The Bayou Provides

   While life on a bayou is probably not for everyone, it seems to be perfect for me.  Most would rather be highly involved with their social lives and the hubbub that comes with it.  Again...not me.  I prefer the solitude that I can find here even to the point that I let the land and bayou provide for most of my needs.  While the garden is in a lull due to a recent drought, the water is teeming with "foodstuffs".  That is where I am spending the bulk of my time...on the pier.  Mullet, drumfish, redfish, trout, flounders and crabs are all within reach and shrimp!...yes, shrimp are plentiful this year!  A massive influx of shrimp this far from the salty Gulf is rare so all of the locals are taking full advantage of the occurrence!  We are throwing the net just about every waking hour and are filling freezers for future use.  Free food is always good.

  A thought bleeped through the brain yesterday as I was hauling in yet another netful of shrimp.  What in the world is this old lady with a bad heart doing down here on the pier?  I think I am pushing my strength to the limits this summer.  Just last week, after a great checkup with my doctor, I got the orders to "Just keep doing whatever you are doing as it seems to be paying off in great ways with your health."  I wonder if Doc knows that I am spending hours at a time throwing a net from the pier?  Still...I shall follow Doc's orders and keep doing what I am doing.  If nothing else, I shall eat good!  *Just a note here...yes, that is my gloved hand holding the shrimp to show the size.  I normally do not wear gloves but after throwing the net close to a hundred times each day, my hands were taking a beating.  Bleeding fingers are not a good thing. The gloves have come into use!

Not Exactly The Plan

   As usual, Mark and I headed to the pier just about daylight.  We had high hopes of catching a few fish for our lunch and to also use as crab bait.  That was the plan...it just did not happen.  He was throwing the net to catch menhaden or little mullet to use as bait when, all of a sudden, that net was about wrenched from his hands!  Whoa!  He had something huge!  As he lugged the thing to the pier, we both had to grimace.  Ugh!  His net had gone over an enormous snapping turtle.  That old fellow was in one foul mood after being ensnared which made it tricky business to untangle him.  While Mark held the net taught to keep the turtle from getting even more tangled, I used the scoop net handle to free the critter.  Once that was done, the turtle made a hasty retreat back into the water. I was in no mood to mess with him any more!  It was then that we noticed the huge hole in the net.  Well...that was not a happy thing.

  Mark got the net from the small skiff and started throwing again.  Whomp!  Yep, he had thrown the net right over something huge again!  This time, there was a lot more splashing going on as he pulled on the rope.  Reaching down, he hauled a huge Black Drumfish onto the pier.  Ugh...again.  We surely did not need THAT much fish!  The fish, like the turtle, was untangled and released.  Also...again...another huge hole was to be found in the net.  Again...not a happy thing.

  It seemed as if fish were not to be on the menu today nor were the crab traps going to be baited.  We may have started out with grand intentions but things did not play out in our favor.  It was time to head back to the Little Bayou House to mend nets and figure out just what to cook for the day.

And There is Lunch!

  As is our habit, Mark and I ventured down to the pier early this morning.  While most of the fishing gear had been stowed away lest a storm rumbled in from the Gulf, we did bring the net and a bucket back to its usual spot.  As we neared the end of the pier, we could see that the water was literally churning with a school of fish.  Mullet!  Biloxi Bacon! Good stuff for those who know how to cook them.  Needless to say, Mark threw the net and in the first throw caught fourteen of the silvery fish.  Yep, there was lunch.

  We watched for a bit as the great schools kept the waters swirling. September brings the mullet in the Bay by the droves.  Thousands of the fish school in the shallow waters and fishermen (and women) make haste to fill their freezers.  Mark and I do not.  While we catch our share of the fish, it is not our aim to freeze any.  Mullet, for those who are not aware of the fact, are best eaten within minutes of being caught.  Quickly fried in a coating of flour, cornmeal, garlic, red pepper, salt and black pepper, these fish are fantastic!  Left in a freezer or refrigerator for any length of time, the meat becomes strong and almost bitter tasting.  This is the very reason we eat ours as soon as we catch them.  Usually, the fish are served with a side of potato salad and maybe some good, ole baked beans! 

  Back during the Civil War and then again during the Great Depression, the moniker of Biloxi Bacon was slapped on the lowly mullet. During the Civil War, the northern troops tried to place blockades at crucial ports to keep supplies from reaching the people of the Gulf Coast region.  It was the thought that if supplies could not reach the people, they would soon run out of food and the towns would be easy to take.  Being a resourceful folk, instead of starving, people fished.  There was a never-ending supply of fresh fish.  These were eaten with grits and became known as "Biloxi Bacon".  Years later, during the Great Depression, things were quite dismal but that resourcefulness came into play again. People that did not mind doing a little work feasted upon the fish.  The Biloxi Bacon moniker was fondly applied to the fish once again.  Now, only the locals (most who just heard tales of hard times from their elders) refer to the fish by this name.  I am sure that if the need ever arises, these same locals will fall back on their knowledge of fishing as a means of supporting their families.  It is just in us to use what we have and not whine nor complain.

  Our lunch was delicious and we have plans to repeat this again tomorrow if things go well.  We will also try to catch, clean and share the wealth of fish with our elderly friends who can no longer catch their own.  It is the neighborly thing to do!

It Is Time

There comes a time when all things must go to their proper homes.  Yep, I do believe that time has come.  Since both my oldest son and my daughter have met their soulmates, married and moved into their own homes, it is high time that all of their belongings move with them.  (My daughter-in-law and my son-in-law will probably cringe at the thought!)  I have come to the conclusion that the Little Bayou House would not be near so cluttered if it were not that I am storing stuff that is not mine.  It is time...it is high time...that this stuff moves.  Yes, a lot of it was being tossed when they left here and I admit that I salvaged it.  I pulled things that I thought they would like to have somewhere down the line.  These items had some special meaning to them when they were younger and it might have the same special meaning as they age.  Even if it is only for a bit of nostalgia, things can be revisited at some point in life and have a whole new value.  For instance, a few (very few) things that I had as a youngster have over the years found their way back into my possession. The memories that were held by these items are priceless.  These things are from a time past....a time that will never be again.  The cobwebs in the corners of my brain get shuffled about a bit when I touch some long-lost bit of my childhood.  I hope the things that I saved serve a hefty bit of nostalgia to my kids when I bestow the gifts of things past to them.

  There are two things that my son might actually enjoy seeing once again. One is a tiny rod and reel that was his very first.  No, this is not one of the toy type reels that kids use today.  This is an actual rod and reel....small but real.  We bought this for him when he was a little over three years old.  He used to go fishing a lot with my dad and used a hand line.  He caught so many fish using that piece of string that we figured it was time to upgrade to a real pole.  He loved it and learned to use it quickly.  With this tiny rod and reel, the kid caught some pretty huge fish!  

  The other item is a small net.  An elderly gentleman that was Pop's good friend used to talk with my son when he was just a tyke.  One day, he told my son to stand tall and let him get a measurement.  We had no idea what he was up to with this bit if information but fully trusted the old man.  Mr. Rosetti had been a fisherman for all of his life and he wanted to do something to help instill the love of fishing in our little boy.  A few days later, he came back to Pop's house and was carrying a brown paper bag.  He was grinning from ear to ear when he handed the bag to my little boy.  Inside was a homemade brail net.  It was perfect! He informed us that to be a good one, a net should be just a bit taller than the person throwing it.  This is why he measured our son. He wanted to make a net that was just his size. The net is one of the old style cotton nets and not like the new monofilament types of today.  My son learned to throw the net and soon could catch bait or shrimp with the best fishermen.  His net was one of his favorite gifts he ever received.  How could I toss this thing to the wayside when he outgrew it.  The thing has lasted all of these many years.  Many little kids that have visited the Bayou over the years have learned to throw a net using this very one.   I am in hopes that my son will now teach his little ones the fine art of brail net casting.

   I am also in hopes that the net and the rod and reel will bring back many fond memories.  That will make all of those years that I stored the thing well worth the trouble.  Most likely, most of the things I saved really should be tossed but that will have to be up to my kids...not me.  I just do not have the heart to do it.  Not after some thirty years of storing the things?....not at all.

More than I bargained for!

  This afternoon, Mark and I headed to the pier.  We had no specific reason other than just to be there but after getting to the end of the pier, it only seemed proper to throw the net at least a couple of times.  He picked up the large net and I grabbed the shorter one.  Not wanting to throw in the same vicinity of each other, I walked up the pier a bit.  If there were any mullet nearby, he could catch them easier in the larger net.  I was more or less wasting time with the little net.  Still, it is fun and good exercise.  

  My first throw with the small (5ft) net yielded a huge catch!  As soon as I started to bag the net and haul it back in to the pier, I knew I had caught something.  Nets just do not weigh THAT much!  I was actually struggling to pull the net toward me!  Hmm?  I called to Mark.  "I either caught a bunch or something huge!"  Nope, I did not catch boatloads of fish but rather one quite large snapping turtle!  I threw that net right over top of the critter!

  I hauled the net up on the pier where Mark and I pondered just what we were supposed to do with this monster!  As we stood staring at him, he started tearing at the net.  That webbing was going to be no match for his sharp claws and powerful jaws.  If we did not do something quick, my net was going to be history!  Mark hurried to get my camera (of all times for me to not bring it!) while I slammed a bucket over the snapping turtle.  Well, duh!  That did not work!  The turtle was larger than the bucket!  After knocking the bucket to its side, the turtle proceeded to rip the net.  NO!!!  I slammed the bucket atop the turtle once more and this time sat on it!  There!  Now lets just see who is stronger!  Yeah, well, hate to say it but the turtle actually started carrying me as it worked its way to the edge of the pier.  Nope!  You are not taking my net with you!!!  I turned and started pressing down as hard as I could.  I guess the critter stopped to size up his situation because he sat still long enough for Mark to get back to the pier.  Whew!  

  It took a good ten minutes to untangle that snapping, clawing critter from my net.  I am sure glad that Mark was there!  He had no problem flipping that fellow upside down and holding onto his tail! Mark is my hero!!!   Me?  Nope, no way, not happening!  I tried to be helpful by distracting the turtle with a piece of cane pole and that sucker grabbed ahold to that thing and cracked it! (Mark was smart and used a board to push the net away.) After seeing what the turtle did to that pole,  I decided right then and there that I was rather fond of my fingers!