Baja St. Martin

At last the weather has turned more winter-like. I kind of like it although I wish the ground would dry up a bit more. Although my puppy goes out in the yard by herself, I often go out with her and sit in the swing while she plays (and digs holes). But the north wind is pretty fierce today so I put a chair under a sago palm frond where it was sheltered.
Not long ago, someone told me the sago palm would kill a dog if it got into the plant, but of course, I know that’s not true. The needles are pretty picky but not deadly. I do know that stray cats will hide under the fronds because an attacker can’t get to them.
Anyway, don’t know why I’m on these plant tidbits except I just finished reading that rosemary sprigs once were put in the head of 16th century walking sticks to ward off the plague. It was also said that rosemary would only grow in the “gardens of the righteous.”
I’m reading John Grisham’s newest book, “Rogue Lawyer,” and it starts with the lawyer’s defense of a man whose wife is killed when a SWAT team mistakenly smashes into their house in the wee hours. I won’t tell you much, but a neighbor kid had been secretly using the man’s wifi connection to sell drugs. This stuck in my mind because my husband just got an iPad mini tablet and our wifi signal is a bit weak so he has to take a few steps toward the house to catch the signal in his shop. I keep wondering if anyone nearby is doing the same thing. How would you know? (Unless a SWAT team crashes in at night.)
In case you’ve been wondering – and I wouldn’t blame you if you were – the structure going up at the Stephensville park is a shade shelter for people and it is being paid for with the remains of a previous grant which has reached the point now of use it or lose it.
You might not know that many grants cannot be used at the Belle River site because it is on leased, not owned, land. (Believe me when I say we searched for property to buy outright in Belle River with no luck.) Doesn’t make any difference if the lease is for many years. So this particular grant money can’t be used in Belle River anyway and if it isn’t used by the end of this year it will disappear!
Plans are afoot for projects at Belle River but not at this instant. Actually, the next thing we want at Belle River is an extension of the parking lot so our seniors (and anybody else) can reach the building without such a long walk. Next on the agenda is to finish the walking trail and then some playground equipment.
A friend suggested to me how nice it would be to have a walking path go through the woods and I agree – a boardwalk would be stupendous, but probably awfully expensive. Have to check that out.
And we felt we should extend the parking lot not only for parking space but to have a place of higher ground on which to put playground equipment. One walker expressed concern about possible critters in the low areas – snakes, alligators! Not a good place for slides and swings, et al. So sad that one thing depends on another and they all depend on money. We’ve received some nice compliments on our current walking trail. It’s not long, but it is really pretty.
Cross your fingers. Maybe a Christmas elf will find a “ton” of money and want it used for our Belle River park.

Teche News’ Lower St. Martin correspondent, Linda Cooke, can be e-mailed at lindacooke1939@gmail.com.