Just A Relaxing Moment Between Friends

  It is no secret that I have a certain fondness for the critters of the Bayou.  We seem to share a deep friendship.  In fact, I like them a lot more than most folks.  People tend to dramatize everything.  They are too eager to get their shorts in a wad and stomp around like flipping brats.  For this reason, I prefer the company of animals.  You know where you stand with them from the get-go and they are as easygoing as one could want. 

  Take this morning, for example.  While I waited on the old dog to finish his business, I ventured to the shore end of the pier.  There, I watched as a broad-headed skink scampered about trying to catch his breakfast.  This skink had no problem with me watching his every move just two feet from him.  The skink knew that I meant no harm so he went about his chores without a care in the world.  Then, as the sun warmed the pier planks, the skink plopped down to soak up a bit of that warmth.  To assure that his full belly was on the board, he started twisting his feet up over his back.  First one, then another until all four were up.  The two front feet grasp each other as did the two back.  The skink was so sure that he and I could remain sociable, that he had put himself in a vulnerable position even though I was a possible predator.  

  The skink seemed to be letting me know that all is well between us and differences matter not when true friendship is there.  Life on the Bayou is good.

Well, that was quick!

  Going to bed last night, I had no inkling that by morning, things would change.  About 3am, things did change.  The weather took a turn for the worse and I awoke to tornado sirens sounding on all sides of us.  I laid there thinking that storms sure take you by surprise.  After about ten minutes of listening to rain pound the rooftop and wind rattle the windows, I decided that a cup of coffee was calling my name.  I wandered into the kitchen.  Things did not sound quite so bad on that side of the house.  The wind was obviously out of the south.

  It was hours before the storm abated and also before it was light enough outside for me to see anything.  About 8am, the clouds thinned enough for the old dog and me to take a hike around the hillside.  With the wind still whipping, the tide was high...extremely high.  This sudden gale had obviously been as strong as any tropical storm that has hit the Bayou in the past.  We were just fortunate that it was relatively short lived as damage could have been much worse.  Tornadoes did do damage in the next community but, thankfully, there were no reported injuries.

  Our damage seems to be relatively slight in comparison to others. The pier is missing a half-dozen boards but, other than that, the storm patted us lightly.  Hopefully, this is the last hard gale that will pound us for this season.  I am ready for north wind and cold weather!

It Ate My Shoes!

  One thing about all of this rain, it really makes one realize that things may not be as they seem.  During the midst of Tropical Storm Cindy, Son and I were out trying to retrieve some of the wayward pier boards.  The waves had battered the poor pier to pieces and planks were skimming across the water like surf boards.  The boards would invariably wash up on my brother's place causing us to have to take the hike over there to pull them from the muck.  Son was busy at the moment so I trotted myself over to the spot where one board was seen.  Or, at least, I thought I might trot.  I took just about five steps.  Then......I sank.  What I thought was firm sand was so saturated that it was more like quicksand!  I was rapidly sinking up to my knees in the goop!

  Help!  Son looked at me and started to laugh!  Instead of coming to my rescue, he LAUGHED!  "Come get me!" I demanded.  He laughed harder.  Finally, my demands became pleas as I was sinking even further.  Eventually, he got over his fits of giggles and came to give me a hand.  I pulled up one leg and stepped back to the harder ground.  Oh, no!  I had lost my shoe!  I pulled the other leg out of the sinkhole only to discover that shoe had also been swallowed by the mire!  That stuff stole my shoes!

  I had to hobble back to the house in my socks which by this time were not only wet but coated with an inch of mud. That was some of the stinkiest mud ever!  So just a word of advice!  If you are ever out retrieving pier boards in the middle of a tropical storm, never....I repeat...NEVER step in any spot that appears to be pretty sand.  It is not.  It is mucky mud that will eat your shoes!