Marsh Mat Mulch

   So far, this has been a strange February.  The weather has not been particularly cold but has been somewhat wet and windy.  Normally, one thinks of "winter" winds being from the north and cool.  Not here.  Our wind has mainly been blowing from the southeast which makes for an unusual occurrence.  While the north winds blow the tide far from the shore and we have a lot of mudflats exposed, the southeast winds do just the opposite.  We have unusually high tides.  In fact, those wind-blown tides have rivaled any small tropical system.  This is very wearing on the marshes.

  This morning, my walk to the pier showed me just how rough the weather has been.  Neatly laid across the tops of the marsh grass were what I call "marsh mats". These mats are created by the high tide and large waves pulling dead marsh grass from around the roots and stacking it atop the living grasses.  The mats are about a foot deep in places and tightly woven.  A person could easily walk across the mats without ever worrying about the mud beneath.  This usually happens during the late summer and fall when tropical storms whip across the Gulf and enter the area.  

  While the mats do make great hiding places and eventually snug dens for many of the critters of the Bayou, I wish the stuff would wash into the yard.  Yeah, strange wish but I have my reasons.  These marsh mats, once cleaned of any trash, can be mulched.  That mulch has proven to be ideal for the gardens and I am in dire need of it around the cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli plants!  It involves a bit of work but the gardens would benefit greatly from the nutrients found in the ground up marsh.  (This brilliant idea of grinding and using the marsh as mulch came after Hurricane Zeta when we were inundated with debris.  I was using an old lawnmower to grind the debris line when a friend had the grand idea of using it as mulch.  It is amazing!  Nothing goes to waste!)  So...perhaps one of these "winter" storms could push this stuff a wee bit further in the yard...not far...just a wee bit??  Maybe?

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!)

  

Only 190 Feet To Go!

  Son and I started doing the heavy repairs on the pier.  Of course, he is doing most of the work and I am there to simply lend a hand lifting the heavy planks or running back up the hillside to get a different tool.  First thing was to replace some of the long stringers on which the planks sit.  This is not an easy job as we have to first remove all of the planks, knock out the broken 3 x 12s then replace those and start anew with planking.  Needless to say, this is a time-consuming and now very hot job.  There is no shade and for the past few days, our temperatures have been in the mid 90s.   Hot and hard work, for sure!  It is times like this that make me want to put the pier completely off limits to those who wish to come  fishing.  All of the folks who have used the pier in the past are sure not coming around to lend a helping hand when it is needed.  But...we are used to that.  We will get it repaired.  After all, we only have about 190 feet left to rebuild!  Not too bad.

  Along about noontime, a loud splashing in the shallows alerted us to some critter making a quick escape.  We have yet to figure out just what darted, swam or fluttered through the small inlet cut and across the tidepool.  Whatever it was, it made a hasty retreat under the marsh mats left by the storm.  These mats are a good foot deep and some twenty to thirty feet across.  They are floating on about 10 inches of water making a nice covering for the critters.  During one water break, Son and I sat talking about those mats.  "You know, if we had some way of pouring resin on the mats, they would make a great outdoor rug." he said.  I stared at him and pondered if his musings were serious or simply a way of confusing his old mom.  He then went further..."We could actually put enough resin on them and make floating piers!"  Ok, with that, I knew that he was joking as I cannot imagine pouring that much resin on anything...but...maybe??  Floating piers may be easier to take care of during storms.  We could tie it off to the large oak trees in the yard and let it float right on up in the yard with the storm surge.  Getting it back out may be a problem but if the size of these mats is any indication, we could always just make new piers.  Whoa!  Ideas were flowing until Son started laughing and said "Back to work."

  The pier work started again and we finally got one section ripped up and the underparts repaired.  It is surprising how Cristobal, as a tropical storm, did so much damage to the piers in the area.  Ours has been racked from one side to the other, end platform broken loose and shattered and nigh on a hundred planks will need to be replaced.  We might as well be building a new pier.  (At least the posts are reasonably sound.) 

Singing Loud And Clear!

  For the longest time, one bird's song puzzled me.  Deep under the thatched marsh mats, a squeaky, trilling sound could be heard each morning.  The song almost reminded me of a squeaky wheel that was on my son's little red wagon some thirty-five years ago.  That wheel squeaked from the time we got the wagon and I never oiled it even though Pop tried so many times.  I informed Pop that it was my "security system"!  I always knew where my toddler was as long as I could hear that squeaky wheel!  The bird was a different story, however, as I never knew exactly where the song was being sung.  Yes, under the marsh mats was a general area but a huge area.   I figured it had to be some shore bird that kept far beneath the mats as protection.

  Then, one icy morning, I ventured to the pier to sit and observe.  Surely, the bird had to surface at some time and it seemed to greet the morn with its song on a daily basis.  I waited.  And waited. And waited.  From the sheer volume of the song, I figured this had to be a bird of some heft.  No tiny tyke could possibly sing that loud!  I was wrong.  Once the bird finished praising the morning's first light, the sound changed to a wee chipping.  Out popped a tiny head then the entire bird.  This was a Swamp Sparrow!  Goodness!  How in the world can those tiny lungs push out that loud song?  Mystery was solved, however, and I was pleased with the outcome as I love these little birds.  They are so resourceful and smart....and now I know they have a powerful song!

  The Swamp Sparrow blends well with its surroundings which gives it great protection as it flits through the marsh in search of food.  During the cold winter months, the small birds take protection from the elements under the marsh mats that were piled high during the summer.  Rarely does the tide get high enough to soak the mats during the winter months so the birds have a dry, snug home.  

  This afternoon, I ventured out long enough to head to the pier.  It had been raining all day but now only a slight drizzle muffled my footsteps.  As I neared the water's edge, a soft chipping could be heard.  Yep, my little friend, the Swamp Sparrow, was busy hunting any seeds or insects that could be found.  Soon, it would dart back beneath its shelter and spend the night in comfort.  It never ceases to amaze me how some of the tiniest creatures can survive in the harsh world of the marshes.  This little one seems to do well....I am glad.

The Making of Marsh Mats

  A couple of days ago, Tropical Storm Olga decided that we need a bit of stirring up.  Perhaps we were getting complacent and she thought it best to visit.  Yes, I know the storm supposedly went in west of here but tell that to the Bayou.  Things were rockin' and rollin' for a short while.  Other than ripping boards from the pier and bringing a few limbs down, the storm did little damage .  What it did do was clean the marsh.

  The nutria rats adore munching marsh roots.  So much so that they eat entire flats.  The marsh grass, itself, is laid to the wayside.  Since no one is going to go rake the marsh, the dead reeds become entangled in the live plants and start getting things totally clogged.  It takes a bit of high tide and gusty winds to clean the place a bit.  This is good as it also brings in any trash that thoughtless people toss in the water.  It is a bad thing as that all winds up in my front yard.  

  This afternoon while I was on the pier checking how many planks were lost, I noticed the huge mounds of dead marsh grass that had been tossed and turned by the storm.  These "mats" will house a lot of critters this winter.  The thatched roofs will provide protection and warmth for snakes, otters, spiders, shorebirds, nutrias and, of course, mice and rats.  A myriad of other critters will call the mats home, as well. What the nutrias started by trimming the marsh, the storm finished by transforming the chaff into tightly woven mats.  Rather neat when you think about it.  Mother Nature's got this!

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.

Don't Be Foolhardy!

  Here it is the first day of April and we are cold.  Well, cold for the Deep South and, believe me, everyone is complaining...as if that will do any good whatsoever.  While I admit it is a bit chilly, it feels good!  There are no gnats when the temperature is cool!  I will wear a long sleeve shirt if it means I will not be eaten alive by those little buggers!  Still, that cool weather should be a deterrent to more than just the gnats but, obviously, it is not.  

  Early this afternoon, the outdoors called and I heeded that call.  The old dog, Mr. PJ, has been feeling poorly, so he opted to stay on his bed instead of gallivanting about the hillside.  It is just as well.  It never occurred to me that snakes would be out with the wind chill being nippy.  Just to the side of the pier, marsh mats are laid flat after a bit of unusually high tide.  It seems that the mats are a haven for a good many critters and that includes snakes.  As I was photographing some shells, a musky odor caught me off guard.  Uh, oh.  I knew that smell.  This was no April Fool's joke!  Somewhere nearby there had to be a snake.  So...I eased back to a sitting position from my knees and waited and looked.  

  Slightly to my left, a cottonmouth moccasin was soaking up a bit of sunshine.  The snake obviously had been far under the marsh mats because it was still "wearing" a thin layer of mud but, even with that disguise, I knew exactly who was nearby.  The snake and I sat about eight feet apart for the better part of a half hour before it decided to take refuge back under the marsh mat.  

  The action of the moccasin proved that snakes are "not out to get you" like so many folks believe.  Instead, my calm behavior was met with its calm behavior.  Neither of us threatened the other so the meeting was non-eventful other than me getting some photographs.  It pays to keep calm and do some levelheaded thinking instead of being rash and doing something foolhardy.  

Moe Is Hungry!

  Late this afternoon, Mark and I slipped out the door to get a bit of fresh air.   It had been drizzling rain most of the day so this was our chance to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House.  Our hike started back by the canebrake and took us the long way around the marsh to the pier.  Ahh...my favorite place to be!  As we walked down the length of the pier, a friend happily awaited our arrival.  Moe, the Great Blue Heron, patiently sat atop one of the pier posts.  As we neared. the bird never moved.  I was within an arm's reach, all the while snapping photos, and he just sat posing for me.  After our photo shoot, I asked Mark to fetch the net so we could reward our sweet friend.

  Mark caught six or eight small mullet and Mr. Moe happily gulped them down.  Then on the last throw, Mark caught several small mullet and one that was rather large.  Well, Moe scooped up one tiny fish then made a leap to grab the big one.  Oh, was he happy!  His belly would be full tonight!

  Mr. Moe struggled to hold onto the large mullet as he flew to the marsh.  He knew better than to try to eat the big fish on the pier.  There was a chance that the fish would flip out of his mouth and back into the water.  In the marsh, there are huge mats of dead reeds that have been tumbled by the tide.  These mats make for a fine place for the birds to dine.  If they drop a fish, it merely falls on the mat and they can readily grab it again.  Moe is smart.  Too smart.  He has figured out that we will feed him and also that the marsh mats make an ideal dining table.  I wonder what he will learn next!  I love this bird.

First One of the Season

  This afternoon, I decided that I needed to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House.  Lately, I have had to take care of the old dog, Mr. PJ, so hikes were out of the question.  His health comes first and since he has separation anxiety due to age, I had to stay within a few feet of him at all times.  However, Son volunteered to dote on the old fellow so I could go out to clear my brain of all worries.  While it was heavenly to be back on the trail again, so to speak, I missed the dog's presence.  I guess I have grown too attached to the old boy even though he is technically not my dog.  I am fostering him for my son and daughter-in-law...albeit obviously for the rest of his life.  So maybe he is not my dog but he is my friend...so be it.

  In a way, it was good that the dog was not with me on this particular hike.  Before he became ill,  he had taken to venturing too near the marsh to do his business.  Not being a true Bayou Dog, he had no idea the dangers that lurked there.  My hike this afternoon took me directly on top of one of those dangers.  The recent high tides has left behind marsh mats that are quite thick and obviously make good houses.  As I was wandering about this day, a huge cottonmouth was sunning on a mat right next to the pier. I stepped on the pier and immediately saw the snake.  It was a big 'un!!  

  Watching the cottonmouth, it was soon evident that this guy was in no hurry to leave.  It made no attempt to slip back under the marsh mat but also made no threat to me.  Contrary to what most folks believe, they are not aggressive.  However, had I made one misstep, or aggravated the snake, the story might have ended differently.  I could have easily ended up with a nasty bite.  The snake was definitely within striking distance.  

  So, folks, with the warm weather as of late, be careful!  The snakes are out doing their snaky things and, if you are not careful, that includes protecting themselves by biting.  I think the old dog will be taken on the other side of the house for a while.  His senses are not what they used to be and his reaction time is way too slow.  No need to put him in danger. We will play it safe.