One of the first things I noticed as we crossed over the Pearl River into lower Mississippi was the number of pipelines and bridges, again. (Remember the start of Louisiana?) They were everywhere, creating otherworldly sculptures rising out of the wetlands. I understand the bridges because there are swamps, estuaries, rivers and creeks everywhere. You could actually smell the difference between the brackish bayou or swamp water and the cleaner river stuff; then there is the whole other olfactory world of the ocean. I can’t figure out how you two-leggeds live without an acute sense of smell! I would only know about 1/3 of my world if I lost my snoozoola!
We dropped down onto Highway 90 for a scenic tour along the Gulf Coast toward Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi and Ocean Springs. What sweet little places these are and the efforts to reconstruct after Katrina are amazing! The startling white beach along this stretch is all man-made from white sand that washes down from the Appalachian Mountains. It was hauled in by the thousands of truckloads to this stretch along Beach Boulevard creating a wonderful playground for the tourists and locals. Biloxi has several new Las Vegas style casinos with more under construction. We took advantage of the crab leg buffet at Boomtown and the nickel slot paid for dinner too! We stayed for a few days by Ocean Springs at Davis Bayou Campground which is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, a nice natural contrast to the busyness of the towns.
There are still many, many “stairways to no where” in this area, evidence of culture and heritage lost forever to Katrina. We know that given enough time these sad reminders will be absorbed by Mother Nature and will fade away into new life or will be lovingly restored and returned to a semblance of their former glory.
Some things do endure and even thrive on adversity, such as the spectacular ancient live oaks. Some of them are hundreds of years old and have adapted to the salt water levels in the soil so well that they often grow right next to the ocean. One of these ‘matriarchs’ is the Friendship Oak located on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Long Beach. It is an incredible 500+ years old, standing staunchly next to a nearly destroyed building, gazing out to sea in patient quietude. She has survived long enough to create some pretty incredible statistics: 50 feet high, the truck is 18’7” in circumference, 5’9” in diameter, the leafy spread is 156’, providing 16,000 square feet of shelter. The average length of the main limbs is 66’ with 71/2 feet the circumference of an average limb at the trunk. I could sense the strength and wisdom of this elder, but unfortunately the ancient, common language we critters used to understand has long been lost. Cokie’s photos will help convey some of the majesty of this Grandmother.
Another landmark of the area is the Biloxi Lighthouse. Built in 1848 and cast as one 56 foot high piece of iron, it too has stood the test of time and torrential storms.
We went over to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art one afternoon to gaze at some of the exquisite pottery the “Mad Potter of Biloxi” produced back in the late nineteenth, early twentieth century. George Ohr is now recognized as one of the world’s most innovative ceramists and one of America’s first abstract artists. Not only his whimsical interpretations of common daily items, but his glazes and color combinations were far beyond the works of his contemporaries. His playful spirit and distinctive mustache helped promote his wares and earned him a reputation for eccentricity. It has only been in the late 20th century that his genius has been recognized and his works collected by such notables as the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Los Angeles County Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The wild, wild east kept calling us so off we went to Alabama. We had decided we needed a few trees to offset the miles and miles of water and sand so we headed directly for the Conecuh National Forest on the southern border. We did not plan to see anything like Mobile or Montgomery at this time, we just wanted some quiet. We found it at Open Pond in the heart of the forest and my doggy heart was so happy! There were utterly gorgeous flowering bushes and trees in this part of the world and we just had to stop and photograph a few. The native dogwoods and honeysuckles were putting on quite a show right in the campground, too.
We left after far too short a time headed for the area around Clearwater Florida to visit a friend from California who had relocated to Madeira Beach. I’ll regale you with the Frolicking in Florida routine in the next journal. Until then, be safe and well and always remember to share.
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