When a person is sick with the flu, their brain often does not work clearly. Mine surely does not! This afternoon, I peeked out the window to see the sun shining brightly and that did it! I grabbed a jacket, called to the dog and made yet another great escape. Being confined to a sick house, even when I am sick, is more than I can bear. While the menfolks were napping like good patients, I was ambling along the path soaking up that glorious sunshine!
Although I felt well enough for a stroll, the brain kept coming up with strange thoughts such as "How many baby minnows does it take to make a school?" Do you know? I do not but there were thousands of the little jokers playing in the shallows. They were enjoying the bright sun just as much as I was.
Another thought..."Why do flying squirrels prefer to gnaw hickory nuts from the pointy end while grey squirrels go to work on the side?" That is another of life's great mysteries at least to a flu-muddled brain. If you have the answer, it would be great to know.
Also, "Why do smilax vines so closely resemble a spiderweb?" Spiders and vines have nothing in common yet their intricate work can be comparable. (I should have photographed the vine before PJ rent it asunder with his plodding but I was slow on the take and about as befuddled as a cat chasing its tail.)
The good news? I felt much better after being out and about. Fresh air, sunshine, doggy friend and lots of wonders of the world can make all the difference. Back to the menfolk...they have the three "C's".... crouping, coughing and complaining. I guess it is best that I escape now and again to try and preserve what little sanity I have left! Just how many minnows does it take???
Little fish in aquariums are usually brightly colored and have frilly fins. This visual appeal has made the critters prime targets for people wanting "wildlife" in their homes. Sorry Folks, this is not anything to do with how life really is in the Bayou. Most of the small fishes that live in the murky waters are just that...murky. They usually are just mud-colored and this is for a reason. Their coloring is camouflage that helps them to escape becoming supper for some larger critter. The Bayou's waters are usually muddy and shadowed by the marsh grasses so any shading on the fish usually mimics the sun-blotched water. This is all fine and dandy as far as being a protective measure but what happens when you WANT to call attention to yourself? At certain times of the year, male fish do, indeed, want to call attention to themselves. They need to attract females so the whole species can carry on existing. But, when you think about it, mud is not the prettiest, nor flashiest, of colors and when that is all you have, something has to give.
I was on the pier the other day hoping to catch a glimpse of the baby alligator once again. While there, I noticed that the tidepool near the pier was thick with assorted minnows and little fish. I watched with curiosity as they would circle in schools before several would literally jump out of the water. Ahhh, the rivalry of males over the many females was taking place. How, you may ask, did I know that these were males? Well, I knew by their bright, metallic blue scales adorning their backs. During mating season, the males of some of the minnows, a type of killifish, morph a bit and acquire a patch of brightly colored blue scales. These scales glint in the sunshine and attract the females but, being male, the critters have to show their prowess and battle any other male in the territory. The fight is all a huge show which is also aimed at the females of the species (as if those sparkly scales were not enough!). Several years ago, I had a niece dub these fish as "Glitterfish" which is quite the appropriate name!
The killifish continued their courtship ritual all afternoon with the males doing sort of faux battles and the females swimming in circles. It was almost mesmerizing to try and catch a glimpse of the blue flashes but all too soon, the sun started to set and their powers ceased. Although we have a full moon, I opted to not stay on the pier just to see if the scales sparkled at night by moonlight. The little Glitterfish would just have to entertain themselves.
A mid afternoon storm pounded the Bayou with a hefty bit a rain. It was a welcome break in the stifling heat and gave the garden a nice soaking. My tomatoes were looking a tad droopy during the heat of the day and even with the wind-broken branches, they looked a lot happier as the rains pelted them. The rain was good. It did, however, but a damper on my intentions of fishing a bit after my chores. The crab traps would have to wait a bit to get the hard-head catfish in their bait boxes.
Late this evening, I made a trek to the pier. While the storm raged, I foraged through the freezer in search of something that could possibly used as crab bait. Happily, I had found some odds and ends that might suffice in place of catfish. With an odd assortment of freezer-burned foodstuffs, Ms. Ez and I made our way to the pier. She always knows the routine and promptly sat by the first trap. Nothing! How can I expect to catch crabs with empty bait boxes? We baited and moved to the next. Each trap was the same. Well now, this was a boring hike! Then I saw my little friend the saltmarsh snake! Aww, at least I could have some little bit of enjoyment! Ms. Ez and I sat down on the wet planks to watch our little buddy. This snake is such a pretty little thing! It was trying to catch some of the bull minnows that frequent the shallows. The little rascal would wait until the bull minnows swam near then its head would dart out and catch its prey. After swallowing that minnow, it would slither to a new spot and wiggle enough to muddy the water. Then the game would start all over again.
Once again, I was impressed at how adept snakes are. A few weeks ago, I watched a rat snake climb a tree and was in awe at how well something with no hands could reach such heights. Today, I was equally impressed at how this little Gulf Saltmarsh Water Snake could catch fish. The fact that it knew to muddy the waters so the minnows had a hard time seeing it was quite ingenious! It amazes me just how intelligent critters can be! Folks, we can learn a lot by just watching our animal friends. I think I might just have to try that muddy water technique! Perhaps then I can catch those elusive catfish!
