Weather on the Bayou is never short on surprises. A hurricane can whip in from the Gulf and give us a beating or a cold front can surprise us from the north and make things dreary. Either way, the cloud formations never cease to astound. The recent cold front (which never got overly cold), brought its share of wind. Last night, gusts reached upwards of 60mph and had a fun time blowing things around. Lawn furniture, tarps covering firewood and fishing gear all took flight! Then a short shower, more wind and finally a bit of cooler temperatures settled for the night. By morning, things had eased a bit but the skies still appeared ominous. I took advantage of the misting rain to do a bit of indoor work before heading to the pier just after noon.
The "cold front" squalls had moved south of us with a dark line of clouds right on the horizon. Above, a sort of eerie swirl of blotchy clouds blocked out most of the sun. At one point, the Mr. Sun tried his best to burn off the clouds but had no such luck. The entire Bayou appeared to be cloaked by some entity that would wreak havoc on any who dared to oppose it. Instead of taking issue with this entity, I embraced it and sat back to enjoy the weirdness of the day. I have been told that I am one of a few that can find peace in storms.
By nightfall, the clouds had moved on and a clear sky with a nigh on full moon graced the Bayou. About an hour after dark, Son and I headed to the pier to secure the small skiff a bit more before the next weather system approaches. The bright moon left little need for flashlights as we did our work. Tomorrow will see more rain but a lot less wind. Grey days of winter are here and all is good on the Bayou.
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!
Ok, so I am a day or so late but, hey, its October!!! That means one thing. I can admit publicly that I am decorating for Halloween. Well, actually, I am a day or so late saying its October. The decorating has been going on since about mid-September. Yes. I know. There are those folks who would chastise me for being eager but, in my defense, I sort of have to put up the decorations this early. The Clue Hunt on the Bayou runs the month of October and if the decorations are not up early, they will never get put up. Besides...its no one's business when I decide to stick a Jack-O-Lantern in the window. Don't like it? Go home. The Bayou is far enough down the lane that it is my decorations are not intrusive to any one's attention. They cannot be seen unless you venture down that 400 foot driveway. So, I decorate.
As I was passing by the china cabinet earlier today, I stopped to glance inside and just had to smile. The mishmash of decorations that fill the lighted cabinet is filled with memories. Some recent...some from long ago. It is sort of neat how Halloween can pull together both modern and antique pieces without a problem. Usually, this cabinet is the first to get attention just because it offers so many possibilities. The prized pieces fill each nook and cranny of the cabinet. It does, indeed, make me smile.
The entryway and bathroom are usually next in line to receive a makeover. Each receives a new look with the orange and black. My decorations are never gory but are either reminiscent of days past or have an implied creep. It depends on the mood of the day. With the first run of the clue hunt just days away, the entryway is receiving its "orange" makeover. By the end of the week, the entire Little Bayou House will be happily adorned! I love this time of year!
