Est-ce que t'amenes la pluie?

Well, it's been a while, but I'm back! I've got lots to share, so let me start with some more Louisiana native wild irises....

This beautiful specimen on the left is a Giganticarulea Alba named for Bart and Barbara Henderson of Slidell, Louisiana.

The next iris is a Giganticarulea named for the Benoit family from Creole, Louisiana who lost everything in Hurricane Rita.

Unfortunately, I think we're seeing the last of the irises for the season. We desperately need rain around our area.

Next on my list is the gorgeous stained glass window made by our friend Dee Tatum of Seraphim Studios, from Hattiesville, Mississippi. Lance surprised me with this window (six years it took for him to make up his mind!) right before Mardi Gras this year. If you'll notice, it's the Cajun flag vertically. Dee does awesome work! The fleur-de-lis are even beveled. I had to really hide my eyes while it was going into place and Lance was teetering on the extension ladder.

This weekend should be quite exciting with loads of stuff going on like the Cajun joke telling contest in Opelousas, Cycle Zydeco, The 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Festival, and Heidi's first communion. I'm looking forward to Heidi's first communion most of all, but the Heritage week with fiddle, guitar, accordion, language, crafts and nature classes will be exciting too!

Also, an update on the farm status. We have recently acquired a dozen baby chicks of three different laying types and eight mallard ducklings. I'm hoping we'll get the fence up soon before it gets too hot. I'm very much looking forward to a few goats and sheep. I will now leave you with a picture of our family paillasse. May God grant you and your family as much love and laughter as He has ours!

P.S. I just received a meteorological report regarding hurricane season this year. Louisiana and portions of the Gulf Coast will not have to worry about any hurricanes. Let me repeat, there will be no hurricanes to hit Louisiana or portions of the Gulf Coast! Boudreaux and Thibodeaux have just completed a hurricane fence across part of the Gulf of Mexico!

Louisiana Irises in Memory

I would like share something unique, created here at L'Acadie Inn. Our good friend, Tyrone Foreman of Foreman Flats in New Orleans, planted a beautiful bed of Louisiana Native Irises last fall in memory of the evacuees who stayed with us at L'Acadie Inn. These people lost practically everything and still maintained hope and positive attitudes. Each iris was named for a person or family (and in one case a beloved family dog who passed away during the evacuation) whose lives were flipped upside down by an uncontrollable event of nature. These irises are beginning to bloom, and are just gorgeous. I will continue to post more as they bloom. Many of the Giganticaruleas and Brevicaulises have not bloomed yet.
This first picture is a Fulva named Miss Lacy Burns, who was the 16 year old loyal pet of Mike and Rhonda Burns, of St. Bernard Parish. She passed away while the family was evacuated. It is a beautiful shade of light copper.

This next picture is of a Fulva as well, but this one is a Wood's Red. It is named for Mike and Renee Helmers of Slidell. They just finished building their new house when Katrina hit. As she put it they "only" got a foot and a half of water in their house.
Unfortunately, it still had to be gutted. Notice the deep shade of
copper on this iris.

This is a Giganticarulea. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing too strongly to get a really good image of this iris. It is named for Ms. Grace Puccio. She is in her nineties and evacuated during Katrina with her family from St. Bernard Parish.

This iris on the right is a Nelsonii. It is slightly past full bloom, but still beautiful. The Nelsonii closely resembles the Fulva Wood's Red above, but notice the yellow signal (stripe) running down the center of the petal.

I hope you've enjoyed our small example of Louisiana Native Irises. Recovery from the hurricanes continue, slowly but surely. People are beginning to return to semi-normalcy. Be sure to check back for images of the Brevicaulis and Giganticarulea. Also, the Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society, is hosting its annual wildflower tour in Eunice on May 13, 2006.

Hmmm.....what to write?

I had a beautiful page with pictures and everything last night and somehow deleted the whole thing. Oh well.... The weather here is nice mid to low 80's with no rain in sight. I'm beginning to eye the pool with longing. It's still a little chilly, but Lance has plans for solar panels to warm it in the winter and cool it in the summer. The children have already been swimming, and Camille can swim 2-3 feet (she's three years old). I understand that swimming is the best exercise, especially for us fat, pregnant women. Only 10 more weeks....

Big Al went to his first fiddle lesson this morning, only it turned into piano instead. We're really enjoying the music as a family!

Mardi Gras was exceptional this year. We tried out a new run that was more of the true Cajun country Mardi Gras with no beads, but lots of fun.

Here are two pictures of Lance and I preparing.

The first is the "before" and the second is the "after".

Luckily for us, he has now gone back to clean- shaven. The children and I are now pleased to appear in public with a less furry counterpart!

Matthew, Heidi, and Alain are taking a standardized tests this week. There are many debates among homeschoolers and institutionalized schoolers alike regarding the validity of standardized testing. We have decided to follow state guidelines, that way if we ever decide to go back, we'll have a form of proof to show grade level.

We've only been homeschooling three years now, so are by no means professionals. If you have any ideas or books that you enjoyed with your homeschoolers, please feel free to share them. We're finishing up the fourth, second, and kindergarten grades this year.