The Felling of a Mighty Oak Tree

   Back between the original greenhouse and the shed, there stands the remnants of a tall oak tree.  The tree stood strong through hundreds of storms only to fall to a tiny bug.  Insects can do more damage than the raging hurricane sometimes.  A couple of years back, Son noticed that a lot of our living oak trees were infested with termites.  Yep....living trees.  This was a bit disturbing, to say the least.  He set to work trying to save the trees by using the same spray that we have had to resort to for the house, shed and any other outbuildings around here.  As much as I hate to use chemicals around the place, there comes a time when it is absolutely necessary if we want to save the place.  So, he mixed his concoction and set to work.  Well, that was a lot of work as we have a lot of trees.  Some, like the aforementioned one, were too far gone to try to save.  He still sprayed thinking maybe he could contain the infestations. Hopefully.

 Needless to say, the tree died and was soon infested not only with the termites but with black carpenter ants that were eating the termites.  We quit spraying to allow the ants to do their job.  They worked tirelessly in the dead tree but were, at the same time, preyed upon by the woodpeckers.  The entire tree soon became riddled with the drillings of the birds.  The food chain was at work.  Soon, the tree started falling bit by bit. Now, a new form of life has come to the old tree.  On one of the upper parts of the tree, there is a large hole that appears to be the nesting site of either the pileated woodpecker or a family of squirrels.  Down below among the roots, lizards, snails and beetles are enjoying life hidden under the palmettoes and shards of tree bark.

  While out back, I noticed that bracket or shelf mushrooms are rapidly taking down the tree.  The entire southern side of the tree is literally a ladder of orange mushrooms.  These mushrooms are doing the final takedown of the old oak tree.  The fungi will rot the tree as it, itself, thrives.  Soon, the old oak will come tumbling down and that will be the end of it.  However, in the meantime, the tree, even in death, is providing for the life of others.  

Standing strong against the odds

  It is a well known fact that wind can do major damage.  Here on the Bayou, that is quite evident.  We get a lot of hurricanes passing through this way.  The straight line winds push the tides way up and also cause damage to buildings.  This can be devastating, to say the least.  Hurricane winds don't just come in one direction, however.  In fact, while the strongest winds usually are in a direct path, you never really know which direction the gusts will blow.   Plus, most hurricanes have tornadoes mixed in the mess so everything is topsy-turvy.  A hurricane is one big mess of wind coming from just about every direction in any given moment.  Pop always used to say that a hurricane had a mind of its own and you should never take its action as a given.  "Its always going to change and surprise you to the worst."  They do change so never take to the idea that you have one figured out.  You don't. Trust me on that.

  In 1985 a hurricane was playing in the Gulf of Mexico.  It was one of those unpredictable storms that left everyone confused.  The hurricane went this way and that.  It made many turns before setting its sites on a place to make landfall.  On September 2, Hurricane Elena paid us a visit.  The storm made landfall as a Category 3 and pretty much wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast.  Hurricane Elena spawned many, many tornadoes which decimated everything in their paths.   

  That said, down the hill near where the property meets the marsh, an old oak tree stands.  It has been there for decades upon decades as have most of the other oak trees on the place.  This one particular oak, however, still shows the strength of hurricane winds in its limbs.  It was shortly after Hurricane Elena (and its many tornadoes) that we noticed the evidence that the oak had been caught up in the middle of a cyclone.  Several of its huge limbs were torqued into odd shapes.  The tree was strong and withstood the winds but, to this day, it still bears the evidence of the trauma.  The twisted branches are a reminder not to take the weather for granted.  Mother Nature can release her fury on the Bayou at any time (as in any place) so it makes sense just to be fully aware of what is happening and to be prepared.  

  As I stood looking at the oddly shaped branches today, it came to mind that, while we can prepare for storms, the trees just have to "hold their ground". They are battered by both wind and water but the old oaks do a fine job of being sturdy.  I pondered of how many storms these old trees must have witnessed.  How many times were they bent and broken only to recuperate and thrive again?  Hurricane Elena was bad but how many storms before and how many after were worse?  Hurricane Katrina came along some twenty years later and did her best to decimate the Gulf Coast. The oaks beat the odds against her, too.  Between these two storms many other hurricanes and tropical storms twisted and turned the trees.  The old oaks stood strong against those unpredictable winds that rip, tear, twist and ravage the place.  What mighty trees they are!  I put my hand against the rough bark and wished I could stand so strong against the odds.

Be Natural

  Sometimes folks have a tendency to "over do" on things.  I am more one that lets things be.  I figure I can work myself up into a fine lather over things or relax and accept things as they are.  This holds true especially in my gardens and the surrounding property.  It makes me sad to see perfectly nice looking bushes whacked and hacked into uniform shapes.  Straight, buzz-cut hedges make me cringe.  Don't get me wrong, I am all for a trim here and there but this bit of trying to make Mother Nature conform to some rigid rules is slap nuts.  Let things be natural.  Let shrubs have freedom to be the bushes they were meant to be, let wildflowers flourish with the beauty they should be showing and stop being so nit-picky about nature.  Let it be natural.  Shrubs shaped like boxes are just downright weird!  Yards and gardens without a few surprises is about as stark as a wasteland.  Mother Nature has a bit of quirkiness that is beautiful in its own right and anything else is a bit too strict.

  A friend recently asked me how to remove lichens and mosses from their trees.  What????  Why would you even consider that?  Lichens and mosses are amazing creations and to think you have to rid the garden of them is ridiculous!  Neither do any harm to their host trees and both add a bit of interest.  Plus, trying to remove these growths will probably do more damage to the host trees than the lichens and mosses could ever do.  Keep in mind, I am referring to mosses and lichens and not fungi.  Some fungi can cause disease and should be tended but leave the other two alone.  

  This whole deal about mosses and lichens made me really sit down and look at a patch of moss growing on the base of an old oak tree.  Am I misguided in my idea that the moss added a bit of charm to the tree?  Does it appear unkempt or trashy?  Is there a reason to be "over-clean" and rid the place of anything that grows so naturally?  Nope.  All I could see was a pretty green, velvety soft bit of Southern charm on the old oak tree.  I ain't moving it one bit!....and you shouldn't either.  Lighten up and let things be. Stop being so compulsive about things around you and sit back to enjoy things as they are.  Life is so much better that way.

The Welcome Visitor

  One thing about living on the Bayou, you never know who might drop in for a visit.  Sometimes, I go weeks without seeing a human visitor but I can always depend on my critter friends to pay a call.  I am good with that.  Critter friends leave behind all of the whining and gossiping to just be friends.  There is no drama involved in our conversations and, though their visits are often fleeting, I feel honored that they came at all.  I guess it all goes back to that thing about people who overstay their welcome.  Critters never do.  Their visits are short and to the point and then they take their leave.  No bad at all.

   Down near the east side of the property right on the shore of the Bayou, there sits an old oak tree.  The branches drape down into the water and create a small "room" that is shut off from most of the world. This area is maybe ten feet across and twelve wide.  During high tide, the floor of this "room" is filled with water but as the tide drops, a small puddle remains. In reality, it is a pretty neat little place.  Blocked from view on all sides except an opening here and there, the old oak tree provides shelter to critters that come to dine on minnows and crabs in the pool.  It was here that I was down on my knees trying to film the rivalry of the male fiddler crabs. Hundreds of the little crabs had invaded the area and were frantically waving their large claws as a warning to each other.  Not much actual fighting ensues but it is pretty interesting to watch. You get a couple of hundred crabs together and let them wave their claws and it starts to resemble some weird dance.  

  While I was kneeling just a few feet from the water's edge, I had a perfect view of the inner portion of the "room".  There was not much happening until suddenly, I had a visitor.  A small raccoon was searching for supper and obviously knew right where to come.  The little fellow paid no attention to my presence and started scurrying about trying to catch trapped minnows.  After several photographs, the critter finally noticed me.  He kept feeding but eased closer to the far side of the branches.  From this point, the little raccoon could keep an eye on me all the while catching bull minnows.  

  Neither of us made the effort to vacate the area so our visit lasted a good twenty minutes.  I sure enjoyed his company!  I love my critter friends!