Grey Skies of December

  Today was forecast to be our first sunny day in a while.  Sunny and warm!  Nope.  Dreary and chilly.  Which was ok by me but the old dog's arthritis did not care for it at all.  This turned our hike into a hobbling walk just far enough to do his morning deed.  I promised him that once the sun popped out, we would do the same and "pop out" for another try at a hike.  It never did so we never did.  Poor old pup. He was miserable.

  The greyness of the day did make for an interesting sky.  The sun should have been far above the horizon by the time we exited the Little Bayou House but, by the looks of it, one would have thought it was before dawn.   Mr. PJ was edgy as he could still pick up the scent of several deer that had meandered about the yard during the night and a few wild pigs that had visited earlier.  He was trying his best to "protect" me but I so wanted to venture out and do a bit of photography.  My only subject within range was the tallow tree better known as a popcorn tree.  The seed pods made an interesting effect against the grey, grey sky.

  The opportunity of more pictures came to a halt when the dog decided it was time to get back inside.  Perhaps I should have let him get settled on his bed and gone back out but I knew that would make him antsy.  My time for exploring, photographing and simply enjoying the early morn Bayou has come to a halt.  The old dog's needs come first. 

Seagull Ballet

  It has been my thought for some time now that photography can often help us view things that we overlook with our eyes.  When viewing something, we become obsessed with the "point of view" and can neglect the overall picture.   Whatever catches our eye manages to demand our attention while the whole scene becomes a blur.  For the past twenty years or so, I have been trying to record the astounding variety of flora and fauna that can be found around the Bayou.  My attempts are probably not near professional but at least the grandlittles will be able to see why I love the place.  Since they are never here to just roam the place and explore like I had once hoped, perhaps this is the next best thing.  Then again, maybe not....

  This morning was a perfect day to be on the pier.  The sun refused to get out of bed and stayed snuggled under the blanket of clouds.  This left a lovely grey mood that lingered long into the afternoon when a severe storm broke loose.  Wind, rain, lightning ruled the afternoon but it was that greyness that intrigued me.  As Mark and I fished the morning away, a few seagulls came to dine upon our discarded baits.  The birds would dive after the floating menhaden and it did not matter if the fish were just a few feet from the pier.  This gave me an excellent opportunity to use the camera.

  Between the stillness of the water and the greyness of the skies, each photograph had a bit of a surreal atmosphere.  In some of the photos, the birds almost appear suspended in time and it is difficult to tell if they are high in the clouds or a few feet above the water's surface.  It is times like this that the camera continually clicks.  I became so engrossed in the birds that my fishing reels were forgotten.  Needless to say, the baitless, idle poles caught no fish...but the camera did catch wonderful photographs of the Seagull Ballet!

A Study in Grey

  At times, the Bayou can be downright colorful!  With a great number of waterfowl with bright plumage and with a myriad of plants with brilliant blooms, color is easy to find.  Then, throw in a sunrise or sunset and those hues have a tendency to look almost like a crayon box explosion!  At other times, it is grey.  Simply grey.  No other colors, no vibrant hues, nothing at all to even give a blush to the scenery.   Today was one of those grey days.  The sun did not pop out to brighten up the place at all!  It was simply grey.

  I took a few photographs of the Bay just to capture the stillness of the moment.  Although earlier it had been blowing a gale, the winds calmed a bit as I headed out the door.  This calmness and greyness gave the Bayou an eerie feeling.  I could find none of my usual critter friends and that made it even seem more ominous.  I almost felt as if I was alone in the world.  To most folks this solitude would seem to portend some dismal event and this greyness might foreshadow unhappy times but for me, I revel in it.  Days like today stoke the creativity inside my brain!

  I can see past the monotone shades to see the beauty that can sometimes be covered over by flashy hues.  I am intrigued by the simple flowing curves of the marsh contrasting against the ragged edges of clouds being whipped by high winds aloft.  I am fascinated by the blackness of the pier posts silhouetted against the metallic grey waters.  I am curious why only the windows of the boat have a slight tinge of teal in a photograph of almost all grey.  My interest is piqued to the point of exhilaration! This study in grey pushes me to paint the scene.  If only.  If only I could recreate something so excitingly vibrant as this greyness, so peaceful as this stillness, so refreshing as this solitude then I will have succeeded in being an artist.