She is a good one!

   As is my habit, I rise well before the sky begins to lighten in the east.  This gives me time to collect my thoughts over that first mug of coffee.  The cat and I tend to be the only two awake at the bright and early time of 4am so we have the place more or less to ourselves. After breakfast for both of us, he goes his way and I go mine.  His way is prowling around to find any lackadaisical night critters that he can "hurry on their way" and my way is prowling the gardens to see what work needs to be done.  Usually, there is just enough light by the time we exit the house to feel relatively safe against those "larger night critters".

  This morning, it was necessary to drag the hose about the gardens.  The heat and drought have been brutal to the plants even with my efforts to help.  Sometimes, I think I am just prolonging the suffering of the plants but it pains me to know they so desperately need the cooling water.  While hosing down the last remaining zinnias, a slight movement was enough for me to put down the hose.  A praying mantis was clinging to one of the zinnia stalks as it searched for breakfast.  Ahh, my friend!  I love these critters and was only too happy that Bat, the cat, had made his way down the hill to the pier.  The mantis would live to see another day.  

  While pondering the mantis, this morning, it dawned on me that, while I love them, they are kin to two of my least favorite critters!  Praying mantes are kin to both cockroaches and termites. Those, I can fully do without...especially the termites as they are in the process of eating, not only the Little Bayou House, but every tree on the property.  (Yes, LIVE trees.)  In all fairness, however, the mantis would gladly dine on either of the other so perhaps I just need more of these critters.

  It was not long before the praying mantis made its way deeper into the zinnia bed and well out of sight of the cat.  Now it just had to be watchful of the little ribbon snake that also inhabits the gardens.  Life is not the easiest.  

Oh, How Fortunate!

  I always figured that the Bayou could be seen as my little piece of paradise.  The Little Bayou House is nestled back from the main road and the lane twists and turns as it meanders through the woods.  Our place is sort of isolated since the Bayou is on the east, the Back Bay is on the south, the woods is on the north and my brother's place is to our west.  People visitors are far and few between.  Critter visitors, however, abound.  Some, we like.  Others...well, we could do without.

  This morning as I was wandering about the hillside, I noticed a critter high up under the eaves of the shed.  This shed sits near the canebrake so it does not surprise me that a myriad of critters are in the area. This one was one of those "could do without" ones.  A huge cockroach was settled in for the daytime hours up near the roof edge.  Being nocturnal, the roach was ready for a day's sleep before becoming active again.  This was a Smokeybrown Cockroach so it was rather large. Not one that I want anywhere near the house!  

  I got to thinking about roaches and did a bit of research.  There are nearly 3000 species of roaches in the world!  That is enough to give just about anyone a good case of the willies!  Thankfully, we can pare that number down to 50 species living in the United States.  Still, that is far too many for me!  Then, I read how fortunate we are down here in the Deep South!  We only have 4 species of the nasties in our area!!  Somehow, that still did not make me feel joyous.  Having any roaches at all is not to my liking.

  The Smokeybrown Cockroach is one that prefers to live in wooded areas.  Key word here is "prefers".  They will move indoors given the opportunity so it is best to keep up with any roach eradication methods that are in effect.  With the size of this critter, I am thinking perhaps we should double or maybe triple our efforts!