Just Doing His Job

   The other morning, I was busy cutting out some of the smilax vines that had taken over a clump of palmettoes.  This is some chore since the tubers can be massive and, if you leave one tiny bit, the vines will soon come back with a vengeance.  It is a losing battle on this hill.  Then again, perhaps I should leave the vines and chop out everything else.  Those huge tuber clumps do a fine job of keeping the hillside from washing down into the Bayou during hurricanes!  Maybe I need to rethink my landscaping here.  Anyway, as I was whacking at the vines, a familiar whapping could be heard just behind me.  Looking up, I found the guy that was smacking a tree with all his might.  Ahh, you are a good fellow, Mr. Pileated Woodpecker. You keep working on that tree!  I need it down.

  The woodpecker was hammering away on a dead white oak tree that had succumbed to a termite infestation.  Yep, most of our live trees are being eaten from the inside out and there is not much that can be done.  We have been treating the trees but there is no way possible to get to "the root of the problem"...so the termites flourish and the trees die.  It is sad. Still, the woodpecker is doing his job.  As he hammers away on the tree, he is probably getting rid of more termites, wood beetles and carpenter ants than we will ever be able to tackle.  

  I watched and smiled as the bird bore hole after hole into the dead tree.  Since this particular tree is far from anything it can damage by falling, I am leaving it for Mother Nature to take down.  So many critters can inhabit or forage in a dead tree.  The pileated is only one type of woodpecker that visits the tree on a daily basis.  The birds are doing a fine job of literally "chopping" down the tree.  By midwinter, the tree should come crashing down then the termite nest beneath can be accessed and the varmints killed.  Until then...the carpenter ants can feast upon the termites and, in turn, the birds can feast upon the ants.  Win/win situation for those of us who hate termites!  Good job, Mr. Pileated Woodpecker!  Good job.

Dead Tree? Brick Wall?

   I am tired, folks.  It seems that as I age, the workload increases.  Of course, a lot of that workload is nothing more than decluttering but it is taking a toll on me.  For some reason, my greenhouse became a dumping ground for anything that would not fit in Mark's shed or the storeroom.  With the coming (hopefully) of cooler weather, the greenhouse came to my attention.  I need a place for all of these potted plants. When I opened the door, egad!...I could not even step inside!  Everything from old windows to lumber had been stacked inside.  There was absolutely NO place for plants.  Yep, guess who got to clear out all of that junk...me.  For the past few days, I have been lugging stuff outdoors.  Now the yard has a mountain of stuff discarded from the greenhouse.  Personally, it could all make a complete disappearance to the dump but, the menfolk have other thoughts.  Everything hauled outside was met with "That is still good."  I am thinking that THEY need to find somewhere to put it...not me.  As long as it is not in my greenhouse, I do not care.  I am over it.

  Sometimes, folks, even in the midst of chores, you just have to take a few minutes to find a bit of enjoyment.  That happened early this morning.  I had been in the greenhouse since before daylight and was fully growling by the time the sun peaked over the pines.  Sad to say but exhaustion had already set in after only two hours of work.  It was then that I heard a familiar "laugh".  With that, it was time to grab the camera and have a bit of fun.  My friend the Pileated Woodpecker had come for breakfast.

  It is rather weird that termites have killed several of the large oak trees near the pier.  The woodpecker was treating himself to a hearty breakfast of those dratted critters.  Yes, this is a male.  An easy way to tell is to look at the face of the bird.  While both birds have a red crown, the male's extends all the way to the beak.  The female's stops about midway.  Also, the male has a bright red cheek stripe which the female lacks.  

  I love the Pileated Woodpeckers and the fact that we leave enough woods intact so they have a place to nest.  My chores were put on hold for a good half hour while I watched the one bird.  He stayed nearby for most of the morning and brought a much needed smile to my face.  It almost made me giggle aloud to think of how he rapped his head against the tree...sort of like me beating my head against a brick wall to get this place cleaned.  

That Old, Dead Pine

   Along the path that meanders down where the Bayou meets the creek, there stands a dead tree.  At one time, this was a stately pine but now it is just a remnant of what it once was.  Back in 2014, we had some pretty terrible lightning storms.  Several of the pine trees were struck by bolts of lightning which ultimately killed them.  Since most of these were growing right in the marsh, we left the trees stand.   The trees were of no value to us and would become of great value to the wildlife of the area.  As the trees decayed, many insects started gnawing on the inner portions which caused woodpeckers to pound away at the trees.  The cavities soon became homes to, not only the woodpeckers, but dozens of other critters.   Flying squirrels, nuthatches, snakes, lizards and even raccoons nested there.  A dead tree can provide even though it has ceased its own life on this earth.

  Today as I hiked along the path, the tree struck me as some sort of eerie monument.  Its gnarled limbs were silhouetted against the pale lit morning sky.  The tree was dark and ominous.  As I stood there staring at the tree, a tiny flying squirrel darted into one of the holes.  Ahh, yes.  Life continues even through death.  The totem holds life in its arms and gives protection.  Pretty neat thing.

Back To The Small Gardens

   Way deep in the dark forest that surrounds the depths of the Bayou, is a mystical, magical world that often goes unseen.  I wish I could tell you some incredible story that took place there today but that is not happenin', folks.  Instead, you will have to marvel at the mystical, magical world of the gardens.  A minor setback in the health kept me from venturing far from the place.  Son objects to me wandering off by myself if/when the body is catawampus.  So, I meandered the Small Gardens once again and was reminded of how I reigned as Queen here for several months.  This was my realm.  Today, it was once again.

  During the stroll, I did manage to find several interesting spots.  One was by far the most intriguing and could have very well been seen in that descriptive place in the opening sentence.   In the midst of a dead Black Gum Tree, I found a most beautiful (to me) cluster of shelf mushrooms that were bordered by some similarly colored clump mushrooms.  This seemed to be the perfect spot for the fungi to thrive.  It was damp, dark and secluded.  It could have been the unseen world that included gnomes, faeries and elves!  (Yeah, when feeling decrepit, the brain turns to a fantasyland to compensate.  Since long physical hikes are out of the question, I tend to travel in the mind.)

  In reality, the mushrooms were breaking down the dead wood.  They hasten the decay, then the nutrients go back into the soil to be reused by new plants. The stump of the dead Black Gum Tree has been at the edge of the gardens for some years. I never removed it as numerous birds used it as a feeding spot.  A plethora of insects tunnel in the rotted wood drawing the birds.  Now, it is the mushrooms turn to feed upon the old tree.  Life goes on in one form or another.

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.

Half-hearted Attempt

  So...Mr. Sun refused to make an appearance yet again today.  Well, he tried but the attempt was obviously not strong enough.  The morning started as heavily overcast and it set the tone for the day.  Drear!  Normally, I do not mind what the weather throws at me but, today, I had plans.  I wanted to get that lawnmower out for the first time this spring.  The place is starting to look a bit rough around the edges.  But...I cannot cut grass in the rain!

  Along about 10am, I ventured out to collect the cat.  She had wanted out at daybreak but with the ground being rather wet, it was not a good idea to leave her out.  Being a long haired cat, she manages to get the worst hair mats by dragging that fur around on the ground.  She was eager to come inside so there was no long search.  As I was turning to go back up the steps, I noticed that half-hearted attempt of Mr. Sun's.  It was interesting merely because of the position of the sun from my point of view.  The sun sat squarely atop of the old dying black gum tree.  With the grayness of the sky, the blackness of the tree's silhouette and the brightness of the feeble sun, this all gave me the impression that I had a new lamppost!  

  Maybe the sun's absence was needed today simply to give me a new perspective on things.  That "lamppost" made the drear all worthwhile.  From that point on, I could deal with the day.  So what if the yard resembles a rainforest at the moment...I could not mow.  Life got in the way.  I'll take it.

If a Tree Falls.....

  Several years ago, Son and I scavenged the shoreline for large pieces of driftwood.  Our idea was to line the board path with the "dead trees" before first Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  The ten foot long logs were "planted" along either side of the path and were used as lantern hangers.  The logs worked out so well that we decided to leave them.  Our "Dead Tree Forest" (as Son labeled it) was converted to holding bird feeders and wind chimes.  Son told everyone that he was planting dead trees so we would not have to cut live ones for firewood. "We have a dead tree farm." he deadpanned.  Visitors to the Bayou were a tad confused to say the least but the row of driftwood trees added a bit of character to the yard.

  This afternoon as Mr. PJ and I went for our last walk of the day, he noticed something was amiss and went to investigate.  The old dog had noticed that one of my "trees" was flat on the ground.  The last storm that hit the Bayou must have broken the driftwood and knocked it flat.  While Mr. PJ sniffed the hole in the ground, I checked the log to see if it could be salvaged.  Nope.  It was to far gone.  The wood had rotted beyond use.   Ever so gently, I pushed on the next "tree" in the row.  Crack!  Yep, it was rotted as well.   Dead trees have a tendency to do that, I guess.

  Well, that does it.  Tomorrow, the "Dead Tree Forest" will be demolished and the driftwood hauled to the trash pile.  It served its purpose and beyond.  I sort of hate to see it go but, on the bright side, mowing the grass will be a lot easier without  having to trim around a bunch of dead trees!

Highlight of the Day!

  In every art class that I ever took (and it has been eons since I have), the instructor always stressed shading and highlighting.  It was drilled into my head that if you wanted a painting to look nice, you needed to use both.  Both techniques would accentuate the one thing that you wanted to feature as the focal point of the picture.  Okey dokey.  I am good with that as far as instructions go but, also as most folks will tell you, I have a hard time following "rules" when it comes to things like that.  My oldest son explained it to me one time as we were watching a line of ants traveling from their food source to their nest.  (This was right after he had joined the military.)  "You see, Mom, I am going to be like these ants. I will follow orders and stay in the straight line.  Ants are so organized."  As we were talking, a single ant came scurrying willy-nilly around the rest.  This ant was making circles and loops.  It was going up blades of grass and then retracing its steps.  We sat and pondered that single ant until he looked at me and said, "That, Mom, is you.  You are the one ant that marches or scurries to the beat of a different drummer. You are always out of step, out of sync and always a little bit weird."  While most mothers might have been a bit miffed, I sat there thinking how right he was!  He nailed it!  

  The weather, of late, pretty much keeps the sky covered in clouds.  It was those clouds that brought back memories of both the art classes and of the conversation with my son.  First, the offbeat side in me found beauty in a dead pine tree.  Not that the thing ranks any better than other trees, it just happens to have a bit of odd appeal to it.  I like that.  Today, the Master Artist was following all the rules of art class when He decided to highlight the old tree.  Set against the dark clouds, the tree would have been difficult to see, much less photograph, but with the help of highlighting and shadows, the tree stood out with flare!  A break in the clouds perfectly outlined the old tree.  This made the beauty of the dead tree even more intense. The tree's one gnarled branch reached out as if it was trying to shoo away the threatening clouds.  (That, in itself, was ironic as it was a similar storm that took out the tree in the first place.  One strong bolt of lightning killed the tree several years ago.)

  While I never learned to follow the rules pertaining to art, I did recognize the method behind the madness.  A simple thing like a break in the clouds did wonders to accentuate the beauty of the old tree.  It goes to prove that while some of us know the way, we do not always follow the same path to get to the end results.  And that is ok. It takes all sorts of folks to make this world an interesting place.  

  

A Change In Diet!

  Well, now.  This was something that I did not expect!  This afternoon, I watched as an osprey was hovering over the Bayou in search of a mullet to have for supper.  There were plenty of tiny mullet but, obviously, none suited the osprey's taste.  After a while, the bird tired and flew to the top of the dead pine tree to rest.  From its vantage point, it could still watch the water for a school of mullet to enter the Bayou but it could do so from its place of comfort.  I watched the bird while it watched the fish.  Then....the unexpected.  Both for the bird and for me!

  A few limbs down from the bird was an abandoned woodpecker hole.  All birds seem to love the dead pine trees!  While the holes have not been used recently by the woodpeckers, flying squirrels made their nests in the holes.  They have free run of the network of holes in the old tree.  Few predators bother the flying squirrels this far from the ground.  No, the osprey did not decide to change its diet to include flying squirrels but, much to my surprise, it did indeed stray from its regular diet of fish.  

  I noticed the osprey watching something on the tree but could not, for the life of me, see what had caught its attention.  Then, in an instant, the osprey had its dinner...a strange dinner...but dinner all the same.  And, the bird did the flying squirrels a favor!  One predator had made its way up the tall pine to dine upon squirrel.  The osprey had caught a rat snake! 

  It is not unheard of but rather strange for an osprey to catch a snake.  Niney-nine percent of the bird's diet is fish.  I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time, to see it decide snake was easier to catch than fish!  I never expected that to happen!  The bird flew back to the top of the tree and clutched the snake for some time.  The snake tried to escape the talons but the bird held tight and kept ripping at the head.  After a bit, the osprey took off with its prize.  It flew home to its nest deep in the back of the Bayou.  Happy hunting, Osprey!  You just gave me a thrill!

Learning the Ropes

  It is always exciting to witness new life here on the Bayou.  With all of the gloom and doom in the world today, finding a bit of hope is refreshing.  Although, in the critter world, things are a lot different than in the human aspect of things.  Critters only have one thought and that is to survive.  There is not all of the backstabbing, criticizing, whining and arguing that we, as humans, are so prone to do.  Critters merely find food and shelter and let everything else fall into place on its own accord.  Humans would do well to emulate these actions and let go of a lot of their stress-inducing idiocy.

  The new life vision of the day was a young Red-belly Woodpecker out trying to learn the ropes of being an adult bird.  Mama Woodpecker was showing her young all of the usual hiding places of bugs and, also, give the youngster the lowdown on finding suitable shelter from any storms.  A dead pine tree seemed to be the perfect place for both. The tree had been struck by lightning several years ago and was now riddled with holes.  A lot of these were from woodpeckers pounding away in search of grubs and a few actually had been occupied as dwellings by Red-headed Woodpeckers in years past.  Now, flying squirrels seem to be the dominate tenants of the old tree.  A few of those were probably not too happy to have the clumsy, young woodpecker popping in and out of their holes.

  Obviously, only one of the little woodpeckers had survived.  Mama had hatched three but it did not take long before the Cooper's Hawk caught the first little one.  Apparently, a second met its demise in a similar way but this one seemed hale and healthy.  The pair of Mama and youngster worked the old pine for quite some time.  Mama was dutifully teaching her little one how to survive before she found herself with another clutch of eggs to hatch.  By that time, Little One had better be well on his own.  She will forget he exists and focus fully on protecting her new eggs.  He had better listen well while he has the chance!

 

The Hole in One?

  Nope, not talking golf here!  Down near the marsh edge there sits what is left to a Longleaf Pine Tree.  This thing was struck by lightning several years ago but since it stands in water at high tide and mud during low, there was no cutting the tree for firewood.  Instead, it became a favorite daytime perch for several birds of prey, a night roosting spot for a large Blue Heron and a full time home to any number of critters.  Everything from flying squirrels to centipedes inhabit the rotting tree but the most obvious residents are the woodpeckers.  The year after the lightning did its damage, a pair of Redheaded Woodpeckers hammered away at the remains of the tree.  Numerous holes were drilled over the next few years making the thing look quite perforated.  Some of these holes house the flying squirrels but each year, the pair of woodpeckers choose a different cavern as their new home.  There, they raise a couple of broods each summer and the juveniles overwinter in the surrounding holes.  Next spring the young head out for new territory and the cycle starts anew.

  I happened to be prowling the hillside between the torrential downpours of the day when I spied the pair of Redheads taking turns popping their heads into one of the holes.  A parent bird would fly to the hole, poke its head in for a few seconds then fly away.  The other bird would then take its spot and do the same.  Aha!  Their first brood of the season had hatched and were demanding food!

  What fun it is to find that the birds are doing well here on the Bayou. What fun it is to see that in an old, dead tree, life returns.  What fun it is to know that one of those holes is the doorway that leads to a happy family.  Sometimes it is best to leave dead trees if they are far enough out of the way that they can do no harm.  Life carries on.....

Dead Trees Are Beautiful, too!

  Years and years ago, a children's book was bought at a library sale. Mom purchased the book for my kids because it was full of interesting pictures. It centered around life in a dead tree. She thought that since the kids were so into "critter watching" (wonder who taught them a silly thing like that?), that the book might pique yet another angle to their pastime.  Needless to say, the book was a hit and from that time forward, we hunted for dead trees.  The book detailed all of the life that a dead tree harbors from birds nesting in holes to slugs in the mulch at the base of the tree.  It was great fun to find such a tree and scavenge among the peeling bark to see just how many critters we could find.  The kids found a bunch...far too many and too weird for me to agree to see as pets.  I insisted that the critters stay at home in the dead trees.

  I have to admit, however, that there is indeed something alluring about a dead tree.  My interest is more in the silhouette that the tree presents against the night sky.  Photographs of such are almost haunting in appearance.  The Black Gum tree that sits just outside the front door has succumbed to the onslaught of woodborers.  These critters gnaw away at the innards of the tree until the life-giving sap just cannot support the tree any longer.  The tree dies.  

  While it devastates me to lose yet another tree, I do find this one quite beautiful.  Tonight's sky was just bright enough for me to capture that beauty before the tree is no more.  Mark will have to remove the tree soon as it presents a hazard to the rooftop.  It makes me sad and will make the dozen or so flying squirrels equally sad as they will have to find new winter quarters.  Perhaps I can convince Mark to just somehow top out the tree and leave the trunk for the squirrels at least until warmer weather.  Poor babies will not find a cozy spot at least for a few days if the tree is cut.  Ahh, life in a dead tree....who knew?

I WANT IT!

  I have always had strange ideas of what would make a perfect gift.  It would either something highly useful (even a broom or a box of nuts and bolts!) or something sort of "off the wall" or uniquely, ummm, weird!  Since I am in the midst of this year's Clue Hunt on the Bayou, most everything tends to lean towards that weird side a bit.  I was on the pier and found the perfect gift for me if anyone ever volunteers to go get it for me!

  If you look westward to where the shore U-turns to the south, there is the most unusual looking dead tree.  Yep, a tree...and a dead one at that!  I just think this tree is strangely beautiful and would make a perfect addition to my clue hunt decorations. It has been there for some time now and the bark seems to have all peeled off from the trunk.  The small branches have also fallen into the marsh.  All that is left are the main trunk and large limbs which splay out like some gigantic hand with the fingers twisting wretchedly about.  It is amazing!  How neat would it be to have this in the yard!   To be honest, I do not know any possible way to move such a large tree, even a dead one such as this.  Still, as I sat staring at this gnarled chunk of wood, all I could think about was the creep factor that it would add to the yard. 

                                

 I want that tree!  I need that tree!  Any volunteers?  Isn't there someone out there who would just love to trespass on my neighbor's property, traipse about a half mile into the snake-infested marsh, chop down an insanely heavy dead tree (and not let it crack while falling!) and haul it to my yard and sort of reestablish it in the ground?  Please? At least it is free....sort of..kind of..maybe.  Rats!  I did not think I would have any takers on that request!  Still, I want that tree!

That's for the birds!

Once in a while something just strikes me as being interesting and I start pondering all sorts of uses for it.  As Michael and I were cleaning up a bit more of the hurricane debris, we uncovered  a log that once was a tall pine tree.  It had been killed during Hurricane Katrina but was hung up in another tree and finally came crashing down during Hurricane Isaac.  I was so happy to see this tree down and now when we uncovered the remnants of the tree, I was even happier!  The log had rotted down to be nothing but the heart pine center of the tree.  It had knobs and branches poking out at all sorts of weird angles!  It was great!  In my mind, the dead tree offered endless possibilities!  In Michael's mind, the tree looked like kindling wood for the fireplace.  I liked my vision much better!

The dead tree is now destined to be added to my Dead Tree Forest! This is actually just a row of driftwood trees on either side of the board path leading to the pier. The "trees" were found in the marsh and creekbed and I cajoled Michael into lugging them up the hill.  He then set to work "planting" them so I could hang my birdfeeders from the branches!  While planting the dead trees, Michael dubbed it the "Dead Tree Forest" and the name stuck.  The current tree will be added to this row!  My birds will be happy...almost as happy as me!

It seems funny how different people can things so differently.  My creative mind always sees items as potential artsy projects while Michael's logical thinking sees the same things as necessities such as firewood!  With this tree, he and I compromised.  I could have the "branchy" pieces as posts for windchimes and birdfeeders and he could have the straight pieces to split into kindling.  I can't wait to see what I find in the next debris pile!  Perhaps some other creative project in the making!

Frankie makes an appearance!

Each year at Halloween, I try to send a "happy" box to my kids that live away from here. Several years ago, there was a suggestion on a candy website of how to "Boo" your neighbors so I "Booed" my kids. Now it has stuck and each year I try to think of some different way to do this. The original idea (for those who have not been "Booed") was to make a ghost from an orange juice jug, fill it with goodies and leave it at a neighbor's house. There was a cute little Halloween poem attached that instructed the recipient on how to construct the ghost and pass it on to another person. The ghost or "Boo" was to make its way around the neighborhood bringing cheer to all. I try to change the idea a bit each year so I am sending something different and not repeating myself. This year was hard. I seemed to have a brain block..I am not sure if that is a real thing but it describes my predicament well! I needed a new brain! If only I could get a new brain then I could... Ohhh! That was the answer! New brain.. a few body parts.. I could do Frankenstein's monster! Now, how do I make a monster. When I create these things, I try to use items that can be recycled. Actually this falls into that category of "upcycling"! (Making something out of things that are normally discarded.) I wandered around the house peering at possible materials. Body parts..I needed body parts! Ahhh! This could make a head..oh, and this might be good for the eyes.. great!.. here are some "bolts"! I was like a mad doctor hunting for body parts to create my monster! Then a thought hit me..isn't it funny how the monster is now known as Frankenstein and not Dr. Frankenstein's monster. In Mary Shelley's novel the monster has no name..the mad doctor is named Frankenstein. So I suppose in this instance, I was being "Dr. Frankenstein" creating my "monster". An oatmeal box, green and black paper, a bit of white "fun foam",thread spools, glue, and paint was transformed into a cute "Frankenstein's Monster". The box was filled with candy and sent on its way to my kids houses. Frankie will make his appearance at their houses very soon carrying a cute poem and lots of love. Hopefully, he will bring a smile to their faces.

We had a great "Halloween" moon this week! Every evening when I would make my way up the hill from the pier, the pathway gleamed in the moonlight. There was no need for a flashlight. Ezzy and I would always stop for a few moments just to appreciate the beauty. Then again, maybe I paused to do this and she just was being an obedient dog staying by my side. Either way, it was nice to share it with someone even if that someone was an dog! I could not help but take a few photos of the moon with my favorite old dead tree in the foreground. It just seemed fitting for the season!

The Dead Tree

There is a Black Gum tree in my yard that died about six years ago. Black Gum trees are tough old trees and even when they die, it is hard to knock them down to the ground. They just keep on standing until eventually as pieces fall off there is nothing left to them. This old tree is nothing but a stob..and for any who do not know what a "stob" is..it is a Southern word for a straight chunk of wood. This chunk of wood can be the remainder of a tree, (like mine), a post, a root that is exposed or any piece of wood that is stuck in the ground. Anyway, this stob's existence as a tree is over but it is still so full of life. Most noticeable is the woodpeckers of all kinds that visit it everyday hunting for their dinner. Their hammering can be heard echoing over the entire hill as they pull grubs and carpenter ants from the wood. These bugs and worms live in tunnels that lace the rotted tree stump. The woodpeckers pound away at the wood creating holes that soon become homes for smaller birds such as the bluebird and wren. Flying squirrels occupy other holes near the top. There is a nest of field mice in the bottom of the trunk between the roots, this home has two doors chewed into the wood making a nice escape exit if needed. I have seen bats clinging to the sides waiting for their evening flights. Slugs, spiders and moths also have found homes here. It is like a condo for critters! I know we should have cut this dead tree long ago but I find it so fascinating that such a diverse group can live in relative harmony in such a small area. Pieces are breaking off every time we have a strong wind and I always check for any critter residents before discarding them. I think perhaps it has at least one more good year before the remaining stob will come crashing to the ground. Perhaps by then I will have plenty of bat, bird and squirrel houses in nearby trees that all my animal friends can relocate without any problems.

Not all of the critters of the Bayou are being friendly. The Belted Kingfishers have been going at it for the past week. It is a constant war for territory, with their screeching and aerial battles from sunrise to sunset. There was one pair here for the past year but now a rival has come on the scene. I have been assuming that it is the males that are competing but I when I finally photographed one, to my surprise it appears to be the female! The male does not have the rufous (reddish brown) band on its chest. There is a chance that it is a immature male since they do have somewhat of a band..I will have to wait to later in the winter to determine for sure. In the meantime, I get to watch their air show and listen to their squabbling during the daylight hours.

Now that the evenings are getting a bit cooler, I am able to open the windows instead of using the air conditioner. This makes me happy as I can listen to the nightly serenading of the toads, frogs, cicadas, crickets and owls. These seem to be almost harmonious and seem to "go" together quite well..but then. Then there is the sole mockingbird that sits on the rose arbor right outside the window. This bird sings all night and is not at all in sync with the other animals of the night. How this mockingbird can stay awake nightly and then perform its concert again during the day, is beyond me. Also..why does it sing all night? In the Spring, I thought it was the male serenading his "wife" as she set on the nest warming her eggs. Now I am inclined to disbelieve this theory as she hatched her brood long ago. Perhaps it is scared of the dark and thinks that if it makes plenty of noise nothing will come near to scare it. Whatever its reasoning is, I am enjoying the music! It can sit outside my window any night!