Seeking Shade

   We are sweltering here on the Bayou just like most of the rest of the Deep South.  When the temperatures rise to the triple digits in the morning, it is time to seek out coolness where you can find it.  Most folks say to "Stay indoors!"  I cannot.  There will soon come a time when I can no longer roam the property in search of magical sights so I try to cram every bit of nature into my day while I can.  Doing my indoor chores before the sun rises and then the outdoor chores before the heat slams me, I am pretty much left to my own whims by midday.  Then, I seek out the shade where I find it so as to while away the hours in a wonderland of beauty.

  Earlier, I slipped down behind the canebrake to check on a small turtle that had gotten itself in quite a predicament yesterday. As turtles are known to do, this one had rooted around in a boggy area enough to entrap itself.  The poor thing was stuck without an exit.  So, it was up to me to gently shove the poor critter from the muck with a broken cane.  Once free, the turtle seemed mighty grateful but was a bit slow-moving...even for a turtle.  Today, the critter could not be found so I am assuming it finally came to its senses and headed for the underbrush.  Since I was this far down, I figured I may as well nose around a bit.  At the base of an old live oak tree, I found the perfect "fairyland" of enchantment.  Between a few rogue sprigs of old asparagus ferns and the twists and turns of a trumpet vine was an adorable mushroom.  It was no more than two inches tall and had most velvety red cap.  Obviously, the snails had thought the mushroom was perfect, as well, as something had nibbled on it just a bit.  Still, the sight was enough to bring a smile and cause me to linger for a bit under the umbrella shade of the oak limbs.  

  This, my friends, is what I consider the perfect way to escape the heat and the confines of the Little Bayou House.  While I adore my little home, slipping away into a magical world of nature is the perfect diversion.

Losing the Garden Path but Finding Paradise

   Lately, with the yard cleanup taking place mainly in the back part of the property, the Small Gardens have run amok with new growth.  I have had neither the time nor the energy to do even minor maintenance there. The Small Gardens now greatly resemble some wild and woolly rainforest!  Not that I mind as the prior work put into this area has proven to be worth the effort.  It gives a sense of serenity to wander through the overgrown tropical plants even in their unkempt state.

  

This morning, I took the time to transplant twenty hibiscus shrubs from their tiny six-inch seed pots into the border gardens before heading to the back cleanup.  As I was digging holes for the seedlings, the sun was just peeping over the pines on the opposite side of the Bayou.  As the rays started shooting down one of the garden paths, I was fully in awe of how secluded the area seemed.  The lush, healthy overgrowth nearly made the path unpassable.  Each nook and cranny held a different bloom or fruit.  Taking a few minutes from the task at hand, I breathed the sweet aromas of flowers and early morning freshness.  I listened as the birds chirped happily as they feasted upon the remnant blueberries and a few remaining figs.  I felt the morning dew and the cool breeze coming from the Bay.  I thought (and relished the thought) of how this was paradise.  This was how life should be.  This is what takes me from the stress of dealing with people's greed and drama to being perfectly blissful.  This is the magic of the Small Gardens.  This is where I belong...where I find tranquility.

Those Magical, Purple Skies!

  As is my habit, I was up before the sun even thought about peeping over the pines on the far side of the Bayou. This is "me time".  It is the time when I can collect my thoughts without interruption.  It is the time when I can soak in as much tranquility as the Bayou can muster.  This time is usually spent alone as the menfolk in the household are still fast asleep but, lately, Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat, has been joining me.  He and I sit on the pier and stare eastward at the kaleidoscopic colors of the breaking dawn.  We sit quietly enjoying our togetherness.  We both can "feel" the beauty deep down in our souls.  He is a good cat.

  While this morning offered not a gorgeous sunrise due to the heavy fog, yesterday morning was quite different.  The whole eastern sky was on a temperature scale ranging from the palest of yellows to the deepest of purples.  (Those who crochet will grasp the reference to "temperature scale".  Everyone else...use your imagination.) The purple is what was the most stunning.  At one point the entire sky was purple except for a wee yellow line on the horizon.  This purple is not that rare of an occurrence.  You just have to be there at the right time.  The purple is caused by a temperature change in the upper part of the atmosphere during certain times of the year.  It seems that cooler air reflects the sun's light in different ways and makes the sky appear purple at times. Works for me.  

  Speaking of change, if you are so inclined to believe things, that purple sky can be seen as a harbinger of greater change in life.  A natural phenomenon can bring vast change in the way we see things or how we deal with things.  If a purple sky brings you joy, then sit back and enjoy it for it will be a fleeting thing.  Then ponder if there is anything YOU can do to change what needs to be amended.  Life is good...you may as well let it be magical.