Baja St. Martin

The price of crawfish for the fishermen is now down to $1 a pound which is a sure indication more crawfish are being caught and as always, the buyers are trying to regulate the flow to the markets.

As I pass on the way to Pierre Part I can clearly see the purple sacks piled up on the buyers’ stands so I know more is coming in. I somehow don’t think the quantity is as great as in past seasons. Fishermen stop at my husband’s shop for various things and we have in the past good years heard the stories of someone catching 50, 60 sacks of crawfish. I haven’t heard that one time this year. Not here, at least.

And the Belle River public landing has not been quite as full lately, but again, that may be due to the changing water levels, buyers putting limits on their fishermen, et al. The water is going down a little so I’m beginning to see fewer outboards and more of the air cooled engines that can go in the shallow water.

The St. Martin Council on Aging folks are coming to Stephensville and Belle River on May 29, Food for Senior distribution day, again to sign up more people for the COA services. If you live in Stephensville, Belle River or Four-mile Bayou , and are 60 years or older, come to either site and sign up. There’s no cost, no commitment, but your participation is needed.

If and when we get a minimum of 20 people registered the COA officials will feel justified in coming over here on a regular basis. It may be lunches at first, Meals on Wheels for homebound people and eventually respite care, light housekeeping, and other services. It will be great. This is our opportunity to be more involved in the workings of the parish so please give your support.

I’m taking a water aerobics class twice or three times a week now and am beginning to feel a bit trimmer! Or at least cleaner! The instructor is a retired teacher friend who is big into exercise of all kinds – biking, jogging, running, etc. She and her daughter also teach swimming to little children. My classmates include three retired teachers , a nurse and a retired shop owner.

The next few weeks will be crammed with newspaper-worthy activities, most of which I try to attend. There are graduation ceremonies from practically every grade, career day events, job shadowing, band concerts, awards day programs. Someone told me the LEAP test results will be available on May 16.

The weather has been wonderful lately, hasn’t it? I have finally given up and turned on my A/C. By mid-afternoons the temps are in the mid-80s and it gets pretty warm in my house. You probably think I’m nuts but I really hate to close the doors and windows so I endure the warmth longer than is normal, probably. Even my husband will finally say, “Don’t you think it’s time to turn on the air?”

I don’t know if I believe all the horror stories about global warming or climate change as they’re calling it, but no question that my family up north when I was a kid, had no air conditioning and I don’t recall that it was too bad. I remember the cold and the mittens and snow suits and fireplaces and sitting on the registers. But I don’t remember keeping cool. Now, all my families have fully air conditioned homes and cars.

Actually for the first many years we lived in the south, we had no A/C. But then we also had no electricity or running water or car! That was when I was young and tough or more likely, too poor to even think of such luxuries. It was still good times. Good memories!

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