Grasshopper Watch!

   Since the first of April, we have been battling the hoards of Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers.  Millions (yes, millions!) of these things hatch out in the spring.  Each "mound" of hatchlings finds about thirty of the brick red critters seeking sunshine as they dig their way out of the ground.  While they are in this stage, they are relatively easy to get rid of but give them a day and it is a different story.  They turn black with a red stripe and then are fast little buggers!  Like I said, each mound contains about thirty grasshoppers and those mounds are about two feet apart over this whole hillside which should give you the idea why I said millions.  We do what is called the "grasshopper stomp" which was far easier when there were three kids to help.  Now...I am old.  I try.  Thankfully, Mark has found that the cheapest bug spray works on them so he goes around spritzing the critters.  Two months (April and May) of little critters and now (July and August), we fight the three inch long, multicolored adults.  Those we missed months ago are coming "home" to mate and lay eggs.  They would not be so bad if they did not eat everything in sight...so we try to get rid of what we can.  We are constantly on "grasshopper watch", it seems.

  I did find a different grasshopper and allowed this one to live in peace.  I have no problem with the critters that are not trying to take over the world!  On one of the navel orange trees, there was a huge Obscure Bird Grasshopper.  This was a lovely female as she was a good three inches long.  (Males are much, much smaller.)  I was impressed with the gentleness of the critter as she stayed put on the same branch for several days and allowed me to photograph her without being alarmed.  Perhaps she knew that she was safe purely because she only nibbled the leaves and did not strip the entire tree!  

  Have you ever wondered what is behind that name?  Obscure Bird Grasshopper may not seem to be the most logical title to bestow upon an insect but, if you delve into the whys and wherefors of the reason, it is perfect.  First, the obscure part.  Most of the time, we tend to think of obscure as being another word for being kept out of sight or hidden.  Well, in Latin (remember all those hard to pronounce names given to plants and critters?...yeah...those), obscure can also mean dusky or dark.  This critter is pretty brown so the name fits.  Now for the bird part.  If you ever have the opportunity to literally "poke" one so it flies, you will see how the name applies.  The bug is impressive with its flight abilities and does resemble a small bird!  

  It is sad to have to make a decision of what lives and what does not but, purely for the sake of the gardens, the Eastern Lubbers have to go.  If there were only a few, they would be allowed to live in peace just as the Obscure Bird Grasshopper does.  I normally stick with my mantra of "Live and let live." but I depend on my gardens to stock the pantry shelves for our food.  A nibble here and there...no problem!  A complete destruction of the plots?....not happening.

Purple or Orange?

  A while back, I painted the interior of the french doors a deep purple.  In fact, it was called "Proper Purple".  Why?  I don't know other than I just felt like it.  Mark took me to the local building supply place and I bought a gallon of purple paint much to the vexation of the gentleman mixing my paint.  During the course of the transaction, he nonchalantly made small talk which included "What are you painting purple?"  He was surprised that I said "doors".  Then, he proceeded to ask a dozen questions about why I would do such.  I tried to be polite about his nosiness but he kept prodding.  The only answer that seemed to get him off the subject was a rather short "They are my doors."    That said, I painted the doors and have been immensely satisfied with the color which is strange since the color has not been a particular favorite before.  I felt like purple so I painted purple.

  Fast forward to today.  Yep.  I pulled out that gallon of purple paint and slathered two nice coats on the front door...exterior!  Oh, my!  How lovely the door looks now!  I am sure to get the odd looks and haughty remarks from visitors to the Little Bayou House.  Does it bother me?  Nope.  Not at all as this is my door.  Sometimes you just have to take a chance and live a bit. 

The rain made it impossible to get a full photo of my purple door!

  The two menfolk that live in the Little Bayou House have never really questioned my choice of colors or decorating.  They more or less ignore what is done.   Mark is so used to coming home to some oddity that he takes it all in stride.  He said he never knows what will be next and it probably does not hurt that he is slightly color-blind.  Son, on the other hand, says it does not bother him what color I paint things as long as he is not doing the painting.  Fair is fair, I guess.

  Now, is there some untold meaning behind the purple doors?  Is there an ulterior secret that the color represents?  Nope to both questions.  The first doors to be painted purple were on a whim and they pleased me.  Today's door was painted purple because I had a choice.  The door was shabby and needed refreshing so I painted using leftover paint.  There were two gallons of paint handy... "Proper Purple" and "Bright Pumpkin".  The orange was leftover from the inside of a hutch that I painted this last fall.  Now...did I want a subdued, regal purple door or did I want to live in a pumpkin?  I opted for the "Proper Purple"!  Hmmm...I wonder what else I can paint?  I do have that orange.......

Born In The Wrong Era!

  A few days ago, I made mention of missed opportunities and stifled ambitions.  As with most moms of the world, my life was put on hold to raise kids.  Not that I am complaining as those were incredible years and I would not change a thing.  Mark worked hard so I could be a stay at home mom but, as kids are prone to do, our youngsters grew to adults and created their own lives.  Now, what was I supposed to do?  After talking with Darling Daughter, I have decided to do a few things for "me"!  It has been a long time in coming but I have been redoing parts of the Little Bayou House.  I figured the house was as good of a place to start with changes as any so this is the first step.  Since it is no longer necessary to have a place filled with toys or, for that matter, filled with kids, things could be changed to suit me....but what changes?  Out with the old and in with the "old".  Huh?  That is not the correct saying!  Still, that is what happened!

  For a few years now the living room has been devoid of a sofa.  As much as I loved our old set, it made a move to Darling Daughter and Son-in-law's house.  That was a beginning but nothing replaced it.  The living room was a hodge-podge mess of whatever furniture happened to wind up there.  To be honest, I had no idea what I wanted.  Then the conversation with Elizabeth made me realize that I was still trying to "build" a room around a bunch of rough-housing teenagers. Nope!  I needed something different!  One of my favorite rooms ever was a parlor in an old house that I lived in for about a year during my late teens.  I had gone to live with my Aunt Helen and Uncle Jack to help run a hardware store.  Aunt Helen had decorated the huge antebellum home with period pieces.  I loved it!  I felt at home amongst the nineteenth century pieces.  Perhaps I was born in the wrong era!

  Recently, a similar set to Aunt Helen's came up for sale so Mark and I purchased it. The old set adds just enough quirkiness to the look of the room!  All that is needed is a few finishing touches.  Baby steps...baby steps to finding where I am at during this stage of my life.  Red settee, purple doors....I am seeing a tinge of an eccentric trend going here.  That is suitable as it is sort of tied into my roots from long ago!  While others are most likely scratching their heads at my change of pace, it thrills me.   Also, I am thinking my grandmother and Aunt Helen would be proud!

Leave It To A Bird

  Every now and again, a person needs to step back and take a breather from what he is doing.  Things can come to a grinding halt if they begin to feel overwhelming.  Remodeling is a lot like that.  What starts as a minor touch up of paint soon becomes an entirely consuming ordeal.  My situation started when the siding was being replaced near the front door.  Son asked if I was particularly "attached" to the windows or could he remove them.  They were rotted from exposure to hurricanes and the high humidity found on the Bayou.  Once the windows were removed, it led to the door being ousted as well.  Then, the whole shebang of redoing the inside was set in motion.  For the past two weeks, I have spent every waking hour, it seems, on the top of a ten foot tall step ladder.  You do what you have to do.  This morning, however, I needed a break!  I just could go no more.  So, I took a hike to gather the thoughts.

  As I sat on the pier at daybreak, I had the revelation that I was doing it again.  I was "playing it safe" and trying to satisfy everyone else's idea of what is acceptable.  I figured that if I am going to be happy, I need to step out of that safe zone and do what makes me happy.  That is easier said than done, though, and I needed some reassurance that my decision was the right one.  Just at that moment, a heron flew in to sit with me on the pier.  I had been photographing the bird as it sat on my brother's pier and never expected the bird to come so near.  So...the bird and I sat just a foot apart enjoying the dawn of a new day and a new experience.  Neither of us made an effort to move or to acknowledge the other.  We just sat. 

  Was the bird telling me that my decision was correct?  Was it trying to tell me I was ok just being me?  Hey, if you ask for a sign, you take whatever you get.  In my mind, the bird was definitely an omen that things were right with the world.  Now...back to work.