Belle River came through the recent bad weather in good shape, but that wasn’t the case in a few neighboring areas. A twister – possibly more than one – was sighted in Stephensville. Another close to Klotzville. Here the sky was really ugly, the wind blew ferociously, and we got at least three inches of rain on just one day, but that was the extent of things.

I know that Stephensville and Pierre Part schools all had tornado drills, where the kids crouched in the hallways for several hours when the storms were first approaching.

The Putt Putt boat people are meeting at J.B. Castagnos’ camp on Belle River for their annual get together. I hear that boats will be there from as far away as New York, possibly Canada. Orie and Annie Mendoza will be there from Bayou Sorrel. Orie will have made many of the boats which will be there. It’s always a great event with all kinds of people chatting about boats, engines, who made what, etc., and loads of good food. Not to mention probably getting a ride in one of the gorgeous boats.

Early Sunday morning I’m going with some friends on their party barge to check out wood duck boxes in the basin. Thomas Blanchard has made and put out over 60 boxes in the spillway and he checks them during the season to count eggs, move boxes if necessary, and generally keeps a careful record of when the eggs are laid and when they are hatched. He is very scientific about it all, keeping meticulous notes on everything. I’m really looking forward to the ride.

The price of crawfish to the fisherman is now $1.50 per pound. To the customer I’m sure it’s well over $2. At the Belle River landing I hear fishermen talking as they’re launching/loading boats, and there are plenty of complaints right now that crawfish are small. If anyone says they’re catching big ones, they’re not telling where! As I drive to Pierre Part, I can see that almost all of the crawfish buying stands are in business. No huge piles of purple sacks yet, but they’re open and working.

I’ve noticed that there are lots of Gator Tails and Pro-drive motors in use these days, a few Go-Devils, and of course, regular outboards. As I sit on my log in the woods, I can hear the boats coming as they approach the main channel, and each has a distinctive sound. Go-Devils make a very specific noise, and the Gator Tails and Pro-Drive have a different sound. You can tell which is coming from a long way off and without seeing them.

I talked with my sister just a day or so ago, and she told me that at her house in southern Michigan it had been 88 degrees that day! Warmer than here! A really bad tornado damaged a town just to the north of my sister’s location, a very unusual event for that part of the country. When she saw on TV about the rain down here, she called to make sure we were okay. I assured her we were fine, but I had to do so on my cell phone because – you guessed it! – my landline was not working.

Food for Seniors in Belle River, Stephensville and Four-mile Bayou, will be Thursday, March 29, usual places, usual times. On Tuesday, April 10, Mr. Johnson from St. Martinville will be at the Stephensville fire station to accept requests for electricity assistance. He will come to Belle River on Thursday, April 12, for the same purpose. If you want to apply, bring a picture ID, proof of income, social security card and a copy of your highest electricity bill for the year.

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