It is Christmas Eve and, once again, the Little Bayou House sits quiet. This is one of the downfalls of getting old. Kids have a way of growing up on you and moving far away leaving the house way too empty. On Christmas Eve, the place should be bustling with family and friends. Last minute baking, gift wrapping and stocking hanging activities should rule. Carols being sung, kids dancing with anticipation and happy chattering that once echoed through the halls are now only rattling through the dark nooks and crannies of my brain. Those are memories...happy memories but just memories. Those things should be happening here! They are not. Instead, I am sitting here reminiscing of Christmases Past when all of those things did occur.
The Little Bayou House is decorated somewhat, hundreds of cookies have been baked and a few gifts sit under the tree but even with all of that, the place seems dull. Growing old is not for the weak....Trust me on that. When we are young, we have dreams that our family will always be around...that all holidays will be spent together and, yet, the Little Bayou House sits empty. The only sounds are ticking of the clocks and those ticks seem almost deafening. I am thankful, however, for the company of the Bayou Princess Cat who has snuggled in beside me for the night. Merry Christmas, Ms. Nycto...Santa won't be visiting us tonight but we will be alright. We will be alright. Merry Christmas!
Most folks who visit the Bayou during the daytime hours always remark about how quiet it is here. The peacefulness sort of wraps around you like a comfortable old sweater and holds you tight as the cares of the world slip away. It is a soothing feeling that can make the stress of the world seem a thousand miles in the distance. Silence save for the occasional song of a bird or the chattering of a squirrel. Serenity like the whisper of the wind. Peace of a haven in the midst of turmoil. Yep, I have heard each of these descriptions and I have to agree that it is like this during the day. Nighttime, however, is quite the different story. Each spring, I get amused at the sheer cacophony that begins at dusk and carries on to dawn.
The little Frog Pond and the nearby canebrake are both homes to thousands of frogs of all kinds. At night these frogs start their chirping, croaking, trilling and otherwise yelling their fool heads off. This evening, I had company over for dinner and as soon as the sun went down behind the pines, all craziness broke loose. The surprised looks on folks' faces amuses me. Most folks do not realize just how loud frogs can be. Keep in mind that some of these critters are a mere three inches long stretched out to their full length! Those voices, however, could wake the dead, as my grandmother would have put it.
So, before you go think everything is all quiet and peaceful on the Bayou, take a listen to what goes on after dark. Also, keep in mind that although this is a video of nothing but blackness, this was actually taken looking out the window of my kitchen. With the windows open each night, the entire house is filled with this din! Turn up your volume as loud as you can get it to hear what goes on around here after dark! It is amazingly loud but I think I will keep it. City noises bother me....this does not.
