Well! That is LOUD!

  As I am sitting here listening to all the booming and banging of fireworks, a thought keeps running through my mind.  While a lot of folks think the shooting of fireworks are all fun and games, I fully disagree.  Yes...they do help celebrate the holidays.  Yes, there is a long tradition of doing such.  Yes, they are LOUD and some....SOME are pretty.  But there should be a place for these things, a time limit and there should be an ordinance about cleaning up the mess afterwards. There are laws...sort of laws...they are just not enforced (which is "sort of" understandable.)  


  My complaints are not at all about the fun folks are having.  That is great.  My issue is about the "where" mainly.  At the moment, fireworks are being shot across the Bayou which is not a bad spot unless you happen to live there.  I do...along with thousands of critters that are most likely scared out of their wits about now.  Earlier today, I was out watering the plants in the greenhouse when I noticed a beautiful Great Egret striding about the Bayou.  The north wind had pushed most of the water out into the Bay leaving just a small rivulet.  The bird was scooping up trapped fish.  It was a most beautiful and serene scene....until....

  Boom....boom....rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat...boom.  It was midday and already someone was shooting fireworks.  The egret was startled and took flight letting out a series of frightened squawks.  Awww, poor bird probably thought someone was shooting at it...and in a sense they were.  The fireworks shot over the Bayou and landed not far from where the bird was fishing.  

  Now, tonight, the fireworks are continuous.  Thousands and thousands of thunderous rounds are being fired across the marsh.  My poor critters are probably all in hiding.  There will be no feeding tonight for the many nocturnal critters (and no sleep for me).  I just wonder if these same folks would like it if I decided to start shooting fireworks in the opposite direction....say...at sunrise?  And kept it up throughout the day while they were trying to recuperate after a night of partying.  Nah...I could not do that to my poor Bayou friends of the critter sort.  They are going to need rest after this long sleepless night.

  Still, this does not make me feel disdain towards those celebrating.  The New Year should be brought in with a shout of glory!  That said, I wish all of you a most profitable and healthy new year and may each of us show compassion to all....even the critters of the world!  Happy New Year, Folks!  Happy New Year!

Let the celebrations begin....or not!

  Happy New Year!  Let the celebrations begin!  Well, here on the Bayou, those folks who lean toward the loud and boisterous celebrations have already begun but those of us who wish they would take their fireworks somewhere else are trying to console the pets.  Ms. Ez has decided that my lap should be her safe haven.  Of course, this is impossible since the old dog is nigh on as big as I am.  That said, she has settled in by my feet and quivers with each boom of the explosives.  Ms. Put, the Bayou Queen, is doing her cat thing and is snuggled down on Son's bed.  These two critters know how to celebrate!  What am I saying?  I am right there with them!  No celebrating for me either!  I prefer the (usual) quietness of the Bayou.  I could fully do without the loud booming and banging of those fireworks!  I do worry about Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, as she refuses to enter the Little Bayou House this evening.  Hopefully, that cat has holed up under the shed or in the greenhouse and is not being to overly irritated by the noise.  

  

   All complaining aside, I do wish each of you a happy, safe and prosperous New year!  May God bless each of you with good health, much happiness and increased wealth.

 

Be a lantern.

Well, it is that time of year again.  That one day a year where we make all sorts of resolutions to better ourselves in the coming three hundred and sixty-five days.  At least most of us attempt it for about three days before falling back into our safe, "feel-good" zone where we have resided for our entire lives.  Not many folks can set goals for the new year and actually stick with them.  I have been pondering just what my resolutions for this upcoming year should be.  It occurred to me that perhaps there is just one resolution that any of us need to make.  A single promise from each of us would solve multitudes of problems in this old world.  Each of us should vow to become a lantern.

It would be fantastic if each of us would vow to become a lantern, a light unto the world.  Each of us could strive to bring light, bring hope to those who need it most.  No matter how small or simple of a deed it is, if it brings a smile to someone, it is well worth the effort.  Even just a kind word or a warm smile can make a positive difference in someone's life.  A friendly handshake, a hug, a few kind words might just be all it takes to turn someone in a different direction. For those who can afford it, financial help for those who are down on their luck might just be the turning point.  A visit to an elderly neighbor who spends days at a time by themselves, a heartfelt thank you said to a veteran, a donation made to your favorite charity or merely a random kind note on a social network might be all it takes.  None of these would be that difficult to achieve and the rewards would be phenomenal!

Sometimes a bit of hope is all it takes. Hope can open paths where darkness once blocked the way.  Hope can give strength where weakness once reigned.  Hope, in itself, can mend all that was broken beyond repair.  Being a beacon of light in times of darkness not only helps those who seek help but also helps the person providing the glimmer of hope. To become that light in bleak hours not only benefits those in despair but also the light itself.  Given fuel, a lantern burns brighter thus may illuminate further into the darkness.  That fuel, in this case, is the good feeling that one gets from helping in whatever way possible.

Be a beacon, lend a hand, give a kind word or share your wealth.  Do whatever it takes to ease just one person's life and with that, the world will seem a bit brighter.  All it takes is one person..all it takes is you..me..each of us.  It cannot be that difficult.  One resolution...do one kind act a day for three hundred and sixty-five consecutive days.  Be a lantern.  I hope to be.

May each of you find opportunity knocking at your door, happiness at your doorstep and a warm heart and true love on your hearth. May God bless each of you.  Have a most prosperous and healthy coming year.  Happy New Year's Day from all of us at Little Bayou House!

A New Beginning...

The New Year is upon us once again and I still can't for the life of me figure out where the Old Year went. It seems as if I just started writing this 2011 thing and now that is nigh on obsolete..just a few hours is all it will take for us to make a big change..we will all have to write 2012! There is much hype everywhere you look about this being "THE END!" and that in itself is far amusing to me. Some people have deciphered the Mayan Calendar as predicting the END! The end of what? Should we all run around flailing our arms in wild hysteria because someone has decided that 2012 will see the the world as we know it cease? Has it not occurred to anyone with any sense that the mass hysteria is what would cause the end of the world? Not because some calendar becomes outdated..why think about it..my calendar becomes outdated every December 31st! ooops! Anyway, I have read where the Mayans, themselves, are amused by all of the hype! Smart Mayans!

Egret calmly hunting for breakfast!

I should think that if everyone had their own private little bayou or other piece of paradise, there would be no need to do all of this worrying. Then folks would realize that whatever is to be..shall be. That we cannot change it other than to change ourselves and if folks were truly at peace with themselves..why change? And here I go again...rambling on as if it would ever make a difference. I have found that peace. I am happy here. One learns a lot while tromping around the Bayou. The animals, themselves, are great teachers. If we would all watch and let them instruct us, there would be no need of the torrential amounts of worry and stress that we bring upon ourselves. Take, for instance, today...a lone egret fished for its breakfast in the early morning fog. Did this egret fret about what is to be with the coming new year? No...it takes one day at a time. It knows that there is nothing that it (or any of us) can do to make the world last one minute longer than it is destined. The egret just goes about its business on a daily basis..it lives its life as it was meant to be lived and does not worry about things that are out of its control.

Time for reflection..egret fishing for breakfast.

We could all learn a bit from that egret..we SHOULD all learn a bit from that egret. It will be stress and worry that will kill us far before the world ceases to be. Perhaps as a resolution this year, we should stop looking for the End of the World and strive for a new beginning..strive to find that inner peace. Slow down..take one day at a time..smile more..breathe deeply..find your own little paradise..even if it is in your own backyard.

No..this egret is not flailing about in wild hysteria..it is just taking off in a gentle flight!

I hope that the New Year brings health and happiness each of you. As an added word of advice..don't run around flailing your arms in wild hysteria..it won't solve anything. It will only make you look plumb silly! Happy New Year, folks!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Yes, it is the last day of 2010..the year is old and tired. 2011 will be here in a few hours bringing hope for peace and prosperity, something we all desire. Each year we start fresh..full of anxious dreams that this will be THE year..the year for peace in the World..the year free of hunger and pain..the year of happy times. We all must be eternal optimists to think that the new year will be better than the old. This is good. This is how it should be. Trying to improve ourselves.. looking forward to better, more prosperous times..just looking forward. It is time to close out any debilitating thoughts and press ourselves to be what we want to be. Time to dare to live out the dreams that we thought were impossible. This is the year, as all new years are, to make our lives be as exciting and exhilarating as we can possibly envision. It is time to rejuvenate our spirit.

I am ready! I am ready to jump into the new year with as much gusto as I can muster! Just not tonight! Tonight, there is little partying on the Bayou. The weather is not participating in the merriment of the season. Instead of entertaining this evening, we are hunkered down in the house weathering out a bit of a storm. There are tornado watches, high winds and heavy rains. At times, the wind gusts rattle the windows and bang the screen door. It is a wild night on the Bayou! It is predicted to get worse as the night goes on and continue well into tomorrow. What a way to start the New Year! Not that I mind the storm, it is actually my favorite weather. It makes me appreciate my little house even with all of the creaks and groans that the wind is producing. All are safe and sound here. Ms. Put, the cat, is sound asleep on the stairs and Ezzy, the dog, is at my feet. I think she has decided that is the safest place to be and I actually find comfort in her presence.

My wish for this year? I wish that each of you finds your dreams. I wish that each of you finds something to smile about each day. I wish that each of you has peace within your own heart. I wish that God will bless each of you in a myriad of ways in the coming year. Peace be with you.