Not Spring Yet!

   I am pushing it.  I am pushing it far too early.  Three days ago, I had the grand idea of taking all of the plants out of the greenhouse.  It was warm!  We were expecting rain!  I had loads of hope and lots of energy!  Then...only after I took every last plant out of its toasty-warm setting, did I look at the weather forecast.  Uh, oh!  So much for the arrival of spring.  That afternoon, I put every last plant back into the greenhouse.  The rains came, the temperatures dropped and the plants were in their happy place under the heat lamps.

  This morning, I still felt the need to wander about the place before daybreak.  My usual hike to the pier was a no-go since a thick layer of frost made it a bit treacherous.  Being the only one awake at that time, I knew better than to go slippin' and slidin' on the pier boards.  If I went headfirst over the edge into that bayou mud, no one would ever know.  My rescue would have been late-coming so I played it safe and puttered around the Small Gardens.  

  While I knew it was cold out, imagine my surprise in finding ice in the birdbath!  Just twenty-four hours earlier, I was cleaning it while wearing a t-shirt.  No, the whole thing was frozen!  At least, it looked pretty!  Now, as our fickle weather mandates, we are to be in a "warming trend" and by midweek have our low temps near seventy degrees....yep, low temps!  Personally, I wish it would hang in the forties for a bit longer but weather is one of those things that does just the opposite of what we wish.  

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.

Its All About The Birds!

  Obviously, birds are meant to be my friends.  Lately, that has become more apparent than ever.  I think nothing of hand feeding the herons, egrets and pelicans but now I can add wild quail and mockingbirds to the list.  Over the past few years, I have picked up chimney swifts, catbirds, mockingbirds, cardinals, doves, wrens, woodpeckers, blue jays and owls.  Of those, only the cardinal decided to give me a good peck.  The others calmly accepted the fact that I was merely trying to help them.  The cardinal was evidently in pain after being hung up in some wire and, perhaps, I used a bit more force than necessary in freeing the bird.  That said, the newest escapade involved a juvenile eastern bluebird.  No, I did not actually hand feed nor hold the youngster but it seemed to be highly attracted to me, for some odd reason. 

  Early this morning as I was picking the figs, I heard the bluebird family making their way to the birdbath.  Each morning, I have watched as they start their day by splashing in the cool water.  It never occurred to me that I would have a "close encounter" with one of the little ones.  This morning, however, one little rascal decided to take flight before the parent birds gave their directions.  The squirt flew directly for the fig trees and, therefore, directly toward me.  Maybe the little one did not see me but it nearly landed on my hand as I was reaching up to pluck a fat fig.  Can you imagine the poor thing's thought when it realized that it was almost in my clutches (which was never my intention in the first place).  Both parent birds came fussing at their little one to "abort the mission" and retreat!  The little one tried but being a novice at this flying stuff, it simply fluttered to the ground.  There, it sat, bewildered.  Mama and Papa Bluebird came to investigate the safety of their wayward child and, then, came to investigate the person picking figs.  After flitting about the tree for a few moments, they seemed assured that I meant no harm so they gathered their brood and went to search for grasshoppers in the lawn.  Our brief encounter ended on a happy note.

 

Fun in the "Pool"!

  I have finally taken the time to fetch the wicker chairs from the greenhouse where they were stored for the winter months.  After arranging them in the front yard to take full advantage of the Back Bay breezes, I plopped down to "test" them.  After all, we sure do not want "non-working" chairs!  From this point on, these chairs will be my resting spot after doing the daily chores.  It is too hot to stay inside and the breezes are too inviting.  It is also from this spot that I can view a multitude of wildlife that comes to the yard to feed or get fresh water from the birdbath.  The camera will always be by my side to take advantage of the steady flow of photo opportunities that cross the yard.

  During my first sitting, I was fully entertained by a male cardinal that came to enjoy the cool waters of the birdbath.  I keep an old jug filled with water propped in the bath so that the bowl is not emptied too soon.  With the spout of the jug under water, it does not drain quickly.   Only as the water is emptied from the bowl of the bath does the water slowly feed from the spout to refill.  It is sort of a "fill on demand" method that seems to work well at keeping a two day supply of fresh water for the critters.  Today, the male cardinal took full advantage of that bath.  At first, he splashed happily about in the water but, then, I noticed an unusual behavior.  The cardinal would fluff out its belly feathers, soak them and then take off to where Mama Cardinal was setting on the nest.  After a moment or two, Papa Cardinal would come back to the birdbath to repeat the process.  Both to and from, he was careful to not let on where the nest was located just in case a crow or hawk was watching.  The male cardinal followed this routine 6 times.  

  It seems that birds can indeed carry water in their feathers.  They do this so their mate or offspring can get life-giving water during the heat of the day.  In areas where water is scarce, a bird can carry the water great distances to provide for his family.  My little cardinal friend only had about a hundred feet to fly before he was home.  Mama Cardinal could sip the water from his feathers and he could shake his feathers to sprinkle the nest.  He is such a good daddy! Later, he will teach his little ones that fresh water can be found at the birdbath and my entertainment will continue.

Old Dogs and Mockingbirds

  Sometimes I ponder if critters remember the kind acts that we do for them.  Years ago, my brother and his little granddaughter brought two tiny, unfeathered mockingbirds to me.  The little girl looked at me with big sad eyes and asked if I could "make them live?"  It seems that her dog had knocked down the nest, killed two other little ones and the mother bird as she tried to protect them.  What could I do but agree to try....and that "try" was going to be an uphill battle, as far as I could see.  But...we do what we have to do and, to my surprise, not only did the little birds live, they thrived!  All of this gobbledygook leads up to an incident of today.  As I was out walking the old dog, a small head popped up out of the birdbath. Yep, a mockingbird was between the old dog and me.  I thought surely the bird would take flight as we were mere feet from the bath.  Nope, that mockingbird eyed the dog cautiously for a moment and went back to its splashing with nary a care.

  As I watched the bird frolicking in the water, memories of the two little ones "Knox" and "Shelby" (as my sweet daughter-in-law, Joanna, dubbed them) came flooding back.  Could this be one of the pair?  If so, that would explain the lack of fear of both humans and dogs.  I was the one who became "Mom" to the birds...the one who fed them, taught them to fly and how to forage.  Fear was lost due to the fact that I was family to them.  Not seeing the dog as a predator could come from the fact that Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog (I sure miss that dog!), mothered the tiny birds as much as I did.  She was their protector.  Ms. Ez guarded the tiny birds as if they were her own pups.  That may have instilled in the young birds that dogs were helpful and not to be feared.

  Could this be one of the little ones from so long ago?  Had one survived all these years and returned to say "Hello"?  Most likely this was just a quirky incident that had nothing to do with my little foundlings but it warmed the heart enough to bring a smile.  Sometimes, it only takes a glimpse to brighten the day.

You Never Know When You Might Find A Friend!

  Making sure the garden stays moist is a chore that appeals to me. Dragging the water hose around the garden and giving each plant a nice drink seems to be refreshing to me also.  I can only imagine how the plants feel!  While I was out tending the flora, the fauna needed a bit of assistance as well. The birdbath was bone dry.  Since it is further down the hill than where the hose will reach, a jug of water was toted.  As I headed out the gate, a bright idea struck me.  Why not replace the bottles on the bottle tree?  Son had pulled the bottles during one particularly windy storm.  He figured that there was no need in having a bottle slung into a window.  With a water jug in one hand and three of the many long-necked bottles in the other, I headed down the hillside.  It was then that I felt the familiar pitter-patter of little feet on my arm. Oh, geez!  A critter must have been inside of one of the bottles and was now making an escape right up my arm!  Looking down, I breathed as sigh of relief.  My critter was nothing more than a baby praying mantis!  

  Once I reached the bottle tree stand, I stopped long enough to set the bottles on the ground and let my new little friend disembark onto the post.  I figured it would be long gone by the time I returned from filling the birdbath.  I was in for a happy surprise when I returned.  The mantis was still on the post.  It had climbed up to the tiptop and then onto an osprey feather that I had found and jabbed into the post.  The tiny critter sat proudly on its new home.

  The mantis was busy while I replaced the blue bottles on the tree.  It caught a spider and was munching down on it.  Ok....this was a good chance to take a picture to prove just how good it is to have a mantis friend!  Not that I have anything against spiders (even though I can fully attest at how their bites hurt!), but just having the mantis eating bugs made a point.  They are excellent bug catchers and are not one bit persnickety about the type they eat.  Spiders, stinkbugs, gnats, mosquitoes, cabbage moths are all on the menu for a mantis!  Finding this critter made my day much happier.  Knowing it resides in the garden makes life a bit easier.  So....water hoses, bottle trees, birdbaths and a praying mantis filled my day!

Scrubbing the Tub!

  The sun was shining when I finally bounced out of bed this morning. Last night, the gears in the brain would not stop turning so I was a bit groggy when 5am showed up on the clock.  Once I did get moving, things were quite busy.  My idea was to clean a bit in the garden and then scrub up some of the terracotta flower pots.  The pots were getting a tad grungy and had some nice green mold growing on them.  While I do not mind the stuff on the outside, I figure that the inside should be clean.   Plus the large plates that sit under the pots get a bit unsightly after a year or so of collecting water.   One such terracotta tray was sitting on a bench in the garden.  Each time I water the garden, I add a bit to the tray.  This is to encourage birds to stop in for a drink.  I figure birds should be a welcome addition to the vegetable plot.  Most will eat an abundance of bugs and that eliminates any need for harmful sprays.  

  While I was weeding the broccoli,  I noticed that the tray was nigh on empty.  It was not long before I heard a fluttering of wings.  A lovely Cardinal came to take a sip.  Poor little guy had to work hard at finding enough to drink!  I really must fill that bath!  The Cardinal left the watering hole and started scratching around under the rose bushes.  It obviously did not mind me being a mere ten feet from it as it worked. Perhaps it thought I would toss a handy meal its way.  Instead it had to be satisfied with the seeds from the Black Gum Tree.  

  It was not long before that familiar flutter could be heard again.  This time a cute, little Goldfinch was paying a visit.  To even get a sip, the Goldfinch had to get right down inside of the plate.  The bird turned to look plaintively at me as if to request a bit of clean water.  Ok....time to stop weeding and clean those terracotta pieces!  That birdie bathtub needed scrubbing!  My birds need a clean water source!  I am sure they will be happy to know their servant has obliged them.

Just watching

  These are definitely the hot, lazy days of summer here on the Bayou. Things are great during the early morning hours and then again late evening but at just about eight o'clock in the morning, whew!  It gets hot!  Most of my outdoor chores are accomplished at daybreak.  It is then that I move indoors to do the household drudgery such as cleaning.  All of this has to be done before noon, as then, even indoors starts to warm up and get uncomfortable.  So, once again, I move outdoors but not to work.  Then I do my "watching".  

  Early this afternoon, Ms. Ez and I were sitting outside trying to catch a cooling breeze.  It was far too hot for the old dog to play fetch so she lolled on the grass beside me.  Our time was spent watching a wasp crawl around on the bench beside me until that guy got a bit too brave. (No more wasp.)  Then a flash of blue caught my eye.  Ahh, somebody is smart!  A male bluebird landed on the birdbath.  Funny thing, though, instead of splashing about, the bird started calling.  Hmmm, now this might be interesting!

  Sure enough, this was Daddy Bluebird!  Not far behind was Mama and the little ones!  The parent birds were teaching their fledglings how to find water during these torrid days of late summer.  I watched the family as the three little ones played in the water under the watchful eye of the parent birds.  It seemed to me that these little birds were having a grand time splashing in the water.  It brought back memories of how my siblings and I would go swimming in the Bay back when we were kids. Our chores would be done in the early morning hours and then we would run down the road to my grandparents' house.  Their house was just next door to where the Little Bayou House sits now.  (My brother lives there now!)  We would jump right off the pier and frolic about for an hour before Grandmother would call for us to come up the hill. She would give each of us a cookie and send us back home again to another round of chores.  Those little bluebirds were having their cooling swim before heading back bug-hunting.    

  After the birds left the bath, I wandered into the garden to find a passel of bluebirds in among the tomatoes.  The old tomato worms had better watch out, those hungry birdies will find them!  It did not seem to bother the birds one bit that I had the sprinkler going in the garden. They were darting in and out of the plants all the while chirping to one another! Great fun on a lazy, hazy day of summer!

Remember our feathered friends!

So a bit of frigid weather has descended all the way to the Bayou.  It is definitely a tad chilly out there, Folks!  Bundle up when you venture outside and this comes by way of experience.  Not that I see much cold weather but merely because I did wander out a couple of times too many today.  Other than trips out to the woodpile, I had grand intentions of spending the entire couple of days inside doing nothing but baking.  Those who know me well will attest that this is my way of preparing and enduring most any storm from a hurricane to an ice storm.  Baking always seems to soothe the rattled nerves and has the added benefit of plying the taste buds with delightful tidbits.  But with most good intentions, things go awry.  I braved cold and headed out into the yard several more times.  Yep, unlike my son, Michael, who wandered the hillside in shorts and t-shirt sans shoes, I was wrapped up tight!  No ice was going to find its way down the back of my neck!

My additional trips outside were mercy expeditions.  As I stood staring at the Winter Wonderland that had suddenly replaced my Bayou, I noticed that a myriad of birds were trying to feed on one partially filled suet basket.  Their voices rang out loud and clear as the birds called for me to serve their breakfast.  I bowed to their wishes and braved not only the cold but the slick ice that had coated everything in sight.  Nigh on two inches of sleet had fallen overnight and made walking the hillside a tad treacherous. If not careful, one misstep could cause me to careen down the ice-coated board path and right into the Bayou itself.  I was smart!  I steered clear of the well-beaten path.  I chose the grass.  Even though it was still layered thickly with the frozen stuff, I did have a bit more traction.  My birds called!  I had to go.

Once the feeders were filled, bellies were rounded and all were happy.  Please do not forget to toss a bit of seed out for these hungry friends.  They can better face the cold with their tummies filled with suet and black oil sunflower seeds.  Oh, and while you are about it.  Fill that bird bath with some warm water. The birdbath here was frozen solid!  Nary a bird could take a drink!  Sometimes our feathered friends need a bit of assistance from us, so lend a bird a helping hand!  Then, once back inside, sit at the window and watch the show of birds come to eat.  It is quite entertaining!

Its ALIVE!

Ok, we are definitely over the recent bout of frigid weather here on the Bayou.  Today the temperature soared to seventy degrees and with that I needed to be outside!  One of the chores that needed tending was to clean the birdbath.  I had noticed during the cold that the water, although frozen solid, had a brownish color.  I figured since I would not like to drink that then my bird friends should not be expected to like it either. During the duration of the freeze, I had placed a pan of fresh water out each day for their partaking but now I could go back to filling the bath.  While the water was one big chunk of ice, I noticed several snails caught up in the middle.  Obviously, they were in the birdbath and forgot to find a safer place when the temperature dropped into the teens.  Poor little guys!  Yep, I felt sorry for a snail!

A couple of days after the inclement weather spurt, that ice started to melt.  Lo and behold!  Those snails were not dead!  As soon as they were free from the ice, those rascals took to munching the algae growing in the bath!  Land sake's alive!  Who would have ever guessed that?  Not me.  I watched as those two acted as if nothing at all had happened to them.  Keep munching, little snails, keep munching!

The ability of the tiny snail to withstand such conditions intrigued me.  How in the world did something that is mostly water survive being frozen solid?  I picked up one of the snails and looked for any signs of trauma but found nary a blemish....or at least what might look like a blemish on a slimy critter.  I would have thought that the snail would have burst like a capped water bottle placed in the freezer.  Sometimes nature has it together.  Perhaps we should do a bit more observing of things in nature.  We might just come across something quite useful.  If scientists could harness the idea of what keeps these snails from freezing, the world might benefit greatly.  Just a thought after coming out of a deep freeze that gripped most of the nation.

Hot Times on the Bayou!

Its hot! It is very hot on the Bayou..and it is not even summer, yet. Technically, we are still in spring..so, it seems that something is amiss here! Perhaps this is just another effect of the drought..but then you would think our humidity would be way down..not so! Here is how it stands weatherwise on the Bayou..temperatures are in the mid 90s during the day..low 80s at night..dry, very, very dry due to the lack of rain..but with high humidity..in the mid 70 percentiles. Oh man, does that ever make for a blistery hot day and a hot, muggy night! Today when I was out planting Moon Flowers and Morning Glories, I noticed the thermometer that sits in the rose garden. I suddenly felt a lot hotter! Whew!

With the hot, dry weather, I noticed that the birdbath was always empty! Every morning, I would take two gallons of water all the way down the hill to where the birdbath is situated. Every afternoon, I would notice that the bowl had only about two cups remaining. I had started thinking that maybe there was a crack in the bowl or maybe Ezzy was drinking out of it again or the water was just evaporating. While sitting in my favorite chair this afternoon, I was treated to evidence that none of the above were the correct reason for the disappearing water. There were just that many birds visiting the birdbath! In just a short time over thirty birds flew in and used the bath. Some just drank while others made complete use of the facility!! One female Blue Jay really seemed to enjoy herself! She would fly in, bathe, perch herself on the roost to fluff her feathers. Then back down into the bath again! She would splash water everywhere! Most likely, she had been on the nest most of the day and really needed to cool off a bit! This Blue Jay stayed for a good bit but Red Winged Blackbirds, Titmice, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals and Doves all made stops to either drink or bathe. Some, I think, were just trying to cool off a bit. I might have to rig up another birdbath or two just to keep my feathered friends hydrated this summer!

As a final thought about the drought and heat..how in the world is my Old-fashioned Petunia plant doing so well? The picture is of just one plant and it has been blooming for the past several months. What started as a tiny plant in the corner of the then cabbage patch, has almost taken over the squash/ bean garden. This plant has hundreds of blooms and is probably a good six feet across! I have never seen a petunia do this well! Perhaps it likes the water that Son pours on it from the kitchen! Each day, several dishpans of soapy water are dumped on this plant. You would think that much soap would be a mite detrimental even if it is biodegradable! Evidently that is not the case with petunias! Somewhere in the midst of all those blooms, there sits an onion plant! It is almost like searching for Waldo!