Edgar Allan Poe, A Black Cat and Thunderstorms

   For the past few days, we have been getting daily rains complete with thunder, lightning and wind.  The storms are soothing as I know the gardens are being well-watered.  It is during these storms that cat and I sit snuggled together enjoying each other's company.  As Prince of the Bayou, Mr. Bat demands that I hold him tightly on days like this.  He still has throwback anxiety from when some hateful person flung him from a car window during such a storm years ago.  The thunder and lightning do not bother him but the raindrops on the rooftop do.  So, my work day ends and I gladly cuddle the Prince.  What better way to spend a storm than with cat cuddles!

  Yesterday, the snuggles put me in a chair that gave me a direct view of the french doors and their colorful glass panes,  It was not long before the sun peeped out enough to give those panes a delightful glow!  To the left, Edgar Allan Poe watched over us as the lamp softly glowed beneath him.  This vision brought comfort as I thought just how much I like the way the room is decorated.  While not to many people's taste, it suits mine perfectly.  The room is filled with quaint objects such as antique lamps, furniture and clocks...lots and lots of clocks!  Then there are the quirky "finds" from thrift stores, roadsides and friends.  Nothing in this entire room meets the "expected" living room aesthetic...from the almost black walls to the red velvet loveseat and purple chairs.  It is just eccentric and eclectic enough to meet my standards...and Bat, the cat's.  He and I find comfort here among the oddities.

Welcome Back, Mr. Poe!

   Starting at the beginning of hurricane season and riding all through the winter months, I leave the outdoor "hurricane covers" on the windows of our living room.  It is a large room that has, not only a pair of french doors, but also eight large windows.  Just about half the room is made up of the windows so drafty air from the Bay can create a chill.  The covers along with heavy winter curtains make the room a lot more snug.  It also makes the room a lot more dark.  I miss the sunshine.  

  Way back in 2014 with the Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou, Darling Daughter did a wonderful sketch of Edgar Allan Poe.  We needed him to set the theme for "Steampunk Poe" (odd combination but it worked).  Mr. Poe did his job well and then was shoved to the back wall until I found a place to hang him.  That took a couple of months.  Poe sat in the corner until spring of 2015.  At one point before he found his permanent spot, a beam of light came through a partially opened door to illuminate the picture making it almost creepy.  That had a big bearing on where Mr. Poe is currently hanging.  I figured that hanging lower on the wall in the midst of a wall of clocks (actually almost behind a grandfather clock), nary a bit of sunlight would be cast upon our friend.  There would be no more creepiness.  Ever since he has been hung in this position, there has been no odd illumination....until this morning.  

  The day started out with white-out fog.  Then, heavy clouds blocked out any ideas of a sunshiny day.  However....however....as I was straightening the pillows on the sofa, I turned to find Old Edgar staring at me from the shadows!  One beam of sunlight broke through the clouds, crept in from a tiny tear in the hurricane covers, slipped through a gap between the curtains just at the right position to strike the portrait.  That one ray illuminated the portrait so brightly that only half of the face could be seen and that one ray lasted only long enough for me to take one photograph.  As soon as the camera clicked, the beam immediately hushed and darkness once again fell upon the room.  I love this portrait!  It has a way of surprising me when I least expect it!  Poe had struck again!  He sat dark for six long years...until this morning.  Welcome back, Mr. Poe.

When The Sun Doesn't Come

  What happens when the sun doesn't come?  Of course, it rises in the east just as it does every morning but what happens when it doesn't come out to bring its warmth to the world?  Nope, this is not some deep, theoretical pondering nor is it some "end of the world" threat.  It is merely a question of what am I to do when the sun refuses to brighten the sky in the morning.  This morning was that morning just like so many other mornings of this summer.  This has to be the wettest summer on record for our area.   Truly...the number of rain-free days in the past month could have been counted on one hand and the number for the entire summer probably would not go far beyond counting on both hands.  Rain has been the rule for the entirety of the season.  It is a good thing I love rainy days and rainy nights!  But...what should I do with another rain-filled day.  There are only so many things one can find to do indoors when you are usually an outdoorsy type person.

  After Mr. PJ (the old dog) and I meandered about the hillside in the misting rain, a trip to the pier was in order.  With him back safely in his bed, my job was to clear the pier of any fishing gear and benches as we may be on the receiving end of a tropical storm this week. This chore was completed just as a torrential downpour started so, from that point onward, I was trapped indoors.  So...I clocked!

  My interest in repairing and otherwise restoring antique clocks is something I find fascinating but what do you do with numerous clocks?  Well, I will tell you!  You create a "clock wall"!  Years and years ago, a neighbor of ours took my oldest son into his garage to show him his clock collection.  Mr. Jone's collection fascinated me far more than it did my son.  The clocks were all set to chime one after another so it was a cacophony of chimes (but in a good sort of way.)  Mrs. Jones had insisted that the clocks did all of their tick-tocking out in the garage instead of the house but, to me, the sounds were almost magical. The memory of the clock wall brought smiles as my clocks were hung.  Tick-tock, tick-tock...ahh...sweet!

  Since I have yet to collect enough antique clocks, Son convinced me that it would be ok to include a few modern clocks on my wall.  As he was building shelves for the mantel clocks, I collected whatever timepieces I could find about the house.  There are still a few antique ones that have not been repaired so the newer ones will be replaced eventually.  A portrait of Edgar Allan Poe by Elizabeth and a purple raven sets the wall off nicely, if I do say so myself.

  So...when the sun refuses to come out and play and rain rules the day....do something fun.  Create a bit of whimsy and let the imagination free.  If anybody asks "Why?" merely turn the question on them and ask "Why not?" 

The Gold Bug?

  Well, I am one happy camper about now.  The garden finally got its soaking rain via an all day bout of thunderstorms.  Several of the storms that rolled in off the Gulf had strong winds and terrific lightning but none of that could dampen (pun intended!) my spirits as I watched the rain pour onto the parched ground.  It was heavenly!

  After being indoors all day, Mark and I headed to the pier late this afternoon.  We watched as the clouds gathered on the horizon once again and threatened another round of rain.  Barreling out of the Bayou was water that was heavy laden with red clay.  This clay obviously was making the Bayou inhospitable to any fish.  As we were watching, millions of tiny minnows, mullet and other fishes were trying to make an escape to cleaner water.  The redfish were taking advantage of this mass exodus.  The large fish were tearing into the confused smaller fish.  Such a feeding frenzy was a call for us to grab the fishing poles!   Since there were some handy in the small skiff, Mark retrieved them for our use. While there, he "rescued" a bug for me!  A Green June Beetle had become waterlogged and was drowning in the rainwater that had accumulated in the boat.  Mark lifted the beetle up to me so I could examine it closer. It was beautiful!

  The Green June Beetle is sort of a misnomer for this particular beetle. The one today was more gold than green.  It had only splotches of green on its iridescent body.  My thoughts immediately went to Edgar Allan Poe's tale "The Gold Bug".  This thought made the critter even more appealing as he is one of my favorite authors.   

  The Green June Beetle is actually a type of scarab.  It is most abundant in the southeast where the grub (larva stage) is known to do much damage to lawns.  The folks who pride themselves in having a perfect lawn go to great means to exterminate this bug.  Me?  I think the critter is pretty.  Perhaps if I worried myself over the grass, things might be different but I figure beauty is where you find it.  Today, I found it in the June Bug.  

The Brilliance of Poe

  Back in the Fall, my daughter,Elizabeth, did a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe for the Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  As usual, she did an extraordinary job on the drawing and everyone was overwhelmed by her talent.  The portrait was a key element in the clue hunt so I had Michael make a frame for displaying it.  Everything went well.  The clue hunt came and went and Old Poe soon found himself relegated to the corner of the living room.  His importance was fleeting and until I find a place to properly hang him, he will bide his time in the dark recesses behind Grandmother's fern stand.  The area does indeed stay dark during the winter months due to the heavy curtains that cover the many windows.  These are used to block the icy drafts from winds buffeting from across the Bay.  

  Imagine my surprise this morning when I spied Old Poe gleaming brightly from the shadows. Ok, so this was a bit creepy!  The room was cast in total darkness but Poe was almost glaringly bright.  I had opened the door to let Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, (aka the young cat) out for the day.  When I turned to head to the kitchen, I was taken aback by the "Ghost of Poe" staring at me from the pitch black corner. I promise this guy had an almost maddening smirk on his face!  His eyes followed me as I stepped around the old dining table and then again as I walked past the chairs.  Ok, Mr. Poe!  You and I are going to have to share this room and you, my friend, cannot be staring at me!  It makes me a tad uncomfortable!  

  The light from the rising sun must have been at the perfect angle to beam right on the portrait.  With the only light entering the darkened room from that partially opened door, the canvas gleamed bright white. Had the portrait been positioned in any other spot, had Nycto not wanted out at that exact moment and had it not been our first sunny morn in seemingly forever, I might not have even noticed Old Poe's bright, shiny face!  It made me stop and ponder...Edgar Allan Poe was brilliant!  Well, we all knew that from his written works.  I guess he was just trying to reinstate his status to one of well-deserved importance. Maybe he was telling me to hurry up and find his permanent spot. Behind Grandmother's fern stand must be a tad humiliating for someone of his celebrity!  

(Just an added note on his intelligence.  Did you know that he was a master code-breaker?  Brilliant, indeed!)

Talented Kids!

 The Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou is due for its last run this Friday night.  I had intended to end it on the last day of October but since one of my favorite groups could not possibly attend that month, it spilled over into November.  This is fine since it gets easier and easier for me each time. The props are all complete, the mechanisms and locks all work and all of the final touches have been made.  By the time the last group arrives, I am so relaxed that I can fully enjoy myself as I observe the team go through the hunt.

  This year's theme was Edgar Allan Poe and what kind of hostess would I be if I did not at least have a portrait of our gentleman of honor? Although I love to paint, for the life of me, I cannot do portraits.  The faces of anyone I try to paint become so contorted that the person is most unrecognizable!  So...I called upon my kids!  My daughter, Elizabeth, has this knack for doing uncanny likenesses of folks. Whether she paints or sketches, her work is phenomenal!  She agreed to do Old Edgar.  I was thrilled and anxiously awaited her presentation. While she sketched away, my son, Michael, decided to build a frame for the portrait.  All was well.  I was satisfied that this would be one of the high points of the clue hunt.  

  Sure enough, everyone who sees the portrait is amazed.  The sketch of Edgar Allan Poe is nigh on perfect to my way of thinking and the rustic frame that Michael built seems to accent it beautifully. Old Edgar greets every group that comes to the clue hunt.  This wonderful piece of artwork will most likely stay on display for a good while!  How do you stow something like this away in a closet?  I can't.  I guess I must find some appropriate nook in the Little Bayou House for Mr. Poe to reside. There he can look slyly at all who enter!

 I do believe that I have the most talented kids in the world!  These two both live near and can help me on projects.  My oldest and his wife live several states away but I know that if they were closer, they would have lent a hand as well. Both of them are just as talented as is Elizabeth's husband, Robbie.  Wow!  What are the odds to have so many creative kids in one family?  Mark and I are so very blessed!

"Quoth the Raven"

  The time is nigh!  Once again, the time has come for the annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!  I am excited about this year's theme and at the way things are coming together for the hunt.  The decorations are going to be over the top and the clues...well, lets just say, they might be a tad confusing.  The Little Bayou House is in the midst of a full-blown transformation!  It is not going to be the quaint, cozy cottage for the next month.  It is going to be a lot darker, more eerie and probably a lot downright weird!  I love it!  Personally, I could leave it this way all year and be totally happy.  Or at least happy until the next clue hunt.  Then things will be in an uproar once again.  The feeling of euphoria that comes from all of this makes my year!

  With the theme this year being "Edgar Allan Poe Stories", the house has taken on several different looks.  We have the highly ornate, Gothic rooms where Prince Prospero might have taken up residence and we have dreary, drab places that could possibly pass for an artist's loft and then there are the places that are almost beyond description!  No matter which, all are such fun places to hunt for clues!

  Since I cannot share any secrets before the "detectives" attempt to solve the mystery of the clue hunt, you will have to settle for a picture of one of the welcoming signs.  Sorry...more to come with lots of fun ideas for decorating for Halloween!

Raven of the Bayou!

  "The Raven" has invaded the Bayou!  Edgar Allan Poe's poem is the basis of part of the Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou so I have been playing with a lot of the artificial crows and ravens that folks use as Halloween decorations.  The Little Bayou House is in the midst of its transformation from boring, everyday dwelling to something a bit eerie and mysterious.  The entire place will receive a dreary "makeover" and stay that way for the next month or so. 

  "The Raven" is one of my favorites of Poe's works so it is only natural that I included it in this year's hunt.  Five other of his tales make up the rest of the clues but most of the decorating will center around ravens and crows.  Mention "Poe" and, immediately, all thoughts seem to automatically turn to ravens.  Edgar Allan Poe and Ravens are synonymous, it seems!  So, I am literally using hundreds of crows and ravens!

  The above photograph was taken as a "teaser" for those that will be participating in the hunt.  I thought that the blue tint gave the picture a bit of mystique!  My raven looks like he is out and about on a foggy evening on the Bayou!  Yep, just the touch to build a bit of excitement for what is to come!