Ann Dail, Broker, ePRO, SRS, B.A.Chem,

One of my favorite places to go in the Baton Rouge area is LSU 's Rural Life Museum and Burden Estates. Coming in just a few days is their annual Christmas celebration called "A Rural Life Christmas". This is a living history event, where artisans in costume recreate Christmas festivities of the nineteenth century. You and your family experience sugar cane grinding, syrup making, candle dipping and other activities. An old church comes to life with renowned gospel choirs singing hymns. Enjoy hot cider and Louisiana style food...Jambalaya dinners. A Civil War encampment will feature the soldiers in their winter quarters.

Children will thrill to horses and soldiers and play old fasioned games, sing carols and ring handbells. There will be an assortment of old fashioned crafts and hand made gifts for purchase for the holidays. Hot apple cider and cookies are always a treat. Here my grandson was allowed to ride one of the calvary horses at the fall festival. He didn't stop talking about it for days!

Old fashion hay ride tours are another highlight of the event.

This event is a wonderful way to begin the holiday season. If you are traveling to Louisiana, or just living here, this is one of the best events for children of all ages.

Mark December 7, 2008 on your calendars!

Today I just toured the new home built near LSU by the AgCenter, called LaHouse.

It was 6 years in the making from conception to its recent completion. A home able to survive hurricaines and keep its residents safe from the storms. Its mission is to assist the Louisiana and Gulf Coast region in construction and design of homes. It is a model of building science best practices and building code-based information and continuing education. It is designed to withstand the Gulf Region environment of hurricanes and tornados, providing the resdents with multipurpose rooms that can also be used as "safe rooms" in storms. It provides information on a variety of new building materials and one of the goals was to come up with "affordable" alternatives. It offers neat features like sensors that detect walls of rushing water and open automatic "gates" under the home to allow water pressure to flow under the home and avoid permanent damage to the foundation. As wind and flood standards and zones are being revised to provide an economical & safe rebuilding of storm ravaged coastal areas, this is a must see educational museum and teaching facility. LouisianaHouse of the LSU Ag Center.

It's been since the end of August that most of you have heard from us in Baton Rouge...no power or internet or cell phones. So much for my positioning my company as e-technology"internet based" :-) I had to use a battery powered radio and dug a plug in phone out of my attic to be able to communicate! Now that some of us are coming back online, i wanted to share with you some of what's happening here.

August 31st the edges of the storm touched the Louisiana coast and headed on a line up the Mississippi toward Baton Rouge. Being an inland city we seldom get severe damage from hurricaines as they loose their force quickly when reaching land. Gustov was still gusting at nearly 100mph spinning tornados as it arrived in Baton Rouge. The weather service says it made history being the strongest winds ever experienced here.

Military vehicles from the National Guard became a familiar scene along with pole trucks sent in to manage the storm. The National Guard arrived in New Orleans and coastal areas to supervise the mandatory evacuation and protect homes and businesses while residents were away. My hat's off to Governor Bobby Jindal for the organization and response. After the storm died down these same military personnel opened ice and water and meal statation at strategic points for all those coping with no power. People waited in long lines for 5-6 hours to get necessities as only a few businesses had generators that allowed them to remain open. The two major energy providers, Entergy and Demco, report that 50% now have power back. Yes, folks, that means that many homes will still have to wait 2-3 more weeks to get power restored. Baton Rouge residents have a greater appreciation for what all the coastal areas suffer after the hurricaine. As of today, even our local Board of Realtors had not reopened as they have no power to their building.

Many new experiences occurred during this time. Neighbors gathered out in the street. (You could see better than in the dark and there was a breeze). Many people met who had never met before. A comradry developed in most neighborhoods, sharing information on how to get precious resources like ice and water and gas to run the generators. Not everyone had a battery powered radio which was one of the few ways to get information. Many cell phones shut down as the towers overloaded or lost power. Lines at the stores and distribution stations were 5-6 hours or more. I waited in line at Home Depot where they were distributing generators for 6 hours in the rain; my 3 year old grandson had to take breathing treatments for his asthma. The lines snaked all the way around the building. Some before me had been there over 12 hours. I was one of the lucky ones. At least half the line behind me didn't get one as their supply ran out and they had to come back the next day when another truck arrived. During all this I found people courteous and cooperative. Very little of the ugliness you sometimes see on t.v. We take a lot for granted. For example, I wake up each morning with a cup of coffee. No power = no Starbucks or coffee shops and no way to brew at home, unless you are lucky and have a gas grill to boil water! Nothing like handling a caffeine addiction in the middle of a hurricaine!

This is a typical street scene now. Trees lined up in front of every residence and business and long lines of cars waiting at intersections with no power which are now 4 way stops.

I wanted to share the story of one family here who came to me thru the Christian Real Estate Network which is powered on Active Rain. Susan and Ricky Amato and their 5 boys moved here from the New Orleans area after Gustav. In her blog Susan writes about their Gustav challenge and shares inspiring photos and music that all of you will enjoy. Be sure and scroll down to the picture book and visit pictures of her family. It is an example of the spirit residing in Baton Rouge today!

Susan Amato's Blog of Gustav in Shadows Lake Subdivision in the White Oak area of Baton Rouge.

Woodlake at Bluebonnet is tucked away just off Bluebonnet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This quiet, exclusive community is built around and behind a private lake with fountains and paths. The home on the right, 10502 Myrtlelake, is one of several on quite cul-de-sacs. This home sits on approx. and acre lot and sold in 2008 for $455,000. Sales are rare in this neighborhood. This home and some others feature pools and large yards for entertaining.

This quiet subdivision is located just behind Boutin's Restaurant on Bluebonnet. Boutin's is known not only for great Cajun food, but also for entertainmnet. It is a total Cajun Music and Dining Experience.

Just down the street to the south of the subdivision entrance, you will find the Bluebonnet Public Library branch with activities for all ages. There's a Senior Connection, Kids' Stuff, and online databases and public computers.

Just to the North of the subdivision at the intersection of Perkins and Bluebonnet, you will find upscale Perkins Rowe, where you can live, work, and play without getting in a car. And the mall of Louisiana is there as well. Both Perkins Rowe and the Mall of LA have movie theatres as well as shopping and restaurants.

Just north of the subdivision on the way to shopping you will find the Surgical Specialty Center of Baton Rouge. And near the Mall of Louisiana entrance sits Ochsner clinic and Baton Rouge General hospital.

You won't find a neighborhood more conveniently located with many ammenities.