Springtime has come to the swamp

This ol' turtle was making his rounds through the swamp.  There were squirrels, snakes, lots of birds; and trees are quickly opening their buds.

The swamp is awakening

There were signs of Spring in the swamp.  Trillium was coming on with its bud, turtles were sunning on a distant log, and I even saw a snake enjoying the sunshine.  The nature center hosts an art show, this time of year; pictures that always amaze me.  These interpretations of swamp wildlife were done by local elementary- school kids.

Lovesick and Foolish

The deer, I mean; he was following a doe. Behind a veil of vines and at a steep downhill angle, I missed him, clean. He stood looking for the doe, ambled a few more feet, and I was able to connect.

I had headed to the hills Thursday night after work and, when I stepped out into the chill there were several coyotes howling back- and- forth nearby. It was clear and still, nearly midnight, with lots of stars overhead. A pretty evening and quite a chorus, but after shirt- sleeve weather all day, the falling temperatures made me too cold to stay. Pine knots and oak splits soon had a fire kindled in the stove, and I was too comfortable and lazy to go back outside for the rest of the serenade.

Geminid Meteors

Sneaked off for an overnight at the hunting camp.  We got an interesting sky- show in the bargain, the Geminid meteor shower.  Funny thing, though:  I couldn't spot any meteors until AFTER the glass of Scotch.

Book Tree at Bluebonnet Library

December in the Swamp

The calendar has turned, but I'm still in short- sleeves.  A pretty evening in the swamp; it's cool and still, and the waters mirror a background of trunks, limbs, and leaves.  The drought seems to have given us a bit of leaf- color this Fall.  Birds and squirrels were busy in the trees; owls and woodducks were calling.

Haunted Hikes

I've been helping at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.  Their program for Halloween is a great alternative for kids.  Hundreds of people come for the festivities.  Hehe, there are "animal eyes"  along the trails for kids to count; closest count wins a prize.

Friday respite

It was a pretty afternoon in the woods.  I enjoyed seeing some wildlife:  birds, squirrels, armadillos.  But I was after deer.  Along about sunset, I saw movement behind that group of trees to the left.  A deer stepped through that small opening at center and, when it went behind a tree, I raised my bow.  It was a doe; as she crossed behind that thin veil of limbs and vines I noticed that she was skinny and bedraggled- looking.  She made a low "moo" sound, and another shorter "moo".  That's when she noticed me.  She wheeled and bounded away with her white tail waving, and two spotted fawns broke from cover and scrambled away after her.  What an interesting show!  But the two different sounds left me wondering:  did those kids have different names?

October is often dry

yes, the swamp is thirsty; needs some rain.  Pretty time of year, though.  the critters and plants are preparing for fall.  This dry and unusually cool stretch of weather has been very pleasant for us human "intruders".

Pawpaws in the swamp

Found this evidence on a boardwalk; there are obviously some ripe pawpaws in the swamp, too.  My reaction was "poor critter".  Rocky Raccoon must have had a bellyache from all those big seeds.

Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch

It was hot in the hills; what happened to those cool mornings? I found pawpaws! I knew they were supposed to be native here, but never saw them before. Maybe I don't often prowl the right habitat at this time of year. Several years ago, I found what I thought was a small, immature one; but I was uncertain 'til I found these. At any rate, I'm eating pawpaws. Their seeds look like persimmon; flavor is similar to persimmon, with tones of fig and cantelope.

Dreaming of Fall

It was a warm afternoon in the swamp... too warm for snakes and squirrels to be out. Not many birds were active, but there were a few interesting bugs around. I could feel a promise of Fall in the air, but I don't know where that came from: the temperature was high, it was humid, no leaves were dropping or turning color, and the only fruits ripening were elderberries and poke berries. Maybe there was a specific smell, a certain barometric pressure, or some subtle change in the forest spirits, that gave me a sensation of Summer beginning to fade into Fall.

Steamy Swamp

The muscadines are filling out. Makes me think of jelly and wine, but it'll be a while before they mature. Swamp inhabitants are happier, since getting some rains... low water levels had been difficult for both the flora and fauna.

Visit to Tickfaw SP

A quick trip to Tickfaw State Park was pleasant. I took the wife and the fly rods to check out their lake. I had seen the lake under construction, learned of it being stocked, and now I intended to try the fishing. The lake was completed and stocked several years ago, so there should be some good- sized fish in it by now. My "fishing report" is that we caught two small brim. It was a nice outing and not a long drive, so I was able to get back and work that afternoon.

I do like paddling and fishing in the Tickfaw River. And camping in the park is fun. They are building a road and bridge to access more property across the river, so I would be interested in whether those campsites will be public.

So I am ready to go back again soon... for an overnighter. However, I am not likely to fish in that lake again. If they do intend it to be as advertised, a "fishing lake", I have some ideas. I would wish for keeping the river floodwaters out of the lake. Catch- and- release policy will discourage many users. Consider allowing real access, not just the pier. Clear a few spots where the lake edge could be reached from the trail. Set up canoe rental or open the road to allow drive- up launching of personal boats.

Sunset at the Lake

I had heard there were sightings of roseate spoonbills, so I had to check it out... saw none, but it was a pleasant spin on my bike. That's my "new" bicycle; second- hand, but it's tight and has high- end components. It's comfortable, plenty fast enough, and handles the streets just fine. It's really better than my old 3- speed; and, maybe in a few decades, I will become just as sentimental about this "new" one.

There was a pleasant breeze and the sun was sinking low, and I was wishing I had brought my fly rod... not enough fishing, lately.

Water for the swamp

Rains finally brought some much- needed water to the swamp. It had dried down to soggy ground and just a few mud puddles; and the situation was getting desperate. Today the frogs and birds were singing their relief. Lots of dragonflies were zipping around the clearings.

Bike Corral

I'm still cycling around town. I helped today, at the bike corral that BRASS held downtown for FestforAll. Since there are almost no bicycle parking facilities, Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets gets a position, sets up parade barracades, and lines up some volunteers to offer secure bike parking. And that, in turn, hopefully encourages more folks to ride bicycles.

A beautiful day for Rockin' in the Swamp

"Line the kids up over there, pull the covers off of the Gold Mine and rush them through; that's why it's a 'Gold Rush' ". There was much enthusiasm over picking up chunks of pyrite.

That white pile of limestone had lots of fossils for the kids to search out... and no age limit on the "kids" who could hunt through it... I found a nice spiral shell. There were wonderful displays set up in the Nature center, too... folks from the Gem and Mineral society, LSU Geology, artists and crafters, and others. I resisted my urge to climb the Rock Wall.

Some "Spring" in my steps

Lots of goings- on in the swamp; critters are getting busy. Trees are budding, with a few early ones popping out. It's still early; cold in the mornings, but afternoon was very pleasant... shirtsleeve temperatures and sunny. Turtles were lined up on logs in the pond, a pair of geese feeding on the bank. I think the geese were visitors from a nearby lake. Lots of little birds were active in the trees and thickets; hawks were keening, egrets feeding. Owls are nesting, I guess... there were at least sthree pairs of barred owls hooting back and forth. Bunnies and squirrels were hopping around. Overall, a pleasant commune with nature.

First campout this spring

I guess it could have been the last camping of February or the end of the small- game hunting seasons, but my glass is usually half- full... so there. It was a great outing, with a full moon, cool weather, lots of bird activity, and NO bugs. This was a site I've been wanting to camp for a long time; but it's somewhat remote and I just never seemed to get around to it. It's a little finger- ridge that juts out in a bend of Panther Creek, and has bluffs on three sides. My reasoning was that it would not likely be on a deer trail, so I could sleep peacefully without those critters waking me with rude snorting, every time they wandered by. It worked out, mostly... only had one deer come along and snort. It was not effective for the hoot- owls, however.

Good time, good company. Good grub, too. But I can now, from experience, recommend light- weight cookware for backpacking, over Dutchovens.