Plants Have A Lot To Say

   Currently, the Small Gardens are overgrown, weedy and seemingly happy.  Each morning brings a new surprise in the way of blooms, fruit or vegetables.  It just goes to show that once we stop dumping chemicals, do not overcut and simply let plants do their own thing, they provide.  Plants are resilient...too bad we are not the same.  

  This morning found some lovely phlox in bloom.  These plants came from two different people.  Pop gave me the first start and I have managed to keep them at least surviving for some 35 years.  Yep, the plants keep coming back year after year from the rootstock.  The newer phlox came from my sweet Grand Princess, Mary Ruth when she was just a tot.  Actually, she brought them to "Uncle Michael" (also known as Son on the blog).  She just "had" to bring him some purple flowers!  He loves them merely for that fact. 

  In a way, the phlox are the perfect gift.  Phlox are said to represent "united hearts and souls".  I was very close to Pop and miss him terribly.  He was the one who taught me the love of gardening and plants, in general.  I am also quite certain Son and Mary Ruth will always maintain a special relationship even though they are so very far apart.  The phlox are fitting and so lovely to find as one wanders through the yard.  That is part of the Magic of the Small Gardens!

Queen of the Small Gardens

  I have crowned myself as "Queen of the Small Gardens" being as that is the entirety of my realm for the next week or so.  No hikes.  No pier.  No heavy work.  Boring.  While some would be happy campers with this new arrangement, I am not.  It is not my nature to sit on my duff.  I need to be doing...doing anything...just doing.   This newfound laziness is rubbing me against the grain and, though I am the queen of this realm, I wish to escape.  That, my friends, is in the plans!  Escape!  Oh, the things I could do!

  Actually, I cannot complain about being confined to the small garden spaces as this is one of my favorite places.  I am adjusting to the change and am finding that I have overlooked so many things here.  My appreciation for even the tiniest changes is overwhelming.  To think that just a week ago, I had free run of the Bayou and all of its wonders and, now, I am discovering new wonders that are practically underfoot. Perhaps a wakeup call is needed to literally show us how to appreciate what we are given.  All is good.

  This morning, I found that the phlox were blooming and the althea bush was rewarding my "devining" efforts with an explosion of flowers.  To be honest, the phlox plant is one that my sweet granddaughter bought for her uncle.  Son has no idea of planting nor caring for flowers so the plant was placed in my care.  He was, however, elated to see the blooms and we had a long chat about Sweet Mary Ruth and her choice of gifts.  Both of us decided that they were the best gifts one could receive.  The althea bush was from a cutting from my grandparents' home so it holds memories as well. These two discoveries were the highlight of my morning.  Yeah, not much in comparison to some folks' day but highly exciting for the Queen of the Small Gardens.  I can be satisfied with what I find and elated just to be seeing a new day.  Life is good.  

"Blooming" Mushroom!

  A few days ago, the little Grand Princess, Mary Ruth and I headed back to the woods to explore and take a few photos.  We found all sorts of interesting "natures" as she called them.  Lichens, mosses, ferns, palmettos and mushrooms were examined and photographed.  The tiny tot did an amazing job with her pictures and I was able to give her pointers on lighting and angles.  

  One mushroom seemed to be her favorite.  A bright red thing about the size of a golf ball intrigued her and filled her with dozens of questions.  I tried to answer each but some were beyond my knowledge.  Mycology is not a strong point with me even though I love looking at the things.  I could not even tell her if it was edible or poisonous.  A warning was given to never, ever touch mushrooms in the wild.   Better to be safe than sorry.

Mary Ruth's photograph of a red mushroom.

The same mushroom a few days later.  From a distance, it looked like a large flower.

  Sometimes things are not what they seem to be. This afternoon, Mark and I took the same path where Mary Ruth and I had seen the red mushroom.  As we neared the spot, I was surprised to see a beautiful red "flower" in the exact spot.  Excitedly, I picked up the pace.  I was fully surprised to find that my flower was none other than the same mushroom.  Instead of being a tight knot, the mushroom had "bloomed" into a rather large, funnel-shaped mushroom complete with a yellow center.  It was gorgeous!  It would have been nice had this mushroom decided to change before Mary Ruth had to go back to the island.  She would have been just as fascinated as I am with this "blooming" mushroom.  Goodness, I miss that little girl and her billion questions.

Who Remembers Who?

   The last time that the Grand Princess, Mary Ruth, visited the Bayou, she named two of the pelicans, "Gus and Cinderella".  The names stuck and the two have always been called by those names.  Since her current visit began, Mary Ruth has been asking to see her pelican friends but the rains prevented long visits to the pier.  Finally, as if on cue, a lone pelican flew to the pier and paddled around in the water.  It came close to where Mary Ruth was standing and put on quite the show before taking flight to the other side of the Bayou.  Now I am not saying that this was definitely one of the pair but it sure seems mighty odd that the pelican seemed intent on getting the little girl's attention.  Perhaps it is actually one of "her" birds and it recalls the handouts she so generously gave.  Perhaps not.  Still, it seems like a happy thought and it tickled the little tot to no end.

  It is funny how we do not give critters credit for having feelings.  After spending a good deal of time merely watching the critters of the Bayou, it seems to me that they have the ability to feel and care.  There have been too many instances to prove the fact that they do recall certain faces.  The pelican may (or may not) have remembered the sweet, little girl but the happy squeal that resulted from the bird's visit is evidence that Mary Ruth remembered and has fond memories of the bird and Bayou.

My Little Photographer

  Photographing the Bayou and the wildlife found there is a passion of mine.  With the area quickly changing due to "progress" (which is questionable), I want to preserve as much as this way of life even if it only in pictures.  I do not have fancy or even new equipment.  My camera is a twelve year old camera that has seen better days, still, given the opportunity, it works.  The only problem that is starting to stand in the way of decent photographs is age...mine.  The hands are getting shaky, eyesight is getting blurry and the old legs find it difficult to get to some areas.  Oh, to be young again.

  This afternoon, my sweet granddaughter asked if she could use my old camera to take a photograph.  Well, that is all it took.  She and I started a hike!  Armed with the camera and a pocketful of batteries I was determined to take her to the back part of the property where earlier I had seen a bright red mushroom.  I figured that would be a good place to start looking for subjects.  Once she saw the mushroom, she was eager to find other "natures" to shoot.  We walked for almost an hour and she took over one hundred photographs before the sun started setting.  Back inside, I was impressed with how well she had done.  This tiny tot is only five years old and was able to grasp just how to use a lot of the camera's features.  She listened well when I would give her pointers and soon was taking photos from different angles to get the best picture. A lesson in lighting will be in the followup hike tomorrow if the rains hold off for a bit.

  So, I hope you enjoy the sampling of photographic works of my Grand Princess, Mary Ruth.   I see great promise not only in her photography skills but, also, in her love of nature.  

But first....!

  Several years ago, the Grand Princess was excited to see her first snow.  She and her mommy were looking out the window when she was asked if she wanted to go out and play.  She excitedly said "Yes!" then added "But first!  We have to get our boots!"  Her emphasis on the "But first!" struck a cord with her PawPaw and MawMaw.  We still have to start some sentences with that excited phrase albeit not nearly as cute as hers was.

  Today, I asked the grandlittles what they would like to do right after breakfast.  Oh!  They wanted to ride the horses, play with Mr. PJ. play with the cars, go to the pier and even pick up "firesticks" for the wood-burning stoves....BUT FIRST!  Lets pick peaches! (Peaches is another name for satsumas obviously.)  So as soon as the dew dried on the grass, we grabbed a basket and headed out the front door to make our way to the citrus trees.  I have never seen two people so happy to do "farm work" as sweet Mary Ruth called our harvesting.

  The kiddos learned to twist the satsumas until they became free of the stems and soon filled the basket full of the fruits.  Once it was filled, they brought it inside and proceeded to wash the satsumas.  Some were put on a platter for us to enjoy, some were boxed and brought to "Uncle Jimmy" (my brother) and, well, some were eaten on the spot!  Best of all, we had a great time making happy memories of being on the Bayou.  I am blessed!   

Love...just love....

  Sometimes things happen that tug at the heartstrings until you think they are going to pop.  With the old dog, Mr. PJ, not feeling up to par lately, it has been a hard go.  He tries so hard to please everybody and do what is expected but, often, his age and health get in the way.  It saddens me that I cannot fix things for him.  Being as I am merely fostering Mr. PJ for my son, daughter-in-law and grandlittles while they are away, I try to keep them abreast of how he is doing.  Recently, that news was not good.  Mr. PJ had bronchitis among other things that are not being very nice to him.  When my sweet daughter-in-law explained to the Grand Princess, Mary Ruth, that Mr. PJ was ill,  she was very concerned and tried to think of a way she could make him feel better.  They live far, far away so she knew that she could not reach over and give her doggy a hug.

 This evening, my brother called to say that the mail had come.  He lives down the lane from us and keeps watch for packages and letters.  "Hey, there is a special letter here that I am going to bring down to you."  I was confused until he got here.  "Look how this addressed.  Is that not the nicest thing?  Look who it is from!"  Yep, Mr. PJ received a letter from Mary Ruth!  My heart skipped a beat for joy.  That little girl has to be the kindest person ever!  She loves her doggy so much that she wrote a nice letter and drew two pictures just for him!

  I knelt down next to his bed and told him that I had something for him.  Mr. PJ's ears pricked up and he was very attentive as I opened the letter.  I let him smell the pages and laid them next to him on his bed.  At first, he did not know how to react.  He sniffed one page then the other.  He looked up at me with big sad eyes.  I know he was missing his sweet girl.  

  Won't Mr. PJ have a happy surprise tonight with the whole family walks in the door!  It has been such a long time since he has seen them and I know he will be overjoyed!  Mr. PJ is going to receive the best Christmas gift ever for a dog.  He will be with his family again.  It will only be for about a week but he can soak up all the loving he can get in those few days.  Sweet dog.  He sure needs this.

Old Mr. PJ and the Daily Photograph

  Social Media is a wild place.  It can be a good way to keep in touch with friends and family.  Folks post photos of kids, vacations, meals and pets.  I mainly post pictures of the Bayou, critter friends and fish.  I also post a daily photo of the old dog, PJ.  Mr. PJ was left in my care by my son, daughter-in-law and my grandlittles.  Just before they left to go to live on the island, my little granddaughter asked me to send her a daily photo of her doggy.  "I am sure going to miss PJ." she said.  That brought tears to my eyes as I was just having the same feelings about her.  "I am sure going to miss my sweet Mary Ruth and Mark Charles."  I promised, then and there, that I would send her a photograph of her beloved friend, Mr. PJ, EVERY DAY and I have since that day.

  Social Media can also be a cruel place at times.  There are those who post far too much personal junk which they instantly regret.  There are bullies, fake friends and those who just straight up are mean.  But, then, those folks are the same way anywhere and everywhere so I try to not let it get to me.  I did, however, take exception to one rude remark.  While I am not offended as they have every right to say what they please, I admit that it did take me aback a bit.  Someone told me that I was posting "way too many photos of PJ."  They thought I should stop since it did not please them.  Ha!  Nope.  I made a promise and it is one I intend to keep as long as I am able.  They can overlook the photos, close their eyes or even "unfriend" me. Who cares?  Not me, that is for sure!

  I would drop the whole Social Media scene if it were not the only contact that I have with my grandlittles.  I miss them so very much and cling to every photograph that is sent my way.  It is hard to be a half a world away from family.  I guess I grew up in a time where family stayed together and I had dreams of having my kids nearby.  It did not happen but at least with technology, we still have a connection.  Mary Ruth and Mark Charles,  MawMaw will always send you pictures of your doggy.  He and I miss you terribly!

Trading One Heron For Another

   Months ago, a young Great Blue Heron was a thrice daily visitor to the pier.  The young bird came to beg for handouts of menhaden or little mullet.  I was happy to oblige simply because these birds fascinate me. Their feeding habits, territorial disputes and nesting sites are all points of interest.  The bird was dubbed as Moe and he soon became a social media favorite as I posted plenty of photos of him.  He became almost too tame and insisted on being my "best friend"...as long as I was plying him with food.  Then Moe became a no-show.  I have no idea whether something dire happened to my friend or whether he just moved on to a new territory.  Either is a possibility.  

  Now, a new bird is in town!  This morning while Mark and I were on the pier, a very young bird flew in to pay us a visit.  This was not a Great Blue but rather a Tri-colored Heron.  I was impressed with the fact that the bird already has most of its adult plumage even though it is still rather tiny (as far as herons go).   This one was not sure about coming to dine but lingered up the pier from us.  I did, however, get rather close to it when I was leaving the pier.  The bird did not want to fly.  It just sort of side-stepped me as I passed it.  

  Hopefully, our new-found friend will come back in the morning to get a handout.  If it does, this bird, too, will receive a name.  I figure that all of our friends should be on a "first name basis" with us so the Tri-colored will soon have his own unique name.  (The only name that gets repeated is Old Gus.  This is the name of almost every Brown Pelican in the Bay!  With the exception of two named by our little granddaughter. They are Gus and Cinderella! Now, if only she was here to pick a name for our new friend but she is far, far away at the moment naming things on a tropical island!)  The Tri-colored Heron will be stuck with an unimaginative name, I suppose.

The Bayou Ostrich

  Kids can say the funniest things.  For the past few years, Mark and I have been quoting our little granddaughter's sayings.  Two quotes have stuck more than the rest.  One, "Yummm!  Apples!" is our catch phrase whenever something is yummy!  Mary Ruth said this when we sent a box of citrus fruit to Georgia for the family to enjoy.  When her mommy, Joanna, asked her what was in the box, Mary Ruth said "Yummm!  Apples!  We have said it and giggled over it ever since.  The other most quoted Mary Ruth phrase is "First!  We have to put on our boots!"  This was something she said when she saw her first snow.  Before going out to play, she knew the boots would keep her feet warm.  Smart little girl!  Mark and I say this whenever we are prioritizing things.  "First!  We have to put on our boots!"  The phrase seems to help get things straight.

  Since their move to a faraway island, I have been sending the grandlittles daily photographs of their dog, PJ.  Mr. PJ came to live with us until their return.  I did not want the kids to forget the beloved friend so each day, a new photo is sent.  Today, Mr. PJ was not overly sure of an approaching heron.  He had turned to look at me with a bewildered expression on his face.  With the heron in the background, it was the perfect picture to send.  When Mary Ruth saw the photograph, she said "An ostrich!"  That sweet little girl has just re-identified my heron for me.  Now, we have a Bayou Ostrich!   I will probably never look at a Great Blue Heron again without thinking "An ostrich!"  I always thought we had some pretty unique birds roaming about the Bayou and now I am sure of it. 

  Speaking of the Bayou Ostrich, he seems to be warming up to Mr. PJ.  For several days, he was not sure that the old dog would not chase him.  Now, the bird comes to grab minnows within a few feet of the dog.  We are making progress.  You just have to love the critters of the Bayou...even if they have unusual names!  Mary Ruth brings so much joy by naming them!

He Remembers

  There are folks who claim that animals have very limited, if any, memory.  Being around animals a good bit for a long time, I can attest that sometimes it does seem that way.  With several pets in the past, trying to teach basic commands seemed to fly right out the window.  Just when you think they've got it...they do just the opposite.  Perhaps that has nothing to do with memory and a lot to do with being obstinate but, at least, there seems to be hope with dogs.  Dogs seem to have long-term memory, if nothing else.  I cannot say whether this is true with all dogs but most of the canines that have lived at the Little Bayou House have great long-term memories.

  Since my son and daughter-in-law moved their little family to an island far, far away and since I am keeping their dog, PJ, I have been sending them a daily photograph of him.  This was a request from my little granddaughter, Mary Ruth.  She said she was going to miss her dog and asked for the pictures.  I am trying hard to live up to my word and not miss a day.  After she received today's photo, she made a video (with the help of her sweet mom, Joanna!) and sent it "for PJ".  

  Mr. PJ was sound asleep when I played the video.  As soon as he heard that little girl, he jerked awake and turned toward the sound.  He had the happiest look on his face as he intently watched the screen of my computer.  HIS little girl was talking to him!  HIS little girl said "I love you, PJ!"  The old dog seemed young again, even if it was just for a few moments.  I replayed the video several times for him and, finally, he climbed back on his bed.  He was content.  HIS little girl still loved him!  He misses Mary Ruth and my grandson, Mark Charles.

  PJ definitely remembered that tiny girl and her sweet message was just what he needed.  Tonight, he will sleep soundly and have happy dreams of Mary Ruth and Mark Charles, I am sure.  Dogs do have long-term memories...this proves it.  It did my heart good to see the old dog so happy.

Things Seem A Bit Dimmer

  First, let me say that it felt really weird last night.  We lost Internet and for the first time since I started this blog way back in 2010, I missed writing a post.  I waited until midnight and still no connections so I finally gave up and went to sleep.  It did not feel right.  It still feels strange as I look back on the posts and see one missing.  Hopefully, that will not occur again even though I doubt too many folks even noticed.  

  Now, another strange feeling.  I have a great emptiness inside me.  After a full week of having my son, daughter-in-law and grandlittles here on the Bayou with us, they have headed back to their home in Georgia.  The place seems too quiet...too empty.  My heart is breaking.  Mark and I have been wandering around in a bit of a daze.  We miss the hubbub of family.  The chattering, laughing and even the baby fussing made the Little Bayou House seem alive. Not now.  It just seems empty.

  Earlier today (before our daily thunderstorm), I wandered through the living room to see the sunlight streaming through the east window. This window was a favorite of the grandlittles as there are a dozen or so crystals hanging by tiny chains and threads.  When the sunbeams pass through the crystals, thousands of rainbows fill the room.  During their visit, I showed the tots how to gently touch the prisms to set them swinging.  This caused the colors to dance about the room.  Each morning Mary Ruth and Mark Charles would rush to the window to make their rainbows dance.  It delighted them which delighted me.  

  Today, however, the rainbows did not dance.  In fact, they did not even seem as bright as they were this entire past week.  They made their mandatory appearance thanks to the sunshine but did not bounce around the walls, floor and ceiling.  If possible, I think even the crystals missed the tiny fingers reaching up so lovingly to touch them.  Strange how things change.  I sure miss my family.  Things around here seem a whole lot dimmer without them here.

A Friendship Waiting To Happen

  Back during December, the grandlittles came to visit for a few days.  I was happy to see that they loved being on the pier as much as I do and my sweet granddaughter took to naming the critters she found.  A pair of Brown Pelicans seemed to adore her and came to beg a meal from her.  I showed her how she could toss minnows to the birds.  After that, the bait bucket thinned rapidly as she fed the two hungry birds every minnow she could catch.  These two pelicans were dubbed "Gus and Cinderella".  Well, Miss Mary Ruth needs to come up with a few more names as we seem to have gained a few youngsters to our clan of pelicans.  

  One bird in particular seems to be a good candidate as a friend for Miss Mary Ruth and Master Mark Charles.  This youngster already knows that a free meal is for the taking if he just begs a bit.  Whenever I am on the pier and throwing the net, this pelican flies around and around the pier just to see if anything will be tossed his way.  And...as teenage boys always seem to be...this guy is always hungry!  You cannot fill up this bird's belly!  As long as you toss fish, he feeds.

  Miss Mary Ruth is to be here in August so I sure hope the pelican hangs around for her visit.  She can name this one, as well!  I am sure this will be a friendship in the making.  It sure makes me happy to know that the grandlittles are being raised to love all critters and to respect nature.  

Breakfast Time for Gus and Cinderella

  My little granddaughter rarely gets to visit the Bayou but when she is here, she finds all sorts of things to do.  Like her old mawmaw, I think she enjoys being on the pier or in the greenhouse the best.  In the greenhouse, she tells me that she is going to "hunt for spiders".  Why?  I have no idea but it seems like a grand thing to do so...we do.  We hunt for spiders.  On the pier, she happily feeds the pelicans.  Our bait bucket is endlessly needing refilling but it matters not.  If the little girl wants to throw fish to the birds, so be it.  She can have any fish we have!  She even went so far as to name two of the pelicans...Gus and Cinderella.

  Even though Mary Ruth is not on the Bayou, the pelicans still come begging for handouts.  Each morning as soon as Mark and I head to the pier, the two pelicans come flying to the pier posts.  They know that breakfast will be served within a few minutes.  If we catch small mullet or menhaden, the fish are given whole but if we catch something "eatin' size", we clean the fish and toss the remnants to the birds.  Gus and Cinderella do not seem to mind.  They eat their fill then fly back to the posts to preen.  The pelicans are getting fat and happy!

  This morning, both pelicans awaited us.  We were a bit late getting to the pier again this morning so the pelicans were a tad antsy.  They wanted their breakfast.  Mark threw the net and caught about a dozen nice sized mullet.  These were cleaned for our elderly friends and the entrails tossed to the birds.  Cinderella decided to stay on the post nearest me.  Ok, so a few photographs were in order.  With each picture I took, Cinderella posed.  She turned her head this way and that.  She preened her feathers.  She wiggled her tail.  At times, she even seemed to smile for the camera.  Not once did she attempt to flee.  I think Mary Ruth has tamed these birds!  I know they await her return to the Bayou.

The Naming

  Take one tiny girl fishing and introduce her to critters that she has never seen and she will name them all.  For the past few days, we have been able to share the Bayou with our granddaughter, Mary Ruth and grandson, Mark Charles.   While he loves being outside and seeing everything, the little fellow is still to young to fully appreciate what is around him.  He is all about playing and exploring his newfound freedom of toddling.  Mary Ruth, on the other hand, is at that perfect age of learning about nature and she loves it.  

  One of the highlights was the feeding of the two pelicans.  It did not take long before Mary Ruth decided to name them. The Brown Pelicans of the Bayou have always been called "Old Gus" for as long as I can remember but Mary Ruth decided that the two needed individual names so the second of the pair became known as "Cinderella".  Hey, this worked for me.  Gus and Cinderella now reign as King and Queen of the Bayou.  It is great but being as both male and female pelicans look the same, I can only hope that they are named correctly.

  After feeding (and naming) the pelicans, her daddy showed her a baby shrimp that he caught in the minnow trap.  At first, she was having no part of holding that weird looking thing!  She soon warmed up to the idea and shyly put out her hand.  The shrimp laid quietly in the palm for just about two seconds before it flipped (as shrimp are prone to do) and slid between the pier boards.  This caused Mary Ruth to burst into a fit of giggles before settling down to the task of naming the critter.  "Tiny." she quietly murmured.  "Tiny."  Well, at least that was appropriate!

  Next came a baby crab.  Since she had held a shrimp, her dad thought she might like to hold the crab.  NOPE!  THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING!  I let the little critter crawl up on my finger to show her that the crab was not out to eat her but she still was not convinced.  The crab never made it to her hand before it, too, scooted between the pier boards back into the water.  Since she had named the other critters, I knew it was best to ask if this one to had a name.  I was not disappointed..."Yes, it was named Crabby!"  Alrighty then.  Crabby, it was.  

 So, Old Gus, Cinderella, Tiny and Crabby all live in the Bayou and all are probably back at home telling their friends about the cute little girl named Mary Ruth!  I know for a fact that the first two are going to miss their friend when she heads back to her home tomorrow.  This mawmaw is going to miss both tykes terribly.  The Bayou is going to feel so very lonely.

Mary Ruth and Old Gus

  Most of today was spent on the pier.  While adults fished, the grandlittles and I more or less played.  Mary Ruth and her daddy fed the seagulls a bunch of old bread and my sweet daughter-in-law caught a nice sized flounder.  After a bit, Old Gus came to visit.  The pelican was begging for a handout and he knew right where to come.  With a bucket full of little mullet and menhaden sitting on the pier and two sweet children waiting to share their catch, Old Gus had come to the right place.  He would eat good this evening.

  It all started with Mary Ruth tossing a menhaden at the bird.  Old Gus scooped up the minnow and swam in a circle.  This tickled the little girl causing her to beg for another minnow to feed Gus.  I fished a second minnow out of the bait bucket and handed it to her.  This time, I told her to wait before throwing the bait in the water.  "Call Gus.  He will come to you."  She started calling "Old Gus! Come here!"  Sure enough, the bird swam right up to the pier and opened his mouth.  He wanted the sweet little girl to feed him.  The minnow was thrown, he scooped and the little girl squealed with delight.  Instead of flying away, Old Gus made a tight circle and returned to beg for more.  Not to be outdone by his big sister, Mark Charles tossed several minnows to the bird. Old Gus was getting his belly filled tonight! After about a dozen menhaden, our stash was depleted but neither the little girl nor the pelican was finished with this game!  We started on the little mullet.  Six of those were soon in the gullet of the bird.  Mary Ruth squealed and giggled with delight over her newfound friend and the bird got his fill of minnows.  He has never had it so good!

  This pelican is one that hangs around the pier and has lost all fear of me.  I feed him an occasional minnow but never to the extent of today. What fun...one pelican, a bucket of bait and two tiny tots make for a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Bringing the Manor Back to its Full Glory!

  Today, I painted the house....both inside and outside!  I even painted the roof!  Of course, I am not referring to the Little Bayou House but rather what shall from this point forward shall be called the "Tiny Bayou House"!  In the readying of the place for the visit of the grand-littles, I repainted the old dollhouse that Darling Daughter had when she was a tyke.  It has been a long time since she played with it and, over time, it had become quite grungy.  The house had become a makeshift shelf in the bottom of a closet and held all sorts of items that just did not seem to go anywhere else.  Well, they found a new place to go and that place was the garbage can!  The dollhouse was hefted up atop the dining table and the paint job commenced.  Now the dollhouse can return to its full glory as a plaything for the Grand Princess.

  The story behind the dollhouse is almost as precious as the house itself.  Years ago when Mark and I had toddlers of our own, money was short at times.  Mark was working in the construction business and, as we all know, weather dictates when workers are on the job.  No work...no pay.  It just so happened that around Christmas one year, the weather was quite rainy (about like this year!).  With the rainy season, jobs were scarce so we had pennies to spare for gifts.  Old Santa was in dire need of some help.  His elves got busy and created all sorts of magical things as gifts for our kids.  Stuffed animals and doll clothes were sewn, wooden boats and cars were built.  It was fun for us to see just what we could create on a budget of nothing.  Mark built a house. The dollhouse for Darling Daughter was made purely from scrap lumber and odd pieces scrounged from relatives' sheds.  He worked at my folks' home so that Elizabeth would not see the dollhouse.  When it was carted home long after the kiddos were in bed, I had to paint the thing in the upstairs closet!  Again...fun times.

  The Tiny Bayou House shall take on the new role of entertaining the next generation.  It has been painted and sits ready to occupy its new (old) residents.  I have plans of stitching a few outfits for some of Darling Daughter's old fashion dolls so Mary Ruth, the Grand Princess, can pretend to her heart's content.  I do not know who will have more fun...me, reviving the old toys or the grandlittles playing with them come next month!  

Flag-waving, Pledge-saying Independence Day!

  It is early evening here on the Bayou and the rains have started with a vengeance.  Thunder, lightning and a veritable downpour seem to have set in for the night.  This is definitely going to put a damper on any fireworks display for this Independence Day but this is fine by Ms. Ez and me.  The old Bayou Dog and I are snug as two bugs in the Little Bayou House!

  Speaking of Independence Day and all its trappings, my sweet granddaughter has learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of United States!  She is all of two years old and is proud to be an American!  Of course, she IS the smartest little girl in the world and she does have a wonderful mom and dad who teach her this but for her to show her pride is quite amazing.  It does, however, bring back some fond memories of some, ahem, thirty-something years ago.  Her dad (my oldest son) did the very same thing at the very same age.  He, too, was (and still is) a Proud American! 

  I ponder with all the turmoil jittering about this country these days, if parents are not promoting this pride and respect at all.  It seems to me that a good many of the current generation has fallen to the wayside and lost all respect for most everything.  Parents obviously had a hand in this whether it be a lack of good parenting skills or just pure old laziness.  Buck up, Folks!  Grab ahold to those kids and make them learn a little respect!  Flag burnings, riots, hatred causes nothing but, well, hatred.  Back in the day, we were taught to respect ALL folks, our elders, life and our country.  What happened?

  It sure makes me proud to see my grandkids being raised with good morals, respect, patriotism and love.  It gives me hope for the next generation.  God bless America! Happy Independence Day!

The Helper

  Sometimes all it takes is a bit of help to make a chore seems simple. My daughter-in-law bought some of the prettiest green beans from a vegetable stand near their house.  Since we did not get a chance to eat them right away, she thought it might be a good idea to freeze them for a later date. I volunteered for the job.

  While I was pouring the beans into a large bowl for washing, my sweet two year old granddaughter, Mary Ruth, was thoughtful enough to offer her help.  She pushed a kitchen chair up to the sink making it easier for Mary Ruth and her MawMaw set to work.  She helped me by turning on the water, filling the bowl and then washing each bean....one by one. Those were the cleanest beans that I have ever seen!  

  Our job did not end there, Mary Ruth was then taught the proper way to break the stems from the beans and pull the string down each side. The next step was to snap the beans into small pieces.  She thought this was great!  Breaking things is extremely fun...obviously!  We heated water, parboiled the beans, dowsed them in ice water and packed them in a freezer bag.  Well, we packed most of them in a bag. Mary Ruth decided that she loved to eat crunchy beans so a nice bowlful was set aside just for her enjoyment!  My enjoyment? Spending time with this adorable little girl!  Memories were being made by an old lady and tiny little girl!

The "REALLY BIG FISH!"

    I started to write tonight about happenings on the Bayou but then I was told a story that just needed to be told.  I so wish I had been there to witness this first hand but, since that was impossible, I have to revel in the story told by my son.  It seems that he and my sweet daughter-in-law bought a Disney Princess fishing rod and reel for my granddaughter.  She is all of two years old and I can only imagine she loved it merely because of the Disney logo or perhaps because it was pink.  She is at that age where she is attracted to bright pretty things without really knowing what they are.  Still, Daddy being an avid fisherman and with both grandfathers being avid fishermen, she would soon learn the finer points of using her new tool.  

  Being the good daddy that he is, Mark took his little girl fishing in the pond behind their house.  He carefully cast the tiny line out into the water and handed the pole to his baby girl.  He said that she immediately started reeling the line back in when he realized that there was a fish tugging on the end of the line!  First cast and this baby girl already had a fish!  With a little help from Dad to set the hook, Mary Ruth was catching her first fish.  She reeled and reeled on that little contraption and just when the fish was getting near, it made a turn a reedy area.  The fish was smart enough to get the line entangled but Dad was determined that his little girl was going to land this fish! He told me that he thought "Oh, we got this far! You are not getting away now!"   He allowed a bit of line to loosen from the reel before handing it back to Mary Ruth.  This gave the fish just enough leeway to break free from the grass and the fight was on again!  He kept telling her "Reel, reel, reel!"  She did!  She turned that wee handle as fast as she could! When the fish was close enough to shore, Daddy reached down and pulled it ashore! Mary Ruth had her fish!  AND WHAT A FISH!  It weighed almost four pounds!  

  Mark said that if you ask her what type fish she caught she answers with "A REALLY BIG FISH!"  So there you have it, Folks...a teeny, little girl caught a REALLY BIG FISH!  Yep, this little girl is a great fisherman just like her daddy and two grandfathers!  (I would just like to see them catch something that is this large on a Disney Princess Rod and Reel! In comparison of this fish to her size, that would be like one of them landing a forty pound  or larger fish! Hmmmm?  I think this wee tot could teach them a thing or two!  Way to go, Mary Ruth!)