The Giant Bayou Sloth

   Sloths are most notably known for their slow movements and the constant "smile".  The smile is more of a coloration thing but it does make the critter look incredibly happy.  They are also a bit of a curiosity because most are green.  There are just not a lot of green-furred critters in the world and that makes the sloths of the wild quite interesting.  A little lesson here...sloths are green due to algae growing on their fur.  They live in such a warm, humid place that the algae grows on anything that sits still long enough.  Well, sloths literally cannot outrun algae so they become covered with the stuff and appear green.  Nice!

  Well, this morning, Son and I found the Giant Bayou Sloth.  True to sloth fashion, it was not moving and was green due to algae.  To be honest, though, I could not tell you if our sloth is entirely happy or not.  There were no facial features to be found.  

  As Son was bailing out the small skiff, I was poking around in the marshes.  It was in the shallows that I came across a huge mass of algae covered coonstail (an invasive aquatic plant).  Ugh!  That stuff nigh on clogged the Bayou and even the Bay last summer and is making a comeback with the hot weather.  I mentioned it to Son who looked up and noticed something odd about my discovery.  "Looks more like a quadrupedal covered with algae."  This man of few words went back to his chore.  Hmm...yep.  Well, indeed, it did.  It is hard to tell by the photograph but the outline of a large, four-legged critter could be seen.  The fluffy plants had grown in the perfect shape of a sloth!  The algae covered the plants and made the underlying leaves look a lot like long fur.  I had a Giant Bayou Sloth in all its slow-moving, algae-covered glory!  Wonder where its smile went?  Maybe sloths do not like being stuck in marshes.

  The coonstail plants and the green algae will soon fill the entire waterways once again.  Wildlife will struggle simply due to the stupidity of people.  The plants were dumped into the Bay by folks clearing ponds and those and the algae are being fed by runoff of fertilizer from yards.  People never think about the consequences the natural flora and fauna pay for their quest of the perfect lawn.  The price we all pay.  

West Is The New North!

  In my meanderings about the hillside, marshes, creek bed and woods, I have come to the reasoning that a lot of what is touted as "survival skills" is pure hogwash.  The so-called "Preppers" of the Internet World have no clue of how to survive in the wild.  Sure, there are a handful that would fall into the category of hardcore survivalists and could withstand most everything thrown at them but the wannabes are killing me with their advice.  Just today, I was in a discussion with some other folks about how to survive if you become lost on a hike.  It was decided by most that they would use some sort of electronic gadget to find their way out of the woods.  When I threw out a scenario of "What happens if that is lost or broken?", it seemed to be the popular idea that you should "Look for moss on trees because that is the north side!".  Yep, because we ALL know that moss only grows on the north side of the tree.  (For those of you who are unaware, mosses carry compasses! Surely, that is true because you just read it on the Internet!)  Besides, I am not even sure these people could tell their right from their left much less know cardinal directions.  Speaking of that, in one of our past Clue Hunts on the Bayou, the teams had to use a compass to get to their next post.  Not ONE GROUP knew how to use the thing.  (Oh, and these were all teens and adults.)  But it was that north-facing moss that was the kicker today.

  Folks, moss grows anywhere it pleases.  It does not grow only on the north sides of trees.  It can grow on the south, east and west sides too...not to mention limbs, roots or anywhere.  Moss, when happy, tends to multiply and flourish and grow everywhere.  That said, try to figure out a direction from a tree completely covered in moss.  Not happening folks.  Plus, do you know your mosses from your algae?  Algae grow on trees, too.  Uh, oh.  Could be trouble. 

  This afternoon, I was wandering the creek bed when I burst out in giggles thinking of how my trees might confuse a lot of my friends.  There was a perfectly beautiful green coating on the WEST side of a tree.  It was algae growth.  Yep, not moss, at all.  That green stuff can be tricky.

  Folks, if you really want to learn survival tricks, get off the Internet.  While it is full of helpful (and some not so helpful) information, it is not going to do you any good if you are truly lost.  Try actually learning something instead of just "pinning" it or "saving" it for a later date.  It won't be there when you really need it.  I do not claim to be any better at things than the next person but it seems that it would be a much wiser decision to actually learn the proper methods of doing things if you are going to preach it.

Alien Lifeforms???

  The other day, I saw something on social media that made me giggle.  A request was posted to "Describe 2018 in two words".  One answer was "It rained."  That, my friends, pretty much was the most accurate response that could have been made.  It rained.  And rained.  And rained.  So far, 2019 is starting out to be much the same.  This does not surprise me.  The sliced persimmon seeds predicted it.  Maybe those things are accurate...then again...maybe the rain caused the persimmon seeds to appear the way they did.  Still, to be honest, I find it great.  Rain is good no matter how you look at it.

  The copious amounts of rain has caused the ground to be a bit soggy and with the warm weather, this has caused profusion of fungi species to sprout up all over the place.  While some can be a bit smelly and others downright slimy, most are fascinatingly beautiful.  The hillside resembles some fantastical gnome kingdom.  Wandering the property, I keep waiting to find some happy little faerie sitting atop one of the 'srooms.  It just needs to be.  Not only are mushrooms taking over the place, mosses and lichens are flourishing, as well, in this warm. humid climate.  Down in the lower part of the front yard, an old oak tree is dropping a good many twigs that are covered with lichens of all kinds.  

  I am ever intrigued by the shapes and textures of lichens.  Some seriously remind me of an alien life form that has fallen to earth.  Contrary to what most folks believe, lichens are not parasitic plants that harm the host tree.  Instead they pretty much just use the tree for a place to anchor themselves.  They draw moisture and nutrients from the air.  They are often blamed for damaging trees since the lichens usually try to colonize on bark of twigs that are already dying.   They love damp areas with little air movement so the mugginess lately has been good to them.  Another thing that is good to know is that if you find a plethora of lichens in your trees, that usually means the air is rather clean and pure!  They prefer non-polluted areas and are rarely seen in places that cannot offer such.  Obviously, the Bayou and surrounding woods are blanketed with clean air as indicated by the overabundance of lichens!  

In Search of Algae!

  Mark and  I often use little mullet as bait for the trout, red drums and flounders that we catch from the pier.  Right now, the Bay is full of schools of the mullet.  Thousands upon thousands of the tiny, three inch long fish swim by the pier each day.  When the tide is falling, the fish are usually headed west.  When it is rising, they make the trip back east.   This twice daily migration is rather curious!  Why were they traveling in these directions with the tide changes.  It is simple.

  The main part of the Bayou lies on the east side of our pier.  To the west, the waters gradually deepen.  During the high tide eastward migration, the mullet are headed to the Big Draw (an old time name for the Bayou).   School after school of the fish pass by the pier and it is all for one reason.  Mullet do not feed like other fish.  They, like catfish, are bottom feeders.  They sift through the mud finding tiny pieces of plant material.  Once they are in the Bayou, they feast upon algae and can be seen actually sucking the stuff from the surface of the water.  The brackish, almost stagnant water of the Bayou holds literally tons of algae making it the perfect feeding ground for the baby mullet.  The abundance of food coupled with the protection that shallow waters provide, is quite desirable for the fish.  Mystery solved!

  

Janitors of the mudflats!

  This afternoon, Mr. PJ and I made our way to the pier.  When we reached the spot where low tide creates massive mudflats, an unusual mass exodus was taking place.  Thousands upon thousands of nerite snails were slowly making their way from the water to the mudflats.  These usually cling to the pier posts, crab pots and boats and are not often found heading inshore.  At first this concerned me a bit as thoughts entered my head of the (not too long ago) oil spills that sent every critter into a bit of "getaway" frenzy.  What was up with this long trek for the tiny snails??

  As the old dog and I sat watching the snails (well, he napped, I watched), an answer to my question came to focus.  The snails were not actually going inshore but rather stopping on the mudflats due to their favorite food source was plentiful.  These snails feed on algae and even during high tide (when the flats are flooded) this secluded area is covered with algae.  Since the marsh grass has completely cut off the access route from the Bay, the small cut is dependent on water seeping through the marsh to fill it.  There is no tidal flow to clear out any algae growth so the spot has become completely clogged with the green blob. The bright sunshine has caused the stuff to flourish.

  The small nerites have come to feast upon their favorite food.  Word has gotten out that the "salad bar" of the mudflats is now open! Life on the flats is now dominated by nerites and fiddler crabs as nothing else can survive the clogged waterway.  Before this week, bull minnows, mosquito fish and mullet all sought refuge in the shallows and safety provided by the tide pool.  I could catch bait here with one throw of the net.  Not any more! My last throw caught me about thirty pounds of green slime!  Ok, little snails, feast away!  Eat that gunk out of the pool so the fish can breathe once again!  Do your cleanup job!  Ha!  Nerites...the janitors of the mudflats!  What an important job they have!

The Lost "City" Beneath the Murky Waters?

  I have never denied that I have a very vivid imagination.  One  would have thought that with age, that sense would have dulled but, sometimes, I think it is just the opposite.  It appears to be getting stronger or perhaps the brain just feels freer about letting loose, nowadays.  Whatever the case may be, it has occurred to me lately that we all truly do live in a fantasy world if we would only admit it.  Weird and wonderful things abound but most folks have had their minds jaded into thinking that seeing things in a magical way is not "adult" enough.  It is foolishness.  Nope.  I feel differently.  It is foolish to close the imagination and not absorb what is placed out there for us to enjoy.

  Down near the pier where the mudflats can often be found, algae grows with wild abandon.  While this is repulsive to highfalutin folks,  it can be downright interesting if you truly observe what is happening with the stuff.  With the hot sunshine and high tide, the green, slimy stuff rises to the surface of the stagnant water and just about chokes out any living thing but let sunshine go away for a few days and things are different.  The sheet of green sinks to the bottom and merely provides a grazing ground for any critter that is inclined to dine upon it.  Low tide finds the sheet dried and brittle.  The mudflats are coated with a thin, papery substance that cracks when touched.  It is that dried sheeting that can create some pretty amazing designs whenever it becomes submerged once again.

  Yesterday, it was scorching hot.  The algae sheet became dried and stiff but this morning, the story was quite different.  The rising tide lifted parts of the sheeting causing the algae to look like domed houses.  Tiny fish came into the still waters.  Their movements tore "doorways" and "windows" into the dome homes.  This was met with delight as now, the fish had hiding places.  They darted in and out of their new-found homes.  The mudflats had turned into a place much like a tiny city bustling with activity!  Ahh, yes!  The imagination could fully see this.  You know, it is not about algae, imaginations, or people.  It is about taking the time to fully enjoy the simplicity of life and the beauty found in every living thing.

Green Carpets and Monkey Faces

  Without the daily rains, our weather has turned hot...really hot.  So hot that I nigh on wilted while pushing the lawnmower this morning.  (And to think, I have about four more days of that chore before this whole place is nice and tidy.)  It was the heat that made me quit working at 10am.  I needed water and coolness!  The water was easy to come by but that coolness just wasn't happening.  Nary a breath of wind was stirring the leaves and the shade only harbored hordes of mosquitoes.  So, once the sun started sinking a bit in the west, I headed to the pier in hopes at least there would be a cooling effect on the water.  Nope...sweltering there, as well.  But I did find green carpeting and a monkey face to keep me entertained.  If you have to be hot and sweaty, at least find something to keep the brain occupied.  That way, you have a tendency to forget for a few moments the discomfort that your body is enduring.  For those who complained about our daily rains...you are crazy!  Two days without the cooling showers sure made a difference.  Give me rain any day over the sweltering heat!

  The green carpet was nothing more than algae that had covered the surface of the mudflats.  Yes, I am easily amused and was fascinated by the whorls and ripples left by the receding waters.  The algae gave the mudflats a new look that almost resembled a piece of heavily brocaded fabric.  Well, maybe my imagination was being affected by the heat and humidity but I could see it!

  Then the monkey face appeared!  As I was lying prone on the pier examining the algae carpet, a dragonfly decided to examine me.  Just inches in front of me, the critter alit and stared at the crazy lady on the pier.  Well, there was nothing to do except take pictures. While I was staring at the dragonfly, I realized that it, indeed, did have a monkey face!  (Yep, the heat really must be frying the brain!)  

  Funny little Monkeyface and I continued our visit for some time before I figured that I had cooked enough.  I headed back up the pier.  The dragonfly decided that he and I were good buddies so he tagged along for a while before flying back to the marsh.  Nice little Monkeyface!

A sign of respect!

  Several weeks ago, I pulled a big wad of algae out of the wallow near the pier.  Mark's skiff had been lodged in the only inlet into the pool making it nigh on impossible for a good flow of water.  Usually the change of tides pulls enough of the stagnant water out and pushes fresh in so that the algae does not have a chance to grow.  The stuff was already creating such a mess that the bull minnows were gasping for air.  Instead of hauling the heavy stuff up a hundred foot or so to the shore, I just plopped it onto the pier.  There, it could sundry and then I could lift it with no problem.  I had good intentions of using the stuff in the garden since it is a good fertilizer for most plants.

  After a couple of days, I noticed that I was not the only one interested in the dried algae.  Two Redwinged Blackbirds were taking turns at the mound.  They would tug at the strands until a nice sized chunk was dislodged then away the birds would fly.  One headed west while the other went east.  Both were males.  (I do believe that the larger and more dominant of the two was the "General" as his wingbars were much more prominent!  He has been around for a few years now and, more or less, rules all of the others.  He eats at the feeders when he wants, drinks from the birdbath whenever he pleases and roosts where he wants with no interference from any of the younger males.  At the algae wad, the same courtesy was given to him as at the other places. The younger bird patiently waited his turn. The General rules.  

  As near as I can tell, the blackbirds were using the dried algae as nesting materials.  The General only went a few feet west of the pier with his shreds.  Mrs. General must have been waiting in the shrubs for her partner to bring material home for her to line the nest.  He made more trips than the other, younger male.  So he was able to choose the finest of the algae.  

  I watched for a while and then decided to inspect the algae.  Sure enough, the stuff had dried but was downy soft making it perfect as nest lining.  Good job, General!  And thank you for sharing with your subordinates!  I am sure the youngsters appreciate your tutelage on nest-building!

Bayou vs Green Lawns

 Of recent concern.....algae seems to be taking over parts of the Bayou and mudflats.  This bothers me as I have never seen it this bad before.  In a couple of the lower places in the marsh, the algae is thick and blocks the access runs in and out of the pools.  Any fish that are in the tide pools during high tides cannot get out if they wait too long into low tide.  They then become entangled in the long strands of algae in the shallow water. The top of the water is covered with the algal bloom. Like any other plant, the algae does produce oxygen through photosynthesis during the daytime hours.  It uses less oxygen at night than was produced during the bright of day.  However, if something impedes this production..say cloudiness...then the production may be less than consumed.  This can cause a depletion of oxygen in the water causing fish and crustaceans to struggle.  Add this to the problem of escaping to clean waters and the outlook is dire for the critters.  

  The Bayou is filled with many such deep holes and shallow tide pools.  Let any sealife get caught in these places by falling tides and there are likely to be fish kills.  This is not good...not good at all.  Just yesterday, I was remarking that my Bayou seemed healthy.  Then this evening, a whole new scenario has emerged.  In just thirty-six hours, things have changed.  This change could be caused by the recent heavy rains washing extreme amounts of nutrients from the well-kempt yards across the Bayou.  These folks have no problem dousing their lawns with fertilizers and chemicals every week.  When a torrential rain comes, those same chemicals wash into the waters of the Bayou and sink to the bottom.  Algae takes advantage of these nutrients and hot weather conditions to rapidly reproduce.  The run-off is slowing killing the Bayou. As early as this afternoon, the bullminnows were starting to gasp for breath.  Hundreds were trapped in the shallow tide pool just beside the pier.  It was heart-wrenching to say the least.

  Until the tides change and some high tides with strong winds can disperse the gunk trapped in the tide-pools and deep holes, the fish, crabs and water fowl need to steer clear of the area.  There is not a lot I can do about this whole situation other than try to educate folks about their "run-off".  With folks who desire a gorgeous lawn versus a healthy Bayou and Bay, I can talk myself blue in the face and never succeed in limiting the amount of toxic chemicals laced in the ground.  "WE MUST HAVE GREEN LAWNS!"  Ok, ok, but I really do not want a green Bayou and dead fish!  What to do? What to do?