Summertime blues....

We have finally gotten through most of the summer camps- Camp Lone Star in Texas, Vacation Bible School, and Cajun-Creole Kids Camp. I feel like I have been busier than when school was in. Heidi only has one more camp in July- a culture camp. I have tried to work on some of my projects, but it's practically hopeless now. I was able to finish Matt's quilt-- just in time for a hot summer! Oh well, he'll appreciate it later in the year. I also made some nice baskets and other quilts for various gifts. We've been staying awfully busy with the hotel & campground. Apparently, oil companies are really looking for new sites. We've had pipeline & seismic crews keeping us almost full. Unfortunately, with gas prices and everything else on the rise, we're forced to increase our rates too. Believe it or not, the only expense that decreased this year was our insurance! Luckily for y'all, our loyal friends and guests, we are still almost half the franchise prices with more to offer!

My summer projects include container vegetable gardening, more quilting, taking care of lots of baby animals, canning, trying to get a schedule together for fall school, and last but not least, guitar. I have had beautiful cherry tomatoes, a few creole tomatoes, but no others yet. I planted late, so there's still time. I planted pole beans, cucumbers, yellow straight neck squash, herbs, eggplant and pablano peppers. Heidi has planted a watermelon. I'm curious to see how that turns out. It's some kind of black beauty with a really dark skin, but sweet insides. I was going to plant potatoes, but I waited to late for that. A local farmer told me to get the seed potatoes from the feed store and plant in mid-February. I'll have to plan that one next year (right before Mardi Gras; who knows maybe I will find the time!). The rain has been really nice for gardening this past spring, with cool days. But then summer hit with full force. Now it only rains once a week and seems to just make steam instead of cool air. The hobby farm is doing nicely. Both of our Katahdin ewes had babies, a set of twins and a single. The children aren't too impressed with the idea of eating the males (2), but it's that or the auction. Heidi wanted to get rid of the ram and keep the lamb with brown spots, but I don't think that would work with good breeding practices. Our buff hen hatched some chicks (3 little cute fluffy black ones). She was pretty ferocious with us when we tried to check on them. I think I'll put up a sign that says "Beware, attack chicken!". Heidi's two dutch bunnies also had babies. Speaking of ferocious, maybe I should post a sign that says "Beware, attack chick & rabbit!" She wants to sell the bunnies, but I'm dreaming of a cast iron pot for their futures. The goose is sitting on a nest of about 7 eggs. I'm not totally sure when or if they'll hatch, but I think I also need to add "attack goose" to my sign too. I have to wonder if I got like that when I had my babies. Lance would probably say an emphatic yes! We also bought some guinea keets. They're awfully cute. When I go out to feed them, they follow me around like I'm their mama. I hear some good and bad about guineas, so we'll have to wait and see. I think that since their diet is so much protein-based, their eggs should be very healthy. We still have our ducks, dog, cats and donkey too. They have kept to quiet lives with the exception of the cats. They're out in the front yard every morning stretched out in the shade, tormenting a poor mocking bird (Lance calls it breakfast theater).

I've only canned a few things this year, but the figs are coming in soon, and I think I'll put up some of them. I made stewed tomatoes and pickled watermelon rind. I have mixed reviews on the watermelon. It's kind of like a sweet & sour, a little like pickled ginger at the chinese restaurant.

Guitar is fun. I'm having a few issues with the barre chords, but I'm enjoying it. Bonnie, Lance's sister, is keeping me on my toes. We'll have a performance (with 30 other musicians & our kids) at the Liberty on Saturday, August 2nd. We're part of a group called the Prairie Cajun Fiddlers. Maybe we'll see you there!
Nickel & Matt are being serenaded on our last road trip. You can see what Nickel seems to think of the chorus!

Etouffe Title or Not....

Well, we didn't win this year, but Toby's etouffee was really great and we cleaned the pot. We had a wonderful time from Friday night to Sunday night with non-stop partying. If you'd like to check out pictures of us, you can find a few on The Daily World's website and a few more in their photo gallery. A Big Thank You to Toby Rodriguez soon to be Toby Pitre for cooking! Hopefully, I'll be back soon for more pictures.

Heidi, Alain and Camille have all started spring ball. We are practicing almost every weeknight and starting games the second week in April. The children are also doing a performance at the Liberty with Matt & Heidi on fiddle, Al on accordion, and Bonnie & I on guitar. This might prove interesting and somewhat entertaining!

Lance is having a birthday in May. He's working very hard on financing for Lakeview. We have also become Karaoke Revolution stars! Or maybe wannabe stars!

Also, for those of you waiting to see my quilt that I have been working on since August, you might have to wait a little longer. Eventually I'll finish it and you can bet your shorts, I'll have pictures posted everywhere!

Thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas emails

I usually send out "Merry Christmas emails", but this year I'm probably not even going to do that. Between Christmas concerts, parties, and choirs, we have our plates full.

Matthew is now 12 years old. Lance calls him a preteender. He's taller than I am and likes to show it off.

Heidi is 10 years old. She participates in gymnastics, fiddle, and animal raising. She will also be in softball soon. They both have mentioned that they would like to run Mardi Gras this year with me. I think I've decided to let them do the pig and chicken chasing.

Alain is now 7, soon to be 8. He's very much looking forward to all upcoming holidays, especially Christmas. He has really taken to the new puppy we found dumped in a parking lot on a cold, rainy night. (Anyone need a good puppy?) The new puppy's name is Pichou for bobcat since he has fluffy ears and his tail has been docked.

Camille is currently 4. She will turn 5 the weekend before Mardi Gras. She's the only one that attends school. She goes to a private preschool four mornings a week, and adores her teacher and classmates.

Nickel is 1 1/2 years. He is currently king of the family. Unfortunately, we have another climber. So not only does he dig, but he also climbs and digs, and then destroys anything in his way. Matthew was just like this, only not to this extent.

Lance is still working on the Lakeview RV Park. It's coming along slowly but surely. We're hoping the pace will pick up after the new year. I have been doing the same things-- homeschooling, cooking, sewing, quilting, and just being the general support staff (as my friend Debbie would say).

We are currently not just getting ready for Christmas, but Mardi Gras is only 7 weeks away. Get your costumes ready! I will be running this year and Lance gets to provide background services. He's already freaking a little, despite my reassurances. He's trying to find help and claims he can't be superman. This may be my only year to run, since we never know what next year will bring. I plan to have a good time, but not uphold the standard Lance may have set in year's past.

I wish you all a very wonderful and peacefull Christmas, and also a blessed New Year!

Cajun Heritage

As you all know, our family tries to promote our Cajun heritage as much as possible. It doesn't just include food and music, but the natural wildlife and foliage. In the past, there has been considerable heated debate over the condition of the Prairie project in Eunice. Many in the area want it mowed down. I wrote this letter to the editor of the Eunice News, and it was published last week (with a few unagreed-upon changes).

4A Sunday, September 23, 2007

Letters· to Editor

What's the problem? Editor, The Eunice News:

I writing in response to the "whole community" complaining about the Prairie project on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Magnolia.

The Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society purchased 10 acres of land from Union Pacific and maintains that land with a parking lot, paved sidewalks, annual burning of the property, and even weed trim­ming along the sidewalks.

Have any of you pulled away from the sitcoms on TV and been out to this project? I have.

And the funny thing is, I can't see anyone's backyard, or even front yard next to this property. It is separated by the railroad on the north side, streets on the east and south sides, and an empty shrub and tallow tree- covered lot owned by Union Pacific on the west side.

I'm not sure I understand what the complaints are about. Maybe we should be calling Union Pacific instead.

We talk about sharing our Cajun culture and heritage with our chil­dren, with our neighbors, and with interested visitors. It's not just about food and music. Part of that culture is. a habitat native to the Cajun prairie.

Where can you go to truly see this habitat? The wetlands are disappear­ing, but so is the Cajun prairie. Oh, there are plenty of fields; where the grass, weeds and chicken trees have been taken over (just look right next to the Prairie Project).

The Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society is trying to pro­mote Louisiana's natural Cajun prai­rie, and the city wants them to mow it down.

I have plenty of mowed lawn to look at, but when I want to see wildflowers that are different with every season, this is the place I go and take my children to.

And have you seen the butterflies?

I'm not just talking about the seem­ingly ubiquitous monarch that flies thousands of miles from Mexico. I've noticed cloudless sulphurs that are a delicate pale yellow, the color of that sticky note on your desk. Did you know that butterflies actually have host plants, or plants where they pre­fer to get their nectar?

Speaking of nectar, the humming­birds are out. Louisiana has more species of birds than 44 other states. What do birds feed on? Oh, that's right, insects. And insects feed off of plants. -

Go to the Prairie Project and really look at the plants, grasses and flow­ers.

I want my five children to have the joy of discovering the world God cre­ated for us. Please allow them that.

Kelly L. Pitre Co-owner, L' Acadie Inn Eunice

If you would like to see pictures of this project, please check out the website www.cajunprairie.org It is well worth a gander!