The Way It is

  Being isolated down here on the Bayou has gone beyond just a safeguard measure.  What started two and a half years ago with the onset of COVID has now become a way of life, so it seems.  You hear a lot about the "new normal" and I guess this is it for me.  I am to be isolated for the long haul.  If nothing else, it has made it quite clear of what is and who are needed in life.  Come to find out, life goes on with very little of either.  It just takes a bit of adjustment.  You quickly find that your happiness does not depend on others or on things. 

  Early this morning, I took my mug of coffee to the pier as I have for so many years.  As I sat watching the beauty of the breaking dawn unfold before me, thoughts whirled around in the head.  This life suits me.  I am just an old soul that is drawn to swamps, bayous and mires.  My peace is found there.  While loneliness can be destructive, solitude is refreshing.  Let me just stay right here on my mystical, magical Bayou and all will be fine.  Solitude...isolation...inner peace...all just a perspective.

Bayou Three Step

   It occurred to me early this morning that the state of the world nowadays is in a fine fix.  Not that the world has suddenly run amok nor that my brain is just kicking it in gear but rather that it occurred to me as I realized how at peace I am, as of late.  Once you clear the turmoil from your own brain and disruptive people and things from your life, you can see how messed up everything else is.  The revelation this morning made me want to bottle up this peace and use it as a vaccine for turmoil.

  

  As I stood watching the sky redden with the coming of dawn, the Magic of the Bayou washed over me and made me wish I could share this enchanting euphoria with everyone.  Why shouldn't others delight in tranquility?  Well, that lasted just about five minutes when another revelation hit me.  A lot of people revel in their self-righteous agitation.  Too many feel that they are right, everybody else is wrong and if you have an opinion, it offends!  To them, I say..."Keep it!"  I do not want it!  I am too busy loving a peaceful, happy life to worry about everybody's hissy fits.

  Folks, find your own magic place somewhere and be spellbound by the peace and tranquility.  Leave behind the chaos.  It all begins within you...within me.  The only way things are going to get any better is by a concentrated effort of all people.  First step...distance yourself from the tempest.  Second step...find the peace within yourself.  Third step...share that peace.   Spread it around like pixie dust.  It sounds easy but that first step is a doozy.  It takes a lot of strength to pull away.  You can do it!  Be happy.

Rockin' It!

   I tend to find all things of nature a source of interest.  It boggles the mind how many different aspects of life can be found on a hike about the place.  The physical and emotional aspects are in perfect harmony when there is time to really delve into the inner peace.  Being by oneself is a great way to throw off the distractions that plague us.  Life starts to come into focus and the mind is free to wander.  Then the spiritual aspect can blossom and grow.  Once free of the idea that we "need" to or "have" to do anything other than what is good for us, life begins to be much easier and we can really begin to "see" what has been around us at all times.  Aloneness is good for the soul.

  Yesterday, I found yet another rock that fascinated me to the point that I pocketed it for future inspection.  I am not one that is up on geology so a rock is just a rock..  Some are prettier than others and some are purely more interesting.   After all was said and done, some fine folks identified my stone as a river agate.  That made me happy.  It was nice to know that my stone had a name!  

  This brings up something that has always confused me a bit.  When does a rock become a stone or is it the other way around?  Growing up on the farm, a rock was a rock was a rock.  Stone was a nicer way of saying rock. As a kid, if I wanted to sound knowledgeable, I said stone!  That impressed people, I am sure!  Now, I ponder these things.  Think about it for a moment.  You have pebbles, stones, rocks and boulders.  Are they all the same thing?  I looked it up in the dictionary and, as near as I can tell, it is all about size.  A pebble is smaller than a stone which is smaller than a rock.  And then you have boulders which roll down the mountain and do major damage if they hit something. We do not have boulders here on the Bayou obviously because we have no mountains.  Basically, they are all rocks. We will go with that.

The Shady Nook

   After piddling in the Small Gardens a bit, it was time for ice cold lemonade and a bit of rest.  It was hot out there and I was told "Don't get overheated nor dehydrated."  So I followed the doctor's orders and pulled my comfy wicker chair into the shade and sat sipping my lemonade.  Being in the gardens made me happy this morning.  If I cannot go for hikes, I can enjoy the birds singing, frogs chirping and butterflies flitting about the place.  The Small Gardens have become my "Happy Place" where most of my healing is being done.

  As I was cooling myself, I could not help but notice how delightfully restful a shady garden really is.  The vegetable plot is sun-drenched but huge oak trees and draping mimosa trees block out most of the heat of the day from the "sittin' area".  From here, you can hear the water running in Pebble Creek and watch the tadpoles in Puddle Pond.  It is also here that a myriad of butterflies visit the zinnia bed.  Gardens are restful.  Life is good.  "Nuff said.

But I AM Social Distancing!

  Social media is a funny thing.  People who would ordinarily never seem crass can come out with some of the most unbelievable statements.  The other day, I was reprimanded for going fishing.  "You are supposed to be social distancing!  Too many people just do not listen.  Stop going out."  Well, to put it bluntly, I was shocked.  I thought I was social distancing as no one comes to the Bayou since this whole mess started.  In fact, very few folks venture down here, in the first place.  Social distancing has never been a problem for me from the git-go.    Of course, I have to give the person the benefit of the doubt as perhaps there was a misconception of where I live.  Granted, I do have neighbors but not "near" neighbors.  Other than a brother whose property adjoins ours on the west and some people I do not know on the east (on the other side of the Bayou), my only neighbors are critters.

  It tickled me to think that my friend refused to believe that by going fishing, I was actually following rules.  Not only was I far from anyone while fishing, it kept me from going to the grocery store!  The pier is my happy place.  It is one of the things that keeps me sane..at least somewhat! When there, I can literally feel miles away from everyone.   I find peace, happiness and occasionally a redfish for supper.  As for my "social media" friend, it is all good.  It would take something far worse to cause me anger.  In any case where folks do provoke me enough, I simply remove myself from any and all correspondence and call it a day.  Bam!  Problem solved.  It is far easier and better for the mind.

It's My Choice

  Have you ever sat back and pondered what is and what should be?  Not that I have all of these deep thoughts that could ever bring world peace or a solution to looming problems but I do ponder things.  Years ago, Pop told me that if I thought long and hard enough about an idea, I may just come up with an understanding deeper than what I originally had.  Made sense back then some fifty odd years ago and still holds true today.  Most folks just don't think long enough to find a solution to anything anymore.

  If you look into a mirror you see what is.  There is no denying that fact. And while most of us may like or dislike what we see in that image, it does not give insight on what could be.  The possibilities are there.  The reflection we see is not the same as the reflections we can think.  The image in the mirror can be modified to cover surface blemishes but if we do not reflect long and hard we, ourselves, cannot be changed.  It takes deep reflection into our minds to figure out how to improve our lot in life.  Ha!  I told you that I pondered!

  All of this pondering on reflections actually had nothing to do with anything yet had a lot to do with everything.  Early this morning, the dreary skies gave me just enough light to catch a reflection on the calm waters.  A branch had somehow become lodged in the edge of the marsh and cast such a beautiful image on the water below that it started the mind reeling.  There was no improving the picture in my mind.  I can find beauty in the oddest of things simply because, a long time ago, I discovered that I am far happier looking for beauty instead of seeing ugliness.  Some claim that I turn a blind-eye to what is happening in the world but I beg to differ.  I merely see things in a different light.  I could go around seeing ugliness which would fill me with anger, disgust and pain or I could seek beauty and fill my spirit with happiness, hope and peace.  I choose the latter.  

A Good Sunrise Can Mend A Lot Of Things

  When the brain hurts from too much stress, it is my nature to cut myself off from the world for a bit.  I head to the pier before sunrise to contemplate what can be done to remedy the situation at hand.  More oft than not, just a bit of time in solitude pondering the sights around me is enough to mend my frazzled state.  I figure that some things just cannot be changed no matter how hard I try so accepting them is the next best thing.  Perhaps not accepting the worrisome part but accepting the fact that it does no good to fret over the inevitable.  We all have times that are not to our liking but, hey, life is not easy.  It is not supposed to be easy.  If it was, we would all sit back on our haunches and become nothing more than a bump on a log.  It is necessary to have things that kick our butts now and again purely to keep us on our toes and striving forward. 

  This morning, the sunrise did its job in rectifying a few of the hiccups that got in the way yesterday.  Listening to the birds awakening in the back woods, watching a redfish as it played the mullet along the shoreline and seeing the sun slip up over the pines on the opposite side of the Bayou was all the medicine I needed to face the day with renewed energy. After about twenty minutes of Bayou Magic, I headed back up the hillside.  There was work to be done and I had no time to be muddling around in despair.  Life is good.

Enjoying The Bayou Life

  Early this morning, Mark and I headed out to the garden to pick tomatoes.  If we don't gather them, the critters haul them off.  It is frustrating to put so much work into a garden only to have animals ruin it but, as Pop used to say "They have to eat, too."  He would follow that up with a remark of "Next year, we will just have to plant more."  Well, Pop!  That may have been fine and dandy for us back on the farm because the fields could hold a lot more plants than my tiny garden plot.  There is simply no space to "plant more".   The critters need to find another food source.

  After filling our bowls, we decided to walk to the pier.  It was on our way back up the hillside when Mark pointed out a woodpecker in the oak tree.  It turned out that there were actually three birds in that tree!  A mama and two little red-bellied woodpeckers were busy finding breakfast.  While I photographed the birds, Mark was giving me a summary of what was happening.  "She found something and now both babies are fussing over who is getting it."  I continued snapping pictures in hopes of getting that "great" photo.  "They have moved to the pine tree.  Oh, wait.  No, now they are on the other oak."  I had the best guide leading me around the yard while I peered at the camera.  It made life a lot easier to have someone guiding my steps.  

  After a bit, the birds flitted off to a thicket and we continued our walk.  It is the simple things like this that make mornings happy, here on the Bayou.  The birds, fresh tomatoes, hikes or merely time spent together can make the day happier.  It also helped that these birds were not raiding the garden patch!

Seeking Solitude

  Solitude is a weird thing.  It is often confused with loneliness but, in reality, it is far different.  While the two seem similar due to the fact that in both, one is alone, the likeness ends there.  Loneliness is almost an intense sadness marked by the feeling of isolation. It can be stressful and negative.  Oftentimes, loneliness can feel like a harsh punishment. Solitude, on the other hand, is just being by oneself and can actually be a positive state.  During solitude, one can find an inner peace, creativity and replenishment.  One can be alone in the world, yet, be at peace with that world.  

  I ponder these things often as I spend a lot of time by myself.  I prefer it that way.  Others seem to think that life is not fulfilling unless days are jammed full of people and activities.  It is just the opposite. Those are the stress-inducing times.  Finding a peace with one's surroundings is the most fulfilling state of mind.

  As strange as it may seem, a good, heavy fog can make the world feel so far away.  `There are times on the Bayou that the fog is so thick that I feel cut off from the entire world. This solitude is refreshing.  There are no demands from the busy, outside world.  The solitude refreshes me and allows me to regain my perspective on life.  Loneliness is destructive....Solitude is replenishing.

The "Greenhouse Affects"...Not to be Confused with the Greenhouse Effect.

  My little greenhouse is my favorite place to be.   It envelopes all who enter with a certain peace.  The place is relaxing but not only for humans.  The warm sunshine soothes while being surrounded by plants invigorates.  The greenhouse really does affect those who enter.  Obviously, critters find the place quite to their liking as well.

  This morning found me watering the hundred or so mini flowerpots that are planted with herb seeds.  These line the southernmost shelves so they can soak up all of the sunshine available.  The recent rains provided enough water to be doled out among the seeded pots and also the other larger plants that were overwintered here.  As I was watering, I began to notice dozens of lizards and frogs that have moved into the greenhouse.  They seemed to be residing together in harmony which is easy to do in such an ideal spot.  Their presence caused me to sit with them for a while.  After being quiet for about ten minutes, I heard a slight fluttering overhead as a pair of wrens entered the small building.  They, too, were enjoying the area.  I watched as they busied themselves building a nest in the hanging ivy basket.  Well, that should be an ideal home for them!

  Being in the greenhouse always brings a smile to my face and a gladness to be alive to my heart.  With so much life happening in such a tiny space, one cannot help commune with nature.  That, my friends, is something that affects us all.  My advice?  Find your own special spot that affects you.  Seek out the one place that awakens inner peace and calmness.  Slip away to that quiet nook that makes you appreciate life and all it gives.  My haven is the greenhouse....yours is?

This is where I want to be....

  Every now and again, things seem to just fall into place and seem perfect.  The other morning, Mark and I made our usual hike to the pier just as the sun was rising over the pines.  On the west side of the pier, a lone Tri-colored Heron was fishing in the shallows.  The tide was low, the wind was calm and the sun was casting a golden glow on all it touched.  We watched as the young heron snatched up minnows for its breakfast.  The whole scene was simply perfection in all ways.  

  After taking several photographs of the bird, Mark and I sat back to watch the bird.  The Tri-colored Heron usually fishes by stalking.  The bird will stand motionless until small fish start gathering directly below it.  Then, with one swift stab of its sharp beak, a fish becomes a meal. Sometimes, the heron will slowly walk in the shallows while stirring the bottom with one foot.  This shuffling will muddy the water but will also uncover small crabs or shrimp.  While our heron was fishing in shallow water, it is not unusual to see them belly deep as they fish.

  The Bayou was an idyllic scene this early morn.  The heron, the stillness of the water and the soft glint of the rising sun made for a peaceful way to start the day.  Life just does not get better than this. Sorry, folks. You can keep all of your hustle and bustle and your stress.  I will keep my simple life here on the Bayou.  It suits me better.

The Window

  When Mark is not working, one of his favorite things to do is fish.  It matters not if the fish are biting, it is just his idea of fun to fish.  Crazy thing is, even if the "fish are not biting" (according to others), he can find them and come home with a boatload.  This is all fine by me as I love seafood!  

  Early in the morning, he and I will take a hike down the hillside to the pier.  There, he loads the boat with fishing gear and heads out onto the Bay to have his fun while I stay behind on the pier.  This is my meditation time.  Watching the sun rise above the pines can be both soothing and invigorating at the same time.  It is merely how you look at things and what your mind needs that determines the effect the sun has on you.  If I am stressed, the sunrise can calm.  If I am needing that pep talk to get me motivated, the same sunrise can do that.  I find peace at this time of day.

  The other morning, there was a particularly beautiful sunrise.  As the sky started to brighten, there were numerous clouds that were held over from the night's showers.  These clouds cast the most incredible reflections on the still waters.  It was breathtaking.  That morning, it was more in those reflections that I found my peace. 

 The week had been one of stressing over health issues and, to be honest, I had begrudgingly made the hike to the pier.  I just felt far too tired to even think about walking but Mark asked so I went.  As I sat there looking at the sunrise and the reflections on the water, I noticed a pattern that struck me as unusual.  A hole in the clouds made the perfect window for God to be reaching out to me.  It was as if he was telling me that things were ok and that he was handling all my problems.  I just had to let him do his work.

   Sometimes we face uncertainties in our lives but instead of letting God take over, we are unwilling to fully turn loose of things.  It is a fear that we will not be in control of our own destiny that keeps us chained.  I pondered just how hard it was for me to let go.  It had always been drilled into my head that I should never depend on others to do what I can do for myself.  Was I truly ready to just hand things over?  Fretting over things is useless.  Worrying can cause worse problems.   It is time.  

Jewels in Hidden Places

  With all of the rain we have seen this past winter and now this spring, it is no small wonder that mushrooms have taken over the yard.  A lot of the mushrooms are nondescript, drab-colored and, more or less, unnoticeable.  It was one of those that made me stop in my tracks on my early morning hike.  I had already sidestepped a dozen or so clumps of the flat, brown mushrooms when I found one that a squirrel had obviously upended.  That mushroom cap was simply far too interesting to ignore!  So, down on my knees I went...oblivious of the soggy ground left by yesterday's deluge.  

  What caught my eye about the mushroom was simply the raindrops that had collected between the gills of the cap.  The droplets sparkled in the early morning sun and had the appearance of jewels carefully placed between the gills for safe-keeping.  Diamonds can be found in the most unusual of places!  Even if those diamonds were just dewdrops, they are precious.

  Sometimes we have to forget the worries of the world and simply find beauty where it is.  With humans battering our minds and bodies with foolishness that simply does not need to be, it is highly important to take a step back and look at what is good.  It is there.  Life is good.  The world around us is good.  We have to find harmony within our own hearts to be at harmony with the world.  It has to start with each of us...as individuals.