Its Down

  Have you ever felt like some bit of gloom and doom was just hanging over your head?  Perhaps you felt threatened by some unseen entity that was there, yet not?  My threat was there.  It was real.  The gloom and doom that could have happened did actually lurk just above my head.  Today...it is gone.  No longer is the threat of bodily harm (or worse) looming just out of reach.  Poof!  It is no longer there!  Whew!  What a relief that is!

  Back last hurricane season, we had a minor hurricane whip in on the Bayou and stir things up a bit.  Hurricane Nate did not do damage other than a few branches being thrown about the place and a high water line of debris that needed removing.  We were finished cleaning in a matter of hours...or so it seemed.  High up above us on the west side of the Little Bayou House, danger lurked.   Unbeknownst to us, the top of a huge Water Oak had been topped out and the massive piece was suspended between the crotch of the original tree and a branch of a nearby Live Oak.  Since both trees were full of foliage, we never noticed the broken tree for a couple of weeks.  Then, try as we might to pull it, the huge branch (a good 15 inches in diameter) stayed in its wedged position.  Son had thrown a rope over the broken treetop and tied it off to a nearby pine tree.  This was to keep the thing from slamming the rooftop.  It did a good job.

  Here lately, though, the thing started creaking and groaning with the high winds of springtime.  It was time to get that thing down!  Being as it was still a good thirty feet up, the ladder was useless and I was sure not letting Son shimmy up that tree with a chainsaw!   Getting a ladder truck in here was nigh on impossible so it came down to brute strength....Son's brute strength.  After a bit of ingenuity and a makeshift winch of sorts, he had the treetop groaning more and making appearances of it falling soon.  One last heave on the rope and I heard a loud cracking!  The treetop came crashing down!  Once it hit the ground, a huge limb broke off, bounced high into the air and smashed into the window screen of the living room!  Miraculously, only the screen was smashed!  Earlier, I had raised the windows to let the breeze cool the house!  Another sigh of relief!  

  Now, I can breathe easier!  The broken treetop is down leaving only a mess of tree limbs to clear from the yard and a window screen to rebuild!  Whew!  Glad that is done...now to get ready for the new hurricane season that is nigh upon us!

An Injured Tern And A Kind Brother

  I have decided that I have the best brother in the world.  The small tern that was injured during the recent hurricane needed to be tended and fed.  Hurricane Nate may not have ravaged the Coast as some storms do but it still took its toll on wildlife.  The little bird was in dire straits but was on my brother's pier this morning instead of ours.  Despite my constant coaxing, the bird would not fly to our pier.  I had a sinking feeling that things had taken a turn for the worse for the tern. 

  About an hour after I noticed that the tern would not fly, my brother came down to his pier.  We said our usual "hellos" then I asked if he would check on the bird.  I, also, asked if he could catch some minnows for the bird as it could not fend for itself.  My brother never thought twice about picking up his net and catching menhaden just to feed a bird.  Now, whether he actually did that for the good of the bird or to appease his little sister, I will never know but it sure warmed the heart.  Seeing this guy go out of his way to help an injured bird sure made me feel good!

  Sad to say, after my brother caught the fish, cut them and hand fed the little bird, the tern could not swallow.  The bird was just too ill to eat.  My little friend did not appear to be recovering.  Tomorrow will probably find the little tern released from its pain but not in the way I had hoped.  God speed, Little Tern.  Fly happy.  Thank you, Jimmy, for having a kind heart and trying to help.

Give To Those In Need

  Hurricane Nate came and went.  It blew through the area quickly and, once again, the Little Bayou House held strong!  We suffered no damage and the tidal surge left little debris.  We are good.  Others did not fare so well.  Some homes and businesses were gutted by the tidal surge, other places were flooded and still others lost their roofs to high winds. The damage to the homes and businesses will not make the national news. That is ok.  We are a resilient folk who have learned to take care of ourselves.  We are used to it.  But all of this is a different story for a different time.  

  Early this morning, Mark and I saw a small tern that looked a lot worse for wear.  The storm had been rough on wildlife and this tiny bird was no exception.  Its feathers were ruffled and it looked plumb worn out from being battered by the high winds.  The small bird sat on one of the pier posts and never made a move to flee our presence.  Since we had work to do clearing the debris line left by Nate, we headed back up the hill and forgot about our friend bird.  All day, we worked getting the place back in order.  This evening, we were exhausted as we headed back to the pier.  The little tern was still there.

  The small tern obviously had a few more problems than we first thought.  Now, it was ravenous.  Pure exhaustion had kept our little friend from catching food.  Well, that had to be remedied quickly.  Since I had caught plenty of menhaden to use for bait, I decided to offer one to my new-found friend.  The weatherworn bird readily accepted the minnow.  It had no fear that I would bring it harm.

  I fed the little bird all it wanted and then it flew to the pier post to rest for the night.  Hopefully, it will still be there in the morning and I can give it breakfast to help it heal.  I love my Bayou Birds.  They are sweet friends.

  Thank you, Mark, for taking the photo.  

Riding Out The Storm

  Well, we are all boarded up and hunkered down for the long haul.  Hopefully, this storm will come in, zip through and be gone.  I do not like long, drawn out storms.  They start to wear thin on the brain.  I get cabin fever after a few hours if the hurricane hits during the daytime.  At night, while it is  a bit more unnerving, I am ok. My problem is that I want to see what is happening.  With plywood covering the windows, it makes it seem like nighttime even though it may be midday.  That drives me crazy so I sneak outside to take a few photographs.  Hurricane Nate is hitting at night.  He is making his presence known with a few outer bands hitting us at the moment.  These are nothing to cause alarm as they are nothing more than squalls that pound the Bayou frequently.  Later tonight, however, things could get to the point where the Little Bayou House will "shake, rattle and roll".  We are going to be in for a long night.

Tide is starting to rise well ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Nate

   As I am writing this, hurricane alarms are sounding.  While I am sure they have their purpose, I think hurricane alarms are a bit redundant.  With all the media overload, if folks do not realize we are getting ready to be smacked with a hurricane, then something is very wrong.  I could understand this being a useful tool some hundred years ago but now...they are just annoying.

  If you find it in your heart to say a little prayer for the folks down here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, know it will be deeply appreciated.  While we are used to fending for ourselves during times like this, knowing someone cares goes a long way.  Hunker down, folks, its going to blow for a bit!

Storm on the Horizon

  What a difference a day can make.  The days have been beautiful here on the Bayou for the past, oh, well...summer!  We have had rains to keep the gardens flourishing, sunshine to warm our souls and just enough breezes to keep the sweltering summer days at bay.  Then, wham!  In a mere twenty-four hours we are threatened with a hurricane.  The storm, Nate, has entered the Gulf of Mexico and is barreling across to meet us headlong.  We have a lot to do in the morning.  Our sunrise will look a tad different come tomorrow!

  Folks who do not live on a coastline and are not bombarded periodically by these storms have little idea what is involved in preparing for them.  I will not go into detail but lets just say that to be fully prepared for whatever Mother Nature has to throw at you, ain't easy.  Those who do not prepare ahead of time, sometimes regret their lackadaisical methods.  To me, it all goes down to that "better to be safe than sorry" adage.  

  With Nate traveling at such a high rate of speed, there is little chance that it will become a severe storm.  If he stalls anywhere in the Gulf, we will have plenty to fret over.  Hopefully, he will decide to be quick and to the point.  "Lets get it over with!" sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

  In the meantime, I will try to post as many pictures as possible for as long as possible.  Things may slide through fine but there is always the outside chance that things could get a mite hairy.  The Bayou will be rockin' tomorrow so say a little prayer for everyone down this way.