Its there!

  Sometimes the most ordinary of things can strike a chord with me and a fantastical story starts to whirl around in my brain.  I wonder about this and think perhaps I should have been an author!  Or not.  Since it takes a goodly amount of skill to ever get anything published, I probably would have still been the "starving artist".  My writing skills had better be left to this feeble attempt and not to some worthy novel. Still, those things that create wondrous illusions in my head would make for fun tales.

  What with all the interest in zombies, creatures from beyond, aliens and such, I occasionally come across something on the Bayou that would fit right in with these stories!  On my walks, I see a lot of weird things.  Take, for instance, the strange "fingers" that I found trying to dig from beneath the soil.  It was just before dark when I spied the creepy hand digging its way from some grave long forgotten.  The fingers were of the most unusual color being red and obviously from something other than human since there were only three.  Try as it might this hand (and whatever was attached) never made it completely to the surface.  In reality, this "hand" was none other than a stinkhorn mushroom that had pushed its way up in the lawn.  There it was making the yard smell a lot like a rotting corpse!  Ugh!  My imagination went wild!

  Then back behind the peach orchard near the creek bed, I found some more aliens that had landed from worlds unknown.  These were exiting their pod-shaped ship when I found them.  Their long, slender forms were ghostly white and so unlike anything that I have ever seen before. I must have startled them which caused them to sit almost motionless as soon as my presence was recognized.  These aliens may have taken over our world had I not discovered their plot and put an end to it! Actually the alien ship was a magnolia pod and the recent rains had sprouted the seeds within it.  The long slender sprouts had not been able to fully form and were on the verge of decay.  The whole scene made for quite the ghostly tale!

  I guess things are all in how you see them or all in how your own brain works.  Mine sees things in a bizarre way.  Tales of mystery are always whirring away in the cogs of my mind!  Too bad about that skill thing needed to be an author!

Magnolia Pods

Magnolia Grandiflora. Southern Magnolia just about screams Deep South as much as Live Oaks draped in Spanish Moss, wide front porches and sweet tea. These wonderful, big old trees with their massive blooms have always extended a welcoming as much as "Come on up on the front porch and sit a spell". The Deep South would not be the same without this wonderful tree. The scent of its blooms wafting on the bay breeze is one of the most amazing experiences. Not many people can pass by this tree in bloom and not stop to sniff..sniff again..pull down a branch and sniff..oh man, that is awesome! If only we could duplicate that scent..many have tried but it is never exact. Today though, it is not about the blooms nor the aroma, I viewed another beauty of this tree. This time of year the seed pods are turning bright red and seem to stand out like beacons against the glossy green leaves. The pod looks like some sort of cone but is actually the fruit of the Magnolia tree. The almost velvety covering makes it look like it would be soft but it is hard to the touch. In late September, the pod will burst open to reveal the even brighter red seeds. Once that happens, it will be just a matter of days before the seeds disappear..the squirrels and birds will feast. But for the moment, the tree is again beautiful..once covered in white dinner-plate sized blooms it is now sporting fiery red pods!

It seems that all the plants are getting dressed up for Fall! Near the Magnolia Tree I spotted a Trumpet Vine happily covering an old tree stump. Its orange and yellow blossoms fairly glowed in the late afternoon sun. Contrary to the belief of some this is not Poison Ivy nor is it Poison Oak. True (as with any plant), there are those that are allergic to it but this vine is really not the villain that is made out to be. Just using common sense ( gloves) will protect you from any rash that might occur. I have never had a problem personally and I wrestle with the plant constantly trying to keep it in check. It is quite the vigorous grower and will cover anything if given the opportunity. I happen to like the vine not only because of the colorful blooms but because the hummingbirds love it and in the winter, the song birds love to eat the seeds from the long pods.