Up To Date (and up to no good)

OK, loyal followers, we got behind on our postings – that’s what happens when wimmin break up the Geezer’s routine (and also when you move from a campsite that has wireless internet!) But we’ll try to make it up to you by including the latest from the Big Easy as well as a peek at the beginnings of our stay in Mississippi.

Biegnets at Cafe Du Monde

 Monday, February 28th – Dawn broke to the sounds of bulldozers and pile drivers once again! The ladies first night in the Geezer camper was uneventful (we are old you know!) and we wandered into Nola for a great lunch at Crescent City Brewers, some foot-powered sightseeing in the French Quarter and Market District, and the obligatory stop at Café Dumond for beignets and a café’ au lait (though Geezer Mike, true to form, had "coffee- dammit just coffee". The brief rest put us in the mood for a little more sightseeing, this time by horse drawn carriage for an informative ride around the French Quarter. The horse refused to move past the Old Blacksmiths Shop, a pub noted for it’s Hurricanes, so in order to appease the stubborn horse and get on with the historical tour, we drank some. Drinking seems to be an accepted practice down here, so we had another round at a Dixieland club, another at a jazz club and another at a fine establishment that featured a rockin’ Cajun band. Dinner at Felix’s oyster house and another tour of the music clubs on Bourbon Street and we were done for the night! – a good time was had by all!

A carriage ride in the French Quarter

Tuesday, March 1st – We packed up the camper for the first time since snow country (where the Hell do we put all this stuff???) and said goodbye to New Orleans. Not being in much of a hurry, we took the slow route along highway 90 instead of the Interstate. On the way, we stopped at Bayou Savauge National Wildlife Refuge for a walk along their boardwalk nature trail. Of all the people to get successful, Kathy spotted the first snake of the trip. A good one, too - a cottonmouth! We continued on through Pass Christian, Biloxi and Ocean Springs into to Shepard State Park in Gautier, MS our home for the next 5-6 days. This is a familiar and sentimental landscape for Geezer Mike who spent nearly a month here in 2005 helping with recovery following Hurricane Katrina. Aside from lots of memories and a great experience, Mike also brought home a lasting friendship in the form of Ken & Jennifer Flanagan. They stopped by the Geezer camper for a Margarita, then we all went out for a fine Mexican meal and many, many laughs at San Marcos, a great little Mexican Restaurant in Gautier.

Getting our paddles wet in Davis Bayou

Wednesday, March 2, found us up at the crack of dawn – OK, well, 7:30 or so. We had a leisurely breakfast in the camper then packed up to go paddle. A wind had come up during the night so the crossing to Deer Island, though short, looked a little challenging. Our back-up plan was to go to Davis’s Bayou at the Gulf Islands National Seashore where we did a leisurely 3.5 mile paddle in the Bayou watching the ospreys soar and feed on the abundant sea life. A real nice way for the ladies to get their paddles wet for the first time this season. Mike and Kathy did a trip to the store and a little Katrina tour while Al and Char took a walk around the campground and prepped for cocktail hour. Margaritas followed by great dinner of grilled chicken, stir fried veggies, brown rice and tossed salad. The ladies played some Scrabble while the Geezers worked on the blog – all for you, dear follower!