Mr. Sparkles

   I always say that you never know what you will find in the Little Bayou House.  It is filled with oddities that have come to call the place home by pure happenstance most of the time.  Then, there are the living things that somehow find their way in for a visit.  Critters that live around the Bayou are not overly picky about their living quarters so any nook or cranny will suffice.  This does not usually cause too much concern as I simply put the critters back outside where they belong with a stern warning not to return.  We have had birds, raccoons, possums, squirrels, snakes, frogs, lizards and every possible (or so I thought) insect creepy-crawling or slithering about the house at some point.  Hmmm...we even had a baby otter visit but that was not by his choice.  Back when the kids were growing up, they found critters, brought them home and called them pets.  These wild "pets" were allowed a short stay before they were returned to where they were found.  I assumed this was a learning experience since my siblings and I did the same.  I guess a house is a home to a lot more than just the human family that resides there.

  This morning, I was sweeping the dust bunnies out of the living room when I noticed a "sparkly" on the floor.  Assuming this was some random bead left over from my granddaughter's stay a few weeks ago, I reached down and picked up said sparkly.  Hmmm...beads do not wiggle.  Yep, it was a bug.  Another critter had found its way inside the house.  "Sparkles" (its name now) was unlike any critter that I had seen before.  It literally seemed like it was covered with glitter. Most of the time, it gleamed bright green but occasionally certain spots seemed gold.  Time for a few photographs before "Sparkles" headed back outside. 

  After a little research, I have about decided this is none other than a Metallic Woodboring Beetle.  There are numerous types but, thankfully, this is not a "bad" beetle.  Yes, it does gnaw on wood but only on dead or dying trees (which there are many here due to termites.  Yep, termites have infested the live trees.)  Anyway, what I found most interesting about Sparkles is that it is really not all those colors.  Its exoskeleton has divots on the surface and those only reflect certain colors.  Mr. Sparkles obviously loves green!...and maybe gold!  Actually, the whole critter is iridescent but the little divots reflect the most light...sort of like an inverse disco ball!  

  The beetle was so pretty that I had to carry it all the way down to the canebrake where Son was pulling out the dead canes.  While showing him our glittery friend, he suggested that it may have come in with an armload of firewood.  Ahh, probably right!  My first thought was to return Mr. Sparkles to the outdoor wood rack but then I had the horrible thought that he may not make it through the next cold spell.  It was pure luck that he crawled out of the firewood in time with his first adventure indoors.  He may not be so lucky next time!  So...I made the decision to let the critter loose on the old oak stump.  There, he could find lots of old wood to munch and some pretty snug places to overwinter if the weather turns cold.  Now...I can mark Metallic Woodboring Beetle off the list of Little Bayou House guests!  Like I said, you never know just what you might find here.

 

Patrolling the Frog Pond

   As I was out cutting grass near the Frog Pond, I became aware of the dozens and dozens (if not more) of dragonflies buzzing about my head.  The critters seemed to be everywhere!  I love these things!  The dragonflies were busy darting about the place as they were patrolling the pond and garden.  Here, they were obviously finding plenty to eat with the myriad of mosquitoes, deer flies and other pesky things that would be after my blood as I worked.  I fully appreciate their efforts to keep the area at least somewhat free of the little bloodsuckers.  

  While most of the dragonflies were either green or blue, one in particular caught my eye.  A most beautiful, bright red one would occasionally rest on a dead twig of the satsuma tree.  This critter appeared to be a Red Saddlebags Dragonfly due to the bright red patches on its wings that supposedly resemble saddlebags commonly used on pack animals (mules and horses).  This dragonfly belongs to the skimmer family and is highly territorial which may account for its high perch and its constant darting even against the other dragonflies.  It would pick a target, take flight and then be back on its perch in a matter of seconds.

  Speaking of taking flight, dragonflies are masters!  Their wings can move in different directions allowing to critter to be able to fly up, down, right, left, forward and backwards.  I believe they are the only critter other than hummingbirds that have this ability.  One odd thing that confounds me is that, while a hummingbird's wings beat at around 70 times per second, a dragonfly's wingbeat is less than half that at approximately 30 times per second.  I would have imagined the wingbeats to be near the same to achieve the agility both have.

  The sighting of Captain Saddlebags made me realize that there was nothing to do but stop mowing for a bit and watch the show of him patrolling his territory.  Yes, this is a male as he is bright red whereas a female's colors would be a bit more subdued (almost a rusty color).  I marveled at his agility and persistence.  I sat in awe at his endurance and dominance.  I fully appreciated his appetite for the biting critters that soon brought my stillness to an abrupt halt.  Those deerflies made their presence known so it was time for me to get back to work and not be a still target for their bites.  Carry on, Captain Saddlebags!  Keep the Frog Pond area free of the biting pests.

The Right Name...

   I have a confession.  Until just recently, I have known the black-headed geese that visit the Bayou as "Canadian Geese".  That is what my grandpa called them.  That is what Pop called them.  Just about everybody around here called these geese by that name.  Not only that, we were taught that name in school when we were to identify birds.  Yep, they were Canadian Geese, alright...everybody said so.  What was a kid to think?  Then, a couple of years back, I found that the name is a big mistake.  The real name of this bird is not "Canadian Goose" but...Canada Goose.  There you go.  A mistake has been corrected.  Actually, I corrected myself two years ago when it was brought to my attention.  I am careful now to call the stately birds by their correct names.  Just imagine going your whole life with everyone never getting your name right?  Also, who says you cannot teach an old dog new tricks?  It is never too late to learn folks...never too late.

  Speaking of these lovely birds, the other morning saw a number of them visiting the shore near the pier.  The sun was just peaking above the pines on the opposite side of the Bayou when I heard their clamor as they came to a splashdown just to the west of us.  As with any wildlife that chooses to grace me with its presence, I was enamored.  The birds stayed for as long as I was on the pier giving me plenty of opportunities to photograph them in all their beauty. 

  Folks, take the time to soak in as much beauty and tranquility as you can as it can change in a drop of a hat.  Things as simple as a goose flying in to greet you can become something of the past...a memory...in a matter of minutes.  Enjoy each moment...and NEVER STOP LEARNING.  The Canada Geese will appreciate the thought, I am sure.

It has been ages....

   As saddening as it is, the old place is not what it used to be when we first built the Little Bayou House.  Then, the whole area was wooded with very few houses and those were the homes of family.  Now that lovely thing called progress has seen the wooded areas clear-cut and new houses built.  We do not know but a handful of our new neighbors on either side.  The Little Bayou House sits on one of the only pieces of ground that is still in its natural state.  The yard was cleared enough to plant gardens and fruit trees but the remaining property was left untouched.  The creek, marshes, boggy areas, and woods are all still intact and shall remain that way, if I have any say about it.

  With that clear-cutting came an influx of critters.  The poor animals had no place to go once their homes were literally smashed.  No one cared about the little ones that may have been in nests or dens.  More than once, babes were separated from their parents or just run over by tractors.  It broke my heart to hear their cries but there was nothing I could do but whisper a feeble prayer.  Without homes, the critters scrambled to the only area that offered refuge...our place.  Now, we are overrun with any and all critters.  This, in itself, has created problems.  Many went hungry and many fell to the over abundance of new predators.  Coyotes, bobcats, fox and raccoons all were in search of any food they could find.  The first three found easy prey in the numerous rabbits that had, at one time, led a peaceful life here.  Soon the rabbits were ravaged to the point of non-existence.  It has been ages since a rabbit has been seen on this entire hillside.

  I missed seeing the bunnies in the yard and even the gardens where they would nibble the cabbages.  I took it as a "sign of the times" and, even though I mourned the loss of bunnies, I dealt with it.  With that in mind, you can only imagine my elation in finding a single baby bunny this morning.  As I came off the pier, a slight movement caught my eye.  I was caught off-guard by the sight of the wee rabbit.  My heart flipflopped with joy!  If there is one baby, there has to be an adult pair!  Perhaps our bunnies are making a return!  

  It was not long, however, before the realization set in about the baby bunny's survival chances.  As I sat watching the tiny tot, I had a good talk with it about staying out of harm's way.  (Yes, I do talk with my bayou critter friends.)  I know the rabbit had no idea what the crazy woman was saying but it would occasionally look at me, cock its little head and look wistfully at me.  Oh, please...please let this bunny live.  I miss our rabbits so very much.  Stay safe, Little One, stay safe.