It Tried...So Can I

   My 4am awakening seemed unduly dark.  While that is still long before dawn and should be dark, it was almost unnervingly dark this morning.  Still, I arose, did the usual (required) stretches and exercises, made coffee and settled in with biscuits and marmalade.  Bat (the cat) and I enjoy our quiet time before the rest of the world shakes out of bed.  After doing the initial morning chores of laundry and mopping floors, our free time began!  He and I headed to the pier then back to the gardens for a while.  I gardened while the cat did cat things.  It was still dark even though by now the sun should have been up and shining.  Perhaps it was still in bed with everyone else.

  Along about midmorning, a sudden shower caught me off guard.  The compost that I was hauling had to wait for a bit to be strewn around the cabbages as Bat and I made a hasty retreat into the greenhouse!  There we sat among the assorted tropical plants and frogs!  Oh, so many frogs have found a haven in the warm, humid greenhouse.  The shower ended so it was time to continue helping the cabbages grow.  This lasted until about noon when I noticed a glint of sunshine trying to break through the clouds.  Oh, how neat that the sun appeared to be cradled in the branches of the hickory tree!  Yep, that was cause for the camera to come out regardless of the often drizzly rain.  If the sun could try, so could I.

  My day was spent trying to replenish the gardens between rains.  Bat and I spent so much time in that greenhouse that I feel I should install a coffee pot out there!  That darkness of the predawn did not brighten much throughout the day.  Then, it made a full-blown appearance again at 4pm.  That signaled quitting time.  Now it was time for a cup of tea and some cat snuggles.  All in all...a perfect day.

Advice from a cat!

   Today was supposed to be stormy with a big threat of tornadoes moving in by midmorning.  Admittedly, the sky did look ominous and, by all means, those oddly colored clouds should have been the harbinger of bad weather.  Here it is 7pm and, thankfully, no storms have occurred.  The overnight hours may tell a different story but, for the time being, all is quiet.  No rain...no wind...just heavy fog.

  The horizon did, indeed, appear to be trying to conjure up a good bit of turbulence.  In fact, even two hours after the time for the sun to rise, the hillside was still shrouded in darkness.  My walk was tinged with eeriness and even  Bat, the cat, was nervous.  At one point, he had strayed from our usual path only to come streaking back after spotting something amiss.  His fur was on end and he appeared to be twice his usual size!  Did I dare to continue through the darkness from whence he came?  He was sure having none of that idea and kept trying to lead me back to the Little Bayou House.  Using his good judgement, we made our way around the canebrake and headed back up the hillside.  Sometimes, it is wise to heed the advice of a good friend even if that friend is a cat.

Darkness

   "Progress" is beginning to wear thin on my nerves.  Things are a little better today since we had a wee bit of rain overnight but for the past two months, I was constantly on edge.  My nerves were being tested at each turnaround.  A severe drought left our area literally crispy.  Leaves prematurely fell from the trees and became a thick, crackly carpet throughout the woods.  This was just waiting for someone to take a notion of starting a fire whether by ill intention, a tossed out cigarette, fireworks or campfire.  The city took the wise step of issuing a burn ban but, obviously, that does not apply to everyone.  This all goes back to the progress thing.  Clearcutting property has reached a frenzied stage as building new houses is all the rage.  Fine.  Fine and dandy.  BUT...you should follow the rules.  As the people clear the properties all around us, the trees are simply shoved in huge piles and lit afire.  Yep, lit afire while we are under a burn ban due to drought.  It is nerve racking to smell smoke knowing that any spark could set up a wildfire with the brisk north winds.  Progress!  Oh, how I would love to go back to being in solitude around here.

  As I sat on the pier yesterday morning, I had a brief moment where I felt that solitude.  The skies were eerily bright even though the sun had not even risen above the pines but the woods were pitch black.  I say woods...there are dozens of homes just beyond those trees.  For some odd reason, nary a light could be seen (power outage, maybe?).  No streetlights, no house lights...nothing.  As I sat there pondering the darkness, it occurred to me that maybe we are not meant to see everything.  Perhaps, we are better off being in our own little worlds.  I know I am.  Too bad, it appears that my little world is soon to be a thing of the past.

The Pretty Image

   Here lately, I cannot sleep past 4am.  Most of the time, it is more like 3am but occasionally that extra hour slips in and feels grand.  Not being one that likes to lie in bed if I am awake, I rise, make coffee and wander the Small Gardens by whatever light there is.  Often, this light is nothing more than that provided by buildings across the way.  At least now that it is cooler, I have little worry of stepping on a moccasin.  Still, other critters are out and about at the same time so I have to be wary.  The positive side of rising so early is I have the opportunity to witness lovely sunrises.

  Although I am not a fan of the encroaching buildings of the city, the skyline is amazingly beautiful before dawn. The buildings add just enough interest between the trees to break the monotony.  Sadly, sometimes those buildings across the way seem far too near and I begin to feel trapped.  Trapped in a pretty image but trapped nonetheless.  

Predawn Encounter!

   Being up before dawn gives one an entirely different view of the world.  At that time, the mind is not yet cluttered by the day's events and the brain can decipher things far more clearly.  Distractions of everyday life can often get in the way of what is really happening right beneath our noses.  I see things.  I hear things.  My brain absorbs things.  It is no wonder that this is a favorite time of day for me.  

  I was on the pier before dawn to watch the sunrise.  The show did not disappoint as a kaleidoscope of hues lit up the sky.  Since the weather forecast called for dense clouds, I was sure the sun would catch hold of each and every one.  It was spectacular!  Then, a real treat was in store for me as I meandered back up the board path to the Little Bayou House.  A soft chirp let me know that one of my bird friends was awake and aware that I was out and about.  On a dead branch of the avocado tree, a lone blue jay stared down at me.  It softly chirped again and looked down at the bench where I usually put seeds for my friends.  The bench was empty.  Obviously, the jay was letting me know that it was hungry!  I had to remedy that situation right quick.  With a cup of seeds in hand, I was surprised to see my friend still on the branch waiting for breakfast.  Carefully, I sprinkled the seeds on the board seat and stood back to converse with bird.  "There you go, my friend."  "Chirp" "Yes, I know you are hungry but it is still pretty dark."  "Chirp"  "Alrighty, then!  Have at it!"  "Chirp"  Yep, it almost seemed as if the bird was answering me.  I stepped back about two feet and the jay fluttered down to the bench, grabbed a seed and flew back to its perch.  Ahh, life is good.

  Being still dark, I headed inside to make a mug of coffee and, then, joined my friend in the garden.  There, in the stillness of the early morn, we shared a bit of satisfaction along with our repast...my coffee...the bird's sunflower seeds.  We were both happy campers.  Life is good.

The Glow

  It is no secret that daybreak is my favorite time to be out and about.  The silence of the world prepares me to face the day.  There is something invigorating yet peaceful about the cool air hitting your face.  This morning was no different.  It was almost cold!   Easing our way to the pier, Mark and I surveyed the Bay and Bayou.  If only both skiffs had not received damage during Hurricane Zeta, it would have been a grand fishing day!  But they did so we were stuck on an unfinished pier.  Repairs are slow when you are practically rebuilding the entire thing.  With a fishing trip out, we wandered the shoreline just talking and enjoying life.  Suddenly, we noticed a beautiful egret standing in the shallows.  It was a breathtaking sight.

 At daybreak, it is always interesting to see how the sunbeams shoot through the pines and illuminate things in the darkness of the marshes.  The bird's feathers were literally glowing!  I am telling you....there is magic in the Bayou!  We watched the egret for a bit before continuing our walk.  The bird had no worries from us and was allowed to hunt in peace.  Mornings on the Bayou are like that...live and let live in peace.  All is good.  

The Shadowy Door

  Ever since I was a child, I had an interest in shadows.  For some reason, I was drawn toward what others found unsettling.  Whether it be the shadowy path in the woods or hand shadows cast on a blank wall, they appealed to me.  I wanted to know more about these fleeting bits of beauty.  What caused them?  How did the shapes change so rapidly?  Why were others so frightened of being in a shadowy area?  The allure did not fade as I aged.  In fact, I became more obsessed with the idea of shadows being cast for my enjoyment and for no other reason.  I will often stop whatever I am doing to watch shadows as they constantly weave a story as the sun moves across the sky.

  This afternoon, I flung open the french doors to let the warmth fill the living room.  Son has "winterized" our window screens and that included the two screen doors on the south side of the house.  A mirage of shadows astounded me.  Hundreds of leaf shadows were cast on the back side of the screen door panels.  This was odd because there are no trees nearby except for one on the far side of the doors.  These shadows were being cast from trees far from the house!  With a stiff northerly breeze shaking the treetops, the shadows danced across the screen doors with wild abandon.  What a beautiful sight to behold!

  Shadows are often used in reference to an ominous presence.  Some feel that shadows are the harbingers of something evil due to the fact that they are the absence of light.  To me, the shadow pictures bring peace.  There is nothing more calming than watching the ever-changing ballet of darkness and light.  It can be mesemerizing! Yeah...probably just me.