CAJUN CUISINE ?

Crayfish #1

Crayfish #2

Escargot

It seems that my yard has become the supply depot for the local Cajun restaurant. It never fails to surprise me at what I am going to find each time I walk out my door. (I will spare you the photo of the DEAD frog that I also pulled from the pool.)

I haven't been in the yard in a few days. It's been HOT down here.  Who ever heard of 90 degree weather in Florida in APRIL ?  Usually those temperatures are reserved for the middle of summer along with the oppressive humidity. But this year summer has come early and brought along the torrential rain that goes along with the heat. We have had monsoon type rains over the past couple of weeks and they have brought with them the rude realization that I have a leak some where in the foundation of my house just outside the front door. After the last 2 real heavy rains I have a huge puddle in one corner of my garage. Naturally it is a corner that has 2 large cabinets standing there so I really can't get in there to figure out just where this leak is coming from. Sooooooooooo, as any good ostrich would do, I will put that concern on hold and go on with my adventures.

Back to the back yard!  I walked outside this afternoon to see what was going on, (I never do know what I'll find. Remember the bees of only 3 weeks ago?). Today everything looked OK until I got up to the edge of the pool and saw Crayfish #1 walking around on the bottom of the pool over by the steps.  This has happened once before and I still want to know how the little bugger got all the way from the lake to my pool. As I was trying to take a picture of it I noticed the small but very dead frog floating belly up not so far away. Frogs often jump into the pool and then just can't get them selves back out. The funniest thing I ever saw was the lizard that had fallen into the pool and was riding the vacuum hose around the pool. As I fished out the dead frog I noticed crayfish #2 on the far side of the pool. I needed the BIG net for the 2 crayfish. Even though #2 appeared to be dead I scooped them both up and walked them out to the lake where I unceremoniously dumped both their butts.  I put the net away and decided I really didn't want to go for that swim today or tomorrow or till the pool got a good dose of chlorine. YUCK !

As I was returning to the kitchen I reached for the door only to realize there was a snail suctioned to the door. If only I had kept the crayfish and the frog we could have had a lovely jambalaya for dinner.