The Story of a Princess

  In most faerie tales, there is a beautiful princess, some terrible trauma, a handsome prince and a happy ending.  It seems to have been the idea behind these tales that the princess always needed a handsome prince to rescue her from an evil villain.  A lot of that rings true with the story of the Bayou Princess.  She was a lovely creature who was extremely maltreated by an evil "villain", rescued by a handsome fellow and then lived the rest of her life in relative bliss.

  Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, came to the Bayou by hook and crook.  It seems that some not-so-nice people (the villains) dumped their unwanted pet on the roadside after nigh on starving the poor thing.  The cat made her way through the creek to the Little Bayou House and decided to stay.  I admit that I tried to shoo her back to her "home" but she was having no part of it and decided THIS was her home.  So be it.  Son (our handsome hero) was the one who first decided to feed this poor, abused animal and from that point, she became quite attached to him.  Whether he wanted a cat or not, he now had one.  She fully adored the man.  The rest was meant to be.  She was dubbed "Ms. Nycto" which is a Latin word for "night" and settled hastily into her new realm as Bayou Princess.  The cat knew she was royalty and expected to be treated as such.  She chose when to be fed, where she was to sleep and even who was allowed to pet her.  Ms. Nycto fully lived up to her title.

  Along about a month ago, yet another trial came her way.  The Bayou Princess made one too many treks through the marsh.  Somehow, she became quite mired and was missing for a couple of days.  When she reappeared, the poor, lovely lady was encrusted with mud and had received an odd injury. Ms. Nycto's tongue had been slit from the base to the tip.  A quick trip to the pet emergency room left her with stitches, a couple of shots and a very odd haircut.  She struggled with her injuries but with a little help she seemed to rally.  Then another downfall and another trip back to the ER.  From that point onward, our sweet princess declined.  She had no fight left in her.  There was one final trip to the ER and a very, very difficult decision.

  It was heartbreaking to let our sweet princess ease her way from pain and agony.  She reigned over the Bayou with grace and dignity and will leave behind a huge void.  Our lovely Bayou Princess, Ms. Nycto has completed her faerie tale.  Rest in peace, Sweet One.  You will truly be missed.

To Those Who Care Not...

  "Progress" sometimes seems to be a beast of a problem to me.  Progress, as others see it, is a step forward but, in my case, it is a whole marathon in the opposite direction.  I do not like leaving the beauty of nature in turmoil due to what others think is necessity.  I am referring, of course, to the demolition of the only "wild and free" areas left around here.  The Bayou is one of the few plots of ground where the wild things reign and Mother Nature is allowed to do her own thing.  Houses, apartment buildings, condos are all being built around us and will most likely soon swallow us up to boot.  It is only a matter of time before we are forced to submit to the whims of those in power and the Bayou will be only a dim memory from days gone by.  It saddens me to think of such things but facing facts is something I have to do before it smacks me in the head.  None of the nearby property owners seem to care about any of this as they are all money-hungry.  Most do not live around here so what happens to the area does not hold any significance.  It does befuddle me, however, as these same people will tout concerns over what is happening to the earth through such things as global warming but, at the same time, refuse to believe that they own any responsibility.  Perhaps it is their thoughts that if they close their eyes, poke out their hands to receive pay outs and pretend that it is all for good, then nothing could be amiss.  Tell that to the critters that have no where to go.  Convince me that allowing the last piece of unblemished land to become flattened by bulldozers is ecologically smart.  Tell me again how you care.  

  I was pondering all of this as I sat on the pier and to my west was a large tractor working on the land. This particular one was digging up the marshland but beyond that others were grinding through the woods. The rumble of engines to my east, told me that more demolition was being done on that side.  To the north, much of the same could be heard. The Bayou is surrounded.  The beasts are eating the trees, ripping through the marsh, gnawing up animals' dens and generally disrupting life.  There is nothing I can do to stop any of it and others do not seem to have the decency to care.

  A lone pelican sat on a post of my brother's pier.  It was the sole bit of consolation that lightened my mood and gave me a small glimmer of hope.  The bird will survive. It has the option to move on just a whim.  Others are not so fortunate.  About six months ago, the property to our west was clear-cut.  Not once did it concern either the work crews nor the property owners that many dens containing wee babes were being crushed. Many, many tiny lives were lost.  At night, the cries of the mothers could be heard as they were out hunting for the long-dead babies.  It was heartbreaking to think of their loss.  Coyotes, bobcats, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, fox and deer had all used that property as a safe haven.  It backfired on them all because of that thing called progress and people who turn a blind eye toward the damage.  I guess the old saying that "Money talks" holds true.  

The Ache Lingers

  It seems that animals can become family members just like people. They grow in our hearts and we treat them with kid gloves.  This is all well and good.  Our pets return the love and help us to live long and happy lives.  Ms. Ez was that sort of animal.  She came here as a wee pup that was rescued from certain death by my daughter.  Through the years, that tiny tot grew into a huge, rambunctious dog!  But our love for her grew as well.

  As the kids grew up and left to go on their merry ways, Ms. Ez and I soon became inseparable.  We did most everything together and had a mutual respect for each other.  I tended her every whim by cooking special meals to go with her usual dogfood, taking her for hikes and even letting her sleep near my bed.  She returned the favors by guarding the Little Bayou House, giving comfort and being the best fishing partner anyone could have. 

  After ten years of this companionship, it broke my heart when she found something that did not agree with her system. My dear friend had been poisoned and there was naught that I could do to mend this.  After visits to the vet and to the animal hospital, they decided to just "make her comfortable".  It was hard.  During those last three days, I comforted her.  I slept on her bed beside her.  I held her close and dutifully dosed her with medicines that were hopefully helping her not be in much pain. I told her how much she meant to the family and to me. Then on the third night, Ms. Ez left us. That night was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do.  Son and I stroked her fur, murmured soft words and loved her.  Needless to say, I miss her.  

Ms. Ez shares her bed with Sunny, the pup.

  When folks try to pawn their unwanted dogs off on me "now that you do not have Ezzy", I almost get angry.  I do not want to replace Ms. Ez. She meant too much.  I feel that if they cared for their pets as much as I cared for Ez, they would not be trying to give them away.  Obviously, the bond is not there and they look at the dog as merely another obligation. It should not be that way at all.  Don't get a pet if you are not willing to keep it for the long haul. A cute little puppy soon grows into an adult and has adult needs.  Later, they age just as we do and need a different type of care but they are not "throwaway pets".  The thought some folks have of only wanting a pet when it is "fun" makes me wonder how they are going to feel if no one is there to take care of them when they are elderly. Will anyone care or will it be easier to "find a home" for them?  Hmmm, something to think about there, folks.  Think long and hard about what you are teaching your kids and grandkids.  The way you treat furry family members is being observed and may determine how you, yourself, are treated later in life.

  Will I ever change and decide to get another dog?  I do not know but, perhaps in time if I find a friend in need, I may be able to feel differently.  In the meantime, however, Darling Daughter did offer to let her pup come "Mom Sit" occasionally.  That would work for me.  (Sunny stayed with us for quite a while as a puppy before Elizabeth and Robbie could give her the forever home that she deserved.)  I grew to love her along with Ms. Ez.  It might be fun to have her back on the Bayou once again....for a little while.

Doggy Therapy

  As I sat here tonight pondering a multitude of things, the sound of "Taps" wafted  across the Bay.  Keesler Air Force Base plays this at nine o'clock every evening.  In the past, I was always glad to hear the sound as I find it calming. For the past few months, however, the sound sometimes stirs a bit of heartache.  Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, drew her last breath at the very moment the music started on October 21st of this past year.  In those few months, I have grown somewhat used to not having her bounding around the yard while on our hikes.  Suppertime comes and goes without me filling her large red bowl.  Nighttime passes with out her whining while chasing squirrels in her dreams.  It is different but I have become accustomed to the vacant spot.  Ms. Nycto, the young Bayou Cat has taken to being a bit clingy and insists on sleeping near my feet each night. That brings a bit of comfort.  Still, it is hard to imagine a cat ever being the fine hiking partner that Ms. Ez was.

  Then, there are times like tonight.  When I heard the music loud and clear, a sudden pang of loneliness hit me.  I miss the familiar thump of the old dog's tail on the hardwood floor. I miss her big brown eyes staring at me wistfully while I sip my tea.  I hate to say it but I even miss the drool that seeped from the side of her mouth as she snoozed with her head on my foot.  Yep, nothing like a soggy. drool-soaked sock to bring back fond memories!

  I ponder just how old PJ, the sweet "city" dog who is coming to visit with the grandlittles, is going feel when he finds no Ms. Ez here to greet him. They were the best of friends and did so well together on our hikes.  I wonder how I will feel having another dog in the house that is not Ms. Ez.  I will say that having him here will most likely help me to resume the daily hikes that have been lacking for the past few months.  It will be good....it will be good.  I guess you can call it "Doggy Therapy" and it might just be what I need.  Yeah, I admit that I really did like that old dog and it is taking a while to get totally used to not having her here so maybe a bit of Doggy Therapy will help.