Where Did All The Water Go?

   It is a well-known fact that a strong north wind can drive the water lower than usual in the Bay.  Sometimes during the winter months, our pier sits "high and dry" with nary a puddle beneath it.  Mud...that stinky, sloppy mud...surrounds everything and anything that was hidden by the dark waters is evident.  Tree limbs, derelict crab pots, even old boat parts are left visible once the tide is extremely low.  I have lived near this Bayou my entire life and have witnessed that old wind drive the water sometimes a good hundred feet from the pier's end.  The water returns with the next high tide if the winds have subsided but that lack of water does indeed put a kink in any fishing plans!  

  Saturday morning, the tide was at its low at around 7:30 in the morning.  We had an incoming cold front so the winds were out of the north and were sustained around 18mph.  Yes, the tide was low...really low!  Mark actually took pictures and made the remark that it was "the lowest I have ever seen!"  I checked and had to agree.  That water was way out there!  It was interesting to see but, since I had no plans of fishing, the phenomenon soon flitted from the brain.  There was no use in pondering low tide....until a few hours later....those few hours made a bigger impact.

  Around noon, Mark made a trip to deliver a pot of beef stew to a sweet old lady.  While he was gone, I glanced out the window and was taken aback.  Where did all the water go?  It was low tide before but this was getting ridiculous!  There was absolutely NO water!  I mean NOOO water at all!  I hurriedly made my way to the end of the pier to check this further.  There literally was no water!  The entire part of the Bay known as Magnolia Bend" (our part!) was nothing but mudflats!  I peered across to the air base...there...there was a wee bit of water in the industrial channel that runs parallel to the opposite shoreline.  That water seemed to be nigh on a mile away!  In fact, if you look closely at the photos that I took, you will see a glistening streak on the far shore.  THAT is the only water in our whole Magnolia Bend area.  The rest of what is seen is mud...purely mud.

  As I sat there pondering the lack of water, I had to giggle because, just last week, Mark made the comment that he would like to extend our pier so we would be in "deeper water".  Yeah, right!  I guess a mile long pier would be fine just so we can fish in that channel so very far away!  I am thinking he would be better off just jumping in that little skiff and puttering over there.   North winds and low tides are always going to be a thing around here but we just have to take it as it comes.  (I have to admit that I much prefer this type tide over the tidal surge that comes with a hurricane.  This one leaves no messy debris piled in the yard!)

Happy Roses

   A month ago, we had several hard freezes for this far south.  The temperatures dropped into the teens which seems frigid to us.  We are not accustomed to such weather!  The usual preparations were made for us to "hunker down" against the cold.  An extra stockpile of firewood for the woodstoves, lights in the pumphouse, bushels of citrus fruits picked and plants moved into the greenhouse (even though it was a makeshift shelter).  Normally since these freezes do not last long, I never think about moving rose bushes to warmer areas but I had a dozen or so cuttings in pots that were just starting to do well so, in they went.  I promptly forgot about them as they hid among the hundred or so other plants.  

  Imagine my surprise when I found that those tiny plants were not only thriving but blooming!  Yep!  Several of the small plants were showing their appreciation for the snug shelter by setting lovely blooms!  It was a welcome sight among the normal drear of winter.

  This week, the weather seems like spring so the plants will all return to the proper "summer" spots and I shall hope for the best.  The temporary greenhouse will be deconstructed and stowed just in case it is needed next year.  The plants will be on their own for the next ten months or so.  Hopefully, the overwintering will give these roses that needed boost to flourish.  Also, hopefully, this is not a "false" spring and I will regret my moves.  

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.  

Too Much Like Pop

  The drear has returned.  The morning started with heavy clouds and a light drizzly rain.  It was just enough to make hiking miserable so instead of my usual rounds, I headed to the greenhouse.  I had to tidy that up a bit so I could find a place for the few trays of tiny tomato and pepper plants.  I made the mistake of planting early.  Mom always warned Pop of the "Easter freeze" but he never listened either.  Growing up on the farm it was not uncommon to see us scrambling to cover the new plants in the field.  I should have learned.  At least, I have the greenhouse with 24 tomatoes and just as many peppers whereas Pop had hundreds of each set in the fields.

  This morning, the sunrise didn't happen and all I could find of interest was a lone mottled duck sitting on the pier.  This confused me a bit because these usually are in pairs.  It made me wonder if the female was already laying eggs somewhere nearby.  Perhaps the ducks were not prepared for the "Easter freeze" either.  They were probably just as confused by the 80 degree days lately.  Time for spring!

  Hopefully, this cold spell will not hurt the fruit trees that are in full bloom nor the spring flowers that are shooting out buds.  Also, hopefully, this IS our "Easter freeze" and there will not be another come next month.  For that...we shall have to wait and see and, for that...I may be scrambling to cover plants in the garden and not just moving trays of seedlings.  I will never learn.  I am too much like Pop.

Cold and Colorful!

   Yesterday was gray.  The sun never made even an attempt to show its face.  We had a winter storm pass through with all the trimmings.  The day started cold, ended cold and had cold in between.  Sleet was the precipitation that came with the storm so a nice coating of ice ruled.  The day was gray...just gray.

  Today, however, started cold with the temperatures in the teens but it did not matter.  Mr. Sun was in all his glory!  The bright sunrays chased away thoughts of cold even though the thermometer said it did not want to participate.  So, what did I do with this abundance of sunshine?  I uncovered the garden. The cabbages that I did not cover fared well so I figured that the entire garden needed sunshine as much as I did.  Everything is now out in the open even though we are expected to have a few more days of cold.  

  While I was toting an armload of kindling for the old woodstoves, I noticed the sun making pretty with the window panes in the french doors.  The floor was covered with rainbows from the prisms.  What a happy, colorful sight after the gray of yesterday.  Today was colorful!  In fact, it was every color splashed all over the floor!  Oh, Mr. Sun!  Thank you ever so much.  It is too bad you have to disappear again tomorrow.  

  Yep, we are in for yet more storms complete with high winds, possible hail and tornadoes.  Then...more cold.  The Bayou just cannot catch a break from storms!  At least, these are winter storms and not hurricanes!  Oh, please....NOT YET!

Time to Fold!

   While I normally love winter and its attempt at being cold here, this year, I am feeling it.  I feel cold.  I am cold.  Since I am feeling it, I pondered if the critters are doing the same.  This afternoon, I watched as a Great Egret perched itself on one of the pier posts.  Today was warm but how does that long, lanky bird keep warm during the cold spells?  Short, stocky birds simply find a place out of the wind and fluff out their feathers.  They tuck their heads deep into the downy feathers and squat on their legs and feet.  The airspace between the feathers acts as insulation keeping them warm.  The egrets and herons do not have that much of a tucking ability. Think about those long legs and that thin neck.  Where would you tuck that many skinny body parts?

  Egrets do tuck their necks into a "S' fold and lay it flat on their chest.  The feathers fluff out to form a cushiony blanket.  The legs are often folded back and the bird can squat on them enough to provide some warmth when resting.  When hunting or stalking food, the bird stands knee deep in water and is motionless.  To remedy that, the birds have a special system of arteries and veins that literally work to warm each other.  The blood pumped through is enough to help the bird keep from freezing while it wades in the water.  All herons also have special feathers that keep growing.  The tips of these feathers break off to produce something called powder down or feather dust.  This dust helps to waterproof the feathers so the bird can stay dry.  Being dry goes a long way in helping with warmth.  Most egrets will also seek out a sheltered place to spend the night or during particularly rough weather.  

  Later this week, we are predicted to have almost tropical storm force winds, lots of rain and generally stormy weather that is supposed to end with a cold front sliding into the area.  My critter friends will be using all of their survival skills during this time.  While the herons and egrets will still have to hunt for their breakfast, a shot of birdseed will be put out to help the songbirds.  Folks, be kind to wild critters.  They do not have the cozy warm homes that we do.  Leaving a brush pile or thick hedge helps the birds stay warm.  Be kind!

Coming Cold

   Earlier I had to just take a break from cleaning out the greenhouse.  Exhaustion demands such, at times.  When the roof and windows blew out due to hurricane winds, it left all sorts of stuff inside that did not need to be there.  It was time to take a break from clearing the yard and clear the building. I started at daybreak and worked on through lunch before emptying it.  With it being, more or less, open to the elements, critters have taken a liking to the space.  That meant that I had to "decritter" it, as well.  It was during that break that I strolled down to the marsh edge.  I needed the peace that only the Bayou waters can bring.  While there, I noticed a flock of geese flying over the Bay.  They were headed west.  While a lot of folks look for the geese to be migrating before winter sets in, these geese were not foretelling the onset of cold weather.  They were merely heading to supper provided by my cousin, Michelle.  These fine feathered friends will not leave the area for parts unknown.  They stay here year round.  Those fat bellies give them no reason to go anywhere!

  The clearing of the greenhouse does foretell of a cold snap.  I had today (and today only) to get the place somewhat repaired for the plants.  The rains have settled over the Bayou and will be here for the next four days.  Then, we are looking at the first frost of the season.  That frost, while not bad on the vegetable garden, will be harsh on the few tropical, potted plants that survived the hurricane.  The Night Blooming Cereus plants will need special care for the next few months.  

  The greenhouse is as best that I can get it due to the amount of work that would involve to totally repair it.  My attempts will have to suffice.  A tarp roof may not be the best option but it will keep the plants from suffering frost burn.  Perhaps, this will buy me a little time before any hard freezes hit us.  Work...always work.  

It Tried....

  A few years back, we had a very hard freeze for this far south.  Normally, the Deep South's winters are warm and to have a hard freeze for any a length of time is devastating.  This time, the temperatures nosedived to the low teens and stayed that way for 3 days.  It was hard.  Not so much hard for us as we have the two woodburning stoves to keep the Little Bayou House cozy but hard on the critters of the Bayou and on the plants.  Our citrus trees took a beating.  I was ready to call it quits and chop the whole grove out and use the trees as firewood.  The wise words of Son kept me from doing that.  The trees did come back and only a few had major problems.  Our lime trees and lemon trees came back as something between.  They were not limes.  They were not lemons.  We dubbed them "limons".   It fit as the taste was sort of a blend between the two. 

  The trees did well and produced heavily but not nearly so as this year.  This spring, the branches were snow white with blossoms!  Then, the small fruit appeared and the poor trees were overloaded.  Suddenly, every leaf on our limon trees dropped!  The fruit remained but nary a leaf was on the trees.  Finally, the fruit fell to the ground during a high wind.  The limons were knotty, heavily seeded and bitter.  Not a one was worth eating.

  This afternoon as I was out hiking, my path took me through the citrus grove.  The limon trees all have died.  The trees are dried and brittle.  This got me to pondering about all of those inedible fruits.  Obviously, the trees were laboring and knew that it was time to try reproducing.  By making so many seeds, the trees had a chance of at least a few sprouting.  These would replace the dead trees during that circle of life thing.  

  I will miss the limon trees but will take the opportunity to tidy up the grove a bit before replacing the trees.  All of the citrus trees need a good fertilizing and perhaps some pruning.  Now is a good time to get busy.  Son...this time, they've got to go.  There is no "willing" them back to life any more.

It's not easy being a cat!

  It seems as if there is a never-ending parade of cats that visit the Bayou.  Most are the typical "throwaway" pets that people no longer want because of one reason or another.  "They are too moody."  "I do not have time." "She keeps having kittens."  "There is cat hair on the furniture."  These are some of the whiny excuses that people tell me all the time.  None are reasons...they are whiny excuses for a person doing a mean thing.  Most house cats never make it in the wild.  There are too many predators out there that would love to dine upon "Fluffy".  Yep, that is hard to hear but, yep, it is true.  I have come across the remnants of "Fluffy" more times than I can count and it is never pretty and always heartbreaking.  Don't want to make the commitment...don't get a pet.  Simple. It has never bothered me to take in yet another stray animal.  They come, stay and live out their lives with us.  It does bother me that folks do see pets as something that can be discarded on a whim.

  Ms. Nycto came to the Bayou years ago.  She was as skinny as a rail, flea infested and sweet as a button!  She endeared herself to us immediately and no matter how I tried to find her original owners, no one ever claimed her.  She claimed us.  This sweet cat roams the house, goes out to bask in the sunshine and now rules the roost.  The Bayou Princess gets her choice of sleeping quarters whether it be on my bed, beside the dog or outside of Son's bedroom door. (He does not let her sleep on his bed because she has a habit of drooling...a lot.)  She, also, has the typical cat affinity for boxes.  Let a box be found...and a cat will be found.  

  This morning, I started cleaning out the dressers and came across nigh on a hundred socks.  (Hubby seems to have an affinity for clothes including socks!)  Out of this hundred or so, only about twenty were in sets.  The rest were loose socks.  I started pairing up the socks and tossed some of them in an empty box that once held sweet potatoes.  Since I was changing out the entire dressers, the box set unmoved.  Now, it is not a sweet potato box full of socks but, rather, a cat bed.  Ms. Nycto has laid claim to the nice soft box of socks!  Obviously, she figures that a warm place is needed to tide her over through this cold spell and a box full of socks is ideal. 

  No problems.  She can snooze to her heart's content.  No one needs that many socks anyway!  I will, however, miss her warming my feet at night.

She's Back!

  She is back!  And she is most welcome to stay.  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, has a way of endearing herself to those that are lucky enough to earn her favor.  If she likes you, she lets you know.  If she does not, she ignores you.  I have been "chosen" as the indoor second in favoritism.  She has been quite straightforward that Son is her "first".  She adores him so much so that she follows him everywhere.  But, as I said, I am the second favorite....while she is inside...and it is cold.  Then, she is "my" cat.

  All winter, Ms. Nycto elected to sleep at the foot of my bed.  This is nice as I am notorious for having cold feet at night.  I guess the circulation is poor or I am lacking certain vitamins...whatever.  The cat and her long fluffy fur went a long way in keeping me comfortable on winter nights.  Along about 4am, however, Ms. Nycto would worm her way up near my face for an hour of snuggles before fully demanding that I feed her.  We had a ritual of sleep, snuggles and snacks.  It was perfect for the two of us!

  Then, spring bounced in and my fickle cat moved herself upstairs to the guest bedroom.  There, she sprawled out on the queen-sized bed and the "Princess" became her own grand self.  I felt abandoned.  So much so that for several nights, I could not sleep.  I missed her presence.  I missed the loud, all-night purring.  I missed my foot-warmer and my alarm clock.  It did not seem right to be able to squirm about the bed without worry that I might kick the cat.  

  Well, that lasted for about two weeks.  Mother Nature is playing a trick on us by sending us an April Fool's joke.  The days are dreary rain and the nights are cold again.  I love it!  Why?  Because Ms. Nycto is back next to me again.  Her purring is soothing and my feet are warm.  There is nothing like a cat to make things seem perfect with the world.

They are confused

  Things can get in a turmoil when get they get toppled.  A bit of discombobulation throws everything into a tizzy.  Our one day of winter, has the trees so confused that some are starting to bud.  Yep.  One day of winter is all it took.  The temperatures dipped to freezing overnight but by this afternoon, the bright sunshine made the trees think spring has sprung.  

  I was out clearing the garden space and pruning back some of the fruit trees but when I came to the peach trees, I was flabbergasted!  Those goofy things were setting buds and a few blooms had already opened.  Well, I have news for them!  According to the weather people, it is going to get cold here again in a couple of days.  I sure hope those peach blossoms have winter coats otherwise there will be no peaches come summertime.

  Weather here on the Bayou can go from one extreme to the other in a matter of hours.  While we do not have the frigid temperatures nor the mountains of snow, we do get "cold spells".  These, however, never last long and we go back to nigh on summertime.  I get confused so it is no wonder that the plants do the same.  Hang on there, peach trees!  Winter ain't over yet!  You are going to be shaking in your boots and there is nothing I can do to help you!

The Big Ball of Fluff

  The weather is acting a bit out of the norm for the Deep South.  It is cold.  We are not accustomed to cold.  We live in an area of high heat and high humidity.  Cold is different.  I like it.  I could get used to not feeling as if I have a bubble of steam surrounding me.  I could get used to not sweating.  It is amazing!  This does not mean that I am not taking measures to warm the place.  The old wood stove is chugging along quite nicely.  The stovepipe on the rooftop is sending out poofs of smoke like an old time train engine.  Armloads of firewood are being toted in to fill the wood bin and I actually have on a sweatshirt instead of a t-shirt!  Again...I like it!

  While this weather may suit me, I am not sure the Bayou Princess is in agreement.  Ms. Nycto is a spoiled house cat.  She came to live with us quite by accident after being abused and dumped out on the road.  She wandered to the Little Bayou House and never left.  The adjustment was an easy one for us but not so much on her.  While we welcomed her with open arms, she had big shoes...errr...paws to fill.  The Bayou Queen, Ms. Put, (RIP) was a working cat that kept the place free of rodents, she stayed outside by choice and would only occasionally need attention.  Ms. Nycto, on the other hand, is just a big ball of fluff that would rather snooze on the bed and eat canned food than do any type chore.  She does, however, want to be outside during the daytime hours.  That is a bit of her undoing.  She begged to go outside early this morning only to find that it had turned a bit chilly overnight.  The decision to remain outside was a hard one but one she chose.  An hour later, I found her huddled near the greenhouse door with fur fluffed at its fluffiest!  Poor baby was not entirely happy with her decision.  

  It was not long before she was back at the front door meowing at me to open it for her.  Once inside, she made a beeline for the upstairs where she could nestle down in the big comforter on the bed.  Yes, she is spoiled but, then again, what does a princess expect?  

Oh, how I have missed you!

  They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.   I can attest that it is true.  Being apart does, indeed, make a love stronger.  The yearning for togetherness is hard.  Then, when the separation is over, joy takes over again!  I know...been there and done that...I have missed you, dear bottle of sourdough starter!  You should have never left me but I am glad that you are back where you belong.  Life is good.  

  For years and years, a bottle of sourdough starter sat on the counter bubbling its way into my heart.  Breads of all sorts endeared themselves to me by sating the hunger pangs and, well, just tasting so delicious!  On one trip to Georgia to see the  Grandlittles, the starter up and died.  "Feed and take out the dog.  Feed and let the cat out.  Water the plants."  Such instructions were handed to Son when we walked out the door but not one mention was made to "Feed the sourdough starter."  The thing literally starved to death!  When we returned, I tried my best to revive the bottle of baking goodness but nothing happened.  I fed the starter but it was in vain.  Poor starter was dead.  Gone.  Kaput!  Never to be bubbly again.

  With all else I have been doing lately, I had forgotten all about sourdough bread until this morning. With our first cold front of the season putting a nice chill on the Bayou, I wanted to bake. On, my goodness!  Sourdough/cheese biscuits would be a delightful breakfast.  Oops!  Having no sourdough starter put a nix on that idea.  

  So, there was nothing else to do but mix together a new batch of starter.  Of course, I will have to wait for about ten days before the stuff is ready to be used, but, at least, I will have it when I wish to bake.  As soon as I covered the already bubbling jar, I had a request for a "start" of starter!  Yep.  I am willing to share.  Yep.  It is a good idea to share since this stuff will multiply exponentially if you do not bake every other day or so.  Yep.  I missed you, sourdough starter!  I am glad to have you back.

Looking On The Bright Side

  We had several hard freezes this past winter.  Not many but enough that it caused problems and is still causing problems.  In the Deep South, it is not uncommon to see citrus trees growing in our yards.  Usually, the lack of winter cold makes for fine growing for these trees but that one cold snap that sees the temperatures drop in the teens for a few days harms the trees.  This year, we had a few of those hard freezes that damaged the citrus trees.  In spite of my efforts to protect the trees, a good many of the limbs were killed.  My citrus grove looks terrible but there is nothing to do but trim back the limbs and hope for the best.

  Recently, I was out wandering behind the house when a delightful aroma wafted through the air.  Ahh, citrus blossoms!  Yep, the satsuma trees were blooming on the few branches that remained green! This sight gave me hope that at least the trees would attempt regrowth!

  The blooms that I inspected looked good and had the tiny oranges intact.  No, we will not have a bumper crop this year.  No, the grapefruit trees do not have blooms nor do the navel oranges and lime trees but the satsumas and lemons are bursting forth with new leaves and blooms!  Somehow, that makes things all better.  

  There is nothing like a tiny leaf or blossom to make you realize that life goes on regardless of hardships.  That one step forward is all it takes to make things better.  I figure if a rag-tag tree that has been put through the mill can grace the yard with its heavenly scent, then I can face whatever is thrown at me.  Here's to looking on the bright side!

Poor Little Thing....

  The harsh winter weather that we have been feeling here on the Bayou is bad enough for people.  We whine and complain about how cold it is and how the wind chills us to the bone all the while, sitting in our warm, snug houses.  While it is bad for us, think about the critters.  We receive constant reminders to "bring pets indoors" but what about the wild critters?  They have to fend for themselves during these harsh times.  Our pets have become lackadaisical in their survival skills since we have provided everything from food to a soft, warm bed for them.  Most would not survive on their own nowadays.  They have become "soft" and would not have a clue as to finding food, sensible shelter and protection from predators.  In our kindness, we truly have not done the pets any favors.  When, (God forbid!) one should become lost or separated from the family, it likely will succumb to the elements due to the very protection we have always given it. Not that this is bad.  Don't get me wrong...I am all for making life the best for our furry friends but I was just trying to drive home a point.  These harsh times are strenuous on the wild critters out there.  If a critter is fragile or weak, it will most likely die cold and hungry.  Sad to say but true.  It all goes back to that "survival of the fittest".

  Our winters here are fickle.  We can have frigid, pipe-bursting, ice-coating storms that cause us to shiver and shake then, three days later, we are barefoot and sweating.  This erratic weather pattern confuses, not only folks like me, but most critters, as well.  They do not know whether to hunker down in a warm den or start nesting.  I was out gathering firewood today when I spied something that saddened me a bit.  The spurt of warm weather after the last Arctic blast brought out a number of critters that would have been well-advised to stay dormant a bit longer.  Spring is not here.  A tiny butterfly wing fluttered in the north wind.  The poor little thing obviously had thought spring was here and crawled out of its cocoon.  This was the wrong move as its life was cut short but the current blast of cold.  The small, yellow butterfly had met its demise due to the plunging temperatures last night.  Bitter cold weather took its toll on the fragile being.  Hopefully, our next bout of warmer weather will not encourage other critters to take the same plunge as this butterfly.  Hunker down, little critters!  We have more winter yet to come.

 

 

Winter Provisions

  While it seems that the possums and coons love the wild persimmons as much as I do, they have been kind enough to leave a few dangling on the trees.  These fine, one inch-sized fruits are the perfect snack to find along the path while out hiking.  Down by the east side of the property, I intentionally let the persimmon trees grow where they will.  The seedlings pop up wherever a seed hits the ground and the sandy soil there seems to agree with them.  In a couple of years, the little trees start setting fruit.  The pathway has dozens of the trees scattered along its way so during the late fall, I have instant snacks on hand!  I actually prefer these seedy miniature fruits to the large cultivated ones.  To me, the tartness and firmness of the wild fruits makes them superior to the others.  It is not uncommon for me to grab several handfuls of the fruit as I meander about the hillside.

  Since the critters shared the bounty, I have been getting my fill of the tasty treats but, today, I noticed that someone else must be having a taste for the persimmons.  On the hike down the pier, a bit of orange caught my eye.  Between two of the boards, a plump fruit was wedged in tight.  Some critter had decided to steal a persimmon and haul it all the way to the pier.  Strange???  The coons and possums that raid the trees simply eat their fill and then abandon the area.  They do not carry persimmons with them as they go.  This had to be the work of one of the billion or so squirrels that inhabit the place.  Those rascals are eating everything in sight here lately and I have no doubt one scampered to the pier to dine.  What fruit the squirrels do not immediately eat, they stow away for the winter.  I watched as a female squirrel raided the kumquat tree.  She was picking the ripe fruits and burying them under the Boysenberry vines.  I suppose by mid summer of this next year, dozens of little trees will be found sprouting up there.  Perhaps the same thing happened with this persimmon.  Some enterprising young squirrel decided to stow the fruit between the boards of the pier.  Won't the critter be surprised when it comes back to find its meal had rotted??  

  The persimmon wedged in the pier boards may be a sign that the critters think this is going to be a cold winter.  Usually, when the little female squirrels store a lot of food, they have an inkling that it may be needed later on in the season.  I have noticed that most of this food storage is done by the females.  They work hard at gathering and hiding fruits, seeds and nuts.   The sad part is, most of the time, a male squirrel goes right behind her and eats what she has stored.  The male squirrels are lazy and would rather dine upon what the little female has picked.  Poor little female has to work doubly hard to gather and store enough to last the winter due to the raids of the male.  If she is burying persimmons, she may come back later to find she only has seeds to eat.  The soft pulp is not going to do well in storage!  Hmmm, I am glad I make my persimmons into jam.

Back to us again.

  Well, the fun has ended for another year.  The last run of the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou was last night with most of the team members being of the original group for which the hunt was started.  My grandniece had always wanted her birthday party to be held at my house but since her birthday in February, it just wasn't going to happen.  I am not a cutesy, heart and ruffles type person.  So, the clue hunt came into being and has been going strong for these past five years.  Hopefully, it will be able to continue for many more years.

  For the fun event, several spots around the Bayou are totally transformed to fit the theme.  This year, the greenhouse became a blacksmith's shop complete with tools and a makeshift "forge".  It took days to make the transformation but, today, it became a greenhouse again in just a matter of minutes.  Necessity called.  Our weather has taken a turn to the cooler side and I have a couple dozen potted plants that were shaking in their boots at the mere mention of cold.  Out with the blacksmith's stuff and in with the plants!  In a way, it feels good to be getting stuff back to normal...whatever that is around here.   

  Now, on the cold days that are to come, I can putter around in the relative warmth the greenhouse offers.  The old dog, PJ, can get fresh air and sunshine without having to be miserably achy.  His arthritis does not seem to appreciate bursts of wintry weather.  He did, however, enjoy basking in the sunshine that poured through the greenhouse windows.  All that is needed is a nice rug for him and the wicker chair for me and we shall be set!

Where Did Winter Go?

  The "Big Thaw" has come to the Bayou.  After three whole days of cold...at least cold by Bayou standards, our ice has melted and we are looking at weather more usual for the area.  Our cool spells never last more than a few days max, then we are back to rain and warm temperatures.  The ice is a novelty, however, and folks get real excited when they see it.  Most of the time, we have sleet...not snow but it will never fail to be heard "Snow!!! We are getting snow!!"  Nope...ice...we are getting sleet.  There is a vast difference.  Snow is pretty.  Ice is slippery.  Enough said.

  Like I said, the ice started melting this morning and now is a thing of the past...a mere memory that is fast slipping from the mind.  This morning, while on the pier, Mark and I found that our fishing buckets were frozen with about a three inch slab of ice.  Cool!  Ice is one of those things that intrigues me.  Take a liquid, add cold air and you have a solid. In this case, we had a solid with lots of bubbles.  The wind might have had something to do with that since the water was being churned with every gust.  Now, take that solid, add sunshine and you have the liquid back again.  The ice melted and dripped all over the pier boards.

  Tonight sees us much warmer but the rains will come again.  If you recall, my cutting of the persimmon seeds during the end of October revealed spoons...lots of spoons!  I was a tad confused by this as spoons supposedly mean rain or snow by the folklore method of predicting the coming winter.  I was beginning to doubt the veracity of my seeds.  Surely we could not be having THAT much precipitation this winter.  Well, we have.  December saw far above the average and January has exceeded that already.  Spoons do not lie...persimmon seeds do not lie.  I wonder what the rest of January and then February and March have in store for us.  Rain?  Ice?  Why not snow???

Put on a Sweater!

  It is cold.  Not that I am complaining because next to a good storm, I like the cold weather.  Still, I am a girl from the Deep South and I feel the cold.  I shiver and shake with the best of them.  My nose turns red, my toes freeze and I pile on layers of clothing.  I have no problem with this at all.  For that matter, even some folks from up in the Far North have told me that they find it cold on the Bayou.  It seems that the humidity plays a part in this and since we are sitting at about an eighty percentile relative humidity, perhaps it does feel colder than the just about freezing temps that were our high for the day.  Tonight, the lows will take a plunge to well below that mark sinking almost to the teens.  Yep, the Bayou is cold.  Wet and cold is the rule for the weekend.

  While I like the cold, I also like a good fire going in the old woodburning stoves.  Both have been chugging along steadily throughout the day and will do the same overnight.  This is our source of heat...our only heat save a couple of electric spaceheaters.  That said, you can imagine what our day saw us doing.  Mark cut several trees that were either riddled with woodborers or were storm damaged.  Once cut, the wood was hauled to the house, a good bit was split and then stacked.  My woodbins are filled for the evening's burning.  Hopefully, the Little Bayou House will stay relatively warm...at least, warm by our standards. Others complain incessantly about being cold when here.  "Put on a sweater!" I direct them.  "I have on a sweater!" is often the reply.  "Put on a coat!" is my next directive.  Or...if you are still complaining, go home. Sorry, there is not a lot I can do about the lack of heat which causes some folks' complaints.  I have no problem with the house temperature sitting at sixty degrees.  I fully appreciate having a home, a woodburning stove and living in the Deep South where cold spells are a novelty and not the norm.  Don't like it?  Put on a sweater!  Or go home.  I am good with it either way.

Just a Touch of a Frost!

  The Bayou is to feel its first bit of "winter" tonight.  Well, at least winter by the Deep South's definition.   While it is rare that we have much more than a "heavy frost", the humidity does factor in to make it raw.  Just the other day, a visitor exclaimed that it felt much colder down on the Bayou than it did a few miles in from here.  Yep, it does make a difference contrary to what a lot of folks think.  That said, I am ready!   Personally, cold air makes me feel better!  Also, that cooler air and a possible frost will make our citrus fruits ripen that much quicker.  Although we have been sneaking a few satsumas now and again, the fruit will be much tastier once a frost touches the rinds.

  This is the first year that the navel oranges have done well.  The tree got off to a rough start and had to be moved twice.  I think we finally found its happy place because the branches are loaded to the breaking point.  We are anxiously awaiting the rinds to turn that deep orange so we can all enjoy the sweet goodness settled deep inside the fruit. Grapefruit, satsumas, kumquats, lemons, limes and now navel oranges can be found dangling from branches of the citrus trees.  

  Being able to grow citrus fruit is one of the pluses of living this far south.  The bushes do well and produce abundantly.  Just a few miles inland, the cold air is a bit much for these heat-loving trees.  While the air may "feel" colder here due to the humidity, the base temperature stays just a few degrees warmer than most places.  That water that chills us also provides a blanket of warmth for the plants.  No wonder I feel that this is the perfect place for me!