Lending a Bit of Color

  The weather has taken a turn toward the chilly side tonight.  The Bayou is expected to feel nigh on freezing air by morning so any trip to the pier had better see me bundled up good and proper.  Then again...I may just decide that the warm blankets are a safe bet and stay huddled beneath them until the sun is well in the sky.  Mark has stated that he wants to go fishing in the morning so that cozy idea of blankets may just not come true.  Still, a hike down the pier to view the sunrise always gets my day started off on the right direction.  After viewing the peaceful setting, I am eager to get started on whatever projects are at hand.  Currently, the project is a bunch of gourds that need to be transformed into bowls,  These gourds all need to be painted. A bit of bright color always adds so much to an otherwise bland look.

  Speaking of bright colors, our minimal bit of fall-like colors have faded and gone the wayside.  Now we are set of the drab browns and greys of winter.  It is rare to find much in the way of bright hues during the colder months so I take what I can find.  One sure provider is that sun whether it be rising or setting.  The sky is ablaze with the brilliance but the colors are not limited to just that.  Down near the pier, there are several Sea Myrtle or Groundsel bushes.  During the summer, the bush is covered with sort of nondescript, white blossoms but come fall, those blooms give way to fluffy, white seeds. These seeds are actually more showy than the flowers themselves.  They add a bit of beauty to the marsh just as they are but let the rays of the early morning sun hit them and they are phenomenally beautiful.  The sunrise lends a bit of its color to the bush causing the seeds to appear almost red.  This is just another reason that I do like to rise before dawn.

  Perhaps, I will venture down the hillside in the morning...freezing weather or not.  I may just be surprised with another fine discovery such as the Sea Myrtle in its full glory.  

Our claim to fame!

  It is a tad late for folks to fully enjoy the colors of fall.  Most other states had their peak of leaf color at least a month ago.  However!  Here on the Bayou, one tree is a showstopper! It is sort of our claim to fame when it comes to fall colors...at least for a couple of days. Until the next rain (which is predicted either tomorrow or Saturday), the hickory tree in the front yard is in its full glory!  This tree never fails to provide us with our "fix" of fall color albeit a tad later than most other spectacular colorings.  In the late afternoon, the setting sun lights this tree with a glorious bit of golden orange.  At times, the tree almost seems to be on fire with brilliance! With the first hard rainfall and first brisk breeze after it reaches this stage, the leaves will all be on the ground.  There they will not be so pretty as it means I have to do some raking.  Leaves are pretty on the trees not on the ground!

  This particular tree has be "through the mill" with problems over the past decade.  Hurricane Katrina actually split the tree asunder and left it mangled beyond belief. The damage left open wounds that were soon besieged by wood-boring beetles.  Their gnawing about in the inner part of the tree nearly caused its death.  At the time, there were more important things for us to be doing (like repairing a hurricane damaged home).  I figured the tree would go the wayside and we would be sawing it up for firewood.  Instead, the tree somehow survived.  The borers left on their own or due to the rampage of woodpeckers.  Either way, the tree seems to be much healthier nowadays.  It is growing at a good rate and bearing tons of hickory nuts.  (Those I gather for firewood instead of using my tree!)

  Now this tree stands in its beauty and reminds us to never give in to adversity.  Misfortune can befall any of us but with a little resilience and spirit we can survive.  Hopefully, we can all be a bit like this tree and share a bit of beauty with the world.  The tree with its gorgeous show of color...us with loving hearts and kind smiles.  

Finding Fall!

  I fully enjoy looking at photographs of the lovely colors of fall.  I admire the bright colors of the leaves, frost covering hayfields and even the dried grasses.  I do enjoy the photographs.  That is about the only way I can view these things.  (Frost makes an appearance in winter but not fall.)  Here it is a rare occurrence to find bright red, orange and yellow leaves.  Popcorn trees or maples try their best and the Black Gums do occasionally pop a few red leaves just for show but most trees never even attempt the feat.  We have to be satisfied with whatever few colors we get.

  Today, however, I found fall!  While most folks are well on their way to winter, I found the Deep South's version of fall leaves.  I took Ms. Ez and her hurt foot out for a leisurely stroll about the hillside.  The old dog is getting stiff from being lazy so I figured a walk would do her good.  We wandered down along the marsh edge and then to the wild persimmon tree.  I ALWAYS have to meander past this tree!  As I grabbed a dozen or so of the little orange blobs, a bit of yellow caught my eye!  FALL LEAVES!  Yep, the young persimmon saplings that I have been saving, presented me with a lovely show!  Sure, it is only yellow but at least they are pretty! From where I stood, the six or seven young trees were framed by two oak trees.  The path to the trees looked so inviting that Ms. Ez and I immediately decided to change course and head that way.  What a peaceful little nook this was!  These particular trees, although only about a hundred feet from the house, were completely blocked from view.  I would have never seen them had it not been for my hankering for the tasty persimmons.

  According to the weather reports, we are going to jump right into winter here in a few weeks.  The Bayou is to be on the tail end of a cold front that is going to sweep down from our neighbors to the north.  I will be spending the rest of this week and the first part of next preparing the garden and greenhouse for the cold snap.  A stockpile of firewood is ready with more on the way.  It should be interesting to have cooler nights this early in the year.  Ponder..ponder...could those persimmon seeds be right?  Are their weather predictions holding true for a cold, wet (aka snowy) winter?  Regardless, I did get a sighting of fall thanks to the persimmon trees!

 

Kaleidoscope On The Bayou!

I have been fascinated by kaleidoscopes ever since I was a little child and well..I guess I am still fascinated by them. I own several and if I had my way, every room in the house would be filled with these amusing toys. One thing I did learn today..it is really hard to photograph the inside of a kaleidoscope while in action! The ones I have are too small..I need a bigger one!

The actual kaleidoscope is usually some sort of tube that contains mirrors and an assortment of loose beads or colored glass. Light passes through the beads at one end of the tube and causes a beautiful color pattern as it is reflected by the mirrors. The person peering through the other end of the tube is treated to a never-ending change of patterns and colors as the tube is turned. Kaleidoscopes mesmerize me. Always have and hopefully always will.

The sunrises and sunsets on the Bayou have been phenomenal recently. I do not know if perhaps I am seeing things in a different light (yes, pun was intended) or if perhaps I have just been granted my own personal art show by the Master Artist. Whichever..I intend to enjoy every minute of these displays that I can! I can fully see a resemblance of a sunrise or sunset to a kaleidoscope. On cloudy days, the sun's rays bounce from one to the other in an ever-changing pattern. On clear days, there is just a slow reddening on the horizon. Foggy mornings give a different effect depending on the density. Here on the Bayou, the water acts as the mirror reflecting the vivid colors that emblazon the sky.

When you think about it..with the constant spinning of the Earth..the mirror action of the water..the light from the sun....whoa!..we live in a huge kaleidoscope!