That Feeling Of Belonging

   People often ask me why I cling to my little house here on the Bayou.  I have one answer...because it is HOME.  I find peace here.  This is where I belong and where I shall stay as long as possible.  This...this is my little piece of paradise.

  Early this morning as I was on the pier, I had to smile as several dolphins were putting on quite a show just for me...obviously, just for me since I was the only person up at the crack of dawn when they started.  I smiled because of a recent news article where the reporter was "surprised" to see dolphins and porpoises in the Bay.  Hmmm...perhaps that reporter is not very observant or perhaps he has just never spent much time on the water.  The lovely creatures can be seen frolicking whenever there are mullet schooling. Today, the dolphins were quite close to the pier.  I watched as the pod worked together to corral mullet into a tight wad so their hunting could be easier.  Then...a surprise!  Among the adults, there were two calves with this pod!  

  As I sat there watching the show, an overwhelming sense of belonging came over me.  This...this is where I belong.  This...this is indeed my little piece of paradise. Just home...just home.

Celebrating Life

  Lately, I find it nigh on impossible to sleep past 4am.  I pop awake and try as I might, sleep just will not return.  After tossing and turning a bit, I relent and tumble out of bed.  It is still quite dark at this time but I have found if I put on the coffee pot, throw in a load of laundry and take my sweet time meandering down the hill, the pier is illuminated enough to continue.  After I reach the bench at the end, I enjoy my mug of coffee as I wait for the sun to rise.  The sounds of the birds waking bring smiles as does the sights of nocturnal critters  heading to bed.

  This morning, that jaunt to the pier brought another happy surprise.  A pod of dolphins was playing in the Bay.  The surprise got even better when I realized that all of the rejoicing was due to a new baby in the pod!  What a joyous occasion!  The tiny one was being boosted along by the gentle nudges of the adults.  It has been said that bottlenosed dolphin babies, like human babies, have to be taught.  The mothers and other adults of the family pod will help the little one learn to swim and to surface.  They are also taught the finer points of corralling fish and general survival tactics.

  The dolphins this morning were doing a good bit of what I call "water-dancing" as they would hold their tails high out of the water or even jump out of the water.  It appeared as if they were celebrating the new arrival so I celebrated with them.  It is always good to see the Bay and Bayou so healthy.

My Friends Have Returned

  One of the first things Mark and I do each morning is take a hike down to the pier.  We start our day by looking out over the water and reflecting on how blessed we are to live on our Bayou.  For some, it may not seem like the best life but, for us, it is our little piece of paradise.  It is hard to imagine living anywhere else.  This morning, the realization of those blessings increased dramatically.

  Recently, the wildlife in the area has faced a terrible blow.  The opening of spillways has released, not only river water into the Gulf, but an extreme amount of chemicals.  Those chemicals wreaked havoc on the critters.  Hundreds of dolphins and sea turtles washed ashore.  They had huge lesions caused by the tainted water.  Thousands of other sea creatures perished as well.  This morning, a pod of bottlenose dolphins happily played in the waters of the Bay.  Mark and I watched as these fine creatures feasted on the schools of mullet.  As they chased the school of fish, they would breach the water and cause huge swells.  

  Seeing the dolphins at play gave me hope that soon things would be back to normal for my critter friends.  We, as humans, cause so much tragedy for the other creatures of this world.  It makes me sad to know that by human hands so many animals perish needlessly.  It is good to know that Mother Nature can sometimes put things back in order.

Well. that was hard!

  Living on the Bayou allows me to view all sorts of things that most others only see occasionally.  There is a never-ending parade of critters that inhabit the area.  Their presence is one that I tend to take for granted and, at times, do not find overly exciting.  Then there are critters that, no matter how many times I see them, fascinate me.  Bottlenose  Dolphins were playing in the Bay today.  They were chasing the schools of mullet and teaching their young how to toss the fish into the air. There were five adults and three babies just out from the pier.  It was an interesting sight to see but a most difficult to photograph.

  I am usually adept at capturing the images of the Bayou and Bay.  Critters often will cooperate given enough time and space.  The dolphins, however, play hide-and-seek!  Try as I might, I could never get a good photograph of their antics.  I would watch and think I could anticipate their next move just to find out that they would change direction.  Often, by the time the camera snapped, the dolphin would be out of sight again.  My photograph was of water...wide open space of water...no dolphin in sight.  The pelicans, on the other hand, would photobomb the dolphins on a whim!

  A couple of times, a few of the dolphins were captured by the lens.  This was pure happenstance and by no talent of mine.  Finally, I relented and sat back to enjoy the show.  Some day...some lucky day...I will get the perfect photograph of my friends of the water.