February 11, Saturday, Day 128

Buccaneer SP, Waveband, MS

Massive Live Oak survived Katrina. New houses nearby built on stilts

 

Calm winds got us out on the bikes before breakfast. We rode together for 3 miles locating some large live oak specimens just a block off of the beach. The neighborhood was completely destroyed by Katrina, but new homes built on stilts were more prevalent than last year. They give a good frame of reference to gauge the size of the trees. Then, I rode alone for six miles, rendezvousing with Penny for another two at the end.

After brunch, we got busy with grocery shopping, truck and trailer maintenance, a nap and winding down to happy hour and a tasty dinner of shrimp boudin grilled on the BBQ with steamed fresh veggies.

I have only seen the Gonzaga Bulldogs play basketball on TV once this season; the radio has been my only connection. Tonight’s rival is their conference nemesis, St. Mary’s, ranking #20 in the NCAA; the Zags are ranked #1, so a good game was on hand. In this area there are not a lot of sports bars, and the sports fans here probably want to watch their local favorites. So, I put on my Bulldog regalia and had my phone lead me to the closest establishment. Despite all of my preconceived negativity, I found a mostly empty joint with the game on ESPN. I got a seat at the bar right in front of the TV and watched the Zags win 74-64 while enjoying two beers. I was only 1.5 miles from our campsite, how cool is that?