The Return Of The Greenhouse...Somewhat

   Well, the greenhouse is now probably more of a shed.  Since Hurricane Zeta decided that a roof nor windows were needed, it had to have a complete makeover.  Instead of greenhouse roofing, which obviously does not withstand hurricane force winds, I have a regular roof.  Son and I went to the lumberyard, purchased some rolled roofing and he installed it today.  It is so nice to not have a leaky roof!!!  Now, to get to work on replacing the windows.  At least, there is no more deteriorating plastic tarping as an eyesore.  Hurricanes are no fun when it comes to cleanup.

  The greenhouse (as is) will at least suffice as a snug winter home for the potted plants.  It probably will not do well for starting seeds as the lighting will be almost nil.  I suppose the installation of growlights might remedy that problem but getting an early start on seedlings is not of high priority any longer.  I mainly need a place to overwinter plants.

  I will miss my sweet little "hideaway" in the two photos above, however.  I so enjoyed working in the greenhouse and being in the bright, sunny room.  Now, it will feel more as if I am stuck inside of a shed.  Perhaps, I can get creative with paint on the inside to make it a bit more appealing.  Other than being elated to have a nice roof and getting the greenhouse back in order, it will be nice to have this repaired for any future Clue Hunts on the Bayou.  It has been transformed into anything from a medieval forge to a conservatory to a swamp witch shanty.  It is back! 

Why Is My Rooftop So Weird?

  Son went up to do a bit of "spring cleaning" on the rooftop.  Once a year, he climbs up on both the shed and the house roofs and sweeps off all of the accumulated leaves and pine straw.  This bit of cleanup was my job before he decided that I was probably a bit too old to be clamoring around on the housetop.  It did not bother me as the shed roof is a gentle slope and the part of the house where the leaves amass is also a bit flatter than the steep pitch of the main house.  Still, I was ever so happy to hand over my broom as long as he does not keep it as that would not fly..hehe!  (Just kidding...I think.)  

  Being as this is an annual thing, I never think much about it but last year (in April), he swept the house roof and made a weird find.  Under the leaves, he saw a slight glimmer and when he investigated, he found our old filleting knife.  This was one that we kept on the pier.  It was old and rusty and only used to cut bait.  How it came to rest upon the housetop is still a mystery.  He assumed that perhaps an osprey or other large bird carried it there.  The idea is plausible...I guess.  

  Today, he did the rooftop spring cleaning a bit earlier since we have had so much rain.  He figured that the soggy leaves accumulating on the roof was not a good idea so up he went to sweep (or shove, as the case was).  While clearing the same spot where he found the knife last year, he found another mystery.  A short length of pipe was under the leaves.  When he brought it down, I instantly recognized it.  This was a piece of an old metal arbor that I had used as a decoration at the local elementary school some twenty five years ago! Why was that up there?  How did it get there?  Why was it still around here in the first place?  The pipe is about the same length as the filleting knife so is there some sort of connection?  Again...we have no answers to any of these and many more questions.  Is our packrat of a bird still toting off strange items?  Is there some critter intent on presenting us with odd gifts?  Why is my rooftop so weird that it collects oddities that should not be there?  The answers may never be known. Mysteries abound on the Bayou!

Lurking Overhead...

  Yesterday's post was all about things lurking in the shadows on my morning hikes.  One can never be too careful when out before the sun rises.  That time of day sees most critters out and about. While I am not overly worried about my wild critters, those of the two legged sort would give me the jitters if I ever came across one.  Nowadays, people are scary!  I am thankful that I live down on the Bayou and not up near the main road.  Sometimes, swampy areas are a blessing.

  This morning, it was not a critter lurking in the palmettos or marsh that gave me cause for concern.  Just before the sun came up over the pines on the opposite side of the Bayou, I heard something on the rooftop!  What was creepy-crawling around up there?  Easing my way out the back door, I soon found my answer.  Two large, green eyes peered through the darkness at me.  Silly cat!  How did you get up there?  Ms. Nycto was stranded atop the house!  Earlier, I had heard a ruckus near the front door and figured there was some cat fight about to happen.  It never did and, obviously, it was because Ms. Nycto did a fancy escape.  She had climbed the oak tree next to the house, made the leap to the roof but then had no idea how to get down.  She is notorious for that.  More than once, we have had to come to her rescue.  This cat is not a fighter...nor very agile about climbing (at least, climbing down!).  Son had to let her in the upstairs window because she was not about to find her own way off the roof.

  The catfight began because there is a feral cat in the area.  This scraggly yellow cat is grubby, skinny and mean.  It will howl and hiss at anyone nearby and threatens other cats (and small dogs).  This morning's episode is the third time that Ms. Nycto has been "treed" by the feral cat.  Enough is enough!  It sure makes me wish that Ms. Put (the Bayou Queen) was still alive.  She never tolerated such misconduct and would have put the rogue in his place.  Many times, this tiny, six pound cat would reprimand (by literally mangling) wrongdoers that came to the Bayou to stir up trouble. I sure miss that little spitfire!  Ms. Nycto has no protection now other than the rooftop.  She needs to learn to stay inside where it is safe!

Where, Oh, Where Did My Roof Go??

  I can see clearly now...the roof is gone!  Ok, so that is not exactly how the song goes but it is how my day went.  The roof is gone.  There is nothing there!  Yep, the greenhouse roof has vanished and I can see all the lovely blue sky above me.  The roof did not actually just disappear. Son removed all of the old plastic greenhouse roofing because that stuff is terrible!  In just a couple of years, the sun had dry-rotted the entire thing to the point that it was full of holes.  I was getting more rain inside the greenhouse than was falling outside.  For months now, we have pondered and searched for a reasonable replacement without going back with the same junk.  I refuse to have a roof that cracks due to sunshine!  My goodness!  You expect to have a greenhouse in the sun. That is the point of having one...to bring the sunshine inside for plants. But, as I said, I refused to use the same stuff so we compromised. Plywood and roofing material are being installed and I have been promised a few grow lights to add to what light the windows do not supply.  We are investigating solar powered grow lights so no wiring will be required!

  The greenhouse is one of my happy places.  I can retreat to the solitude of the greenhouse whenever things seem to get a bit hectic.  Winter or summer the place stays comfortable.  In winter, the sunshine beams into the many windows and warms the interior nicely.  During the summer months, the breeze off of the Bay wafts through the open windows and keeps it cool.  When Son built it, he designed it with those things in mind.  The building is angled to receive optimal sunshine and breeze!  

  Early mornings will often find Mark and me enjoying our first cup of coffee in the comfort of the greenhouse.  A comfy wicker chair, being surrounded by plants and hearing the birds singing make for a great place to start the day!  Now with the new roof being installed, things will be even more enjoyable!

Demolition Time

  Rat-a-tat-tat!  The jackhammer started work about six o'clock in the morning.  Ugh!  Why can't noisy work be done a bit later in the day and not at the break of dawn!  With my mug of coffee in hand, I had just settled into the comfy lawn chair when the racket began.  Contrary to what some may believe, this was not some construction crew but rather a demolition one at work.  That "work" was being done on my house!  Yep, the Little Bayou House was in the process of being demolished or at least damaged by this one-man, er, one-bird crew.  I have had my time with Redheaded Woodpeckers as of late and this one was being a royal nuisance! Between his being bossy at the feeders and his raiding the Red-bellied Woodpeckers' nest, I am fully beginning to think this bird has an attitude problem.  Now, he has decided to "de-shingle" my house!  I rose from my chair and shooed the bird away.

  This bird has been pounding away at the roof for the past few weeks.  I was worried that it was termites but now have decided that it is the Carpenter Bee larvae that the bird is seeking.  Close inspection of the roof edge showed the neatly drilled holes of the bee not the erratic tunneling of termites.  Whew!  Not termites in my rafters....but....I suppose I should be just as worried about those bees.  Still, the damage at hand is being rendered by that woodpecker!

  His pounding is not the only way he is damaging the roof.  I noticed today that he is literally tearing off the roof!  The edge of the shingles have been pulled back and the metal edging has been pried away from the board.  I did not know these birds were that strong!  If I do not find a way of keeping the bird away from the housetop, I may not have protection from the rainstorms much longer!  Silly bird!