Cold and Gray

   I was out at daybreak trying to cover and secure things for the hard freeze tonight.  I knew I had to get it in gear and get it done before the rains set in for the day.  After covering the garden the best I could, filling the woodbins with a hefty supply of logs and cutting enough kindling to keep those fires going, I felt that my tasks were about complete.  I headed inside to bake.  To me, there is nothing more satisfying than baking on a cold, rainy/sleeting day.  The rain did turn to sleet for a good bit of the time but the oven going was a happy thought.  Cream cheese croissants and broccoli/mozzarella rolls were being turned out like clockwork!  Amazing aromas were wafting from the kitchen!

  Along about midafternoon, I noticed something strange.  The "quiet noise" of the sleet stopped and the windows started brightening.  Aha!  Perhaps the nastiness was just going to turn to cold now!  Wandering into the living room, I noticed the crystals hanging in the window.  There were no "rainbows" shooting around the room.  In fact, there was gray.  Things looked gray just like outside.  It looked cold.  Well, time to close the curtains, turn on the lamps and make things at least look cozy!  Stay warm, folks.  Mother Nature wants to see you wear your heavy coats!

A Bit Of Red On A Gray Day

  While my mood has not lifted, I am going through the motions of the holidays.  The Little Bayou House is as decorated as it is going to get, hundreds of cookies have been baked and the few gifts wrapped.  It is going to be a very....very....quiet Christmas here on the Bayou this year.  Family members all have other plans so Santa will not be filling stockings at our mantel this year.  Instead, the time may be spent thinking of how to go about improving myself a bit.  I might as well get a jump on those New Year's resolutions!

  The weather, however, is a different story.  Most folks would say differently as we have had a cold, drizzly rain for the past two days.  Personally, it made me feel better.  Hearing the rain pelt the rooftop made me stop and smile at least a dozen times today.  If it could rain every day this week, perhaps my disposition would improve.  No one has ever claimed that I have a "sunny disposition" anyway so I might as well go for it!  Gray suits me fine.

  Early this morning, I braved the drizzle to go check on the small skiff moored at the pier.  There were a few ducks out in the middle of the Bay but none close enough to photograph.  Even my sweet little marsh rail was laying low and could not be found. Perhaps she had taken shelter beneath the heavy marsh mats and was keeping snug.  There was nothing interesting to be found so I made my way back up the pier.  Then!  A bright splash of red made me think of the Season being celebrated.  A small Yaupon tree grows at the foot of the pier and its berries were finally ripe.  The berries were dripping with water droplets from the mist causing them to look as if they were wearing jewels.  I was tempted to snap off a few branches to add to the pine boughs in the entryway but decided against it.  The berries were better suited as food for the cedar waxwings that should be on their way to the Bayou.

  ~As an added note, Yaupon berries are toxic and should not be eaten.  Using the berries as seasonal decorations should be done with care if you have small children or pets in your house.  The berries have a tendency to drop rather quickly and can be a temptation due to their bright hue.  

Gray is a Good Color

  Well, imagine that.   It was another dreary day here on the Bayou.  Rain threatened to pour down upon us at any given minute and, in fact, did a good job of soaking us several times.   Late this afternoon, a terrific storm pounded the area with high winds, lightning and torrential downpours.  Then it was over and the sun made a feeble attempt to make up for its "no-show" status of the day.  This was nothing new, however, since we have had more than our share of rain for about a year now.

  All of these gray days have a lot of folks complaining.  The drear is just too much for some people to handle.  It is a proven fact that the lack of light can do some mighty strange things to the brain and I suppose that gray skies can be considered a "lack of light"...well, maybe a lack of sunshine anyway.  Those living in darkness can be prone to bouts of depression caused by changes in the brain.  I can remember being told stories by Granddad about how the coalminers back in his time had to be careful if they worked the day shift.  It seems that working with the small carbide lanterns did not provide suitable lighting to help with the mental state of the workers. Then, when they left the mines, there was little time before sunset.  It did not take long before the workers attitudes were not desirable so it became the custom to "swap shifts" periodically.  Granddad had worked the mines as a lad and saw firsthand how this worked.  He stressed to me at an early age how important it was to get a "healthy dose of sunshine" each day.

  Granted having so many cloudy days pales to compare to the hard work and terrible conditions of the coalminers but people are whining about the dark, dreary days.  I, on the other hand, have no problem with the dreary days.  As a matter of fact, I find them inspiring.  The days make me feel creative, imaginative and energetic.  Perhaps this stems from growing up on the farm where rainy days meant a day off from working in the fields or doing other farm chores.   Or maybe my brain is just wired a bit differently than other folks' brains and I need darkness to function properly.  Whatever...I really do like my gray days and rainy nights!  Complaining about the weather never has changed it anyway.  So I might as well enjoy whatever the day brings.

In Black and White...

  Its graying again.  Each year after the splash of color, the cooler weather takes over and grays everything it touches.  Just last week, I was in awe of the colors of our "late" fall.  The cypress trees especially were brilliant as were the popcorn trees.  Now, that has all changed. Torrential rains and powerful winds hit the Bayou leaving the trees bare.  Most of the colorful leaves have fallen and are now a mushy mess on the ground.  What makes matters worse is that I cannot go out to rake up this soggy mat.  More rain is predicted for most every day of the coming week.  The squishy ground cover will just have to remain in place until things get a bit dryer.   It is funny how quickly Mother Nature can change her wardrobe.  

  This morning, I headed to the pier to check the old skiff.  Since all of the fishing gear had been stowed away before the last bit of stormy weather, I had nothing to occupy my time other than to watch the birds. Out on the water, a few mergansers were huddling close together, three pelicans were resting on the pier posts and a lone osprey called from the top of a dead tree back in the depths of the Bayou.  This time, due to the bare trees, he was easy to spot.  This made me think of how open and exposed other critters were at this time of year.  While the osprey will not bother them, hawks will be on the lookout for squirrels and smaller birds that frequent these trees.  There is not much chance that these critters will be able to dart for cover like they do when the trees have full foliage.  Most will have to resort to moving lower in the evergreen bushes or even on the ground.  The fallen leaves do provide a bit of coverage and camouflage of smaller critters so I guess all is well.

  I like this time of year even with all of its grayness and drear.  Things are good on the Bayou.