Saturday Trip

I am going up there....

Because- as the sign says, there are "Tours Today!"


But first, some history/ trivia.


Next, it was a long way up.



At the top!

This light has a special name. I forget what it is called, but I do remember there was a binder showing all the different types of lights they had up here over the years.


Looking out at the pier I walked on last weekend. Looks like the tide is out today.


View down one side of Hwy 90.


And the other side.




Going back down. It was a long way down.


Looking over the side. The marks on the wall are how high the waters came up in the various hurricanes.


Here is Katrina.


And Katrina in relation to the others. I see the older hurricanes do not get names.

After the exciting ten minutes I spent touring the light house, I headed off to my next destination, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center. I have a "Free Map" (in quotes because that is what is says on the map) of things to do in Coastal Mississippi. The Pascagoula River Audubon Center is listed there and it says that there are interactive displays and many educational opportunities. Plus, this is the location that the Marsh and Swamp Boat Tours leave from. I called the boat tour people and found out they are closed for the winter, until February (isn't that now?) but since I had nothing else to do, I decided to head over anyway and check out the displays and educational opportunities.


I could have toured this marsh, if only it was not winter.

So, I pulled up outside the Pascagoula River Audubon Center. It was in an older neighborhood, and appeared to be a house. However, there was a sign outside, and even more encouraging, the parking lot (yard) was full. Looks to be a popular place. I went up on the back porch but it looked so much like a house I wasn't sure if I should just go in, or knock. The door was closed and there was no sign saying- Come In!- so I decided on knocking. After my knock I heard someone shout something that may or may not have been Come In! but I decided to be bold and go in.

I walked into the back room and it looked promising. There were about 3 fish tanks with fish and display cards talking about how the different fish like different salt levels but the fish I was reading about could live up to 2 months in fresh water. (Good for him.) After reading about Mr. Saltwater Fish, I looked up and saw through the kitchen that there was a group of people having a discussion/ lecture in the living room. I thought about making an escape when a gentleman in the kitchen spotted me and said Come On In! Then I knew this wasn't quite were I wanted to be because he asked me, "What's your name again?" Apparenlty this was a club and I had barged into one of their meetings. Stupid map. I didn't want to give myself away because I was embarrassed, and really, what would I say? "I don't belong here." or maybe, "I don't know you people." But I'm the one who came in. So, I decided to play it cool. The lecture was over and everyone was going outside to look at trees. (The lecture was about identifying species of trees.) I tagged along hoping everyone would think someone else had invited me. "Who was that girl?" "I dunno- I thought she was with you."


Some of the trees that were discussed. There are different types of gum trees, willows, cypress and a horrible pest tree called a popcorn tree that they cut down when ever they find it.


The river/swamp that I was not able to get a boat tour of.

Some more swamp images.


Discussing the trees some more.


You should look at the manner in which the smaller branches branch off the main branches and also the size of the twigs to help you determine what type of tree it is. See, even though I was desperate to slink away before the crowd turned on me (think of Zombie movies where the hero blends in with the zombie crowd by acting like a dead eater of brains) I still learned something.


We went out on this neat-o plank walk way. It was the closest I got to the swamp.


This tree collapsed right on top of this pole. I wonder what the odds of that are?


Some fish inside the center that I would have liked to read more about but instead I had to escape.

While everyone was getting ready for the next lecture, I jumped in my car and zoomed off. Too bad the parking lot was so small I had to do a 10 point turn to get out. At any moment I was expecting someone to notice me with an alarmed shout and call me out as a spy in their mist. Ok- not really, but it sounds dramatic and exciting. And I really did hope they didn't see me leaving. The whole experience was pretty weird.

After escaping, er... leaving the The Pascagoula River Audubon Center I drove down the street to a nature center. On the way there I passed the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding area or center.





In the left rear of this photo and in the middle rear is some kind of ship being built. Pretty neat.


I do not know what this is, but wish I did. I wasn't sure of its exact location, so looking it up on Google did not help me.


The little triangle says "Super Heavy." Therefore it is a three man lift instead of just 2.

One more thing I should mention about my adventures in Moss Point, MS. The part about How I Came to Spend the Afternoon At a Nature Center. After slinking out of the Pascagoula River Audubon Center I again consulted my "Free Map." Apparently I had not learned my lesson as to the reliability and trustworthiness of this map. The Pascagoula River Audubon Center was in Moss Point and I noticed just down the road was the Old Spanish Fort/ Nature Center. Cool. I like historical locations (as discussed previously) and throwing in a Nature Center just sweetens the deal. I used my GPS to find the Old Spanish Fort. I arrived but couldn't figure out how to access the buildings. They were completely surrounded by a large chain link fence. There was a big sign that said ENTRANCE (with an arrow) but it just seemed to be pointing straight into the fence. There wasn't even a gate there. I thought maybe the arrow meant go around the corner but I tried that too, with no luck. Upon approaching the ENTRANCE (with arrow) sign from the opposite side, it was obvious that the arrow did not mean go around the corner, it meant go in right there, but the fence put down any hopes to that.

So I called the number listed for the Old Spanish Fort on the Free Map and the lady who answered the phone identified herself as the Nature Center. I asked if she was located at the same location as the fort and she said no, that is across town. Why the map has them listed together, I have no idea, but I decided the Old Spanish Fort was a lost cause along the lines of Pascagoula River Audubon Center, and since I actually spoke with someone at the Nature Center, I decided to go there.

(When I got home I planned to throw the map away. However, I still have not done that, in the hopes that it may redeem itself in the future and lead me somewhere magical and exciting. Let's see... maybe the Courtyard Marriott. What kind of destination is that?! Into the trash with you, Free Map.)


Some Canadian Geese at the park where the Nature Center is located.

I arrived at the Scranton Nature Center. For those who know Santa Clarita, it is on par with the Placarita Nature Center. I haven't been to Placarita for so long I'm having trouble remembering it. I think the Scranton Center has less live animals. It also does not have the Oak of the Golden Dream. Sadly.


However, it does have baby peacocks!


Pretty cute. The lady told me one flew the coop and is now living "in the wild." I wonder if the remaining three are jealous.


Oooo. Dead bugs. Butterflys at the top are nice, the things at the bottom... not so much.


I got to hold the corn snake. I like a snake that does not bite. It tried to go up my sleeve but I did not let him.


I thought he was very cute.


A whale vertebrae. The lady running the place gave me an individual tour of just about every exhibit. Pretty cool to get the back story on a lot of it, and just more general info because not everything was labeled very well. The Nature Center was not huge or overly exciting but since I had nothing else to do, it held my attention just fine. I was the only person there.


A display of an Eastern Diamondback. It is huge! I do not think the rattlesnakes in CA get this big.


A baby crocodile. Or maybe alligator. I forget. The lady says she keeps then until they get too big, then someone else takes them, and before too long a resident will bring her another one. This guy was pretty cute.


Wasp nests. Yikes.


A very vividly bright and large butterfly. Bigger than my hand.


Brown recluse. Run for your lives! There seems to be much discussion regarding brown recluses living in CA. Some people say NO some people say their grandma got bit by one in CA. The map on this display says NO, but under the visual, it says, Brown Recluses now live in all parts of the US.


Pie! Get out of that exhibit! And drop it! That's not a toy. Out!


Dottie! What are you doing here?


Albino raccoon.


Albino squirrel.

The entire display.

It is not Pie after all. It is a black coyote.


A giant sea creature that I do not want to meet!


Alligator and crocodile display.


Raccoon and crab display. Pretty interesting, showing how the crabs burrow into the ground.


Turtle shells. Sea turtle on the left. This room also had some larger (live) snakes that I knew I wasn't allowed to hold, so I didn't ask. Some ball pythons and... another species. Maybe I should start taking notes.


My little friend again. Too cute to only picture once.


The fossil display at the Nature Center. My favorites were the mastodon tooth in the upper right corner and the T-Rex tooth in the bottom.


Owl attacking small animal on the drinking fountain.


Bottle nose dolphin skeleton above a tank with coral and other such stuff.


And lastly, more bugs. I sort of wish I had ended my tour of the nature center with a better picture.

Driving home I saw this cool bridge. It rotates to let ships through, instead of going up.