The Felling of a Mighty Oak Tree

   Back between the original greenhouse and the shed, there stands the remnants of a tall oak tree.  The tree stood strong through hundreds of storms only to fall to a tiny bug.  Insects can do more damage than the raging hurricane sometimes.  A couple of years back, Son noticed that a lot of our living oak trees were infested with termites.  Yep....living trees.  This was a bit disturbing, to say the least.  He set to work trying to save the trees by using the same spray that we have had to resort to for the house, shed and any other outbuildings around here.  As much as I hate to use chemicals around the place, there comes a time when it is absolutely necessary if we want to save the place.  So, he mixed his concoction and set to work.  Well, that was a lot of work as we have a lot of trees.  Some, like the aforementioned one, were too far gone to try to save.  He still sprayed thinking maybe he could contain the infestations. Hopefully.

 Needless to say, the tree died and was soon infested not only with the termites but with black carpenter ants that were eating the termites.  We quit spraying to allow the ants to do their job.  They worked tirelessly in the dead tree but were, at the same time, preyed upon by the woodpeckers.  The entire tree soon became riddled with the drillings of the birds.  The food chain was at work.  Soon, the tree started falling bit by bit. Now, a new form of life has come to the old tree.  On one of the upper parts of the tree, there is a large hole that appears to be the nesting site of either the pileated woodpecker or a family of squirrels.  Down below among the roots, lizards, snails and beetles are enjoying life hidden under the palmettoes and shards of tree bark.

  While out back, I noticed that bracket or shelf mushrooms are rapidly taking down the tree.  The entire southern side of the tree is literally a ladder of orange mushrooms.  These mushrooms are doing the final takedown of the old oak tree.  The fungi will rot the tree as it, itself, thrives.  Soon, the old oak will come tumbling down and that will be the end of it.  However, in the meantime, the tree, even in death, is providing for the life of others.  

Red "Texas Star" Morning?

   I am one of those odd people who finds beauty in most everything around the Bayou.  For a while, it seemed as if the whole world had gone to pot and it was extremely hard to "look on the bright side".  Then, it came to me that dire outlook had to change and it was entirely up to me to change it.  So...I started finding beauty in the most mundane things just to prove to myself that whatever happens outside of my realm of the Bayou, it is not my concern.  Only what is here should be of importance since I cannot change the world but I can change myself.  Now, I make a point of seeking out what others deem as "everyday" blah and I search for happiness.  It is there.

  For instance, the other morning, there was an amazing sunrise.  While most folks will admit to the wonders of the sunlit horizon (if they are awake at that early time), not many seek how the red sky has an effect on other things.  In the garden there is a shepherd's hook that holds windchimes.  Mark brought this home from a tractor place several years ago and it has been quite useful.  I am not sure why he chose to bring a star (which looks mightily like the "Texas Star" emblem to me) but it fits right in with the mishmash of other oddities around the place.  I had just come up from the pier and plopped down on the front steps to retie my shoe when I noticed the star.  Wow!  The red sky was an amazing backdrop for the blackness of the still night shaded garden and the star!  That is lovely, I thought and had to photograph it!

  Ok, so now you get the idea of how I have rerouted my thoughts to find a bit of joy wherever it is dropped.  A purple wildflower, a dew bedecked spiderweb, a bright green treefrog or even a star lit by a rosy sunrise, there is always something worth my focus.  Folks, life is good regardless of what the outside world is doing.  People are people and will never come to terms with "how life is treating them" so I say..."Change the way you feel and find your own happiness wherever it is.  Life will only "treat" you as you treat it."  Be happy.

A Gift Along The Garden Path

   As I age, I find that my perspective on a lot of things has changed.  Some of that perspective has changed for the better and...well...some just has changed.  A lot of folks would be quick to say that those particular changes are not to "their" liking.  Does that bother me?  Not one iota as these last years on this old world are mine to be filled however I choose.  My perspective on life in general is no one else's business so I shall go about my day as I please.  One of the things that brings a wee bit of joy is to wander the garden paths just as the morning sun is peeking over the pines on the far side of the Bayou.  As that light filters through the broad oaks with their dense leaves, tiny parts of my world are spotlighted.  Perhaps without those pinpoints of light, my poor, old eyes would never see the miniscule features along the way.  In my way of thinking, those morning "dots" are gifts for me alone.  

  This morning's special gift was a common Gulf Fritillary Butterfly.  Masses of these come each fall for a visit so I have seen thousands upon thousands of the same type.  This is not some rare butterfly nor is it the most interesting but, early this morning, it was incredibly special.  I had just climbed the tiered steps up from the pier into the Small Gardens, when a single beam of light highlighted the butterfly.  The insect was still wet from the overnight rains.  It obviously had been caught off-guard of the coming storm as it chose a roosting spot with poor protection.  As I neared, the butterfly never twitched but sat perfectly motionless in hopes that I would not notice it.  This is a defense mechanism since most predators hunt by motion.  

  Not wanting to disturb the lovely creature, I photographed it then slowly backed away...leaving it in peace.  Later as I was picking lemon balm, the butterfly flitted around the nearby zinnias and brought more delight.  In my point of view, this interaction between human and critter was far more meaningful that most of the conversations that I have had with "people" recently.  I felt blessed in more ways than one.

The Wise Froglet

   If you watch the wild animals that live around you, it becomes apparent that it takes a lot of wit to survive.  Every day, there is a battle to find food and stay safe.  In a sense, it is a never-ending battle.  To my way of thinking, critters are a lot smarter than most people think.  Humans are always touted as "the smartest" or "wisest" but once you get to really studying the lives of critters, you will see that...well...that is probably just not so.  Humans may be smarter in some instances but animals have us beat in many ways.  Not many folks would ever stand a chance of survival in the wild.

  This morning, I was watching as a box turtle slid into the Frog Pond.  She does so daily as she is hunting tadpoles to fill her belly.  There has been competition in the pond lately as a water snake is in the same search.  The defenseless tadpoles seem to be the underdogs in this pond life.  They are soft and squishy with no defense mechanisms going for them whereas the snake and the turtle are stronger, faster and better protected.  I am starting to feel sorry for the tadpoles.  It seems that my once billion or so frogs are fast dwindling to predators.

  As soon as the turtle slid into the pond to forage beneath the waterlilies, a slight movement on the far side of the pond caught my eye.  One tiny froglet had climbed out of the water and slowly made its way up the stem of a Mexican Petunia  (Ruellia Simplex).  I shifted my position to get a better look at the tiny frog.  The little one was still morphing from being a tadpole as it had a tiny tail.  Even at that wee age, the frog knew it had to vacate the pond to escape being eaten.  It sought the supposed safety of land versus the dangerous water.  Little did it know that now it had other predators to fear.  Cats, coons, snakes, birds, lizards, other frogs and many other critters would be on the lookout for an easy meal.  Poor little froglet would have to learn how to hide and learn that art quickly. 

  Being a frog for only minutes, the little critter was already pretty smart.  After sunning for a brief time, it carefully made its way to the blackberry vines.  It clung to the bottom of a leaf in the midst of a veritable fortress of thorns.  The little frog could gain strength here and perhaps even catch a few tiny flies that were visiting the (past prime) berries.  Hopefully, the froglet will stay safe and that circle of life can continue.  In the meantime, a lot of its siblings were being chased relentlessly in the pond.  Life in the wild is not easy....critters have to be smart.  Good luck, tiny froglet!  You are going to need it.  I wish you well.

Here Today...

   Years and years ago, my granddad rooted a small branch of a Night Blooming Cereus for me.  The plant flourished and was soon putting on quite the show with its late night blooms.  Then came kids and the poor plant was sorely neglected as my attention was diverted to child rearing.  Somehow, the plant survived all of those years with little to no care other than protecting it from the cold.  After the kids were grown, I was able to turn my attention back to the gardens.  Time and weather (hurricanes) had wreaked havoc on most of the gardens but the cereus lived on through it all.  It was time to bring the plant back to its full glory.  I started rooting and sharing the plants with anyone who wanted one and potting dozens to keep.  I also spent much time enjoying the summertime blooms...albeit late at night.  The blooms are gone by daybreak.

  The odd timing and shortness of bloom-time got me to pondering (as I am prone to do about most everything, as of late.)  Perhaps, just perhaps, this plant is here for a reason...if you are inclined to seek the purpose of all things.  With the huge, 8 inch, frilly flowers representing the beauty of life in general, the shortness of bloom time could be a reminder that all things should be enjoyed in the moment.  We should take the time to be grateful for what we are granted...WHEN it is granted.  What is here today, may be gone tomorrow.  Folks, find time to be thankful for all things for nothing is guaranteed.  Life, itself, is fleeting.

Pretty, Little Damselfly

   The little Puddle Pond that is literally just a drainage catch from the eaves of the house has become quite an active place.   During the daytime hours, birds and squirrels love the running water that is merely recirculated with a pump to run down the 40+ feet of gravel (aka Pebble Creek) and, by night, raccoons, possums, deer and fox come to drink.  But it is those steady residents of toads, frogs, turtles, snakes and insects that make the little pond the perfect place.  These are the critters that become so accustomed to my presence that they make no effort to flee when I approach.  We are friends...of sort.

  This morning, I was fascinated by the sheer amount of dragonflies and damselflies around the little pond.  Puddle Pond is a nursery for the nymphs!  They can grow to maturity in the relative safety found among the water hyacinths that threaten to totally clog the puddle.  While the hyacinths need thinning, I am hesitant to pull any from the water.  Too much life depends upon those plants!

  Most of the critters in the pond can do without the hyacinths but the damselflies would not be overly happy if I rip out the plants.  Damselflies need plants.  After mating, the female damselfly chooses an aquatic plant, goes underwater to cut a slit in the stalk and lays her eggs.  After laying her eggs, the female will crawl back up the plant and exit the pond.  The eggs are safe within the stalk.  Soon the eggs hatch and the larvae crawl out of the plant and begin hunting in the water.  The larvae are completely aquatic and feed upon other aquatic creatures.  It is not until they reach their final molt that they crawl out of the water, cling to a plant, shed then start life anew as a full adult.

  After finding so many damselflies flitting about Puddle Pond, my chore of clearing the hyacinths will be postponed.  I can deal with that!  Life goes on in the small Puddle Pond at the end of Pebble Creek in the midst of the Small Gardens at the top of the hill above the Bayou.  Being Queen around here gives me the luxury of making such decisions.

Just Because...Embracing The Weirdness

   I am at that age where I do things that suit me and not others.  Rather, I have come to realize at this late age that this is something we all should be doing.  The world has far too many ideas of what is "proper" or "accepted".  In "my" world, those have been tossed to the wayside.  Don't get me wrong on this as I am not referring to moral rights and wrongs but rather in our personal tastes...how we dress, how we decorate our homes, what we keep, what we discard, who we allow in our lives and who we decide are weighing us down.  It seems as if even those things are being decided for us which is something we should not allow.  How we live is no one else's business and we should keep it that way.  So...I am doing things "my way" and ignoring others opinions.

  Over the years, the Little Bayou House has been decorated in numerous ways to suit everyone but me.  I have taken in consideration how others see the place and how I would be judged if something was deemed odd.  Well, I am odd.  I admit to being a tad eccentric and a lot eclectic.  Let's face it...I am weird.  That said, I am embracing that weirdness as I follow the advice given to me years ago by one of Son's friends back when they were teenagers.  "Embrace your weirdness.  That is why we like you," he told me one time when I was feeling particularly down.  (By "we", he was referring to the others in a group of teenagers that were always at the place.) So, gradually I began to do just that.  The Little Bayou House (and I) have evolved into an anomalous entity full of color, oddities and moonbeams.  It suits me.

  Today, shelves were installed in front of some of the east-facing windows to showcase collections of colored glass pieces that have been stashed in cupboards.  Soon, the same will be done with the west-facing windows so the rising and setting of the sun can throw splashes of color about the room.  Mixed in with the glass will be numerous prisms and crystals so the walls will be of dancing rainbows.  It will be a magical mix of light and darkness and will be a happy place.

  Why?  Just because.  Why?  Just because we each need to express our individualism without worry that others will look down upon us.  That is something that is far too common and it is ridiculous to wait any longer to break free from the stigma of being different.  Let that difference glow...embrace your weirdness.

Having Coffee With The Moon

   I had to laugh first thing upon waking this morning.  This past weekend, the nineteen clocks in the living room were turned forward an hour just as we are told to do.  My brain did tell me to do that.  It did not tell me that it was going to "spring forward" as I set the clocks.  I work on my time and, even though I repair antique clocks, I did not "change time".  In fact, I awoke an hour earlier than I did last week!  Yep, 3am rolled around and I was brewing that first pot of coffee.  Cinnamon rolls made yesterday and piping hot coffee never tasted so good!

  Since no one else in the house was up at this hour, I figured I had better vacate the place as to not wake them.  My coffee and I headed to the Small Gardens to sit in the cool air.  As soon as I opened the front door, I was taken aback by the big, ole moon staring at me!  After a night of thunderstorms, the sky was clear and the moon was bright.  I just had to take a picture!

  My trusty, 15 year old camera did well focusing on the moon through the branches of the old oak tree.  When you can use old technology to photograph the moon and see craters, I figure you must be doing something right.  Son is right...it does not take much to entertain me...or maybe it does.  That moon is a pretty spectacular thing.  So is rising at the right time.  And that camera is special!  Let's not forget coffee...coffee is pretty spectacular, too!  Maybe just life in general is spectacular.

Which Way Is It?

  I often wonder about the logic of things.  Is there always a certain method...a precise order...a definite logic behind everything or are some things pure happenstance?  Yep, being left alone on the Bayou for too long can, indeed, mess with the brain and make one ponder far too many things.  The thoughts come flying out of the dusty corners of the brain and flop together in no certain order or in perfect synchronization.  I do ponder things while out doing chores or wandering the marsh line.  Today's ponderance?  Why do certain things happen when, where and how they do when there is nothing that set them in motion other than serendipity.  (And, on another note...serendipity...is not the best word ever?  Seems to me that we should all live serendipitously!  Love it!)

  What brought this mishmash of thoughts in action was the sight of a lovely jonquil.  This was the first jonquil of the season and brought such happiness.  The thought that spring is here (or, at least, near) is a happy thought for the gardens.  The jonquil bloom, itself, was not that thought provoking but rather where the happy, little blossom decided to bloom made me start pondering.  The yellow flower was in the midst of the cabbage patch.  (Yes, I have cabbage patches this year.  There are no organized rows...only plants here and there.)  Back to our jonquil...did the jonquil grow in the cabbage patch or was it the other way around?  Are the cabbages in the jonquil bed?  Apparently, they get along well and have no problems sharing the little patch of ground.  I did plant the cabbages there but do not recall ever having jonquil bulbs in this spot.  Just happenstance?  Pure serendipity?  Or forgetfulness?  Take your choice.  I shall enjoy my jonquil AND the cabbage!  Life is good when there is no one to tell you that your quirky thoughts are not acceptable. 

Portal to the Brighter Side!

     The sun had other thoughts today.  It was not up to the usual "rise and shine".  In fact, it made very little effort to even break through the clouds.  We are in that typical "rainy/cloudy/foggy" time of year so the drear was to be expected.  It does not bother me much as I still go about the chores regardless of the weather.  If I fretted about getting a little wet, not a thing would be done during January and February.  Drippiness abounds and there is nothing that can be done about it so you might as well embrace it.  So...the vegetable garden got a bit of attention.

  Late this evening, however, there was a "portal" to another world in the westward sky.  Even with the dark clouds, the bright sunshine beyond could be seen!  This was one of those "being in the right place at the right time" experiences.  What a lovely sight!

  Things like this make you fully understand that old adage about there being brighter days ahead.  Somewhere the sun is shining, the birds are singing and life is good.  Even if darkness seems to be closing in around you, find that portal to the brighter side of things.  It is there.  Search for it and know that tomorrow will come and the sun will shine...somewhere. I am happy with the slight glimmer today.  Life is good.

Refocus

   With all the everyday hubbub, it is easy to lose focus on what really matters.  "Things that need to be done" can oftentimes get in the way of what "should be done".  We all get hung up in chores, duties to others and the humdrum of everyday life that we forget to keep an eye on that "should be done" which is take care of ourselves.  I know I am that way much to a fault.  Lately, I have not dedicated any time whatsoever to selfcare and my physical, as well as, mental state is taking a severe hit.  It has got to stop.

  That was the revelation that I had on the pier this morning before dawn.  The skies were just beginning to glow that glorious golden orange when I noticed a lone heron standing hunched over in the shallows near the marsh.  The bird was slightly hidden behind some tall cord grass and it took some focusing of the camera to be able to photograph the bird.  After getting my picture, I watched as the bird looked so forlorn...so forgotten.  I know herons are solitary birds meaning they prefer to be alone except when seeking a mate but this fellow did give the appearance of being lonely.  

  Pondering the bird, the difficulty focusing the camera and the forlornness of the setting, I came to the conclusion that I needed change.  I needed me.  I guess it is time to shuffle the daily workload for a while so I can get back to me.  Refocus...

Danger Lurks In The Shadows

   Puddle Pond sits at the end of Pebble Creek with both being nothing more than a drainage ditch with a circulating pump in the little pond.  The water in the pond is only about 18 inches deep so it is easy to keep clean.  Since mid summer, things have gotten a bit out of hand here with the water hyacinths growing to massive heights and thickness.  This is good in some ways but not so very good in others.  Good as it gives lots of places for the little froggies to hide from birds, coons and feral cats.  Not so good as it hides a different predator.

  This morning as I was wandering the Small Gardens, I happened upon a small ribbon snake as it was dining upon the little froglets.  The snake was taking full advantage of the coverage of the water hyacinth leaves as it picked off one after another of the tiny green treefrogs.  The pond is full of the frogs so it is only natural that the snake would be there.  As much as I like my froggies, this was not something that needed interference.  The snake was only trying to survive.  The froggies were doing the same.  They were trying to survive by climbing up high on the leaves in hopes that they could see the snake before it struck. This technique was working fine about giving them the advantage over the snake but, also, put them in jeopardy.  Any other predator now had a full view of the frogs.  I guess this was a matter of "you do what you gotta do".  

  In a way, it saddens me to see so many frogs perish but that is part of life.  If the little snake wanted to live, it had to eat.  Besides, there are thousands upon thousands of frogs in the two ponds and each night hears the froggy symphony of mating calls.  More eggs will be laid, more tadpoles will hatch and more frogs will climb out of the pond.  One little snake among thousands of frogs.  Seems fair.  Life goes on.

The Way It is

  Being isolated down here on the Bayou has gone beyond just a safeguard measure.  What started two and a half years ago with the onset of COVID has now become a way of life, so it seems.  You hear a lot about the "new normal" and I guess this is it for me.  I am to be isolated for the long haul.  If nothing else, it has made it quite clear of what is and who are needed in life.  Come to find out, life goes on with very little of either.  It just takes a bit of adjustment.  You quickly find that your happiness does not depend on others or on things. 

  Early this morning, I took my mug of coffee to the pier as I have for so many years.  As I sat watching the beauty of the breaking dawn unfold before me, thoughts whirled around in the head.  This life suits me.  I am just an old soul that is drawn to swamps, bayous and mires.  My peace is found there.  While loneliness can be destructive, solitude is refreshing.  Let me just stay right here on my mystical, magical Bayou and all will be fine.  Solitude...isolation...inner peace...all just a perspective.

Pep Talk From A Maple Tree

   Resiliency is one of those things that I have always admired in folks....or in anything for that matter.  Being able to bounce back after a traumatic event takes toughness.  Toughness is what it is going to take to get this country out of the mess it is currently enduring.  

  I was out back in the creekbed this afternoon when I came across something that made me believe that there is hope.  A red maple tree had been severely damaged by a storm this past fall.  The tree had suffered many broken limbs but there was nothing I could do to remedy the situation.  For that matter, I have not been able to even get back here to survey the damage until now.  One branch on the tree had been broken but not completely severed from the trunk.  The part that would have been reaching for the sky was now nigh on touching the ground.  At first, it saddened me to see my beautiful red maple so broken but, on closer inspection, I gained great hope from the tree.  That branch, although battered and torn, had bloomed.  The tiny samaras were starting to form.  These seeds would soon ripen then fall to the ground to give a new start to life.  Regardless of what the tree endured, it was still trying.  It did not give up to the enemy.  It endured.  It survived.  It reproduced and will make the woods great again.  Life is good.  Don't give up!

Tommy's Sunrise

   It has been a hard few days.  In life, we have to face many things that we wish would not occur.  This has defined the way of life here on the Bayou for a while now.  The hardness culminated on this past Sunday morning.  I got the phone call that no one ever wants to receive.  My brother had ended his struggle.  He was free now but the pain was not over for the rest of us left here on Earth.

  For the past few years, my oldest brother has struggled, suffered and then gave into the horribleness of Alzheimer's Disease.  The first few years were not bad.  He had bouts of memory loss.  He dealt with it admirably.  Then, as the disease progressed, his personality changed from a loving, happy person to one that was fraught with confusion and frustration.  This was when it was becoming clear to him that something was not right but denial set in to the point that he refused help.  Finally, there was nothing left to do but intervene.  He had fought the valiant fight of independence but now had to submit to receiving help.  

  Once intervention came in the way of my other brother stepping in and taking over the caregiving role, things were somewhat better.  Tommy became more relaxed.  He knew he was no longer alone in his battle.  He knew that he would not become a burden on his (very ill) daughter which I think was adding to the war going on in his mind.  While the uncertainty of his day to day life was still there, the final destination was clearer.  There were days of complete oblivion and then days of perfect lucidness at the beginning.  Those clear days were soon to become far and few between.  For the past year, he became more and more dependent upon Jimmy's goodness for simple survival.  We were truly blessed to have Anna step in to aid Jimmy.  She has been a godsend to this family more than once.  

  This past week has seen the decline come with a rapidity that no one expected.  I am so blessed to be next door so I was able to see Tommy on Friday.  He was still able to be guided on short walks outside.  He and Jimmy brought my mail!  Out of the clear blue, he said "I love you." and he, by way of a gentle hand on my back, insisted I tell Jimmy the same.  But, of course!  I am so thankful that our family has always been very verbal about our love for one another but this was touching.  Jimmy whispered to me that those were the only clear words Tommy had said all day.  After they left, I went inside and had a good cry...one of thankfulness.  Later that evening, the disease took a powerful grip and the pull was too much.  Then, within hours, that grip became a strangling hold.  Tommy fought a hard battle with Jimmy and Anna by his side.  In the wee hours of Sunday morning, the disease had won the battle but Tommy had gained the prize.  On Sunday morning, his struggle left had he retained a peace like no other.  He is free.  Our hearts are broken because we can only see our loss. 

  After receiving the heartbreaking phone call from next door, I sought out my peaceful place...the Bayou.  Here, I could release my feelings.  The sun was rising over the pines and sent a glorious array of colors.  While I meandered the marsh line, I marveled at the scene set before me and knew this was a sign.  This was Tommy's Sunrise!  This was the way he looked at things.  New beginnings.  New adventures.  He had pushed so many of his students (as a teacher and coach) to reach their goals and now he had reached his.  This made me praise the morn and awakenings.

  I am asking one thing of my reading audience.  If you find it within your heart, please pray for all patients with dementia of any form.  Alzheimer's Disease is horrible.  It is so wretched on the person and, thus, their caregivers.  Also, I ask for prayers for my beautiful niece (Tommy's daughter) as she faces her own health battles.  She is very precious to me.

  If you have taken the time to read this far into such a dismal post, I thank you and leave you with this bit of advice.  Folks, be kind to all as you never know their inner battles.  Patience, love and kindness are so desperately needed in this day and age.  Offer the helping hand, the shoulder to lean on or simple a gentle smile.  Peace be with you.

Making the Best of It

   Since being bound to the Bayou for the entire pandemic (by doctor's orders), I have found that I need to make my own entertainment or at least seek it out wherever it may be hiding.  For two years now, I have rarely left the place and few people have visited (again, doctor's orders).  Then for the past year, things even took a tighter turn.  The still unexplained episode that threw me in the emergency room confined me to a smaller area yet.  It was then that I crowned myself as "Queen of the Small Gardens".  My search for enjoyment seemed to be harder but I was not going to let some virus or some malady totally blow my outlook.  I turned more to the flora and fauna that was to be found literally in my "own backyard".  Needing to "do", I planted every available space with whatever seeds I had on hand.  Oh, man!  What a mishmash of gardens grew!  Vegetables were mixed in with flowers, vines climbed on anything that was within reach and gardening tools became my best friends. 

  This morning while out surveying the gardens for possible frost damage, I was elated to find that the peas were actually flourishing.  Tiny pods were dangling amongst the leaves and showing great promise of filling out with tasty peas!  In my excitement, I started thinking of how these (basically) little seed pods were like the plants jewels.  People wear jewelry...plants wear flowers and seed pods.  Nice!

  In a few weeks, the garden should start producing delightful goodies for our table.  Cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mustard greens, swiss chard and, yes, green peas!  Maybe being quarantined is not such a bad thing, after all.  Maybe...just maybe...I needed this to reflect upon the better things in life instead of all the trappings of a commercial world that is shoved down our throats.  Life is good, folks, life is good.

First Smile of the Day

   Early this morning before I started work on that kitchen again, I wandered about in the gardens.  The raccoons wreaked havoc on the cabbages digging all but eight of the thirty-eight I planted last week.  Their antics did not stop there as every potted herb on the new herb shelf arbor was dumped upside down and several pots wound up in Pebble Creek.  My few days off from yardwork shows.  It appears that I cannot catch a break.  If I work inside redoing the house, the outside becomes a mess and vice-versa.  It is an endless, thankless work I do.

  My meandering did bring one smile and one ponderance.  The nereid lilies and guernsey lilies are blooming...somewhat.  The lubber grasshoppers love these things so I have had to fight to get any blooms.  Two, however, were blooming side by side in the veggie garden, of all places.  It is all good...they can stay.  One red.  One yellow.  The thought of these two "friends" bobbing their showy hats in the slight, morning breeze brought the smile.  The ponderance came from the question "Why can't people be equally as friendly?"  Be kind, folks, as you never know what the other person is enduring.  Just be kind.

Time To Watch The Centipedes

   It is my habit to get up before dawn merely to have some "me time".  When the kids were still here, my whole time was spent doing for them.  That "me time" was nonexistent if I went by the standard idea of sleeping late.  So, the habit stuck and here I am in my old age still rising at 4am.  Old habits die hard.  But, the time spent by myself is always some of the most interesting and satisfying of the day.  It is then that I can ponder things uninterrupted.  It is also then that I can visit my critter friends without receiving looks of disdain.

  It was one of those "friends" that made me pause for a good ten minutes or so at the crack of dawn.  My wanderings had taken me around back of the house.  That path falls close to the old chimney at one point.  The bricks of the chimney, itself, are rather neat as they are now covered with soft, green mosses.  It is not good for the bricks but it sure is mighty pretty.  Seeing the moss is always a cause for pause to study the designs woven in the crevices.  That is where I found my "friend".  A tiny centipede was so busy hunting its breakfast among the moss mounds that it was oblivious to my presence.  I was able to photograph the critter at my leisure as it stayed on the mosses for quite some time.  In and out!  In and out!  The tiny centipede poked its face in every nook and cranny.  Occasionally, it would find an ant.  It would only stop long enough to devour the insect before restarting its search.

  It is times like that moment that I cherish.  Had anyone been with me as I traipsed the hillside, I am sure my centipede visit would not have been so lingering.  Not many folks tend to take an interest in such oddities.  I do.  I revel in each find and want to soak it all in before I am not able to do this any more.  Time is short, my friends.  Enjoy it while you can.  Take the time to smell those roses or watch the centipedes.  Take the time for you.

No Monsters!

   The other morning, fog totally blocked out any sight beyond the pier.  It was as if the world beyond the Bayou suddenly ceased to exist.  Fog, in general, has always had a "creep" appeal about it.  Have you ever noticed that in movies, fog predicts a scary moment.  Let a mist start swirling and you just know some villain or monster is about to appear! 

   Personally, I like the fog.  It brings a lot of things into perspective.  Fog allows you to see what is close around you...really see it like never before.  Your full attention is focused on only what is near so your awareness becomes crystal clear.  Each step taken is studied.  Each sound resonates.  Each sense is bombarded with stimulation.  Blocking out the world beyond makes the near become life. (By the way, no monsters nor villains appeared!  Just fog...peaceful, silent fog.)

  

Wondrous World

   I braved the mosquitoes yesterday morning to venture back behind the canebrake.  Down in this part of the woods, there is always something interesting.  Yesterday morning, it was what was beneath my feet as I padded along the soggy pathway.  With the copious rainfall of late, the ground was literally covered with mushrooms and other fungi.  All were brilliantly colored but so tiny that you could not see them from a distance of about forty feet.  Also, dotted here and there were tiny flowers that I have yet to identify.  Had the biting critters not been so vicious, I would have loved to linger there longer just photographing this "Land of Miniature".  

  Perhaps, after dousing myself with mosquito repellent, I will venture to the back of the property once again and find more treasures on the "forest floor".  The nigh on constant rains have kept me, more or less, housebound and I feel as if I am missing out on so much.  I was not made to be kept inside.  I need to roam the swamps to clear the mind and salve the soul.  A free spirit was never meant to be trapped within four walls.  I have to breathe.