Pense Donc!

SLOWLY DRYING . . .
The flood waters have mostly receded around the parish, although there are still large swaths where smelly, muddy water remains trapped, blocked off from nearby drainage ditches. Those areas will only completely dry out when we get a week or more of day-long sunshine without the spotty thunderstorms that, unfortunately, are common at this time of the year.
The scattered showers continue to frustrate our cane farmers, who really need for the fields to get dry enough for them to resume planting. The rain also makes cleanup and rebuilding more difficult for flooded homeowners.

PET PEEVE . . .
Among the aggravating – and avoidable – things I saw during the heavy rains was the yahoos who raced through flooded streets in their big pickup trucks sending waves into areas that might have otherwise escaped the water.
These (mostly) guys have to be either pretty ignorant or just don’t have a care for the homes and businesses they jeopardize.
Main Street in front of our office often accumulates six to 12 inches of water during a heavy rain aggravated by clogged drains. And just about every time the trucks come charging down the street, spraying water 8 to 10 feet into the air.
Grow up, fellas!

HURRICANES . . .
As I wrote this late Monday, it appeared that the disturbance in the Gulf would turn away from Louisiana.
A hurricane at this time would really be a knockout blow for the state, but unfortunately, we’re entering the peak storm season.
A quick check of my desktop journal revealed that some of the worse hurricanes of the past 25 years hit during the last week of August and into September.
One of the earliest was Andrew on Aug. 25, 1992. Then there was Isaac on Aug. 28, 2012 and, of course, Katrina on Aug. 29, 2005.
September storms included Rita, just a month after Katrina, and Gustav and Ike (2008).
Lily was one of the latest, hitting Louisiana on Oct. 3, 2002.
Let’s pray that the remainder of the hurricane season will continue to be quiet.

THIS & THAT . . .
Football Fever – The area dailies have devoted thousands of inches of coverage of college, professional and high school football over the past month or so.
For those interested, you could probably learn just about everything you never needed to know about every individual on the UL-Lafayette, LSU and Saints rosters from favorite song to personal hygiene routine.
It all seems just a bit much to me, and I consider myself an avid fan.
But close to home, we’re anxious to see the high school season get started this Friday with all three parish teams having lots to offer.
St. Martinville is in its second rebuilding year under coach Vincent Alexander and Tiger fans are looking for continued success.
Breaux Bridge begins a new era under “new/old” coach Terry Martin who spent his early years on former BB coach Mike Mowad’s staff and is now back at The Bridge after a 12-year stint in Cecilia
And taking the reins of the Bulldog program at CHS is Lafayette native and Teurlings Catholic grad Dennis Skains, the youngest member of the parish coaching fraternity. He spent the past three years leading Class 4A South Lafourche to an admirable 24-15 record and into the playoffs each season. Coming off a great 2015, it may take the Bulldogs a year or two to come close to matching last year’s 9-1 regular season record.
PC overkill? – Read somewhere last week that the Ole Miss athletic director has asked the university band to stop playing all variations of the song “Dixie” before football games. Six or seven years ago the Ole Miss chancellor asked the band to stop playing “From Dixie With Love,” which blended the Confederate anthem with the Union Army’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
And now San Francisco 49er QB Colin Kaepernick refuses to stand during the playing of the National Anthem because he feels the flag represents a nation that does not treat minorities fairly.
Say what?
Anniversaries – Friends and subscribers who celebrated wedding anniversaries recently included:
Aug. 25 – The 59th anniversary for Shirles and Sadia Champagne of St. Martinville.
Aug. 26 –The ?? for Ernest and Gladys Guidry of Breaux Bridge.
Aug. 30 – The 36th for Gary and Linda Stelly.
Clair comme le jour: Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out. –Coach John Wooden