Travels...

Friday...Our travels have taken us to Ocean Springs, Gautier, and Biloxi in Jackson & Harrison counties.  Gautier, MS...known as "nature's playground" is home to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane.  On the endangered species list there are several Sandhill Crane Wildlife Refuges in this area.  The Mississippi Sandhill Crane is native to MS and never leaves.  Other species of this bird migrate south and mingle with the home bird; but, when its time for mating and nesting the migratory Sandhill Cranes fly home to mate and hatch their brood. 

......Explorations......



Houses are nestled around the marshes and bayou's.  Ditches everywhere for drainage.  There was a huge cement house in construction that was shaped like a castle on a bayou waterfront.  We wiggled our way thru the slow Mississippi speed limits (30-35-40mph) with everyone creeping along...even on the seemingly country roads to Shepherds State Park driving thru checking sites.  Their sites are not level and the trees there would make satellite reception difficult.  Rates $13 per day for Sr/Golden Age Pass.  A we'll see on camping here.  The lens fell out of my glasses as the frame lost a screw.  A very nice gal at the local Walmart replaced the screw so I could once again see.  We squeezed our way along narrow Goverment Street curb parking to have a sundae each at the old Lovelace Drug store located at the end of this street on Washington Ave.  Eye catching old paraphenalia of yesteryear sat high on shelves with old pictures decorating the walls.  They had several old manual typewriters like the one I learned to type on in high school along with other old stuff walking you along "memory lane".

A stop at the Chamber of Commerce gave us more reading material and two FREE wooden "Pelican Pound" $5 coins we can use at participating stores. 

The Chamber of Commerce is located in the old L&M train depot.

Every Saturday there is a Farmer's Market here in their parking lot.  There was a bottle tree outside.  This area is famous for its many forms of art.

Rouse's Grocery was new to us with good prices on meats.  We saw Aztecka Mexican restaurant that was packed with cars for lunch; but, too full to partake. On our way back to camp we sat at the boat dock for a few checking the bayou for anything to move.  Drizzly rain sent us home for the afternoon with our reading material, laptop, and TV.  J made several phone calls to different Biloxi casinos checking on their lunch BOGO specials.  I feel a casino trip coming soon.  Looks like this campground is filling up.  It weans out every morning to fill up by night.
Saturday...6a.m. the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled.  Then it rained 1.5 inches.  Wet and wanting a down day we settled in with TV movies.  I added a few crocheted rows to my lap blanket of many colors.  The temperature rose to almost 70 degrees.  Turned a/c on for a few as we watched the campers come and go with their rigs.  This campground averages 10 empty morning spaces to fill up by night.  A game of Hockey was the highlight of our evening.  Until my next blog....
See you by the campfire.