Baja St. Martin

This has not been the most productive week of my life, but things are picking up now. Last weekend I suffered from pretty uncomfortable joint issues – I ached all over. Then I had chills several times.

Next – and by this time you’re probably thinking I know what she’s describing – I suffered some nausea, which in my case is a familiar if dreaded occurrence for which I have medication. From then on until Wednesday, I was either in bed or covered up in the recliner.

If you guessed the flu, you’re probably right. I never went to the doctor figuring as long as things didn’t get worse there wasn’t much anyone could do for me. So I slept a lot and by the end of the week I felt almost normal. Not a fun week but I hear it could have been worse.

Today was the first time the dog and I took our walk all week and it was such a relief to be out in the cool, fresh air! It was almost dark when we walked and there weren’t many cars at the landing, but a tugboat driver tooted at us, and two boats passed and everyone waved.

I learned from the wife of the boat builder down the road that the big, new house recently built and already occupied right next door to his shed belongs to the family of LeRoy McAdams. Some fairly distant relatives. It appears to be a nice place but certainly is squashed onto a tiny lot.

There is a lot of building going on over this way. Cypress Cove on Highway 70 between Belle River and Stephensville has camps suddenly springing up all over. All but one are on pilings. The latest is not but it’s by the road so maybe they’re not worried about flooding. It does look a bit out of place to be so close to the ground. Just south of Cypress Cove some personal friends have built a camp on Graveyard Island, although I haven’t seen it yet. It’s becoming almost a boom town over here!

There is one more full week of school and then a week break for Thanksgiving. I’m not sure about Stephensville Elementary, but Assumption schools just had an October break. One parent I know who has five children, laughingly complained that her kids didn’t need more than one day to eat turkey and then she wished they could go back to school.

Late this afternoon I heard a small boat pass in front of my house and then I heard it return several times so I looked out to see who was tearing around in the chilly weather. It turned out to be two young boys who were chasing the mallard ducks and trying to hit them with their boat. I waved my arms at the boat and when they slowed down enough to hear me I yelled that those were tame ducks and to leave them alone. The boys looked like they thought I was a crazy woman, but I did hear them say OK and they drove off.

These ducks really sort of belong to several of us along the river. I had about 10 at one time but they joined a bunch from next door who all joined others from upriver until we all sort of throw feed out, watch for eggs and regard them as personal friends. And the babies are so cute when they first hatch and swim behind their mothers in a long line. The mortality rate for ducks is high. They get hit on the road, get eaten by big fish and alligators, the eggs are consumed by stray cats, rats, etc., but the flock generally stays about the same.

They do not need boaters trying to run over them!

Teche News’ Lower St. Martin correspondent, Linda Cooke, can be e-mailed at lcooke9417@bellsouth.net.