It has been ages....

   As saddening as it is, the old place is not what it used to be when we first built the Little Bayou House.  Then, the whole area was wooded with very few houses and those were the homes of family.  Now that lovely thing called progress has seen the wooded areas clear-cut and new houses built.  We do not know but a handful of our new neighbors on either side.  The Little Bayou House sits on one of the only pieces of ground that is still in its natural state.  The yard was cleared enough to plant gardens and fruit trees but the remaining property was left untouched.  The creek, marshes, boggy areas, and woods are all still intact and shall remain that way, if I have any say about it.

  With that clear-cutting came an influx of critters.  The poor animals had no place to go once their homes were literally smashed.  No one cared about the little ones that may have been in nests or dens.  More than once, babes were separated from their parents or just run over by tractors.  It broke my heart to hear their cries but there was nothing I could do but whisper a feeble prayer.  Without homes, the critters scrambled to the only area that offered refuge...our place.  Now, we are overrun with any and all critters.  This, in itself, has created problems.  Many went hungry and many fell to the over abundance of new predators.  Coyotes, bobcats, fox and raccoons all were in search of any food they could find.  The first three found easy prey in the numerous rabbits that had, at one time, led a peaceful life here.  Soon the rabbits were ravaged to the point of non-existence.  It has been ages since a rabbit has been seen on this entire hillside.

  I missed seeing the bunnies in the yard and even the gardens where they would nibble the cabbages.  I took it as a "sign of the times" and, even though I mourned the loss of bunnies, I dealt with it.  With that in mind, you can only imagine my elation in finding a single baby bunny this morning.  As I came off the pier, a slight movement caught my eye.  I was caught off-guard by the sight of the wee rabbit.  My heart flipflopped with joy!  If there is one baby, there has to be an adult pair!  Perhaps our bunnies are making a return!  

  It was not long, however, before the realization set in about the baby bunny's survival chances.  As I sat watching the tiny tot, I had a good talk with it about staying out of harm's way.  (Yes, I do talk with my bayou critter friends.)  I know the rabbit had no idea what the crazy woman was saying but it would occasionally look at me, cock its little head and look wistfully at me.  Oh, please...please let this bunny live.  I miss our rabbits so very much.  Stay safe, Little One, stay safe.

Marsh Mat Mulch

   So far, this has been a strange February.  The weather has not been particularly cold but has been somewhat wet and windy.  Normally, one thinks of "winter" winds being from the north and cool.  Not here.  Our wind has mainly been blowing from the southeast which makes for an unusual occurrence.  While the north winds blow the tide far from the shore and we have a lot of mudflats exposed, the southeast winds do just the opposite.  We have unusually high tides.  In fact, those wind-blown tides have rivaled any small tropical system.  This is very wearing on the marshes.

  This morning, my walk to the pier showed me just how rough the weather has been.  Neatly laid across the tops of the marsh grass were what I call "marsh mats". These mats are created by the high tide and large waves pulling dead marsh grass from around the roots and stacking it atop the living grasses.  The mats are about a foot deep in places and tightly woven.  A person could easily walk across the mats without ever worrying about the mud beneath.  This usually happens during the late summer and fall when tropical storms whip across the Gulf and enter the area.  

  While the mats do make great hiding places and eventually snug dens for many of the critters of the Bayou, I wish the stuff would wash into the yard.  Yeah, strange wish but I have my reasons.  These marsh mats, once cleaned of any trash, can be mulched.  That mulch has proven to be ideal for the gardens and I am in dire need of it around the cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli plants!  It involves a bit of work but the gardens would benefit greatly from the nutrients found in the ground up marsh.  (This brilliant idea of grinding and using the marsh as mulch came after Hurricane Zeta when we were inundated with debris.  I was using an old lawnmower to grind the debris line when a friend had the grand idea of using it as mulch.  It is amazing!  Nothing goes to waste!)  So...perhaps one of these "winter" storms could push this stuff a wee bit further in the yard...not far...just a wee bit??  Maybe?

The Pier is Complete! Thanks, Son!

   I am in hopes that the tropical systems in the Atlantic and Caribbean do not decide to come here.  We do not need a storm.  One year of peace would be most delightful especially since I am still clearing debris from past ones. The older I get...the longer it takes.  I am getting old.  It is taking forever to do what was simple at one time.  

  The fact that I do not wish to have the cleanup afterwards is only part of the reason that a storm is not welcome here.  When Hurricane Zeta poured out a heaping amount of chaos on the pier, we also lost the pier benches and fish-cleaning table.  Those, we never found.  I suppose someone inherited some quite handy items, if they are like us and reuse things.  Son repaired the pier but never had a chance to rebuild the "furniture".  He did just that this weekend.  A handsome, sturdy table and bench set now sits on the pier so all hurricanes are to be directed elsewhere for the time being.  I want to enjoy these pieces for a while before having to cart them back up the hillside.  Thankfully, Son has them bolted down to the pier planks so a minor storm will never move them.

  Sometimes, I feel as if I do not let Son know just how much I appreciate all he does around this place.  His project list is endless and I sort of keep tacking things on the bottom of that paper.  He just smirks and tells me that he will get to them soon.  Now...storms stay away so he can get more of these projects completed and not have to deal with your debris and damage!

Orange Butterflies and Autumn Dreams

   About this time every year, I begin to have a yearning for autumn.  I am tired of summer.  Autumn needs to hurry on its way and it needs to make everything instantly change...just for me.  I need red leaves.  I need cooler weather.  I need pumpkins!!!  There!  I said it!  Fall, where are you?

  This morning, I awoke to a certain briskness in the air.  A slight north wind played on the brain enough to send thoughts of Autumn arriving early this year.  Then, a butterfly decided that it would add its flair to the bucket.  A Gulf Fritillary alit on an orange zinnia and sat basking in the early morning sunlight.  The fritillaries do a migration for the winter months so come late summer or early fall here, and we start seeing masses of them.   Between these, the Monarchs and the Viceroys, the gardens appear to have orange flowers leaping from the stalks!  (For any who wish to plant gardens strictly to attract butterflies, I recommend planting zinnias.  Buy a pack of seeds from the local dollar store and you will have zinnias for life.  The seeds are easily dried and saved.)

  Back to my wish of an early autumn, that will all have to be a wait and see game.  One thing I have learned is that you can never change the weather or push the seasons, no matter how hard you try.  Still, that does not keep one from dreaming and I shall dream of cooler weather to come.

THAT is an herb garden!

  For the past few months, the gardens have fully been neglected.  Other obligations called my attention away from the weeding, tilling and planting.  We have no fall garden and will likely not see any fresh vegetables until next spring.  I feel guilty, in a way, but then, I feel too tired to fret over it much.  

  This afternoon, I took the old dog out for a slow stroll around the hillside.  He is not doing well and it is a struggle for him to walk much.  He does seem to enjoy the slow paced strolls with many rest stops along the way, however.  On one such rest, I piddled in the herb garden for a bit.  Chives are about the only thing that is thriving at the moment and, sad to say, I may regret the neglected patch come next spring.  As it is, I already have far too many chives, but each and every plant has gone to seed.  Thousands of seeds are being flipped to the ground with each breath of wind.  At this rate, the entire lawn will be chives soon enough.  Next spring will find me cutting chives instead of grass!

  On second thought, perhaps this overabundance of chives is not a bad thing!  Maybe my lackadaisical style of gardening has a bit of hidden wisdom!  Cutting the grass around here takes a good six hours of pushing a lawnmower and swinging the trimmer.  If the chives are allowed to grow where they may, my yard time may be cut a good deal!  Instead of mowing, I can leave the place be!  My reasoning?  I no longer have a lawn!  It is now an herb garden and we all know that you do not mow herbs!  Now, that is thinking ahead!

Golden Mornings

  Ok, so I admit that I am pushing things again.  It never fails that along about mid-July, I start missing fall and all of its beauty.  All thoughts turn to cooler days, early frosts and changing seasons. It is also the time that I start cajoling Son to haul down my fall decorations.  I am tired of not having the Little Bayou House festively decorated.  Thus, begins my "season" of holidays which lasts for about half the year.  This morning, Mother Nature encouraged the idea of a season change.  A slight northerly breeze brought with it a hint of things to come...golden mornings!  Come fall, the sunrises tend to be more magical.  A golden glow envelopes the entire Bayou which, in turn, sends the creative thoughts reeling.  

  While watching the sunrise turn the Bayou into even more of a mystical place, it occurred to me that these golden mornings should be an inspiration.  Each and every sunrise brings with it a new opportunity to start the day with a smile.  It is entirely up to us to keep that smile going throughout the day.  Frustrations can build but they cannot overcome us unless we let them. That said, it seems to me that my smile for the day is the thought of the arrival of fall...even though that is far from happening in reality.  Perhaps giving it a little shove will hasten its arrival! Wishful thinking....

  In the meantime, while we await the elusive season change, one can dream and enjoy these golden mornings.  The Bayou and all of its magic is at work again!