Zinnias, Zinnias Everywhere!

   On a whim a few years ago, I bought a pack of zinnia seeds from the local dollar store simply because they reminded me of Pop and his lovely gardens.  I had no idea if the seeds would even sprout since they were so cheap compared to other "name brand" seeds.  Well, every last seed sprouted, grew and bloomed for the entire summer.  Being who I am, I saved seeds from those blooms.  In fact, I saved far too many seeds since so many people remarked "Oh, I love those!  Save some seeds for me!"  Long story short, no one came to get the seeds so, the next spring, I planted even more zinnias.  The saved seeds did remarkably well and, as before, I saved seeds...far too many seeds.  In fact, when I went to plant this spring, I had an entire gallon of zinnia seeds!  Oops!  That is an awful lot of seeds when you consider how flat they are.  Needless to say, I planted more zinnias this year than in previous years.  Once again, the flowers are outdoing themselves and I find myself hating to toss the spent blooms aside.  So, the saving has commenced.  Who would have thought that a one dollar pack of seeds could bring so much brightness to the gardens for so many years??

  Of course, all of those zinnia blooms attract a myriad of nectar seeking critters.  The zinnia bed is a literal kaleidoscope of butterflies, moths and bees.  At any given time, fifty or sixty different insects can be found flitting about the blooms.  I am beginning to think that was the best gardening investment ever made and plan on never buying seeds from any other place.  The zinnia bed is going to be extended to twice the size this next year and will be home to hundreds of plants.  In fact, since the vegetable plot has already gone the wayside, my plans are to sow the remaining saved seeds (from last year) in that space.  The ground will not sit idle as I await for time to plant the fall garden.  The critters will be happy campers and the yard will be a blast of color!  (The photos only show half of the existing zinnia bed!)

Neglected Yet Thriving

   Short and sweet post tonight as I am purely exhausted.  The day was spent landscaping the side yard where Son and I just poured the concrete gutter drain that ends with Puddle Pond.  After working with concrete, the yard was a mess and needed to be revamped.  That involved transplanting approximately 200 bulbs which is long, hard work.  The end result will be worth the effort so I push through the tiredness.  Son worked on the finishing touches of the "walk-through" herb tower.  That will be a dream come true for me!

  I did take the time to admire the azaleas that have burst forth with blooms this week, I have neglected the poor bushes this entire year but they thrived regardless.  After the blooms are spent, they will get a good trimming and possibly be moved.  For now, I shall sit back and breathe in the sweet aroma and simply ooh and ahh at the loveliness.  Be happy, folks.  

The Signature!

   Lately, we have been noticing a lot of holes being dug in the yard.  These usually appear overnight.  They are not large being only a few inches in diameter.  They are deep in comparison to that diameter as they are approximately ten inches deep.  We pondered what could be digging and why.  First thought was the armadillos digging after grubworms.   I had seen several armadillos and actually knew a pair had a den under an old boat near the marsh.  I figured those critters were helping keep our yard free of pesky grubs.  Mark had often said we need to put out the night-camera so we could catch them in action. I should have but never did.

  Today as we were on our late afternoon hike, we stumbled upon yet more holes.  These were freshly dug (as in last night fresh).  It surprised me to see that several of the holes had been dug in the gravel pathway.  Well...I guess grubworms are there, too, but that sure seemed to be some hard digging.   We continued back toward the canebrake following the holes.  The critters had been busy!  

  Suddenly, I realized that I was blaming the wrong critter!  These were not dug by armadillos, at all!  The critter left its signature by one hole!  A telltale footprint was all it took for me to know that the raccoons were digging the holes.   They were after much the same things as the armadillos would have been.  Coons will eat just about anything and are not above digging for grubs, earthworms, insects or even roots.  I figured that we fed the coons enough from what we put in the compost pile to keep them from digging but I suppose I was wrong.  That footprint gave it all away!

Just A Friendly Spider!

   Oh, the things we find!  Son has been doing a huge cleanup of the yard this past week.  With most of the termite-damage reconstruction of the Little Bayou House completed, it was time to regain the yard.  This has gone on for too long.  I had started the cleanup and relandscaping back before falling ill but that all came to a standstill during my recuperation period.  When he finished rebuilding the pier, Son took over the cleanup.  He has done most of the "heavy" work but has no clue how I want to "pretty" up the place.  His idea of the perfect yard would have no gardens, no ponds, no fences and definitely no decorations of any kind.  A clean, clear lawn would suit him fine.  Me?  I need the mystery that outdoor "rooms" create.  Winding pathways, dark, shady nooks, babbling water features (snakes and frogs included) and funky gates.  All of those things are up to me.  He does, however, call me whenever he finds some odd critter during his work.  Today, a spider put a halt to the chores.

  Son called me as he was clearing a pile of lumber.  "Hey, there is a bug."  I knew to grab the camera because it had to be something out of the ordinary if he brought attention to it.  Sure enough, it was an odd looking critter.  When I told him it was a Long-jawed Spider, he shrugged and muttered something about it had long legs not a long jaw.  Well, he had a point but the spider's name would have to stay.

  Long-jawed Spiders are pretty neat critters.  They have figured out that nighttime provides for the best hunting and so they while away the daytime hours in hiding (like this one).  In the evening, the spider will crawl out of its nook and spin a large web usually over water.  They depend on the morphing of water bound larvae to adults as a food source.  Mosquitoes, mayflies and midges all lay eggs in water. When the larvae develop into adults and leave the water, they become ensnared in the spider's web.  Spider is happy....I am happy....a lot less bugs.  

  Since Son wanted to complete his chore, I gently moved our friendly spider to a spot closer to the little Puddle Pond.  She can have lots of hiding places and will be able to catch any flying critters tonight.  Happy hunting, Long-jawed Spider!  You are welcome to stay here!

Oh, What A Beauty!

  It was just a little after midday when Son and I eased our way down the hillside to look over some of the early preparations for the clue hunt that is not until October. He has gotten a start on some of the major props since this year's hunt calls for some pretty laborious building projects.  What started out so many years ago as a simple clue hunt with paper clues has evolved into a major undertaking.  My oldest son made the remark several years ago that our clue hunt is almost as if LARP (live action role playing) met up with room escape and had a baby.  Needless to say, there are very few written clues and an enormous amount of mechanical props that have to be solved.  It is interesting but a lot of work on our part.  The two of us enjoy the challenge, however, and it seems as if the teams enjoy solving our mysteries.  That said, we headed out to check a ship's mast that he installed in the yard.  

  While admiring his handiwork and discussing the possibilities of other related props, a movement in the grass near us diverted my attention.  Not far from us a lovely snake was "lying low" and trying to remain unseen.  Too late.  I was just itching to get the camera in action!  I slipped around in front of the snake and dropped to my knees.  I wanted to be sure to capture the beauty of the snake.  Well, nice snaky had other ideas!  Maybe it was just camera shy but it slowly turned to the left.  Ok, so I would have to crawl up a bit closer.  Now, I was only maybe two feet from the snake and got my shot!  Wow!  After a few more photos, it was time to set the camera down and simply admire the snake for what it was.  Son and I both were enamored!

  This snake is a Eastern Black Kingsnake.  It was formerly called a Speckled Kingsnake (for good reason).  Taxonomy changed all that recently but it is difficult for me to see the snake as anything other than a speckled!  In my opinion, this is one of the most docile snakes on the planet.  In a sense, it is one of our protectors as it has a healthy appetite for other snakes including venomous ones.  It is noted for consuming copperheads, cottonmouths and even rattlesnakes.  A kingsnake of a given area is usually immune to the venom of other snakes in that area but may not be immune to snakes from other areas.  That matters not in the case of our lovely visitor since I am in hopes that it will stay put and call the garden its home.  It is welcome to slither about to its heart's content!

Musings at Sunrise

  It is my nature to rise with the sun each day.  This is a throwback from growing up on the farm.  The day's chores would start early so as to beat the heat.  Pop would usher us out to the fields to hoe the long rows just after breakfast.  Usually, the sun was just peeking over the horizon as we started our work.  Today, is no different.  My outside chores are usually done early so I can relax during the heat of the day.  It is those early moments before the chores begin, that are my favorite of the day.

  This morning as I walked with the old dog, the sun was rising over the pines and sending happy beams across the yard.  The contrast between the sun-dappled areas and the deep shadows was striking and sent me into complete serenity.   This must be why folks have always claimed that there is something magical about bayous.  The peace and quiet seeps into your soul and gives strength.  Hopefully, I will never grow too old to hike the hillside as I would truly miss sights like this.  I am sure glad Pop instilled it in me that it is good to rise with the sun!

Outdoor Carpeting

  I admit that I am not a big fan of carpeting.  While the hardwood floors in the Little Bayou House may be cold in the wintertime, it is sure a lot easier to keep them clean than to shampoo carpet.  Give me a broom, a mop and bucket and I am good to go.  Trust me, living on a bayou accounts for a lot of mud being tracked inside so that cleaning is a never ending chore.  Of course, I do not lay claim to being a nitpicky house cleaner since I have far too many other things to do and most of those things are a lot more fun.  Carpeting (to me) is a grime trap just waiting to happen so I have ditched most of it in exchange for wood flooring.

  Still, I have to agree that "outdoor" carpeting is fine.  Not that man made junk that people insist on putting over everything from garage floors to decks but the nice, natural sort of carpeting.  Down the hill where the old dog and I like to hike, there is one place that has the nicest carpet of pine needles that you would ever want to see.  I am not nitpicky about the yard either. A stark yard barren of any natural element is boring, to say the least. I prefer my place to be as it was intended and not look like some destitute desert where plants are not allowed to grow, leaves cannot fall and critters are not allowed.  Wild and free suits me to a T!  The pine needle carpet stays put and I admire the beauty.  This particular spot is nigh on six inches deep with the layers of straw.

  The pine  needle carpet serves a dual purpose.  Not only does it keep the land from eroding, it also provides shelter to numerous critters.  Insects, lizards, toads, small rodents and even snakes seek refuge there during the cold winter months.  They are all welcome since I figure the carpet might as well be utilized in every way possible.  To me, that makes it the perfect outdoor carpet!