Friend Gone Missing

  I make friends with a good number of the critters on the Bayou. Sometimes I think it is easier for me to relate to animals than humans. Critters don't seem to care one iota about the drama that most folks attach to their lives.  Critters just live life day to day and hope for the best.  There is nothing wrong with that attitude.  Perhaps more folks should take a lesson from wildlife and stop creating such huge messes in their own lives.  Simpler is better.

  One of my little friends has gone missing, though, and it concerns me a bit.  I do hear him off in the distance but he has not ventured much closer than the canebrake as of late.  The tiny Summer Tanager that always came to visit brought so much happiness when he came.  He would sit on the fence and sing to me as I worked the gardens.  His keen vision let him know when I would uncover a bug suitable to feed his little ones and he would dart down to snag the prize.  After a few minutes of delivering the food to some hungry mouths, he would be back.  As of late, he stays more secluded.  I hear his sweet call but he steers clear of the garden.  I am not even positive that this is the same bird.  It could very well be one of his offspring that has not had the opportunity to make my acquaintance.  Still, I pondered just why the bird is avoiding me...or the garden in general.

  This afternoon, I sat in my wicker chair trying to catch a cooling breeze. I could hear the tanager in the distance and longed for a visit.  It then occurred to me that two things have changed since the last time we were together.  One...there are now two cats that lounge about the place. Since the garden is one of the cooler spots in the yard, both cats have their chosen spots.  Their presence might be enough to hinder the bird's coming.  Second...I am lacking any running water.  Several years ago, I had created a "fake" stream that ran down the west side of the garden. The little bird loved to come bathe in this fresh water.  The yard has changed and the stream was removed.  Perhaps I need to find some other source of cooling water for my friend.

  While there is nothing I can do (or would do) about the cats in the garden, Son assured me that we could figure out some water feature that might be appealing to the tanagers.  With his help, another stream or at least a fountain will be installed to encourage future visits. I miss my little friends!  They need to come home!

The Bright Spot!

I usually like rainy days, foggy days, cloudy, overcast days or any of the so called "dreary" days of February. Call me crazy, but I think February is one of my favorite months if for no other reason than it is garden-planning month! I know that even with all the bleary, dreary, drab days that fall in this month, Spring is just around the corner! Not to mention...this is the shortest month of the year! Perhaps that is why this year, February is dragging on and on..that extra day tacked on the end for Leap Year has made all the difference! I am beginning to tire of February so it is a good thing that March is almost here! With all the grey days we have had in the past few weeks, I have be so in need of a bright spot. A little pick-me-up would surely help me deal with the lack of sunshine.

Today while we were out and about in the garden, Ezzy was enjoying a bit of free run time. She busied herself chasing squirrels and sniffing old logs while we planted Boysenberry vines and more potatoes. I admit that I was not watching her closely. Suddenly, I did get a whiff of her..she had rolled in the mud and was stinking like a polecat! Ugh..this was definitely not the bright spot that I needed. Might as well get it over...bath time for the dog! As I was washing her, my bright spot did come! It flew right into the rose garden and landed one of the hanging basket brackets! I was tickled! This surely was a harbinger of Springtime! A tiny Summer Tanager started singing the most beautiful little song just for me!

This little tanager has been visiting the rose garden for the past few years. He will fly in and busily scratch the mulch. He has become quite the happy sight for me! With seemingly no fear that I will hurt him in the least, he hops quite close..even with in arm's reach. The little red bird will eye me curiously and chirp his loudest as if to get my attention. Yes, this is a bright spot..a bit of happiness that visits the rose garden. This little bird makes me realize that my time of greyness is about over..the Spring garden will soon be spilling over with brilliance! Thank you, Little Summer Tanager..I so needed your visit today!

Black and White..and Red All Over.....

Today brought some good things..some bad. I was out and about taking in the sights of the day when I came across something that saddened me to the core. To say that I like crows somehow confuses a lot of people. The usual stigma attached to these birds extends far from the cornfields all the way to urban areas. Most still view a crow as a nuisance bird and extend all efforts to shoo them from the vicinity. Not so here on the Bayou. I like crows. I like to hear them in the tall pines..I like seeing the glint of the sun on their ebony feathers..I like the way they cock their heads to the side as if to see you better. I just like crows. I was saddened earlier today because I came across the lifeless body of one of these beautiful birds. First thought was that someone had shot it but after observing it closer, I decided that this was not the case. Obviously, it had met with a force larger than itself as its neck and one wing were broken. There were no other wounds. Perhaps it had been hit by a car or maybe a hawk or osprey had attacked it but whatever the applied the force had done its job. The gorgeous, black bird was dead..drained of life..no more to caw from the treetops. Today's "black"..the ebony feathers and the dark feeling of death. Rest in peace, my feathered friend.

On a lighter note..the pear trees are blooming! "White!" The heavily scented white blossoms gleamed in the sunshine today! Oh, how I wish this tree was in my yard! Its branches were simply covered with the large white blossoms. The constant buzzing of honeybees told me that there would be plenty of fruit replacing the blooms in the coming weeks but I will never get any pears from this tree. They are destined for consumption by every animal in the area. The tree stands on what used to be my uncle and aunt's property. It is now overgrown to the point that it is a haven for wildlife and this pear tree gives sustenance to the fauna living there. I remember how fine these pears tasted and would love to gather the crop later this summer but I know that there will be none for my hands to pick. Happy munching, animals!

Near the pear tree, I came across another "white"..these Narcissus blooms emitted such a sweet aroma that I hated to leave the spot. These bulbs have endured all sorts of hardships and still had the strength to push through the weeds and bloom! This area was once an impeccable garden wonder. The yard was once filled with luscious fruit trees of all sorts and flower gardens that would hold their own against any botanical gardens ever created. My aunt and uncle worked hard to keep the grounds in order and now the remnants of plants still try to flourish even through the worst conditions. I was impressed with the durability of this plant. The matted weeds that it had to push through just to bloom was several inches thick. The plants seemed to be trying to revive the beauty that was once here by refusing to give in to despair. How much more inspiring can a couple of little bulbs be? A lesson in survival or just one in persistence? I am thinking that I should dig up these bulbs and give them a home closer to my house!

Finally, the "red"..another bloom..or at least the appearance of a bloom. The Red Maples are in bloom or were in bloom. What is showing on the branches of the trees now is not the flower but rather the seed pods. These seed pods look similar to tiny "wings" and when the sun hits them, they are brilliant crimson! Later in the summer, the pods will darken to almost a brick red and then will come fluttering down to cover the ground. I remember years ago, I was enthralled to find so many "wings" dancing on the wind. To my young mind they were faerie wings. I would try to catch them thinking that if I succeeded then surely a faerie would grant some special wish for me. Yep..that imagination really soars at times! These red seeds are so beautiful against the bright blue skies like we had today! There are several large Red Maples down in the creekbed. I can see these from my kitchen window each morning as the sun comes up. Their fiery red "wings" brighten the Bayou!

Also as a "red"..the Summer Tanager! This tiny bird has been making its presence know here in the yard for the past several years. I can hear its calls loud and clear through the open windows. If I head outside when it is near, the Tanager will swoop down within arm's reach and sing its little heart out. I have not figured out just why it feels the need to be right next to me but I secretly feel a bond with the bird! How strange that this wild bird seems to call for me to come out and play!