Window Charm and Charming Kids!

  It has been over four years since I have seen my grandkids so you can imagine just how elated I was when they arrived for the Thanksgiving holidays.  My oldest son, daughter-in-law and their kids came to spend five days with us which did, indeed, bring about the true meaning of the holiday spirit.  I only wish they could return for Christmas but I suppose that is too much to ask so I shall be happy about this visit!

  My handsome grandson is the typical little boy who would much rather be playing baseball, going fishing or playing some sort of video game than be bound by planned activities.  His MawMaw is only good at that fishing thing so most of his time was spent with PawPaw or his uncles.  They were more than happy to oblige his whims.  Most of my time with him was spent with early morning "snuggles" and his stories before the others got out of bed. That was a highlight since I got to know him as a seven year old and not a toddler.  He is full of ideas both serious and whimsical.  I am truly impressed with him and loved my "special" time.  My lovely granddaughter and I spent most of our time either cooking or crafting!  She has a love of creating which is right up my alley!  I turned her loose in the craftroom and told her that she could use any or all of the craft items found therein.  We spent hours happily among the beads, charms, canvases, paints and other supplies.

  I was truly amazed at some of her creations.  MawMaw kept her input to a minimum simply to watch her talents grow.  My assistance only came in the form of using the glue gun or other "not-kid-friendly" glues.  She did the rest.  After doing a painting, creating paper angel ornaments and a wearable headband, her thoughts went to the "jewels" she found in one box.  The box held everything from large rhinestones to light prisms.  Another box held broken jewelry that people donate to me.  She scavenged through the boxes and started putting pieces together until she created the loveliest "window charm".  Once she was finished, she presented the ornament to me as a gift.  My heart did a Grinch thing and grew three times its normal size!  

  This MawMaw cannot wait until the next visit.  I am sure the Grand Princess and I shall delve into more crafty things and even the Grand Prince asked to be taught a few things.  How cool is that?  Until then, I will hang onto memories and plan for the future.  Good times at the Little Bayou House...at least, for me.

Tired...Just Tired...

  The old dog, Mr. PJ, is tired.  He is just plumb worn out.  He did not go on a long hike, chase squirrels from the garden nor chase a ball up and down the hill.  He did none of these except maybe in his dreams.  He is just frazzled from life and there is nothing I can do other than let him rest.  He does.  In reality, that is just about all he does these days.  He whiles away the hours in deep slumber.  That is ok by me since it is what he needs.  If he wishes to snooze the day away, so be it.  

  Mr. PJ is actually my daughter-in-law and son's dog.  They had to move to an island far way and could not take their beloved dog with them.  Where was the next best place?  Here, evidently.  I accepted his "visit" with open arms and a heart full of love.  He returned the love tenfold.  He and I are good.  We understand each other and respect each other to the utmost.  All of us were in hopes that his family could come back to take him home some day and I still hope that will happen. It has just taken longer than they expected.  In the meantime, however, he is tired...really tired.

  I have tried to help Mr. PJ in every way possible.  We have done vet visits, had a major surgery, plied treats, taken long hikes and basked in the sunlight on the pier.  Happy times there!  Perhaps with enough sleep, we will, once again, do his favorite things.  But, for now, I shall let him rest to build strength.  I have truly grown to love this old dog!  What a fine fellow!  What a fine friend.  Feel better soon, my friend!!

"Not For Human Consumption"

  Have you ever wondered just what they do to items that should be edible but are labeled "Not for human consumption"?   I never thought much of it until the past week or so.  After Halloween, Mark and I were wandering around one of the local stores when I came across an aisle full of seasonal decorations.  Well, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays so I racked up on wreaths, garlands and such.  Mark...well, he bought some of that Indian corn thinking it may be something I could plant.  I shrugged my shoulders and agreed that it might be interesting.  Now, I am not so sure.

  Back on Christmas Eve, the sweet Grand Princess suddenly exclaimed that we had to feed Santa's reindeer.  "MawMaw, do you have any reindeer food?"  Umm, well, maybe?  I did a bit of quick thinking and had the brilliant idea!  The Indian corn!  We had exactly enough ears for the reindeer!  Eight for the regular crew and one for Rudolf!  How could we go wrong??  I figured corn being corn would quickly draw every raccoon in the county to our yard and what they did not devour, the local deer population would finish off before morning.  Out we went to hang the lovely ears of corn on the driftwood trees that line the board path.  The kiddos were elated and I felt assured that all was well.  My ease soon turned to anxiety when about 2am, the corn was still intact.  Nary a critter came to eat the corn.  On the other hand, a few feet away, the sunflower seeds in the bird feeder were gone!  Nothing wanted to eat that corn!  Son, being a fine uncle to these tots, climbed out of bed, went out barefooted in the cold to wrestle with that corn.  He twisted and turned the kernels enough to make it appear that the reindeer feasted.

  Now weeks later, the corn is still dangling from the post.  What was done to that corn to make it unappetizing to critters?  Coons eat anything!  Anything except things marked "Not for human consumption" obviously.  Smart critters?  Anyway, Mark will be happy to know that a healthy crop of corn has sprouted on the ground where the kernels were dropped.  Perhaps I should salvage the rest of the corn to put in the garden next spring.  Maybe the coons will leave it alone and I can have lovely Indian corn for Halloween decorations!  It is worth a try and maybe it will be a tad more appetizing for the critters come a later date.  Of course, with the grandlittles not coming to the Bayou next Christmas, there won't be a lot of need for reindeer food.

Its All About The Flour!

  This morning was pancake time!  Sweet granddaughter, Mary Ruth received a cookbook for Christmas and picked a recipe for pancakes for her first adventure in cooking from this book.  She loves to help in the kitchen and has really picked up a lot of knowledge about cooking from her Mommy and Daddy.  Since coming to the Bayou, she has helped me with cookies and apple turnovers.  Today was PawPaw's turn to be assistant chef to his little granddaughter.

  Well, Little Brother could not be left out so while PawPaw and Mary Ruth followed the cookbook instructions, Handsome Mark Charles and I whipped up our own version.  Ours was much more fun!  The two chefs followed instructions...we "felt the experience" literally!  I let the the tyke measure, pour, add (add more...and some more) and mix.  So what if we got flour everywhere.  So what if our pancakes had almost as much sugar as flour.  So what if fingers were used to mix the batter while the whisk hid under the bowl.  We had fun!

   Mary Ruth's pancakes were wonderful!  They were tasty and light!  But, to be totally honest, Mark Charles' version was pretty good even though they lacked eggs and had an extra helping or two of vanilla.  What was even better...the time spent with each other!  Memories!

But first....!

  Several years ago, the Grand Princess was excited to see her first snow.  She and her mommy were looking out the window when she was asked if she wanted to go out and play.  She excitedly said "Yes!" then added "But first!  We have to get our boots!"  Her emphasis on the "But first!" struck a cord with her PawPaw and MawMaw.  We still have to start some sentences with that excited phrase albeit not nearly as cute as hers was.

  Today, I asked the grandlittles what they would like to do right after breakfast.  Oh!  They wanted to ride the horses, play with Mr. PJ. play with the cars, go to the pier and even pick up "firesticks" for the wood-burning stoves....BUT FIRST!  Lets pick peaches! (Peaches is another name for satsumas obviously.)  So as soon as the dew dried on the grass, we grabbed a basket and headed out the front door to make our way to the citrus trees.  I have never seen two people so happy to do "farm work" as sweet Mary Ruth called our harvesting.

  The kiddos learned to twist the satsumas until they became free of the stems and soon filled the basket full of the fruits.  Once it was filled, they brought it inside and proceeded to wash the satsumas.  Some were put on a platter for us to enjoy, some were boxed and brought to "Uncle Jimmy" (my brother) and, well, some were eaten on the spot!  Best of all, we had a great time making happy memories of being on the Bayou.  I am blessed!   

Bonnie and Clyde

 A while back, I was given an old spring type rocking horse. The thing was in dire need of some attention as it's paint was peeling and the entire body was covered with a green mold.  After a good bleaching and repainting, the horse became the "darling" of the Bayou and acquired the name "Clyde".  Clyde was a good horse that never caused a single problem so he stayed on at the Little Bayou House since then.  The grandlittles adore Clyde and when they come to visit, they ride him constantly.  Other littles who come to the Bayou ride Clyde, as well.

  Well now...we just cannot have a Clyde.  With two grandlittles, we must have two horses.  I am sure that is some sort of rule somewhere.  So...we searched and searched until we fell in love with Bonnie.  Bonnie came to us scratched, moldy and with a bit of peeling paint as well.  In anticipation of the grandlittles  upcoming Christmas visit, Bonnie was due a makeover.   My past two days involved bleaching, sanding and painting the horse.  Now, she is ready to meet her riders!

  It has occurred to me that even with all the bells and whistles that technology has forced upon kids as young as two months, sometimes they just enjoy some plain, old fun.  The horses provide that.  The kiddos can ride and not be exposed to brain-rotting garbage.  Their imaginations can take them flying across the plains of the wild west or the sands of Arabia on these fine steeds.  As for me?  I do not mind this sort of pet!  They do not need feeding and are quiet and  well-behaved.  Loving it!  Welcome to the fold, Bonnie!  You and Clyde have a lot of entertaining to do for the holidays!

A Bit of Fakery

  Basically, the only contact I have with the Grandlittles currently is on social media.  It is there that I can see photographs of them and keep up with their current doings.  That is the major down side of having them live halfway around the world.  This is also where I post photographs of happenings on the Bayou for them to at least see how their dog, Mr. PJ is doing.  The old dog has settled in to bayou life rather well except he misses his family terribly.  They were his whole life and now that is gone so adjustments had to be made.  Poor old pup.  It breaks my heart at times.

  Anyway, who knew that one of those photographs would garner such interest.  Not because of the old dog (even though he was the star) but because of the background.  Mr. PJ had decided to take a nap in front of the french doors on one particularly dreary day.  In the photo, the doors take the stage and received a lot of nice comments.  I am supposing most folks think the window panes are true stained glass even though I tried to explain that they were merely a prop for the recent clue hunt.  For the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou, Son and I come up with all sorts of weird ideas and clues.  We build some props...we alter some props.  The doors were an altered piece.  These are ordinary french doors on which glass panes have been "stained" in a certain order.  This order combined with another prop led the participating teams to a combination.   

  While the doors look pretty, there was very little work involved in achieving the effect.  A $1 roll of colored cellophane, a pair of scissors and a spritz bottle of water was all that was involved.  The cellophane was cut to fit a pane, the pane was spritzed with water and the cellophane was stuck in place.  Amazingly, the pieces stayed.  In fact, the first few were applied way back in July.  They are still in place.  No glue.  No special tools.  No perfected technique. Cellophane, scissors and water...that's it.  

  Folks were in agreement that I should leave the panels in place and I have to admit that I hated to part with my "stained glass" doors.  So...the panels will stay until the colors fade and perhaps, then, I shall spend another dollar to renew the look.  The doors do fit right in with the quirkiness of Bayou life!  (Plus, old Mr. PJ seems to like them!)  

The Bayou Ostrich

  Kids can say the funniest things.  For the past few years, Mark and I have been quoting our little granddaughter's sayings.  Two quotes have stuck more than the rest.  One, "Yummm!  Apples!" is our catch phrase whenever something is yummy!  Mary Ruth said this when we sent a box of citrus fruit to Georgia for the family to enjoy.  When her mommy, Joanna, asked her what was in the box, Mary Ruth said "Yummm!  Apples!  We have said it and giggled over it ever since.  The other most quoted Mary Ruth phrase is "First!  We have to put on our boots!"  This was something she said when she saw her first snow.  Before going out to play, she knew the boots would keep her feet warm.  Smart little girl!  Mark and I say this whenever we are prioritizing things.  "First!  We have to put on our boots!"  The phrase seems to help get things straight.

  Since their move to a faraway island, I have been sending the grandlittles daily photographs of their dog, PJ.  Mr. PJ came to live with us until their return.  I did not want the kids to forget the beloved friend so each day, a new photo is sent.  Today, Mr. PJ was not overly sure of an approaching heron.  He had turned to look at me with a bewildered expression on his face.  With the heron in the background, it was the perfect picture to send.  When Mary Ruth saw the photograph, she said "An ostrich!"  That sweet little girl has just re-identified my heron for me.  Now, we have a Bayou Ostrich!   I will probably never look at a Great Blue Heron again without thinking "An ostrich!"  I always thought we had some pretty unique birds roaming about the Bayou and now I am sure of it. 

  Speaking of the Bayou Ostrich, he seems to be warming up to Mr. PJ.  For several days, he was not sure that the old dog would not chase him.  Now, the bird comes to grab minnows within a few feet of the dog.  We are making progress.  You just have to love the critters of the Bayou...even if they have unusual names!  Mary Ruth brings so much joy by naming them!

The Little Glade in the Woods

  Far down below the canebrake, there is one little spot that is my "feel good" space.  This little area is somewhat secluded from the rest of the world as it is surrounded by woods except for the entrance path.  It is here that I can escape from the chaos of every day life.   The solitude gives me a time to collect the thoughts and face the day with renewed energy.

  Recently, I headed to the little glade to check on a rat snake that had been hanging around the area.  I was in hopes that the snake would stay and keep my little secret glade free from any varmints.  While I did not see the snake, there were two rather lovely mushrooms that had sprung up right in the middle of the sun dappled area.  The mushrooms reminded me of something from the story of "Alice in Wonderland" which started the brain to whirl around with a billion thoughts.  All sorts of fantastical tales started weaving together but I had no one to share the tales with.  Oh, how I would have loved to have the Grandlittles here so we could have storytime in the little glade.  I am sure a few gnomes, faeries, pixies and elves would have been happy to join in our little party.  Then, a sudden sadness enveloped me as I realized that would not be happening any time soon.

  The little glade would be such a neat place to have a lazy afternoon picnic with storytime.  I guess I have far too much of my grandmother and my Aunt Helen in me.  Those two ladies always found time to entertain me with their grand tales, a cup of tea and maybe a few special cookies.  I always had hopes that I would be the one to carry on their tradition.  It doesn't seem that is ever to be.  Instead, my tales will go untold and the magic will stay in the Little Glade in the Woods.

Are We Forgetting??

  Two of my favorite shorebirds made a visit to the pier this morning.  Not that either of these are rare nor that their appearance is something special to other folks, it is just that I like them.  Both are members of the heron family. Both are egrets.  Both are white.  They are not the same type bird.  One is a Snowy Egret while the other is a Great Egret.  The one in the foreground of the photograph is the Snowy Egret.  It is smaller, has bright yellow feet and a black bill (with just a touch of yellow).  The one in the background is the Great Egret.  It has black legs, a bright yellow bill and is much larger.

  
  Both birds, however, have something else in common other than being egrets.  Back during the nineteenth century, egrets were nearly annihilated.  To adorn ladies' hats, the birds were hunted nearly to extinction.  The large, white plumes brought such an exorbitant price that the birds were killed in great masses.  This brought about the demand that laws be passed to protect birds and the National Audubon Society worked tirelessly to help the all birds.  They chose the egret as their symbol. In the twentieth century while being protected, the bird recovered rapidly.  The Migratory bird Protection Treaty gave the birds a chance.  Now, however, that protection has changed.  "Accidental" or "Incidental" deaths will be swept through a loophole and not be punishable.  This is saddening.  While this may not seem like a great deal, knowing how things get pushed and shoved around to benefit big business, the birds are the ones that will suffer and that, in itself, will hurt us all.

   As I sat watching the egrets on the pier, I thought of how it would break my heart if my grandlittles were deprived of the chance to view these beautiful birds and any others.  Yep, regulations are there for a reason.......too bad they can be bent, twisted and otherwise distorted to benefit big business.  Things happen when folks turn a blind eye toward those in power.

Follow Your Heart!

  Mother Nature does indeed have a big heart!  Or, maybe she has a lot of hearts.  While out and about the hillside, I started finding hearts...everywhere.  Isn't it funny how when you notice one small thing, others seem to just jump out at you?  This all started with an idea.  Perhaps, I could start a game with the Grandlittles where they search for different things in nature.  Back when they had visited the Bayou, we did scavenger hunts where I would draw a simple sketch list and they would find the items.  Things such as pine cones, leaves, shells, etc. were on that list.  Well, since they are now thousands of miles away from the Bayou, those little lists might be difficult to do but what if...what if, I sent them on searches for shapes?  They could scour the island for shapes in nature!  I decided that I better try it out first so I went on the search for the first thing that popped into my head...a heart.  I found hearts...everywhere!  While these may not be the most perfect shaped hearts, if the imagination is used, at least, the resemblance is there.

  First, I found a leaf.  A single mistletoe leaf had been blown down from the tall oak tree.  It was a heart...sort of...maybe?  Then another leaf!  This was the leaf of the smilax vine. While it is not my favorite vine, it did have a great heart!  Perhaps leaves were the only heart-shaped thing I could hope to find?  I went a bit further and found two oyster shell pieces beside each other.  The haphazard position gave the impression that this, too, could be considered a heart shape.  My walk continued until I found one more heart.  Although, this heart was, in a sense, leaf related, it was not a single leaf.  The leaves of some lilies were twisted by the wind into a heart shape position. 

  I just a matter of five minutes, I had found four hearts!  There were more but chores did not allow me to search longer.  Things such as twigs being bent by the recent ice, scars on tree trunks, the small lichens that grow on bark, the whorls caused by the wisping of cane leaves in the sand all have the possibility of being heart shaped.  I shall search!  Or...maybe a new shape for each hike?  Then, maybe I shall suggest this to the Grandlittles or one of the tiny visitors to the Bayou.  Sounds like fun to me.  Yeah, I sure miss those Grandlittles.....

Come on, Christmas!

  A bit of Christmas came to the Bayou this afternoon.  Mark made a quick run to the corner store and, along with the things on the list, came home with two "Santa" hats.  These were supposedly for Darling Daughter and me to wear during the holiday season.  I do not wear hats...at least, I do not wear Santa hats.  I am not a cutesy person so that thing is better off used as a decoration.  Still, we had a brilliant idea!  Lets let the dog wear it!  Mr. PJ was thrilled....well, probably not thrilled or even remotely happy about it.  He was more likely just humoring us by tolerating the thing on his head. 

  Since my son, daughter-in-law and grandlittles are off on some faraway island and since they are the actual family belonging to the dog, it seemed to be a grand idea to take a photograph of the dog and send it to them.  He was having no part of this idea.  First off, he is not a fan of being photographed.  (I think the flash bothers him.)  Second, the hat thing was fast becoming a point of irritation.  So, Santa came to the rescue!  Santa (aka Hubby) donned the other hat, sat in a chair by the Christmas Tree and petted Mr. PJ.  This eased the angst a bit with the dog.  He was patient enough for me to get one picture...one.  There was no getting the "second, just-in-case" photograph. As soon as the camera clicked once, he was out of there!  The hat went flying,  Santa Mark started laughing and I had to be satisfied with what I got.  

  So, Come on, Christmas!  We are ready!  We have our hats, tree and Christmas dog all ready to go.  Christmas on the Bayou is in full swing.  Merry Christmas, folks!

Mr. PJ

  Well, I guess it is official.  There is a new friend on the Bayou and one that I am so excited to have here.  While the visit with my son, daughter-in-law and grandlittles was nigh on perfect, there was a bit of a bittersweet part to it as well.  They are moving and this move would not allow them to take their trusted friend/pet, PJ.  The dog has been with them since the start of their marriage so it was a difficult decision to make.  My part was easy.  PJ has always had a place in my heart, I just opened the door to let him have a place in the Little Bayou House.  He is familiar with the Bayou, with us and us with him.  

  I am sure the old dog will be lost for a while and will miss his family each day until they manage to come back but in the interim, I get to pretend that he is MY dog.  This is good at least for me. It has been nigh on two years since Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, made the journey to her next life and in those years, I was just not ready for another dog.  I did not feel that I could accept another nor accept the training that went along with another.  PJ is different.  He had been perfectly trained (by Joanna's sister, Diana!) and had already gained a spot in my heart with his years of visits.  Plus, since we are both...umm...old, we get along well.  The two of us are satisfied with leisurely walks, long talks, lots of petting and a slow friendship. 

  I will do everything I can to make the transition easier on the old dog and he will do everything to brighten an old lady's day. As I was giving his ears a rub this afternoon, I thought of how I missed having a pup lying by my chair as I write. Yep, this is going to work.  Thank you, Mark and Joanna, for trusting me with your loved one and for removing that emptiness that Ms. Ez left behind.  And, Folks, get ready to be bombarded by posts about this good buddy of mine!

Going Camping!

  Sometimes you just have to pitch a tent and go camping.  When the woes of the world come crashing down upon you, taking a brief respite can be all it takes to get you back on track.  The grandlittles had intentions of taking a swim in the pool this morning but before they could get dressed in swimsuits, I heard the distant rumble of thunder.  Uh oh.  That was not good.  I am one of these folks who respects the weather and all it has to throw at you so the dip in the pool idea came to a screeching halt. Needless to say, the grandlittles were a bit...umm...disappointed at the outcome of their plans.  MawMaw had to think and think fast!  What could divert their attention from the devastation they were facing.  Hmmm??

  I headed to the craft room and pulled some rope, a painter's tarp, a large cardboard tube and a couple of large screw-eyes.  Yep!  We were going camping right in the middle of a thunderstorm!  Mary Ruth trotted herself upstairs to fetch the "guys" as she called them (aka her dad and uncle) and I made plans of how to erect said tent.  "Just throw the rope over the beam, tie a slipknot, pull it tight and measure it.  Then drill a hole here to install a screw-eye.  Slip the tube over the rope and tie off the end in the screw-eye!"  I had it pictured in my head and just knew it would work....the "guys" were not so sure of their mom's tent building nor of her sanity in coming up with the idea in the first place. Erecting a large tent in the living room and camping out sounded to be a bit more trouble than it was worth.

  Come to find out....I was right!  It did work and the kiddos had a blast crawling in and out of their new abode.  Toys from the playroom and about ten thousand balloons were carted in to complete the campsite.  What fun! A couple of scavenger hunts complete with lanterns in the darkened rooms added to the experience!  Needless to say, the grandlittles had a blast pretending in their own tent  especially when PawPaw joined them in the fun. The pool was soon forgotten and the rainy day carried on without a problem.  MawMaw to the rescue!

"Cooking On The Bayou" With Mary Ruth!

 Oh, Happy Day!  The grandlittles are back on the Bayou so MawMaw is happy!  There is nothing like two little tots to brighten the day and make all right with the world.  It seems as if the entire place has gained a new lease on life as they bound through the Little Bayou House squealing at the top of their lungs.  It makes me smile. The place is filled with joy, the pitter-pattering of little bare feet and the giggles of happy children.  To me, their visits are too far and few between.  MawMaw misses both when they are not here.  

  This afternoon while the youngest grandlittle, Mark Charles, was taking a little snooze, little Miss Mary Ruth decided that she needed to bake for her MawMaw.  Well, I am always open to having anyone bake for me so off to the playroom we went!  She was careful to seat me at a special table (aka floor) and then gave me a menu.  I was to decide what I would like to eat at her bakery.   MawMaw, obviously not being too familiar with the new style bakeries, ordered a blueberry muffin. "MawMaw, you need to eat supper before you have dessert!", I was reprimanded.  She, then, informed me that I would have a hamburger with a hot dog and one tomato, two pieces of fruit and a cookie. Sounded fantastic to me so she set to work cooking.  "First, I need to make the hamburger/hot dog!"  She picked up a saucepan and wooden spoon, stirred a bit and placed the whole concoction into the oven.  It "baked a bit" then I was served the tastiest meal that I have ever pretended to eat!  

  It was good to see the little play kitchen back in use again.  The mishmash of old, refurbished furniture pieces, cooking utensils and dishes never looked better.  Even the pretend  "hot coals" in the homemade wood burning stove gave off a happy glow.  It just goes to show that a child's imagination can turn anything into something special.  I love my grandlittles!

A Friendship Waiting To Happen

  Back during December, the grandlittles came to visit for a few days.  I was happy to see that they loved being on the pier as much as I do and my sweet granddaughter took to naming the critters she found.  A pair of Brown Pelicans seemed to adore her and came to beg a meal from her.  I showed her how she could toss minnows to the birds.  After that, the bait bucket thinned rapidly as she fed the two hungry birds every minnow she could catch.  These two pelicans were dubbed "Gus and Cinderella".  Well, Miss Mary Ruth needs to come up with a few more names as we seem to have gained a few youngsters to our clan of pelicans.  

  One bird in particular seems to be a good candidate as a friend for Miss Mary Ruth and Master Mark Charles.  This youngster already knows that a free meal is for the taking if he just begs a bit.  Whenever I am on the pier and throwing the net, this pelican flies around and around the pier just to see if anything will be tossed his way.  And...as teenage boys always seem to be...this guy is always hungry!  You cannot fill up this bird's belly!  As long as you toss fish, he feeds.

  Miss Mary Ruth is to be here in August so I sure hope the pelican hangs around for her visit.  She can name this one, as well!  I am sure this will be a friendship in the making.  It sure makes me happy to know that the grandlittles are being raised to love all critters and to respect nature.  

Try, Try Again...

  Years ago, I tried to emphasis diligence to my kiddos.  I wanted them to grow up realizing that not all things are easy but that does not mean that they are not worth doing.  It goes back to that old saying, "If you fail, try again."  Pop never let us give up on anything worth doing so I wanted to instill that same idea into my kids.  I think I have succeeded.  They do not let things get the best of them.  If something seems daunting, they sit back, look at their options, think about it and then tackle it head-on. They are each successful in their own ways...ways that are very different from each other but still successful in doing what they want.  

  Now I am applying that same thought to my own efforts.  For the grandlittles, I have started a new phase in photography.  Where I used to wait for (sometimes) hours for the perfect shot, I now strive for the opposite.  A new game, "Find the Critter", has me striving to take photographs of animals in various stages being hidden from the world. Whether the critter is simply hiding in leaves or using camouflage to be unseen, the kiddos goal is to locate and identify it.  This is harder than you think.  The finding is not hard, the photography is proving to be a challenge.  It is difficult to NOT try to get the "perfect shot".  I am working at it.  

  The grandlittles seem to enjoy searching the photographs for critters and now it seems that I have a new following of a few other kiddies doing the same.  Using social media can be fun for things like this! While I do not really encourage the overuse of electronics with little ones, a bit now and again is not terrible.  My aim with this little game is to instill a love of nature in the grandlittles and other tykes.  I also want them to be aware of their surroundings and to actually be able to "see" things and not overlook the little things.  Life is pretty wonderful and Mother Nature sure does her part to make it interesting.  Now if I can learn to photograph the not so obvious.

  

The Naming

  Take one tiny girl fishing and introduce her to critters that she has never seen and she will name them all.  For the past few days, we have been able to share the Bayou with our granddaughter, Mary Ruth and grandson, Mark Charles.   While he loves being outside and seeing everything, the little fellow is still to young to fully appreciate what is around him.  He is all about playing and exploring his newfound freedom of toddling.  Mary Ruth, on the other hand, is at that perfect age of learning about nature and she loves it.  

  One of the highlights was the feeding of the two pelicans.  It did not take long before Mary Ruth decided to name them. The Brown Pelicans of the Bayou have always been called "Old Gus" for as long as I can remember but Mary Ruth decided that the two needed individual names so the second of the pair became known as "Cinderella".  Hey, this worked for me.  Gus and Cinderella now reign as King and Queen of the Bayou.  It is great but being as both male and female pelicans look the same, I can only hope that they are named correctly.

  After feeding (and naming) the pelicans, her daddy showed her a baby shrimp that he caught in the minnow trap.  At first, she was having no part of holding that weird looking thing!  She soon warmed up to the idea and shyly put out her hand.  The shrimp laid quietly in the palm for just about two seconds before it flipped (as shrimp are prone to do) and slid between the pier boards.  This caused Mary Ruth to burst into a fit of giggles before settling down to the task of naming the critter.  "Tiny." she quietly murmured.  "Tiny."  Well, at least that was appropriate!

  Next came a baby crab.  Since she had held a shrimp, her dad thought she might like to hold the crab.  NOPE!  THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING!  I let the little critter crawl up on my finger to show her that the crab was not out to eat her but she still was not convinced.  The crab never made it to her hand before it, too, scooted between the pier boards back into the water.  Since she had named the other critters, I knew it was best to ask if this one to had a name.  I was not disappointed..."Yes, it was named Crabby!"  Alrighty then.  Crabby, it was.  

 So, Old Gus, Cinderella, Tiny and Crabby all live in the Bayou and all are probably back at home telling their friends about the cute little girl named Mary Ruth!  I know for a fact that the first two are going to miss their friend when she heads back to her home tomorrow.  This mawmaw is going to miss both tykes terribly.  The Bayou is going to feel so very lonely.

Mary Ruth and Old Gus

  Most of today was spent on the pier.  While adults fished, the grandlittles and I more or less played.  Mary Ruth and her daddy fed the seagulls a bunch of old bread and my sweet daughter-in-law caught a nice sized flounder.  After a bit, Old Gus came to visit.  The pelican was begging for a handout and he knew right where to come.  With a bucket full of little mullet and menhaden sitting on the pier and two sweet children waiting to share their catch, Old Gus had come to the right place.  He would eat good this evening.

  It all started with Mary Ruth tossing a menhaden at the bird.  Old Gus scooped up the minnow and swam in a circle.  This tickled the little girl causing her to beg for another minnow to feed Gus.  I fished a second minnow out of the bait bucket and handed it to her.  This time, I told her to wait before throwing the bait in the water.  "Call Gus.  He will come to you."  She started calling "Old Gus! Come here!"  Sure enough, the bird swam right up to the pier and opened his mouth.  He wanted the sweet little girl to feed him.  The minnow was thrown, he scooped and the little girl squealed with delight.  Instead of flying away, Old Gus made a tight circle and returned to beg for more.  Not to be outdone by his big sister, Mark Charles tossed several minnows to the bird. Old Gus was getting his belly filled tonight! After about a dozen menhaden, our stash was depleted but neither the little girl nor the pelican was finished with this game!  We started on the little mullet.  Six of those were soon in the gullet of the bird.  Mary Ruth squealed and giggled with delight over her newfound friend and the bird got his fill of minnows.  He has never had it so good!

  This pelican is one that hangs around the pier and has lost all fear of me.  I feed him an occasional minnow but never to the extent of today. What fun...one pelican, a bucket of bait and two tiny tots make for a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

The Little Fishermen

  It is always a good thing to instill a vast array of interests in children.  "Get them interested in a lot of fun activities and they will stay on a good track," Pop used to say.  There must be some truth in that as it seemed to work with my kids.  They were introduced to so many things that other kids never get the chance to experience.  Farming and fishing were two activities that seemed to pique their interest the most!  While none of the kids became actual farmers like Pop, all three enjoy gardening and all three do enjoy fishing.  Now that love is being passed on to a new generation.

  The grandlittles are visiting the Bayou.  Even though they are still toddlers, they are being exposed to the love of fishing by their parents and both sets of grandparents.  I suspect that by the time they are in school, these kids will be catching fish with the best of them! 

  Today, I watched while my son and daughter-in-law took the kids to the pier.  Almost immediately, the little ones wanted to "throw the net over to the water".  They had seen their daddy do that and knew just what the net could do.  When he threw the net, it covered a school of mullet.  In just a couple of throws, sixteen mullet were hauled onto the pier.  Both little tykes wanted to catch fish, too!  They tried their best to figure out just how to throw the net but, being as the net is six feet long, it was way too big.  They will grow into it.  All too quickly, these two will be throwing the net, casting a line and pulling in "the big one".  They will also learn to love and respect the water.  They will learn patience and determination.  They will learn the fine art of knot-tying and lure selection.  They will learn life skills not taught in school and....they will learn of an enjoyment that can last a lifetime.