Mushy Wood...Mushy Brain

   For the life of me, I cannot think of what type tree floated up in the hurricane debris.  I should know this.  I do know this.  Only I don't know this.  The log is of a tree that was leafless before Hurricane Zeta deposited it on our property so that is of no help.  What I do know is that the wood has a dark orange layer just beneath the bark.  This layer is about an inch thick and peels off rather easily.  I am no botanist and I do not even know the names of the layers but it is just below the bark.  What makes it interesting is that the entire log is so soft that you can literally put your fingers right through it.   Granted that is probably due to deterioration but should this be happening in a matter of months?  I can reach down and pull huge chunks of the log off with no effort.  This does not sound like a very sturdy tree.  No wonder it fell to the storm.  

  Mark actually cut the log in firewood sized pieces for Son to split.  While the thought was good, the wood is not.  There is no possible way to haul it to the fireplace!  It falls apart!  Basically, I would need a shovel and bucket to get it inside the Little Bayou House.  Then, I am not overly sure of whether I should even burn the stuff!  

  So...if anyone has a clue of the identity of this tree by using a photo of one piece, let me hear from you.  I really should recognize this.  I guess the brain has not fully healed yet as I had hoped.

 

The Bayou Serpent!

   There are a lot of weird critters that live in the marsh and waters of the Bayou.  While crabs, shorebirds and fish are all easily recognized, some of the other critters throw me for a loop.  I have several "experts" to turn to in these instances, so all is well.  Still, when I am on the pier at the crack of dawn with no other human in sight and a weird critter pokes its head out of the water to take a look at me, it can get downright creepy!  

  This happened the other morning.  Mr. PJ (the old dog) had opted to stay inside so I went alone.  Without his noise-making, the wild critters continued their hunt for breakfast.  The snapping turtle eyed me cautiously, the otter mom barked furiously at me and the heron came on to breakfast.  It was a good morning for critter-watching!  However...

  As I was preparing to throw the net to catch bait, a dark "head" bobbled from beneath the water.  With the sun not yet bright enough to shed light on my unknown "critter", I thought it best to wait on that net casting.  The critter that was eyeing me with two beady knobs atop its head may not appreciate being caught.  I figured the best thing to do would be wait and watch.  The "critter" submerged again and the surfaced nearer the pier.  Now that the sun was brighter and the unknown thing was closer, I had to giggle.  My critter was not a critter at all!  It was a snail encrusted chunk of a palm tree!  As the waves bobbled the wannabe sea serpent on under the pier, I could make out that it was two knots on the wood that appeared to be eyes peering at me through the darkness!  Goodness!  My imagination does run wild sometimes!

  Oh, the things I find on this Bayou!  While it may have been exciting to find a new critter, I am rather glad that this was not one!  Or, at least, let me find something weird only when someone else is on the pier with me.  No one would ever believe me, otherwise!

Disturbing Their Winter Slumber

  Some critters have the right idea.  They find a snug spot to overwinter so they do not have to deal with the cold weather.  I am contemplating if that would not be the happiest thing for all of us to do.  Burrow down under a thick, cozy blanket and stay there for the duration of the cold months.  While the rest of us try to stay as warm as we can, the "smart" ones snooze soundly or at least keep movements to a minimum.  Personally, I get "cabin fever" and have to get outside no matter the weather.  Ice covered grounds cannot be more treacherous than hurricanes and I have ventured out in them both.

  This morning while we were out cutting firewood, Son brought my attention to a whole nest of carpenter ants that had their snoozing time cut short...literally. Mark had cut a dead mimosa tree and Son and I hauled it to the back where the log splitter sat.  No axe for me this time!  In the logs that Son was splitting, an intricate maze of tunnels had been gnawed and in these tunnels, the ants had stored food.  The ants then climbed in with the first cool spell and were planning on staying for the duration of winter.  Our wood-cutting brought an abrupt halt to that plan as now the ants were exposed to the icy air of the morning.  I am sure that they were not too happy about their new circumstances but being sluggish from the cold, there was not much they could do.  After Son finished  splitting the wood and I had hauled the "clean" cuts to the woodpile, the remainder bug-infested logs sat in a pile.  It seemed a smart move not to stack those with the others.  

  About an hour after we finished work, I noticed that several birds were happily feasting upon the exposed insects.  At least something was happy to see the critters!  Hopefully, the birds will clean the logs so I won't tote any ants inside the Little Bayou House.

Taking it in my own hands!

  Word is around here that a cold spell will be hitting us tomorrow night. This is supposed to drop our temperature to near twenty degrees.  That is cold enough for me but add in that wind chill and it will be far less. We are to experience twenty to twenty-five mph winds.  That should drop our temperatures down into single digits.  Some folks would laugh at my saying this is cold but for this Southern gal, it is COLD!  I do, indeed, like winter and I am far from complaining but, still, I figure that I needed to do a bit of preparing for this bit of icy air.

  With Mark on the road and Michael ill with an earache, I took it upon myself to cut some firewood. My brother-in-law and sister had cut some small trees from their property a few weeks back and they were kind enough to drop a load of the wood here since they do not have a fireplace.  The wood, however, was in far too long of lengths for our little wood stoves so a bit of cutting was in order.  No problem!  Son did feel well enough to set up the saw for me but could not tolerate the noise.  My work was a bit unconventional but quite successful.  I used Mark's electric chop saw!  It worked delightfully well and was far easier than using the chainsaw for pieces already cut in two to three feet lengths.  It did not take me long to have the wood bins filled and enough left to fill the wheelbarrow as extra.  Tomorrow, I will find any that needs splitting and give that a whack!  (hehehe...notice the pun?  Clever!)  

  None of this is new to me.  I am no stranger to using saws and axes.  I grew up working with these tools so have the experience.   It has just been a few years since the need has arisen.  Mark and Michael usually keep us well stocked with firewood and kindling.  It just happened that neither were able to meet the need at the moment and weather refuses to wait until convenient times.  So...chop away saw!  I am ready and able!  The wood is now cut and stacked and the Little Bayou House shall stay warm during this bout of frigid weather.