Columns

It’s almost squirrel season y’all!!!

Let’s get shakin’ and head to the woods… My favorite time of year growing up, squirrel season! I got to spend quality time with my dad, he would even surprise me at school to check me out early for an afternoon hunt. As bad as I was, I highly doubt my teachers minded (a few might have looked forward to me leaving.)

Opening weekend and usually the next included, my daddy’s friends around a fire talking about the hunt and how much work still needed to be done before their next outdoor adventure, deer season.

These fall weekends are when I first saw open-fire cooking first hand and I loved every minute of it. Today, looking back I smile realizing those guys were more interested in the hunt and eating than sanitation. Sometimes these camps didn’t have water much less soap. The squirrels were usually eaten with the same knife that skinned them only hours before. It was southern, it was country and it made memories.

Prune Roses Soon To Reinvigorate Plants And Promote Fall Blooms

As we enter the waning days of summer, many of our plants are just plain tired after enduring months of heat — and they’re showing it.

Roses are no exception. They tend to get a bit leggy and overgrown this time of year, and you’ve probably noticed their blooms are smaller and less colorful. There’s an easy fix, though, and now is the time to do it.

We’re talking about pruning — trimming away excess growth to shape plants and control their size as well as removing dead and damaged canes. Doing so will refresh your rose bushes and encourage a burst of flowers this fall. It also increases airflow in plants, which helps ward off diseases.

DeSoto Regional Health Introduces Commemorative Brick Campaign

Dear Editor and Readers:

We recently celebrated a significant milestone for DeSoto Regional Health System, as we broke ground on a monumental project. This development includes a 57,000-square -foot hospital and a 40,000-square foot medical office building, which will house a Rural Health Clinic, Hospital Administration, Cancer Services, Specialty Clinic Space, and Sleep Study Services. Once completed, these new facilities will modernize healthcare delivery and expand the capacity to serve the residents of DeSoto Parish, marking a transformative step forward for the community.

Containers: An easy solution to many gardening conundrums

Expansive, in-ground flowerbeds and vegetable gardens aren’t for everyone.

Maybe you want to grow just a few plants — either because of limited space or a desire for a minimal gardening commitment. Or perhaps you want to dress up a courtyard, patio, deck or apartment balcony where planting directly into the ground isn’t possible.

Growing in containers can solve all of these problems. It also has its share of benefits. Potted plants can easily be switched out and moved around, offering the flexibility to update your space as often as you like. You have more control over the soil you use, and containers tend to have fewer problems with weeds. And they can be moved into protected areas during freezes — a feature that is especially important for tender tropical plants and citrus trees. With containers, you have the freedom to decorate your home or office with plants, too.

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Winnie the Pooh For such a small yellow bear, he managed to carry quite a bit of wisdom in his sweet little heart.

Winnie the Pooh is the creation of A.A. Milne. He spends his days in the forest talking with his friends and several other woodland creatures.

There is an immense amount of wisdom in the heart of Winnie the Pooh. But as humans, we rarely see it. Doing Nothing? That phrase isn’t even in our vocabulary. We’ve been taught that doing nothing constitutes being lazy, unproductive, or even selfish.

In truth, one of the most valuable things you can do is nothing. From time to time our life gets just as congested as an eight-lane freeway under construction. When your life has gotten this busy, it may just be time to head off to the woods for a day of doing nothing with Winnie the Pooh.

Chef Hunter Lee

Rockin’

Let’s get shakin’ Happy Fall, time to get out the ole faithful crockpot y’all. That’s right, obviously you can use them all year long, but to me at least, crockpots are just made for cooler weather dishes. Don’t worry it’s still “homemade” and with a little planning it’s easier (and much healthier) than sitting in a drive through and getting takeout after work. I use mine at least once a week. We all know they are perfect for soups, roast, chili, country favorites at the camp, or a family dinner. Did you know you can also make a socially acceptable dinner for guest or even date night without judgement? Follow me!!! This one’s even WW and diet friendly!

Crock pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast

• 21.5 ounces Cream of mushroom soup

• 2 cups of milk (2% is fine) • 8 ounces deli Ham (sliced)

• 8 ounces Swiss cheese (sliced)

Christ mas is still a few months away but a good Mansfield friend that died several years ago, Calvin “Lefty” Hall, told me of an incident that occurred in December 1944, which should be told. Not only was Calvin a great citizen of Mansfield but he was a great war hero that very few would ever have known about.

By December 1944, the British and American troops thought that victory over Germany was nearly in their grasp. The German Army had “broke and run” with only sporadic fights and patrolling. The Allied troops were generally happy because they thought the Germans were whupped. The Allied High Command did not know Hitler was about to launch a drive to recapture Antwerp and start the offensive known as the “Belgium Bulge”.

DeSoto Parish Extension Ofce Workshops The DeSoto Parish Extension Office, located at 10117 Hwy 171 in Grand Cane, will offer Fall Gardening Workshops during several dates in September from 10:00 a.m. until noon.

Baja Shrimp vs Shrimp Scampi

The DeSoto Parish Cattlemen’s Association held their quarterly meeting this evening at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office. Producers were welcomed to the meeting by Mr. Henry Richardson, DPCA President. They got to hear LSU AgCenter updates and upcoming events from Joshua Salley, DeSoto Parish County Agent. Mrs. Shae Simone, LCA Executive Director, discussed HB 784 which provides relative to liability for damages caused by livestock. She also talked about HB 330 which deals with the sales tax on fencing materials. A very interesting topic presented to the group were the new bills for 2025 which include potentially banning balloon releases and lab grown meat within Louisiana. Another special guest was Mr. Alan Sweson with 321 Aerial Services. He spoke on his drone services and how he can benefit local cattle producers. Our main speakers for the evening were Mr. Harry Richardson with Lonestar and Mr. Brett Richard with Crystalyx.