Palmetto Berries

   The sawtooth palmettoes back in the swampy part of the Bayou are some of the few left around here.  Progress and all of that has the huge clumps being plowed out of the ground and replaced with stupid things like palm trees.  To my way of thinking palm trees are not really something that cries "Mississippi Coast" but people seem to think differently than me.  Personally, the live oaks with Spanish moss dangling from the branches and palmettoes sitting stately below perfectly represent the Coast.  Just my thinking but still...it is sad to see things be decimated because people "know" better than Mother Nature.  Whatever.

  Back to the palmettoes...the plants are thriving on our piece of property!  Just this morning, I was astounded by the number of palmetto berries were tucked neatly beneath the spikey fronds.  Every clump had thousands of the hard, green berries.  Of those, I will most likely never see a ripe one.  The critters will pluck the berries as soon as they begin to ripen.  This is fine by me as I have no plans on harvesting the things anyway and my critter friends need to fill their bellies.

  It was brought to my attention that in Florida it is illegal to harvest the berries.  There are regulations about who can and who cannot pick the things as the sawtooth palmetto is an endangered plant and Florida...being all Florida-like and everything is smart.  They wish to preserve a bit of their natural flora.  Smart folks there.  Too bad that won't happen here.  Nope...clearcutting is the way to go.  Just not on my property while I am still here.  The palmettoes and oak trees shall rule...and the critters shall feast...and I shall roam the swamps...and life will go on.

Web of Protection

  Down near the marsh edge on the east side of the house, there is a large clump of underbrush and palmettos.  Entwined in all of that are dozens of large smilax vines.  These vines twist and turn through the shrubbery and palmettos creating an almost impenetrable mesh.  The whole lot looks a total mess and I really should break down and cut it.  I don't.  I don't for one simple reason.  It is a fortress of sorts.

  In that clump of tangles a brown thrasher has made her nest for the past few years.  While she is vulnerable to snakes not much else can reach her or her nest.  The eggs are safe.  Once the eggs hatch, her little ones are well protected against most predators. Even after the little ones fledge, they have the instinct to return to the tangles when threatened.  Land critters such as fox, bobcats and even feral cats cannot slip through the tangles without calling attention to themselves.  Large birds seeking attack from above cannot maneuver through the web  The thrasher did a good job choosing this site for her nest.  I do not have the heart to destroy her world simply for the sake of having a "clean" yard.  

  In fact, the tangled mess is rather interesting.  My daily hikes take me around the back of the clump where I never  know what may be in the path.  Even the tangled vines serve as a point of interest.  With that in mind, I can fully convince myself that the "habitat" needs to stay.  The web of protection shall continue to surround the Thrasher family.

The Great Search!

  Considering how many predators there are roaming about the Bayou, one has to wonder how some of the smaller critters ever survive.  While in their own right, they are predators, size does not allow much in the way of defense.  Take, for instance, the green tree frog.  This tiny creature is a predator to bugs, slugs and even tinier frogs.  It has no fangs, no stinger and no claws.  The tree frog seems to be pretty much helpless when it comes to defending itself.  How can it go about its life without being eaten on the first day?

  This morning, I was out near the wild persimmon trees when I heard the call of a tree frog.  I turned toward the large clump of palmettos and searched for the frog.  The camouflage of the critter was superb!  It took me a while to find the frog but when I did, I marveled at how well the green matched the palm fronds. It seems that I do not have to worry about the frogs. It was like searching for Waldo!

  Between being able to hide so well, the green tree frogs reproduce at an exorbitant rate.  A few years ago, there were maybe a dozen frogs around the Frog Pond.  Now there are thousands.  The canebrake is full, palmetto clumps are full, the citrus trees are full and it is not unheard of to find them clinging to the house and shed as they snooze during the day.  It is by sheer numbers that the frogs can continue to exist.  You have to admire a mama that can lay 400 eggs each season!  Of course, out of those 400, probably only a dozen or so reach maturity.  Still, when you think about a thousand frogs laying hundreds of eggs....well, that is just a lot!  Carry on, Little Froggy.  Carry on.

In Bloom!

  This morning after bringing the old dog back inside, I slipped out for a quick hike back down the hillside.  Since he is ailing, there is no purpose served in tiring him with my interests.   The hike, itself, was triggered by a glimpse of blossoms down on the east path.  I wanted to get a better glimpse of the tiny blooms.  A few months back, a friend informed me that the bush in question is called sparkleberry.  I had to admit that was a new one to me.  He said that the berries are in the blueberry family and are edible even though they are a rather tart or bitter.  More to my interest was the fact that they could be used to make jelly and jam.  The berries are also known as farkleberries which seems to be a strange name.  Sparkleberry, I can understand as the berries are literally shiny and sparkly!  

  The sparkleberry bush next to the path is actually in a large clump of palmettos. The bush did indeed have thousands of blooms and was also being visited by a good many honeybees and butterflies.  This was good but below the low hanging limbs another cluster of buds caught my eye.  The palmetto was blooming, too.   Ahh, another thing of beauty on such a short hike.  The palmetto dates are supposedly edible, as well.  I have yet to be able to gather any ripe fruit as the raccoons tend to beat me to them each year.  Some day....maybe.

  I had to hurry back to reality so the old dog would not have an anxiety attack.  If I am absent for any length of time he panics and begins to stumble around the room.  My "me time" was over.  Duty called.

Disturbing the Process of Things

  With the sirens blasting their tornado warning, rain threatening to pelt down from the sky and lightning bouncing about the hillside, old Mr. PJ decided he absolutely NEEDED to go outside.  Ummm, no.  Not happening at the moment.  Sorry, my friend, but you will just have to hold it or go by yourself (which is also a no-go since he has started roaming).  The weather seems to play a huge part in the old dog's dealings with pain.  Arthritis is one of those things that seems worse at night and during inclement weather.  I can fully commiserate with PJ as my own bout of the evil stuff is flaring its ugly head.  So, we waited.

  Once the sirens and lightning stopped and before the torrential rains started, he and I made our way down along the marsh edge.  He did his business and I meandered around looking at the wildflowers.  As I edged close to a clump of palmettos, a slight rustling drew my attention.  Ok, so did my ambling alarm a bird?  A snake?  Or what?  Peering into the fronds, I found my answer.  A quite large box turtle peered back at me.  She seemed to be a bit antsy even though I backed away.  Pondering the turtle, it became clear about her "situation".  Most likely, this turtle was gravid and seeking a place to dig her nest site.  She wanted no onlookers at this point and my bumbling along probably upset her a bit.  

  By this time, the old dog had finished his business and the raindrops started to fall.  It was best that he and I head to the Little Bayou House....and quickly!  Tonight, the storms are raging.  High winds, torrential rains and lots of lightning.  The Bayou is rocking!  I hope Mama Turtle finds some shelter from the storm to lay her eggs in peace.

That's why....

  The other day, someone asked me why I get up so early.  I have a tendency to rise before the sun and make my coffee. Then, that cup of coffee is enjoyed as the sky starts to brighten in the east.  Why do I get out of bed so early?  I have no definite answer.  I just do.  Then again, maybe I have more than one answer.  I suppose if you stop to think about it, this could all be Pop's fault.  Back when I was just a kid on the farm, we were rousted out of bed when the roosters crowed.  "Time to get up!" Pop would call as he started cranking on that old wall-mounted coffee grinder.  (That thing made enough noise to get anybody out of bed whether they wanted to or not!)  Pop knew that there was a lot of work to be done and he needed all five kids to be up and ready to work at an early hour.  You are just not lazy on a farm!  Now, however, it is not the chores that awaken me.  I have this built-in alarm clock that seems to sound at a predawn hour.  I just cannot sleep!  So, I am up and ready to go as soon as I down the first cup of coffee. 

  Personally, I love the way the sun casts shadows on just about everything as it is starting to peep between the pines.  I see things that most never experience.  The way the light filters through the trees, illuminates the palmettos or causes fungi to almost glow never seems to disappoint me.  I am like that proverbial "kid in a candy shop" as I can always find something to delight the senses.  

  I love to hear the birds as they start to chirp their happy calls and I love to hear the last yelps of the baby fox as Mama calls them back to the den.  I love to see a dragonfly stretch its wings for the first time as it transforms from nymph to flying beauty.  I love to find fresh berries or other fruits as the morning dew glistens making them look like jewels. I love the smell of the earth that has just been refreshed by the coolness of the night or the sweet aroma of gardenias (or magnolias, jasmine, roses, wisteria..you name it!) as the buds begin to open.  I love the coolness of moss under my bare feet or the bite of frost on my nose depending upon the season. 

 I just love morning...early, early morning  I love the peace, the calmness, the solitude.  It is "my" time of the day.  My time...made just for me...my time to revel in all of the Good Lord's magnificence.

Creek Bed Wonderland

Michael and I have been scrounging around for dead logs to cut for firewood.  We have been tugging and pulling logs from the underbrush and tangled grapevines.  This area has not been cleared since Hurricane Katrina whipped through the Bayou eight years ago. Hence, we are literally fighting our way to the downed logs.  Our weapons of choice are pruning saws, snips and axes.  It is a bit of work but well worth the effort when you consider how many good trees would be destroyed if we used tractors and power tools.  Plus, all of this strenuous exercise is good for our health.

I always try to remember my camera while on these excursions since you never know just what you might find.  It is like an entirely different world down under the canopy of treetops.  With the creek bed being nigh on dry with the onset of winter, we are able to explore a bit further than we normally do.  The threat of Cottonmouth Moccasins makes one a bit leery about sludging through the overgrowth during warmer weather.  Down deep where the Bayou meets the creek, it is almost a fantasy world..a place where one can almost imagine faeries, gnomes and other magical beings live.  Thick green mosses mat most of the logs and ferns drape gracefully over the bed of pine needles.  Mushrooms of every sort grow freely on the mulched ground while the palmettos fronds appear to be thatched roofs of some small home.  These and the occasional bright red of a tiny Maple or Sycamore sapling all are picture-worthy creations.  I have a tendency of neglecting my wood gathering duties while I examine each and every interesting bit of flora or fauna that we discover.

Michael has shown tremendous patience with me as I refuse to let him cut a log just to protect some moss or mushroom.  My demands that he avoid pulling a vine that holds a grey squirrel's nest or chopping a hollow tree that houses flying squirrels are met with a shrug of the shoulders and a muttered "Sure".  He loves the wildlife as much as I do and readily agrees that we need to avoid disturbing them as much as possible.  This little wonderland known as the creek bed will remain intact as long as we have anything to do with it!

A "Date" with Yellow Jackets!

Once before, I told you about the Yellow Jackets that were terrorizing the hillside.  So far, (knock on wood) none of us have been stung but the wasps are making a terrible nuisance of themselves.  If there is any available food source, you can rest assured that these critters will be (literally) crawling all over it!  The type of food matters not..anything from dead fish to strawberry trifle is fair game with these guys!  They must have a most keen sense of smell because within a matter of seconds anything that is edible will have at least a dozen or so attacking it..within minutes, hundreds will be swarming nearby.  AND they will defend their right to this food against any who try to shoo them away!

Earlier in the spring, I had noticed that the Sawtooth Palmettos were in full bloom!  I was determined to watch the clumps of fronds during the fall so I could gather the dates.  Yesterday, Mark and I made our way down the hill to the largest clump.  The palmettos were full of plump, black dates!  They were ready to be picked and I should have been able to gather a nice mess except for one teeny-tiny problem..or rather a bunch of teeny-tiny problems!  On my nice fat dates, there were swarms of Yellow Jackets!  These wasps were eating my dates!  Shoo!  Get!  Scram!  Nope!  I was not crazy enough nor had a unquenchable desire for palmetto dates to make an attempt at scaring the wasps away.  I was in no way coming between those critters and their food!

At first, I assumed that the wasps were dining upon the old, overripe dates but after watching them for a bit, I came to realize that they were actually gnawing tiny holes in the plump dates.  The juice of the date was then sucked out of the peeling leaving an empty husk!  Ohhh....these guys were smart!  I suppose that I really need to find this Yellow Jacket nest!  Somewhere close, there is a quarter-sized hole in the ground that houses a huge hive!  It is relatively hard to find as the wasps are uniquely adept at concealing the entrance and it is well-guarded!  I most usually find them the hard way by running my lawnmower over top of the entrance.  Then the critters will come from all angles bombarding me and stinging me as I try to escape!  Not fun....not fun at all!  The only hope is to find the nest during the daylight hours and then plan a nighttime attack on the swarm!  Most of the wasps will crawl back into the tiny hole to spend the night.  It is then that a single, long-necked drink bottle filled with gasoline can be jammed into the hole.  This will block the entrance and flood the hive with gasoline killing all inside!  Yep...this trick has been passed down through generations and is the only surefire way I know of getting rid of the Yellow Jackets!  So...if weather permits, tomorrow, I shall search once again for the entrance hole to the hive.  Wish me luck!

Watching the Towhees!

After a night of steady (albeit light) rain, I was ready to be outside. The weather has either been too cold or too wet to do much prowling about the hillside until today. I took advantage of the sunny, 70 degree day and trekked around all the areas that I have been missing! One place in particular interested me..the Sawtooth Palmetto clump that stands near the end of the pier. I had heard something rustling there on my last visit to the pier but rain chased me inside before I could investigate! Now..I was hoping that whatever was making the noise was still there. I had a feeling that it might have been the young rabbit that grew up under the pier. Perhaps it was making a nest in the Palmetto clump.

As I edged near the large clump, I admired the large fronds. These spiky plants had fronds nearly three feet in diameter! With the sharp points on the ends of each leaf and the jagged "sawtooth" stems, this would definitely protect anything that did nest there. As a rabbit hutch, it would be ideal! A fox or bobcat would be hard-pressed to dive into that mess!

Near the clump, an old boat offered a seating area for me. I would wait here until I heard more rustling. If I was lucky, I would be able to spy what was choosing this area as a home. It did not take long before I heard a movement in the leaves. Today, it was much quieter as the recent rains had softened the dried leaves and muffled any sounds. Still..something was there..moving slowly about in the edge of the clump. To my surprise, it was not the bunny. A pair of Rufous-sided Towhees were scratching about in the mulch. These busy little birds were hunting seeds that might be left from the fall. I sat there quiet as a church mouse as these are rather shy birds. After a bit, the male bird moved on out to the feeders. Once he felt it was safe, he called to her. She joined him under a feeder closest to the Palmetto clump and there they ate their fill of seeds that the Chickadees dropped.

I sat in the shadows watching. I did not want to startle this pair as I hope they will nest in the Palmettos. They are such shy, secretive birds that it is rather unusual to know just where they do nest. Perhaps if I watch, I can find the nest and be able to observe the hatching. I do know that most of the time, Towhees will nest on the ground and that their nest is well hidden. This makes it quite the challenge to photograph the nestlings. Stay little Towhees! Stay close where I can watch you!

More Healing Plants!

A year ago, my son and sweet daughter-in-law sent me a ginger root so I could perhaps get a start of a new type. This was supposedly one that makes red flowers, I only had the white. I happily planted the root in a large flower pot so I could keep it separate from the other. I was elated to receive the root since I use so much ginger in cooking and for herbal remedies. The red-flowering type is supposed to be stronger than the white, so I was eager to try to grow this plant! For an entire year, the roots sat in the dirt and did nothing...not sprout..not rot..nothing, just sat. I had given up on the root ever doing anything. "Dumb root." I thought, "This thing is not going to ever do anything." My youngest son told me to have patience..leave it be. Well, now something has happened in that pot. There is something growing..I am not sure if it is the ginger root or some stray plant but there it is growing wild and free! I am wondering if this is the ginger or if by some chance, I stuck another plant in the same pot..I have been known to do that! Anyway, whatever is growing in the pot is getting rather large. It does not even remotely resemble the other ginger. Those have tall leaves that sort of remind me of Canna Lilies..this has small, heart shaped leaves that flare out from the base like a hand. I know there are many types of ginger and this very well could be one. I guess I will just have to wait and see if it blooms before I will know for sure..or I could just pull off a piece of the root and take a sniff!

Down the hill near the marsh edge, the Sawtooth Palmettos are blooming! This palmetto is one of the "fan" palms that grows wild all along the Coast. There are several large clumps of the palmetto growing wild around the property. The blooms are large clusters of yellowish gold and these will later produce "dates". This fruit is the same that is purported to have many medical uses. I have always been curious as to the taste of this fruit but have never had the courage to just grab one and pop it in my mouth. For that matter I doubt that I will ever see any ripen as the critters around here have a tendency to eat any and everything that even remotely resembles a food source! Maybe I should stick a large cage over one of the blooms just to see if I can safekeep one "date".

While we are on the subject of healing plants..both the ginger and palmetto fall in this category..I learned something quite remarkable the other day! It seems that the Old South favorite, Mimosa..is not mimosa after all! This beloved tree is not what it seems! The actual name is Albizia! AND..it is a "healing" plant as well. It, too, is purported to have medicinal qualities! In some herbal manuals it is said to help relieve respiratory problems due to allergies and also can be used topically to relieve allergic reactions to different plants such as the nettle. The bark, flower, fruit and leaves are all used in herbal remedies. Hmm, I wonder if this might be a treatment for poison ivy and sumac?? I really need to experiment with that a bit! And all this time, I just thought this tree was just another pretty flower!

It is amazing to me just how many healing plants there are right in our own backyards. It almost seems that for every ailment there is a natural cure. Backyard or bayou remedies!