The other morning, Son and I were meandering about the hillside when he made the remark "It is almost fog-time." He was referring to the time of year when fog seems to be a daily occurrence. Little did he know (or maybe he did!), that the very next morning would find us in the midst of a pea-soup thick fog. Everything was white! We could not see the end of the pier, the house across the Bayou nor the tops of the tall pines. The fog-time had come.
In a way, I like the foggy morns that linger into late afternoon. I feel shut off from the world almost as if I am on my own little island. The world may be buzzing around me but the thick layer of fog blocks out any evidence. Even sounds are muted which adds to the mystique. Usually, these days will find me on the end of the pier with my mug of morning coffee.
This morning was much the same. Mark and I headed to the pier but, instead of tarrying there, he hopped into the little skiff. To him, these days are perfect fishing days! I stayed on the pier just long enough to watch him disappear into the fog. I did give him one bit of advice even though he was fully aware. If fishing on one of these foggy days, Pop always used to say "Watch the shoreline! You sure do not want to wind up in the channel." The large tugboats traveling the channels cannot see a small skiff in time and the result could be devastating. It is best to stay near the shore and not venture too far into the vision impairing fog. Good advice from a wise man.
Mother Nature throws a lot of neat things at us if we only take a few moments to really see what is around us. So many times, we traipse around with our sights set on only what our ultimate goal is and not even notice our surroundings. Here lately, that problem has become much worse as folks have a tendency to tote their phones with them. Their eyes stay glued to the screen which causes them to miss the world. Being "connected" causes us to lose out on so many things which is exactly why my phone stays inside on the desk. Good place for something that I deem rather useless.
That said, a couple of days ago, Mother Nature decided that the world needed a good washing. What started as a heavy fog in the morning turned to a torrential downpour by mid afternoon and stayed through the night. That early morning fog decorated the Bayou and woods with some of the most beautiful jewels on earth. Water droplets had settled on each spiderweb that had been spun the night before. A lot of them were so heavily laden that they were starting to droop and even break but the stronger ones decorated the branches like lovely necklaces. Mother Nature had cast her jewelry about in a most haphazardly way! She had bedazzled the Bayou!
I read once where spider silk is stronger than steel. This seems strange being as a web is easily broken but the strength is judged by the weight of the silk versus the weight of steel. Given the same weight of each, the silk is supposedly five times stronger than steel. After seeing the water droplets that had accumulated on a single strand of the fine spider silk, it is easy to understand.
Spiders, in general, fascinate me. I am doubly fascinated by their ability to build such sturdy, yet, intricate webs. Add to that the beauty that each strand holds after a foggy night and a spider becomes quite the amazing creature. Folks, take the time to look around you at all of the exquisite works of art out in nature. Really see what is out there. You will not be disappointed.
Son has often said that it does not take a lot to entertain me. This can be taken either way...good or bad...so I choose to look at it in a positive way. To me, it means that my imagination has not died with the influx of artificial stimulation. Anything can act as a trigger to take me to some faraway, magical place. It must be the influence of my late Aunt Helen. She never bored of daily life because she had the ability to be a thousand miles away in her thoughts. She taught me well.
This morning's hike was a damp one. A thick fog shrouded the entire Bayou muffling footsteps and holding the sights and scents close around me. Making my way around the back path, the heady aroma of citrus blossoms mingled with the enticing scent of trailing wisteria blooms engulfed me. This was enough to start the imagination but the sight of moss-covered bricks sent it into overdrive. The brain found that moss oddly alluring. Suddenly the whole world whirled around in a myriad of thoughts of romance, moonlit walks and happy endings. Perhaps these were from tales told by grandparents so many years ago or perhaps it was just all of the elements of the day coming together in harmony but I was thrown into a mystical, magical world for a bit. It was a place that was hard to leave. That first step back into reality was difficult. I wanted to throw the day's chores to the wind and stay in my "happy place" for the day.
It is nice it to simply waltz into a different life now and again...to let mundane things become exquisite...to find happiness at your own backdoor. I think everyone needs an Aunt Helen at some point in life. She is needed to teach us all how to imagine what can be.
