Friends That Matter

   I am constantly the brunt of many jokes about my preference of being alone.  I stay on the Bayou day in and day out.  I stay for weeks...or months...on end with no desire to go into the outside world.  Most people cannot understand why I have chosen this life but it is perfectly simple.  The "outside world" is full of nosy, inconsiderate people just like those who question my life.  They insist that I "need" friends,  that I "should" go places and that life "is" better as they live it...not as I do.  Still, it is my preference so here I stay.  I go only as necessary and not to fill a void in my life.  That void is not there.  My life is full.

  As for friends, I have plenty!  I have the type that matter.  The ones that stand by me, check on me and do not question my actions.  Of course, they are mostly of the critter sort but they matter!  First, there is Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat, that has proven he would lay his life on the line to defend me.  Once he even attacked cottonmouth just so I would not get bitten.  The snake was within inches of my barefoot when Bat darted across the yard to attack.  He is a protector and confidant!  I would definitely say Bat is the type friend that everyone needs...plus, he gives good snuggles!

 There is the barred owl that waits in the branches of the black gum tree to make sure the gardening is going well.  This beauty stands guard at night to keep the vegetable plots vermin free. Most every morning, I call "Good day!" to it before it glides down into the swamp to snooze away the daylight hours.  In the late afternoon, it silently flies in to take its post among the branches to keep watch.  I bid it "Goodnight" knowing my garden is in good hands.

  The dayshift of garden protection is carried out by friend, bald eagle.  Just about daylight as the owl is readying to retreat to the coolness of the swamp, the eagle comes to relieve it of its duty.  The eagle cocks its head in the oddest way as I call to it.  "Good morning, Friend Eagle!  You are welcome here but leave the cat alone!"  (So far, the eagle has only made one attempt at catching Bat.  The cat, thankfully, was wise enough to dart under the pier.) 

  Other friends include the watersnake in the pond, the black racer under the back steps and the ribbonsnake pair under the herb shelf.  All of these are helpful friends as they keep the smaller varmints at bay.  These are good friends, indeed, and all are welcome to stay.

  So...along with the myriad of other critters around, I have friends...lots of them.  They are unassuming, trustworthy and surely NOT busybodies.  They mind their own business and I do mine.  Let others feel the need to poke and pry...to gossip and fret...to go into rages at the drop of a hat...and be everything that I do not want to be.  I shall stay (as my sister-in-law says) the Hermitess of the Bayou.  I shall continue to do things the "old way", keep being the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things" and always be just who I am whether others agree with it or not. 

 

Do What Makes You Happy

    It is that time of year when normally the Little Bayou House is bedecked with all things spooky whether it is for the actual holiday or for the Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  This year...neither.  Nothing is adorned with pumpkins, owls, bats, skeletons, spiders....none of...well, except for those that are deemed as everyday decor.  There is nary a clue hunt prop in existence, either.  The whole month of October has been a bust as far as I am concerned.  Both the holiday and clue hunt did not happen purely because I did not feel the "whim".

  That does not mean the Little Bayou House has slid into the "cookie cutter" mold of what everybody else's house looks like.  Nope!  There are no clean, white walls, tidy shelves and clear tabletops.  That....will never happen.  That...is not me.  Sorry...not sorry.  I have to be me and "me" is a bit cluttered with wild and whimsical things.  That is what makes me happy and drives others mad.  (Perhaps I am already there!)  A few years back, one sweet niece made the comment that I am the most "bohemian" person she ever met.  Good!  Another person labeled me "The Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things".  Again...good!  I am happy with both.

  That said...do what you feel is you and never give in to the whole "norm" thing.  While the clutter-free, stark and barren look is grand for some, the quaint and quirky works for others.  To each his own.  Me?  I shall keep my antique jewelry hanging on the light fixture, burnt umber walls and high Victorian furniture along with about two dozen pendulum clocks adding their cacophony of chimes to the mix.  Stay weird, folks....you do not have to conform to others' expectations.  Happy Halloween!

Curiosities? Needful Things? Junk?

   Finding long lost treasures is always exciting but, on the other hand, finding a tin of junk is often merely a bepuzzlement.  What do you do with the oddities that have been stuck aside for so long that they become treasures from a time past?  Are they still treasures?  Are they now junk?  Should those items be kept or coldheartedly thrown in the trash bin?  Oh, the conundrum of those of us who have been deemed to be hoarders.   I sort of "inherited" a bunch of "treasures" from the old farm place, although, many did not originate there.  Mom held onto many items that came from old houses in Biloxi.  Pop was always doing some home repair work as a side job and often folks would have him empty out spare rooms, garages or sheds.  He was to haul off what they discarded.  He did.  He brought it home.  Mom saved treasures!  I inherited said treasures.  These have been sitting in the Little Bayou House for some 30 yrs since.

  As the long needed repairs are still being done on the Little Bayou House, I have found such treasures.  The one in question of today is a tin that once held mints. The tin, itself, probably has some value to collectors.  It is labeled "Katharine Beecher" and, at one time, held butter mints...or "The original butter mints...since 1931".  I found it amusing that the tin held "4 strengths of mint...colors...white, pink, green and yellow".  Perhaps the color represented a strength.

  The cannister is only the vessel that holds a myriad of treasures.  It is filled with broken or odd pieces of jewelry, small household items and other unusual, unidentified items.  While the collective worth of the items is probably questionable...what is the value?  Yes, there is a big difference.  Worth pertains to the monetary cost of an item, whereas, the value is more of an emotional attachment or the usefulness of an item.  So..when looking at the cost...the combined worth of the tin and items is probably not much.  The value, as far as emotional attachment, is probably nil.  BUT!  That usefulness may trump all as I have a profound interest in creating art pieces with such oddities!  It is my idea that the pieces can be turned into something useful and, yet, retain the original beauty.  The pieces shall not be altered beyond recognition but shall be showcased for the craftmanship of the original artist.  These, and many of the other "treasures" held in the Little Bayou House, are soon to become pieces that celebrate the past. 

  Ahh, yes!  I am the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things"!  The Little Bayou House is a "House of Curiosities and Otherwise Forgotten Things" where folks can wander off into a place that often mesmerizes and overloads the senses with wonderment.  Yes...those things have been mentioned by visitors and I am good with it.  I figure if I cannot (and do not want) have the cookie-cutter style and boringly bare house that others find so appealing, I may as well surround myself with the mysteriousness of the unusual.  I am not opposed to those who love that style but it is not for me!  Mint tins, old jewelry, loudly ticking clocks, musty, old books, unexplained implements and artisan pieces make me happy.  Dangle pendants from the lampshade!  Fill shelves with artifacts!  Display early photographs of family members (even if they are not family members but photos that have been around so long they have become "like" family).  Celebrate history by preservation.  Enjoy whatever it is that makes you smile....whatever "speaks" to you.  Why not be happy?  Why even try to please others? Be yourself and do whatever it is that makes you feel good.  Life is too short.  

The Link That Holds It Together

   I shared a photo of some wooden chains with some friends of mine and never dreamed that it would garner so much attention.  The chains are hand carved antique pieces that I acquired from the old farm place where I grew up.  As a kid, I remember being in awe of the handiwork involved in creating the chains and feel blessed that I have them now.  The wooden chains were a quirky addition to the a "museum" also know as our house.  The Little Bayou House has always been filled with oddities of this sort and I would not have it any other way.  I am, after all, the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things" or so I have been told.  I feel it is one of my duties to protect items such as this simply because (at one point) they were nigh on tossed on a burn pile.  (We won't go there but I am glad I was able to rescue the chains.)

  These particular chains were given to Pop by some very sweet old ladies way back before I was born.  Pop took up handyman work to supplement the meager money he made as a farmer.  In fact, this was just one of his "other jobs".  He had many to support his family.  The chains stayed in the old farmhouse as long as I can remember before coming into my possession.  Granddad had told me that these were made by sailors of long ago. I figured he would know as he was a sailor himself!  He claimed that sailors needed something to occupy their time on the long voyages so they took up carving among other handcrafts.  Each chain and its pendant are carved from a single stick of wood.  The links are movable and the pendants have small carved balls in them that are also loose.  

  In this day and age where everything is mass produced and cheaply made, it completely awes me that folks had the talent and patience to create such fantastical works of art simply to make use of their idle hours.   Some will claim that the chains are useless but I beg to differ.  The are works of art.  These fine pieces are here to inspire.  They are here to make us dream of times when things were well-made.  There are here to make us realize that we should have patience and do things to the best of our ability even if there are those who think we are of no use.  Folks, take the time to really look at things and delve into the idea behind them before being too hasty of passing judgement.  

Mummy Frog!!

    It is no small wonder that strange things can often be found on the Bayou.  Just mentioning the fact that I live on a bayou, gets folks' minds reeling with all sorts of odd ideas but, then, a lot of those ideas are factual and not in the least odd.  Still finding oddities on my hikes, in the gardens or even inside the Little Bayou House has become a quest of mine.  If a "treasure" is discovered, it often makes its way into a trove of quirky keepsakes.  These are often kept in the greenhouse as I have been told that the Little Bayou House is overflowing.  Just so you will know, it has been brought to my attention several times that I have been designated "The Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things".  Perhaps this is an honorary name but, more likely, it is a nice way of saying "You are a hoarder."  To be honest, I do have a lot of things.  To be equally honest, not all things are permanently housed here.  They often go as quickly as they come.  

  Today, I had to laugh as yet another oddity was found.  I cannot call this one a treasure although the thought did fleetingly pass through the brain that I "should" keep it.  Better judgement ruled...this time.  Thankfully!  This was a frog.  Yes, a frog.  No, I did not keep it.  

  Just outside the kitchen windows, there sits a small pond.  Once, this held beautiful goldfish but Hurricane Katrina took my fish elsewhere so the pond sat empty for several years.  Now, the "Goldfish Pond" has become the "Frog Pond".  I am just as happy to have about a thousand assorted frogs playing happily in the pond as I was a dozen fish.  (A "thousand" is pushing it as far as the number but you get the idea.)  Early this morning as I was sipping my first mug of coffee, I sat listening to the froggy symphony, as I do each morning.  Then, a frog was much nearer!  Uh, oh!  First thought was that the critter was inside the house but then I realized that it was trapped between the window and window screen.  That little rascal had squirmed its way in there then could not get back outside!  When Son awoke, I told him the predicament and requested a bit of help in catching the critter.  I do not mind catching and holding a frog but I really did not want to lose it in the kitchen.  He obliged and set forth with the quest.  The tall french window was opened and he found a frog.  Well, THAT was definitely not MY frog!  Mine chirped!  This frog was a corpse!  It was a mummified, dried out, dead critter!  The poor frog had gotten itself tangled in a spiderweb and I suppose the spider ate well, I guess.

  Son handed me the dead frog.  Well, thanks.  Just what I needed.  I proceeded to go out the backdoor  to dispose of the rock-hard critter when I heard Son say "You know, that frog would make a really cool Halloween decoration. He looks kind of evil with his mouth open.  Sort of looks like it is giving an evil laugh."  I stopped in my tracks, peered down at the dead frog and started having wild thoughts bounce around in the brain.  I could....if I would...maybe by doing...NO!!!  NO!!! NO!!!  I AM NOT KEEPING A DEAD FROG!  With that, the frog was tossed out the back door but not before Mummy Frog and I had a photo session.  Yeah, not the best way to be disposed of after its untimely death but I did not want to give myself any time for second thoughts.  NO! I AM NOT KEEPING A DEAD FROG!  It IS rather evil looking, however...maybe?  NO!! NO!! NO!!  He is rather cool looking, though...in a sort of morbid way.  By the way, we never did find that live frog!

Pirate Magic

  The months of September and October find the Little Bayou House in a great disarray.  This is all due to the annual clue hunt.  Whatever the theme is for the year dictates what the house looks like.  This year being a pirate and nautical theme, the house has anchors, compasses, telescopes, sails and a actual sized ship's helm.  It is that helm and wheel that is the centerpiece of the hunt.  When Son built it, he created a huge internal combination lock that has to be "cracked" for the teams to proceed to the next step.  It is, also, that helm and wheel that held my attention for a good while this afternoon.

  For the past several days, the weather has been quite stormy.  The clouds blocked out the sun and made the Little Bayou House dark and dreary.  Late this afternoon, the clouds broke and the setting sun peeped through just enough to brighten the windows.  The helm sits in front of the french doors.  The sunshine gleamed through the stained glass on the doors and made the wheel into the perfect silhouette! What a dreamy sight to behold.  So many of my favorite things were all smashed together in one picturesque setting.  So...I dreamt.  Daydreaming is good, right?  I dreamt and it threw me into a faraway place, if only for a few moments.  I was a magical pirate sailing the seas!  Pirates of the Bayou all have stained glass windows on their ships!  Yes! Mystical, magical pirates!

Transformation Time!

  It is hard to trash a place!  Literally, it is hard to wreck a perfectly nice place.  I know.  That was my job today.  Why?  The answer is simple...the clue hunt, of course!  The greenhouse always seems to be involved in the clue hunt.  It is one of the easiest places to use as an outbuilding without a lot of  "moving out" of stuff.  During the summer months, the greenhouse is basically empty other than a few empty flower pots, some potting soil and maybe a few tools.  Plus, it can be transformed into just about anything that is needed.  So far, it has been a blacksmith's home, a conservatory, a boathouse and...get this...a greenhouse!  This year, it is to be a swamp witch shack.   With the clue hunt just a couple of weeks away, the decorating has begun.  To become the shack, the idea was to cram as much stuff into the the place as a swamp witch may need.  She definitely needs things like herbs, gourds, traps, pots, pans, a wood-burning stove, utensils, a few skulls, maybe some lichens and mosses and ferns, and, of course, a bunch of oddities that make folks scratch their heads in thought.  I have those...all of those.  Getting all of that stuff crammed into the little greenhouse is a trick, in itself!  I have resorted to hanging stuff from the ceiling!

  The chore is almost done and I cannot share the "big reveal" but, for now, a quick snapshot before a thunderstorm trapped me in the greenhouse for the entire afternoon was all I could get!  So...here is to trashing the greenhouse in preparation for the clue hunt and all its fun!

Just Keep Rolling Along

  Quite often, I have been dubbed the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things".  The title says it all.  Not that this is any high honor or anything but merely a tag.  I am the one that usually winds up with all sorts of things that are "too good to throw away but with no apparent use".  Every now and again, I purge the place and vow to keep it empty.  It does not happen.  Invariably, someone will suddenly show up at my doorstep bearing all sorts of unique items that need a home...this home obviously.  As of late, I have taken to turning folks away with the excuse that the Little Bayou House is about to explode and spew thousand upon thousand of oddities and antiquities about the hillside.  This worked for a bit but then folks started getting sneaky.  Items would be left at the doorstep while the gift-bearing folks would scamper off into the sunset never to be seen again.

   Today, started with me gathering together the tools needed to bake cookies.  Darling Daughter and I had planned to go on a cookie baking binge!  As I grabbed the large mixing bowl, wooden spoons, sifter and rolling pin, a thought occurred to me.  I sure have a lot of rolling pins.  Why?  Who needs more than one?  It is not like you can use multiples of these things.  I looked at the one I chose for today's project.  This was Mom's.  In the drawer, there sat my grandmother's, great-grandmother's, aunt's and great-aunt's.  In the laundry room on a shelf sat three more rolling pins that I had acquired from who knows where.  Then in a drawer in the same room were three that had been found after Hurricane Katrina.  (Those are not used for food preparation, however, but are kept for crafting!)  Eleven rolling pins!  And this is not counting the miniature ones that I purchased for my granddaughter's visits!  Those came in a pack of three so....uh, oh...fourteen rolling pins! 

  Am I the only person that collects rolling pins even if it is an unintentional collection?  I quickly closed the drawers and threw a dish towel over the ones on the shelf.  There!  As my Great-aunt Ruth would have said "Out of sight, out of mind!"  What rolling pins?  I only see the one I am using today!  Yep, there could be some truth to that labeling thing.  Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things...bwa-ha-ha....NEVER!.....I am just the Keeper of Things!