Meandering about the hillside, you just never know what you may find. What was not there yesterday can easily pop up today. That is what makes hiking interesting. The small oddities that seemingly appear out of thin air get you to asking how? And why? And where? Some of the finds are pretty but others are creepy. Then, there are those that are downright confusing.
The hike this afternoon led me down behind the greenhouse where there is a large black gum tree that has seen better days. The tree has been battered by many hurricanes and has the battle scars to prove it. Some of those scars left gaping holes. Many critters take advantage of the holes to provide housing for their little ones. Nests are built inside the holes and are usually lined with leaves and soft grasses. Today, however, it was in one of those holes, way up in the top of the tree, that my bewildering find was made.
About thirty feet up the tree, there is a hole that obviously houses a critter of some sort. I could see that the hole has been recently occupied because a tumble of contents was extending beyond the opening. It was one of those "contents" that left me scratching my head. Slightly protruding from the "door" of the nest was a plastic water bottle. How in the world did the critter get that bottle up in the tree? Why in the world would it want a plastic bottle in its nest? And...what type critter would even consider the idea of toting it all the way up there? It was baffling, to say the least, but there it was.
I have yet to figure out this latest "Mystery of the Bayou" but I am intrigued enough to keep watch on the hole. Perhaps one day, I will spy the critter and, at least, answer the "who" question. Some critter has a lot of determination, that is for sure!
With spring bursting at the seams with its floral display, one cannot help but be totally enchanted by the change that has taken place. Just a couple of weeks ago, the place was that drab "winter" brown with dead leaves on the ground and bare trees. Then, Lady Spring made her entrance and adorned every branch with either a blossom or a budding leaf. The look is magnificent!
Down near the canebrake, the old peach orchard still has a few trees struggling to flourish. Tree borers killed a good many of the trees during an off season when we were not diligent about protecting them Now a few linger and, perhaps with our efforts, can survive. Lady Spring made sure we would not forget the trees again this year. The few remaining trees are covered with the largest, healthiest blooms possible! Maybe our efforts are succeeding. Now, if I can only keep the squirrels, coons and deer out of the fruit trees, I will be happy!
Speaking of peach tree borers, I am beginning to wonder if I should have heeded Pop's advice. Back on the farm, he never had a problem after he began the "fix". Pop did not mind trying unusual methods to remedy problems. For the borers, he planted garlic around each tree. Supposedly, the larvae do not like garlic. When they make that trek from the soil to the tree trunk, they are hesitant to pass through the garlic cloves. I figure this is worth a shot! I have plenty of garlic to plant. Also, to help with worms in the peaches, he used to hang a simple bottle of water in each tree. I am not sure how this helped but I never remember biting into a worm when eating a peach. Again, this may be worth trying. For now, I will enjoy the beauty. Tomorrow, I plant garlic.
