I take far too many photographs but with that, I do not profess to be a photographer. I do not have an inkling what half of the settings are on the camera, know nothing of editing and do not have a steady hand. I merely enjoy taking pictures of the Bayou and my critter friends. It is my hope that, perhaps someday, my grandlittles will look at the photographs and understand a bit of why I love this place so much. With their world travels, I doubt that my little Bayou will mean much but, at least, they may some day understand the peace that I have found here.
Today, the young heron that has been named "Moe" was waiting on the pier for me to catch a few mullet for his dinner. This is a thrice daily routine now as this poor bird is being chased by a much larger heron. Herons are territorial feeders and the larger ones get the prime spots. Well, not if I can help it! Moe (along with Larry and Curly) has endeared himself to me. He knows how to pull the heartstrings and get a free meal. If he poses for a few pictures, mullet will surely follow. Since he is a willing participant in this procedure, I figure a billion or so heron photographs will not hurt. So, if you grow weary of seeing Moe (or Larry and Curly) just skip along and be happy. Otherwise, you are probably going to be bombarded with his (their) likeness.
Moe's posing for today's photos was extraordinarily brilliant! He flapped the wings, flew from post to post and stood on one leg! For his effort, he was greatly rewarded with an extra helping of menhaden besides his five mullet! Moe makes me happy. He makes me look like I have great skill in capturing wildlife photos! Way to go, Moe! (By the way, Moe's poses are being done about 8 feet from the camera which explains the clarity of the photos!)
The other day, my sweet daughter brought me a few jars of some pears that she canned. Elizabeth and Robbie's new place came equipped with some of the finest fruit trees and among them were a good number of pear trees. Each tree seemed determined to impress them with its ability to produce fruit so Elizabeth and Robbie were picking pears a good bit. She was determined to can the pears for later use and did an incredible job. I am so proud! This skill is one that has been passed down through the family for generations and I did my best to make sure each of my kids knew at least the basics. I am proud to say that they do. Even the boys (now men) can make jelly or can beans or anything else with the best of them! Good job! While Elizabeth knew how to can, she has not had the opportunity to do much of it in the past. First the fig trees and then the pear trees in her new yard kept her quite busy with the jars this year. She prepared a delightful concoction called "Spiced Pears". The taste is out of this world delicious! The syrupy goodness around the pears has the perfect blend of sweetness and spiciness! I am now hoarding the last two jars to be used as a special treat!
What makes me so proud about her (and my boys) learning this skill is the fact that my mom had no clue how to do any home-canning. Mom was a sweet "city" girl who just so happened to fall in love with a country boy....a farmer. Well, you know where that went. Just a few weeks after they were married, Pop brought home a lovely steam canner and presented Mom with several bushels of green beans. "We need to can these for winter." he told her. I can only imagine the look she shot at him! She had no idea of how to use that canner! In steps Pop's sister, Marie, to save the day. That summer, my Aunt Marie not only did her own canning but taught Mom the finer points of the skill. Later, my sister and I were taught following Aunt Marie's instructions. At the time, it was unheard of for boys to do much in the way of kitchen work so my brothers do not have this knowledge. I am sure glad that I do and I made sure that ALL of my children learned the skill. You never know when you might need to know how to preserve foodstuffs.
I am proud of Elizabeth and her canning. Not only that she has the "know-how" but that she and her husband did not let the fruit go to waste. They are well on their way to being at least a little bit of farmers! She has no choice...it is a hand-me-down skill that is "in the blood"! Makes this mom proud!
