Early residents of this area were the Gulf Coast Indians that included the Biloxi (meaning "first or first people") & Pascagoula (meaning "bread people"). They lived in villages on the mainland hunting on the surrounding islands. The Pascagoula Tribe, according to legend were going to be attacked by the Biloxi Tribe. Being outnumbered and fearing slavery, hand in hand they chose to walk single file into the Singing River until the last voice was hushed by the dark waters. Singing River today is known as the Pascagoula
River. History has it the river sounds like a swarm of bees filling the air with song. The Biloxi Tribe was decimated by a smallpox epidemic. Their survivors migrated westward merging with the friendly Tunica Indians of Louisiana. Not able to communicate due to language differences, both tribes shifted to French. Their old native languages have not been spoken since the 1930's. Today the Tunica Indians continue to live on a reservation in Louisiana.
Ocean Springs, MS, in Jackson county is known as the City of Discovery in recognition of the French establishment of a settlement here in 1699. The name was coined by Dr. William Glover Austin in 1854. He believed the local springs had healing properties. Lying on the eastern shore of Biloxi Bay, Ocean Springs was severely affected by strong winds and the high surge of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Homes built up on 13 foot stilts were swept away and those built on higher ground caught the brunt of strong winds. The Biloxi Bay Bridge connecting Ocean Springs to Biloxi was destroyed during Katrina. What use to take a few minutes to drive to work now took up to 1 hour with detours. until the bridge was rebuilt.
The new bridge is 95' high & supports 6 lanes of traffic. There is a 3.19 mile walk over the bridge wide enough for 4 people across and 3 overlooks with rest benches. The waters here are muddy,
muddy, muddy. We think the muddy water is from the torrential rains, dumping of the Mississippi River, and direction of wind pushing the water up against the coast. Will be a while before this water clears up.
Early morning rain/fog was a bust for seeing any Mississippi Sandhill Cranes at the MS Sandhill Crane Wildlife Refuge near Gautier (pronounced "Go - shay"). Here lives the Mississippi Sandhill Crane found no where else on earth in the wild. They are different from the FL Sandhill Cranes in color & size. These MS birds are darker in color standing 3-4' tall with a wingspan over 7' wide. They mate for life living about 20 years. They lay 2 eggs with usually only one chick (colt caper) surviving. There are currently about 100-125 birds left. These birds are in decline due to lack of habitat. We did see a small deer munching on prairie grass bolt...jumping a short distance...stopping to watch us...then jumping again further into the prairie and palmetto.
Back at camp we had a day of cooking...Blue Runner red beans, Andouille sausage, & rice using our NuWave Induction cook plate and pressure cooker with hot biscuits in our NuWave Oven. Baked Yukon Gold potatoes are yummy, too.
My winter projects have been fun with some new ideas to try down the road.
Crocheted roses with pineapple edge.
Filigree Angel and seashells painted with Sharpie pens.
I'm currently working on Dancing Dollies.
A fun pattern.
Thursday...we had an exciting morning here at camp. Our motorhome neighbor was leaving and stopped to hook-up their car dolly for their "toad". All of a sudden there were loud metal noises, the sound of a tire spinning, and more loud metal noise. In looking out our door....the scene did not look good. We had light rain last night with everything wet. They had to back their car up onto the tow dolly. In doing so with things wet...the gentleman's car was slipping not wanting to back up the ramp. The camper gave his car some excess gas to force push the car up the ramp with the car going too far and rear tires going OFF the ramp hanging underpinning of the car on the dolly. UT OH! Another camper tied a strap to the car trying to pull it forward with his truck to get it back up on the dolly. The strap broke and car not moving. It took 4 men to push the car's tires back up onto the dolly. J & I had a good learning lesson IF we ever decide to pull anything down the road.
We met the new neighbor who gave us some good info about campgrounds in this general area as they live nearby. RV Parky was a new smartphone FREE app that shows a few things that my favorite Allstays Camp & RV app does not. Can't have too many. I also learned a new name for the nasty no-see-ums that were hungry today with the frontal rain. They are also called "midgies". They are a biting opaque gnat hard to see and so small they can penetrate most window screens. Most campers window screens have extra fine grid to keep these nasty bugs from coming inside.
Lunch was something else...HOT, HOT, HOT!!! We went to D'Iberville to Pepe's Bosque Mexican Grill where lunch had a HUGE surprise. J ordered me Carne Asada with Borracho sauce, Gulf shrimp, refried beans, rice, & guacamole salad. J had chili rellano, beans, rice, & guacamole salad. I was so excited...I dug in only to have to frequently chug my tall glass of ice lemon water. Talk about HOT....that recommended sauce was hotter than anything I have ever had.
We brought home a doggie bag of food to use another day in a stirfry with broccoli, onions, & carrots. Will be good again.
The sky has turned dark with rumbles of thunder and pecks of rain on the 5er roof. Until next time...take care...stay safe. See you by the campfire.
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