Gulf Coast

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Bennett photo sessions for a brief Southern aside with Lincoln.

Lincoln had two back-to-back Air Force rotations to complete last year.  We've already seen Bennett and Tracey's visit to Omaha in Sept, so this concerns Lincoln's sojourn in Mississippi and Louisiana last August.

Keesler Air Force Base is situated on the small Gulf peninsula of Biloxi, MS.  This is pretty much his only picture of the base.

Of more interest to Lincoln was exploring some new ecological environments, so when he got a day off he went to nearby Davis Bayou, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore to hike through swamps...and hopefully spot some alligators. 

Davis Bayou is an estuary, meaning since it's right off the gulf there is a mix of freshwater and saltwater. 

Mississippi pines

Magnolia trees

Palmetto fronds all over

There's an apex predator!

Zoomed in

They really do mainly just sit in the water like logs.  I saw a bird land nearby once, but the alligator didn't seem to be hungry at the time.  Later, he did swim in a half-majestic, half-lazy manner for about 20 feet to another spot in the pond

This little tyke I actually startled off his perch on the banks of a pond which I had just unwittingly walked over to investigate.

A five-lined skink

As I tromped along on my solitary hike, the only sounds I heard around me in the sweltering Mississippi heat were the occasional bird...and the rustling sound of these fist-sized grasshoppers launching themselves around the undergrowth.

During my next weekend day off, I visited Mike, Jana, and John over West of New Orleans.  Sorry, this is the only picture I have of them, but here were are hiking along the Bayou Coquille trail through the Barataria Nature preserve, part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

Well, I lied.  Here's another one with them.

Giant Banana Spiders.  Jana was fascinated by these gentle creatures.

Hand for comparison, but I'm not sure it does them justice.

Another 'Food of the Gods'-proportioned black Orthopteran.

Snakes, Lizards, and arthropods are nice, but once again, the Alligators are the stars of the show.

Swamp overlook

You have to love the Spanish Moss.

Baby alligator hiding

The Mighty Mississip' directly across from Mike and Jana's house in Ama.

Also close to Mike's place is one of the plantations they used for filming 12 Years a Slave.

Crawfish boil!  These suckers went into the pot live as part of the Keesler medical residents' beach party one night back in Biloxi.

I didn't really take a lot of food pictures, but should have.  I visited the New Orleans Parkway Bakery with Mike and Jana for one of their Famous Po' Boys.  I believe this is an Alligator Sausage Po' Boy from a French Quarter cafe.

Speaking of the French Quarter, I came back to New Orleans proper with a colleague (Douglas Deever) to explore the French Quarter properly.  Well, as properly as one can without imbibing alcohol.

St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square.  The street life is really fun with the Dixieland bands all over the place.

Jackson Square

There's the big man himself with Grandpa Andreasen's adopted life motto etched in stone

Visiting supposedly the oldest apothecary in North America.  Lots of cool historical medical/pharmaceutical stuff...very uninspiring exhibit style.

Selfie from nephrologist Dr. Latack's boat (sadly not named 'Sloop of Henle').  Trying to capture Biloxi Coastline in background.  He took us out to the Katrina reef where wrecked steel girders and concrete slabs were dragged to make an artificial reef.

Before departing Biloxi, I did my due diligence and visited the Jefferson Davis home and Presidential Library/Museum.

This guy got a Presidential Library before Abraham Lincoln, who may have won the Civil War battle but clearly lost the Historical Legacy war.

Make that two Presidential Libraries since the first one was damaged by a hurricane.

Big clouds rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico

Stylish hand fans for a hot muggy Mississippi day

Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier on the grounds of Jefferson Davis home.  Seconds after this picture was taken, we (Lt. Deever and myself) were caught in a torrential downpour and had to sprint the 1/2 mile or so back to the rental car.  We were unable to spot the property's resident alligator General Beauregard much to my disappointment.  Poor Douglas had to change his drenched clothes at the airport.

So, there's documentation of my visit to the Gulf Coast mostly for posterity.  Faithful blog visitors can expect a return to massive photo galleries of Bennett and Molly from this point forward.