Have you ever noticed that being in the right place at the right time can afford you some pretty remarkable sights? Take, for instance, this evening my sweet sister-in-law called me to check out the gorgeous triple rainbow. Well, being as she is on one side of the Bay and I on the other, I could not see that rainbow. I figured it was for the viewing pleasure of the folks over that way. I was not disappointed, however, since it gave her some much needed enjoyment.
The other morning, I was out hiking just at sunrise. The path I chose took me right along the marsh edge under the large oak trees. Just as I was making a turn to head toward the creek, a bright bit of glittery red caught my eye. Mother Nature had left her jewelry dangling on a shrub in the marsh. The beads had evidently been there all night since they were covered with dew. The sunbeams coming up over the pines caught the prism-like dewdrops and made the beads glisten at their brightest. Thank you, Mother Nature for leaving your precious jewels out so I could catch a quick glimpse of them!
The beads were none other than the bright red berries of the yaupon tree. Right now, they are about the only thing of brilliant color left on the marsh. The yaupon trees do not mind their roots being in the brackish waters. They set thousands of berries that will eventually be feasted upon by the cedar waxwings that come to visit the area. In a matter of hours, every berry in the marsh, creek and on the hillside will be eaten. The hungry birds will fill their bellies after a long migratory flight. They come here in search of food and will not be disappointed. Mother Nature provides for all....food for the birds and beauty for my viewing pleasure.
This morning's sun was completely blocked by a thick blanket of fog. A total whiteout of calm had taken over the Bayou after the severe weather that had ravaged the area last night. Once again, high winds, hail and torrential rains pelted the Little Bayou House but, once again, it held strong and kept us safe. The fog brought with it peace.
The morning hike served as a good time to reflect on things as nothing could be seen further than about twenty feet ahead. The footsteps were soft on the wet leaves and drips could be heard echoing through the woods. Once on the pier, things felt strange. Calls from mergansers and geese were the only things that broke the stillness. The damp air over the Bay proved to be too much for my light jacket so I headed back to the woods. There, the overhanging branches provided at least some shelter.
It was here that I found spiderwebs suspended between the branches of many of the low lying branches. As usual, the simplest things enthrall me. Each web was strung with droplets of water that had accumulated overnight. These droplets sparkled like jewels even in the low light beneath the canopy of tree limbs. The strength of the thin webs was remarkable. Even with dozens and dozens of droplets on a strand, the web held. Yet, with the whisper of a breeze or the gentlest of touch, the droplets would shower down to the ground like pearls from a broken necklace. The web held yet the jewels fell and were broken into a thousand pieces. I was in deep thought about the spiderwebs when the sudden bark of a coyote sent my thoughts whirling back into reality. Time to head back closer to the house.
Have you ever been outside just wandering about on some early morn when all of a sudden you spy something glimmering in a tree? It can be a sparkly dot way up in a tree top or a bit of brilliance in a bush but whatever it is, it is definitely eye-catching! Well, I will ease your mind as to what you saw! It was the elusive "tree jewel"! I should know. I see them all the time here on the Bayou. Well, almost all of the time..rather, only on foggy morns. The conditions have to be just right to find the tree jewels. I have found that the jewels are more apt to be seen after a night of heavy fog and when the sun is just rising in the east. Sparkles can be seen nigh on every branch but they are most unattainable. The sparkling jewels seem to fade away just about the time you think you have honed in on their position.
This morning, the tree jewels were out in full force. I was at the garden gate waiting on Ms. Ez to come back from her morning business when I first saw the things. A large one was just to my left and a bit above the five foot tall garden fence. I figured that I had time to rush in and grab the camera before the thing lost its luster. Once I photographed the shimmery bit, I eased forward a bit but instantly lost sight of my jewel. Rats! Where did that thing go?
My tree jewels are none other that bits of spiderwebbing that have caught hold of tiny droplets of water from the fog. Once the sun breaks through the fog, it hits the water droplets causing them to gleam like gemstones. This morning's jewel was more like a graceful bejeweled chandelier! A spider had carefully spun its gossamer web around a cluster of leaves on the end of a long twig. Dangling far down from the oak tree, the spiderweb chandelier sparkled brilliantly! Its beautiful, beaded strands sparkled with every light beam that struck it. Wow! The beauty of nature is most awe-inspiring. Perhaps on the next foggy morn, you should traipse outdoors and find your own tree jewels or maybe even an entire bejeweled chandelier!
