Let's Take a Walk
come on over for a virtual visit
A friend recently told me that after she’d shared a couple of my posts with friends at work, one replied that she enjoyed following Release and Gather. I can view stats at any time—number of subscribers, number of post views, number of comments, etc.—but it’s the random email in my inbox or the text message saying my words made a difference that buoys me and reminds me why I am here. Sure, I love to write and share stories, but more than that, I live and breathe to encourage and help others. If my words do that, then this endeavor is successful.
To all 170 of you (most of whom I don’t personally know!)—thanks for being here. I’m especially looking at you, Nadine. Thank you.
A few weeks ago, Kelton Wright over at Shangrilogs gave her readers an audio and photo tour of her corner of the world—a pure delight that I heartily recommend!
At the risk of being a total copycat, this week I’m riffing on her idea and giving you a little tour—Woodville style! We’ll just be tromping around my house, so no need to pack your water flasks. It’s sunny and 81 degrees with no humidity and lots of shade—you won’t need a jacket, but I do recommend enclosed shoes unless you enjoy having leaves and twigs in your sandals.
Here’s a map for reference. Ready? Let’s go!
1. Where the Catalpas Grow
This week has given us perfect weather for being outdoors, and I am loving the crunch of the catalpa leaves underfoot. We have a couple of these large-leafed trees on the southeast side of our house, and the ground is covered!
Listen to the crunch and swish underfoot!
I didn’t know much about catalpa trees until we moved here, but in the Summer they produce beautiful white blooms, which I only discovered because I kept finding flowers on the ground and finally looked up. I had never noticed the blooms in the branches because this massive mama is over 50 feet tall!
Mike grew up admiring one in his grandparents’ yard, which local fishermen loved for its “catawba worms.”
The tree is the sole source of food for the catalpa sphinx moth, the leaves being eaten by the caterpillars...Because the caterpillars are an excellent live bait for fishing, some dedicated anglers plant catalpa mini-orchards for their own private source of "catawba-worms", particularly in the southern states.1
I guess that’s why his grandmother (and many other Southerners) call it a “catawba tree.” It’s also known as “Indian bean tree,” “cigar tree,” and more.
“First cultivated in 1754, the wood was used for fence posts and railroad ties because of its resistance to rot and the tree’s fast growth rate. Common names for this tree are many and colorful—including cigar tree, Indian bean tree, catawba, caterpillar tree, hardy catalpa and western catalpa.”2
2. Little Free Library
Let’s continue east past the picnic table and catalpas and check out the Little Free Library. The moment I saw this pecan tree full of leaves one Summer on this little strip between the street and a deep hollow covered in kudzu, I knew it would be the perfect place for a Little Free Library. At the time, the tree was on the property line between my grandmother’s old house that we’d purchased3 and the neighbor’s 1930s bungalow. A wonderful story for another time, we ended up purchasing that bungalow at the end of the same year, and I immediately applied for a grant through the Impact Library Program.4 A couple of months later I learned we were selected to receive a fully built Little Free Library as well as a set of books to get it started!
The next Spring the Water Street Little Free Library opened for business!5 I should dedicate an entire newsletter to this wonderful addition to our neighborhood, but I’ll just leave you with this view of the library and its bench. Perched atop the hill, readers can enjoy a book and the peacefulness of what we call the “Water Street Hollow.” Children’s books make up most of the box’s treasure, but adults can often find a handful of titles as well.
When we first installed it, some thought we were nuts for inviting “strangers” onto our property, especially because we have many local people in active addiction who walk the streets constantly. And at one point in my life, I might have been concerned, too, but I’ve learned through many lessons to live my life with open hands.6 In fact, I just heard a quote that I love:
"Her life was not short on challenges, and still, she held no grudges, believing instead that grace is perennial, like the green, green grass. Whatever [she] did, she did fully, unwaveringly with open arms...[she] lived life with both her hands."7
3. Sound the Alarm
Now we’ll head over to the southwest corner of the yard where an ancient cedar stands tall despite her scraggly limbs. The other day I saw a squirrel dart into the hole of a branch that had been sawed off, and then it popped out a hole on the other side of the tree, which makes me think it’s probably time to have this old gal removed. How old is she, I wonder? My dad said he remembers it from his childhood here, and he’s in his 70s!
But the real reason I brought you to this corner is so I could tell you what happened the other morning while Mike and I were drinking coffee. We heard the most awful whump! at six in the morning and jumped from our chairs to investigate. It was still dark outside, but we could see that the dead tree on the property across the street finally gave up more than a limb or two.
Mike quickly dressed and went out to move what he could from the street to ensure no one had an accident (which was sure to happen since drivers race through that intersection like they’re qualifying). He managed to get it all cleared to the side of the street but not without encountering a few bats (more on this shortly) and poison sumac. <facepalm> Not his first tangle with the devil plant, so he mitigated it quickly with the medicated scrub we keep on hand.
Employees from our town’s street department came out this week and picked upthe mess before I was able to warn them about the sumac! Bless them! A great portion of the dead tree remains, and we’ll see how long it takes for the rest to come down at which point Mike may think twice before performing another good deed.
4. Where the Bats Roost
I promised we’d talk about the bats, so let’s walk north on the west side of the house to the carport, which is framed with wood and topped with corrugated metal.
Fun fact: our little town is home to a plethora of bats. Plethora is a fun word, and I have no idea how many bats call Woodville “home” so we’ll go with that. Or we could say there are a shit-ton of bats here. Literally. One local building has so much guano in the walls that you have to hold your nose to walk by. It’s that bad.
Our event venue—the one I recently wrote about8—had bats in the upper floor when we first purchased it. Mike researched the best removal methods (since exterminating them is not only bad for the ecosystem but also illegal9) and put up a screen one night to keep them from coming back in. Unfortunately, I think they found another entrance since I discovered this on the front door a few weeks ago.
I sent a photo to a few friends and family, and one responded, “Wtf kind of gargoyle shit you got going on there?!”
Gotta admit—nearly touching that little guy as I reached to lock the door launched a few unholy words from me. All this to say—we’re no strangers to bats.
Back to the carport. A while ago, we noticed the distinct odor of bat poop and began to hear skittering10 on the metal roof and squeaking when we’d come home at night. We found the tell-tale signs of guano under a corner of the carport and knew where they had gotten in to make their home.
The other day I went outside in broad daylight and heard the eerie sounds of active bats and told Mike he had to get those nasty things out of the carport roof before the whole thing caved in and covered me with winged rodents.11 He built this screen the other night and confirmed the next morning that they were going nuts trying to get back in. No more skittering noises under the carport.
Now he’ll have to seal up any cracks that could allow them back in, but we’re one step closer. There’s never any shortage of chores around here!
Wrap Up
Thanks for coming along on this little yard tour today—I hope you’ve enjoyed this taste of Mississippi life. If it’s been a hit, I’ll do more of these with hops around our historic little town.
Tell me…
Do you have a favorite tree where you live? What makes it unique?
Have you noticed any Little Free Libraries in your community? If not, check out the Little Free Library World Map to search for one.
Anyone else have horrible sumac stories to tell?
Any bat stories?
Hit the comment button to join the discussion!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalpa
https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=805
…for not much money since it is currently uninhabitable with lots of termite damage and foundation issues.
“Are you in a rural community or an urban neighborhood where there just isn’t the quantity or variety of books needed? Do you see how a Little Free Library book box would make books available to budding readers, or give neighbors who don’t know one another a reason to connect? If you answer yes, you’re invited to submit an Impact Library Program application. Applications are reviewed on a monthly basis.”
From the Netflix series Anne with an E
http://wildlifemanagementpro.org/animal-control/bats/exterminating/
Anyone see Falling Skies?
I have a very active imagination when it comes to insects or animals that might fly or jump onto me.
Loved this! May have to copy cat it too. 💕
I loved the tour! It's always nice to get a sliver of what goes on in another's community. And this came with sound effects. 🎤
I had a unique tree in my front yard when I lived at the house in Melbourne. The woodpeckers liked to drill into it with their beaks. There were multiple circles where they had done their work. I actually came across it when I was doing "My Photography Hobby" but I ran out of room to post it. I'm thinking of doing a "Birds" feature, so I'll try to remember it for that.
Thank God I have not had any experience with bats. I'm like you, I don't care for things that can jump on me. I've had my fair share of run-ins with lizards and snakes. That last one being the worst. They didn't jump on me but let's just say, they were very near me. I'll have to tell the story someday.