And the Bayou Takes....

   The last post I did was a few weeks ago simply because time and energy did not permit me to lollygag about on the computer.  Hurricane Francine did not hit here directly but did deal us a blow as far as damage to the pier.  My favorite place was in shambles and was clearly not a safe place to be.  While "The Bayou Provides" (previous post) still holds true, it also takes.  It takes time and effort to deal with problems that arise simply by trying to coexist with whatever the weather throws at us.  Son has been working tirelessly to repair the damage to the pier while I am putting the same effort into cleaning up the debris line left behind by the tidal surge.  I am getting too old for this!  

  The damage to the pier seemed, at first, to be only a surface matter but, once Son really looked, there were some underlying problems.  Some of the basic structure points had come undone so his job got massively larger.  The poor fellow has been redoing a lot of the bottom joists and stringers that had come unbolted.  Renailing planks further up the walkway became my job.  Finding our lost pier pieces became a family affair with us walking the shoreline in search of planks from both our pier and my brother's.  (He received much more damage than we did.)  We have yet to find the sturdy bench that Son had bolted to the pier.  The table remained intact and actually helped keep the pier together...somewhat...but that bench is elusive!  Where, oh, where did that thing float ashore?  Son was in hopes of finding it but did say he would build another if the need arises.  I miss my bench but, I have to admit, I have a great son!

  So...the Bayou also takes.  It and the weather make us ever aware of "what could happen" if the two collaborate to hit us with a fierce blow.  It takes effort.  It takes time.  It takes stamina (something that is wearing thin with me.)  And...it takes my bench to parts unknown!  Come back, traveling bench!  On a side note, if anyone sees this wayward bench, let me know! 

Marsh Mat Mulch

   So far, this has been a strange February.  The weather has not been particularly cold but has been somewhat wet and windy.  Normally, one thinks of "winter" winds being from the north and cool.  Not here.  Our wind has mainly been blowing from the southeast which makes for an unusual occurrence.  While the north winds blow the tide far from the shore and we have a lot of mudflats exposed, the southeast winds do just the opposite.  We have unusually high tides.  In fact, those wind-blown tides have rivaled any small tropical system.  This is very wearing on the marshes.

  This morning, my walk to the pier showed me just how rough the weather has been.  Neatly laid across the tops of the marsh grass were what I call "marsh mats". These mats are created by the high tide and large waves pulling dead marsh grass from around the roots and stacking it atop the living grasses.  The mats are about a foot deep in places and tightly woven.  A person could easily walk across the mats without ever worrying about the mud beneath.  This usually happens during the late summer and fall when tropical storms whip across the Gulf and enter the area.  

  While the mats do make great hiding places and eventually snug dens for many of the critters of the Bayou, I wish the stuff would wash into the yard.  Yeah, strange wish but I have my reasons.  These marsh mats, once cleaned of any trash, can be mulched.  That mulch has proven to be ideal for the gardens and I am in dire need of it around the cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli plants!  It involves a bit of work but the gardens would benefit greatly from the nutrients found in the ground up marsh.  (This brilliant idea of grinding and using the marsh as mulch came after Hurricane Zeta when we were inundated with debris.  I was using an old lawnmower to grind the debris line when a friend had the grand idea of using it as mulch.  It is amazing!  Nothing goes to waste!)  So...perhaps one of these "winter" storms could push this stuff a wee bit further in the yard...not far...just a wee bit??  Maybe?

Battling Zeta

   We are tired.  We are hurricane weary from the storms of this year and the season still has another month to go.  About 3am on the day Hurricane Zeta was to hit, I could not sleep.  I was a bit edgy.  Even though Hurricane Zeta was to hit as a "minimal" hurricane, my gut told me different.  Zeta was not going to play nicely.  Zeta was going to come in fiercely and stay that way far inland.  I tried to warn folks but I guess my words seemed like the ramblings of a crazy, old swamp lady.  I knew.  I just knew this storm was not going to be an easy fight.

  What started as a blustery, rainy night soon turned into a battering gale.  We sat tight in the Little Bayou House and listened to the roar of the winds and things slamming the house.  At times, the floor quivered something awful and the house would groan.   The beast was at the door.  It was trying to shake its way inside.  The Little Bayou House held its own against the foe and kept us safe. 

  After just a few hours of the beating, the monster moved on its way to attack others and we were able to slip outside to check for damage.  It was hard to see in the darkness but the house seemed fine.  The tidal surge was still well up into the yard and tons (yes, literally tons) of debris was being tightly stacked in a long line around the property edge.  There would be months of cleanup come morning light.

  Folks, while this all seems dire, life is good.  We made it through yet another hurricane with the Little Bayou House protecting us.  Friends, there are a lot of good folks out there that could use a helping hand.  We came out pretty much unscathed, but many folks suffered intensely.  Take a moment to say a little prayer for them or, if you can, lend a hand. It would be appreciated.

Just Thinking!

   The recent bouts of small storms that have hit the Bayou have left a good deal of work behind.  After each, we have to repair any damage to the place or pier and cleanup a debris line from the storm surge.  This is nothing compared to what the good folks in Louisiana are dealing with but is still a chore to tend.  While Son is making repairs to the storm ravaged pier, I am on cleanup detail.  I get to deal with that debris line and any downed limbs.  

  This morning, I pondered the "marsh mats" that are left behind by the storms.  Dead marsh grass is toss and turned by the waves until it becomes almost woven.   A strong storm makes thick mats.  The recent gale to hit the Bayou picked up the leftover mats from the previous blows and  added to the mass.  Now, the current mats are nigh on two feet thick.  The tumbling of the dead reeds weaves the mats and the tidal surge lifts them and carries them to the shoreline or beyond.  Often, trash becomes entangled in or floats atop of the mats.  Once on shore, this becomes a thick mess that has to be hauled away or burned.

 My ponderings were to the point that something could be done with these mats.  There has to be some use for such things!  Surely, some creative person can figure out a useful purpose!  Then, I can "donate" my marsh mats and be free from the work of removing them!  (Genius at work here!)  If I can only get someone to "want" those mats!  

  In reality, I leave the outer mats as they are.  They do provide shelter for many critters during the winter months and often critters make dens beneath the thick mats.  The woven grass makes an ideal roof to cover the dens and protect the little ones.  Otters love these things! So do the nutria, marsh rabbits and a lot of birds. Anything not up in the yard, can stay for the critters!  (I am just figuring ways to get out of work, in case you have not noticed!)