My Throne Is Missing!

  The Bayou Princess is missing her throne.  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, has claimed the throne room (aka side deck) since the death of the Bayou Queen.  When Ms. Put was alive and well, she reigned over the entire Bayou and...what she wanted...she got.  The princess conceded many times to the elderly queen even though they were unrelated and had only known each other for a few years.  (Both were throwaway cats that arrived on the Bayou at different times. Both stayed.)  Since the demise of the Bayou Queen, one would think that the Bayou Princess would take the crown. She has not.  Even though she is treated royally, she has not learned to reign in the stead of the queen.  Still, she laid claim to the deck and the old bench.  This was the throne and since no queen was ever crowned, the Ms. Nycto figured it was hers.  Good enough.  She would while away the hours snoozing on the old bench. If anyone neared, she would hiss and dart into the jasmine.

  This was all fine and dandy until last week, when we dismantled the deck.  Its time had come as it had become nothing more than a catchall for fishing gear and gardening tools.  The bench was moved to the side and the boards removed.  Now, a large empty spot sits where the deck once was.  The boards, however, are still in a pile waiting to be hauled to the back of the shed where a new deck is to be built.  Ms. Nycto was confused, to say the least.  The first morning after the deck was removed, she darted out the door and headed straight to the nonexistent deck.  She was bewildered.  Where was her throne??

  This afternoon, I went out to find Ms.Nycto relaxing on the pile of deck boards.  Her throne room had been demolished, her throne removed but she was still the Bayou Princess and she would lay claim to anything that her heart desired...the pile of boards was hers.  She is learning...slowly but surely.

Month of the Wasps

  It seems to be "Month of the Wasps" here on the Bayou.  First, there were the red paper wasps that built their nest in the potted cedar tree.  This tree was overgrown with the jasmine causing me to snip, tug, hoist and generally be hugging the tree for about an hour.  Ordinarily, these wasps are rather foul tempered critters and will sting you at the drop of a hat.  For some reason, they felt sorry for the old lady trying to do a bit of yard work and I received nary a sting. 

  Then, Mark and I came across a yellow jacket nest.  These wasps, too, have nasty tempers and will attack just for the sake of being ornery.  The nest was huge and I was thankful that we were able to kill the wasps before anyone haphazardly stumbled upon the nest.  Again, nary a sting was received.

  Yesterday, we decided to rip up the small deck.  Some of the boards were getting a tad rotten so instead of repairing, we removed it.  While I was stacking boards, Mark called my attention to yet another nest.  This time it was a mud nest that had been accidentally knocked loose.  My first reaction was that this was some sort of mud dauber's nest (which are a type of wasp) but it looked quite different than any I have ever seen.  I had to do a bit of research and I am still not sure exactly what type of wasp made the nest.  The nearest thing seems to be a wasp called a spider wasp.  It is a type of mud dauber that mainly preys upon spiders.  Well, that could be a good thing since we do seem to have a lot of brown widow and black widow spiders about the place.  I figure that we could use all the help we can get in thinning those buggers out of the area!  Again, no stings but these are rather docile wasps unlike their cousins.

  It does seem as though we have more wasps, bees and generally just more insects than usual this summer.  Perhaps our lack of winters, as of late, accounts for this change.  As far as the wasps go, it was definitely a happy thought that we have avoided stings.

The Steadfast Moth

  Son was doing a bit of work on the small deck on the back of the greenhouse.  He was extending part of it to make it easier to pick the scuppernong grapes that grow on an arbor just beyond the greenhouse.  Since I am so short, the grapes are just out of reach but a deck under the arbor will help immensely.  While he was working, he found a moth.  While there is nothing unusual about finding any critter on the Bayou, this moth was being particularly calm.  The critter was on one of the risers of the steps and even though, each of us had made several trips up and down those steps, the moth did not move.  It stayed motionless even through the hammering just a few feet from its resting point.  The critter had no inclination to take flight until nightfall so it trusted us to not harm it.  

  The moth in question is none other that a type of sphinx moth.  My tomato plants had dozens of caterpillars munching the leaves so I am assuming that this fine specimen is one of those.  While my garden looked atrocious for a while, I could not bring myself to smash the caterpillars and this moth is the result of my lackadaisical gardening. Which is ok by me except for the fact that now this very same critter (if a female) will most likely lay dozens of eggs on the garden plants and that cycle will start all over again.

  Late in the evening, I went to check on our friendly moth and was happy to find that the beauty went on its merry way.  Now, perhaps Son can finish the deck without worry of smashing a moth.  The Steadfast Moth halted construction of a much needed deck!

Yep, he was thinking!

  Son has built yet another deck.  Granted both of these decks are small but, hey, you have to start somewhere!  To my way of thinking, he is getting rather good at this carpentry thing.  Both decks are built on outbuildings.  One is on the greenhouse and the other is out the back door of the storage room/shed.  This storage room is an addition to our large shed but is sealed against critters, whereas the shed is just a shed.  We used the storage room to house our daughter and son-in-law's stuff when they moved here from upstate.  Since they were renting, the furniture and all belongings needed a nice, snug place to sit for a while.  In just about a week, Mark and Son built this huge addition onto the shed.  It is great....I claimed it!

  The deck on the greenhouse has a step to get in and out the door.  I do not mind as steps provide a decent amount of exercise.  (One step counts, right?)  I assumed the deck on the storage room would be the same but it did not turn out that way at all.  Son built a ramp going up onto the deck.  I was good with that as well.  Ramps are good.  His logic played a huge part in his decision to ramp the thing.  "So we can use the dolly." was the answer I received.  (Son is a man of few words.) Well, duh!  What a good idea!  If this is going to be a storage room, a dolly might come in handy!

  The fact that this deck would have needed a number of steps might also have been a factor in his decision.  This deck sits atop a hill and a good number of steps would have been required.  The ramp was much easier to build and Son is all about doing things logically and easily.

  I like the two little decks.  They are just large enough for a couple of chairs so Mark and I can take our coffee out to enjoy the early morning coolness.  We just have to decide which view we wish to enjoy....the Bayou or the woods!  Either is good for me!

My own little deck!

 It has been a long time coming but I finally have the greenhouse of my dreams!  Years ago, I had two "temporary" greenhouses but nothing like the one of today.  It is beautiful!  Mark was going to start building it when Son stepped in and asked to build it.  Mark was eager to let Son "spread his wings" a bit and have a go at a building project.  Other than a few pointers here and there, he allowed Son to do his own thing.  He did well.  There are still a few things that need finishing but nothing that is major.

  One of those finishing touches was completed this week.  I now have a lovely little deck on the back of the greenhouse.  It is just large enough for a wicker chair which makes it perfect.  I can take a break now and again to sit in the cooling breeze.  The position of the deck is also perfect as it faces the grape arbor.  Mark's hammock is strung beneath the arbor so I can chat with him during my breaks.  The little deck only took a short while to build but, to me, it is a thing of my dreams.  

  Son is now in the process of building a similar deck on the back of the storage room.  This storage room is on the side of the shed and is in the process of becoming a craft/woodworking room.  Here, Son can perfect the skills that he so enjoys.  He seems to be following in both Mark's and my footsteps.  We both enjoy creating so I guess it is only natural. 

   Hmmm, I wonder where else I need a deck?  Perhaps a screened porch along the south side of the house....ponder, ponder!

Weekly Forecast...Rainy with Intermittent Showers of Sawdust

    It has been quite the rainy spring/summer here on the Bayou.  For eleven straight days, it rained....hard.  We were receiving two to three inches of the wet stuff each day.  The ground is soggy, which the garden likes.  The one tragic mishap involving the two fledgling Red-bellied Woodpeckers was a direct result of our inclement weather.  One afternoon, gale force winds accompanied the torrential rains.  This blew down the top of the dead Black Gum tree that housed the woodpeckers' nest.  The youngsters were killed on impact when the chunk of wood hit the ground.  For days afterward, the parent birds kept bringing bugs to the treetop in hopes that their young would magically appear to receive the treats.  It  broke my heart to watch this day after day but all things pass with time and the little ones were soon forgotten.  Birds are not renown for their long memories which, in this case, might be a good thing. 

  With all of the rain and soggy ground, I became concerned over the care of my outdoor furniture.  I mentioned it to Mark and within a couple of hours the problem was remedied.  He and Michael built a mini-deck for me!  It is just large enough to hold the four chairs and a small table. When they built it, they chose a site directly beneath the former bird nesting tree.  Never once did we think there would be a problem with this area.  It was within the confines of the Rose/Herb Garden where it is more or less protected.  Nothing could go wrong.  I would have a nice seating area to enjoy my morning mug of coffee or a late afternoon cup of herbal tea.  Boy, was I wrong.  

  Yesterday evening, Mark and I went out to enjoy the cooling breezes from the Bay.  Our chairs were shaded by the jasmine vine and the air was scented by the delightful aroma of gardenias.  This was the perfect setting for a bit of relaxation. Our peaceful little bubble was soon burst by a sudden shower of wood.  Sawdust came pelting down upon our heads and in our drinks!  What?  Sawdust?  What was causing this?  I looked up just in time to see a flash of red disappear into a hole in the top of what was left of the Black Gum tree.  Mama Red-belly was busy working on a new nest!  Papa Red-belly had already excavated a nice size hole in the dead tree and she was now busy putting the finishing touches on the nest.  These two were through grieving for their lost young and were ready to start a new family.  Life continues. It is sort of sad, though, as the birds do not realize that the very same thing might happen again.  This tree is bound to be subjected to high winds this summer with hurricane season upon us.  As rotten as the tree is, it will not withstand harsh winds.  Another nest is likely to come tumbling from the treetops but hopefully this will occur after the little ones have gone on their merry way.

  Mark and I moved our afternoon respite to the benches a bit further down the hill.  The wind sailed the wood chips to the north of us and let them shower down upon my outdoor furniture.  The deck and furniture was soon covered with the sawdust.  Hopefully, the birds will finish their home-building chores and let us enjoy Mark and Michael's handiwork of the deck.