Bayou Tranquility

   Sometimes when I view the photographs of the day's happenings, they bring back vivid memories of other times.  This morning, the rising sun streamed through the pines on the opposite shore casting shadows on the water.  Several years ago, I took almost the same photograph...then, last year, the image was nigh on identical.  The only difference is the grove of trees is getting vastly thinner with all the "progress" on new houses.  No one seems to understand that we actually NEED trees but, what they do across the way is none of my business, I suppose.  So, I turn a blind eye to the ruination of the woods and try to find a positive side of it.  This is a fault of mine.  Let others fret over what is being done since I am old and possibly won't have to deal with the outcome.  They can deal with their own mess. 

  I do not turn a blind eye to everything, however.  I am one of those weird people that just looks at things a bit differently.  I figure there is beauty in all things if we only search for it...hence, the photograph of shadows on the water.  Life is too short to go around viewing ugliness.  That brings forth only despair.  It is far better to seek out beauty and fill the spirit with tranquility.  In this old, angry world, look for serenity and happiness.  Find your peace wherever you can.  The Bayou is where I find mine.

It's Pirate Treasure!

   A few years back, I noticed a bright, glowing spot on the water right at the edge of the marsh.  This spot was on the opposite shore if I looked eastward.  It was late fall and right at sunset when the intense light appeared.  I was so adamant that one of the recent hurricanes had washed something ashore there that Mark paddled the small skiff to the spot to check.  He found nothing amiss.  In fact, by the time he got there, the "spot" had fully disappeared.  The sun had slid down behind the pines and fully blocked the beams.  We pondered this for quite some time but never figured out why the sun pinpointed that spot with its rays.  What was reflecting the light?  Our murky, muddy waters are not sparkling enough to cause this phenomenon.   Then, as seasons do, things shifted and the sun was not at the "perfect" angle to create the brilliant splash on the shore.

  Yesterday evening as we sat on the pier, the glow appeared again.  The sunset has now shifted enough to reflect on whatever is causing the glow.  There, at the edge of the marsh seated beneath a background of groundsel bushes and goldenrod, the shimmer was back, if only for a few fleeting moments.  I was tempted to ask Mark to paddle the skiff to the spot once again!  (Poor fellow!)  As we mulled over the possibilities, he mumbled something about pirate treasure and that was all it took to get the wheels going in my head!  Perhaps that is it!  Maybe some pirate ship made its way into the Bay and deposited treasure in that exact spot!  After many years and a goodly number of hurricanes, the gold doubloons are spilling out over the muddy bank catching the sun's rays!  Interesting thought, but I do believe someone would have already laid claim to the treasure if it was out in the open with a huge spotlight shining on it.  Although...pirate treasure would be something that my brain could wrap itself around and come up with a dozen or so tall tales to explain the shimmer across the Bay!

  Will we ever be able to explain what is causing our "bright spot" or shall we leave it up to speculation and let the "haunted tales" become another "Bayou Legend"?  I sort of like the latter.  Leave some things unexplained.   

Clouds And People...Both Have Moods!

  The other morning while I was on the pier, I noticed that as I watched the sunrise, something pretty spectacular was going on to the south.  The sky was brighter and there were large clouds looming but those clouds looked vastly different than the ones shrouding the sun.  To the east, dark clouds were moving in and giving threat to an upcoming thunderstorm, the sky was gray and waters were dark. The southern clouds were not nearly as ominous, the sky was brilliant blue and the sun was casting perfect reflections on the water.  It puzzled me, to say the least.  How could the sky appear so exactly opposite at the same time?

  While pondering the sunrise and weird effect, it dawned on me how this was eerily similar to some people.  One side is bright and cheery while the other is dark and threatening.  The twofold personalities are difficult for most of us to understand.  As with the morning sky that I viewed not seeming to fit, the dual personality of such a person just does not seem to mesh.  Being around the person is difficult since there is no telling when a mood is going to change into something unfavorable.  While we all have our ups and downs, some folks seem to thrive in the turmoil.  Not me.  I think I am just too lazy to flip-flop back and forth.  Let me just stay in my happy place.

  The clouds did come together as a storm that dumped nigh on two inches of rain in the gardens.  This was a welcome occurrence since we have been in the midst of a severe drought complete with wildfires in the general area.  Now, the turbulent storm has brought peace from the raging fires.  I guess it takes all kinds...in weather and in people. (The two photos were taken less than a minute apart from the same spot on the pier.  One facing the east and sunrise.  The other facing the south.)

It's My Choice

  Have you ever sat back and pondered what is and what should be?  Not that I have all of these deep thoughts that could ever bring world peace or a solution to looming problems but I do ponder things.  Years ago, Pop told me that if I thought long and hard enough about an idea, I may just come up with an understanding deeper than what I originally had.  Made sense back then some fifty odd years ago and still holds true today.  Most folks just don't think long enough to find a solution to anything anymore.

  If you look into a mirror you see what is.  There is no denying that fact. And while most of us may like or dislike what we see in that image, it does not give insight on what could be.  The possibilities are there.  The reflection we see is not the same as the reflections we can think.  The image in the mirror can be modified to cover surface blemishes but if we do not reflect long and hard we, ourselves, cannot be changed.  It takes deep reflection into our minds to figure out how to improve our lot in life.  Ha!  I told you that I pondered!

  All of this pondering on reflections actually had nothing to do with anything yet had a lot to do with everything.  Early this morning, the dreary skies gave me just enough light to catch a reflection on the calm waters.  A branch had somehow become lodged in the edge of the marsh and cast such a beautiful image on the water below that it started the mind reeling.  There was no improving the picture in my mind.  I can find beauty in the oddest of things simply because, a long time ago, I discovered that I am far happier looking for beauty instead of seeing ugliness.  Some claim that I turn a blind-eye to what is happening in the world but I beg to differ.  I merely see things in a different light.  I could go around seeing ugliness which would fill me with anger, disgust and pain or I could seek beauty and fill my spirit with happiness, hope and peace.  I choose the latter.  

I can handle the day...

  Yesterday morning, Mark and I traipsed to the pier in hopes of finding a few minnows to use as bait.  He has been catching a lot of mullet lately but I was in hopes of a redfish or large trout.  I do not mind eating mullet but grow tired of the "muddy" taste.  To my way of thinking, mullet are best eaten fresh.  As soon as they are caught..clean, fry and eat.  A distinct flavor of bayou mud permeates the fish after it sits for a few hours in the refrigerator and especially after the fish are frozen.  I am not a fan.  Yesterday morning, however, the fishing did not happen so they were not on the menu for our meal.

  I was duly impressed by the scenery from the pier.  A heavy cloud cover made the sunrise invisible but, along about 8am, the sun tried to poke its face through the overcast skies.  It tried but could not quite burst through to brighten the day.  The effort made for an amazing view, though, and the still waters were reflecting just enough light to make it interesting.  

  There has to be something said about how still waters can bring forth beauty.  Leading a calm, peaceful life reflects upon all nearby.  I am seeing that more clearly, as I age.  Things are just not worth the turmoil.  It is best to live in peace with the world and let beauty be a reflection of all that is good.  It has to start somewhere.  I may as well be with me.  I CAN handle this day and find the beauty therein.

Glad Help Was NOT Needed!

  It appears that I fret far too much over the well being of the critters of the Bayou.  Let one become ill or injured and I am in a tizzy.  That mothering instinct falls into play and if I can help in any way, I will.  The one-eyed screech owl was fed raw chicken.  The baby gray squirrels whose mother was killed by a hawk were bottle fed.  The great blue heron that had its foot torn off was given daily rations of mullet so he would not have to struggle to hunt.  In fact, I have fed more critters than I should have.  The help has ranged from those unborn by me rescuing skink eggs from hurricane flood waters (only to have them hatch in my hands) to comforting a dying baby squirrel that had been attacked by crows.  From the beginning to end...all critters need assistance now and again so I try to be that helping hand.

  This afternoon, I took a break from cutting firewood to admire the reflections on the Bay.  With overcast skies, there was just enough light to cast gorgeous reflections on the dead calm water.  While photographing the pines across the Bayou, a great egret caught my eye.  The bird was standing on the end of the pier and made no effort to move as I neared.  Oh, my!  The beautiful bird seemed to have only one leg!  That would never do!  I was just beginning to ponder if the alligator had gotten this bird like it had the heron.  Had the same ill fate befallen both birds?

  When I was a few feet from the bird, it lifted its wings and flew across the water.  Nope.  My fears were unfounded (thankfully!)  The bird had both legs but was only standing on one at the time.  The other leg was tucked up under its feathers.  This is supposedly done to conserve body heat so it makes sense.  As my friend flew westward, I whispered "thank you!"  I definitely did not need another critter to attend.

Someone is lurking in the shadows!

  During my early morning hikes around the Bayou, there are some pretty wild sights to be seen.  Critters are out in full force at that time as the nocturnal ones are heading to bed and the diurnal ones are shaking themselves awake.  Sometimes when I make the mistake of heading out too early, the shadows are tremendously dark and I ponder what might be lurking there.  Since the old dog, Mr. PJ, is not strong enough to be any defense, it is prudent that care is taken.  There is no reason to put him in a dire situation trying to protect me. 

  This morning, the sun was not cooperating about rising.  A thick cloud cover made things a bit shadier than norm.  Sounds from the Bayou were exaggerated causing a bit of angst but my hike was not to be hampered.  At one point, the red sky reflected in the last remaining tide pool in a nigh on empty Bayou.  My position put me in the right spot to see just what was wading about in the water.  Right in the middle of that reflection stood my friend, the heron.  The great blue heron was fishing for breakfast before dawn.

  The heron knew I was just a few feet from him but he made no effort to fly.  He was aware of the fact that I could not get to him without some doing since there was a small strip of marsh that included lots of brambles between us.  The bird felt safe and continued his hunt for breakfast and I went on about my merry way hunting for my next adventure.

Standing Tall!

  Today was a drizzly, almost rainy day that kept me inside.  Other than an occasional quick run with the old dog, I spent the day on the top of a ten foot stepladder as I am painting the living room walls.  For the first time in my entire life, I felt tall!  A few more days of painting and then I promised the dog that we would spend more of our time hiking about the hillside.  He seems to enjoy that about as much as I do.

 Yesterday, however, was gorgeous and I was able to slip down to the pier for a few minutes.  While there, a tri-colored heron allowed me to photograph it!  Actually, the bird was unaware or, at best, oblivious to my presence and did not care if I had a camera or not.  I could not pass up the opportunity, though, because the lighting was perfect enough to create fantastic reflections.  Despite a few ripples in the water, a nigh on exact image of the heron was repeated in the water.  Even the colors were duplicated to perfection!  It is rare in our muddy waters to see such vibrant reflections and, when they do occur, I am enthralled.

 The tri-colored heron waded about hunting for its breakfast.  Occasionally, it would dart toward a minnow and plunge to grab it.  Watching only for a few moments, I counted no less than eight minnows going down that gullet!  That is one sharp bird....and very photogenic!

Watching the Moon Rise

  Sometimes you have to do something just for the fun of it.  Why?  Well...why not?  As usual, Mark and I took Mr. PJ, the dog, out for an evening run.  This time, PJ did run!  He was feeling rather spry for an old dog and took us by surprise when he actually ran to the pier.  He knows exactly where we are headed at this time of day.  Once there, he flopped down to enjoy the stiff breeze and watch the pelicans while Mark and I waited for the sunset.  It was not long before our attention turned from the western sky to the eastern.  The sunset was gorgeous but the moon rising was spectacular.  With that, we started photographing the moon.  Why?  Because it was there.  Even when I tired of trying to get the "perfect shot", Mark took up the camera and started snapping.

  The moon was a willing participant of all of this attention.  It reminded me of the old rhyme "I see the moon and the moon sees me!  God bless the moon and God bless me!"    I remember sitting on the old screened porch and hearing my grandmother recite that each time the moon would rise over the pines.  I miss those days.  I miss the screened porch, the old painted rocking chairs, Grandmother and our time together.  On Saturday nights, I would go to spend the night at my grandparents' house and Grandmother and I would sit on the porch waiting for Granddaddy to come home from his meetings.  She and I would sing, watch for the moon and wait until we heard the "People Watchers" fly in to roost in the hanging ferns. "People Watchers" were fledgling screech owls that came back to the fern each night.  The parent owls had decided the fern was a great place to have a brood of little ones and had hollowed out a nest in the bottom of the large fern basket.  What an experience is was for a small girl to witness those little owls poking their heads out of the bottom of the fern!  Even after the owls "flew the coop" and were on their own, they often came back to the fern to visit Grandmother.

  Tonight's moon was perfect in so many ways.  Not only was it incredibly beautiful, it made Mark and me linger a bit longer on the pier than usual.  That time was spent reminiscing of old times.  It also brought back sweet memories of my childhood, my grandparents and Saturday night sleepovers.  I figure that was just about as perfect of an evening as one can get.

Glad to be Alive!

  Some mornings are just made for contemplation.  I find that rising before sunrise gives me the opportunity to reflect back on the previous day, give thanks that I awoke after a restful sleep and plan the day ahead.  It is my time.  The few hours before the hubbub of the day begins.  I enjoy hearing the nighttime critters as they prepare for slumber and the daytime critters waking to a new day.  Each sound is different.  Each has its own meaning.  I look forward to the smells of a new day opening.  The scent of the soft dew on the grass, the sweet scent of night-blooming plants, the same of the fresh blossoms springing forth for the day and even the change of tides.  Closing my eyes allows me to take all of this in without interruption.  The sights of a new day are truly inspiring.  From the critters searching for breakfast to the soft outlines of the pines as the sun rises in the east.  Each sight is a blessing.

  This morning, I could hear the soft crunch of the grass under my feet, smell the almost mustiness of the waterlogged ground and feel the cool air that swept in from the north.  The best of all of this sensory overload was the sight of the sunrise itself.  It has been several days since I last witnessed a sunrise and I missed that big, ole ball of red. The heavy, water-laden clouds completely blocked out any light that tried to filter between them for the past few mornings.  Today, however, I was elated to see that the sky was reddening.  

  It was absolutely mesmerizing to watch the ever changing eastern sky. The soft breeze, the sweet song of birds praising the morn and the sunrise made me thankful for another day and for the Bayou.  Life is amazing!

As Good As It Gets

  Occasionally, someone will ask just why I live like I do.  "How can you stay on the Bayou everyday and not go places?" is one of the questions that is thrown my way on a regular basis. Folks obviously think living here is a bad thing.  Perhaps it is to others but it suits me just fine.  People question my lack of "modern conveniences" like air conditioning and central heat units.  They question my raising a garden and catching most of our food.  They question everything from my clothes, my craft clutter, my antique furniture, the dusty books on the shelves and my habit of adopting any stray animal that comes to the Bayou.  Personally, I do not care.  It is none of their business how I live my life.  I do not pretend to fret over their lives and I wish they would just ignore mine.  It does make me ponder, though, just how empty others lives must be if they have to "fix" mine with their suggestions, hints or their unsought advice.

  To my way of thinking, I live in a small piece of paradise.  I awake to the most beautiful music of birds singing, I tend the garden and get to watch the miracle of life spring from the soil, and I am lulled to sleep by the sound of waves gently rustling in the marsh and frogs serenading me from the pond.  I fish when I want, eat healthy, homegrown foods and have the liberty to create pieces of art when the whim strikes me. Instead of exhaust fumes from cars and factories, I breathe the aromas of jasmine, wisteria and magnolias.  I am not stressed by media overkill of every happening of a world that I cannot control.  In other words, I am happy just how things are.  For those who cannot understand the Bayou life, I have just a few words.  You have not found peace in your own life if you have to give unsolicited advice to others in how to change theirs.  

  Yesterday morning, I was sitting in the garden reflecting on just how amazingly wonderful things are.  Blessings abound to those who can see them.  I am where I want to be. I have found my peaceful place.  Have you?  

Its All About That Central Line!

  The hike around the property and to the pier had to be delayed today.  Rain had set in during the night and lingered around for a good bit of the day.  I am not used to being housebound so I was going a bit stir crazy and was sure happy to see the skies brighten a bit...a good bit!  When we finally headed to the pier, the Bayou was almost brilliant and the sun, after being shrouded for hours was now gleaming.  Things were sparkling clean!

  With all of that brightness going on, the reflections of the few remaining clouds were incredible!  The Bay was slick calm creating a perfect mirror image of the sky above.  This mirroring took me way back to high school and geometry class...the one math class that I truly enjoyed and understood.  Our teacher was going on and on about mirror images and reflections.  He was droning on about how reflected images are the same size as the original and every point was the same distance from the central line.  Yeah, it was sinking in the brain alright.  Then he propped up a large poster of a mountain reflected in a calm lake.  I had that "aha moment" right then and there!  (I knew I liked geometry!)  I could relate to the picture since, even though there are no mountains near the Bayou, I had seen similar reflections almost daily.  When Mr. Gunther was rambling on about central lines, angles and points, I was looking at clouds, horizons and slick, calm waters.  His lesson stuck.  I knew what he was teaching!  That central line and reflections and mirror images all made sense when I was able to relate it to something I knew. 

  Today, I noticed how the clouds were exactly the same size and those in the reflection.  There was no doubt about the central line, the points and size.  It is amazing how one sight can bring back a flood of memories and how things long forgotten can be immediately drawn from those memories.   Thank you, Mr. Gunther.  You see, I really was listening in class!

The Window

  When Mark is not working, one of his favorite things to do is fish.  It matters not if the fish are biting, it is just his idea of fun to fish.  Crazy thing is, even if the "fish are not biting" (according to others), he can find them and come home with a boatload.  This is all fine by me as I love seafood!  

  Early in the morning, he and I will take a hike down the hillside to the pier.  There, he loads the boat with fishing gear and heads out onto the Bay to have his fun while I stay behind on the pier.  This is my meditation time.  Watching the sun rise above the pines can be both soothing and invigorating at the same time.  It is merely how you look at things and what your mind needs that determines the effect the sun has on you.  If I am stressed, the sunrise can calm.  If I am needing that pep talk to get me motivated, the same sunrise can do that.  I find peace at this time of day.

  The other morning, there was a particularly beautiful sunrise.  As the sky started to brighten, there were numerous clouds that were held over from the night's showers.  These clouds cast the most incredible reflections on the still waters.  It was breathtaking.  That morning, it was more in those reflections that I found my peace. 

 The week had been one of stressing over health issues and, to be honest, I had begrudgingly made the hike to the pier.  I just felt far too tired to even think about walking but Mark asked so I went.  As I sat there looking at the sunrise and the reflections on the water, I noticed a pattern that struck me as unusual.  A hole in the clouds made the perfect window for God to be reaching out to me.  It was as if he was telling me that things were ok and that he was handling all my problems.  I just had to let him do his work.

   Sometimes we face uncertainties in our lives but instead of letting God take over, we are unwilling to fully turn loose of things.  It is a fear that we will not be in control of our own destiny that keeps us chained.  I pondered just how hard it was for me to let go.  It had always been drilled into my head that I should never depend on others to do what I can do for myself.  Was I truly ready to just hand things over?  Fretting over things is useless.  Worrying can cause worse problems.   It is time.  

Still Finding

  Hurricane Katrina hit the Coast over ten years ago but I am still finding stuff that washed in with the surge.  Our property (along with all other waterfront pieces) accumulated mountains of debris.  Everything from parts of houses to parts of semi trucks littered the place.  At some points in the yard, the debris was more than twelve feet deep.  Furniture, boats, shoes (lots and lots of shoes!) doors, refrigerators, curtains, knickknacks were all mixed in with boards, trees, marsh grass and dead critters.  There was no accounting for what you might find while out traipsing the mountain of debris.  Some was useful. some was disgusting, all was heart-wrenching.  With no available markets open for daily necessities, I would send Son out on a scavenging trip.  "I need detergent,  a bucket and perhaps something to make a clothesline."  or "Go out and find a couple of chairs and a table.  We have more folks coming down the lane hunting for a hot meal." (We fed dozens of hungry folks.  Thank goodness our grill was salvageable.  With no power, folks had no way of cooking for months.)  No matter what the request was, we usually could find needed items by scrounging about the place.  To sum it up, when one out-of-state cousin asked what it was like living after the storm, I had a ready reply.  "It is a lot like camping out....in the largest dump in the world."  It was.

  Still today, I find things that the storm surge deposited in the yard.  In the far back corner of the property...down behind the canebrake, I made yet another discovery.  The recent deluge of rain, uncovered glass.  Not just any glass but more shards of stained glass that I assume came from churches demolished by the hurricane. I have boxes of like shards in all colors of the rainbow.  Why did I keep them?  I guess because I needed that rainbow.  I needed something bright and pretty. I needed that "light at the end of the tunnel".  I needed that sign that things were going to be ok.  Now the box of glass has become just another bunch of art supplies. The blue one today will join the others and will become something of beauty...from destruction comes a thing of beauty....hmmm, interesting thought.

  This particular area of the yard also received about six feet of beach sand from miles away.  There is no telling what is still buried beneath all of that sand.  Some months after the storm, I found what I thought was a "pretty board".  Still in the salvaging mode, Mark helped me to dig (and dig and dig) until we uncovered a beautiful hall table.  It had been completely buried except for about four inches of one leg.  The table now sits upstairs along with a lovely rosewood bed and an oak table with two matching chairs....all finds from the debris piles.  Darling Daughter laid claim to an entire rosewood dining set that we found and refurbished.  But it was that shard of glass that brought this flood of memories.

  Now...we sit watching the weather forecast that claims another storm may come our way eventually.  Since this one is still far, far out in the Atlantic, I can only hope that it weakens and turns north.  Folks down here do not need a storm on the heels of the massive flooding that our neighbors in Louisiana just received.  They need time to dry out and regroup.  They need time to rebuild and reclaim their lives.  My heart goes out to them.  The good folks of Louisiana need our prayers and any help that can be offered.  

  As I clutched yet piece of Katrina debris eleven years after the fact and with a storm out on the far horizon, I ponder what is to come.  Funny how one little piece of blue glass can trigger thoughts.

Thoughts....Reflections....

  Although we must always move forward in life, our true understanding comes from reflecting back.  We learn through not only our experiences but also through our mistakes.  Son has a favorite saying that "Foresight is blind but hindsight has perfect vision."  Makes sense to me.  I don't know how many times I have wished something undone merely because my hindsight is far better than my foresight.  Reflecting back on the way things once were gives us the pleasure of a job well-done or the satisfaction of a lesson learned...the hard way.  Either way, while life has to be lived forward...we can only understand it when looking back.

  I was on the pier the other day and noticed that the little sapling of a Popcorn Tree had grown quite a bit.  The seed had been planted by a bird and sprouted right in the marsh edge.  I started to cut the tiny seedling down with the lawnmower but then had second thoughts. While these thoughts were leaning more toward "free firewood", I knew the tree would give us a bit of brightness come fall.  Now I am glad that I skipped over the tree when cutting the grass.  It, indeed, has given the Bayou a bit of much needed cheer.  This is one time that the foresight of not cutting the sapling was the best move.  Granted, some day the tree might very well be found warming the Little Bayou House by way of the old woodstove but for now it is just a happy thing to see while on the pier.

  At the very moment I was viewing the tree, I noticed the reflection in the still waters of the Bayou.  The colors were vivid...the image crisp...the reflection perfect.  It is funny but seeing the reflection in the water brought thoughts of the pond back on the farm.  During the fall, the Red Maple trees cast just such reflections on that water.  Mom always used to watch for the wood ducks to fly in for the winter as soon as she noticed the leaves changing their colors.  It was sort of a tradition for her to announce their arrival.  She loved those ducks!  While I found no ducks in the image on the water, I found Mom in my reflections of the past.  

Take a Moment

  There is just something peaceful about reflections on the water. Sometimes, to my way of thinking, the reflection can be even more beautiful than the actual object.  Even if a slight ripple distorts the scene, the colors remain and the picture returns when the waters still. Breathtaking.

  Today, I was in the greenhouse when I spied a reflection down in the Bayou.  Of course, I had to investigate.  I eased my way down to the water's edge to get the full picture and when I saw it, I was astounded. The image on the still backwaters of the Bayou was nigh on perfect. Across the way was a large oak tree with its limbs stretching high.  The sky was brilliant blue and the position of the sun cast a dark shadow over the marsh grass.  Wow!  I stood and stared for a few minutes...just enjoying the view.

  My magical moment was brought to a halt by the realization that I needed to get myself back to work.  I have a ton of stuff to get ready for the first running of the clue hunt this next week.  Several unforeseen obstacles have put me a bit behind schedule.  Thank goodness for my kids and their helping hands!

Vivid Reflections

It was a quiet New Year's Day here on the Bayou.  My son, Michael, and I were the only ones here to enjoy a delicious meal of black eyed peas, cabbage and chicken casserole with a dessert of fresh-baked apple turnovers!  After gorging ourselves with fine food, we decided it would be in our best interest to take a hike.  Perhaps all of that food would not settle in as extra weight!  While out and about, we gathered a bit of firewood and then headed to the pier.  The day was overcast with intermittent rain showers.  That sun could not be seen at all!  Still, what enthralled the two of us was the reflection on the calm water.  Who would think that without a brilliant sun, objects could be so perfectly reflected!  Yet, they were!

First to catch my eye was the image of the trees across the way.  How pretty it seemed..how peaceful!  Perhaps all of this peacefulness was the quiet before the storm!  We both knew that come darkness, there would be a continuous racket of fireworks that were delayed by rain last night.  As I took several pictures of the trees, Michael called my attention to his uncle's (my brother's) boat.  Wow!  The image was so perfect that you could actually read the name of the boat in the reflection!  Every aspect of the boat was duplicated in crisp detail!  I have never seen the Bay this calm during the middle of the day!  It was amazingly beautiful!

This being New Year's Day, perhaps we should all do a bit of reflection on the past year.  Can we honestly say that our deeds from this past year are as beautiful and crisply clean as the reflections on the water today?  If not, perhaps we should all work on our habits in the coming year.  Then, next year, our reflections will stand out above the rest.  Hmmm?  Perhaps that is something to ponder as we make those resolutions.

Mirror, Mirror!

I have noticed something about the pictures that I take of things on the water.  The reflection sometimes is prettier than the object itself!  Then at other times, the reflection makes for a very strange picture.  Take for instance, the last pictures that I took of the alligator that comes to visit occasionally.  This old Bayou Gator has never caused a problem other than stealing a few baits from my crab pots so I do not mind it hanging around the pier.  Its presence gives me great photographic opportunities which in turn gives my favorite wildlife artist, Natalie Barker, more reference pictures.  She does an extremely good job of capturing the details of the gators.  Just today, I was looking at some of the photos of the gator when I realized that the reflections were exceptional!  The pictures were taken early one morning before the day's winds roughed up the waters.  The photograph could be turned completely upside down without changing much of anything.  Now that was some slick water!

I played with the photographs for a while turning them this way and that.  It struck me as being odd that even though the mirrored image was perfect, the gator looked a bit odd.  Then I turned the picture on its side..what?  The gator now took on the appearance of a really strange looking critter!  The gator's head when turned sideways resembled (in my imagination) a seahorse's head!  Ok, so that was stretching it a bit but like I said, I do have a vivid imagination whirling around in that head of mine!  Still, those pictures with reflections were far more interesting than those without them.

Sometimes a show of reflection or line symmetry can double the beauty in a photograph.  I am no professional photography by far but rather someone who is fascinated by the beauty that surrounds me here on the Bayou.  I will be on the lookout for more calm days just to experiment with reflections on the water.  To bad Ole Gator will be snoozing for the winter soon. (No, they do not actually hibernate.  They lower their metabolism and get lazy..ha!)  Anyway, my alligator photographs will most likely have to wait until next spring but I can experiment on the herons in the meantime!  Those and the loons are always willing participants!

Life is good...

A light fog lay over the Bayou at sunrise and I could hear the singing from sunrise services at a church across the Bay.  It was peaceful.  Once the sun broke through the fog, the day was off to a glorious start!  Morning was a delight to the senses!  The birds were singing from every treetop and the sweet scents from the wisteria and citrus blooms hung heavy in the yard!  Wow!  What a great day to be alive!  Ms. Ez and I wandered the yard just being thankful..me for life in general and her, well, at the moment, for the squirrels that bounded from tree to tree!

Easter is a time of joy.  It is a time of celebrating life and new beginnings.  Thus, it seems only fitting that it is celebrated with the coming of spring.  With Mother Nature putting forth her array of beautiful colors in the form of new leaves and blooms, there is definitely new life.   The earth, itself, is celebrating life.

Take a few moments to enjoy what amazing beauty lies in all of nature.  Take a few moments to reflect, be thankful and love life in general.

"Praise for the singing, praise for the morning.

Praise for them springing fresh from the Word."

Reflecting on the Morn

I am happy to say that I am on the mend from my recent illness and am able to get out and about a bit now.  This morning in spite of the freezing temperatures, I headed out the door!  My bird friends were calling since before the sun was even showing its face!  They were hungry!  As I headed down the board path with an armload of feeders and fresh seed, I noticed that I had a visitor on the mudflats!  A lone Great Blue Heron was busying himself with breakfast!  The feeders were all filled and hung for the chickadees, titmice and other assorted songbirds!  Then I headed to the pier!

I am not sure if the heron just did not see me or if he was accustomed to my presence but he did not even look up at me when I grew near.  This gave me a great opportunity to photograph this statuesque bird!  I watched as he stalked the bullminnows in the tide pools.  His height was of great advantage as it allowed him to see even the smallest of minnows.  The sunlight hitting on the water was his only problem.  As long as he was facing west, he could see fine but turning east put the morning sun right in his eyes.  Back and forth across the small pool he would wade.  Snatching the minnows with each pass.  I noticed how he compensated for the glaring sun by hurriedly shuffling back to the east shore.  This would give him more time heading west without the glare!  Smart bird!

Thinking about his problem with the reflecting light made giggle a bit as I was really amazed at that same lighting.  It was causing the bird to be reflected in the water!  I took several pictures of the bird with its image being perfectly mirrored on the still water.  Oh, how I love being back outside at daybreak!  Oh, how I love my critter friends!  Oh, how I love not being sick!!