The weather is once again in spring mode but my phone says that will change in a day or two. Right now the sun is shining, the temps in the upper 70s, no wind.
I actually had my wonderful helper mow my grass yesterday and do a few odds and ends around the yard. It didn’t need much but sure looks nice now. Mostly I needed to have the back roof of my house which is relatively level, cleaned of dead cypress needles. The rest of the house is too steep for anything to stay but my house is surrounded by cypress trees and the back room has a barely slanted roof.
Anyway, Food for Seniors will take place on Jan. 29. I will still not be allowed to accept new recipients but at least those who have been signed up can get a few things. Bingo for Seniors took place on Jan. 6 with a crowd of 22. Chair Yoga for Seniors had its first new year session on Jan. 6 and again on Jan. 7. We never have a crowd for those classes and I do wish more people would come, but those who do have a good time and we all feel it really makes a difference in how we feel. I, for one, hear all sorts of things popping and snapping as I follow directions but I find myself sitting straighter at home, rolling my shoulders now and then. It is really good exercise and I wish more people would try it. When I bring up the classes so many people just sort of laugh and shrug like they couldn’t do that and that’s not true at all. If I can do it at my age, anybody can.
The Belle River bridge is functioning mostly normally these days now that the level in the river is up a bit. The warning signs before the bridge in both directions remain in place but the pontoon part of the bridge is up now so the change in levels from road to pontoon is not much. Still, caution is advised and I see the weather is supposed to change in the next few days. Rain is coming and probably north winds so the pontoon will be down again.
This all brings up the memory that a few years ago, money came from somewhere to fix the bridge crossing in Belle River, Bayou Pigeon and Stephensville. I’m not sure about Bayou Pigeon but a brand new bridge was built in Stephensville, much higher so most boats can pass underneath. It does not have a pontoon opening. And I don’t think it gets much traffic but I have no stats on that.
The Belle River bridge however, for lack of money I’ve heard, was just remodeled. The pontoon part was renovated I believe with some sort of leveling mechanism installed. The devices which open and close the pontoon were changed but the pontoon itself still has to be opened for almost all boat traffic. I’ve heard there were thousands of vehicles crossing at Belle River every day, but I guess that wasn’t enough to remake the whole thing.
So, now, when the water level changes, the pontoon goes up and down as needed, occasionally getting stuck as it did recently.
When the pontoon part was remodeled, the bridge was closed to traffic for several days. I had left my car on the other side of the river and just paddled the pirogue back and forth as needed. It was not a huge problem but better that way than driving all the way around via Bayou Pigeon or Morgan City to get to the other side.
I’m enjoying the nice weather while it lasts.
Teche News’ Lower St. Martin correspondent, Linda Cooke, can be emailed at lindacooke1939@ gmail.com.
