Little White Violet

   Before the rains set in for the next few days, I rose early to do outside chores.  It was just after daybreak that you could find me in the gardens.  It was a morning of rushing around preparing everything for the torrential downpours and strong winds that were predicted to slam us.  The Bayou sees all sorts of weather but, here lately, it seems we are getting more than our share of wind.  This system has us all on alert for the possibility of tornadoes.  Still, gardens do not wait on weather nor laziness.  So, chores were hurriedly done in hopes for the best.

  At one point, my tasks took me to the citrus trees.  It was there that I found my tiny bright spot of the morning.  Underneath one of the satsuma trees was a wee white violet!  Oh, my!  I had to fall upon my knees to cherish this moment as it is not often that I come across the white violets.  Mom always used to love these tiny flowers and often told how they were "rare" finds.  I am not sure if that is even a thing but it is "rare" that I find them here on the Bayou.

  After photographing the bloom (which was difficult because the rains had started), I gently touched the petals and thanked the little plant for bringing such happiness and many memories.  It does not take much, folks.  Happiness can, indeed, be found in the little things.

Warning! Critter Alert!

  My yard work is in full swing!  Well, maybe I overdid it a bit today since that goofy knee is being rude again but a lot was accomplished!  Perhaps, tomorrow I shall rest.  Probably not but, at best, I will have to hobble about the place.  Today, however, things went smoothly.  The idea was to rake where I cut yesterday and to burn the leaves in the enclosed burn bin.  That never happened.  I raked.  I hauled.  Then, Son hauled...and hauled.  He did not complain since we had good reason for not using the burn bin.  It would have been cruel.

  The early morning raking uncovered a sweet baby turtle.  This was the tiniest thing ever and oh, so cute!  That cuteness overload got me to thinking.  If there was one baby turtle hiding in the leaves, how many more were there and just unseen?  Oh, no!!  A burn ban was self posted and the burn bin sat cold.  Nary a wisp of smoke arose above the Little Bayou House.  Instead, forty some odd times, the wheelbarrow was loaded and hauled to the back of the property.  If a baby turtle or any other critter was inadvertently raked and scooped, it was moved to safety.  There the little critters had a fighting chance to survive and not suffer an agonizing death by fire.

  So, head's up, folks!  While springtime gets us all antsy about making the yard look nice, please be on critter alert!  Be nice to those little tykes hiding in the leaves.  The leaves and yard debris provides a nice safe place for the babies to grow.  They blend well and can hide from predators like coons, cats, snakes, crows and even squirrels!  

  The little turtle that was uncovered was put back in the same area where I uncovered it right after the photograph was taken.  A large mound of leaves was scattered back out over the turtle to provide the coverage it sought in the first place.  I figure that I can always go back and clean that spot after the little tyke grows a bit and goes on its merry way.  Hopefully, the turtle will survive and learn that this crazy old lady meant it no harm.  Perhaps, it will decide the yard is a pretty nice place to live. 

Now, we're talking!

  The old dog had enough energy to walk with me to the back part of the property.  His wobbly legs made this a slow-paced walk but it gave me plenty of time to photograph things along the way.  Near the small pump shed, there is a scraggly (for most of the year) shrub that always brightens my day during this time of year.  The American Beautyberry is one of my favorites!  During the winter months, the stalks sit bare and dry but come spring, it burst forth with bright green leaves.  In the beginning of summer, those stalks start showing some nondescript clusters of tiny flowers.  Being as they are the palest of pinks and well hidden beneath the large leaves, the blooms often go unnoticed.  Later, those tiny blooms drop and the brightest violet berries take their place.  It is those berries that claim all the glory for the shrub!  Also, it is those berries that bring my smiles.

  Although the calendar says that fall has not arrived as of yet, I do believe it is here!  The American Beautyberry says it is so it must be true.  The shrub would not lie!  By all accounts, the shrub's berries ripen in the fall so fall it is.  I am ready!  These berries are an important food source for many of the birds on the Bayou.  Back when I was just a tyke running barefoot on the farm, Pop told me the bush was a "Turkey Berry" bush so the name stuck.  It makes sense.  Turkeys love the berries and Pop would often scout out the heaviest laden shrub.  Then, just about Thanksgiving, he would quietly sit near the bush and wait.  If a turkey happened to come dine upon the berries, we had a grand Thanksgiving dinner!  

  Now, however, the shrubs are left as landscape beauties.  Turkeys can freely dine upon them along with the many other birds.  My happiness lies purely in the fact that summer is coming to an end and fall is on its way....according to the American Beautyberry shrub.  Now, we're talking!  Fall...yes, please!

"A rose by any other name....."

I was out wandering around the garden the other day and a thought popped into my head about the names given to different flowers. Some have very forthright names that make a lot of sense..like Sunflower. It is quite easy to see just why this bloom is named after the sun...it is yellow, after all, and the blossom does "follow" the sun. During the day, the head of this flower will actually turn to face the sun. But then there are some that have weird names. Take the Toad Lily..it is a beautiful flower with a quite...well..not so beautiful name (unless you really like toads!). I guess it goes back to that Notable-Person-in-Charge-of-Naming-Plants, whoever that may be.

All this thinking soon led to a few more random thoughts and as I meandered through the gardens, I started pondering how some people are named after flowers! Mostly ladies have these names bestowed on them but still, there are a few guys that are named after plants. Basil comes to mind as a rather manly name but I also met a Sorrel, once. Daisy, Rose, Iris all seem to have been popular years ago and are now making a comeback in the baby-naming trends. Lily, Jasmine, Violet and Pansy have been always been used as names for little girls and now I hear that Calla, Dahlia, Camellia and Amaryllis are gaining popularity. One flower name that used to be quite the rage but that has fallen from grace is Petunia. (Ever since a certain cartoon pig was called by that handle, it would be a rare instance that anyone would tack that to their little girl!)

Those are all beautiful names and I truly would not mind being called by any of them had my parents felt the need to name me after a flower. At least, all of those are lovely and bring to mind a free-spirited, little sprite! Yes, I would have been A-OK with being dubbed a floral name as long as it was not something like...Toad Lily..or Spiderwort...or Scabiosa! Nope..that would not have been acceptable and might have called for a name-change!