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A summer-long ballet begins in April when hummingbirds return to south Louisiana.
The naturalist and artist John James Audubon called them “glittering fragments of rainbows.” The poet D. H. Lawrence observed, “It is a creature of such fairy-like loveliness to mock all description.” The “flower kissers,” as Brazilians call them, were considered gifts from the gods by Native Americans.

You probably didn’t think of the Acadia Parish community of Iota when you were watching the Oscar awards last week, or even take a hard look at the statuettes that carry the name. But maybe you should have.
The Oscar statue’s sculpter, George Maitland Stanley, was born in the Iota area in April 1903. He didn’t stay long, but can still be considered a native son.

Everyone has problems, challenges, adversity, and obstacles they have to deal with. Collectively, these are commonly referred to as troubles. Rather than being a master of our situation, we allow our circumstances to govern us. We react to whatever is happening rather than acting to produce the outcome we want.
For many, their troubles become their constant companions. They leave work and bring their troubles home. They go to work and bring the troubles from home with them. Wherever they go, their troubles are always by their side.