Take A Few Minutes To Be Kind

   With the summer's heat kicking it in high gear, most outdoor chores are attempted at daylight.  This morning saw me doing some trimming around the little Frog Pond and down around the blackberry vines.  It took nigh on three hours of cutting to finish the task that I had in mind to do but I was determined to keep at it.  While trimming near the little pond, I had to push deep into the ruby lilies.  Once there, I had to linger just a bit to converse with a sweet friend.  On one of the large lily leaves sat the cutest frog ever found!  Even though I was pushing that weedwhacker right up under the critter, it never moved.  It was a good ten minutes beforeI realized the poor thing was there. Once I did, I slowly moved back a bit as to not frighten it any more than I already had.  I felt bad as this must have been a pretty terrifying thing for the froggy!

  Turning off the machine and setting it aside, I decided to "apologize" for the disturbance.  Actually, that apology was more like a photo session but I did calmly talk to the frog.  Hopefully, it understood that I was after the weeds and not it!  Sometimes we all need to be reminded to check our surroundings before just plowing in.  I have a tendency to not do this.  In reality, however, it could save a life...a critter's...or even your own.  Had there been a cottonmouth hiding there instead of a frog, this might have been a different story altogether.  Folks, be careful and simply be aware of your surroundings.  That is always a good thing.  Happily, Froggy was none the worse for wear after this incident!

What Do You Do With A Sea Of Oak Leaves?

   Most people have it in their heads that Southern Live Oak Trees never lose their leaves.  In a sense, they are evergreens...somewhat...but not really.  They do drop all of their leaves within just a couple of weeks during early spring.  When the Southern Live Oak Tree is the most common tree in your yard (think dozens of these huge trees) and they all drop leaves at one time, you wind up with a literal sea of leaves. For the past few weeks, we have been wading through leaves to get to the front door.  By wading, I mean the leaves were at least a foot deep and in some places more.  When you think of the raking that would involve, you try to find other means of disposing of the leaves.  I did. 

  This past week found me pushing the lawnmower just to cut leaves.  This was quite the undertaking as the mountains just did not want to disappear!  I cut.  I cut some more.  Then...I cut some more.  Finally, the leaves were down to a fine mulch that would sift through the fingers with ease.  A lot of this mulch was hauled into the gardens where it will nourish the plants.  The rest was used in the pathways. 

  While I am glad that the leaves near the front of the house are all mulched, there are still three sides of the yard yet to do.  I figure I should be done sometime next year...just before the next dropping of foliage from the oak trees!  Oh, geez!  I hope not!  Seriously, give me another week and all of the gardens and paths will be filled with the fine mulch provided by these trees.  If I had to buy this lovely stuff, I would go broke!  Why buy when it is free for the taking?  I shall keep pushing that mower!  Good exercise...free mulch...pretty gardens...it is a win/win situation, if you ask me.

Pretty, Little Snaky!

   I had no intentions of doing a single bit of yard work today but wound up working myself to exhaustion.  It felt good after being cooped up inside.  Repainting each room in the Little Bayou House may not seem like an overwhelming chore but..hey, I am old.  So when the thought crossed my mind that I needed to pick more hot peppers, I jumped at the chance.  Picking those peppers would have been a perfectly nice outing if one thing did not lead to another.  I soon found myself cutting grass then cleaning the glorified gutter drain and catch pond...aka Pebble Creek and Puddle Pond.  (Yes, I find it fun to name every feature in the yard.)  I should have stopped before attempting the pond cleaning.

  While knee-deep in the small pond, I was scooping up the leafy debris that had fallen in the water.  Thinking it would be a quick job, I did not bother getting the rake.  I used my hands.  I am accustomed to dealing with things like this.  It does not make me squeamish to scoop out a handful of mud, algae and a dozen or so critters with each scoop.  All was going well until I went to clean under some rocks on the side.  It was there that I found the snake.  I was not even paying much attention when I noticed something long and slithery scooting into the water.  Ooops!  Well, now!  

  There was not much to do but keep cleaning even with the snake and I sharing the tiny pond.  I figured I had to at least determine what type of snake was living this close to the steps so...I kept work.  I had a strong hunch that this was a water snake simply because a cottonmouth would have held its ground.  So...snaky and I shared the tiny puddle until I had enough water out so I could find my friend.  Once its identity was confirmed (banded water snake), I felt more at ease and finished the job.  I did reassure the snake that it was welcome to stay in its home and not feel threatened.  Perhaps I should be a bit more careful in the future.  (And we all know that is not going to happen.)

Happy Vines

  Sometimes, it seems as if we do things in vain.  Our hard work accomplished nothing...nothing at all.  Earlier this spring (and summer), I was on a mission to get the place looking better.  My year off due to health issues really dealt a blow to the Little Bayou House and the yard.  It was high time to get that ship back in shape! So, I was working like a whirlwind...until that big blow came and knocked me off my feet again.  Health is one of those funny things that can pop one way or another at a second's notice.  My work came to a grinding halt until the malady worked its way to oblivion.  After an entire month of nothingness, I am finally beginning to return to my old self.  Work is, once again, getting accomplished.

  Back in June, I had trimmed back a good bit of the smilax vines that take over the hillside if given their way.  Once you let them get away with that inch, they take the proverbial mile overnight.  So, I trimmed.  With things neatly done, I moved on with the satisfaction that the chore would be much easier from that point onward.  Then, that break came into play and the vines bounced back with a vengeance!  Smilax usually blooms early spring and then produces the berries that ripen late fall.  Thinking I did a smart thing by trimming off the blooms, I was hopeful that not nearly as many berries (seeds) would be produced.  Duh...I think trimming the vines just made them bloom more!  Today's walk made me realize that if I wanted the prolific growing vines to remain contained, I was going to have to trim them constantly.  It did not happen.  Vines everywhere.  Vines in bloom again.  Vines happy.  Me...not so much.

Another one down!

   It is no secret that I am a tad hard on yard equipment.  I figure if it is advertised as being able to do something then it darn well better be able to hold up to an old lady doing it.  I push my mowers to the limits, the weed eaters beyond the scope of their endurance and now...the dolly.  While a dolly is more useful in other situations, I use it to haul the huge potted plants from the yard to the greenhouse for the winter  and back out in the spring.  Dollies are meant to carry heavy things.  They are meant to be treated rough.  They are meant to hold up under extreme use.  They are....well, they are not.

  Since the greenhouse is still being used to house some of the hub's stuff that has spilled out of the shed because of overabundance, Son built a lean-to on the side.  Actually, I am beginning to like this "temporary" greenhouse even better that the original.  It is brighter and will provide a healthier environment for the plants.  As he was building, I decided to round up all of the plants that needed protection from the predicted cold weather coming around the weekend.  The dolly came out of the greenhouse.  I happily wheeled it around gathering the large night blooming cereus plants.  I have 6 huge plants that weigh a ton so the dolly was helping me grandly.  Well, was.  Then, the "accident" occurred.

  I had one more huge plant to haul to the greenhouse when I noticed that one wheel was wobbling.  "Hang on, Dolly!  We only have one more trip!"  Alas, Dolly limped weakly for the next 3ft then collapsed.  Dolly was lame and could not go any further.  The wheel had plumb fallen off!  It was broken!  Gone!  Kaput!  Yep!  I did the impossible.  I broke the dolly!  Oh, well.  Most of the plants will be warm!

**Update!  Mark bought new wheels so the dolly is back in action.  The plants will all be moved in time!

Just say "Please!"

  Usually, when the morning breaks with odd clouds, you are looking at some pretty quirky weather.  Yesterday morning, I was on the pier far before daybreak.  This is my peaceful time before the hectic pace of the day starts.  A very slight breeze made the morning air feel just about as perfect as it could get.  Overhead, clouds.  Lovely, lovely clouds.  I was in hopes those clouds would linger around a bit and then dump some rain on us as we have been quite dry lately.  Plants do far better with Mother Nature watering them than with me dragging the hose about the gardens.  I sat and contemplated the clouds.  Please rain!  Please rain.

  For the past week, I have been grubbling through a huge mess of rotted boards.  It amazes me how things get all stacked up and never thought of again.  The boards were stacked with good intentions of being used but you know what they say about those good intentions.  So, after leaving the pier, my chores began again but I kept thinking about those clouds!  For several hours, I dragged out boards and cleared the space.  About midmorning, a threatening thunderhead loomed to our north.  Please!  Within ten minutes, drops were starting to fall and I figured it was time to head inside.  Just as I got to the door, the bottom fell out and we got the most glorious rain!  Almost a full inch fell!  Then a thought...maybe if you beg those clouds enough they take pity on you!

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!

A Little Help From Mother Nature

  I have to admit that if someone or something ever wishes to step in and do a bit of yard work around here, I am all up and down appreciative!  Keeping up with the housework and the nigh on five acres (I do not do the woods) of yard work, is a full time job.  Sometimes it is strenuous while other times it is merely relaxing.  Cutting grass is relaxing even though I push a lawnmower for about five hours straight.  Digging out the Puddle Pond and gutter drain is strenuous.  (Digging the small pond was today's chore.  Digging the gravel drain (47 ft) is tomorrow's.)  Good thing about all this hard work, is that it gives plenty of exercise for an old lady and, then when it is complete, it gives a fine sense of satisfaction.

  One thing that I am thankfully NOT having to do is dig out a large oak stump that sits in the east garden.  I should have done this several years ago when the tree was cut but...it is still there. Now, I find that my procrastination is paying off big time!  I shall not have to struggle with the shovel!  The stump is being removed for me.  Oh, how I adore helping hands!

  Mother Nature has decided that I was moving a tad too slow with the stump removal so she has stepped in to help me.  This morning, I noticed that several large mushrooms growing on the roots and side of the oak tree remnants.  These mushrooms are helping to decay the wood so it will not be long before the stump is gone!   Ahh, yes!  The help is appreciated no matter from where or how it comes.  This is one less task for me to do.  Now...pardon me while I go shovel gravel.  The struggle is real.

Resting is not an option!

  Little Mama Wren is still sitting on her five eggs.  She made her nest in the hanging basket next to the front door.  As you know, I fretted over her during the recent storm and went out every hour to make sure her nest was still secure.  My extra wiring did the job and she was not wobbled too much.  All is well with her.  She rarely leaves the nest now and Papa Wren occasionally brings her a fine morsel.  He has been busy working the tomato plants and finds extra caterpillars for his ladylove.

  Today saw me digging out an old gutter drain/wannabe pond. Forty feet or so of a gravel drain ended in a small pond at one time but has been filled with dirt for a while now.  Years ago, the area was fitted with a pump making the drain resemble a running creek,  The water cycled from the pool back up to the gutter drain.  Birds loved the filtered running water causing this to be an ideal feature.  I missed the bubbling "creek" so decided to reinstall the whole works.  It was during a short break that my little Papa Wren took a notion to fuss at me.  I had sat on the steps with my lemonade and he thought I was entirely too close to his soon-to-be family.  For being such a tiny critter, he is quite feisty!  The little fellow started fussing far up in a nearby tree but kept getting closer and closer.  He wanted me gone...and now!  Soon, three other wrens joined Papa.  Each were chittering frantically at me to leave the area!

  Through all of this, Little Mama sat quiet as a church mouse on her nest within an arm's reach.  Not once did she give any sign that she was disturbed.  I figured that if she let me add wires to her basket while she was sitting on the nest, she was good with me resting a bit on the steps.  I assume that the others had no idea that she and I are quite friendly.  After a bit, I headed back to work with my shovel and left the birds in peace.  I am sure they will appreciate my efforts once the project is complete.

Sure Makes It Hard To Work

  As usual, my day was spent in the garden.  First on the agenda was to water the new tomato plants.  Well, that led into watering everything which is at least an hour's worth of a chore.  No problem.  I enjoy being in the garden and since I had no other plans for the day, I may as well play.  As I was dragging the heavy, black hose to the back of the greenhouse to water the zinnias, my work ended.  I could go no further.  In fact, I had to sit in the wicker chair and wait a bit.  It was not that I was exhausted nor that my desire to water the plants had waned but rather that a couple of critters waylaid my good intentions.  Critters have a way of doing that.

  Just as I was about to give it a good tug, a small bird hopped up on the hose!  The pair of Eastern Towhees had been busy in the gardens along with me.  They were searching for breakfast and paid no heed to my presence.  I did not mind sharing the space with them but I cannot with a good heart jerk a hose out from under a tiny bird!  So I waited.  And waited.  Finally, the male Towhee hopped off a few feet and I was good to go!  Grabbing the hose, I almost gave a big tug.  Wait!! No!  Now the female decided to hop on the hose!  What is the deal??  Why were the birds so determined to sit on the hose?  

  It took another few moments before the female left the coils of the hose and I was free to go back to work.  The watering was completed without further ado but replacing the hose was an ordeal in itself as the birds refused to move.  In fact, it is now nighttime and the hose is still stretched across the gardens.  I suppose tomorrow morning will find me working in reverse.  Never have I seen such tame Towhees!  Silly birds!

Visiting the Frogs!

  While being quarantined due to the virus, I have been taking full advantage of my time being alone.  The yard is being completely redone..gardens, arbors, Frog Pond...everything.  It appears that I have been quite slack on the upkeep of things around here so now is the perfect time to get it ship-shape!  Yesterday, I cleaned the Frog Pond and did some trimming of bushes near it.  As I was pulling out a lot of the water hyacinths, tiny froglets were trying to scoot out of my way.  I knew there were a ton of tadpoles but did not realize that they were already at the stage of morphing into frogs!  Hundreds of different froggies were hiding under the hyacinths and waterlilies!

 Since we literally did not have a winter, the frogs stayed active all year.  There were eggs in the pond in February!  The tadpoles stayed a long while before becoming metamorphlings but once they started changing, it happened quickly for all of them.  While clearing the pond of the overgrowth of hyacinths, I had to be extremely careful not to toss out the tadpoles.  Some had their little arms but no back legs while others had all four legs but still had the tadpole tails.  

  This evening with the cloudy overcast, the   froggy serenade is going strong.  Toads, green tree frogs, leopard frogs, chorus frogs, pickerel frogs and an occasional bullfrog can be heard adding their voices to the cacophony.  This means one thing...the freshly cleaned pond will be filled with eggs in a few days.  More tadpoles are on the way! 

The Standoff!

  The yard work continues!  Since Son is putting a loft in the shed and is busy from sunup to sundown, I have had to do my own construction for the gardens.  Yep, this old lady put in the fence!  I am happy with the results but have made a huge discovery.  Old ladies and post hole diggers are not compatible.   Never in my life have my arms felt so much like dead weight as they do this evening!  But...like I said, the fence is installed and I am happy with it (and all its imperfections).  

  I did have one encounter while clearing the area for the new garden fence.  A folded tarp had been set aside about a week ago and needed to be moved yet again.  No problem.  I would just grab the thing and move it myself.  As Pop used to say, "A little work never hurt anyone."  So, I grabbed but then felt something wiggling.  I dropped the tarp and pondered if I had inadvertently grabbed up a snake in the process.  The tarp was slowly unfolded to reveal my critter.  A frog stared at me with huge eyes.  Froggy was nervous about the giant (me) but was also refusing to budge.  I suppose the tarp had served as a warm spot for a few days and Froggy was not happy being disturbed. 

  Since a frog is not on my list of "no likes", I told it that the Frog Pond would be a much better place for it.  Obviously, Froggy agreed as it allowed me to catch it, tote it around back and rehome it with any further ado.  I am not sure why Froggy had decided the garden spot was a good home but do hope it will pay a visit now and again to eat the bugs that munch the plants.  

Soaring High With the Ospreys...

  With the sun shining and the winds calm, I was truly tempted to toss down the rakes and shovels and escape to the woods.  My brain needs the comforting that only Mother Nature can bring.   I used some willpower, however, and stuck with the yard work.  If I ever want to finish this project, I cannot keep getting distracted.

  Since I could not go to nature, it came to me!  The usual birds were in the feeders and several doves were on the ground picking up dropped seeds but overhead a single osprey kept a constant vigil.  I am thinking this is the male of a breeding pair that was courting two weeks ago.  Then, he did the full fish dance while she sat screaming in the top of a pine tree.  He would soar to great heights then start dropping.  Drop, hover, drop, hover...all the while with his feet dangling loosely below him was the show for the day.  Then, off he went to catch a mullet to present to his ladylove.  She accepted and that was that.  Now, the pair have a nest in the back of the Bayou and she is actively incubating the eggs.  Since that is time-consuming, he does all of the hunting.  Each day, he spends the time over the water in search of, not only his food, but hers, as well.  He will defend her and the nest fiercely against all predators and make sure she is safe.  This year, they have nested nearly a month early due to the warmer weather.  Hopefully, all will go well.

  Today, this fine bird hovered over the area of the yard where I was working.  He stayed there for quite some time before venturing back out over the water.  I would stop occasionally and dream about soaring (or gallivanting off for a hike!) with my friend, the osprey.  If only I was not so committed to getting this cleanup done!  Oh, well.  Tomorrow may find things a bit easier and I can, at least, head back to the creek bed and collect the thoughts.  The brain works better back there.  Thanks for visiting, Friend Osprey.  You made my day much better!

A Thousand Little Feet!

  Make hay while the sun shines!  Pop always used to tell us that when we were growing up on the farm.  While it did not always have to do with cutting hay, he kept after us to be productive.  There was always plenty to do on the farm but, also, plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.  We did not have all of the modern "time-saving conveniences" of today to take up our time.  It is funny how time-consuming "time-savers" really are.  Here on the Bayou, it is much the same except we are a little more "up-to-date"...not much, but some.  However, we still try to be productive when the weather permits.  This morning was cool and sunny so yard work was the plan.

  While loading a pile of wet leaves into the wheelbarrow, I noticed a quite lovely millipede.  The critter had tightly swirled itself into a spiral because it felt that I was a threat.  The critter had no idea how interesting it was!  I had to examine it!  After a few photographs, I put the millipede into the wheelbarrow with its rotted leaves to be hauled down to the compost.  There it could live in complete happiness.  I guess I am one of the few people who see critters like this for what they are.  Millipedes do not bite nor sting.  They are good in the sense that they eat rotted wood, decaying leaves and fungi.  Yes, occasionally, they will munch a plant but that is usually only when there is a dry spell.  Millipedes need dark, wet places so when they chew on fresh plants, it is more than likely an attempt to get water.

  Have you ever wondered if a millipede actually has the thousand legs its name proclaims?  Well, they do not.  When born most only have three pairs of legs and six body segments.  With each molting, more body segments and legs are added.  The largest amount ever recorded was seven hundred and fifty legs!  My goodness!  That is a lot of legs!  I stumble about on two!  How on earth does it keep all those legs from getting tangled??  

  The millipede, today, is just one of many that are around the Bayou.  I have never minded them but hear-tell that there are folks who call exterminators just to get rid of these critters.  Some claim that boric acid, diatomaceous earth or wood ash will deter the critters in the garden or home.  Since millipedes like moist areas, it makes sense to just keep things dry and clear of decaying plant matter but, if you are like me, they can just stay.  I will share the space with them...no problems.

The Workout!

  Life has a way of throwing a whole bunch of trouble at you all at the same time.  It never seems to fail that if one thing is going to be troublesome, everything is going to start trying to get in on the action.  Frustration can often build until a person is nigh on a breaking point.  That is the way it has been here on the Bayou as of late.  It seems as if the stress is bound and determined to get to me.  It had gotten to the point that this morning, I had enough and something had to give.  It was me.  

  Along about 7am, I figured that if I was going to have all of this pent up aggravation, I may as well put the energy to good use.  There was certainly no way I was going to wallow in the mire of a bad mood any longer.  Time to get things in gear.  So I did.  My trusty lawnmower got the workout of its days today.  For almost a total of seven hours, I pushed and pulled that thing.  At first, I was getting the best workout of my life!  I went at it with such gusto that doing the lawn was not enough.  My lawnmower was pushed to the woods where I trimmed out things that no mower should be expected to cut.  With the mood I was in, the mower probably had second thoughts about balking being afraid that I might just hum it to the back of the Bayou and leave it.  Along about an hour later, I felt freer.  The frustration was beginning to lift and I started actually feeling good about what I was doing.  So...I pushed some more.  Four times, the gas tank had to be refilled just to keep me going.  Mark and Son kept asking if I was sure I wanted to keep cutting.  Yep.  You two get on back to work on those termites and leave the grass to me.

  Seven hours later, close to 4 acres had been cut.  Parts of the woods now became parts of the yard.  The overgrowth by the marsh has been trimmed back to help prevent snakes from encroaching on the path.  Leaves have been mulched to prevent that dreaded chore of raking.  And I saved a bundle of money.  There was no need to buy a gym membership when I can get this kind of exercise and there was no need to pay a therapist to sort my problems.  The mower and seven hours did it for me.  Putting all of that stress into a productive task did the trick.  Tonight, I am sore...I am exhausted...I feel better...oh, so much better.

There Comes A Time

  While I love the wild look about the place, there comes a time when things need a bit of tidying.  Back behind the house where the remnants of the old peach orchard stands, I was a happy camper to find the lyre-leaf sage doing so well.  I thought to myself..."All is good.  The plants cannot take over too much back here and I shall have a ready source of the root if the need arises."  I was wrong.  The entire area is/was a  sea of purple.  The plants truly did take over the orchard.  In just one week's time, I went from a carpet of flat leaves to knee-deep purple blooms!  

  Son and I both cranked up the lawnmowers and gave the place a good trimming.  I went to the south side of the house while he cut on the north.  It never occurred to me that he would cut the sage.  He did.  In fact, he cut it all.  Now, the orchard is neat and trim.  It is no longer purple!  This is all good, however, as it takes more than a lawnmower to kill the sage.  It can be trimmed every week and still pop up with blooms.  And...I have to admit, it sure looks nice where he cut.

  Most folks find it strange that I say my medicine cabinet is in the yard but it seems that the wild herbs do a far better job at healing my ailments that most medicines.  While I am thankful for my doctors and their knowledge, for minor illnesses, I prefer to go the herbal route.  There comes the time, however, when I have to part with a few plants.  I guess that time was today.

Warning! Critter Alert!

  My yard work is in full swing!  Well, maybe I overdid it a bit today since that goofy knee is being rude again but a lot was accomplished!  Perhaps, tomorrow I shall rest.  Probably not but, at best, I will have to hobble about the place.  Today, however, things went smoothly.  The idea was to rake where I cut yesterday and to burn the leaves in the enclosed burn bin.  That never happened.  I raked.  I hauled.  Then, Son hauled...and hauled.  He did not complain since we had good reason for not using the burn bin.  It would have been cruel.

  The early morning raking uncovered a sweet baby turtle.  This was the tiniest thing ever and oh, so cute!  That cuteness overload got me to thinking.  If there was one baby turtle hiding in the leaves, how many more were there and just unseen?  Oh, no!!  A burn ban was self posted and the burn bin sat cold.  Nary a wisp of smoke arose above the Little Bayou House.  Instead, forty some odd times, the wheelbarrow was loaded and hauled to the back of the property.  If a baby turtle or any other critter was inadvertently raked and scooped, it was moved to safety.  There the little critters had a fighting chance to survive and not suffer an agonizing death by fire.

  So, head's up, folks!  While springtime gets us all antsy about making the yard look nice, please be on critter alert!  Be nice to those little tykes hiding in the leaves.  The leaves and yard debris provides a nice safe place for the babies to grow.  They blend well and can hide from predators like coons, cats, snakes, crows and even squirrels!  

  The little turtle that was uncovered was put back in the same area where I uncovered it right after the photograph was taken.  A large mound of leaves was scattered back out over the turtle to provide the coverage it sought in the first place.  I figure that I can always go back and clean that spot after the little tyke grows a bit and goes on its merry way.  Hopefully, the turtle will survive and learn that this crazy old lady meant it no harm.  Perhaps, it will decide the yard is a pretty nice place to live. 

There's Work To Be Done!

  So I am guessing I had better get myself into a work mode after being a tad lazy for a few weeks.  With the old dog not feeling the best, as of late, I have had to put off any chores that could wait.  I busied myself inside the Little Bayou House but the yard has literally been forgotten.  Today, however, I did get to stroll a bit to the back part of the property.  It was there that I found a few reminders that it is getting onto time to start tending the gardens.  

 Down behind the shed, I found that the dewberry vines are in full bloom. Near the canebrake, the peach trees are covered in blooms.  Next to the back deck, there are buds on the pear trees.  These are all sure signs that warm weather is here and it is time to plant the garden, mow the grass and trim the bushes.  I did manage to get the trailing roses cut back...well, all but two.  I was in full swing with those snips until I noticed that the Cherokee Rose was full of buds.  Nope.  Its not happening.  The rose can just stay rambling until after the blooms wane.  Another fine sign that it is outdoor chore time is that the potatoes are sprouting above ground already.  The garden is bare except for that one row.

 So the afternoon was spent making plans to get it in gear, plant the garden, clean the yard and welcome the warmth that comes with this time of year.  Why!  Hello there, Summer!  I see you peaking around the corner.  Time to shake a leg!  There are chores to be done.

A Near Miss....or A Diverted Critter Attack!

  Yesterday, I wrote about being attacked by the horde of mosquitoes that had sought refuge from the flooded marshes.  I was thankful that I only received a dozen or so bites after I intruded in their midst.  It was nigh on the same thing earlier in the day...only it could have been much worse.  Sometimes, there is just no explanation of a near miss but it sure makes you appreciate that thing called luck when it happens.

  In preparation for a storm that was supposed to hit the Bayou but then changed its mind, I decided to cut back the overgrowth of jasmine and rose canes.  The all summer long rains had sent the things into a humongous growth spurt and had them covering everything in sight including several potted cedar trees.  Well, it was time to do some severe trimming.  I have found it far easier to do clean up after a storm if you start it long before it ever hits.  Garden snips in hand, I started lopping vines.  While yanking on vines, several red paper wasps were noticed flying about my head.  The critters were shooed away and the lopping continued.  Once the potted cedar trees were untangled from the vines, the pots were pulled out from the spot so I could get "down and dirty" with the remaining vines.  Darn!  Those pesky wasps were back again!  Once again, they were shooed on their merry way.  There was no time to play with them as hurricane preps are far more important.

  Then fast forward to today.  Mark had just arrived home and we headed to the pier. Noticing that the wind had knocked over one of the cedar trees, I stopped and righted it.  Uh, oh!  There were those buzzing critters again.  Then I spied the problem.  I literally had moved their home!  In one of the potted cedar trees was a huge nest!  The thing was a good six or seven inches across and covered with wasps!  Wow!  How had I not gotten stung?  Yesterday when I was yanking on that tree and cutting those vines, the dozens of wasps calmly tried to warn me instead of attacking.  

  Well, to make a long story short, I was not as nice as the wasps.  They tried to warn me which I fully appreciate but the nest had to go.  Too many people walk through that part of the garden as it leads to the front steps of the Little Bayou House.  I could not take the chance that someone may be stung.  The nest was sprayed and knocked out of the tree.  Several dozen adult wasps were killed.  That, my friends, was a near miss and now a diverted critter attack!

Another One Bites The Dust

  Being tired of the endless snipping and clipping of the wisteria vines, I cropped them back nearly to the ground.  The arbors stand bare and I am hoping they stay that way.  As matter of fact, if I have my way, the arbors are the next thing to go to the wayside.  Instead of the constant repair required, I shall enjoy a bit of freedom!  The wisterias will be allowed to grow a bit longer if I can train them to tree form and not rampant growing vines.  If they refuse to be constrained a bit, then...chop, chop and out they go!

  Now, another vine has bit the dust.  Red trumpet vines had taken over the kumquat trees and had even crawled all the way to the top of an oak tree.  It was time to put a halt to these as well.  The snips came into play again and the vines were cut to the ground.  The roots will have to be watched so these do not send up new shoots but perhaps if they are caught early enough, I can keep them under control.

  Red trumpet vines are lovely (just like wisteria) but left unfettered, they can become invasive.  These things can swallow up whole buildings if given the chance!  The red or orange blooms make it hard to eliminate the plants.  Hummingbirds love these things and anyone who does a bit of birdwatching, would have a hard time killing the vines merely because of that attraction.  The plants can grow from seeds, cuttings, layering, by runners or just about any other method available.  The seed pods are about six inches in length and have a number of seeds.  Imagine a vine some forty feet long with tons of branches.  Those branches are full of blooms.  Each bloom produces a seed pod filled with fifty to a hundred seeds.  When the seed pods dry, thousands of seeds go airborne and become scattered about the area.  Out of those thousands, most will take root and produce new vines.  The vines are cold hardy, drought hardy and not many critters even bother eating them.  If things are not held in check, the red trumpet vine can soon choke out any other plant life.  (Think the dreaded kudzu here.  This vine's life story is not unlike the horror tales connected to kudzu.)

  While that is all said and done, I will miss the trumpet vine.  The clusters of red tube-like flowers bring a bit of brightness to the otherwise drab woods.  Even the blooms that drop to the ground remain bright red for days.  It saddens me to make short work of things of beauty but this beauty can become a beast if allowed.  SO...snip, snip, chop, chop!  The vines received a good trimming.