Now, They've Done It!

  Well, I normally claim that animals are far smarter than humans.  Critters have a natural survival instinct that does not leave them time to meddle in other's affairs.  They do their thing and let others do theirs.  That is the way things should be but humans always have to be nosy....and bossy....and greedy.  Critters have got it down pat...at least, some do.

  Along about mid-morning, I thought it wise to bring Son a cooling drink as he had been working on the pier again.  It is hot work and I can no longer help him.  He was appreciative and as I was waiting to fetch his glass back up the hillside, I noticed something amiss.  Thousands of hickory nuts were strewn across the lower section of the yard.  Odd! Hickory nuts should not be falling for a few months yet and we had no storms to knock them from the trees.  This was a mystery that required investigating.  I assured Son that I would not venture too far and set off on my mystery-solving party.

  As near as I can tell, the nuts were knocked down by hungry critters whether raccoons or squirrels (or both)!  It appeared that some of the nuts had the green outer shell gnawed a bit before being discarded. Obviously, the green nuts were not as tasty as the critters had thought but they were determined to find a "good" one so they kept trying and discarding.  Now, they have done it!  With the nuts knocked to the ground, they will not be fully matured.  The meat inside will wither and dry.  The critters' winter supply is going to be short.   In fact, even the nuts on the ground will be gone by then.  Tomorrow, I shall gather them and store these fine things for winter.  They will not be used as food but as fuel for the old cast iron stove.  Once hot, the hickory nuts last a long time and put out good heat.  Sorry, critters...your loss is my gain!

Cleaning House

  The rains kept me housebound today so there was no hiking about the hillside.  My outdoor time was minimal.  I would step out the door just long enough to grab another armload of firewood for the old woodstove.  It was doing a fine job ob keeping the chill away but needed stoking often.  I was certainly glad that I had the opportunity to take a leisurely stroll yesterday because I would be a fine mess of stir-craziness today had I not.  Instead, I baked, wrapped gifts and cleaned house in preparation of Christmas.

  Yesterday, someone else was busy cleaning house.  A quick flutter in top of the old black gum tree told me that the red-bellied woodpecker was quite busy.  Without stopping to acknowledge my presence, the bird worked on her nesting hole.  No, she is not planning on having a brood any time soon but is clearing out and preparing her site for herself.  She will spend the cold, wintry nights bedded down in the snug nest.  Yesterday, she was pulling out old nesting material, hammering a new escape route and making general repairs to her hole.  New grasses, mosses and leaves were being brought in to line her own little home.  She was preparing her "she-shed" for the winter.  Come spring, if she decides to reuse the same hole, she will, once again, gut the inside and rebuild her nest.  Everything will be tossed as she remodels!  Out with the old and in with the new!

  I watched for a bit and thought of how thankful I am that this bird will have a snug, cozy nest to sleep in during the winter months.  With the cold rains of today and tomorrow, I am sure she is thankful as well.  A little work on her part will keep her well protected.

The "Snake House"

  Early this afternoon, there was a great need for me to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House.  While I love my little place, sometimes, the "great outdoors" calls and I have to heed its beckoning.  It is never a good idea to not bend to the whims of Mother Nature.  Since the plants in the greenhouse needed watering, I figured that would be a grand excuse.  When I finished watering, I could mosey around to my heart's content before heading back inside to chores.  

   It did not take much further than the back steps to find something interesting.  Of course, Son always claims that I am easily amused so, perhaps, others would not have been so enthused about my find.  It seems that I have a snake living under my steps!  A tiny black racer was out basking in the warm sunshine after a freezing night.  The little rascal was as thin as a lead pencil and only about fifteen inches in length.  The sighting was enough to cause me to drop to my knees and spend the next half hour photographing (and talking with) the little snake.  At one point, Son came outside to find me having a full-blown conversation with what he assumed was a pile of leaves.  It took me only a few seconds to point out his blundering ways!  There was, indeed, a very likable creature receiving my words!   Next thing I knew, Son was on his knees, too!  He has as much interest and liking for these fine critters!  "I would love to see this little guy hang around." was Son's remark about my new found friend.

  The tiny snake was most likely hatched late this summer or early fall and was hoping that it had found a safe and warm place to spend the brunt of the winter.  The old wooden steps form a perfect nook for the little one to bed down during the cold nights so I was really happy to see it slither back under after its sunbathing time was over.  The snake should be relatively safe there from any predators and it will have a ready supply of foodstuffs as I have a tendency of tossing small scraps out the back door to fertilize the pear trees on either side of the steps.  Any number of slugs, snails, bugs and lizards can be found there daily.  On warm days, the snake will not have far to wander to get its belly full!  It sounds as if I may have a very smart snake taking up residency under the back steps!  Sounds good to me!  I think I am in love with this little snaky!  (And, yes, I really did climb under the house to get the photograph of Snaky Friend in his abode!)

I Love Wintertime!

  Summer has descended upon us like a ton of bricks.  Our weather is hot..puredee HOT..more like July or August hot..not May or June hot.  Factor in the high humidity and it is almost stifling. Even the air conditioner cannot keep the Little Bayou House cool so there is not much to do other than pull a rocking chair up to the screen door, grab a glass of lemonade or sweet tea and hope the breeze is coming over the Bay.  After the chores are completed, that is usually where you will find Mr. PJ (the old dog) and me.  We try to find the coolest spot while he enjoys a treat of cold watermelon and I have my cooling drink.

  This is all fine and dandy for the two of us but just imagine being a long-haired, black cat during a heatwave such as this!  Poor Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, is suffering.  Since she is most insistent on staying outside during the day, she has derived her own ways of keeping cool. On several occasions the cat has actually taken a dip in the Frog Pond.  Once she is soaking wet, she sprawls under a shade tree and naps.  This method works well except it does cause matting which means getting a haircut and that is not something she likes.  Her other method of cooling is to simply lounge on the lawn furniture with her belly facing upwards.  The cat will let the cooling breezes waft over her underside.  The only downside to this is that the chairs are near the bird feeders so the impertinent squirrels rarely let the cat rest.  

  The weather forecast for the upcoming weekend calls for even more heat.  Our temperatures are predicted to be in the high 90s with heat index well above 100 degrees.  That will be a tad uncomfortable for all of us.  It is just too early for this heat!!  I think winter needs to hurry along its way!