The Unlikely "Lemonade"

   It is not a hidden fact that I will give just about anything a try.  If you tell me something is edible, I am game.  There are a few things where I draw the line since I am a pescatarian but if it is within my diet range, I will give it a go.  I have no qualms about eating what others deem to be weeds or flowers.  As long as it is not going to kill me, it can be on the menu.

  Here lately, I have been experimenting with concoctions that are supposedly health friendly.  Since my heath took a sharp turn to the "not so healthy" side and doctors cannot find what is ailing me, I decided to take matters in my own hands.  Weirdly, I feel better than I have in months.  My "foraging" in the Small Gardens and perimeter woods has led to some highly unlikely snacks and drinks.

  For the past few weeks, I have discovered the wonders of crepe myrtle and hibiscus flowers.  Both flowers are antivirals and, well, since Mark brought home a nice case of COVID, I decided I could use all the help I could get.  Not sure if it had anything to do with it but, as of this writing, I am still virus free...hopefully, will stay that way.  The other benefit is that I have noticed my arthritis seems to be not nearly as severe.  Perhaps it is helping?  A decoction made from the two flowers and a cinnamon stick then added to homemade lemonade made for a delightful drink.

  While all of this may be just a happy coincident or maybe it is "all in my head" (yes, I have been told that) but if wandering around a garden and picking flowers to eat (or drink) helps, then so be it.  I am good.  I think I will continue with my daily drink for as long as I have the flowers!  Does it work?  Who knows?  

Crepe Myrtles and Sun Beams

   You can tell that I do not leave the Bayou much when I start marveling over what others simply overlook.  A tiny mushroom, water droplets on a leaf or even the "perfect pine cone" can send me into a frenzy to grab the camera.  I have no idea why I photograph everything around here since after I am dead and gone, the pictures will most likely be "dead and gone", as well.  Others do not seem to be enthralled by these simple things.  I am.

  This morning, it was the way the sun's rays were filtering through the crepe myrtle blossoms.  The backlit bloom was almost mesmerizing to me.  A soft breeze gently swayed the cluster of blooms causing the light to almost dance.  Of course, that morning sun brightened the already hot-pink blooms making them seem like pink fire.  Yes, the imagination was in high gear as I sat in the old wicker chair, drinking coffee and swatting mosquitoes.  So goes life on the Bayou.