Take A Few Minutes To Be Kind

   With the summer's heat kicking it in high gear, most outdoor chores are attempted at daylight.  This morning saw me doing some trimming around the little Frog Pond and down around the blackberry vines.  It took nigh on three hours of cutting to finish the task that I had in mind to do but I was determined to keep at it.  While trimming near the little pond, I had to push deep into the ruby lilies.  Once there, I had to linger just a bit to converse with a sweet friend.  On one of the large lily leaves sat the cutest frog ever found!  Even though I was pushing that weedwhacker right up under the critter, it never moved.  It was a good ten minutes beforeI realized the poor thing was there. Once I did, I slowly moved back a bit as to not frighten it any more than I already had.  I felt bad as this must have been a pretty terrifying thing for the froggy!

  Turning off the machine and setting it aside, I decided to "apologize" for the disturbance.  Actually, that apology was more like a photo session but I did calmly talk to the frog.  Hopefully, it understood that I was after the weeds and not it!  Sometimes we all need to be reminded to check our surroundings before just plowing in.  I have a tendency to not do this.  In reality, however, it could save a life...a critter's...or even your own.  Had there been a cottonmouth hiding there instead of a frog, this might have been a different story altogether.  Folks, be careful and simply be aware of your surroundings.  That is always a good thing.  Happily, Froggy was none the worse for wear after this incident!

I AM worth it!

  Every now and again, we all need to be reminded that we ARE good enough.  Sometimes we get hammered down by the brutal reality of life and it seems that our inner feelings start to lag.  We ARE good enough.  In fact, we are beyond good enough.  We are perfect.  That perfection may be different with each of us but we are perfect in our own ways. 

  With everything that has been happening on the Bayou over the past year, my confidence was beginning to take a beating.  Stress from caring for ill family members and for ill and aging pets just about took its toll.  I was beginning to doubt my own self-worth.  Trust me when I say that is a hard thing to handle.  My remedy was to work myself into a frenzy with home renovations and yard work.  Then, that too, started to take a toll on this old body.  Something had to give.  While I could not take a break from the care-giving responsibilities, there had to be some easier way of stress relief other than my tried and true method of hard work.  It took the idea of a very dear friend to "plant" a bit of happiness.

  One day, this sweet friend mentioned that we should buy ourselves flowers.  While it was nice to receive flowers from others occasionally, buying them for ourselves could reconfirm our confidence.   I do not buy flowers so, instead, I picked.  I picked a bouquet of gardenias and stuck them in a vase. Well, that was done so why did I not feel better?  After doing a few chores, I walked back into the living room where the bouquet sat and immediately noticed how nice the room smelled.  That was nice.  Later, I returned to the room and noticed that the sun beaming through the window was highlighting the blooms.  That was nice.  Still later as I sat editing photographs, the flowers, once again, caught my attention and I thought of Tina, my sweet friend.  Yep, THAT was nice!  

  Those three things lifted my spirits even without much effort on my part.  While I did not buy my flowers, I had followed Tina's advice and had some just for me.  I was worth it!  The effect was pretty special so, today, I went out and picked another handful of gardenias.  If one bouquet lifted the spirits to any extent, perhaps I needed to repeat the process.  I think Tina is on to something here, folks.  Doing one small thing just for ourselves can make all the difference in the world.  It is important to take care of ourselves not only physically but also emotionally.  Tina, thanks for the advice!  A vase of flowers  each week can bring a lot of smiles.

Give Me Critter Friends...

  It is not that I have anything against people as friends but I do find that I get along much better with animals.  Critters do not participate in unnecessary drama.  They are nonjudgmental and do not just pretend to be your friend.   Either they like you or they do not.  Critters do not care if you wear outlandish clothing, have blue hair or dance to the beat of a different drummer as long as you do not beat that drum too loudly.  It is plain and simple.   If you are nice to them, chances are, they will be nice to you...or let you know rather quickly and clearly that they have no desire to be chummy.  I like that.  I have learned a lot from my critter friends and try to treat my people friends in a likewise manner.  I only wish other folks did the same.  

  One of my favorite friends on the Bayou lives deep in the marsh.  A little mama Clapper Rail makes her home near the pier and nests there each summer just like her mama did before her.  I watched this little one grow up to be the beauty she is today.  Her mama brought the entire brood of five chicks out to meet me when they were about a week old.  Since the older female passed, this one has taken over the nesting area.  She is just as sweet as her mother and brings her chicks out at an early age.  Like her mother before her, she has no fear of me.  

  Clapper Rails are about the size of a small chicken which gives them their common names.  Sometimes called Marsh Chickens or Marsh Hens, they do, indeed, share a strong resemblance.  Clapper Rails have one of the most recognizable calls of all marsh birds.  Theirs is a series of very loud "keks" which start off loudly then taper.  A breeding pair will, at times, blend their calls in what is appropriately called a duet.  The duets are often heard in the evening just before dark as the birds communicate with each other.  Clapper Rails are territorial especially when it comes to their nesting site.  Both will defend their nest rather aggressively but, considering the nest is in the marsh, that is to be expected.  Any number of predators also lurk there.

  This morning, the rail came out to visit.  She busied herself catching breakfast just a few feet from where I sat.  She was fully aware of my presence but was not concerned.  She knew she was with a friend.  She was not there to judge, to belittle or gather gossip.  She was there to have breakfast and enjoy a bit of company.  I loved every minute of our time together.