One Day...Four Seasons

   Sometimes, Mother Nature just cannot make up her mind.  She, like so many of us, can be described as downright fickle!  Frosty one day, hot the next seems to be the norm now.  I am ok with that but, my goodness, Mother Nature, don't go smacking the seasons totally together!  That just gets far too confusing for everyone!

  Early this morning, I wandered through the gardens only to wind up behind the greenhouses.  Being as this area is sheltered from the north wind, I had left the potted lemon trees on the little back deck with good intentions of finally getting them transplanted in the ground.  Since the other citrus trees fare well during our winters, I figured there was not much use in lugging the huge pots into the greenhouse.  The trees did well and I was fully surprised to see new growth and large buds on the branches!  Whoa!  Hold on, Lemon Trees!  It is not spring yet!  The trees begged to differ, however.  As I looked, I began to notice more and more buds on all four lemon trees.  Well, if a late freeze does come, I suppose I shall be hauling the trees into the greenhouse after all just to try to save the blooms.  Mother Nature!  You sure are pushing it!  I shook my head in disbelief.

  Turning back toward the garden, a flash of red caught my eye.  Oh, my!  Just a few steps before, it was spring!  Now, it is fall!  Yep, one of the Sweetgum trees was in its glory with red leaves!  The bright red leaves brought some much needed color to the yard but that poor tree must totally be confused!  The small tree stuck out like a sore thumb among all the drab of winter.  

 Huh?  Wait!  It IS supposed to be winter!  Fall was several months ago!  Come on, Mother Nature!  Really?  Spring and fall right in the middle of winter?  My thoughts were jumbled.  I was trying to wrap my head around what was happening here as I slapped a mosquito that was buzzing around my ear.  Mosquito???  Oh, no....summer, too?  Mother Nature!  This is too much!  Stop it!  *Just as an added note...our temperatures reached nigh on 80 degrees this afternoon but are supposed to plummet into the 30s tonight.  Crazy!

Looking for something happy

   Usually by November we have at least some semblance of fall color going on around the Bayou.  Being this far south, our leaf colors pale in comparison of our northern states.  We are lucky to get a few maples and maybe the black gums changing before the leaves drop.  This year with Hurricane Zeta, most of those pretty leaves were ripped from the trees before they changed into their full glorious hues.  So we have to be happy with what we get...popcorn trees.  Those invasive tallow trees are the only thing even trying to brighten the woods line on the horizon.  Right now, I even miss the tallow tree near the pier.  Zeta took that one so there are no pretty red leaves in the yard other than the small, seedling camphor tree.

  It is funny how sometimes you notice things when they are not there instead of when they are.  Across the Bayou, I now realize that the red maples have gone missing.  Due to the distance, I cannot tell if Zeta just took the leaves or if the entire trees have fallen.  Such is the chaos after a storm.  Things seem different.  I seem different.  I am different.  I am tired.  Just tired.

Little Flame of Red!

  The old dog is still not doing the best so my limitations on hiking are still in effect.  We slowly meander about a hundred feet down the hill, he sits, I try to find something interesting to pass the time as he gazes at whatever is in front of him and then we return to the Little Bayou House.  This routine is ok as it is all he can muster but it does make for a lack of photographs.  Patience is a virtue.

  This afternoon while he spent ten minutes staring at Ms. Nycto (the cat), I stared at a single red leaf.  The tiny leaf was being back lit by the sun that was quickly sliding down to the western horizon.  In all of its one inch glory, the leaf fought back at the coming darkness.  It literally glowed!  It was a brilliant beacon in amongst the dull browns of the fallen oak leaves...a little flame of red!

  Thinking this little leaf was one that had recently fallen from a nearby tree, I tried to pluck it from the ground.  Nope, it wasn't happening.  This little leaf was the entirety of a plant.  With its roots firmly affixed, there was no pulling this plant!  A baby smilax vine had sprouted and was doing its best to survive the winter (or lack thereof.  Lucky plant).  

  Smilax vines are some of the most difficult vines to remove from the ground.  Their vines are covered with thorns which makes grasping difficult but it is the root system that causes it to be a nigh on impossible task to pull them from the ground.  Even this tiny two inch tall vine with its single leaf has a root tuber about an inch in diameter.  It seems that the root ball grows much quicker than the upper portion of the vine.  Once established, however, the vines can quickly cover anything on which they can grasp!  Tendrils reach out and wrap around twigs of other plants. The sheer tenacity of smilax is amazing!

  I really should have yanked the smilax from the ground and thrown it into the burn bin but something told me to leave it be.  Perhaps it being my bright spot of the day had something to do with that decision...one I may regret come this summer.  For now, however, the tiny red leaf can glow in comfort as I have no desire to remove it.  It whiled away a good ten minutes for me.

Simply Perfect

  It is simply extraordinary to think of how perfectly made each and everything on this world is made.  I have yet to find anything that needs improvement. True, some things are not as aesthetically pleasing as others but, if you truly look at the detail, you can see the precision involved in the creation.  It is that detail that makes things perfect.

  This morning, I found a tiny lizard that had obviously been trapped for some time between the window and window screen.  The poor thing was malnourished and dehydrated.  I knew just what needed to be done as the lizard would soon die if not helped.  My new found friend would reside in the greenhouse for the winter.  There, it could find plenty to eat and drink plus be warm and snug.  I caught the little fellow and headed out the back door.  With my hands tightly cupped around the lizard, I was in no position to brush off a leaf that dropped from the tree and plastered itself on my face.  I just had to "wear" the thing until the lizard was safely delivered into its new home.  Once I was lizard free, the leaf was removed from my cheek.  Wow!  Perfection!  Maybe I should have just left the leaf be and worn it for the entire day.  It was gorgeous!

  When you think about all of the wonders that surround us each day, it is astounding.  A leaf...simple yet intricately designed just like every other bit of nature...flora and fauna alike.  Folks, stop being in such a rush and take the time to admire...truly study...what is around you.  Don't take any of nature for granted for tomorrow...it may be gone.  One never knows.  

I'll Take It!

  Autumn!  Ahhh!  The bliss!  Chilly nights, colored leaves, brisk breezes, sweater nights!  I think this is just about perfect!  Except on the Bayou these things will come a bit later if at all.  While other folks are happily proclaiming that Fall is almost here, I am still going barefooted and sweating in the sweltering heat.  The thought of wearing anything more than a short sleeve shirt brings groans from those of us this far in the Deep South.  We can only wish! Still, Autumn comes tomorrow whether the weather agrees or not.  

  On my short hike in the yard at daybreak (very limited due to the uncooperative leg), I did come across one bright spot that is about as fall-like as we are going to get at the moment.  A single red leaf had fallen from a Black Gum Tree in the front yard.  Time to get out that rake!  The leaf being backlit by the rising sun looked like a bright flame rising from the grass.  Its glowing red enthralled me to the point that I wanted to keep the leaf forever in this state.  That ain't gonna happen, folks.  By late evening, the sun will have turned the leaf to a crispy brown and my little bit of Autumn will have burnt out like a match.  Vanished into thin air!  Gone.  Maybe another tomorrow?

  I have heardtell that you can "preserve" fall leaves by soaking them in glycerin.  Perhaps I should attempt that but then, I may not truly appreciate the "single" red leaves that I find occasionally.  Too much of a good thing can spoil the magic in something found for a moment.  Preserving the leaves will be a good project to do with the grandkids if they are ever here in Fall, maybe, but that will be a long time coming.  Instead, I will take my one little bit of Autumn and be happy in it.  I will take it when I find it.

Just a Hint of Autumn!

  I am so ready for it to be autumn!  I hauled a good many of the fall/Halloween decorations down from the closet upstairs and made a vow to have the house decorated to its fullest before the end of August. I know this is early by most standards but since I have the Clue Hunt on the Bayou starting the first week of October, decorating needs to commence.  It does not help matters that for the past few days we have been enjoying a break in the weather.  Our mornings have been a bit cooler with a hint of a north wind coming through the kitchen window. My brain tells me fall is in the air and I should be doing fall-related things not summertime things.  Forget summer...it was/is too hot!

  Then today comes along and presents me with evidence of an early fall!  Yep, a single red and yellow leaf fell at my feet while I was out with the old Bayou Dog.  Ms. Ez sniffed at the leaf with good intentions of eating it but I grabbed it before it was devoured.  This is my leaf! This is my beginning of fall!  The old dog was a bit confused at my glee but I know she will be just as happy with the changing of the seasons. 

  Question.  Does one brightly colored leaf make autumn?  Nope.  But it sure makes me feel that it cannot be far in the future. 

Thorn in my Side

  Have you ever had one of those things that just irks the tar out of you? Usually, there is not a lot you can do to remedy the situation.  You just have to grin and bear it.  Fun stuff.  Right?  Well, I have been grinning and bearing this aggravating thing for just about long enough and, now, I find the one redeeming quality that may make me change my mind. So...do I change it or leave it be?

  Perhaps the first thing I do every morning before rising is look out of the window.  It is just some weird, quirky thing that I have done for as long as I can remember.  Most days, it is pitch black outside when I rise but I still peep out that window to see what type of sunrise we are going to have.  This morning, however, I was late getting myself out of bed.  It was chilly and Ms. Nycto was still asleep on my feet.  (There is nothing like a big, fluffy cat to keep your feet warm!)  When she finally started meowing for breakfast, I climbed out from beneath my warm blankets and checked the window.  Wow!  Right outside the east window was a thing of beauty.  It was the perfect moment during the sunrise to catch a fleeting glimpse of some bright red leaves.  Any bit of brightness during the drab of winter is always welcome!

  Like I said earlier, this was the one redeeming quality that could make me change my mind about this particular pet peeve.  You see, these leaves are on a tree that irritates me.  The tree was supposed to be a fruit-bearing pear tree.  It is not.  With the first blooms, I realized that this is none other than a Callery Pear (better known as a Bradford Pear.) Not just any Callery Pear but a cross-pollinated Callery Pear that has huge thorns! This thing HAS to go! I have been stabbed and jabbed just about more times than I can tolerate from a tree that is nigh on useless.  Just last week, I told Michael to dig the thing out of the garden and haul it to the burn pile.  I would love to plant a plum tree in that very spot!  (A plum tree WITHOUT thorns!)  Now, however, I find that one bit of beauty in the very thing that is literally a "thorn in my side".

The Color Red

  Isn't it strange how just a glimpse of something can bring back a flood of non-related memories?  Ms. Ez was being her usual doggy self and decided to get into something not so fragrant.  I do believe her play area of choice was a mound of oyster shells that were just getting "ripe".  Mark had opened several sacks of oysters last week and the shells have been sitting in a mound since then.  This probably would not have been so bad had the weather stayed cold but 80 degree temperatures have a way of promoting stench among the shells.  Ms. Ez could not resist so it was up to me to "un-funk" her.  A doggy bath was in order.  I bathe her on the front steps with the water hose.  While doing this, I noticed a bit of loveliness in the form of crape myrtle leaves.  These leaves were the brightest red and the setting sun caused them to almost glow!  Well, that made the chore a bit easier!

  Those red leaves left me feeling a bit nostalgic for some odd reason. Call me crazy but the leaves made me remember a coat that I had when I was just a tyke.  I had mostly hand-me-down clothes from cousins and this coat was most likely one of those donations.  I was always so happy to get these clothes because these cousins were just a bit older than me and I always thought they were the most beautiful girls on the face of the earth! Anyway, the coat was quite a lovely shade of pink when it was given to me but, lo and behold, a stain mystically appeared on one sleeve.  (Keep in mind that this stain had nothing whatsoever to do with me snitching a handful of blackberries Mom had gotten from the freezer! Nope...no way!)

   No matter what Mom did to the stain, it refused to budge.  Now she could not have me running about in a pink coat with a huge purple stain so she decided to dye the coat.  She asked me what color that I would like.  I chose purple!  Of course!  It needed to match the stain.  Since Pop was going to the store, she asked him to get some dye.  He bought red dye.  My pink...wishing to be purple coat soon became red.  Mom left it in the tub for a good long time so not to waste the store-bought dye.  (She also threw in anything else that might look good red!) Anyway, my nice wool coat came out to be a bit smaller, a lot thicker and red....dark red.  I loved it!  It mattered not that the coat was now matted, tight in some places, loose in others and not purple.  I wore that coat until I could not squeeze myself into it anymore.  The next fall when my sweet aunt called and said she had another box of clothes, Mom was so relieved to find that there was a coat for me.  I sure miss my red coat!