The "Boat Ride"

   Last week, we had several days where the rain was nonstop.  These heavy downpours filled the little skiff so Son and I made several trips down the pier to bail the boat.  Thankfully, he does not mind as I am getting a bit too old to do much bailing.  I tag along to keep him company.  

  During one break of the rains, we scurried down, he climbed into the boat and grabbed the 5 gallon bucket to start sloshing the water back into the Bay.  I stood on the pier snapping photographs of the marsh birds and Bat, the cat, who joined us.  Suddenly, Son stopped bailing and said "I've got a visitor."  Looking over, I scanned the water thinking the alligator was nearing or that perhaps one of the snapping turtles had popped up from the depths.  Nothing....I could see nothing.  He pointed to the edge of the skiff.  There was one of the largest spiders that I have seen in a while!  The thing was a good 3 inches across and the palest sandy-grey.  Hmmm?  "Where did that come from?" I asked.  Son shrugged his shoulders and mentioned that he just noticed the spider then said "I guess he was just going for a boat ride."  We watched for a moment but the spider made no effort to move.  Son started bailing again with the bucket and water being heaved just inches above the giant.

  While I have found several spiders that look similar to our friend, none were as pale in color as this one.  I am still quite undecided as of the type.  Happily, the spider stayed put in the same spot until the skiff was emptied.  Both Son and I decided that the poor thing was probably seeking shelter from the rain in the boat and we disturbed its peace.  I am sure once we left, the spider hid away in the skiff once again as torrential rains pounded again.  

Tabascos Are For The Birds!

   The growing of any kind of hot peppers is something of a novelty for me.  I dehydrate them and use them occasionally...mainly in my herbal cure-all better known as the Bayou Fire.  Yep, the name says it all.  Still, I have no need for buckets of the things.  Obviously, the plants deemed it necessary to provide me with buckets full, regardless of the lack of a need.  A few weeks ago, the scotch bonnets were in full swing and I had to pick hundreds of those plump rascals.  Now, I have jars and jars of dehydrated peppers lining the shelves.  If I have get a hankering for some really hot dish, I have the means to spice it up a bit.

  That was all fine and dandy but now the tabasco pepper (yes, pepper as in single plant) has decided not to be outdone in the production of tiny peppers.  That single plant has over 500 peppers on it!  The only problem is that the sun has not shone for the past ten days so the peppers are not ripening. They are staying pale yellow instead of the fiery red that is desired.  The few that do ripen are snatched up by the birds!  It seems that the mockingbirds love hot peppers!  We had this same problem about 10 years ago.  Mockingbirds started visiting the gardens and picked every pepper that ripened.  At that time, I found it amusing.  I still do.  How in the world can those birds eat hot peppers one after another without setting their mouths on fire??  Tough birds!

  Both types of peppers are growing on plants that were in last year's garden. Last October, I dug the plants and stuck them in the greenhouse where they stayed for the entire winter.  They were plopped back into the ground in the spring and have grown with a fury.  The tabasco pepper is nigh on 4ft tall and is intertwined with the four-o'clock plants.  (Neither of these were supposed to get this big but something happened!)  I am tempted to pick about 100 of the tabasco peppers to see if they will ripen indoors.  If they do, they, along with more scotch bonnets, will be dried.  I sure hope somebody comes along and wants some of these things.  Otherwise, I may just have to start canning hot sauce!  Hmm, now there is an idea!

Critters at work!

    Well, folks, you know it has been raining a lot when snails seek refuge on the pier.  While it is a common sight to see the snails on pier posts, it is rare to find them on the pier planks unless something has dropped them there.  Nope.  This morning, snails were taking a stroll on the pier.  I had to be careful not to step on them as these are helpful critters.  I sure do not want to smash any critter that is going to do me a favor.

  The olive nerites are sweet little snails that feed on algae.  They are found all over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean more often in brackish waters like that of the Bayou. They are also popular aquarium critters but will not reproduce in the fresh water.  The snails have a marine larval stage so make use of the brackish water.  Usually, they can be found on anything that stays in the water long enough to get a slight coating of algae.  The lower part of the marsh grass is covered with the critters as they clean the roots and stalks.  To find them on the upper planks makes me think that the copious rains actually encouraged some type of algae growth on the planks.  The snails were merely there to do me the favor of cleaning the boards so I would not slip!  (At least, that is MY story!)

  Hopefully, we shall have a few days to dry out before the next round of bad weather sets in over the Bayou.  Getting any outside chores accomplished has been nigh on impossible and it shows.  Time to get it in high gear for the next few days.  Stay dry, folks, and appreciate the algae eating snails!

Just How??

   It boggles the mind to know the tenacity of birds and their nesting habits.  I know a lot of people who would have given up long before the Mama Wren.  It was a sweet surprise to walk out in the drizzly rain to find that five babies have now hatched from that clutch of eggs.  How??  Just how??  We have had so many terrific storms since this little bird started her nest that I am fully surprised that she was able to protect her eggs.  When you get 7 inches of rain pouring down on you in a matter of 5 hours, it has got to be majorly uncomfortable, to say the least.  She stayed put and bore the harshness that surrounded her.  She and Mama Cardinal have been stoics through some of the worst weather.  Both have been brave little mamas and now Mama Wren has to find food in all of this wet weather.  (Yep, it is still raining.)

    Tomorrow will most likely find me moving some of the stacked planks from hurricane debris in hopes of uncovering a few bugs for Mama Wren.  If I stir up enough of their hiding places perhaps the wriggly critters will be on the move and the wren parents can snatch them up for a quick and easy meal for their little ones.  With 5 mouths to feed and pouring rain to make hunting difficult, they can use all the help that is offered.  Since both wrens are accustomed to my presence, they should have no worries about working alongside of me.  Gotta take care of my friends!

Double Trouble?

   Things are a bit up in the air around the Coast.  I am sitting here listening to the drone of the huge engines of our Hurricane Hunters as they are preparing to fly over the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding area.  These folks are true heroes that go above and beyond to keep us safe.  The uncertainty of whether we are to be in the path of the two hurricanes that are threatening back to back visits has folks not knowing just how to prepare.  Do we stockpile enough supplies to carry us through two storms or do we wait and hope the storms change their directions.  Those a bit inland can get by with minimal effort and laugh at our quandary but those living near the water have a different set of rules about facing hurricanes.  We do not have the buffer zone that others have.  If a hurricane takes aim at us, we catch the brunt of it.  The winds die quickly once the eye comes ashore.  Of course, those inland do not have to be concerned about the tidal surge either.  With back to back storms, the effects are of course doubled as is the time span of the overall battering.  Even back to back tropical storms can do major damage to those of us with waterfront homes.  So, we prepare as only we know how to do!  We have learned from experience what works and what does not.  "Prepare for the worst and pray for the best" is always a good mantra.  In other words, take the ultimate of precautions then leave the rest to the Good Lord.

  Today, as I was heading to the pier, a thought struck me.  Son just this past week finished the repairs on the pier.  The damage from Tropical Storm Cristobal was extensive.  The entire structure of the pier was in shambles.  Now, we face the possibility of more damage.  When I questioned him on his thoughts, his statement was "Hurricanes are not something we can control.  Pier repairs are."  That made a lot of sense.  We won't worry about what "might" happen but will focus on the job at hand..whatever that may be.  If any readers are in the path of either storm or both storms, as the case may be, be careful.  Prepare for what may come and think safety first. 

Looking through the storms...

  Ok, so being limited in where and when I can go is about as bad as being fully quarantined, as far as I can see.  I feel tethered to the Little Bayou House, and while I love my place, I am about to go stir crazy!  I want the freedom to roam the marshes, creek bed and woods.  I want to watch the sunrise from the pier.  I want to feed my heron friend.  I want to traipse the hillside.  But...that is not happening, at least for the next two months.  Folks, stop your whining about having your actions a bit curbed by the pandemic.  What freedoms you have can very quickly come to a halt.  

  At daybreak, I was in the kitchen making coffee when I noticed that it was not raining (yet).  Thinking that the sun might just be trying to give us a glorious horizon, I peeped out the back door.  Well, it was NOT raining...but the sun struggled amongst the clouds.  Then!  It peeped through just enough to set the world aglow!  And....I was stuck to the confines of the Small Gardens.  Well, there was nothing to do but make the best of it.  

  The pathway that wanders on the north side of the house was fully overgrown by the citrus trees, nandina bushes and a few errant wisteria vines.   Since all yard work has come to a screeching stop, everything is vastly different than just three weeks ago.  Still, this leafy bower was gorgeously lit with the sunbeams that filtered through the oak trees.  This gave even the darkest green leaves a golden hue.  I could not help but wander here.  (Yes, this is allowed in my list of rules.)  A slight rain started to drizzle down upon me but it mattered not.  I could not pry myself from the path.  Going back indoors seemed to be a horrible fate at the moment when such mystique was surrounding me!  I ventured onward and soon came to the deteriorating vegetable garden.  It saddened me to see it in such condition.  Had I only the strength...

  From the southern most corner of the vegetable plot, I was able to peep over the grapevines to view a small portion of the Bayou.  The sun was doing its best to provide me with my much sought after sunrise.  The golden glow from the citrus trees had spilled over onto the calm waters.  My mind drifted off to other sunrises...other morns...seemingly eons ago.  Will I ever be able to return to those days?  Hopefully, hopefully.  In the meantime, I shall continue to find happiness wherever it may be.  

Dancing on the Wind

  I know that I am under doctor's orders to not venture too far from the house for a few more days unless I am accompanied by another person.  He said "normally" he would not have to restrict a patient but since I am prone to roam in the marsh and far down to the creek bed, he was limiting my hikes.  I am following what he said and I am diligently pestering Son to take hikes with me.  He usually obliges if he is not in the midst of some job that cannot be halted on a whim.  Today, the hikes were halted due to rain.  I have the Son, I have the will, I have rain...no hikes. 

  Along about mid-afternoon, I became insanely bored.  There was just a slight drizzle so I, as "Queen of the Small Gardens" made my escape!  I slipped out the french doors and quietly stepped under the awning.  A lot had changed in just a day.  I will say this about being housebound, I do notice minute changes in my outer realm.  I stand in awe of a simple bloom or a tiny caterpillar.  In a way, this is how it is supposed to be.  Folks, do not let it take some earth-shaking thing to make you appreciate what is around you.  Life is truly amazing.  

  The tall lilies were bobbing their heads in the breeze coming across the Bay.  Any storm out in the middle of the Gulf sends us the most delightful breezes!  Wow!  Those lilies were tall!  In fact, most were well over six feet, if not more!  Most were wavering in the wind but a few were tied with jasmine vines  so they stood rigid like some tall obelisks.  I watched for a few moments before yet another rain shower chased me back inside.  It mattered not.  I had ventured out and felt the salt air on my face, had raindrops in my hair and watched the lilies dance in the breeze.  What more could you ask?

Not A Mycologist

  With all of the rainy weather we have had this summer, there are some pretty funky looking mushrooms growing about the yard.  One expects that.  Let there be some type organic material (mulch, leaf litter, dirt, whatever), a bit of moisture and some heat and you have fungi.  Some of these mushrooms look pretty but are dangerous.  Some have a not so nice appearance but are supposedly edible.  There are also some that are just downright strange.

  One such strange mushroom decided to grow in an equally strange place.  Mark and Son have been doing a lot of work on the house and have left the scaffolding in place so they do not have to lug it out every day.  It was on that scaffolding that a weird little mushroom decided to grow.  While the innocuous looking little thing may seem innocent, it is eating the scaffolding board.  Uh, oh!  Say what?  Yep.  Mushrooms and fungi are sort of like garbage disposals.  They decompose organic materials.  The presence of this mushroom probably means that the board is starting to decompose or rot.  This is not good when you consider that two men will be standing on that scaffolding board.  Now consider that there is not a lot that can be done to remedy the situation as the spores have already infiltrated the wood.  There is to be a mushroom garden riding high above the ground on the scaffolding.

  I am no mycologist by far.  I can recognize a very few different types and know enough to not carelessly handle unknown mushrooms.  That is about it.  So....I tried to look up about this strange mushroom.  Since I needed a description, I figure color would be a start.  I looked up "black topped mushroom" and was immediately bombarded with stories of mushrooms pushing through asphalt.  Not quite what I wanted.  So...I tried again with "mushroom with black cap" and received dozens of sets of instructions on how to crochet a mushroom shaped cap.  Again, not what I had in mind.  After several tries, I found an image that was almost an exact copy but the mushroom grew in the Guadalupe Mountains.  No where did it say that it could be found here and, imagine this, it was called a "Blacktop Mushroom".  Well, duh!  I knew that!  Sort of.  Anyway, I still am no closer to identifying our scaffolding mushroom than I was when I found it.  That said, I will leave it be and definitely NOT have it for supper.  

A Fallen Limb or a Bright Idea!

  The weather did not cooperate with plans of a bit longer hike with the old dog. He had a good night and I thought perhaps he might wish to amble about the place.  Instead, a steady rain put a nix on that idea.  I did manage to slip out to the greenhouse to putter for a while but he stayed on his warm bed which was probably for the best.  

  Just beyond the greenhouse, stands a live oak tree.  It was a small limb that caught my eye this rainy day.  The branch had been broken in the recent winds and landed squarely on the back deck of the greenhouse.  What made it interesting was the fact that it was covered with moss and had a lovely little fern growing where a twig had once been trimmed.  It did not take long for this chunk of wood to capture the imagination and send those wheels in the brain to flying.  I could use this!  If it is at all possible to keep this whole little "garden" alive until October, it will be perfect to use as a prop for this year's Clue Hunt on the Bayou! (Yes, that event is always on the forefront of my brain as preparations begin in January of the event of the year that happens in October!)  This year's theme calls for the greenhouse to be transformed into a swamp witch's hut.  Mosses, ferns and lichens will all be needed to do the deed!  In a sense, I will be landscaping my greenhouse!

  The wildly flying imagination could see just how the transformation will take place.  It has to begin now so each part looks perfectly natural.  My plan is to be on my own clue hunt of sorts as I search out each item that will soon be growing in the little hut!  This make believe world will probably be my favorite yet since the onset of the clue hunt some seven years ago!  (Oh, my!  It is hard to believe that this will be the Seventh Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!! Fun times!)  So...rainy weather is my friend.  It will aid me in my efforts to transform the greenhouse into a moss, lichen and fern covered dwelling!  What an undertaking this will be and, to think, it all started with a fallen branch!

Alien Lifeforms???

  The other day, I saw something on social media that made me giggle.  A request was posted to "Describe 2018 in two words".  One answer was "It rained."  That, my friends, pretty much was the most accurate response that could have been made.  It rained.  And rained.  And rained.  So far, 2019 is starting out to be much the same.  This does not surprise me.  The sliced persimmon seeds predicted it.  Maybe those things are accurate...then again...maybe the rain caused the persimmon seeds to appear the way they did.  Still, to be honest, I find it great.  Rain is good no matter how you look at it.

  The copious amounts of rain has caused the ground to be a bit soggy and with the warm weather, this has caused profusion of fungi species to sprout up all over the place.  While some can be a bit smelly and others downright slimy, most are fascinatingly beautiful.  The hillside resembles some fantastical gnome kingdom.  Wandering the property, I keep waiting to find some happy little faerie sitting atop one of the 'srooms.  It just needs to be.  Not only are mushrooms taking over the place, mosses and lichens are flourishing, as well, in this warm. humid climate.  Down in the lower part of the front yard, an old oak tree is dropping a good many twigs that are covered with lichens of all kinds.  

  I am ever intrigued by the shapes and textures of lichens.  Some seriously remind me of an alien life form that has fallen to earth.  Contrary to what most folks believe, lichens are not parasitic plants that harm the host tree.  Instead they pretty much just use the tree for a place to anchor themselves.  They draw moisture and nutrients from the air.  They are often blamed for damaging trees since the lichens usually try to colonize on bark of twigs that are already dying.   They love damp areas with little air movement so the mugginess lately has been good to them.  Another thing that is good to know is that if you find a plethora of lichens in your trees, that usually means the air is rather clean and pure!  They prefer non-polluted areas and are rarely seen in places that cannot offer such.  Obviously, the Bayou and surrounding woods are blanketed with clean air as indicated by the overabundance of lichens!  

Staying Hydrated

  Pondering the weather's desire to douse us with lots of rain over the past week and its continued wishes to keep doing so for at least another week, I am counting my blessings.  So far, July has not been overly hot (by my standards, at least).  The daily rains and extensive cloud cover have kept things at least down in the low 90s.  That, my friends, is nice and cool here in the Deep South.  Some folks do find the mugginess intolerable but locals are so accustomed to it, that we barely notice.

  The constant rains have had their downsides, however.  One being I forget to stay hydrated.  Drinking water seems to be a moot point when it is pouring from the sky and I am getting drenched with each hike.  Still, it is necessary and I literally have to remind myself.  Another irksome side effect of the nonstop showers is that my yard now closely resembles a rain forest of some sort.  There is no mowing, trimming or straightening in weather like this.  The rose bushes have a mind of their own and their long canes are drooping to the ground on either side of the arbor.  Where these touch the ground, they are sprouting roots.  The jasmine vines and wisteria vines are covering the house, trees and fences.  We managed to rip out one wisteria but the others are acting akin to the dreaded kudzu that has engulfed entire cities in the South!  Then, there are the gardenias and willows that are sprouting roots inches above the ground! 

  One willow is a rooted cutting from a friend. The young lady brought the cutting all the way from her folks' home some fifty miles to the north.  This sapling is still in the pot where I first stuck it.  The young tree rooted well but has not flourished...until now.  A Corkscrew Willow pretty much  loves to have its feet in the water.  As long as the rain keeps filling the pot to several inches above the dirt line, the willow is slap happy.  New roots are sprouting up the small trunk which will give it great stability if I add a bit more soil to the pot.  These willows are notorious about being a bit flimsy during rough weather so any extra roots could come in handy.  

  So, the rains will continue, the plants will grow by leaps and bounds and soon you may not be able to find the Little Bayou House!  I promise it is there...somewhere hidden beneath all of those leaves and vines!  Its a good thing I love rainy days!  This is my kind of weather.

Kitchen Magic?

  With all of the rains that the Coast has seen for this entire year and in view of the predicted rains to come, I have set about finding something to combat our overabundance of mosquitoes.  The pesky varmints are about to take over the place! Walk outside and you are immediately covered.  Any bare skin is subject to hundreds of bites in just a matter of minutes.  It is really that bad.  Something has to be done.  I empty every container, puddle, leaf, flowerpot and even the rain gauge after every rain but that has almost become an endless job.  The Frog Pond now is inhabited by dozens of fat bull minnows to keep the larvae under control there and the poor birds can never bathe since their private bath is emptied daily.  All of this is good but, hey, I cannot empty the Bayou nor the creek. That is beyond my realm of ability. The local "mosquito control" trucks have yet to be seen down our area as they seem to stay in the more ritzier neighborhoods.  The Bayou is on its own in this fight.  So I try or I stay inside.  Even there, a stray mosquito or two will find a way inside just to irritate me at night.  It is not good, folks.  It is not good.

  That said, I have been trying herbs to help combat the critters.  I figure that it cannot hurt and has to be better than slathering on a bunch of known cancer causing chemicals.  First, oregano was tried.  Not much help and I smelled a lot like a pizza.  Basil came next and while it helped tremendously with the itching from bites, it did nothing to help prevent them.  Rosemary, mint, fennel and even garlic was rubbed on the arms.  None of these seemed to do much other than to make me smell like a walking spice rack.  

  Then, out of desperation, I turned to the extracts lining the shelf.  Anise...no help.  Lemon...no help.  Almond...no help.  I was seeing a trend here.  Perhaps I should give up and spray the stinky repellent on and call it a day.  Lastly....vanilla.  Well, at least it smells good!  I mean, my goodness, who does not like vanilla???  I donned my new perfume and bravely went out to weed the eggplants.  These are planted far down by the canebrake as they seem to be not on the diet of rabbits, deer or raccoons.  There is, however, a boatload of mosquitoes that inhabit the area.  So, as was my habit in trying the new herbal repellents....left arm was herbed up....right arm was bare.  I started weeding.  Ok, so the mosquitoes were swarming about me like they were being drawn by the vanilla scent!  This was not good!  I was on the verge of a slapfest with the critters when I noticed that, while the wings with teeth were swarming the left arm, not a one landed on the arm.  The right arm had ten..twelve...fifteen...no sixteen mosquitoes gnawing away on it!  Left arm was clear....right arm was covered!  Halleujah!  The vanilla seemed to be working!.  

  I have tested the vanilla two days now and both times, the mosquitoes would swarm the arm but never make contact!  The left arm stayed unbitten!  While this may not work for everybody and while different brands of vanilla may make a difference, it appears to be something of interest anyway.  If I can remain unbitten, I will bathe in the stuff if necessary!  Vanilla!  Who knew?  Oh, and by the way, I normally do not push brands on here but I found it sort of a neat coincidence that the name of the vanilla used was Back Bay. Our bay is called Biloxi Back Bay!  I know the vanilla has nothing to do with the area other than being sold here but, hey, maybe it is a sign that I should use it.  At this point, I will take whatever I can get, use whatever works and be happy to be bite free!