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Borrego Springs, CA

Monday, February 28, 2011

A different adventure than planned

My original plans for today included a hike in the woods and an auto tour.  Emma and I headed out early to get to the hike on the Leaf Wilderness Trail about an hours drive from the refuge.  I wasn’t exactly sure where it was, but we found it.  As we pulled into the trail parking lot, the skies opened up and the rain poured down.  Since the skies were dark all around, I scratched that activity off of today’s list, and moved on down the road to Hattiesburg, MS.  The rain continued for a couple of more hours.

 

At the Hattiesburg Visitor’s Center, I asked about the ‘64 Freedom Summer Trail.  This trail is a driving tour that takes you to 15 historic sites that were instrumental in the 1964 Civil Rights Movement.  I got the map for the tour, and was told that as I stopped at each location I could dial a number on my cell phone to hear an audio report on each site.  After asking, I was assured that there were places to park at each stop to hear the narrative. 

 

Sorry to say, I was very disappointed in this tour.  I’m thinking it is better accomplished if you are not traveling alone.  The directions are rather convoluted, and I had difficulty driving safely and trying to read all the driving directions.  There was no where to park at the first sight, and I drove right past it and had to turn around.  I pulled into someone’s driveway to listen to the narrative, and it was garbled even though I had full bars on the cell phone.  The first site was to be the Vernon Dahmer home.  Vernon was at the heart of the Freedom Summer movement, and his home was destroyed in a firebomb by the KKK.  While his family was able to escape, Vernon was killed in this incident.  All that remains is a plaque.

 

I tried to get to the second stop on the tour, but never did make it there.  Perhaps things have changed since the directions were written, but I ended up lost and at a road closure.  Sad smile

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As I made a U turn, and headed back, I noticed this roadside park.  It was close to noon, so I pulled in to have the lunch I had packed._MG_9391

As the rain subsided, I chose a nice sheltered picnic table. 

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The lake was inhabited by a pair of Canada geese, and about a hundred Muscovy.  These are large domestic fowl that are often encountered on farms and city ponds/lakes. 

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As I got out of the car with my lunch cooler, about 25 of them headed my way until… I brought Emma out.  Then they did an abrupt about turn! Smile Since they were birds, Emma really didn’t give a hoot about them, but she earned her keep by allowing me to have my lunch in peace.  Have you ever been accosted by a large group of marauding waterfowl?  It isn’t pleasant!

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As I was packing up to leave, a gentleman in a pickup truck stopped and asked if I was here to see the babies.  I told him no, I was just here to have my lunch, and that I was lost.  After giving me some directions so I could head back home in the right direction, he asked how many babies I’d seen.  I told him one.  Turns out, he checks on them every day.  It seems there were 15 a short time ago, but the feral hogs have made short order of them.  Folks are very friendly down here, and I sure was grateful for his help on how to get  un-lost.  I guess I didn’t mention that the air around my lunchtime repast was also a little fragrant.  Eventually I figured out that this lake must be part of the water treatment facility for the city of Hattiesburg.  Smile  So much for the Summer Freedom Trail…

 

So, today turned out a bit different than I had planned, but it was an adventure after all.  Just not the one I was expecting.

 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy

16 comments:

  1. Seems like you did the best you could with the situation. And it did stop raining.

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  2. At least you found your way home -- great pics of the Canadian geese and Muscovy.

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  3. I have been accosted by a large group of mallards and you're right, it's not fun. They peck at your feet and pull on your pant legs! lol

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  4. nice day no matter how it turned out!..sorry to hear about the birds wanting some of your lunch!

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  5. I was disappointed in the Selma-Montgomery march as well. I think they have a visitors center along the route, and probably some markers, but there aren't any indications of them until you are nearly past them so you can't stop. It's odd how some things are Disneyfied and turned into something close to theme parks, while others are on the fringe and unnoticeable. I guess in time -

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  6. Jim and I have done some of those self-guided tours and even with two of us - we've gotten lost. We tried to do an underground railroad driving tour and finally had to give up.

    In Florida it was the alligators eating all the babies.

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  7. I guess thats why they have so many.

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  8. Well it sounds like a grand adventure after all. You just never know what might happen when you are flexible or when you get lost (hahaha).

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  9. Well it sounds like a grand adventure after all. You just never know what might happen when you are flexible or when you get lost (hahaha).

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  10. Good thing you are game for unexpected adventures, Judy. I was eager to hear all about the civil rights tour, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Great photos of the mauading Moscovy!

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  11. Looks like you made the best of your day and adventure even though it was different from what you expected. Great pics as usual.

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  12. That Muscovy reminds me of a past girlfriend from high school. Of course she would probably say the same thing about me too....

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  13. You just solved a mystery for me..We saw those Muscovy at a Louisiana State Park..but didn't KNOW they were Muscovy!! There for, I declare your "lost mission" a great one..You sure solved a our mysterious waterfowl question....Thanks!.(See?..All was not lost!)

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  14. The best laid plans sometimes result in an unexpected but fun change. Good pictures!

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  15. You have such exciting adventures. Loved the picture of the geese. Yes, we stayed at a park in Indiana where the geese were a constant. Nobody wanted them hurt, but they really made pests of themselves.

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  16. That's why Gumby is our mascot, to remind us to be "Always Flexible".

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