Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Cranes, Eaglets, and Shrimp

Well, only four out of ten of the folks with reservations for this morning’s tour showed up.  That’s a shame because we had several more people that wanted to go, but there was no room in the van so we had to turn them down.  To me, common decency would have been to call yesterday to cancel their spot so we could offer it to those on the waiting list.  One of the couples that did show up drove all the way this morning from Baton Rouge, LA, to take the tour.  They left their house at 5:30 in the morning in order to get here in time for the 8:00 departure time.

_MG_6043

We only saw ten cranes today, but compared to last year at this time that was a good number.  We’ve been very lucky this year to see the high number of cranes that we’ve been seeing.  That will only last another couple of weeks before they all move into hiding to nest.

_MG_6045 _MG_6048

While doing the tour, we stopped to check on the progress at the eagle’s nest.  Two young had recently hatched, and if you click on the pictures and look closely, you can see some of the fluff of the young on the right section of the nest.

66 MS Sandhill Crane NWR 201217

Tonight for dinner, Jack and I headed to a place I’d heard good things about, but had never been to.  Bozo’s Seafood Market and Deli in Pascagoula.  There was an interesting variety of things available at this establishment, and I would guess that it isn’t exactly a place most tourists would even know about to stop at.  There were lot’s of spices, mixes, and the common (down here) pickled items like quail eggs.  Near the back was an old geezer sitting at a small table.  That’s where you placed your order, and he wrote it down and took your name.

66 MS Sandhill Crane NWR 201218While we were waiting for our order, I checked out the seafood market section.  You could buy your shrimp, crabs, or crawdads to take home with you, or they would steam them for you after mixing in spices to the hotness of your liking.  Considering this place closes at 7:00, quite a long line developed while we were there.

_MG_6063

We each opted for a fully dressed shrimp po’ boy and a beverage.  Not generally being a pop drinker, I bet it has been 50 years since I’ve had orange pop, let alone Orange’n Cream.  The po’ boys were very tasty, and very reasonable; only $5.99 for an 8” po’ boy. 

_MG_6064The seating and tables were pretty unique.  Each table had a painted 55 gallon drum for a pedestal with that square hole cut in the table top.  When you were done eating, you just pushed your garbage into the hole.  No wait staff necessary!  Another indicator of a good place to eat was the roll of paper towels on each table.  No fancy napkins here.  I really enjoyed this down home place.  Good food, oddball atmosphere, and as Jack told the folks back at the volunteer pads, “Judy’s a cheap date!”  Hmm… Jack has been gracious enough to pick up our dining tabs the last two days, and I’m thinking maybe it’s time to up the anti after that remark!  Winking smile  Only problem is, I’m not into those fancy-shmancy places to dine…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy