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.  

It's Coming!

  The day started off on a perfectly decent note.  The predicted rains had not started yet and a visit with Darling Daughter was the happiest way to begin the day.  Occasionally, she comes before work to share a cup of coffee with her mom!  My day is always better when she is around regardless of the weather.  Along about 10am, she headed to work and shortly after, the skies darkened.  Twenty minutes later, it poured...and poured.  Torrential rains hit the Bayou for nigh on two hours.  

  During a short break between that and the next rainstorm, Son and I rushed to the pier to tend to the small skiff.  There had been so much rain that the boat was nearly full of water.  The pump was stuck and no water had been emptied.  He repaired the pump then started bailing.  I stood and watched helplessly since two of us in the tiny boat would have been too difficult.  I kept watch on the Bay and incoming storm.  The thunder was drawing nearer and I could see a wall of rain inching closer and closer across the water.  "Hurry!  We have got to get back to the house!" was met with "I have to finish."  So, I waited in the drizzling rain with him.  Finally, he jumped from the skiff and said, "I am just going to pull the boat ashore then pull the plug."  That sounded like a grand idea so the two of us hauled the boat up the bank.  It was heavy and hard work but we finally situated it in a safe place, tied it to a tree and he pulled the plug.  "Let's go!" I said! 

  We made it to the door when another storm let loose.  The winds were terrific with this one.  Limbs were being ripped from the trees and tossed about the yard.  Suddenly, there was a loud clattering on the rooftop.  "Uh, oh!  Hail!"  Some of the largest hail that I have ever seen pelted the house.  Son spoke..."I am glad we made it inside.  That may have hurt a bit."  Yep.  It may have.  

  All said and done, we received over four inches of rain in less than three hours and there is more on the way.  We will stay snug and safe in the Little Bayou House and not worry about what is happening outside.  The boat is secure, the cat is inside and all is well.  Stay safe, folks, stay safe.

Early Morning Ponderings

  Any fisherman worth his salt knows that to catch fish, you really should get out on the water before dawn.  This holds true especially if the tide is changing just about that time.  Those fish will be ready to feed and the fisherman should be in place and ready to make the haul. Mark and I went to the pier in the wee hours of the morn so he could head out in the small skiff.  Mark has proven that this boat is all that is needed to "bring home the bacon".  While a larger, fancier boat would be nice for visiting relatives, the old skiff works just fine for us. Granted it is small but it is also easy maintenance and Mark always manages to find the fish!  

  Once again this morning, I stayed behind on the pier.  Our sweet niece, Eva, was coming to the Little Bayou House a bit later and I wanted to make sure that I did not miss her.  As Mark eased the boat out from the pier, I was enthralled by his silhouette against the red sky. It reminded me a lot of Pop and his early morning fishing trips.  Pop and Mark were big fishing buddies and spent many an hour on the Bay. More oft than not, they would bring buckets full of fine fish home for our dining pleasure.  There were many times back in the day when we depended on those catches.  Early in our marriage, Mark's work was seasonal so fresh caught seafood and veggies from the garden fed us...and fed us well.  We still laugh about our menu during one particularly hard year.  He would come home after putting in a hard day's work and I would make the following announcement!  "We are having corn, peas, shrimp and okra!"  To which he would respond with an "Oh, yum!"  With the same scenario each day, I would merely change the order of the items. "We are having shrimp, peas, corn and okra!"  Every day saw a different order of the same four foods.  We did not complain as we were so thankful to have our bellies full.  Things have changed a lot during those early days but we are still just as thankful.  The blessings are many.  Now we have four chest-type freezers filled with seafood, vegetables and fruits.  There are hundreds of jars of jams, jellies, fruits and veggies lining the shelves. These stockpiled foodstuffs will feed not only us but any visitors to the Little Bayou House throughout the winter to come.  We are thankful.