Patience Is Everything

   Patience is a virtue that very few of us have obtained or, if we ever had it, we have forgotten how to use it.  The world is caught up in a rat race with people demanding everything they want, how they want and when they want.  It is mindboggling, to say the least.  Thankfully down here on the Bayou, things are different.  When you pull yourself out of that rat race, you start to enjoy life as it is and not how others think it should be.  Here, patience is not only a virtue, it is everything.  I have relearned that over the years in so many ways.  Patience is everything.

  This morning before the others were awake, I did my usual walk to the pier.  Since I was alone (even the cat stayed in the warm bed), I had the place to myself.  I sat in the middle near the wallowed out cut where we usually moor the old boat.  Now that it was out at the end of the pier, the shallows were filled with bull minnows and a lone Clapper Rail.  This bird is a friend that will come out to visit if I linger long.  The bird and I had an ideal "conversation" even though it was a bit one-sided.  I talked to the bird.  The bird ate bull minnows. 

  After a good twenty minutes of this, I heard the whirring of wings and, to my surprise, 5 Snowy Egrets came into the same cut.  There, not 10 feet from me, were the most beautiful birds!  I was almost afraid to breathe lest I frighten them!  After a bit, I slightly shifted my position so I could move the camera to their angle.  The birds did not fret.  After dozens upon dozens of photographs, I started gently talking to these fine friends.  This did not seem to bother them, either!  In fact, one flew up on the pier near me.  Goodness!  For the next hour, I sat on the pier watching the egrets.  I sat even though my legs were cramping from the cold pier.  I sat even though my fingers felt like ice.  I sat even though the morning was slowly slipping away and I needed to be doing chores.  I sat.  Patiently, I sat so as to not frighten the birds.

  After nearly 40 minutes (and 155 photographs), the birds decided it was time to fly to the back of the Bayou.  I was cold and achy but my patience had been truly rewarded.  Patience is a virtue.  Patience is everything.

We are friends!

   Since my days are back to being boring due to a torn muscle, it is pertinent that I find ways to entertain myself.  There is nothing worse than trying to confine a normally active person.  For the life of me, I cannot sit on the sofa and do absolutely nothing.  Sitting and I are not good at working together.  That said, I head to the gardens.  In the Small Gardens, there are any number of things that can hold the attention for a while.  While I cannot do much as far as tilling the soil or pulling the spent plants, I can, at least, pick the tomatoes. 

  It was when I was in the tomato patch that one of my friendly garden helpers caught my eye.  Most folks would claim that this little one is more of a pest but I do not see it that way.  Even though carpenter bees can drill holes in anything made of wood...the fence, the gates...even the Little Bayou House...their ability of pollinating tomato plants makes up for the negatives.  It is a fact that carpenter bees pollinate as well as bumblebees which puts them right behind honeybees in line of importance to a gardener.  

  The bee this morning was just lounging about on one of the boards that line the pathway through the vegetable plot.  It was soaking up a bit of sunshine before starting its day.  Well, if the bee needed a few moments to get its act together, I may as well join it.  Plop!  I sat down next to the little cutie and started conversing (one sided, of course) with it.  The bee leisurely crawled about on the board then up on my hand.  Sweet!  The two of us sat there...alone in the world (or at least the garden).  

  It is nice to be able to share a bit of "quality time" with the critters I find in the gardens.  Not many folks make it down to the Little Bayou House to visit so I tend to pour out my troubles, share my ideas or make small talk with whatever critter happens to linger long enough.  We are friends...those critters and I...we are friends.

Happy To See You, My Old Friend!

  Before daybreak, an owl could be heard off in the distance.  Stepping on the back deck, it was evident that the bird was down in the creek in one of the old pines.  Thinking it was far too dark to go traipsing down there in search of an elusive bird, I took my mug of coffee out to the front steps.  There, I sat in the dark under the shaded arbor.  Bat, the cat, sat nearby as if he even thought it was still too early to be out and about. The owl, kept hooting but nothing else could be heard.

  Along about daybreak, the cat scooted down to the marsh edge to patrol his territory and the owl came closer to the house.  Hmmm....that owl sounded large enough to tote off the cat, if it so desired.  Bat had better be careful!  Suddenly, the hooting was so very close!  Turning, I spied the owl just above my head!  It had come into the garden and was on a low limb of the old oak tree. I slowly picked up the camera and aimed at the bird.  Well, that beat all!  A single twig sat between the two of us.  There would be no photographs unless one of us moved and that old owl seemed to be mighty comfortable where it was.  Yep, I got up and moved closer.

  The owl had no problems with me being only about 15 feet from it.  The bird stared at me a few moments then when right back to hooting!  As I took picture after picture, memories came back of an owl that would often visit the garden and sit on that very limb or on the fence post.  I pondered if this could be the same one.  It has been several years since the bird visited the gardens.  Friend Owl, as long as you leave the cat alone, you are more than welcome to visit any time you choose.  I am honored!

Morning Friend

  Early this morning, I had to wait a few minutes for Mark to join me for our daily fishing on the pier.  While he was putting on his shoes, I decided to sit on the front steps.  The arbor surrounding the french doors is the perfect place to grow shade loving plants so either side of the steps is a regular rainforest of plants.  On one side there is a large turmeric plant, several philodendrons and a couple of ferns.  On the other is a gigantic split leaf philodendron, some hostas and a couple of unknown plants that seem to love shade.  All of this greenery flanks the steps and is topped by several hanging ferns.  Sitting on the steps made me feel like I was sitting in the local nursery!

  Being as it was still early morning,  I had not checked out the yard.  Any critters that had come in from the marshes or out of the woods could very well be lingering about the place.  Suddenly, I had that eerie feeling that I was being watched.  Hmm, something had been drinking water from the Puddle Pond.  In fact, it was nigh on dry each morning.  We figured the family of deer were seeking fresh water since the area has been in a bit of a drought, as of late.  Maybe a couple still were hanging close?

  Sitting quietly, I scanned the area.  Nope, did not see a thing.  Still, the feeling of being watched was heavy.  Ok, so nothing was out in the gardens, it was time to look closer.  A small cottonmouth was under those very same steps about a week ago.  The darkness was not helping with my search but, soon, the peeping tom was found!  Right at my elbow was a tiny tree frog!  That big, ole, split leaf philodendron was the chosen spot for the frog's daytime resting.  I just happened to plop myself down right next to froggy!  Its, ok, Froggy!  You are welcome to live among the plants as you do a fine job of keeping them bug-free!  We are good.