Swamp Friends

   For years now, I have said that I have more critter friends than human friends.   People, in general, bother me.  No matter how much you do for them, how nice you try to be or how you try to avoid conflict, invariably, people bring it to you.  I am over it.  I am tired, folks.  I am just pure tired.  That said, I seek out the solace that only the swamps can bring.  There, I find peace as not many dare to traverse the marshes.  There, I am people-free.

  That said, I was pleased to find that an old friend came to visit.  The large, mama gator gently slid into the waters of the Bayou.  She floated just yards away as the darkness of the early morn almost shrouded her from view.  I was not frightened but rather strengthened by her presence.  I poured out my troubles to this unlikely listener.  Her unwavering attention gave me comfort.  While most would have been a mite uneasy with the huge alligator so near, I felt at peace.  My attitude was much better after our one-sided conversation as the visit made me able to face the world outside of the swamp. Sometimes confiding in someone...anyone...really helps.  I will go on.

Old Friends, Indeed

   It is always nice when old friends visit the Bayou.  While very few "people" friends drop by, critter friends abound.  This suits me fine as I would much rather be around animals as they do not thrive on drama but rather just try to thrive.  Their goal is survival not upheaval.  If only humans could act accordingly, this old world would be a far better place.

  While on the pier, it was mighty nice to have a visit from the alligator.  At first, I was afraid that my presence on the pier would make the gator shy away but it obviously had no qualms about continuing its slow passage to the depths of the Bayou.  It had come from the west (my cousin's place) and slowly made its way past my brother's place and then on to ours.  The gator was in no hurry to get anywhere so I had a fine opportunity to grab a few photographs.

  It actually made me happy to see our friendly gator.  I had heard tell that some folks had complained about "seeing an alligator" in the area even though there has never been a problem.  With the influx of new residents all wishing for waterfront property, the gators will probably be eliminated far too soon.  This aggravates me as the gators were here first.  We have all resided side by side with nary a problem.  Soon, I fear that they will go the wayside just as the bald eagles have.  Humans...humans are going to ruin the world for everyone simply because of greed and unfounded fears.

Gators, Otters and Blue Crabs

   About midafternoon, my brother yelled across the yard "The gator is at your pier.  You were just asking about it and now it has come to see you."  That was my cue to head to the pier!  For some odd reason, the alligators still thrill me just as they did when I was a kid.  The photo ops with the alligator did not go as expected as the critter stayed just far enough away from me to make clear shots a no-go.  After a few weeks, it will, once again, become accustomed to my presence and will not be quite so wary.  Plus, a neighbor decided that it was an opportune time to run his big boat around the Bay which left the gator even more uneasy.

  The odd thing about the pier visit was that, along with the gator, there were two otters nearby.  Either the otters were unaware of the nine foot long  alligator's presence or they just did not care.  The pair were busy raiding my brother's crab traps!  Once they each had their meal, the duo swam toward the pier.  They did not even notice me until they were within ten feet.  Then, one looked straight at me with crab in mouth!  Crazy otters!  After checking me, they both opted to hide in the marsh to crunch their prizes.

  All in all, the time was enjoyable even if the pictures taken were not the best.  It is nice to see old friends after the winter has passed.

Alligator Friend

   Mark and I headed to the pier just about daybreak to see if we could catch another mess of fish for supper.  We had no such luck as the only thing biting was catfish.  We caught more than our share of those rascals but I refuse to even think about eating one.  Still, the time was well spent as I got to visit with an old friend and take a lot of photos of the gorgeous sunrise. 

 

   Just before we got chased off the pier by a surprise rain shower, a huge alligator came near the pier.  This gator has been coming around for years and is considered to be a friend.  Not once has it shown any aggression to any of us or the pets.  The gator sticks to its own territory and leaves us to ours.  In fact, this particular alligator has a wide range and makes its rounds to visit "friends".  This is not one of our resident gators.

  

  This gator was quite large.  In fact, I estimated it to be nigh on nine to ten feet in length in comparison to surrounding objects.  This was definitely not our usual little six footer nor one of the "babies" of around three feet.  This is the large bull gator (that big snout identifies it) paying a visit to our local female.  She usually nests in the back of the Bayou and surprises us with little ones now and again.  A few years back, there were several little tots wandering about the hillside!   

  The gators are just as welcome as any of the other wild critters that roam the Bayou and woods.  This was their place long before anyone every stepped foot here and, as far as I am concerned, it is still their place.  People who cannot deal with that are less welcome than the critters.  It was good to see my friend.

Of Gators and Ospreys

  This morning, like every other morning, Mark and I headed to the pier at daybreak.  We were in hopes of catching a few fish for our lunch or, at least, find a few soft-shell crabs in the boxes.  We did neither.  The morning was not a bust, however, as a few old friends visited us while we were there.  

  First, just out from the pier, I noticed the alligator gliding across the smooth surface of the water.  The gator had obviously been out on a hunt all night and was heading to the back of the Bayou to get a little rest and relaxation.  She swam silently across in front of the pier.  Not once did she veer off course even though Mark was throwing the net for minnows and I was checking the crab pots.  This gator has been around here for years now.  She has not made any effort to harass or harm us in any way so we return the kindness.  We consider her just another of our critter friends and always hope her nest of eggs produces a few little ones.  That our Bayou is her safe-haven makes us happy.

  After watching the gator until she vanished behind the marsh, we were treated to another visit from a friend.  This time, it was a pair of friends.  The pair of ospreys flew overhead in a aerial dance.  The female landed in a nearby pine while her hubby went on a fish hunt.  He was trying to find breakfast for his ladylove.  The female set to calling to him as if she was hurrying him along.  It is always pleasant to see our resident ospreys.  This pair nests in the tall trees behind the house near the creek.  They, like the gator, seek the solitude that the Bayou offers.  Smart birds...I do the same.

  So, all in all, our fishing trip was a success even though nary a fish landed on our dinner table.  Perhaps tomorrow will find us hauling in the big ones!

Just a Short Visit

 There are those friends that stay close even when they are far away.  These are the folks who can visit and pick up right where things left off with the last meeting.  Pretty much, these are the true friends.  They are the ones who fit right in with the moment and with whatever is happening.  There is no stress, no awkward silences, no having to become reacquainted.  They are just friends who are as close as family.

  Sometimes, friends can be of the critter ilk.  I have often said that I have more critter friends than I do human friends and that I fully prefer it that way.  Critter friends cause way less drama.  They come and go without ever changing.  Months can pass without even a glimpse then, suddenly, there they are like things are just the same.  

  This morning, an old friend passed our way and made me smile.  Mark and I spotted the old gator swimming across the Bay toward the Bayou.  The animal has grown to quite the massive size now and seems to be doing well.  Most folks would probably be a bit squeamish about sharing their space with an alligator but it only seems natural.  A bayou needs alligators!  It would not be a proper bayou otherwise.  Mark and I watched as the gator slipped silently through the water until it came to a small clump of marsh.  It then lingered there to watch us as we fished.  I suppose by morning, we will find that our crab traps have been raided but that, too, is only natural.  All in all, it was good to see our old friend.

Gators and Hailstorms!

  The storms just keep rolling in on the Bayou and the one today was a doozy!  Not only did we have our usual inch or so of rain, spectacular lightning show and high winds, this storm decided to change things up a bit and pound us with hail.  The hail, sometimes up to golf ball size, pelted the Little Bayou House for nigh on an hour before moving on to drive some other poor folks mad.  The pounding on the rooftop was deafening at times but all's well that ends well and we suffered no lasting damage.

  The morning before the storm was quite perfect, though.  While heading down the pier, a large splashing on the shoreline made me think that the otters were at play.  I readied the camera only to find an alligator instead of my frolicking otters.  This gator was a small one of about four feet in length and was happy to be floating about in the water.  It watched us warily but made no effort to vacate the vicinity.  I watched a while before turning in the other direction. Ha!  Another gator was eyeing us from the south!  This was a much larger critter than the first.  It, too, showed no fear but watched our every move.  I do believe both were waiting for us to fill the crab traps with bait so they could have breakfast.  Too bad, Gators!  You tore the wire on the traps so no bait will be needed!  You, my fine friends, will have to work for your meal today!

  Now it is nightfall and, once again, thunder rumbles as another storm is approaching.  These are all bringing moisture up from the Gulf and inundating us with rainfall.  Thankfully, the hill dries quickly and there is no standing water.  I do not mind these storms and I am pretty positive that the gators do not either.  (Although, they may not have appreciated the hailstones!)

Welcome Back, Buddy!

  Just this morning, I was bemoaning the fact that I have not seen the alligators yet this spring.  The place seems a mite empty without their presence.  One expects alligators to be in the Bayou!  There is just no two ways about it.  Alligators...Bayou...synonymous.  I missed the critters.  They are like old friends who make themselves at home and are taken for granted but when they are not here, the place seems empty.

  About noon, I headed down to the pier once again to bait the crab traps when I spied something coming down the shoreline.  Sure enough a small gator was swimming in search of food.  This one was about five feet long so it was relatively young as gators go.  It came out from the shore and eased its way toward the pier.  The gator was a bit leery of my presence so did not dare come empty the traps.  Usually, the gators will steal the bait all the while making a big mess of the wire.  Nothing is safe when exposed to their jaws!  Now that I know the gators are back, I will have to keep better watch on the crab traps. Those hungry critters will be lurking nearby just waiting for me to fill the bait boxes!

  I made short work of the chore and then sat to watch the gator for a bit.  Hopefully, this is the first of many sightings this summer.  I love it when old friends return to the Bayou!  

Just Pretending!

  It is easy to be fooled at times.  There is a small length of rope down near the marsh that, even though I know it is there, always makes me do a double take.  Invariably, I think "Snake!".  I get excited, pull up the camera ready to take that incredible photograph before I remember..."Oh, rope".  The "Rope" just does not bring as much enthusiasm as "Snake" does.  The snippet of rope catches me most every time and it is for that very reason that I do not fish it out of the marsh when I do cleanups of the place.  The rope is innocuous and. for the most part, inconspicuous.  It has become sort of a fixture and its absence would seem weird.  

  The rope being mistaken as a snake is the same as a log being confused as an alligator.  With my bad eyesight (and failure to wear the spectacles), many of floating logs have been "identified" as the gator.  Imagine my surprise when I find that I have spent twenty minutes getting the perfect shot of the all elusive log!  Well, what happens with you have two "logs" floating out on the Bay?  Surely one is the gator!

  That happened recently.  I spied two items floating out on the water and figured one had to be the gator.  Usually, I can tell by watching and seeing which log is "swimming".  Both were....at least, both were moving and moving in the same direction.  Two gators?  That was just too much to ask!  And it was....not two gators...not two logs.  

  My two floaties were not two of the same even though their directional movement was similar.  One gator and one large board were drifting just a few dozen feet apart.  At least in this situation, I did not feel too embarrassed with my photograph.  The gator is in the forefront of the photograph!  Whew!  Not a mistake this time...sort of....maybe!  So, was the gator pretending to be a log?  Or was the log pretending to be a gator?