The After Effects

  The storm last night left little to the imagination as to what the wind was doing.  Here on the Bayou, not only to we feel the direct effect of the wind but we also deal with "wind-driven water".   High winds can push water up into the Bay and, consequently, the Bayou.  If a storm hits the area during high tide, the result is an exceedingly "high" tide or one that is well above normal.  Last night, the tide was predicted to be reach its peak at around midnight so the storm was right on schedule to make for some deep water.  This was all fine and dandy, though, since Son had checked the moorings on the old skiff and hauled benches and fishing gear up the hill.  There was not a lot that a bit of water could hurt.  Our pier held fast while some of the neighbors could be heard replacing planks early this morning.  It is always a job to secure the planks that get banged off the pier by the pounding waves.  If owners wish to reclaim their boards, they have to be out early to do so.  The same tide that brought the boards into shore will gladly take them right back out again...only this time, the boards will just keep on floating.   

Storm clouds leaving the Bayou this morning!  

   Storms that come in from the Gulf have a great habit of seeing a wind change late in the game.  Usually, it is the back side of the storm system that shifts the winds into the opposite direction.  Hurricanes swirl in a great circle so if you are some of the unfortunate, you catch both sides of that circle.  Wind directions can do an about face in the middle of the storm.  Then, with these winter storms, the wind blasts in doing its damage but then shifts usually to come from the north after the initial storm passes.  The first winds, if they are from the south, bring bunches of water....once the winds shift from the north, that water is pushed far out from the shore.  That was the case this morning. Once the winds shifted, the water was quickly pushed out into the Gulf.  The same tide that was high at the most inopportune time during the storm changed to a low tide during the wind shift.  This made the lack of water even more noticeable.  

  Have you ever wondered just what was under all that murky Bayou water?  Well, it is times like today that can give us a good view of what stays hidden at other times.  Now I know what snags my line or hangs up my fishing net.  Logs of all sorts have washed into the area.  Mark usually makes a grand sweep of the place during low tide so we do not have many snags but each year, another mess either wash in or are uncovered by the tides.  From the looks of it, he has his work cut out for him again.  These extremely low tides make it easy to see just what needs cleaning!

A Wee Bit of a Storm!

  Living on the Bayou, we get our share of hurricanes and tropical storms.  This is not unusual in the least.  What is unusual is the storm that whipped in here yesterday evening and spent the night with us. This thing was crazy!  Today was a bit calmer in the afternoon but the morning was just about as severe as last night.  Our tide still has not subsided and occasionally gusts of wind rattle the windows.  The strangeness of the storm is that none of us were expecting it to amount to a hill of beans!  This is the remnants of that huge storm that slammed Mexico a couple of days ago.  It moved across Texas and then ventured our way.  Still nothing unusual except that it pulled copious amounts of moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico and dumped it on top of us.  Rain is good, though, as we were nearing drought conditions.  Folks here can deal with a bit of a storm if it brings the moisture needed to help our gardens survive.  Although, the winds whipped about the place, other than a few small limbs being blown down, nothing was damaged.  Even our clue hunt "Fortune Teller's" tent held tight and did not even leak! This was one of my main worries as we have two runnings of the hunt this weekend.  It would have been ruinous had the tent been capsized! Erecting a new tent would meant a bit of scrambling for Son and me. We did have the foresight to secure the tent with ropes prior the storm's approach.  

Our pier just after the tide and winds subsided a bit.

Looking west I could see that my brother's pier was completely underwater. 

  All night long the wind blew and made the windows rattle and also made the old cat, Ms. Put, nervous.  The Bayou Queen slept inside for the first time in many nights.  Her presence was welcome on this blustery night. Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, insisted on sleeping on the porch rail regardless of the rain.  I have never seen such a thing as a cat that doesn't mind a pouring rain!  Several times, I tried to coax her inside but she was not having any part of that idea.  This morning, the goofy cat was soaking wet but a happy camper.  She was none the worse for wear and seemed a bit smug that she had succeeded in getting her way.   Whatever.

  Lets hope that this peculiar bit of squally weather is the last we shall see of "Patricia" and of the weird weather that comes with El Nino.  Go away.  I am not fond of you.