Tempting Fate!

   I have to admit that Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat, amused me when he decided to take a nap in the old cast iron pot.  Obviously, the pot was toasty warm which made it the perfect place for a snooze on a chilly day.  Well, he is at it again!  This evening, I lit a fire in the old cast iron wood-burning stove.  This is an antique cookstove that has top plate burners and a working oven.  The oven warms nicely but unless the fire is kept stoked and the door closed, it never gets overly hot.  It stays nice and warm but not "burn to the touch" hot.  While in use, I keep the oven door open so the heat can enter the room.  The oven door being flat open almost on the floor also provides a convenient place to stack a few "fire sticks" as my granddaughter calls them.  It only takes a handful to keep the old stove going for some time.  Mr. Bat has decided that the open oven is an "open invitation".  That silly cat moved into the oven as a napping spot! I am really going to have to watch him this winter so he does not decide to jump on top of the stove!  THAT does get really hot...hot enough to burn his paws.

  Never before has any of our bayou cats taken a liking to sleeping inside the oven but this cat is way different than any of the others.  He is far more inquisitive and far more adventurous.  Given a half of chance, he will attempt anything.  He is one goofy daredevil and is going to find himself in a heap of trouble some day.  He has already been bitten by a cottonmouth (dry bite, thankfully), chased by the eagle (smart enough to dive under the pier) and has taken a swim in the Bay (his doings).  His nine lives are going to be used up quickly if he does not start being a bit more careful.  Sleeping inside an oven may not be helping matters much!  Oh, Bat!  You are one silly cat!

And Then It Was Gone...

   Since hurricane season, the windows of the Little Bayou House still wear their storm covers.  One thing or another has gotten in the way of removing and storing the panels.  For the past month, it felt sort of like living in a box or greenhouse.  It was hot and I could not see out through the panels.  Light filtered through but the view is blocked.  I shrugged it off and thought it really did not matter if they stayed up all winter. The panels would block a lot of the winter's chill that blows in off of the water.  It was all good.

  Then, today, I realized that I do care!  The old wood-burning cookstove has been chugging away with the cold front that moved in last night.  The fire feels good but keeping it stoked is just an added chore.  Late this afternoon, I made quick dash out for another armload of firewood.  It only takes a moment since the woodpile is nearby so I left the paneled door that covers the french doors open.  I dashed out and then back again.  I was just in time to see the lightshow taking place on the floor.  Throwing the wood in the bin, I grabbed the camera to snap a photo of this beautiful sight!  Then, as quickly as it appeared, the colors faded and were gone.  

  I miss seeing the rainbows filling the room.  With the windows and doors covered, it is blah in here.  Do I dare ask Son to remove and store the panels while he is in the midst of rebuilding the shelves in the dining room just so I can have rainbows dancing every afternoon?   Nah...better wait until he has a free day.   And...just my luck, once they are down we will have a winter storm with hurricane force winds.  Maybe I should just move the prisms and crystals to a new location.  Still, it was exciting to see them today after such a dreary few days.