Hurricane season begins tomorrow

Living in southern Louisiana has its positives and its negatives. Chief among its negatives are the unpleasant high-humidity summers and having to contend with another hurricane season which officially starts tomorrow. Remember Gustav last year? It went right through Houma. Not only did it leave the community in a mess, it wasn't too kind to scientists conducting field-oriented research either. Several experiments at our Research Unit had to be postponed for another year. During graduate school days in Minnesota, the main temperature effect we talked about was the wind chill factor or wind chill index during the winter time. If it was cold outside, the wind made it feel like it was a whole lot colder.

In southern Louisiana, the main temperature effect we talk about in the summer is the heat index. So if it is hot, and then you add humidity with the heat, the body responds as though it is a lot hotter than what the thermometer would indicate. As shown in the graph, it feels like 100 F or more during the hottest part of the day through the months of June, July, and August even though the temperature rarely reaches 95 F. Foremost in the local news is the urgent need for greater hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects. At the Houma Today website, one of the featured videos in the VIDEOS section entitled "America's Wetland," has some footage describing a rally that is being held at the downtown marina in Houma today to raise awareness about the serious loss of wetland along Louisiana's coastline. One of the comments was that "Some people call Houma ground zero. We call it zero ground, because this is THE place where the most land is being lost."

Neal's Birthday

Megan's 1st birthday

Wow, it's hard to believe that Matt and Julie's youngest daughter, Megan, is already one year old. Happy Birthday, Megan! In her young life, Megan has gone through some uncommon challenges, having to endure two bouts of reconstructive surgery for her cleft lip and palate, with more reconstructive surgery yet to come. It's amazing what can be done in this day and age, and Megan looks so great. The picture above was taken at Easter time this year. Judy worked late into the night on several evenings making the Easter dresses for Allison, Lauren, and Megan, and so the picture as a gift had a little extra meaning.

Boat trip with Ron Mangels

Ron Mangels, a close friend who I know through our church, invited me to take a boat ride with him in the Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge area that I described in an earlier blog (24 Jan 2009). We had talked about doing this together sometime, so I was excited when Ron called me up early this afternoon inviting me to go with him.

I included a Google Earth map of where we went by boat (the red lines). The map also shows where we live (red arrow) to provide orientation. The area we went through was truly breathtaking and otherworldly. It's hard to imagine that we are within one or two miles of areas like this when we are driving on the highways down here.

I don't even begin to remember all the different bird species Ron pointed out to me, but they included herons, egrets, coots, wild ducks, owls, woodpeckers, and so on. The close up I have in the collection of pictures was of two yellow crowned night herons in a tree. We saw a good number of alligators. I got a nice picture of a young alligator on a log basking in the sun. We saw some wonderful cypress groves. The pictures don't really do them justice.

I was also impressed by the large outcroppings of cattails. This country is almost tailor made for cattails. We took a side trip (where the red line splits) to see if I could access the area by kayak without having to go to the Intercoastal Canal, and proved that it could easily be done. If I didn't put the lines in the right place, Ron can straighten me out.

At any rate, it was a very nice activity for a Saturday afternoon, and I am very appreciative of Ron's offer to go on this boat trip with him.

Sugarbeets in southern Louisiana

Back in July 2008, I had read about some tropical sugarbeet varieties that a seed company called Syngenta had. At that time I wondered if anyone had ever tried growing sugarbeets in the wintertime in southern Louisiana. I talked with several people at work about the subject, and even suggested that we get some seed and try planting in September or October and see how the plants would do as a winter crop. In case people who read this blog think I'm blowing smoke, key 'Tropical Sugarbeets' into "Search" above and read my blog entry for July 28, 2008.

The idea finally got traction when someone from within the industry asked us about tropical sugarbeets around September. Now that it the industry showed an interest, we were able to move full speed ahead. We got sugarbeet seed from three sources: Michigan (a more humid environment like ours), California (Imperial Valley, a dry environment, but where beets are commercially grown in the winter time), and Syngenta (so-called tropical beets grown mostly in India). We got the Michigan and California seed early enough to plant sugarbeets in October at our location in Houma (not at our farm). It has now been about seven months since the sugarbeets were planted. I believe they were sampled in March and April. Tomorrow they will be sampled for the last time. The beets have grown to a very impressive size. The one I am holding, a California variety, weighed in at 13 lbs. It will be very interesting to find out what the sugar content is tomorrow. Could Louisiana have two sugar crops, and run their mills for more than just four months out of the year? If the sugar content is above 15%, which exceeds the levels sugarcane can attain, I believe that there will be some growers and processors who will show considerable interest.

Garden Art

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Spring garden in Houma

What a difference a few days make. The two pictures shown above, were taken only nine days apart (Apr 25 & May 3). Notice how our corn reached the top of our camper in just nine days! Here's the status of our garden as of Cinco de Mayo (5th of May).

Potatoes planted Feb 7. Harvested most in late April. Judy sliced & dehydrated them. I harvested the remainder (80 potatoes) tonight.

Carrots planted Feb 21. We're thining them out as we go, picking babies. The remainder are being left to attain full size, which isn't far off.

Spinach planted Feb 21. Popeye would be proud. Picking the leaves as we go. Had a few for dinner tonight.

Tomatos planted March 7. Picked first ripe tomato yesterday. Many will follow shortly.

Peppers planted March 7. Picked first ripe bell pepper last Saturday (May 2). Picking them as we go...about one per night.

Sweet corn planted March 7. Featured in the pictures above, all the plants have tasseled out in the last two days. Should be munching sweet corn within a week from the earliest maturing ones.

Cowpeas planted March 7. A ways off, but the plants look terrific.

Edible-pod peas planted March 10. They're in their peak. Picked 40 pods yesterday, 40 more today. Steamed with a little butter, they are delicious.

Edible soybeans planted March 10. Pods are filling nicely. About a week away.

Yellow Crookneck squash planted March 28. Squash are about 4" long and growing rapidly.

Watermelon, cucumber, and canteloupe. They're a long way off.

Blackberry bush. Just starting to pick the berries. Soon, we won't be able to keep up!

We got over two inches of rain yesterday. The garden crops loved it.

Annual Thibodaux Ward Crawfish Boil

This year's crawfish boil was successful as expected, but rather anticlimatic compared to last year's (key in 'crawfish boil' at "search" above to go to it). Last year, we invited the BYU Idaho 50-member Symphony Band group who were performing in the Southeastern U.S., plus a live Cajun Band at our annual crawfish boil. It was a blast and a memorable event for the band members. This year, it was just us, and a below-average turnout at that.

Howard Worthy, who teaches ROTC at Morgan City High School, was able to get an Army tent for the event. It took a good number of people to lift it in place, but it was easily the best and biggest tent we have ever had for our crawfish boil.

I invited an older inactive gentleman that I know from working out at the YMCA, the day before the crawfish boil. He promised to come out and enjoy the event with us, and was good on his word. He is the first person on our ward list with the name Kenneth Abramson, but this is the first time I remember seeing him at our Church. A few of the long time members recognized him. I took some food home for Judy, who had to work at Sylvan Learning Center until past noon. I wasn't sure she would make it, and I failed to recognize that she was pulling in to the Church as I was leaving. This morning, I took Judy to the airport so the meal I took home to her ended up being mine after Church today. Judy will be with Julie & Matt, and their family in Indiana for the next two weeks, while Megan goes through her next phase of reconstruction surgery, this time on her palate, as I understand. I'm sure Julie will keep us posted on Megan's progress at the Indiana Bertasso's blog site. Keep Megan in your prayers.