The Gulf of Mexico

This morning I finally had a chance to walk on the beach. I birded, I talked to other tourists (mostly retired Canadians, I breathed in the ocean endorphins, and wallowed in the sun. This is why I came down here. I have stopped taking St. John's wort these past few days.  When I return to Wisconsin, I'll only have another month of cold, dreary winter.

The piers have been rebuilt since Hurricane Katrina. Tey stretch far out into the bay. I on the farthest bench to bring my journal up to date.

A brown pelican was out there on a sandbar watching the water carefully.  I've been trying to remember when I last saw one. In Florida?  In get the white variety in Wisconsin.  

It was a day of exploring these Mississippi Gulf cities. I thought that some of the Super Bowl crowd would end up here but that doesn't seem to be the case. There are still signs of Katrina here and there. A Waffle House sign still hangs in  lot where once pecan waffles were served. A resort hotel still has a granite marker where the entrance was. Now it looks like a gravestone surrounded by ragged grass.  Everywhere there is property to sell.    

This afternoon I was on Biloxi's WLOK 4:00 O'Clock news show.  I've done these interviews before.  I get all gussied up, worry a bit then the whole thing is done in three minutes and that's the way it went.  I talked about my storytelling at the Pass Christian public library then moved on.  

Then I drove along the beach road, the highway that runs along the gulf, filling my soul as I watched the sun setting in front of me, so bright it was difficult to see the signs.  The road took me to the Pass Christian and I pulled off to take another look at the map and there the library was.  Zen driving worked once gain.

Wendy Allard greeted me warmly'  She's a Wisconsin native and we talked about places we both know. She insisted I go to Pirate's Cove for a shrimp po-boy.  If there is one thing that would make Gary jealous it would be that po-boy.  He's been talking about it since I began planning the trip.  It was delicious indeed.

Next, a performance of stories and songs to a very appreciative audience.They wanted humor and I gave it to them. Tomorrow I'll be back to talk about my life on the internet. 

I'm at the halfway point.  Tomorrow I turn my face north to Wisconsin and home.