A couple of days ago, Tropical Storm Olga decided that we need a bit of stirring up. Perhaps we were getting complacent and she thought it best to visit. Yes, I know the storm supposedly went in west of here but tell that to the Bayou. Things were rockin' and rollin' for a short while. Other than ripping boards from the pier and bringing a few limbs down, the storm did little damage . What it did do was clean the marsh.
The nutria rats adore munching marsh roots. So much so that they eat entire flats. The marsh grass, itself, is laid to the wayside. Since no one is going to go rake the marsh, the dead reeds become entangled in the live plants and start getting things totally clogged. It takes a bit of high tide and gusty winds to clean the place a bit. This is good as it also brings in any trash that thoughtless people toss in the water. It is a bad thing as that all winds up in my front yard.
This afternoon while I was on the pier checking how many planks were lost, I noticed the huge mounds of dead marsh grass that had been tossed and turned by the storm. These "mats" will house a lot of critters this winter. The thatched roofs will provide protection and warmth for snakes, otters, spiders, shorebirds, nutrias and, of course, mice and rats. A myriad of other critters will call the mats home, as well. What the nutrias started by trimming the marsh, the storm finished by transforming the chaff into tightly woven mats. Rather neat when you think about it. Mother Nature's got this!
It had been the perfect night for sleeping. The old dog was snoring on his bed, the cat was snoozing near my feet and it was raining. The soft thunder in the distance and the pelting of raindrops on the rooftop helped me to drift off into a deep slumber. A good storm can always relax me so I got some much needed rest.
Then along about 4am, a loud crash woke me. Something had smacked the side of the house! It was then that I realized that the wind was literally howling at the french doors. Whoa! The tropical system that was stirring about in the Gulf had decided to move ashore. Even though, Olga went in to our west, we got a bit of the high tides and strong winds.
The storm did some slight damage to the pier but, other than the limb hitting the house, everything is good. This one just sort of caught us off guard. Son and I had pulled up the small skiff and had hauled the fishing gear up from the pier so there were no worries. At daybreak, he and I headed down to retrieve the pier boards that were being ripped off. Some we found. Others floated off to parts unknown.
Storms like these keep us on our toes and make us realize just how small and insignificant we really are. Things can change in a heartbeat with no warning, It is best to use time wisely.
