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Does God have a word for us in His Holy Scriptures? Yes, He does. He always has a word for His people either audible or written down. We should be listening like Noah of old when God gave him the dimensions of the ark and how to build it, or when Jonah, was instructed to go to Nineveh and preach against it. Then there is Saul, who became Paul, on the road to Damascus.

Here is a strong word from the Lord in Jeremiah 4:7-8: “The lion has come up from the thicket, and the destroyer of nations is on his way.”

DeSoto Extension Agent

Give your garden a color splash with agastache

This year at the Southern Plant Trials, I fell in love with the herbaceous perennial agastache. This perennial stood out to me with its profuse blooms and delightful fragrance.

At each location I visited, the agastache was buzzing with pollinators. In the third week of June each year, Americans celebrate National Pollinator Week. So now is a perfect time to add a color splash of agastache to your garden.

Commonly known as giant hyssop or hummingbird mint, there are 22 species of agastache native to North America and some to China and Japan. This group of perennials is related to bee balm, salvias and coleus, and all belong to the mint family of plants. They all sport the typical square or angular stems of members of the Lamiaceae or mint family. Many are fragrant and have unique flower forms.

Ask Rusty – What If I Delay but Die Before Claiming Social Security?

DeSoto Extension Agent

Root rot disease creeping up in Louisiana lawns

LSU AgCenter plant doctor Raj Singh says homeowners around the state are beginning to see an increase in take-all patch, also known as take-all root rot.

The disease is caused by the soilborne fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis (Ggg). The fungus is frequently found in association with turfgrass roots without causing significant disease.

“Take-all patch disease can be quite destructive,” Singh said. “The aboveground symptoms appear after the root system has already been severely compromised.”

The appearance of these symptoms generally coincides with periods of several abiotic stresses.

“The initial symptoms of takeall root rot are generally visible as an overall yellowing, thinning or drought-stressed appearance of the turf,” Singh said. “Diseased roots are often short, dark-colored and somewhat brittle.”

July 4th is approaching soon and it is one of the most sacred days for the American Citizen. On July 4th, 1776, delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Penn. voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence. The 56 men who issued that famous document realized they were signing their own death warrants because the British would consider them traitors. A follow- up article next week will tell of the suffering and hardships each of the signers and their families went through.

Let’s get baking!!

I’ve never hid the fact I’m not much of a baker BUT apparently I also wasn’t great at picking spouses years ago either (shocker I know).

Carrion Crows?

A startling site the other afternoon as I sat on the back patio was two of these big black birds wheeling expertly through the dense forest of large pine trees. I thought that was pretty peculiar to see them flying so low and emitting a kinda clacking churring sound to each other.

I was used to seeing them wheeling around way up it the sky and remembered that there were different types here in Louisiana the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture. Wikipedia tells of early Spanish explorers hearing tails from the Atakapas Indians along the Atchafalaya River in south Louisiana of large red-headed vultures feasting on a Wooly Mammoth that had died on the banks of the Vermillion River. The explorers reported these birds as “Carencro Tete’ Rouge” and the little settlement took that Spanish name of Carencro.

Remember that you are someone’s role model… be it your child, a friend, or just simply a spectator that thinks highly of you. Put on a professional attitude when in dialogue with others let your best strengths lead in your actions of sensible logic, for the unknown to ones self. There’s always a somebody that admires the way one carries themselves, therefore you should take it upon yourself in a specific degree of mannerism for the purpose of allowing others to learn every trait of decently being a great person in life.

Let’s get shakin!!!! So last week we talked about “The Trinity” now let’s get to talking about dat Roux.

Roux!!! What is a Roux? Roux is one of the first tasks taught in culinary school. Quite simply it’s the base.

Roux is a shortening of beurre roux, which in French translates as “brown butter.”

It’s the thickening agent for a lot of Cajun, Creole and some country recipes. The most famous and notable of these is of course gumbo. BUT it’s used in meatball stew, chicken stew, smothered pork and étouffée’s even though a lighter roux is usually used for dishes like étouffée.

The thought of making roux can and has intimidated the masses for decades. It can be a daunting task if you don’t take the time to follow a few simple steps. I still see a lot of great cooks (even a couple restaurant chefs that will remain nameless) using jar roux, roux mixes, and store-bought shortcuts.

A Close Place

Methodist Pastor Kathy Fitzhugh used to say that a “Close Place” was one where heaven and earth were not far apart. She told me that the reason why she often walked around the Female College Museum grounds was because she felt that this old campus was one of those places. Most battlefields have that same hallowed feel to them and, locally, we are our very own nearby.

But the first of the week I especially felt the spirits close by. Coming to work it seemed I saw the gleam of chrome from a passing car as I parked by the side of the Museum. There was no passing car and I thought the sensation odd. As I unlocked the door I noticed the door to the attic open and the handcart in front of it pushed back. As unsettling as that was I also noticed that all of the vanity and cabinet door in the bathroom were open.