Ghostly Visions!

  Yep, it is getting on to that time!  Halloween is just around the corner and along with that comes the thoughts of eerie things.  To some folks, living on a bayou is eerie enough simply because of the local denizens that reside here.  Just the mere mention of gators or cottonmouth moccasins is enough to scare some people but, if you throw in a conversation about things screaming in the night or howling from the depths of bayou where it meets the creek, you can give many visitors a good case of the bejeebies.  (I guess I am showing my age here as "spell-check" is yelling "You cannot use that!  It is not a word!"  Umm...I am old.  I use old words.)  Anyway, the mention of anything supernatural brings out the idea that the place is haunted and...well...I am a good part of that. I am good with the analogy as it is all in fun and those who think otherwise need to lighten up a bit.

  The other morning, I peered out the screen door as Bat, the cat, wanted out.  Ahh, there was to be a lovely sunrise and I should traipse myself to the pier was all that could run through the brain...so I did.  The darkness settled around me as the sun had barely reddened the sky behind the pines on the other side of the Bayou.  Carefully choosing my way as to not step on one of those aforementioned snakes, Bat and I headed our separate ways.  He headed north while I headed south.  Soon, I was to the plank that spans the short gap to the pier planking.  This is there for high tide but makes a handy "bridge" over what could be a perfect spot for a cottonmouth to linger unseen.  Stepping lightly on the planking, I eased my way to the end of the pier.  A sole white shape could be partially seen through the darkness.  If I had been one of those scary type folks, this may have made me stop in my tracks.  (To be honest most of those folks would not have been traipsing out in the pitch black to start with but, hey!...this is me.)  The "pier ghost" stood dead still.  It did not make a move even though I edged closer.  "Well, now!  How are you my friend?" I murmured.  I received no answer.  I eased closer yet.  

  By the time I got to the end of the pier, the sky was a glorious array of reds and oranges.  My "ghost" had been starting to become drenched in the same colors but decided now was time to make its great escape.  Off to the back of the Bayou it flew on whispering wings but not without a double squawk!  Goodbye, Ghost!  

  To me, it is funny how the gorgeousness of an egret is offset by such an atrocious call.  The bird in itself is absolutely beautiful.  Its white plumes seem out of place amid the mud that is so commonplace around bayous, its graceful, elegant stance appears to be far too fragile to battle the life it lives here but it is that squawk that is most incongruous with the elegance that the bird portrays.  It just does not fit....in all fairness, though, it does fit quite well with a ghostly bayou critter!

Can't Quite Figure...

  Several years ago, I owned a camera that folks were beginning to say was possessed by some evil entity.  The camera would switch itself on and off again and again, take pictures without any help from me and sometimes have photos on its memory card that were not even from here!  The on and off again problem was explained away as moisture messing with the electronics.  I can understand that as, here on the Bayou, the humidity level is great.  The snapping of pictures could also be from the same thing but that taking of pictures from other places is uncalled for!  The photographs in question were of a white dog that closely resembled our Ms. Ez at the time but, on closer inspection, things were not right.  The dog did resemble ours but that was NOT her bed and that was NOT my wall!  We joked away the problem by saying it was our resident ghost at play.  No problem.  Now, however, the current camera is starting to take rather weird photos.

  While looking at photos from a few days ago, there was one that I did not remember taking.  It is of the light post, of all things.  Yes, it is our light post but I do not recall being so obsessed with it that I needed a photograph of it.  Still, there it was.  I am pondering if this camera is now having the same moisture buildup that the other one did or has our ghostie decided to become a photographer?  Either way, when the camera starts acting this way, I do get some interesting pictures!  A light post...now go figure!

In The Graveyard Or On The Bayou....

  Several years ago, I related a tale about ghosts and misconceptions.  This was in explanation of how the blooms of the yucca blooms had earned the name Ghosts of the Graveyard.  It seems that at some point, a few folks claimed to see ghosts flitting about a local cemetery.  These folks were so convinced by the sight that they hurried to tell others about their find.  It seems that a designated group of ghost hunters were dispatched to the graveyard that very same night to investigate.  Indeed, they, too, saw the ghostly-white images floating about the graves but on closer inspection, they found yucca blooms.  The tall, spindly stalks were supporting huge clusters of blossoms that glimmered in the moonlight.  Hence, from that night's sighting came the "Ghosts of the Graveyard" description.

  The ghosts on the Bayou are of the same ilk.  Some fifteen feet in height and with three feet of that being blooms, it is easy to imagine the mistaken identity.  By the light of a full moon, the creamy white blooms do seem to glow and the least amount of wind can sway those large clusters in a most "spectral" way.  

  The yuccas are just starting to bloom so the blossoms are scanty.  By the weekend, most of the buds will be open creating quite the vision of loveliness.  While I am not a fan of the spiky plant while mowing the grass, let it bloom and it suddenly becomes a favorite!  These "ghosts" can float about the hillside all they want!  

Poison to Dogs..or "Ghosts of the Graveyard"

Sometimes it takes a while to learn things.  I have been traipsing about this hillside for my whole life and thought I knew just about every "bad" plant there was growing here.  By bad, I mean those that are best left alone if you know what is good for you.  Now, I find that one of my favorite plants is supposedly not too spiffy for animals.  I was once again enthralled by the beauty of the wild Yucca that blooms periodically down the hill from the Little Bayou House.  Every year two different sets of these plants put on quite a show with their creamy white blooms.  Back when I was a mere tyke, Grandpa showed me the pointy ends of the leaves and warned me not to get poked.  During that same lesson, he showed me how you could pull "strings" from the leaves.  These, he informed me, could be used as thread if ever I needed it as a survival item.  These "strings" had a built in needle if you managed to pull the fiber in just the right way. The tip of each leaf holds a spine that is needle sharp!  He, also, told me that the roots could be used as a sudsing soap! Grandpa was a firm believer in being prepared even if it meant using what was at hand.  I learned a lot from this man..I kept tight hold of his teachings.  But..he never told me that this very same plant might be bad news for dogs.  It seems that the roots have a high concentration of saponins.  Saponins when ingested in good quantity can kill a dog or any other animal that eats enough of the root.  Hmmm..this brings to question why a dog might want to eat said root.

To get to the root of a Yucca plant, one must first get past the saber-like leaves.  Trust me on this...You do NOT want to get stabbed by a Yucca leaf! Grandpa was right!  Those things do smart a bit! The needle-like spine can break off and become embedded in the skin!  Why would a dog (at least a semi-smart dog) ever want to risk getting stabbed just to eat some root that tastes like bitter soap?  I cannot see it.  Anyway, the article that I was reading said that I should destroy all my Yucca plants just in case Ms. Ez decided to eat the root.  Now granted, sometimes I ponder the wisdom of my dog but, surely, she has enough sense to steer clear of some pokey, stabby plant!  Hmmm...hopefully she has.  Anyway, I have no plans to eradicate the Yuccas from the hillside.

Just as a note of curiosity..Yuccas are often called "Ghosts of the Graveyard".  I had heard this years ago from an elderly lady that lived down the road.  "Miss Twin" had mentioned this during one visit.  It seems as if Yuccas have a tendency to grow in unattended graveyards.  When in bloom, their thick blooms seem to be floating above the ground..hence the "ghost".  I headed out tonight to put the theory to test.  Braving the myriad of mosquitoes that inhabit the Bayou, I walked the board path to the pier.  There was a nice size Yucca in bloom near the Sawtooth Palmettos.  I wanted to see if after dark, the thing really resembled a "ghost".  Ok..I could see the blooms in the moonlight and if I had not known it was a plant, I would be slightly confused as to this large white thing looming in the darkness.  I tried to photograph it but without a flash nothing could be seen..with the flash, most everything was apparent.  No ghost here!  Still, I suppose with a poor light and vivid imagination, a ghost would appear!  So..the myth will endure!  Yuccas, the Ghosts of the Graveyard!  At least one does not have to be afraid of these ghosts..unless you get stabbed by the leaves or eat the roots!