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.

Eleanora is Happy!

   Ever since the weather warmed months ago, a female box turtle has been a steady occupant of the concrete pond that I dubbed as "Puddle Pond".  This little mud hole is at the end of "Pebble Creek" aka the drainage ditch.  The turtle and I have become quite friendly as, for a while, she depended on my help when she wanted out of the pond.  It seems that turtles are not adept at traversing gravel covered concrete.  She could get out of the water but not completely out of the pond area.  Each day, I would set her on dry ground under the blueberry bushes where she would burrow under the mulch during the heat of the day.  Each morning, she would be back in the pond feasting upon the tadpoles that were there by the millions.  I named her Eleanora simply because it hit me one morning that it was a fitting name.  She is quite the elegant turtle and needed an elegant, old-fashioned name so Eleanora came into being.

  I began to fret over my turtle friend.  It occurred to me that if I ever became incapacitated, Eleanora may never get out of the pond!  She would live in her own little paradise...until that paradise became her prison.  Something had to be done to help poor Eleanora escape under her own power.  I mentioned it to Son this morning and he set about making a "path" for Eleanora.  Knowing she could not navigate the gravel, he began looking for another possible exit.  Puddle Pond is edged on the back side with huge pieces of driftwood and old pilings so that became her path.  He slightly moved things about a bit to make her a "private" entrance into the garden beneath the blueberry trees.  

 Eleanora caught on quickly and was soon to be seen basking on the edge of the path.  She is also extremely happy to find that some fat earthworms had been uncovered when Son moved the pilings.  (At this rate, Eleanora is going to get fat!)  This evening, Eleanora is nestled down in a nook near the driftwood.  She is happy...I am happy.  All is well in Puddle Pond.

Pretty, Little Snaky!

   I had no intentions of doing a single bit of yard work today but wound up working myself to exhaustion.  It felt good after being cooped up inside.  Repainting each room in the Little Bayou House may not seem like an overwhelming chore but..hey, I am old.  So when the thought crossed my mind that I needed to pick more hot peppers, I jumped at the chance.  Picking those peppers would have been a perfectly nice outing if one thing did not lead to another.  I soon found myself cutting grass then cleaning the glorified gutter drain and catch pond...aka Pebble Creek and Puddle Pond.  (Yes, I find it fun to name every feature in the yard.)  I should have stopped before attempting the pond cleaning.

  While knee-deep in the small pond, I was scooping up the leafy debris that had fallen in the water.  Thinking it would be a quick job, I did not bother getting the rake.  I used my hands.  I am accustomed to dealing with things like this.  It does not make me squeamish to scoop out a handful of mud, algae and a dozen or so critters with each scoop.  All was going well until I went to clean under some rocks on the side.  It was there that I found the snake.  I was not even paying much attention when I noticed something long and slithery scooting into the water.  Ooops!  Well, now!  

  There was not much to do but keep cleaning even with the snake and I sharing the tiny pond.  I figured I had to at least determine what type of snake was living this close to the steps so...I kept work.  I had a strong hunch that this was a water snake simply because a cottonmouth would have held its ground.  So...snaky and I shared the tiny puddle until I had enough water out so I could find my friend.  Once its identity was confirmed (banded water snake), I felt more at ease and finished the job.  I did reassure the snake that it was welcome to stay in its home and not feel threatened.  Perhaps I should be a bit more careful in the future.  (And we all know that is not going to happen.)

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.

Sun-dappled Turtle

   There are so many things that simply marvel me about nature.  Just the everyday happenings that most folks never notice are astounding to my way of thinking.  A butterfly crawling from its chrysalis, an alligator lying in wait for breakfast,  the night-blooming cereus bud opening...are all miraculous wonders.  My only sad part is that the camera is still on the blink.  It is hard to get good photographs when the goofy thing only works occasionally.  I suppose taking it on hikes during rainstorms has greatly diminished its capabilities.  What invigorates me, hampers the functioning of electronics...so it seems.

  Early this morning, I did not dare venture down to the pier.  Lightning bounced around on the Bay making it a bit scary to be a "sitting duck".  I did slip out to the Small Gardens just to breathe.  It is there that I can truly find the feeling of being alive.  While there, I heard a slight crunch of something stepping on the gravel in Pebble Creek (the glorified drain from the house eaves).  This 50ft long running "creek" that ends in Puddle Pond is a never-ending source of interest as critters love the place.  This morning's visitor was a box turtle.  I quietly chose a spot under the Curcumin leaves so I could be a bit sheltered from the drizzly rain as I visited my friend.  These 5ft tall plants with the huge leaves directed the water droplets away from me and down into the gravel.   As soon as I settled into my little spot, the sun burst through the clouds and dappled Pebble Creek and the turtle in a glorious array of sun splotches!  This was turning into one of the nicest mornings ever!

 

  I watched as the turtle grubbled around in the gravel.  Hmm?  It was after something but what?  My answer soon came as the turtle pulled out a fat earthworm!  Imagine that!  There were earthworms under the gravel IN the two inches of water!  The turtle happily munched the worm and started searching again.  How wonderful that the turtle was smart enough to search here.  Being able to watch my friend fill her belly made the morning a bit happier for me.  Rain storms or sun-dappled turtles, the Small Gardens abound in wonders.

"Seeing the light?"

   Being back on doctor's orders to "be lazy" (to let a torn muscle heal), I feel rather useless.  I tinker around trying to prove to myself that I am still active. There is not a lot I can do.  So...at sunup, I pretend to "work" in the garden which usually amounts to picking a few tomatoes.  I "tend" to the flower gardens which means I spend more time talking with the plants than actually doing anything.  I mosey around acting like the farm girl.  Finally after all that "work" is done, I head inside to home can the fruits and veggies that Son helps me pick.  THAT...I can do!  Canning is not strenuous so, at least, I have that!

  This morning's early morning escapades took me to Puddle Pond in the Small Gardens.  I had intentions of picking the last few blueberries but the birds had beaten me to them.  Well, since there was not much else to be done here, I decided it was in my best interest to "sit a spell" on the tiny footpath bridge that spans Pebble Creek.  (For those who do not know, both Puddle Pond and Pebble Creek are parts of a glorified drainage ditch that runs down the edge of the Little Bayou House and catches the rain runoff.  This was my way of "beautifying" an otherwise ugly, washed out place.)  As I sat listening to the the water sliding over the pebbles, the sun started shooting beams through the tree limbs.  One beam settled nicely on a water hyacinth bloom and totally enthralled me. 

  While thoughts of being useless rattled around in the brain, the sight before me set things straight.  If a lowly invasive plant bloom could bring joy, then surely I could find some purpose in my day.  That thought set the wheels twirling!  What would be my goal for today...other than letting the body heal?  I felt immensely better.  I WOULD find something and go from there!  Thank you, Mr. Sun, for letting me see a clear path!

Those Blooming Cuttings

   For the past few weeks, things have been a bit rough.  Health issues flared again.  That added to the extreme heat we have been enduring made it a bad time to be outside.  I was, once again, confined to the Little Bayou House.  This would not have been a problem except this time I was hit with "no lifting, no stretching, no overworking" orders by the doctor.  Work on the place came to a grinding halt.  Sheer exhaustion caused me to miss something that I was long awaiting.

   It was time for the first blooming of the cereus plants.  Buds were literally hanging everywhere! Each plant had 5 to 9 buds ready to open.  My plants were putting on quite the show and I so wanted to view it.  Sadly, the exhausted body had other plans.  With the plants blooming late at night, there was no earthly way I would be awake.  It was all I could do to venture out before the sun fully set to take a few photographs.  It saddened me to know the lovely blooms would go unseen.

  One thing that did surprise me was the fact that a cutting that I had tossed in "Pebble Creek" (the glorified gutter drain) had a huge bud.  The plant was not even in dirt!  Cereus plants root extremely easy in just a bit of water but for it to bloom there was a rare thing.  I felt bad for the plant and made a promise to get it in a pot as soon as the health permits.  Bloom happy, Cereus Plants!  Bloom happy.  I am sorry to miss your beauty.

The Door To Nowhere

   Every now and again while on a hike about the place, I stumble upon something that defies explanation.  A couple of weeks ago, it was a fern frond far, far from any ferns.  Now, a door to nowhere has appeared.  I am using "door" here because that is what the thing looked like to me.  A shard of wood was wedged in the gravel of Pebble Creek.  It was one of those parts of a tree where the wood grain was wrapped around a limb and has left a hollow spot.  The shard was propped up in the perfect position to look like a gate or doorway only it led to nowhere.  In fact, it opened directly into the tiny creek so if anyone was able to pass through it, they would have immediately tumbled into the water.  How the piece of wood got there is beyond me but it did serve a purpose. 

  The "doorway" started me pondering about the Small Gardens and how a door would be an interesting fixture...a folly, so to speak.   It would exist only to make folks scratch their heads and wonder why a door was in the middle of the garden.  The Small Gardens already have a lot of these garden follies as interesting features.  Every time I find something weird or wonderful, it has to find a home as a garden feature so a "Door to Nowhere" would fit perfectly.  Now...I have to find that perfect door and the perfect spot! 

Only Room For One

   It has never occurred to me that box turtles are territorial to a degree.   Rarely have I ever seen any aggression displayed between two turtles so it surprised me to witness it today.  My weeding the garden halted when two turtles were literally "squabbling" over the rights to Puddle Pond.  Both wished to be in the small pond as the tadpoles are easy pickings but, obviously, the larger of the two did not wish to share.  She started out just nudging the smaller turtle as if she was trying to push her from the pond.  After that did not work, the larger started nipping at the smaller turtle.  Finally, the little one gave up and tried to climb out of the pebbles and into the garden.  Poor thing was not very successful at getting anywhere as the pebbles kept making her slide down the edges.  Ok, so time to intervene in this fracas.

  Picking up the smaller turtle, I moved her to a shaded spot about five feet from Puddle Pond.  She was not happy and was bent on returning.  Well, rascal!  You are going to get yourself in a snafu, if you are not careful.  To remedy the situation, a pear was offered to the exiled turtle.  That did the trick!  She was one happy camper now and did not return to Puddle Pond!  The larger one could still be seen chasing tadpoles through the water hyacinths, however.  She had to work for her supper.  Being rude never gets you anywhere!

Storms, Herons and Boredom

   I am grasping here, folks.  It has been two days since I have been able to roam the hillside and woods.  The storms seem to be everlasting so I am stuck inside much against my wishes.  When I do sneak outside for a few moments, it is to grab something from the garden for our meals.  (It is like going to the grocery store without ever leaving the Bayou!)  But, I am rapidly going stir crazy!  I need to be outside!  I am not sure how other folks can stay in their homes day in and day out.  

  A few days back, however, that sunshine was inviting me to get out and garden.  While most of the vegetable plot is in full swing, I am still revamping the other parts of the Small Gardens.  Storms and laziness on my part have put them into shambles.  One of the projects was to concrete the drainage ditch that I dubbed Pebble Creek.  The nigh on 70 ft of slope ends with Puddle Pond.  (Yes, these were named when I was confined to the Small Gardens for so many months.  Imagination, folks. It is called imagination.)  Son and I tackled the job and finished just before this round of storms.  This is another small pond dedicated to the frogs.  There are no fancy-schmancy exotic fish here on the Bayou.  It is either bull minnows or frogs.  I opted for the frogs since they help with pest control.  As I was cleaning up our mess from the concrete job, I stuck a heron decoy near the pond.  The decoy (along with two owls and a duck) was a deposited here by a past hurricane and has resided somewhere in the yard since.  It is only fitting to have it by Puddle Pond for a spell.  

  Once I get caught up on the chores, I plan to give our plastic bird its own makeover.  It definitely could use some paint and some new legs!  In the meantime, I figure the bird can stay where it is.  It wobbles with the southerly winds and sort of looks halfway real at times.  Maybe I need to toss the duck in Puddle Pond so the heron can have a friend.  Friends of all sorts are good.

MY Caring Stone

   It is no secret that I have not felt myself for some time now.  Things just do not seem to get better.  I do more puttering than work now, it seems.  There are a ton of menial, non-important chores that are being tended but I do them slowly and without much gusto.  The body says it does not want to do anything but the brain thinks differently.  So, I putter around the house and Small Gardens, once again.  Hopefully, the New Year will find me in a different mode.

  This afternoon, I was awaiting some family members to drop by so spent the time soaking up a bit of warm sunshine.  When they were no-shows, I decided that the very best I could do would be to clear the leaves from Pebble Creek (glorified drain ditch).  I was on my hands and knees when I spied the "sun" peering up at me from the gravel.  Well, now.  I found a new stone for my Caring Stone collection.  This one is for me.  I need care.  I need to think about me.  So, the stone was added to the birdbath where I could remember to care.  

  The stone has an image of the sun in the middle (if you use your imagination).  At first glance, the sun appeared to be painted onto the stone but, in reality, it is just part of the stone, itself.  That is not paint!  The "sun" is there to stay.  This made me think that, perhaps, I need sunshine in my life.  With activities being greatly curtailed, I grasp at any happiness within reach.  My Caring Stone will be a reminder of that.  Every time I peek at that sun, I will strive to find something that will bring a smile.  Come one New Year, bring some better times, please.

The Refreshing Drink

   When I worked on building Pebble Creek and Puddle Pond, it was my intentions to make something pretty out of an eyesore.  Where the water drains from the rooftop, a trench was being washed creating a huge mess.  The trench was widened and filled with gravel.  Puddle Pond was dug, lined and filled with plants.  The idea of using a recirculating pump from Puddle Pond to the upper portion of Pebble Creek would provide a soothing sound to the Small Gardens.  I was working on the fountain part back around the first of July when my age caught up with me.  The body refused to go any further.  That led to my being confined to the Small Gardens, my "queendom" over the gardens and a long recovery period.  Pebble Creek and Puddle Pond were nigh on complete so my recovery was, at least, somewhat enjoyable.

  It was not until later that I noticed the water level in Puddle Pond was decreasing every day.  Something was amiss!  Thinking there was a leak somewhere, I was highly disappointed that my work had been in vain.  Not being able to tend to the problem at the time, I merely added water each day and hoped for the best. It would have to stay in sad shape until I was mended.

  Well, that was not the case.  Instead of a leak causing low water levels, the water was being lapped up by my critter friends!  By day, birds and squirrels come to visit.   By night, raccoons, fox and deer take cool drinks.  Footprints proved that many animals were appreciative of my efforts.

  I still have to add water each day but, instead of being saddened, I am elated.  The work put into the making of Pebble Creek and Puddle Pond have become far more rewarding since I know my critter friends feel safe enough to come for a drink.  The project is a success!

Going for a swim!

   Doctors' visits, errands and grocery shopping just about did me in for today.  Enough was enough.  I was ready to be home...back in my little domain where peace resides.  After a morning of being on the go and then a quick lunch, I headed to the Small Gardens to recuperate!  As Queen, I could lounge to my heart's content and there was nobody to see me being lazy.  Taking a book of the shelf, a glass of iced lemonade and, of course, my camera, I made myself comfortable in the big wicker chair.   With my feet propped up, it was time to relax...but the birds were having no part of that!  I had forgotten to feed them!  That would not do so bird seed was fetched and scattered on the flat top benches.  Just as I neared the Pebble Creek, something made a swirl in the waters of Puddle Pond.  Whoa!  Those tadpoles must have gotten huge overnight!

  Nope, a critter was, in fact, dining on those tadpoles!  A small box turtle was scooting around the mud bottom as she snared the soft creatures.  Well, here was nature being nature again.  As much as I love my little frogs, there were far too many tadpoles in the tiny Puddle Pond.  If they were going to grow to maturity, a few had to be eliminated.  The turtle was just thinning the crop.  I watched her for a few moments then settled in with my book.  

  Five chapters later, the turtle decided to climb out and come for a visit. She wandered right up to my chair and stared at me for a good bit before attempting to climb the steps to the french doors!  With the first step just a couple of inches higher than the doormat, the turtle was able to hoist herself up but that second step was just too high.  I suppose I will never know just why she wanted to go up the steps because she then tumbled down under the open step.   After a bit, I noticed she was nestled in among the potted plants for the evening.  I hope this little one stays in the garden.  I have enjoyed her visit tremendously!