Something UGLY!

   I am not one to be overly squeamish of the odd things found around here on the Bayou.  There are some critters that I do prefer to avoid such as a cottonmouth, a tongue-eating louse and perhaps a few of the highly venomous spiders.  Other critters usually do not bother me...until...until today.  I found a couple of odd looking critters as I pulled the circulating pump from Puddle Pond.  Had I known these things were lurking among the hyacinths, you would have never caught me knee-deep in the water as I cleaned the pond during the summer months!  The water snake...fine.  These?  No way.

  When I pulled the pump from the pond, I noticed two flat critters stuck to the bottom. Uh, oh!  Even though I have never seen any before, I knew what these were...LEECHES!  Ugh!  Yeah, well...those things can go away...far away.  I am NOT a fan.  

  Now that I found two, it makes me wonder how they got in the little concrete pond, how many others are there and how do I get rid of them?  Perhaps, letting the pond sit dry for a few weeks would do the trick.  Since there are no fish in the pond (only frogs during the summer) and I am not afraid to put the hyacinths in the compost pile, a dry pond would pose no problem.  Bat, the cat, will have to find another source of water...like his drinking bowl!  

  As soon as this rainy season comes to an end, the pond will be drained!  I shall be leech-free!  The uglies will be gone....I hope!  Be gone, ugly leeches!  Be gone!

Ugly in the Bathtub!

  So it is not every day that I find a weird critter creepy-crawling around in the bathtub but, well, this evening handed me the ickiest thing alive, I do believe!  Late this evening, I decided that a nice hot shower may take off the chill I was feeling all day.  I pulled back the curtain to find...egad!...a SOMETHING!  Yep, there was something crawling around in the bottom of the tub but I was not sure just what this thing was!  It was about an inch and a quarter long, half inch wide and was so dark brown that it appeared black.  The critter was segmented, had sort of a tube like snout and apparently had no legs.  It was covered with a bunch of little hairs and it was CREEPY to the utmost degree!  Normally, I am not too freaked about critters but I was not about to touch this one! So...I first asked Hubby what he thought it was.  "No idea" and that was that.  Son was next.  What do you think this is?  "Ugly"  Well, at least, he and I agreed on that!  It definitely was ugly!  Son proceeded to photograph then exterminate the intruder.  (He is my hero!)  After the menfolk vacated the bathroom, I reluctantly showered.  I kept having the strange idea that another critter was going to find its way inside!

  We always photograph the unknown critters so they are easier to identify through research.  Identifying this critter was much simpler than some in the past.  This one was the maggot of a Black Soldier Fly.  The Black Soldier Fly resembles a small, black bee and does not sting nor bite.  It is only alive as an adult to do one thing..mate..then while away the time waiting to die.  Most of the Black Soldier Fly's life is spent in maggot form.  It seems that these maggots are not quite as disgusting as others that totally dine upon rotting flesh.  They actually are good composters which might account for its access to the bathtub.  This far down in the bayou, there are not city septic systems.  There are septic tanks and gray water catches.  (Gray water being the water from bathtubs, lavatories and kitchen sinks.  It is not the overly "dirty" water but the type that can be recycled into the ground safely.)  Our gray water catch is near the canebrake but also the compost pile.  It makes sense that the critter decided to take a journey up the drain...perhaps seeking a warm place to overwinter.  Nope!  Nope!! NOPE!!!  Sorry, maggot, you are not overwintering in my house!

  Now....a bit of information about the Black Soldier Fly Maggot.  Researchers are saying that these things might "save" the planet and humanity.  How?  Since they are composting machines that will eat anything organic, the maggots are being used to eliminate landfills.  This in itself would be enough for me but these same researchers are claiming that those fat maggots are a delicious source of protein. Again. Nope! Nope!! NOPE!!!  Science says that it takes less to raise a mountain of maggots than a herd of cattle.  Whew!  For a moment there, I thought they were going to tell me that I should plop the uglies in my salad or sandwich.  I am safe!  Due to medical reasons, I have not been able to eat meat (other than seafood) for the past three years!  Yippee!  The researchers can eat all the maggots they want!  Nope!  Nope!!  NOPE!!!

Something BIG! Something UGLY!

  The Bayou is full of surprises.  Some are good.  Some not so good.  Usually, I try to find some positive aspect about everything but, at times, there are things that just can't go there at all. It seems that the people on the other side of the Bay use the water as their personal dumping site.  With the south winds and change in tides, guess where all of that trash collects??  Yep, in the Bayou.  The way the Bayou is situated it is more or less like a giant funnel from the Bay.  As the tide rises, items wash into the nooks and crannies of each little pass.  They are shoved far to the back near the creek.  Then, when the tide falls, everything that has been washed in...stays in.  It collects in the marsh and becomes an eyesore for those of us used to the beauty of the place. 

  Recently, we had a stout wind from the southeast.  This pushed the tide up over the pier and washed tons of garage up into the marsh. I reach what I can.  Using a long handled scoop net, I try to retrieve any items that I can lift.  Some are just too large or are too far out of reach.  Nope.  I am not traipsing out into the marsh to fetch some garbage tossed by disrespectful people.  Years ago while spearheading a cleanup drive, my sister made signs that stated "Only trash litters".  It made sense to me and stuck in my head.  Only trash litter...trashy people toss their garbage into the water, on the sides of roads and in the woods.  Oh, come on, people!!!  Get real!  It cannot be that hard to find a garbage can.  

  The aforementioned wind and high tide brought in a strange looking piece of something.  I am not quite sure just what this barnacle-covered thing is but it sure is trashing up the marsh.  The "whatever" is far too large for me to scoop in my net and far to heavy for me to roll ashore using a rod.  Each time I near this area, I cringe at the thought of the "thing" staying there for eternity..or at least until the next hurricane.  Then...this item will most likely be tossed further up in the yard and wind up battering the house.  Not fun.  So..I will keep trying to think of a way to retrieve the thing short of traipsing out among the gators, snapping turtles and moccasins.  It is UGLY! And BIG!  A BIG UGLY thing tossed out by trashy people.

Its UGLY!

  I am one that tries to find the beauty in everything.  Sometimes, that loveliness can be quite hidden but after a bit of observation, it can be found.  It may not be an outward appearance sort of beauty but rather an inner beauty that becomes apparent.  Still, today, I found something UGLY!  I mean...UGLY. UGLY!  In fact, even though I sat and watched the critter for nigh on a half hour, I could not, for the life of me, find even a bit of attractiveness.  It was just ugly in so many ways.

  The critter that caught my attention today, has done so in the past, as well.  Usually, I become aware of the critter's presence when it bites me.  That is not fun.  Being bitten by something that eats the body organs of other critters sort of gives me the heebie-jeebies, to say the least.  A Cymothoa exigua or tongue-eating louse decided that my finger must taste mighty fine because it latched onto it and refused to let go.  I had caught minnows for Moe, the heron, and inadvertently picked up one that had the louse on it.  Ouch!  Those things hurt!  So, I had to study the critter for a bit....before I smashed it.

  The tongue-eating louse is a weird critter.  They are born as males and reside in the gills of certain fish (in today's case, menhaden).  They grow by feeding on tidbits of what the fish eats.  Once they become full grown, some have the ability to change sexes to become a females.  (The one today was definitely a female and I will explain that later.)   Weird...but it gets weirder!  Once the guy becomes a gal, she crawls up from the gills to the throat of the host fish and latches onto the tongue.  She makes a small incision in the base of the tongue and starts to drink the blood.  This causes the fish's tongue to dry up and fall off but the story does not end there!  The evil-hearted louse remains latched onto the stub of a tongue and literally becomes a working organ of the fish.  The louse acts as a tongue and feeds upon whatever the fish eats.

  Now that female is full grown and has her funky little "home" and a steady job, those lackadaisical males that are left in the gills, decide to mate with her so this whole scene can be repeated.  Once she becomes pregnant, she eats to support her growing body until it is time to give birth.  She gives birth to a bunch of little male critters that climb into the gills of the fish.   In the case of my critter, she was definitely a female.  If you look closely at her extended belly, you can actually see her babies through the stretched skin.  She was getting ready to give birth!  No matter what, you cannot tell me there is beauty within that critter!  It bites!  It eats tongues!  It is just down right ugly!!