Miniscule Work of Art!

   I am one that wanders aimlessly about the property purely engrossed in the miracles that surround me. The early morning hikes that start before dawn on the pier then wind around behind the greenhouse and canebrake are always full of surprises.  At this age, I should be amazed simply by the fact that there are still things that can surprise me but, come to find out, Mother Nature always has something new up her sleeve.  It is grand.

  This morning's pier time found me mesmerized by the workings of a tiny creature.  The critter in question was a wee spider that had spun her web on a pier post.  A single, bent nail provided support for her upper strand and the web stretched from there to the post.  The web was perfect!  Added to that perfection were the jewel-like droplets from the light sprinkling of rain over the Bayou last night.  Teeny, tiny spider did not catch much for her breakfast but her web was surely an extravagant thing of beauty!

  The strength of the web, even from a spider this tiny, was astounding.  In proportion, the weight of the water droplets had to be extraordinary but most of the web was intact.  The few broken strands were most likely caused by the rough wind or from a large insect before the misting rain occurred.  Since webs are spun purely as a means of catching food, I often wonder if a spider ever sits back and admires her work of art.  If not...she should.  Humans only wish we could do half as good.  I am now going to make an effort to check on Teeny Spider with each trip to the pier.  She deserves the admiration.

Lost in a Surreal World

  This morning's sun was completely blocked by a thick blanket of fog.  A total whiteout of calm had taken over the Bayou after the severe weather that had ravaged the area last night. Once again, high winds, hail and torrential rains pelted the Little Bayou House but, once again, it held strong and kept us safe.  The fog brought with it peace.

  The morning hike served as a good time to reflect on things as nothing could be seen further than about twenty feet ahead.  The footsteps were soft on the wet leaves and drips could be heard echoing through the woods.  Once on the pier, things felt strange.  Calls from mergansers and geese were the only things that broke the stillness.  The damp air over the Bay proved to be too much for my light jacket so I headed back to the woods.  There, the overhanging branches provided at least some shelter.

  It was here that I found spiderwebs suspended between the branches of many of the low lying branches. As usual, the simplest things enthrall me.  Each web was strung with droplets of water that had accumulated overnight.  These droplets sparkled like jewels even in the low light beneath the canopy of tree limbs.  The strength of the thin webs was remarkable.  Even with dozens and dozens of droplets on a strand, the web held.  Yet, with the whisper of a breeze or the gentlest of touch, the droplets would shower down to the ground like pearls from a broken necklace.  The web held yet the jewels fell and were broken into a thousand pieces. I was in deep thought about the spiderwebs when the sudden bark of a coyote sent my thoughts whirling back into reality.  Time to head back closer to the house.