The first day of spring came to the Bayou with all of its glory blazing. It was a gorgeous day with sunshine, a slight breeze and all of the other trappings. Birds were singing, bees were buzzing and flowers were blooming....everywhere! Yep. The hillside is in full bloom and the yard smells divine! After a long few months of nothing but rain and fog, spring is welcome.
After helping Son install a new ceiling in the hallway, I headed out to the gardens. If spring is here, it is high time to get those seeds in the ground. Of course, the potatoes are already 15 inches tall and the greenhouse is full of seedling tomatoes and bell peppers but I have a hankering for fresh squash and green beans. Having little packets of seeds is not satisfying that whim at all so it was my aim to get the garden in shape. About two hours later, a break was needed so gardening evolved into a hike. Oh, what a glorious time, that was!!!
Citrus trees, peach trees, plum trees were showing their best attire, wisteria draped heavy sprays of blossoms across the arbor and tiny wildflowers dotted the hillside. It was almost as if overnight, Mother Nature decorated the Bayou! She called Lady Spring to drop in for a visit! As I wandered about the place, I was simply dazzled by the sight. Spring is definitely here.
Sometimes when you look at things from a strange angle, they can appear a whole lot different that you ever realized. I know we live on a hill. The front yard slopes down to the marsh. I especially know it when I am pushing the lawnmower around that yard but I never really looked at how steep the hill actually is! Usually, I am standing in our yard looking over towards my brother's place. His yard is a gradual slope. I always assumed ours was about the same. Not so. Unlike his gentle sloping yard, ours is pretty steep! Funny how I never realized just how steep until today.
The old dog and I were out on our afternoon hike when I spied some tiny oxalis blooms amid the grass. Since these tiny blooms always bring a smile, I could not help but drop to my knees to get a close photograph. That was when I looked at the hill like I have not in a long while. I did not see just the yard. I saw the land. I saw the trees, the bushes, the grass, the leaves and, yes, my lovely, little oxalis blooms. I also saw that large climb that I take probably thirty times each day! It is no wonder my legs are tired!
Living on a Bayou where the property slips down right into the water, storms can be a bit treacherous. It is then that I fully appreciate the steepness of this hill. That incline has saved the Little Bayou House countless times against the ravages of hurricanes. Only once in my history of living here has the water ever reached the house. Most of the time, storm surges stay far below us. It is amazing how something you never really notice on a daily basis is literally what protects you. Pretty neat!
