One Day...Four Seasons

   Sometimes, Mother Nature just cannot make up her mind.  She, like so many of us, can be described as downright fickle!  Frosty one day, hot the next seems to be the norm now.  I am ok with that but, my goodness, Mother Nature, don't go smacking the seasons totally together!  That just gets far too confusing for everyone!

  Early this morning, I wandered through the gardens only to wind up behind the greenhouses.  Being as this area is sheltered from the north wind, I had left the potted lemon trees on the little back deck with good intentions of finally getting them transplanted in the ground.  Since the other citrus trees fare well during our winters, I figured there was not much use in lugging the huge pots into the greenhouse.  The trees did well and I was fully surprised to see new growth and large buds on the branches!  Whoa!  Hold on, Lemon Trees!  It is not spring yet!  The trees begged to differ, however.  As I looked, I began to notice more and more buds on all four lemon trees.  Well, if a late freeze does come, I suppose I shall be hauling the trees into the greenhouse after all just to try to save the blooms.  Mother Nature!  You sure are pushing it!  I shook my head in disbelief.

  Turning back toward the garden, a flash of red caught my eye.  Oh, my!  Just a few steps before, it was spring!  Now, it is fall!  Yep, one of the Sweetgum trees was in its glory with red leaves!  The bright red leaves brought some much needed color to the yard but that poor tree must totally be confused!  The small tree stuck out like a sore thumb among all the drab of winter.  

 Huh?  Wait!  It IS supposed to be winter!  Fall was several months ago!  Come on, Mother Nature!  Really?  Spring and fall right in the middle of winter?  My thoughts were jumbled.  I was trying to wrap my head around what was happening here as I slapped a mosquito that was buzzing around my ear.  Mosquito???  Oh, no....summer, too?  Mother Nature!  This is too much!  Stop it!  *Just as an added note...our temperatures reached nigh on 80 degrees this afternoon but are supposed to plummet into the 30s tonight.  Crazy!

All In Less Than A Week!

  Well, we have had a season change. Several actually! Our summer ended and fall came this week.  Yep, ours is late by others' standards.  We had a hint of fall where a few leaves changed colors.  The old hickory tree was in its glorious golden hues!  It was amazing and as I decorated the Little Bayou House for Christmas, I could look out the window and see FALL...not Winter!  No snowy hillside.  No icicles hanging from the eaves.  No gray skies with flocks of Canadian Geese flying overhead.  Nothing but a hickory tree dressed in her finest gown of gold.  And, by the way, the geese have stopped trying to figure out our weather and just stay here all year round.  We are soon going to have to change their name to something more suitable if this trend keeps occurring.  But fall came to the Bayou.

Mr. PJ is pretty well camouflaged in the hickory leaves!

  Fast forward until this morning....A thick fog rolled in off the Bay and shrouded everything in its wet, white blanket.  The sun tried to peek through but could not make its appearance until well on 8am.  By mid afternoon, summer had returned.  The temperature soared upwards into the 80s and hovered there.  A stiff southeastern wind blew across the hillside and attacked my fog-laden, golden hickory tree.  Every last leaf fell to the ground!  Instead of the gorgeous, gilded gown that she wore the day before, the old hickory now rested her feet on a thick carpet of soggy leaves.

  That fickle weather is not done with us yet!  We are forecasted to have temperatures in the 30s sometime tomorrow night!  So...four days...three seasons...summer, fall and winter!  Not unusual for these parts.  This far south we keep our flipflops sitting next to boots, T-shirts hanging by jackets and we fluctuate between hot cocoa and iced sweet tea.  Oh, well....I have a nice stock of chopped wood for the old cast iron stove so I am set for our "winter".  Sure wish it would last!

Frogs Are Cool!

  Frogs are cool!  Disagree?  Well, think about it for a minute.  We are in the midst of our hottest part of summer.  Each day, the temperatures rise to the high nineties or even hit triple digits here on the Bayou.  Most days it feels like it is hotter than a slab of salt pork sizzling in an iron skillet.  We sweat, change shirts a dozen times a day and try to find ways of beating the heat.  At times like this, there is nothing better than an ice cold glass of water from the well!  But, still, it is HOT!  That is where the frogs are a lot smarter than us!  They are cool!

  This afternoon, I had a bout of pity for the tomato plants in the garden. Even with the nigh on daily afternoon thunderstorms, the plants are withering.  The sad looking plants looked as if they needed a good dousing with the water hose.  As I sat about doing just that, I could hear a lot of splashing and croaking coming from the Frog Pond.  Time to investigate!  

  Even the water level in the pond was showing the effects of the heat and the water lilies were "burnt to a crisp" from the hot sun. Those frogs, however, were having a joyous time!  I do believe they were actually playing!  One would climb up on the hollow stump that sits in one corner of the pond and start to croak victoriously.  As soon as the others heard the cacophony, one would leap from the pond edge or from a lily pad into the water and swim to the stump.  That frog would start to climb up the side of the stump.  As soon as it would get to the top, the "King of the Hill" frog would leapfrog over the top of the newcomer and into the water.  The new guy then took the position on top of the stump. His croaking would immediately draw the attention of another frog and the game would progress.  It was a never ending game of leapfrog!

  While I stood there watching (water hose in hand), the frogs all enjoyed a shower.  They never even slowed their game as I sprayed the cooling water on them.  What fun!  Yep, frogs are cool! 

Severe Summer Storms!

  It was hot.  Stifling hot.  Not a breath of wind hot.  I usually do not complain about the weather no matter if it is icy cold, pouring rain or just plain old hot but I did today.  I did not complain to anybody else but I did spend a good bit of time muttering about how sweaty I was and how I wished it would come up a good thunderstorm.  It did.  Well, sort of a thunderstorm anyway. 

  Late evening saw me heading to the pier in hopes of cooling off a bit. Perhaps a bit of a breeze was stirring down there that was not reaching the house.  On the way down, I marveled that there was only one small. poofy white cloud in the whole sky.  I figured we were in for a hot, dry summer because the storms lately have been moving north of us.  I sat for a few moments before deciding that the wind was not going to cooperate. It was when I turned to go back to the Little Bayou House that I saw the entity that had taken over the north sky.  Wow!
  
  Black clouds were swirling in a large circle and drawing closer and closer with each passing second.  Before I could even get to the shoreline, the storm was overhead and the winds were threatening me with pushes and shoves.  It was all I could do to race toward the house. For a few moments, reaching it seemed doubtful. This was one fast moving system!

  As soon as the screened door slammed behind me, all of the windows in the house started rattling.  Papers, curtains and even pamphlets were being tossed about like an mischievous imp was ransacking the place.  A vase of gardenias toppled over and spilled water on the rug and framed photographs fell to the floor.  This storm was strong even inside the house!  I raced around slamming down windows, latching the casement windows and closing doors.  This thing was wild!

  Outside, the winds wreaked havoc on the garden.  Tomato plants were ripped from their cages and potted plants toppled.  Limbs started cracking from the straightline winds.  From the window, I could see birds being slung about like ragdolls.  

  This storm came out of the blue to smack us.  We had no warning that anything this powerful was going to hit us.  Still, even with all of the potentially dangerous winds, something good came from the storm.  The temperatures started to drop.  Our suffocating heat was being relieved even if it was just for the evening.  And the rains came.  Soft and sweet to start but with promises of more to come. But the rains came.  I am thankful.  And I am thankful for the strength of the Little Bayou House and the shelter it provides.

Being Rude? Or Just Being Cool?

    So we are not even truly into summer here and the temperatures are already reaching the high nineties.  These kinds of temperatures make me glad for the nigh on daily thunderstorms that pop up in the area. Each afternoon, the winds grow stronger, the clouds thicker and the thunder rolls.  More oft than not, it does not rain on us but our neighbors just north of us receive the brunt of the flooding.  We just get the cooling breezes and lots of lightning.  Still, it is nice.  That break in the heat sure does wonders for the body and mind.  After a morning of working in the garden or jelly-making in the hot kitchen, it is nice to relax under heavily clouded skies.

  Obviously, I am not the only one enjoying a break in the heat.  Early today, I heard the usual screams of the ospreys as they were out hunting.  I figured since it was too hot to work, I would meander down to the pier and check the birds.  In a tall pine right next to the pier, a handsome male osprey screamed his loudest.  As I drew near, he quietened and just stared at me.  These birds are majestically beautiful and always enthrall me.  I sat on the old board path and watched the guy for a while.  I was thankful to be sitting in the shade but the bird was not so lucky.  His perch in the top of the pine did nothing to block the sun. Poor bird.  After short time, I noticed that he opened his mouth and literally stuck out his tongue!  Hmmm...was he just being rude to me or was this some cooling method?  A few moments later, my question was answered.  The bird was not being ugly at all.  This was a way for him to cool his body.  He ruffled his feathers which allowed the slight breeze to aid in cooling but it was that mouth agape bit that tickled me.  

  The opening of the mouth is definitely a cooling method for some birds. It can sort of be compared to a dog panting.  Heat is transferred from the inside of the mouth and cooling air drops the bird's temperature.  And....yep, I tried it.  It works!  Although it may make you look a tad strange, opening the mouth does indeed make you cooler!  I do not recommend you go around all day with your mouth open but at least it gives you an idea of what the bird is doing.  Birds are obviously pretty smart critters.  They know how to beat the heat!  

Just a Bit of Friendly Advice

  We are just about as far south as you can get in Mississippi.  There is just a bit of water and a wee strip of land between the Bayou and the Gulf of Mexico.  That said, being this far down makes things a mite muggy.  Summers in the Deep South are not kind to those from other parts.  "Its the humidity" is our standard reply to anyone complaining about the heat.  Sure, the temperatures can reach the triple digits but factor in that humidity. which on most days reaches at least 85% and, well, things are downright muggy.  The air begins to feel stifling and the skin a bit clammy.  Clothing becomes stuck to the body and shoes are horrid. Beads of moisture roll softly down the temples of even our most genteel Southern Belles who "lightly perspire" instead of sweat. 

  Here in Mississippi we have two seasons....summer and a short "not summer".  Forget those other things called winter, spring and fall...they do not exist except in our minds.  The weather in October is just an extension of July's heat.  That said, we have our own ways of dealing with such trifling nuisances as the normal heat waves that usually start in mid March and last until late November. We have found that it is best to work in the early morning hours and kick back and relax from, say, 10 am.on until the next morning.  There is just no use in inviting a heat stroke to come on!  But we do have a few other ways to help beat the heat.  The first thing to go is shoes.  Shoes are not necessary unless the sign says "No shoes...no service" then a pair of flipflops works.  As matter of fact, flipflops are not just for outings to the beach.  They are approved footwear for just about any event from formal weddings to family get-togethers. (A family get-together is like a mini family reunion only we don't wait for a year to pass.  We have these sometimes once a month, once a week or, hey, anytime someone drops by for a spell.) Most of us just go sans shoes at home which helps tremendously in the effort for keeping cool.  Then, there are front porches and back decks.  Both seem to serve as our summer living rooms.  These are both built with the weather in mind and are strategically placed to catch the optimal breeze.  A good breeze wafting across the water has the best cooling effect there is!  Add a hammock or some good old porch rockers and life is good.  Since there is a threat of becoming dehydrated, we drink a lot of water. Ice cold water from the wells cannot be beat! Of course,  sweet tea is required here in the south.  No respectful ice box is ever devoid of this staple.  Gallon jugs of the stuff are brewed and sweetened just in case "someone stops in".  Sometimes a sprig or two of fresh mint is stuck in the brew after it is cooled or sometimes a few fresh-picked blackberries make their way into the jug but never lemon!  If someone serves you tea with lemon, they are not originally from the Deep South! They are folks who hail from other parts but who now call this place home.  Lemon belongs in lemonade...not tea!  Which we also serve and which also has a myriad of fruit added.  Blackberries or peaches give our lemonade a distinctively sweeter taste than just adding sugar.  If the sweet tea or lemonade does not quench the thirst, a quick trip to the Sno-ball stands will always suffice.  For those who have never had a Sno-ball, you are missing out in one of life's great pleasures!  A Sno-ball  can be fully described as "Heaven in a Dixie Cup!"  A massive mound of shaved ice fills the cup and then a sickly sweet fruit flavored syrup is drizzled over it.  It is delightful even though (depending on the flavor) your mouth will take on a ghastly color.  Think blue lips and teeth from any of the berry flavored concoctions and a bright green smile from lime or mint.  Don't even think of the reds and purples!

  Once the above items are addressed, one can settle down with ease and enjoy life.  The only other requirement to not suffering the ever present oppressive heat is a gentle breeze laden with the sweet aroma of jasmine, gardenias and, of course, magnolias!  How much better can it get?  The Magnolia Grandiflora or Southern Magnolias are in full bloom right now.  Their sweet aroma fills the yard and takes one back to the days of grand garden parties of our great-grandparents.  The Bayou is surrounded by Magnolia Trees which actually is the source of the name by which the area goes.  "Magnolia Bend" is the part of the Biloxi Back Bay that branches off into the Bayou.  At one time the entire area was filled with these marvelous trees.  Sometimes reaching a good forty feet in height and at least that in girth, the trees held hundreds and hundreds of the twelve inch blooms.  These blooms sent their aroma wafting out on the Bay breezes to be enjoyed by anyone within a few miles.  I heard tell that at one point during Pop's early years, folks from miles around came to picnic under the Magnolias.  It was quite common for engagements to be made due to the sweet, romantic scents of the blooms.  The blooms were also quite desired as decorations for June weddings! (Imagine that!)  Pop told tales of being sent to gather dozens upon dozens of the blooms for such occasions. Each bloom had to be picked just at the optimal time so it would open just prior to the wedding ceremony.  And...the blooms had to be carefully tended so they would not be damaged.  A Magnolia bloom turns brown with the slightest abrasion so each had to be kept from being marred.  Those snow white blooms needed to stay snow white and not be tinged with coffee brown. 

  Now that I have covered all of the requirements for surviving in the Deep South during the summer, I suggest you kick off your shoes, lounge back in the hammock, sip your sweet tea, indulge in the lovely breeze laden heavily with the essence of Magnolias and wait for the end of November!  Summers are quite delightful when one knows just how to handle them!

They did a study for this?

  Sometimes I worry about the logic behind all of the money spent in the name of research. Sure, it can be a good thing if it is meaningful but some of these studies are a tad ridiculous!  I mean, think about it here, why not save a heap of cash and just ask some "old-timer".  Or better yet, give that same person the money you spent for months of research and save a heap of time!  I am quite sure that the person would delight in getting a few cool millions to answer a silly question.  Take for instance, speaking of cool, the recent, earthshaking discovery about koalas.  Yep, we all needed to know that koalas hug trees to stay cool.  Not one of us is going to run out during the next heat wave and hug a tree, now are we?  Nope...thought not.  

  Anyway, why didn't these brilliant researchers just ask me? I am not some scientist or not even highly educated but I do qualify as an old-timer and Pop told me a long time ago why critters "hug" things during summer. I could have given them the same answer that took months of study, millions of dollars in thermal imaging equipment and a lot of head-scratching discussions.   Duh, anyone who has casually observed local wildlife would know the simple answer.  Yep, critters find the coolest place to spend the hottest part of the summer.  Take gray squirrels, for instance.  They do the same thing.  This is common knowledge.  (At least among people who pay attention to their surroundings.) They "hug" tree branches as a method of cooling.  Of course, they hug smaller branches since their little front legs are a lot smaller than those of a koala! Or they go all out "spread eagle" and flatten themselves against a larger branch. But still, come on, did that take a "team of researchers" to discover?  I think not. Hey, and guess what?  Critters, also, have a tendency to seek out a shady spot during the heat of the day! It is called commonsense.

  There are far too many over-funded "studies" done on everything from koala cooling methods to housefly mating habits.  Who cares?  Why not take those same millions to help the needy?  To fund college educations? To care for the elderly?  To clean the planet?  To rebuild cities ravished by natural disasters?  Ok, so you get the idea.  I do honestly believe that koalas are smart critters but no smarter than my lowly gray squirrels. Now the researchers, on the other hand, don't even ask me what I think about their intelligence if it took a "study" to figure out the obvious answer to the question of why koalas hug trees.  (Ok, you researchers! Here is another tidbit of information for you!  Critters also seek out the warmest places to ride out cold winters!  Duh!  That should be worth a few millions, don't you think?)