by a concentrated effort of all people.  First step...distance yourself from the tempest.  Second step...find the peace within yourself.  Third step...share that peace.   Spread it around like pixie dust.  It sounds easy but that first step is a doozy.  It takes a lot of strength to pull away.  You can do it!  Be happy.

Twists and Turns

   If there is any one thing that stands out about living on the Bayou, it is the fact that you can be totally alone and not be lonely.  Many folks ask me how I am not bored being here by myself for so much of the time.  Well, there is too much to do to be bored.  In fact, I would be bored living like other people do.  If my day was spent indoors, in front of a TV or merely doing the same thing every day, my brain would explode!  I am wired to keep busy even when not feeling well.  With the health problems that settled in this past July, my methods of doing things has changed greatly but the chores still get done...life goes on...just differently.

  Early mornings are my favorite time to be out and about.  A certain peace can be found on the Bayou that is nowhere else on this old planet.  Of course, that peace has to be found within before the Bayou can work its magic.  When life offers up a bit of turmoil and the world spins around like a tempest in a teapot, the Bayou brings it all into perspective.  The twists and turns of life spill out somewhere just like the winding streams of the Bayou spill out into the Bay.  If you do not wish to be tossed out into the mass chaos, then stick to the calm waterways.  

  The winding of the Bayou was clear as I stepped outside the other morning.  The sunrise was spotlighting the twists and turns as it glinted off the rivulets of water and mudflats.  I knew it was to be a magical day...I just knew it.  The Bayou does not lie.  Not a boring day here...ever!

Bayou Magic at Dawn

  Once again, I urge folks to really stop and take notice of their surroundings.  There are so many things that we all overlook everyday.  STOP!! Stop and literally "smell the roses".  Life is so amazing but most people never pause long enough to notice.  We all become so caught up in our everyday lives that taking the time to really see what is around us is low man on the totem pole.  Nope!  No more!  Call it a resolution or a promise to yourself but really take the time to find the miracles in your own backyard.  It matters not if you study some small pebbles or start identifying wildflowers...just really take notice of things. After a short time, you will find that there is a whole new world opening up to you.  Discovering what is naturally there can increase your creativity, relieve stress and actually improve your health!

  Down behind the greenhouse, there is one thicket that is full of tiny plants and mosses.  If I am there at the right time of day and the sun is doing its thing, the whole place turns into a magical spot.  As the sunbeams spill through the canopy of leaves overhead, each tiny plant is highlighted.  Shadows dance off the tree trunks and leaf-laden ground.  I fully expect at some times to find a band of tiny elfin creatures residing there!

  Today's magical find was a small clump of Oxalis or Wood Sorrel.  This is one of many types of wood sorrel that can be found now growing wild throughout the area.  The sorrels are one of my favorite wildflowers simply because they can bloom any time of year.  Let a couple of warm days come and the woods are full of the hot pink blooms. The sunbeams highlighted the blooms in a glorious manner!  I sat in awe of the beauty.  Here...here is a little Bayou Magic.

  

  

Magical Mornings

  There is magic to be found in just about everything.  Life in itself is magical.  It is my thought that magic is anything that is unexplained or unexpected.  I have learned a long time ago that you cannot go about life fretting what others think as it is up to you to make life magical.  I live that way now.  Each day proves that my idea is correct.

  At daybreak this morning, I ventured out into the gardens.  The air smelled fresh due to the recent rains and the ground was still wet enough to muffle any footsteps.  The pair of cardinals were patiently waiting for breakfast and the frogs were still in the midst of their serenading of the night before.  It seemed to be a perfect morning and that all was right with the world...at least, it is all right in my little paradise.  Just outside the garden gate, the Althea bush had lovely blooms that were opening with the rising sun.  Their bright lavender petals and burgundy centers were absolutely breathtaking.  These blooms have always been special as the bush has "family ties".  It started as a cutting from my grandparent's place.  I eased my way to inspect the blooms and, to my surprise, found a dragonfly wing inside of one blossom.  Well, that was strange!  Of course, there was probably an ordinary explanation but finding the wing placed so perfectly inside the petal made it magical to me.

  Had Aunt Helen been on this stroll with me, she and I would have immediately proclaimed that a faerie had gotten new wings and left the old one as proof of her existence.  Maybe?  When Aunt Helen was alive, she and I could let our imaginations run amok.  Fantastical tales could be woven on a mere find as the one this morning.  

  Folks, sometimes it is important to let go of the worries of the world and find your own magic. It is out there.  Look for it.  Perhaps the "magic" was not in finding a dragonfly wing nor the lovely Althea bloom.  Perhaps it was in being free enough in my own mind to view it as such.  Finding beauty in mundane things is a gift.  Finding magic in everything is, too.

Good For the Body, Mind and Spirit

  In the late afternoon, the sun throws some pretty interesting shadows about the hillside overlooking the Bayou.  While the marsh and waters usually stay pretty bright, the heavy oak trees and tall pines start casting shadows as early as mid afternoon.  By the time the sun starts to set in the west, the woods on that side of our place pretty much blocks any light.  I am happy with it actually.  Otherwise, I would continue the chores until much later and, as an old lady, I do not need to be pushing it that much. So, the work that starts before 7 am, usually ends by 3 pm.  That is enough for me.  The yard work, gardening and shed cleaning is taking a toll on this old body.

  This afternoon after quitting for the day, I noticed the shadows on the yard.  Even though I was exhausted, I had to take a peek.  Well, this time the peek was merely through the window on the east side of the house.  It only took that one peek to make me fully appreciate where I live.  It is a good feeling to look out over the water whenever the whim strikes me.

  It is not just me that feels the power of the water.  Scientists have proven that those who can hear or view water on a daily basis are more relaxed and more creative.  It seems that watching and hearing waves puts our brains in almost a hypnotic state.  Being near water of any kind can lower stress levels and help with our mental well being.  Well, I could have told them that!  This effect is what I have long called "Bayou Therapy" and it has powerful soothing properties to all who come to seek it.  Trouble minds can be settled merely by sitting and staring out over the Bayou.  Take a hike near the marsh edge and down to where the creek empties into the Bayou and all sorts of magic can happen.  My long-held beliefs are now scientifically proven.  Bayou Magic!  Bayou Therapy...it is good for the troubled spirit.

Purple Mornings

  Often, I speak of the Magic of the Bayou.  To me, it is a very magical place.  There is an inexplicable serenity that engulfs you as soon as you step foot in certain spots.  This is most evident at dawn and just before nightfall.  It is as if the very essence of the place enters the soul and proclaims that strife should be lifted.  The mind becomes calm, the body relaxed and all seems right with the world.  

  Due to things beyond my control, the night had been sleepless other than short "cat-naps" caught in between a billion thoughts.  The mind felt cluttered even though I had a "conference" with the Black Racer yesterday.  I have found that many times pouring your troubles out to some critter really helps. The conversation with the snake did momentarily but, then, nightfall with hours to think and fret.  Come daybreak, an odd purple color tinted the window curtains on the east side of the living room.  This was not like other sunrises that beamed dark red.  Something was different and that difference called to me.  As soon as I stepped out the door, I was slammed by the beauty wisping about the hillside.  A light fog had laid in across the marsh overnight and the sun coming up over the pines tinted most of the yard purple!  Ok, so this was unusual but REALLY magical!  The Magic of the Bayou was in full force this morning!  Who would imagine a PURPLE yard??  

  Wandering about the hillside made me completely forget the unrest of the night.  My peace had returned!  All was good.  The Bayou and its mystical, magical ways calmed the anxiety and steadied the nerves. With that, I headed back to the meeting place of the Black Racer.  I wanted to thank the snake for being such a good friend.  Ahh, yes...bayou therapy is a grand thing.

Once Again

  When one has a troubled mind, it is best to find the one place in this old world that makes you feel good.  For me, that place is the pier.  There, I can look out over the water and forget the worries of the world.  There is nothing so great that a bit of "Bayou Magic" cannot cure.   Lately, it seems as if the days were starting to clutter the brain with a bunch of riffraff "nothingisms".  I needed respite.  The water beckoned and I answered.  

  While I was watching the pelicans dive in the inches-deep water, a slight movement on the shoreline caught my eye.  A raccoon piddled in the shallows hoping to find breakfast.  At first, I assumed that this was a youngster just out from under his mom's care because, as raccoons go, this was a small one.  As I stared at the critter, it occurred to me that it was moving awfully slow.  Something was amiss.  As the coon neared, it became apparent that this was no teenager...this coon was an elder.  In fact, the critter was quite old and was having problems finding breakfast.  

 Slowly, slowly, the coon neared the pier.  I was in hopes that it would make the turn parallel to the pier and go up on the mudflats.  Earlier, I had noticed that a dozen or so fat killifish were trapped in a small pool of water.  The coon could have feasted there.  Instead, the old guy kept going along the shoreline until he was far out of sight.  I sure hope he found something to fill his belly as it is to be a rather cold night and there is nothing worse than being cold and hungry.  

  Watching the raccoon struggle just to find its breakfast made me realize that my troubles were minuscule.  I could handle the day.  The Bayou had once again worked its magic on me.  Life is good.

Hunting for Magic!

  I have often said that the Bayou is a magical place full of mystical beings.  While this may fully be due to my wild imagination, one cannot help but believe that there are a lot of unseen entities dwelling among the palmettos, hiding beneath the ferns and playing in the creek bottom.  Back before the old dog became incapacitated, he and I would wander aimlessly in search of the magic.  We often found it.  Somewhere deep in the woods, a feeling would surround us then, invariably, a presence could be felt.  Usually, a critter of some sort would be found hiding among the leaves or staring down from the treetops.  Whether these critters were magical to others remains to be seen but they were (and still are) to me. 

  Now that Mr. PJ has fallen too weak to hike, he and I spend more time inside.  His days are spent napping on his bed and I piddle about making clue hunt props.  The old dog's health and happiness have taken precedence over my hikes.  Still, I occasionally get to slip out the back door when he is in a deep sleep.  It is then that I continue my search for magical beings!  

  Down behind the old pump shed, the new path twists and turns beneath some huge magnolia trees.  Their thick canopy pretty much blocks out the sunlight and gives the path an almost ominous flare.  It was here that I found the tiny mushroom that just begged for some elfin creature to dance upon its cap.  I photographed the mushroom but never once laid eyes upon the elf!  Perhaps, later in the week, another hike will prove more productive!  

  Now before you think I have flipped my lid, my magical creatures are merely whatever happens to be found on the short hikes.  It matters not if it is a tiny mouse nibbling the mushroom or the wily bobcat slinking beneath the ferns in hopes of catching a rabbit.  Being in their presence is enthralling so...magical creatures they are.  Right now, I can use all the magic I can find.

Another Magical Morn on the Bayou

  Whenever I mention that I live on a Bayou to anyone who does not know me, they immediately come up with some pretty wild thoughts about life here.  Some folks are frightened of the alligators, snakes and other wild critters that roam the marsh and woods.  Others think I am some sort of swamp witch that can create zombies, read palms and live solely on grub worms that I dig from the mud.  I warn those who fear the critters to watch their step but instead of being fearful, they just need to be respectful.  If you respect a critter's right to be here, then usually there are no problems.  As for the other folks, no....just no.

  I do agree, however, that the Bayou is a pretty magical and mystical place.  Things can happen here that do not anywhere else in the world but, at the same time, that can be said about any place.  What happens in a given spot is special to that spot and to the person observing it.  It is all a matter of how you see things.  Me?  I prefer to find the magic in life, in general.  So many folks depend on things, people or events to exhilirate them but just living is enough if you have insight to see that is all it takes.  

  The Bayou made its magic evident this morning.  A slight cloud cover kept the sun from casting clear, sharp images.  That, combined with a light fog wisping up over the marsh, was enough to coax the wheels of imagination into a soft spin.  All sorts of wild ideas can be conjured when the wind is right!  Tales of swamp critters, will-o-the-wisps and pirate treasure whirl about the brain dusting down the cobwebs that linger from an inactive imagination.  That, my friends, is part of the magic of the Bayou.

Calling on the Bayou Magic

  A friend called me last night and made an unusual request.  "Man, I don't feel well.  Can I come find some peace on the Bayou?"   It seems that her jobs (she works three), her family and her physical health are all wreaking havoc on her mental state at the moment.  She needs a break from it all and knows that the Bayou can bring peace to even the most stressful situations.  "You need the Magic of the Bayou to heal the emotional wounds and some herbal concoctions to heal the sickness of your body." I told her.  

  I have often felt that the Bayou offers peace to those who need it most.  There is something that draws those who are weak, stressed or merely confused.  Once here, the magic starts to infiltrate their minds and, by the time they are ready to depart, all is well once again.  No one can see it.  No one can hear it.  But all can feel it.  It sneaks in to push out all troubles.

  So, she will come to the Bayou.  She will receive a few tisanes to heal the body and then will soak up a heapin' helpin' of Bayou Magic to soothe the mind.  Life is good here.  The Bayou Magic can always wash way the troubles.

Bayou Magic just for me!

  Just mention that you live on a bayou and a lot of folks get crazy ideas. Some immediately have the notion that you are a "Voodoo Queen" and can conjure most any potion imaginable. You make zombies and put hexes on your enemies. Others wonder how you deal with the constant threat of alligators and gigantic snakes slithering in your house and hanging from the rafters. Then there are those who think that your house is a boat, you have pet otters and alligators and all you eat is snails and polliwogs.  Yep, those all sound just about like me!  Right. Right.  Whatever.

  I do admit that just about the time the old Bayou starts to become a bit too placid, something happens that dusts the cobwebs from the brain.  A bit of excitement or just a glimpse of something that jars a memory can, indeed, send the adrenalin in a rush.  Or, perhaps, something can have just the opposite effect and calm the soul.  Whichever it is, just the fact that it occurs on the Bayou, does add a bit of ambiance. 

  This morning just after daybreak, I was headed to the pier.  I turned to make sure that Ms. Ez, the old Bayou Dog, was following me when I noticed the sun.  It had been a full twenty minutes since the sun had first peaked up over the horizon but a heavy layer of dark clouds kept the day from seeming bright.  What caught my eye was the redness of the sunshine that brimmed over the horizon and through the pine trees.  The beams sort of spilled through the mimosas and oak trees to create little glimmering pools of light between the branches.  A golden wash had settled upon the yard. Wow!  I almost felt as if I had just stumbled into some mystical, fantasy land.  

  This magical spell lasted only a mere fifteen minutes before the harsh light of day replaced the enchanting golden glow.  I felt blessed to have witnessed a bit of beauty that no other had seen.  I know that I was in the "right place at the right time" to have seen this in the first place.  This morning was tailor-made just for me.  Sure that sun sent down its rays for the entire world to see but only on the Bayou, only in my yard, only between the mimosas and oaks did the world stop just long enough for me to be mesmerized by this bit of beauty at dawn.  

A little bit of "Bayou Magic"!

Every now and again, you just have to sit back and look at things from a new perspective.  Not that it will physically change one iota of the world around us but more the fact that we change the way we feel.  Stress and confusion can add far too many years to our age and not accomplish a single thing.  My sweet sister-in-law tries to help everyone.  She feels the need to rush here and there to lend a helping hand whether it is tending to the elderly, volunteering with the Red Cross or just being that proverbial shoulder that so many of us need occasionally.  If you need her..she is there.  When it is her that needs to be consoled or just vent, she usually heads to the Bayou.  She, like most folks, finds a certain peace being on the water.  I have always maintained that being on the pier "washes" the worries away with the tide.  Makes sense to me...

Today, she came to visit.  She was not particularly stressed although there was a number of things on her mind..we talked about them all.  I was a sounding board for all of the little things that for some reason loomed large during her day. We chatted over some crocheting as a thunderstorm rattled the Little Bayou House.  Afterwards, we headed to the pier.  I wanted her to be free of any remaining "cluttered" feelings and what better time and place.  After a rain, the Bayou, itself, feels clearer as if it has been washed free of any grime.  We sat on the pier long enough for the sky to start its magical transformation into a gorgeous sunset.  I could tell we were in for a treat far before the first tinges of orange hit the clouds.  "Just a few more minutes", I would say to her each time she felt she should head back to her house.  "Just a few more minutes..I want you to see something."  Then the beauty began to unfold.  Her eyes could behold the wonders that only God can unveil.  The oranges, pinks, purples and reds all started bouncing off the clouds in an array more vivid than any artist's paint palette.  It was breathtaking!  As I photographed the changing sky, I could see a change in her as well. She relaxed and really started watching the spectacle before us.  She was in awe..just as I am each time I watch this masterpiece take place.

The serenity of the Bayou once again worked its spell.  Is there any wonder that I love this place?  I think the Bayou has some special power within it that creates peace.  This therapeutic effect is far better than any known medicine.  Paradise is where we find it..mine is the Bayou.