Hot, hot, hot! It seems to be that way everywhere. My baby sister in Michigan reported that they had over 20 days with 90+ temperatures and high humidity in her area of southern Michigan. My older sister says she’s doing what I’ve been doing. Works outside for a little while with a wet towel around her neck and then comes inside to cool off. It took me two days to complete a two hour job recently, cleaning out a small shed.

Crawfish are $1.50 to the fishermen these days. I guess there are still a few people catching some. I don’t see much sign of crabs around. This is truly the doldrums.

The weather does seem to be kind to the ducks. I’ve never seen so many in the neighbor’s yard. The duck mortality rate is normally pretty high. They are such funny creatures. Right now there must be 30 brown ducks all cleaning their feathers, tails all vibrating simultaneously like someone flipped a switch and said GO. And when one apparently spies a bug or whatever in the grass, it puts its head down and sort of charges forward like a little torpedo. (My older sister’s polydactyl cat does that. I wonder if it has some misplaced genes!)

The next Morgan City Community concert is Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Morgan City Municipal auditorium. Intersection is a trio of violin, cello and piano playing music from around the world. It should be a great concert and six more to come. You can buy a season ticket for only $45. That’s just a bit more than $6 per concert. Can’t beat that price!!!

I think my older sister and her husband might be here for that concert date. They’re coming this way for a few days after attending a daughter’s birthday in Denver. My niece is celebrating her 60th birthday, 30th wedding anniversary and 15 years in remission from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She’s setting a record in the latter category.

I know this is a long way from many of you, but on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 2 p.m. in the Pierre Part library on Hwy. 70, the Canary Island Heritage Society of Baton Rouge will bring their program to town. If you think you might have ancestors who came to Louisiana from the Canary Islands you will really enjoy this event. Many of the “Islenos” who came here from the Canary Islands settled in St. Bernard Parish, but around here there are lots of people with names like Diez, Albarado, Alleman, Sanchez, and lots, lots more who can trace their lineage back to the three ships which came to Louisiana back in the 1700s. Even if you know you don’t have any ancestors from the Canary Islands (like me), it’s still really interesting to hear about the history of these people. Anyway, you’re invited. Admission is free and there will be light refreshments. Come on over!!!

I probably will not be able to see the Perseid meteor shower on Saturday, Aug. 13, but it should be a good one. Pieces of the Swift-Tuttle comet will come ‘showering’ down and according to what I’ve read, the best time to see them is early, early in the morning before sunrise. I saw a comet once a few years ago. Maybe Kahoutek? Not sure. A friend and I lay on our backs atop the Belle River levee and there it was, a fuzzy round thing with a long, fuzzy tail. Not too spectacular, in some ways, but special to have even seen a comet.

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