Google lied! Or, at least it was far from being accurate. Just kidding. The reverse image search that I did had no way of knowing what the photograph was, where it was taken nor how large the image was so it would have surprised me if I had gotten an answer that was correct. The image is not even something that was likely to have ever appeared before so a reverse image search was a futile effort. The fact is I already know what the image is and what caused it but the cool design in the middle looks so familiar that I thought perhaps I had seen something, somewhere like it.
I am in the midst of doing a good cleaning in the craft room. In fact, EVERYTHING has to be moved from the room so it can be gutted and redone. Nothing has been changed in there since it was Darling Daughter's bedroom so it is time for a update! I need shelves for the crafty items, a sewing area for costumes and a bit of storage for the costumes. Son has promised to create whatever I deem necessary to get this whim of mine to fruition. All of this clearing has produced some mighty strange items that were somehow tucked away with good intentions. One piece is nothing but a sizely chunk of Styrofoam. This was set aside when we needed to line a box for a clue hunt several years ago. Son built what was basically an ice chest (he dubbed it the "box of colder") to keep some items chilled. A regular cooler would not have kept with the theme set in medieval times. The foam pieces were kept in case we needed a quick repair. Since then, several items were placed on top of the foam and were smashed into it. When I went to toss the foam, the design created by the indentations caught my eye. It was fascinating!
The design shared a close resemblance to a few of the crop circle images that I have seen but, also, made me think of perhaps a logo of some sort. My idea with the reverse image search was to reassure myself that this was not just some hodgepodge of crinkles and dents and that it really did appear to be something...anything. Google had no idea...it said "sand". I guess? But I do think Google missed the mark on this one. Sand! At least give me some weird choice and keep the wheels in my brain whirring about how this design can be twisted into an art piece or a clue for the clue hunt. Not just sand!
"The Sea and the Jungle" is a book that was published in 1912. It was written by one, H.M. Tomlinson. I have not read it, yet, but have plans to in the near future. I know nothing about the book and its contents, so why read it? Well, because it sits on the bookshelf. I do not even know where I got the book but it is there and has been there for so many years that it has gathered enough dust to be declared a piece of land. Now, you may ask since it has sat unread for so long, why the sudden interest. That, too, has an answer. In the recent Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou, the book was used as a portion of a clue. It, along with three other antique books were the markers for the keys to unlock the bookshelf. I figure that if I am going to expect others to know about things, then I should..so I shall read.
This was all brought to mind with a hike around the hillside today. Old Mr. PJ decided the route of our hike. He is weak and wobbly but the old dog knows where he wishes to go. He checked all of his favorite places. He made a short trek to the pier where we basked in the warm sunshine and then took the "scenic" route to the greenhouse. Mr. PJ has always had an affinity for the greenhouse. He nosed around the place a bit as if to make sure everything was still in order since his last visit. Obviously, it met his approval as we were back outside after a few moments and on our way to find Son who was cutting firewood. Mr. PJ sat and watched the wood splitting for a bit before deciding it was time to go back inside.
The old dog had just made his journey between his own sea and jungle. His time may be waning but he still is in charge of protecting the Little Bayou House and all of its surroundings. He feels the responsibility to be my bodyguard and, even though, it is pretty much the other way around now, I would never take that feeling away from him. He IS still needed, wanted and much loved.
The Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou is bearing down on us once again! This is the seventh year that we have put on the event and, so far, have had a great response from the teams that participate. The theme this year is pirates so it promises to be a fun time for all. In a way, I am in the dark about most of the clues. Son has overtaken the entire hunt and I am along for the ride. He has made some incredible props once again this year but one stands far above the rest, if you ask me. This prop will most likely become a permanent fixture in the Little Bayou House as it is a favorite!
What started out as a simple puzzle has turned into a gorgeous bit of furniture. Hidden within that piece there are actually seven puzzles that need to be solved. The teams should enjoy the challenge on this one!
The piece is a bookshelf that Son built to stand atop an old oak buffet making it appear to be a single piece. To decorate the front, Darling Daughter drew three mermaids (after all, pirates and mermaids go together!). I painted the mermaids but Son created the entire shelf himself. Now, this beauty stands in the living room and will surely become a conversation piece for anyone who enters. It definitely has made me happy. It is just quirky enough to stand out but elegant enough to blend in with the other pieces in the room. Gee, I love this clue hunt especially when it brings stuff like this!
The weather did not cooperate with plans of a bit longer hike with the old dog. He had a good night and I thought perhaps he might wish to amble about the place. Instead, a steady rain put a nix on that idea. I did manage to slip out to the greenhouse to putter for a while but he stayed on his warm bed which was probably for the best.
Just beyond the greenhouse, stands a live oak tree. It was a small limb that caught my eye this rainy day. The branch had been broken in the recent winds and landed squarely on the back deck of the greenhouse. What made it interesting was the fact that it was covered with moss and had a lovely little fern growing where a twig had once been trimmed. It did not take long for this chunk of wood to capture the imagination and send those wheels in the brain to flying. I could use this! If it is at all possible to keep this whole little "garden" alive until October, it will be perfect to use as a prop for this year's Clue Hunt on the Bayou! (Yes, that event is always on the forefront of my brain as preparations begin in January of the event of the year that happens in October!) This year's theme calls for the greenhouse to be transformed into a swamp witch's hut. Mosses, ferns and lichens will all be needed to do the deed! In a sense, I will be landscaping my greenhouse!
The wildly flying imagination could see just how the transformation will take place. It has to begin now so each part looks perfectly natural. My plan is to be on my own clue hunt of sorts as I search out each item that will soon be growing in the little hut! This make believe world will probably be my favorite yet since the onset of the clue hunt some seven years ago! (Oh, my! It is hard to believe that this will be the Seventh Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!! Fun times!) So...rainy weather is my friend. It will aid me in my efforts to transform the greenhouse into a moss, lichen and fern covered dwelling! What an undertaking this will be and, to think, it all started with a fallen branch!
For over a week now, fog has ruled the Bayou. Basically, everything was blocked from view. At times, the stuff was so thick that it felt more like rain than fog. While the temperatures were warm enough for short sleeve shirts, a jacket was required just to stay dry. The nighttime jaunts out with the old dog were interesting to say the least. With the fog hanging densely around you, sounds were muffled. Nary a footstep could have been heard even at a few feet away. Mr. PJ was nervous and refused to step foot outside without me by his side. This fog was not only present at night and early in the morning but lingered throughout the day. The sun did not shine. It was covered over so that not even a hint of it could be seen. It was almost as if we were shut off from the world!
Then along about 3pm today....a happy miracle occurred! The sun broke through the dense fog and shone brightly for a little while! Most of the time, I am fine with fog, rainstorms and gales. Why even a tropical storm or hurricane does little to ruffle the feathers but seeing that sunshine today made me smile! I needed it. Things have been dark around here long enough and this was enough to give me a much needed boost. Also, after seeing the sun pouring through the french doors, I am glad that I listened to friends and kept the (left over from clue hunt) "stained glass" look intact. It was just another "happy" added to the day.
There are things in life that, while serious business to some people, are downright humorous to local folks (wherever local is). For instance, folks up north are amused by the south's reaction to snow. Yep. We admit it. We get a tad excited when a few snowflakes fall. We overreact. We stockpile foodstuffs. We call it a holiday. Hey. We never get to see the stuff so its a novel thing. Having northerners make fun of our glee is ok by us. We know that it is all in fun and we are not offended. The same thing happens when a freak hurricane zips up the East Coast. Panic mode sets in and those in the Deep South are quick to throw a few jokes to our neighbors. It is all in fun and is not meant to hurt any one's feelings. Then there are things that are just laughable.
I was searching through things in the storeroom to use as possible props for the clue hunt that is still a long time from now. However, October will come quickly and I need to get some things prepared. While in there, I came across a few burlap sacks. Well...maybe? The sacks themselves are what caused me to giggle. I had one that used to hold chestnuts, one that held coffee beans and the other was an oyster sack. Overall, burlap sacks are not humorous. In fact, they are good, sturdy things that are quite useful. It was that oyster sack that sent me into a fit of giggles. THAT had to be the tiniest oyster sack I have ever seen! I mean...come on...if you are going to the trouble to open oysters at least get an 80 to 100 lb sack! This thing could not have held more than two dozen oysters! What do you do with 24 oysters? Oh, geez. Whoever bought oysters in this sack could not be from here. Sample sack...maybe? heehee
In most yards of true southerners, there are huge mounds of oyster shells. These are the remnants of the 3 or 4 (80lb) sacks that are shucked at any given sitting. Folks just do NOT open 24 oysters. When the sacks come in, you might as well call it a party. Any one who is in the neighborhood can drop in for a fully dressed oyster po-boy or at least a handful of the fried oysters. No one bats an eye at the sharing of the food. It is all good. "Come on in and get a po-boy! We just shucked a few sacks and I'm fryin' them up right now! Sit yourself down and help yourself!" These words flow freely to any and all.
Any person who toted that miniature oyster sack to the back yard shucking bench would most likely wind up being the butt end of numerous jokes. It just would not fly here. Itty, bitty sack of oysters! Still, the sack will come in handy as a clue hunt prop so I guess it is all good. Now...I wonder how in the world I came into possession of the cute, little thing?? And why do the oysters printed on the sack look like evil eyes?
It is time to close it down for another year! We are late with this last running of the clue hunt as usually we never allow it to spill over into November. This year, we had to wait until Mark came home from work to get that final team together. It was perfect! We had a "throw together" team due to the fact that so many were either sick, out of town or just could not be here. Then in the midst of the hunt, a thunderstorm raged but that mattered not as the team was inside at the moment it hit. Despite the setbacks, the hunt went off without a glitch. The team did remarkably well with the puzzles and codes. They figured out the combinations, found keys for locked boxes, picked up bits and pieces of evidence to solve a murder mystery. AND...through all of this, I forgot to take photographs!
Now that this season has come to an end, it is time to pack up this hunt and get started on the next one. It takes us a full year to pull this event together! Son and I banter back and forth with ideas. We throw them out there, twist and turn them, flip them every which way possible and then decide on what we are to do. Once a theme is chosen, props are created and the puzzling gadgets are made. This is our fun time. We work for a solid year merely to see the smiles of the teams that choose to come to the Bayou and try their hand at coming out on top. The teams all do well with little help from us.
For the next few weeks, the Little Bayou House will be quiet. The hubbub that was October will settle into the peace of November then comes a busy December. In a way, I long for the cold, dreary days of January and February. It will be nice to have a break! Thanks for tagging along on our hunt again this year!
When you are doing something like a haunted house or, in my case, a clue hunt, decorations demand a bit of thinking. It is wise to plan out things far in advance then visit flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales since you never know what you might find that can be revamped into just what you need to set the mood. While my theme for the clue hunt this year was not creepy and did not take a lot of time, it still needed items that I do not normally keep at the Little Bayou House. Mark took me to thrift stores just about every week and we sifted through mountains of stuff to find just the right things to use. A masquerade ball requires "pretty" things not creepy. So, I went with prettily creepy!
Last night, something was added to my decor without my intentions. A floor lamp stand had been fitted with a hanging, beaded lamp from my daughter's room when she was a teenager. Yep. I still had it. The lamp was needed to bring ambiance to the "parlor". While I did put the lamp in place, I did NOT actually know how nicely the thing would fit. The lamp added a bit of flair to the room but the shadow added the ambiance! Quite by accident, I discovered that the lamp would cast a remarkable shadow into the darkened hallway when positioned in just the right spot! Ohh! Creepy! Or not...I think it is rather pretty!
Shadows are some of those things that can set the mood for any type of Halloween decorations. Shadows flitting across the porch wall and windows bring dread. Shadows in the corners of a room causes the light in the middle of the room to be a bit cozier. Shadows of lamps in the hallway...are just a happy accident!
This time of year, Halloween decorations are plastered everywhere. While I am all about the season, I am NOT all about some of the grisly items some folks deem as decorations. I mean, yes! Go for haunted, creepy, forlorn but you do not have to do gory. It may be ok if the only ones to see it are adults but little ones do not need to be exposed to gruesome things while they are out trick-or-treating. At least, cordon off the ugliness and make one section kid friendly. That said, I am not against having skeletons, ghosts, mummies, witches, Jack-O-Lanterns, black cats, bats etc...but it goes too far to see bloody body parts, torn out eyeballs and dolls made over to be zombies. Folks expose their tykes to this mess then wonder why in the world the kiddo is afraid of the dark! There is enough evil in this old world already. We do not need to smack our little ones with it on a holiday meant for them. Leave it be, folks. Leave it be.
Like I said, I am not against Halloween decorations. In fact, I decorate...or over decorate. The difference is, I use a lot of what I call "Implied Creep". Lighting, a few dusty antiques and..yes...plastic skulls or skeletons. It is just enough to make things creepy yet not gory. The clue hunts each year allow me to have fun with decorating. This year's theme is a murder at a masquerade ball. Elegance is needed...albeit creepy elegance. That said, the greenhouse is now an aviary/conservatory complete with tons of birds, plants and our resident hostess of the ball, Lady DeadMadam. She is attired in her lovely ball gown as she awaits her invited guests. In a way, the Lady DeadMadam looks quite demure as she coyly peers from behind her butterfly mask. I am not sure that anyone could possibly be frightened by our hostess. Although she has seen better days, she is still rather elegant.
So, folks, please consider the little kids that come to your door and set up a none gory spot for them. It can be full of fun decorations but not gory, bloody body parts that will leave a bad lasting impression on their young minds. Let them be tykes as long as they can.
It is well after midnight and I am exhausted so this will be a short post. Tonight was the first running of the Sixth Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou. It has been a long, hard go getting this hunt together as we have had several setbacks but tonight went off without a hitch. Every prop worked remarkably well! The first team was a group of lovely, young ladies who did extremely well working out all the enigmas that Son and I had set up. At the end, they all claimed that this was the most difficult hunt yet but they each had a delightful time. The best testimony?? They want to come back next year! Tomorrow night will be the second running so time will be short then, too. Have patience, friends, have patience!
Well, it is getting along that time of year that the Little Bayou House will be transformed into something entirely different than it usually is. September starts to see the change taking place and, by October 1st, the place will look remarkably different. Why? Well, October is the month of the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou, of course! So, about this time of year, my brain starts to come up with all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas of how to decorate. Each year, the theme is unique so the decorations have to be done from scratch. A few items may be reused but not many. Everything will be moved around, flipped upside down and generally in a state of discombobulation For the entire month, I will live in a fantasy world of clue hunt mania!
This year, we are solving a murder! It seems that our hostess, Lady DeadMadame, has met her demise at the hands of an evildoer and it is up to the clue hunt team members to solve the crime! This whole ordeal takes place at a masquerade ball so just guess how the Little Bayou House will be decorated for the next couple of months! It should be fun...I hope!
Since it was a rainy day, I figured it was a good time to get started on the decorations. The dining table will be in use for the clue hunt but I did not want to use my standard lighting so a "chandelier" of sorts was needed. Last night, I had a bright idea! I would create a cascading chandelier of mini lights and crystals. I had everything on hand to make this thing now I just had to do it. A strip of 2 inch wide board (52 inches long) was stained to match the beams above. Then cup hooks were screwed into the board at 2 inch intervals. Now came the fun. Stringing the crystals and other "sparkles" onto fishing line and attaching them to the hooks. A few strings of fairy lights and there you have it...one funky chandelier!
Now to get the thing hung from the beam above the dining table and at least that chore is complete. Between working on decorations and props, the storyline and clues all have to be created and set into place. There are no written clues but rather the team members have to use their wits to find "evidence" and tools to help them along the way. Son has been busy building puzzles, locked boxes and otherwise creating enigmas for our team members to solve. Oh, what fun we have on the Bayou! I love October!
Living on the Bayou, I have little opportunity to dress to the nines. I have always said that I am more a jeans and flannel shirt type girl and can see no use in "putting on airs" just to please anyone. Don't get me wrong, if the need arises, I clean up pretty good. Otherwise, I feel that the alligators and otters don't give a flying flip if I am wearing moccasins or high heels and, just so you will know, moccasins are a whole lot more comfortable! But, even though some would probably argue that it is highly needed, this makeover was not for me.
Last month, I was running short on time and inspiration for the Fourth Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou. I needed a treasure chest and I needed it fast! The brain was clicking furiously but no idea was developing. What could I use? I sat in my rocking chair pondering this fact. My feet were propped up on an old crate that once held cast iron skillets. Since the box was sturdy and a good size, I kept it to use just as I was now...as a foot rest. I looked at the box. Size...good. Condition...good. Aesthetics...terrible! I did not need "Wentzell's Cast Iron Ware" on the side of my treasure chest and that logo was burned into the wood, albeit, crookedly done. That had to go!
Sanding the box was easy. This got rid of most of the logo. A good coat of paint and antiquing did a fine job of covering the mess. Now for those decorations. I did not want to put too much time and effort into the box since I was running behind schedule as it was. So....a few metal "trinkets" that had been salvaged from hurricane debris so came into play. Those, a hasp and some rhinestones was all it took to give me the look I wanted. My treasure box was complete and ready to be filled. Of course, a padlock was needed to guard the treasures and make the chest a part of the hunt!
This whole makeover just goes to show that sometimes what we think is just an ugly old rock can be a jewel in disguise. My shabby crate turned into something a bit more elaborate and a lot more interesting with just a little "polish". It sort of pays to not to overlook something...or someone...just because of a few flaws. Those dents and dings tell a story but given a chance that rock can shine and sparkle.
During the month of October, the Little Bayou House and the surrounding outbuildings are usually transformed into something totally different than what they usually are. During this time, many changes are made to accommodate the Clue Hunt on the Bayou. This is a family/close friend oriented bit of entertainment that Son and I throw together (with lots of help from Mark and Darling Daughter, Elizabeth!) each year. It has been fun for all, it seems. This year, however, I had to scale back things a bit. Health issues stood in the way of any elaborate scheming so the hunt is limited to several rooms in the house, a bit of the yard and the greenhouse. Hopefully, next year will see my health vastly improved so I can go back to a more exciting hunt.
Still, there is an octopus in the greenhouse! Yep, for some strange reason, I decided that an octopus painting would be the perfect prop for one of the puzzles that needed to be solved to obtain a clue. The fact that it is an octopus has nothing at all to do with the clue hunt except that it has eight legs and eight is a lovely number! A scrap of plywood (actually about 2 feet by 3 feet!), lots of paint and a couple of afternoons were all that was required to get my friend octopus in order....at least for my part. Son, on the other hand, had to deal with the mechanical part of the puzzle and, as usual, he did an outstanding job of interpreting my "dream". The prop works like a charm! (Yes, dream. Most of the puzzles we make come to me in dreams. No wonder I am always tired in the morning! I work all night!)
Since Son hung the octopus in the greenhouse back in September, I have grown accustomed to it being there when I go in to water the plants. It will seem strange to remove it once the hunt is over at the end of the month. I am pondering....just what do you do with a huge board painted with a sea creature?? Where should I put this guy? Perhaps the octopus will become a permanent fixture in the greenhouse since it would seem a tad out of place in the Little Bayou House. I could live with that! The octopus in my greenhouse...pretty fun, if you ask me!
With the start of the first clue hunt of the season bearing down on me, I think everything is ready to go....I hope. I hope that I have not forgotten to do something important like set the clues! Today, the main focus was on the tea party for the guests. I baked lots of pretty party foods that would be suitable for the theme and had fun setting the table with dishes that I do not normally use. Since I am a bit more "country clunky" (to use one of Mom's terms), fine china and crystal rarely (if ever) get used here in the Little Bayou House. BUT! This is a tea party! So everything has to be fit for the Queen, even if that queen reigns only over the Bayou.
Speaking of tables, there are two other tabletops filled with the most odd assortment of trinkets. These tablescapes are to be examined by the team members. Perhaps, hidden amongst the oddities, there are a few clues that will lead them to other places. Can you spot the clues? Nope, there are no written clues in my hunts. The players have to be astute and find clues where none seem to be hidden. An item simply "out of place" could be the answer to finding the next clue. A series of locked boxes, mind puzzles and tools will come into play during their search for answers. In previous hunts, the teams have done well and solved the mysteries that abound on the Bayou. They have solved murders, escaped locked rooms and debunked legends. This year, things are a bit different. This is the first time that they will actually be hunting a treasure!
So, the table is set, the food is prepared and the clues are all in place. The stage is set and I am just waiting for the role-players to arrive. This should be fun for all...me, especially!
" Have a tea party! I'll help! It will be fun!" Darling Daughter made this enthusiastic announcement way back in January when we were discussing this year's clue hunt. Each year, I serve some sort of meal to each team to be eaten while I discuss rules and regulations, give a few hints on how to solve the mystery and generally welcome my guests. Since this year's hunt revolves around an eccentric old lady (me!), Elizabeth burst forth with her idea of the tea party. I reiterate here..."I'll help!" Hmmm. Now that it is time for the first team to come to the Little Bayou House, Darling Daughter is half way around the world on a vacation. Was that perfect timing or what? "It'll be fun!" Hmm....yeah. It might be fun if I knew what I was doing throwing a tea party! Let me make a pot of red beans and rice, let me stir up a vat of gumbo, let me fry a few fish and make hushpuppies...don't ask me to host a tea party!
Seriously, though, I do not mind. It will be fun...I hope. And...with any tea party, you have to have teacups and teapots. This was the easy part. I have a lot of odd teacups and saucers so setting the table was fine. Those teapots, though, just about overwhelmed me. I did not realize that I owned so many of those things. I literally have a collection of teapots! Why do I have this fine collection? I have no clue. I think perhaps I do not own the collection. More like, it owns me. It seems that teapots, like a lot of other items in the house, come to visit and forget to leave. Their visits linger on and on until they become permanent fixtures. I have more teapots than Carter has liver pills. There are teapots from neighbors, teapots from mom, teapots from grandmother, teapots from great-grandmother and even one from a great-aunt's sister. (I never met her but I have her teapot!) So, what better time to use these odd teapots than tomorrow evening at the first run of the clue hunt! The tea party is on and a bunch of little old ladies of the past are going to be present....at least their teapots will be!......."It will be fun!", she said.
After a couple of rain-free days, the clouds are looming on the horizon once again. Not that I mind as a bit of rain would be good for the garden and would also give me a chance to work on decorations for the upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou. October (and the hunt) is not creeping up on me. It is coming on like a herd of elephants at a full stampede pace. I definitely need a few rainy days to complete things indoors. So...bring on the rain!
Speaking of the clue hunt and all of its preparations, things are going pretty well. The Little Bayou House has received its makeover in most rooms. The transformation from a livable, working home to a musty, dusty manor of a quirky old lady (me!) has been a fun one. Face it..not everyone gets to totally make over their house for a one month duration. The clue hunt allows me to do that!
It is not often that I have the opportunity to do things "off the wall" so I seem to go to the extreme when given the chance. To me, it is amazing how ordinary items can take on a new persona just by placing them in a new setting. Over one of our dining room tables (yes, I have two distinct dining areas besides the eat-in kitchen), we have a rather funky light. The light was meant to hang in a vaulted ceiling foyer but since I can never do things normally (according to my kids), I decided it should become a chandelier over the table. There was just one trouble. It was too plain! The light needed some "bling" for this clue hunt so I scavenged the thrift stores for odd pieces of jewelry that would catch and reflect the light. This worked wonders! The light now has a definite eclectic and eccentric look about it! This unconventional look will have all my guests pondering if the light holds a clue. Does it? I will never tell!
Living on the Bayou, we see alligators of all sizes. The sightings never cease to be thrill for me since I really like these critters. There is a certain majestic air about each one from the quite large bull to the itty-bitty baby. I admit that I do get a tad irked when they decide to crush my crab pots but I figure that they are trying to survive much like I am. It just so happens that we both have a taste for crabs and fish. But there comes a time when gator hunting becomes a necessity and that time has arrived.
No, I am not in a rage against my critters. I really NEED a gator! This October's clue hunt on the Bayou is in the works and, well, what is a Bayou without a gator? Mark and I are searching high and low for a life-like alligator to use as a prop but are not having much luck. There are a ton of vinyl alligators on the market but since our budget is limited, we are having a tough time finding one that is within our range. The price of most of these gators exceeds the limit I put on the overall cost of props! Plus, I sort of want this critter to at least look a tad real. It is required (by me) NOT to have some silly smirk on its face! Menacing teeth are a must but NO SILLY GRINS!
So, the hunt is on and I am bound and determined to bag my gator! If not, I will have to con my cousin, Michelle, into sweet talking one of these wild gators into cooperating. It should not be too hard for the local gator whisperer to convince one to pose for me! Oh, Michelle! I have a job for you! One gator....one month...friendly posing! Come to think of it, this would most likely be easier for her to do than for us to find a vinyl gator that looks remotely real! (For those who do not know my cousin...she is amazing! And, yes, she really does swim with, hand feed and has even kissed a gator! She does have a way with wildlife!)
The Little Bayou House has been transformed into some weirdly beautiful place for the Second Annual Clue Hunt. Nothing, I repeat, nothing looks like it did just two days ago. Everything that was not nailed down has found a new place to reside to make room for items that have long been stashed away in trunks, closets and cedar chests. Now the place is fitting to host the Edgar Allan Poe themed gala!
A few of the items put out for display were not intended for use during this clue hunt but, for one reason or another, they just seemed to shout out at me when I came across them. One such thing was a doily made by Mark's grandmother. Momie, as she was lovingly called, crocheted all sorts of fanciful doilies and I was the lucky recipient of a very special one. This large, multicolored one was her favorite. Her giving it to me made me feel as if perhaps, I was "her" favorite as well. Maybe favorite is too strong of a word for this but at least I feel that she must have cared for me a bit. I was (and still am) honored by the gesture. I adored this lady and sorely miss her at times.
Momie's crocheting was the envy of many folks. She could take string from flour sacks and make beautiful table toppers! Many of which she donated to her church to sell in their fundraisers. Hers were always the first to sell and that speaks volumes of her work. The doily that I now own is huge. It stretches nearly three feet in diameter and is crocheted entirely out of "scrap" string. She used remnant thread from other projects to make this one. Hundreds and hundreds of stitches make up the rounds and these were done with the arthritic hands of a lady in her 90's.
I pulled the doily from the cedar chest and decided that it had been stowed away for far too long. I thought of how Momie would be tickled pink to know that I still had it after all these years and how, now, it was going to be used during such a fun event. She loved things like this party and would have been so excited to be a part of it....and she is. With the use of such items, I feel that a lot of folks are smiling and enjoying the fun that is happening in the Little Bayou House!
I often have this uncanny feeling that I might have been born in the wrong era. Not that I am complaining since it really would not help matters one iota. My fascination with things that, say, my great-grandmother would have worn or used just fuels the imagination. As I prepare for the upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou, I am scavenging all sorts of goodies from every nook and cranny of the Little Bayou House. Things that I have forgotten for many years are coming to surface as if to say "Here I am! Use me!" So I am.
Most clue hunts that I write are set in the mid 1800s. Perhaps my brain is drawing me back to that time era for a reason. I don't know but I am thrilled with each item I find that will serve as a decoration of some sort. Today, I was hunting for something to use in a "lady's boudoir". When I opened one old trunk that has been sitting tightly closed for nigh on twenty years, I was pleasantly surprised to find clothes! Lots of clothes! And one very special dress that was perfect. The dress in question was one from the heyday of Old Biloxi. The Elmer Family was a quite elite family hereabouts so it only stands to reason that the ladies of the family would only wear the finest. This dress fell into that category. The whole trunk of clothing came from the last few remaining Elmer ladies back in the 1960s. Pop used to do work for these little old ladies and they would often send items home with him. At one point, they told him to "clean the storeroom" and to haul everything to the dump. The stuff came home with Pop! I am so glad that Mom had the insight not to part with so many treasures from days of old. The trunk was eventually passed on to me and once again I became the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things".
The dress in question was made of purple satin and gorgeous handmade lace. The lining has deteriorated beyond repair but the rest is in quite good condition. (I would love to have it restored to its prime some day soon!) This purple dress started the wheels a-turning and the imagination soon took control of my brain. I was daydreaming of fancy balls where the ladies and gentlemen were refined and the grandeur of the event was talked about for months afterward. It is hard to believe that at one time, Biloxi actually was the site of such panache.
Since finding the dress, the lady of my clue hunt has been elevated from almost poverty stricken to someone of perfect elegance and sophistication! To keep up with appearances she wears only the finest of gowns and those were most likely imported from Paris! She has class and is the perfect Southern Belle. Yep, it is amazing how one find can change a lot of things! Oh, how I wish I could have worn that dress at some point in my life! Oh, how I wish I could have lived back in that era. Oh, how I wish...nah, I guess I am happy just where I am but it doesn't hurt to dream now and again!
The Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou is drawing nigh so the Little Bayou House is quickly taking on a different facade. Instead of the comfortable cottage-look, we are now living in some surreal world of Gothic visions and highly ornate surroundings. Although this is most different than how I am accustomed to living, it almost feels as if this is how it is supposed to be. Today, I kicked it into high gear and added more dark "glamour" to the house. Sheer bed curtains, tapestry coverlets, black lace tablecloths and crystal...lots of crystal! Yep, this is about as opposite of how I normally live as you can get but, as I said, it feels comfortable.
I scavenged about and found some unique table settings that should make my "detectives" feel as though I set a most elegant table for their pleasure. A small repast is always provided for the participants but this time it will be a tad different. Without giving away too many clues, I can safely say that this should pique the curiosities of those coming to visit this next week!
I am thrilled to open the doors to the groups that are attending. There should be several nights of fun intermingled with a bit of fear. Excitement builds! I extend a hearty welcome to those that will attend...."Shall we dine?"
