Breakfast With a Friend

   I usually rise long before the sun starts to peek over the pines on the far side of the Bayou.  At about 4am, I rise, head to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee and make a skillet of buttermilk biscuits.  Then, I sit back and enjoy my breakfast in peace in quiet while the menfolk are still asleep.  Sometimes, that biscuit and coffee is taken out to the back deck so I can listen to the frogs as they interrupt the stillness of the predawn.  Coffee is sipped while I ponder things to come.  Usually, this is my "alone" time and I cherish that.

  Yesterday morning, however, that alone time was spent with a long-time friend.  As I sat on the top step, Virginia came ambling out from under the shed.  Yep, my old friend had aroused from her brumation and was rather hungry.  I watched as she made her way up to the steps.  She was still covered with dust from being buried beneath the dry dirt under the shed.  Once she realized I was there, she lifted her front foot which has long been her way of telling me she needed food.  I rushed to find sustenance for my friend.  A hungry box turtle needed food!

  Virginia has been coming around for some 10 to 12 yrs now....perhaps more.  She has befriended each of us and knows she is welcome to a handout simply by asking.  That front foot being raised was her own doing but, since it worked the first time, she has repeatedly used it to get food.  I think it is adorable and always rush to find the best treats for her.  This morning, we shared a banana.  Well, she ate all but one bite.  Virginia was ravenous!  After our breakfast together, she made her way to the Frog Pond for a refreshing dip in the tadpole laden water and I sat and smiled.  Sharing breakfast has never been so grand. It is always nice to have a friend drop in to visit...even better when it is one so sweet.

The Race Is On!

   With winter comes the low, low tides.  Often the water is far out beyond the marsh and even the reach of the pier.  This lack of water exposes the soft mud that hides clams, crustaceans and minnows.  The predators that normally have to stalk their prey are now able to feast upon the stranded critters.  A great number of birds, otters, raccoons, fox are out during the low tide.  The mudflats are alive with those seeking breakfast.

   This morning, hooded mergansers, egrets and herons were all making good use of the mudflats.  The ducks were busying themselves in the shallows while most of the birds stayed in the ankle-deep water.  At one point, the rush to get breakfast had me in a fit of giggles.  A tri-colored heron and a great egret seemed to literally be in a race to see who could snatch the most minnows.  If one bird snatched a morsel, the other would dart to see if there was another.  This race continued for nigh on an hour until suddenly something startled the mergansers.  As they skittered across the water, both the egret and heron took flight.  Breakfast had ended.  

  With the warming of the weather, the water will deepen and the mergansers will migrate back northward thus leaving the herons and egrets to fend for themselves.  Then, the stalking returns as each will stealthily patrol the shallows in hopes of finding a meal.  The buffet on the mudflats will be closed for another season.  

Not always graceful!

   The young Great Blue Heron that has taken over "Moe's" spot (Moe being the resident heron for many years) has not learned to be graceful at all times.  He still has a lot of the awkwardness of a young teenager.  This clumsiness comes in view when the bird is making a mad dash for mullet or menhaden from my net.  (I spend more time feeding the birds than fishing!)  If this new heron (Alfalfa) is standing on one of the pier posts, he is gorgeous...all full of poise and elegance but, once food appears, he is just a silly, young bird.

  All I caught today was a prickly pinfish but Alfalfa was ready for breakfast and had no qualms about tackling the pointy fins.  As soon as the fish was tossed his way, the bird raced down the pier to grab his prize.  With neck outstretched and wings held back, he stabbed at the poor fish.  In one gulp the five inch long fish was down the gullet!  There was no pomp and circumstance in his method...just grab and go!

  While I am happy to catch breakfast for this bird, I sure miss my Moe.  He had become quite tame and would carefully take fish from my hand making sure to not grab a finger by mistake.  Moe was a friend.  Hopefully, Alfalfa will follow suit. 

Beauty Before A Storm

   Some pretty bad storms hit the area tonight but, earlier in the day, it was relatively nice.  The sun was shining and it was warm despite the stiff winds coming from across the Bay.  Several times, I went down to the pier to check the small skiff.  Son (even with his broken toe) and I had spent an hour last night trying to secure the skiff in the small inlet.  We finally managed to get it over the marsh and then tied off to the posts.  There, it could ride out the storms without bother.

  On one of the walks to the pier, I noticed a lovely egret wading in the shallows.  The bird was hunting breakfast and there was plenty to be found in the muddy waters of the Bayou.  Since there was not much else to do at the moment, I sat and watched the bird.  Snowy Egrets are stalkers.  They either stand motionless and wait for hapless fish to swim past or they slowly wade near the shoreline and catch fish when they become startled.  The dagger-like bill gives a deadly jab when the bird strikes.  This egret was snatching mullet with ease.  

  It always marvels me that these snow-white birds can stay so clean while sloshing about in the muddy shallows.  Nary a speck of mud nor debris could be seen on the showy plumes.  If that had been me out there, I would have been one muddy mess!  Not the bird. The feathers literally gleamed! I might have been a tad envious...maybe.

Predawn Encounter!

   Being up before dawn gives one an entirely different view of the world.  At that time, the mind is not yet cluttered by the day's events and the brain can decipher things far more clearly.  Distractions of everyday life can often get in the way of what is really happening right beneath our noses.  I see things.  I hear things.  My brain absorbs things.  It is no wonder that this is a favorite time of day for me.  

  I was on the pier before dawn to watch the sunrise.  The show did not disappoint as a kaleidoscope of hues lit up the sky.  Since the weather forecast called for dense clouds, I was sure the sun would catch hold of each and every one.  It was spectacular!  Then, a real treat was in store for me as I meandered back up the board path to the Little Bayou House.  A soft chirp let me know that one of my bird friends was awake and aware that I was out and about.  On a dead branch of the avocado tree, a lone blue jay stared down at me.  It softly chirped again and looked down at the bench where I usually put seeds for my friends.  The bench was empty.  Obviously, the jay was letting me know that it was hungry!  I had to remedy that situation right quick.  With a cup of seeds in hand, I was surprised to see my friend still on the branch waiting for breakfast.  Carefully, I sprinkled the seeds on the board seat and stood back to converse with bird.  "There you go, my friend."  "Chirp" "Yes, I know you are hungry but it is still pretty dark."  "Chirp"  "Alrighty, then!  Have at it!"  "Chirp"  Yep, it almost seemed as if the bird was answering me.  I stepped back about two feet and the jay fluttered down to the bench, grabbed a seed and flew back to its perch.  Ahh, life is good.

  Being still dark, I headed inside to make a mug of coffee and, then, joined my friend in the garden.  There, in the stillness of the early morn, we shared a bit of satisfaction along with our repast...my coffee...the bird's sunflower seeds.  We were both happy campers.  Life is good.

The "Fighting Breakfast"!

  Here on the Bayou, life pretty much goes on as it always has despite being quarantined.  I have not left the place and do not plan on leaving for probably a month or so.  There is plenty of food in the house or garden or Bayou, we are always well stocked on life's necessities and there is more than enough chores to keep me occupied.  In fact, recently, I was told that I have been "in training" for this type of scenario my whole life.  Well, my response to that is "If you call being self-sufficient as training, then I guess I have been".  Growing up on the farm, living on the Coast and being a bit of a "loner" has taught me well.  Farming gives one a "can do" attitude, living on the Coast that has hurricanes requires one to be prepared and loving to be by myself has led me to be easily amused by what is around me.  So, life goes on...as usual.

  Today's amusement came in the form of a lizard.  There are dozens of green anoles that live in or around the garden area.  The idea of having so many delights me as I know they will keep down the garden pests.  I am all for having lizards of any sort hiding amongst the plants.  This morning as I planted yet more tomatoes, a lizard could be seen stalking something in the garlic patch.  This is a raised bed that once held herbs but has been now taken over by garlic and onions.  The lizard slowly inched toward the fence post attached to the raise bed.  Then...zap!  The lizard had its prey!...and a fight ensued.  

  The lizard had decided that a bee looked like breakfast.  Well, lets just say that the bee did not take lightly to being munched.  The lizard twisted this way and that as it tried to swallow the bee.  The bee, in the meantime, twisted this way and that trying to avoid being swallowed.  Suddenly, the lizard jerked back and almost gagged.  The bee, in its fury, had stung the lizard!  It is a scary thing when your breakfast fights back so violently!  Still, the lizard refused to lose its prey and kept on trying to swallow the squirmy bee.

  While I was saddened to see that the lizard had actually caught a bee, I was delighted to know it was on watch.  It had, indeed, caught a critter out of the garden.  Too bad it was not one of those dreaded squash bugs!  Tighten Up, Lizard!!

The Busy Morning

  It was rather chilly out on the pier this morning.  With the temperature in the upper thirties, I had to watch my step for fear of slipping on the frost-covered pier planks.  I was fully not expecting others to be out on the water but, to my surprise, the place was quite active.  The north wind had pushed the tide far out exposing the mudflats for some distance.  Those mudflats and the shallows were teeming with activity as all sorts of critters were hunting breakfast.

  A group of mottled ducks were the first that I noticed.  It seemed that they kept their heads under the water more than above.  They were shuffling the bottom to muddy the waters.  This allowed them to confuse the small mullet and bull minnows swimming there.   Along with the mottled ducks was a pair of hooded mergansers.  These, too, were busy feasting on the little fish.  I was surprised to see the two types of ducks mingling.  The hoodies are a much smaller type of duck than the mottleds but they had no problem working together to find their morning meal.  I watched  the ducks for a few moments before I noticed yet another critter joining the feeding frenzy.  A snowy egret flew in to the open diner.  This gorgeous bird stepped gingerly in the shallows and dipped its beak often.  It always came up with a tasty morsel!  Imagine my surprise when a tri-colored heron joined this motley crew!  This bird, too, caught its breakfast with ease.  The sight fully amazed me.  I was so impressed that each of these birds seemed oblivious to the fact that it was dining alongside of those different than itself.  The sole intent was to fill the belly on this cold morning.  But...I was being chilled to the bone and decided to head back to the warmth of the wood stove.  I rose from the bench, looked up and was floored!  Yet another critter wandered to the area to dine.  A lone raccoon waddled out of the marsh and started scavenging the mudflats for trapped minnows.  After a few moments, the coon waded out to share in the bounty the others were enjoying.  All in all, six mottled ducks, two hooded mergansers, one snowy egret, one tri-colored heron and a lone raccoon feasted upon the minnows that had been flushed out of the marshes by the low tide.  It was definitely a busy, busy morning on the Bayou!

Bringing The Kids Back To Visit!

  As long as I have lived either on the farm (across the road from where I am now) or on the Bayou, spotting an old friend never ceases to thrill me.  If that old friend happens to bring along its young, then I am even happier.  Yes, I am talking about another critter friend, which should not surprise you at all.  On the early morning hike with the old dog, I heard a familiar cackling "laugh" high in the treetops.  The Pileated Woodpeckers were introducing their young to the grand prizes that could be found in the old dead pine trees.  There are three trees that were struck by lightning in the years past and now beetles, ants and grub worms are plentiful.  The woodpeckers were teaching two youngsters the fine art of finding breakfast.   Two juvenile woodpeckers literally hopped from limb to limb on the dead pines before "Dear Old Dad" called them to the Black Gum Tree in the yard.  There, the pickin's must have been good because the foursome stayed for a good while.  Then, the live pine in the yard brought the birds even closer!

  The Pileated Woodpeckers are always welcome on the Bayou. This year, the adults nested in an oak tree far down in the creek bed where I could not get a glimpse of the little ones until today.  Now, those "little"ones are as large as their parents!  It is good to know that these birds are staying around the place with all of the clear-cutting going on in the area.  What humans deem as progress is not kind to those of the critter world.  Many of my critter friends have had to leave the area and, sad to say, may others perished due to lack of suitable habitat.  It saddens me but, at least, I can do my best to leave our acreage as a refuge for any that wish to stay here.  Carry on, my bird friends, carry on!  You are always welcome on the Bayou! 

Not Today...Not Today

  Life is fragile.  We can appear tough and ready to take on the world when one tiny slip changes the whole pace of things.  Here on the Bayou, life in general is rough and there are days that make me want to crawl back in bed and not face the challenges.  I do, however, because I have to even though, sometimes, I do not want to.  I get up, carry on and meet the challenges and rarely ever let the world know that it almost did me in.  It almost beat me.  Just not today.  

  It is like that with critters about the Bayou, as well.  Life is tough on them, too.   They face daily challenges just to survive...some do....many do not.  Earlier this morning, I was out doing yard work when I noticed a delicate damselfly sunning on a fig leaf.  It was so frail looking that I pondered how the bug ever survived with predators at every turn.  Then, the damselfly took flight and headed toward the Frog Pond.  She was going to lay her eggs near the water's edge so the life cycle could continue.  Well, there was another critter at the pond and things did not end well for our pretty, little damselfly.  She became breakfast for a skink.   The lizard, however, did well for itself and would live for another day.  

  Days are like that.   We are like that.  Some come, some go and others just wander through trying to survive.  Right now, I am wandering.  I am trying to make it through each day while handling everything that should really not be my problems.  Too many things have been dumped in my lap and I am going in circles trying to deal with them.  This, too, shall pass...at least, I hope.  

Working the flats

  It is that time of year when the north wind starts to push the tides out a bit further and further.  The pier will soon not have enough water to cover the crab traps and they will have to be stored until spring.  While this low, low tide is not the ideal time for fishing from the pier for us, it is perfect for the critters that scavenge the mudflats left open.  After being covered for so long, the mud houses many small crabs, shrimp and other shellfish.  When the tide goes out and exposes the mud to open air, shore critters  make haste to scavenge for breakfast.

  Early this morning, I eased my way to the pier.  It was the perfect morning to be out since all was quiet.  After I reached the point where the marsh meets the water, I noticed that the tide was out and the all important mudflats were exposed.  Thinking this might be a good critter-watching time, I settled in for a spell.  It did not take long before my first guest arrived.  A half-grown raccoon wobbled his way out of the marsh and immediately started "fishing",  Those little front paws swished the water until it was muddied which confused the tiny shrimp that had collected in the two inches of water.  Overnight, the tiny shrimp moved to the safety of the shallows but now, a predator had found them!  The little coon was smart enough to know that confusing the shrimp would allow him to catch more.  After getting a dozen or so of the tiny morsels, the raccoon moved on to bigger and better things,  He started digging for the small crabs that were buried in the mud.  After just a couple of tries, I could here the crunching of a shell.  The coon had a crab!  Breakfast was served to a hungry raccoon!

  The mudflats see a lot of action during the winter months.  Besides the raccoons, many shorebirds, fox, otters and even the bobcats will visit and dine upon what they find.  They all know that the flats provide easy pickings if they do not mind getting a bit muddy.  The pier provides me with a front row seat for this never-ending show!

Clean Bird Stirring Up a Bit of Mud!

  Just before sunrise the other morning, Mark and I headed to the pier.  We wanted to catch a few fish for our lunch but had a busy day ahead of us so our fishing had to be done early.  Just as we stepped on the pier, Mark called my attention to a lovely Snowy Egret working the mudflats.  The bird was slowly stirring up the mud in the shallows.  This one-footed technique usually can flush out even the stealthiest minnows.  The bird would softly place one of its bright yellow feet in the water then start to "stir" with a circular motion.  The muddy water would cause minnows that were in hiding to seek cleaner water.  It is hard to "breathe" when the mud is thick.  The egret would then snatch of its breakfast with ease.  It was interesting to watch the bird in action.

 I knew about the bird's fishing technique because watching them is a favorite pastime.  What still confuses me is just how spotlessly clean the birds stay regardless of the fact that they are playing in some pretty nasty mud.  No amount of detergent nor bleach can get this mud from our clothes but the bird can stay immaculate while wading in the mud.  I am not sure how they do this but it would be awfully nice if they shared their secret!  

The Bayou Frog! Another Critter Friend...

  While most frogs cannot survive in saltwater, the Southern Leopard Frog does well in the brackish waters of the Bayou.  This frog has adapted to living in the occasionally semi-salty water and marsh.  Other frogs will die quickly if tossed in such an area.  The Southern Leopard Frog not only survives but thrives here.  Not only has it adapted to living in the harsh climate of the marsh, its diet has changed, as well.  It still dines upon insects but has been seen munching on minnows.  Anything smaller than the frog, itself, is fair game.

  Yesterday, Mark and I made our way to the pier to check the crab traps and soft-shell boxes.  Once these were baited, we made our way back up the pier.  An incoming squall had cut our fishing wishes to the bone so we might as well head to the house.  Following behind Mark as we made our way, I noticed that we had a small visitor at the end of the pier.  Just before stepping off onto dry ground, I noticed a Southern Leopard frog in the tall grass.  The critter was enjoying his breakfast but it seems that his choice of the main course was fighting back. Our froggy friend had decided that crab was on the menu!

  The frog had ahold to one of the Fiddler Crab's claws while the other claw was frantically being flailed in attack.  The smart frog had at least had the commonsense to grab the larger claw as the tiny one would not do as much damage to the frog's tough skin.  

  I am not sure if Fiddler Crabs are a mainstay of the Southern Leopard Frog's diet but our friend was sure going to give it a try!  The Bayou Frog is here to stay....at least, until something larger finds him to be a tasty treat.

Poor Moe!

  Moe, the heron that comes to feed at the pier, was not overly happy with the turn of events of the day.  He usually waits for me to come down to catch minnows for him.  Yes, he has gotten to be quite the lazy bird, here lately, and refuses to work for his breakfast.  He gets to the pier long before I do in the mornings as I need that first cup of coffee before I head outside.  Once the coffee is sipped and Mr. PJ, the old dog is fed, we head outside.  That is the routine of every morning.  Moe on the pier, me sipping coffee, Mr. PJ eating then we all meet together.  This morning that did not happen and Moe was extremely agitated with me.

 That "turn of events" happened to be a nice rain pelting the Bayou.  Since we have not received any rain in several weeks, it was much appreciated and deserve a bit of "rain watching" which I promptly did!  As soon as I made the first mug of coffee, I heard the gentle rain pelting the rooftop.  Ahh, nice!  I headed to the living room, threw open the French doors that overlook the Bay and pulled up a rocking chair.  Those three things got a burr stuck in the craw of Moe.  While I lounged in the rocking chair watching the rain through the screen doors and sipping my morning brew, Moe sat perched on a pier post IN the rain with no breakfast.  All I could think was "Go catch your own breakfast! I am going to sit right here."

  Obviously, Moe did get a bit miffed at me as later when I finally made it to the pier, he refused to come eat.  Mr. Smartypants Moe sat and glared at me from my brother's pier.  He was having no part of my laziness and he was going to let me know that!  Well, so sorry, Moe.  You will have to fetch your own minnows this morning if you are too high and mighty to come eat when I offer.  In the meantime, a second cup of coffee and that rocking chair sounded mighty fine.  Mr. PJ and I headed back to the Little Bayou House and poor Moe went hungry.

Youngster at Work

  It is a common sight to see the large herons stalking fish along the shorelines, here on the Bayou.  The Great Blue Herons stand in the edge of the marsh or wade belly-deep into the waters to catch their breakfast.  This morning, one leisurely strolled along in ankle-deep waters as it fished.  The bird noticed me as I made my way down the pier but made no effort to flee.  I am near the water just as much as they are so the critters of the Bayou have no fear of me.  This bird is a youngster that was hatched two springs ago.  It never left the area and seems to be doing fine for itself. 

  Most folks think that the herons only dine upon fish.  While that seems to be their preferred diet, these birds will often visit fields and bogs where they will feast upon frogs, insects and rodents.  Anything is fair-game when it comes to their dining pleasure.  The herons will even go so far as to raid other birds' nests to eat the eggs or hatchlings.  But, back to fish, the herons wade along slowly waiting for fish to gather near.  They sometimes stand nigh on motionless for quite a spell before finally making the swift strike.  Herons usually go for the smaller minnows and baby mullet but occasionally literally "stab" a much larger fish.  The small fish are snatched up with lightning speed but the larger ones are speared.  This "spearfishing" utilizes their dagger-like beak. Once a fish is impaled, the heron will shake it to stun the fish before swallowing it whole.  

  Watching the herons along the Bayou never bores me.  Their fishing techniques are quite different than other shorebirds.  The stalking, snatching or spearfishing methods are rather unique and make for interesting viewing from my perfect spot on the pier.  

Help! My Brain Has Gone To Mush!

  Pop always lived by the mantra of "Early to bed and early to rise".  Growing up on the farm, we were all expected to do the same and do it without argument.  We had better be out of that bed and in the kitchen by 5am if we wanted breakfast.  Pop cooked breakfast and we ate it...again without arguing.  There was no "I do not like this!"....you ate it.  Pop's idea of a good breakfast was something that would "Stick to your ribs." so, needless to say, we did not have a choice.  We ate mush.  Yep, cornmeal mush was usually what the pot held and what we ate.  Then, about mid morning, we were treated to a snack!....of fried cornmeal mush.  Yep...leftover mush was allowed to cool in the pot, then sliced and laid on a cast iron griddle loaded with butter.  After frying on one side until crispy, it was flipped then fried on that side.  After the stuff was done, it was served with homemade sugarcane syrup.  I could have easily passed on the first go round of mush and had mine fried.  At least, the syrup helped the taste tremendously.  But, no one complained.  We were thankful for what we had.

  Although, I have not had cornmeal mush since I became an adult, I still stick to that mantra Pop instilled in my brain.  "Early to rise" comes naturally.  I have never used an alarm clock nor needed one.  Come 5am, I pop awake and cannot for the life of me go back to sleep.  This morning was no different.  Even though the sun refused brighten the horizon, the old dog and I headed to the pier.  A heavy cloud cover prevented even the least bit of light to guide us.  It was nigh on 7am before I caught a glimpse of the sun.  This gave me time to sit and think about all the things that rattle around in the brain while sitting in the darkness.  I thought of Pop serving up steaming bowls of cornmeal mush each morning and of the fried mush snacks.  Back in the day, it was looked at as a good, solid breakfast that could be served at minimal cost.  Now, I find that the the fried stuff is on the menu of several "high-end" restaurants.  Three small (3 inch) squares of mush drizzled with syrup cost a whopping $9!  Imagine if you added eggs, sausage and a cup of coffee??   I had no idea I was eating so high back in the day! 

  After a bit of reminiscing, the sun started to rise, the dog alerted me to a band of rain coming across the bay and we headed back to the Little Bayou House.  Since then, thoughts of Pop and his cornmeal mush treats have been sneaking back into the brain.  Perhaps a pot of mush will find its way onto my stove in the next couple of days.  I wonder if it will taste like the "Stick to your ribs" breakfast of long ago or like $9 of fancy food?  Funny the things you ponder when waiting on the sun.

You Missed a Spot!

  The little raccoon friend has been a regular visitor to the back porch both morning and evening.  He comes to share a meal with Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat.  She seems to tolerate the rascal and he seems to ignore her presence so they get along well.  This morning, the raccoon (now named "Chase" by my sweet granddaughter, Mary Ruth) actually seemed to beg for his breakfast.  He stood up on his hind legs and held his little paws out as if asking "Breakfast, please?"  How could I resist?  Of course!  This morning, he ate toast with me. 

  Later when Mark and I were heading to the pier, I noticed little paw prints on the garden gate.  These were none other than Chase's prints!  He left evidence of his entering the garden!  I had to snicker when I saw the prints as it reminded me of so long ago when I would be washing windows and my kids, who were youngsters at the time, would tell me that I missed a spot.  This was proudly done while smearing their jelly laden hands all over the inside of the window that I had just washed! I gave up!  How can you compete with three lively youngsters?  To be honest, I have not done a lot of window-washing since then!  Today, however, the little paw prints inspired me to repaint the garden gates.  As soon as I finish clearing the gardens themselves, the gates will be scrubbed and given a fresh coat of paint!

  Chase, the young raccoon, will most likely become a permanent fixture here on the Bayou.  With that, I suppose I shall find more paw prints scattered about the place as he tries to inform me that I "missed a spot".  I would love to see him venture down in the creek bed and make a home there rather than at my doorstep but, hey, while he is here, you just gotta love him!

Up at Dawn....and HUNGRY!

  I have a habit of rising pretty early each day.  I feel better when I am up before dawn and for some strange reason, that first mug of coffee tastes much better when consumed with the rising sun in view.  This morning, I sat on the small deck in front of the house.  The morning air was cool and the area quiet.  I had brought out my breakfast which consisted of two pieces of toast and some fig jam.  What a perfect way to start the morning!

  While I was sitting there enjoying the peace and quiet, I noticed a bit of movement in the arbor to my left.  At first, I thought this might be the mockingbird that usually visits but I was mistaken.  A tiny squirrel was eyeing me cautiously.  The tiny rascal was at that age where it still did not have great fear of humans.  I wished the squirrel a good morning and continued with my breakfast.  Well!  That little tyke came right up and begged to share my toast!  He crept closer and closer until he was just a few feet from me.  He hopped up on the deck and eased his way toward me.  Hmmm....I felt there was nothing else to do but give him a bite as much as I hated to share my fig jam! Little Tyke snatched the piece of toast and scampered off to the nearby tree to feast.  

  I have to admit that this little squirrel made my early rising worthwhile. To share breakfast with a wild critter is always a thrill.  I have to think that my feeding the little squirrel made his morning a bit better, too. Sharing is good.

Banana-filled French Toast

This morning was such a happy morning! Sure the weather was doing its best to put a damper on the day and sure the Ezzy, the mutt was going stir-crazy after being cooped inside for days due to rain but I loved this morning! My sweet daughter and her husband were here for an overnight visit and come this morning, I was able to cook breakfast for them. I know this is weird that I get excited over cooking for someone but the two men in my daily life (husband and youngest son) have set tastes in foods. This does not allow me any creativity at all in the kitchen as I am usually bound to basic meals for them. Foods devoid of full flavor enhancing herbs and culinary skill. They want base foods..meat and potatoes..potatoes and meat..and then perchance..meat and potatoes. So this morning it was a delight to try a new recipe! It is my philosophy that if you find a recipe you like..change it! Add things that make you happy and take out any that do not. So here is my version of....

Banana-filled French Toast

8 slices of whole grain bread

4 bananas

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 tablespoons margarine for frying

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 freshly sliced peaches

4 teaspoons Confectioner's sugar

4 teaspoons honey

Place eggs in an 8X8X2 inch bowl (or flat pan), add milk, vanilla and salt and beat with a fork until well mixed. Set aside. In small mixing bowl, place the peeled bananas and smash them with either a fork or squish them with your fingers if you are not squeamish about this. Once they are well mashed, add the nutmeg and cinnamon stirring well. Place about a tablespoon of margarine in a frying pan and heat until sizzling. On one slice of bread, heap several spoonfuls of the banana mixture spreading almost to the edges. Keep it about 3/4 to 1 inch thick..top with another slice of bread. Dip this sandwich into the egg mixture, coating well on both sides. Gently lay this into the skillet and fry for about three minutes on each side. After removing from pan, place on a plate and cut the French toast sandwich in half diagonally. Sprinkle lightly with Confectioner's sugar. Arrange the peach slices and blueberries on the plate and then very lightly drizzle with about a teaspoon of honey. This will make four nice fat French Toast sandwiches.

I hope you enjoy this recipe..it is my take on Paula Deene's version. Like I said before, I do change a good bit of the ingredients so if you want to see her recipe, please visit her website. She is an amazing cook!

Cafe Bayou

A while back, I wrote about an old friend coming to visit. If you recall this certain old friend was a bird, a Night Heron, that would visit me on the pier. It would come to get its share of the minnows that I use as fishing bait. Early this morning as my husband and I sat on the pier drinking our morning cup of coffee discussing fishing, oil spills and mosquitoes, this bird again decided to visit. This is the first time my husband has seen my interaction with said bird. Needless to say, he was enthralled by the whole scenario and I was happy to have him snapping the pictures. My bird friend followed close behind me as I threw the cast net to provide a meal for it. This Night Heron is not afraid of any of my actions and anyone that throws a net can attest that there is plenty of "action" involved. Before it was over, I tossed the net five times and caught quite a few assorted fish and minnows. Full count..1 small croaker, 1 small "sandfish" and thirty-nine menhaden! Quite a large breakfast for one bird! I was just waiting for the Night Heron to mistake my fingers for a fish as I hand-fed it for over twenty minutes.

This weekend, my son and daughter-in-law stopped in for a visit. They are an amazing young couple and always bring much happiness to the Bayou. It always seems as if their visits are entirely too short. When they visit, they usually bring their pets, a dog (P.J.) and a cat (Kiki). Our dogs get along remarkably well but the cats..let's just say it is best to keep them separated. Kiki is a sweet kitty but Ms. Put (mine) is..umm..a tad temperamental. Ms. Put, thankfully, is an outdoor cat so it all works out well. P.J. and Ezzy love to play together often running outside down to the pier. Ezzy is definitely a "fishing" dog. She will sit watching my rod and reel waiting for something to bite the hook. (She, like the Night Heron, also likes to eat my bait!) P.J. on the other hand is not a "fishing" dog. He loves being on the pier but is more interested in the boats on the water. They both loved being on the pier with the breeze cooling them after their playtime. He enjoyed the freedom after the five hour drive here and she..she just loved having her friend near. Two very happy dogs!