They Have Not Left....Yet.

   Early this morning just as the sun was trying to peek through the clouds, I saw a large bird land in the top of a pine tree across the Bayou.  At first glance, I thought it was one of the ospreys that are plentiful around here but, then, I heard the ruckus that was being raised across the way.  Yep, that squeaky wheel sound made me realize that what I had seen was the bald eagle.  Full knowing that this was way off in the distance and that my camera would never pull a good photograph, I tried anyway.  Between the greyness of the morning and the distance, I was fortunate to get what I did.  At least with a close look, the eagle was distinguishable through the branches.  In fact, I was rather thrilled because, once I enlarged the photograph, I realized there was a pair of eagles in that tree!  Oh, happy day!

  A lot of folks would wonder just why spotting the eagles causes elation.  Well, it is merely due to the fact that there is so much building going on around here that I assumed the eagles would go elsewhere...but, then, where?  At the rate the trees are being cut to build houses, there is not much place for these large birds to nest.  The eagles and ospreys are in dire straits for nesting sites.  It saddens me but that is exactly why I leave our acreage as wild and woolly as I do.  The critters are being displaced at a rapid rate and this is about the only spot left for any of them.  People do not care.  

The Dancers

   There are times when I ponder things in life that make no sense.  I am not sure why these things even occur to me but they do so I ponder.  Today's ponderance...do plants have emotions?  Seriously.  Do ferns feel joy when the rains fall?  Do lilies fret when a frost is imminent?  Do trees feel love and friendship for those growing next to them?  While most folks would say a hasty "No.  That is impossible."  I wonder.  Why not?  And how would we know?  Granted, they do not have brains as we know brains but what if...what if there was some other way that scientists have not discovered?  Humans are not the only smart beings on this old earth.  (To be honest, I totally wonder if we are smart, at all.)

  Down by the marsh near the east side of the property, there are a couple of old dead pine trees that were struck by lightning several years ago.  While the trees were among the living, it was hard to tell where one's branches ended and the other's began.  They were all entwined and also had vines twisting about them making matters worse.  Since the lightning strikes, however, the trees have become devoid of needles and the vines died.  Now, a few sparse limbs remain.  The two trees look as if they were holding hands...uhh...branches.  In fact, it appears that they were quite chummy and were lovingly dancing while their world crashed about them!  Perhaps the one was trying to be supportive of the other even in their dying days.  Who knows?

  In all seriousness, folks.  Be kind.  Be supportive of those who may be near wit's end but not showing it.   Sometimes, those who appear to be the strongest are near the breaking point.  They carry on as if nothing is wrong simply because they have no one to support them or give them much needed attention. Reach out.  Life is hard enough as it is so just be kind.

  

The Pollen Makers

  The Pollen Makers...coming to your town soon!  Yep, here in the Deep South, we are experiencing that lovely "yellow" time of year.  It is definitely early but pollen is floating around causing everything to be yellow until the daily rain comes to wash it away.  It is also the time of year that a lot of folks are never without a tissue and their allergy pills simply because, once they see the yellow, they think they will soon be sniffling. 

  Just yesterday, a friend asked about the "yellow flowers" that could be seen from the roadside.  "Up in the trees, there are these bright yellow flowers!  What are they?  They sure make the woods pretty!"   Those, my friend, are not what you think.  The pine trees are doing their reproductive thing and have put out their soft cones.   From a distance, the funky "soft cones" do indeed look a lot like yellow flowers.  Soft cones are pollen producers (male cones) and depend on the wind to disperse the pollen to the female cones or hard cones.   Pine trees produce both soft and hard cones.  The soft cones (which people think are flowers) are on the lower branches of the trees with the hard cones on the upper branches.  This is to keep the pollen from just falling on the female cones and promotes fertilization with other trees.  

  Once my friend heard that these were not flowers but what were causing all of the pollen, an immediate dislike of the "flowers" occurred.  "Ugh!  Pollen!  All that does is cause allergies!"  Once again, an explanation was due.  Nope.  Pine pollen does not cause allergy attacks.  The pollen is actually good for you and can be found in health food stores and down the vitamin aisle of the drug store.  Trying to explain this to my friend was a lot like talking to a brick wall.  The worst thing pine pollen does is make your car yellow.

  So, the yellow flowers are not flowers. Not all pollen causes itchy, watery eyes and sniffles.  And some folks just do not listen to reason.  

Beneath the Pines

  I love to tromp around in the woods.  To me, exploring even my own property is exciting as I never know what I might find.  On a recent hike through the underbrush and to a clearing under some small pine trees, I stumbled upon the unexpected find of a small camellia bush. Obviously, a seed had been dropped a couple of years ago by some critter.  It had settled down beneath the pine straw, sprouted and pushed its way back up to reach for the sky.  Although the little sapling was not more than an inch in diameter at its largest point, it was a good four feet tall and had a lovely bloom on it.  

  I thought about how that little sapling was brave to take root in the midst of all those pines.  The pine trees will grow large and tall blocking out the sun.  They will expand in girth and take up most of the room in that little stretch of the woods.  The tiny camellia will have to have some gumption to survive and will have to work hard to gain its rightful place among the pines.  On the plus side, the camellia is protected from any harsh weather.  The branches of the pine trees form a canopy above the little shrub and keep out the frost and high winds.  The pine needles are a natural mulch that can help to fertilize the bush and hold moisture into the soil.  Perhaps this could be a happy arrangement for the little camellia but I do think it will have a struggle ahead of it if it wishes to flourish.  It also makes me sad that no one would ever see the lovely blooms of the little camellia. Flowers are meant to be enjoyed not hidden.

  After finding the tiny shrub, I talked to Son about possibly transplanting it to the yard.  There we could care for it and enjoy its beauty for years to come.  Happily, he readily agreed and, weather permitting, we shall take a hike into the woods again tomorrow.  Then my lonely little friend will have a home and its blooms can be viewed by all who visit the Bayou.

Finding the Enchanted Woods!

  It was such a beautiful day on the Bayou that I had a bit of a "spring" moment.  The cold and drear is set to return tomorrow and follow for the week after.  Today, however, saw me clearing out the greenhouse in preparation for seed-starting.  Michael helped me to assemble some neat wire shelving that shall hold the seed trays and any other items that are needed in the early gardening stages.  While he and I were busy enjoying the sunshine, the birds were busy making nesting plans.  It dawned on me that one pair of birds was making a lot louder noises than the others.  Time to grab the camera!  A pair of eagles was on the wing with their courtship!  

  Since the birds were doing most of their wooing over near my brother's place, I traipsed across his yard.  As I did, the majestic birds moved even further west.  Now, they were over the overgrown homestead that used to be my aunt and uncle's place.  Well, a bit of brush never bothered me before, so it sure was not going to bother me now!  I pushed back some vines and entered under the small pines.  

  Wow!  If the birds were not still screaming overhead, I could have fully forgotten why I had stepped in here in the first place.  An Enchanted Forest wrapped around me and brought such a unearthly feeling over me.  I stood totally captivated by the beauty.  A heavy carpet of pine needles covered the ground.  This used to be green, green grass of their lawn.  Small pine trees just above my head shaded the sunlight sending bright beams to the mini-forest floor. Birds were twittering and darting from branch to branch. A lone squirrel fussed at me from a distance.  I had intruded into their space but I was too awed to ease back out of the forest of young trees. This place was breathtaking if you are a nemophilist like myself.  Even though, I was there for only a short time, I felt as if I belonged.  It was almost as if I had come home.  

  Now for that fine word...Nemophilist...I had no idea that there was even such a word to describe someone like me.  I happened upon the word late this evening and curiosity got the best of me.  The dictionary defines the word as such...Nemophilist-(n)-a haunter of the woods; one who loves the forest and its beauty and solitude.....Yep, that pretty much describes me...especially in woods like the Enchanted Woods that I found today.  How ironic, yet how appropriate, that I discovered the Enchanted Woods and the word that describes my love of the forest all in the same day!