Just Thinking!

   The recent bouts of small storms that have hit the Bayou have left a good deal of work behind.  After each, we have to repair any damage to the place or pier and cleanup a debris line from the storm surge.  This is nothing compared to what the good folks in Louisiana are dealing with but is still a chore to tend.  While Son is making repairs to the storm ravaged pier, I am on cleanup detail.  I get to deal with that debris line and any downed limbs.  

  This morning, I pondered the "marsh mats" that are left behind by the storms.  Dead marsh grass is toss and turned by the waves until it becomes almost woven.   A strong storm makes thick mats.  The recent gale to hit the Bayou picked up the leftover mats from the previous blows and  added to the mass.  Now, the current mats are nigh on two feet thick.  The tumbling of the dead reeds weaves the mats and the tidal surge lifts them and carries them to the shoreline or beyond.  Often, trash becomes entangled in or floats atop of the mats.  Once on shore, this becomes a thick mess that has to be hauled away or burned.

 My ponderings were to the point that something could be done with these mats.  There has to be some use for such things!  Surely, some creative person can figure out a useful purpose!  Then, I can "donate" my marsh mats and be free from the work of removing them!  (Genius at work here!)  If I can only get someone to "want" those mats!  

  In reality, I leave the outer mats as they are.  They do provide shelter for many critters during the winter months and often critters make dens beneath the thick mats.  The woven grass makes an ideal roof to cover the dens and protect the little ones.  Otters love these things! So do the nutria, marsh rabbits and a lot of birds. Anything not up in the yard, can stay for the critters!  (I am just figuring ways to get out of work, in case you have not noticed!)

  

Becoming "One" With The Bayou

  If you live on a bayou long enough, you begin to more or less blend in with the scenery.   Soon, no one even notices you.  Let's just say that I have been here for a really long time.  Not that I am complaining because with the shape the world has gotten itself in lately, I am perfectly happy to be among the gators, otters and nutria rats.  All of the nonsensical people can just keep their distance and let me be part of the Bayou and its life. 

  As I was sitting watching the bull minnows in their courtship battles, a tuft of "fluff" caught my eye.  At first, it seemed to be a swamp sparrow but when I tilted my head passed the groundsel bush for a better view, I found that it was nothing more than the marsh grass blooms.  Now there is one for you folks who never see the small stuff because of the larger picture.  Marsh grass blooms!  A lot of folks probably never consider the brown, scraggly things as blooms but if you ever have the opportunity to really study things, you might be amazed.  When seen in the distance, the blooms appear to be brown and dried.  Up close and personal, one can actually see the deep red sepals that opened to reveal tiny cream-colored petals.  These flowers produce seed capsules that are filled with shiny, black seeds.  

  The marshes around here are mostly Juncus romerianus which is commonly called needlerush.  It grows to about four feet tall and looks to be all stems.  Those stems are actually the very tightly rounded leaves.  They are about an eighth inch in diameter but quickly taper to a sharp point at the tip...hence the needlerush name.  Needlerush is a true rush and is often seen as more gray than green.  It reproduces by the seeds mentioned above or by rhizomes.  

  So, now you know how I spend my off time.  After the chores are done and I have quit for the day, the water calls.  I heed the yearning to learn more about my fine, little paradise.  I sit among the palmettos or marshes and observe.  Life is better that way...by far.

  

Marsh Mats and Critters!

  When the southeast wind blows hard, it cleans the marshy areas quite nicely on the Bay side.  The shore side, however, usually receives all the trash that was hidden in the grass.  I try to scoop up most of the trash that is within reach but I am sure not going to traipse about the mud to get stuff.   There are too many hidden dangers that lurk beneath the tall, waving reeds.  In the past few weeks alone, I have found two cottonmouths sunning themselves so there is no telling how many others go unseen.  The same tides and wind that clean the trash from the marsh also rolls dead reeds into huge marsh mats.  These mats house many critters.  They provide shelter for the snakes.  They make perfect thatched roofs for the otter and nutria dens.  They give escape routes for the rabbits and rice rats.  They, also, provide a nice "table" for other critters.

  A few weeks ago, Moe the heron took a large mullet to the marsh mats.  Here, the bird was assured that the fish would not "get away" if he dropped it.  Moe finished off the mullet with no eventful struggles.  These same mats now serve as a dining spot for the small otter pups.  For the past few nights, the otters have been feasting on the mussels that anchor themselves in the marsh roots along the shoreline.  The otters rip the mussels free and carry them to a mat.  The mussels are opened and the pups feast on the soft meats.  It is obvious by the number of shells left behind that the otters find the mussels rather tasty!

  While I find the marsh mats interesting and they do serve a lot of different purposes for the critter life of the Bayou, I can only imagine the mess if we get a hurricane.  All of this will wind up in the yard.  The marsh mats and the critters within will become one huge mess in the yard.  Hopefully, that will not happen and the mats will have time to rot before coming shore bound.

The Thatching

  Desperate times call for desperate measures...as the old saying goes.  I never really thought how this might hold true in the critter world until this morning.  While out walking the old dog at daybreak, I noticed something in the marsh.  Some small critter was scampering about as if hunting for something it lost.  At first, the thought of a rice rat crossed my mind since this thing was too small to be a nutria or otter.  Then, a clear view made me realize that it was a squirrel.  I literally laughed out loud at the critter and truly asked it what it was doing down in the marsh.  Of course, the squirrel gave no answer but continued its search.  After a few moments, it came out of the marsh, passed between the dog and me and headed up into the nearby oak tree.  In its mouth, the squirrel was carrying a long tuft of marsh grass.  I watched as she (and I now knew this was a female since she was nest-building) carefully tucked the marsh grass into her nest.  That sweet squirrel was lining her nest to make it more secure against the weather.  She was smart.  Even though that Groundhog Day has come and gone, the squirrel knows weather and she was making preparations for what is to come.  I have never seen a squirrel harvesting marsh grass as they usually stick to the more convenient grasses around the hillside. The thatching process was in full swing, however.  

  This afternoon, that same little squirrel was still busy.  This time, however, she was harvesting a different crop.  Clippings from one of the shrubby bay trees was her plant of choice.  The small tree was quite leafy just yesterday but was nigh on devoid of leaves today.  The little squirrel gnawed through four different branches while I was standing not ten feet from her.  These, she nibbled on for a few moments then toted them up to her cozy nest.  I am not sure if these were intended as a food supply or more nesting material but she was intent with her work.  Perhaps the recent cold spell made her realize that her nest needs attention and she is making good use of today's warm temperature. 

  I am thinking this little squirrel is preparing her nest in time for the March birthing season.  Most squirrels have two breeding seasons with the first little ones being born in early spring (March here).  There will still be cold nights then so Little Mama is padding the nest well. She will also have to stay near her little ones for a while so a food supply will come in handy.  Even if it is twigs to nibble, she will be able to survive.   

Zigzagging in the Marsh

  I have been missing my writing spiders in the garden,  For some strange reason, they have moved elsewhere and have vacated the tomato patch for good.  This makes me sad as each morning, I could find several with their large two foot in diameter webs strung between the tomato crates.  I knew the spiders were helping keep the place pest free and would often thank my friends for the job well done.  I miss them.  Their disappearance had me confused as there is still a mass of insects for their dining pleasure since I use no pesticides.  Then, a few days ago, I spied a fine specimen in the marsh near the pier.  Ok, so one writing spider down in the marsh is not unusual even though most found there are either wolf spiders or fishing spiders.  The writing spiders, more oft than not, stayed in the garden or the woods behind the house.  This morning, another large web and a healthy writing spider was spied in the marsh.  I am beginning to think that all of my friends have discovered the joy of living on the water!

  Writing spiders are interesting critters.  Also called, zigzag spiders, zipper spiders, black and yellow garden spiders, these spiders get quite large but are usually harmless to humans. They will bite to protect themselves but they are do not go out of their way to do so.  It takes a lot to rile them.  They are, however, a threat to garden invader.  Their large, circular webs usually have a bit of "writing" in the middle. This writing is in a straight line or can be in an X shape.  This is thought to draw insects into the middle of the web. During the day, the large female can be seen on this writing. The smaller male will usually be on the outer edge.  If a predator comes too near, the female will scoot to the outer edge or will bump the web making it vibrate.  The bouncing web can then become a threat to the predator. 

  Although, I miss the spiders in the garden, it is good to know that they are still around the place. I guess I will just have to be happy having the multitude of wolf spiders underfoot as I weed.  At least, I do not have to fret about accidentally walking into the writing spider's web!

Water Weaving

  The Bayou saw a bit of bad weather this morning.  Starting about 5am and lasting most of the day, high winds, torrential rains, golf ball sized hail, heavy lightning and tornadoes ripped through the area.  Other neighborhoods have been devastated but here on the Bayou, things are good.  We are fortunate enough to live on a high hill above the Bayou which helps tremendously with the flooding in spite of over 7 inches of rain.  Just minutes away from us, cars are underwater, houses are flooded and others were struck by fierce lightning.  This storm also made a mess of the Bayou and surrounding waters in the Bay.  There was a lot of runoff from nearby construction sites.  Once again, red clay muddied the waters making it inhospitable to many of the creatures that call the Bayou home.   All I can say is "it was quite a day"!  

  During one lull in the storms, I raced down the hillside to check the small skiff.  As of late, the bilge pump does its job well but never wants to stop.  It just keeps on pumping!  The tide was extremely high and with the gale force winds, waves had pushed all sorts of debris up in the marsh.  It never ceases to amaze me how people can throw so much trash in the water.  While trying to scoop out some of the used water bottles,  I noticed that small bits of marsh grass were also floating on the surface.  These are remnants left behind when the nutria rats gnaw the root pads.  Since the nutria rats do not eat the grass itself, it goes to waste.  It will float around until it finally rots and makes a mulch to nurture the remaining grass.  Today, however, it was the floating stuff that caught my eye.  Call it the artist in me but I could actually see a design forming in the bits and pieces.  The motion of the waves was swirling the grass bits into a tightly woven mat.  In weaving with dried material, it is customary to soak the reeds, willow branches and cane to make it more pliable but I have never heard of "Water Weaving" before!! Too bad these mats would not hold together once they were removed from the water.  They could be an interesting piece to have on a deck.  "Why, thank you for complimenting my deck mat...it was made by the Water Sprites using a technique called Water Weaving!"  heehee!