Thriving between a rock and a hard place.

   Early this afternoon, it was quite evident that the north wind has dried things a good bit.  The garden needed watering so I set out with the hose.  Well, one thing led to another and I wound up even watering the pathetic looking herbs.  They have all seen better days as they are waning.  But...I watered.  While watering the herbs, a bright red mushroom caught my attention.  It had grown between the bricks of the front steps and actually looked quite healthy.  I pondered how in the world that poor, little thing found enough nutrients to, not only survive, but thrive!  

  That pondering got me to sort of comparing that mushroom to the fine fix this nation has gotten itself into.  The powers that be are shooting prices out the ceiling with nothing more than indecisions and fighting among themselves.  Our ancestors are probably shaking their heads at the weakness we are showing the world.  Like that mushroom, we are now between a rock and a hard place and it is only going to get worse.  Also, like that mushroom, we need to make the best of it and survive....literally thrive.  It can be done with ingenuity and hard work but most are not willing to go that route....this already shows.

  Folks, get ready.  Things are going to get worse before they get any better.  That pendulum has to hit rock bottom before it starts making that upswing again.  I can only hope that everyone is heeding the warnings and taking some proactive steps.  Otherwise, there are going to be a lot of folks not making it out of that rock and a hard place.  They will be stuck.  

The "Snake House"

  Early this afternoon, there was a great need for me to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House.  While I love my little place, sometimes, the "great outdoors" calls and I have to heed its beckoning.  It is never a good idea to not bend to the whims of Mother Nature.  Since the plants in the greenhouse needed watering, I figured that would be a grand excuse.  When I finished watering, I could mosey around to my heart's content before heading back inside to chores.  

   It did not take much further than the back steps to find something interesting.  Of course, Son always claims that I am easily amused so, perhaps, others would not have been so enthused about my find.  It seems that I have a snake living under my steps!  A tiny black racer was out basking in the warm sunshine after a freezing night.  The little rascal was as thin as a lead pencil and only about fifteen inches in length.  The sighting was enough to cause me to drop to my knees and spend the next half hour photographing (and talking with) the little snake.  At one point, Son came outside to find me having a full-blown conversation with what he assumed was a pile of leaves.  It took me only a few seconds to point out his blundering ways!  There was, indeed, a very likable creature receiving my words!   Next thing I knew, Son was on his knees, too!  He has as much interest and liking for these fine critters!  "I would love to see this little guy hang around." was Son's remark about my new found friend.

  The tiny snake was most likely hatched late this summer or early fall and was hoping that it had found a safe and warm place to spend the brunt of the winter.  The old wooden steps form a perfect nook for the little one to bed down during the cold nights so I was really happy to see it slither back under after its sunbathing time was over.  The snake should be relatively safe there from any predators and it will have a ready supply of foodstuffs as I have a tendency of tossing small scraps out the back door to fertilize the pear trees on either side of the steps.  Any number of slugs, snails, bugs and lizards can be found there daily.  On warm days, the snake will not have far to wander to get its belly full!  It sounds as if I may have a very smart snake taking up residency under the back steps!  Sounds good to me!  I think I am in love with this little snaky!  (And, yes, I really did climb under the house to get the photograph of Snaky Friend in his abode!)

Murder on the Back Steps!

  Early this morning, Ms. Nycto begged to be let out the back door.  The cat, otherwise known as the Bayou Princess, demanded in loud meows to have her whims met.  Not wanting to wake up the entire neighborhood at 5am, I heeded her calls and unlocked the door.  No sooner had she slipped out the screen door, than she begged to be let back inside.  Something was amiss out on the back porch and she was having no part of it!  I opened the screen door and let the finicky feline back inside.  The Princess then scampered up the stairs and retired to the large queen-sized bed that she has claimed as her own.  Well, now!!! I pondered if some coyote was prowling in the darkness.  I headed back into the kitchen to get a mug of hot coffee then settled in by the old wood burning stove.

  Along about daybreak, I ventured out that back door just to see if there was any evidence of what scared the cat.  Yup.  Plenty of evidence!  It appeared that a brutal murder had taken place on my doorstep overnight!  The entire steps was covered in blood-red goo!  Not to mention there were incriminating "hand prints" in the "blood"!  My goodness!  No wonder the poor Bayou Princess was scared out of her wits!  

  Now came the time for me to clean up this mess as it was mostly by my own oversight that it occurred.  The night before, I found a nice bowl of cherry sauce in the fridge,  This stuff had somehow gotten shoved far behind the half bottles of pickles, the extra cartons of cream cheese and the chilling pie dough for today's dessert.  The cherry sauce was beyond my use but instead of tossing it in the garbage, it was stuck on the back porch to be toted to the compost in this morning.  I was not about to traipse out in the cold to empty that dish!  Well, by the looks of it, a raccoon decided that the cherry sauce was far too tasty to be wasted. The raccoon helped itself to the dish.  By the looks of things, the cherry sauce may have been even a bit fermented and the coon may have gotten a bit tipsy.  The bowl, itself, was flung under the nearby pear tree and cherry sauce was smeared on every step!  Silly, drunk raccoon!  He murdered that stuff!