May 19, 2021-Mississippi Gulf Coast

(click for today's pictures)

I tell you this rain just keeps on falling here, but we keep on having the best time. I sure am not ready to leave, and I know that the kids aren't ready to leave-they actually want to go to Goodwill before we leave. I have offered to take them to all of the local Goodwills including the Gucci Goodwill when we do get home since it doesn't look like we will get to stop there.

So let's see, the first thing that happened this morning was breakfast. Then we loaded up to go and see the light house in Biloxi. We were hoping for a tour, but they didn't have any today because of the weather. We still toured the visitor's center which was really well done. Anytime they have things for the kids to actually learn something, I am a fan.

Of course my crew quickly found the movie-sometimes you call it a film, but when it is almost an hour long-a movie is what it should more accurately be called. Even though it was long, it was really well done. It was about Biloxi and Katrina. Some of my kids had never heard of Katrina and now they know ALL about it. And by the way, I'll always evacuate if encouraged to during a hurricane. 

When we left Biloxi, we headed back to last night's second choice for dinner-Lil Rays. We had an assortment of seafood dishes-well some of us did. I had crab cakes, Grannymom and Grandpa had catfish, while Reagan and Robby had shrimp po boys. Everyone else had chicken-well Whitman just had a grilled cheese.

Afterwards, we headed back to the house. On the way we did talk about "loading up" and heading to New Orleans for a little bit. I guess that Whitman was listening to us, because he came right in, picked up his bag and asked what he needed to do with it. He thought that we were really "loading up." We just mean "loading up" as in grabbing more drinks, snacks, charger cords and the dog.

It took about an hour and a half to get to The Big Easy. I know that Grandpa, Grannymom, Campbell and I snoozed a bit on the drive there. This is really good sleeping weather the past few days. Anyway, we were soon right in Jackson Square finding a parking spot.

We found a perfect spot to park. Then some folks went to the restroom while Reagan, Anderson, Keaton, Bentley and I stayed behind. Reagan had Bentley on the leash and started walking toward some steps that went down. Bentley couldn't see the steps from her vantage point and could only see the mighty Mississippi in front of her. She was NOT going-bless it. Reagan drug her for about 3 feet before she realized that Bentley had stopped walking. We finally coaxed her to the steps and she relaxed and went down one step.

Our first stop was Cafe Du Monde for a few beignets. The beignets were delicious so that was fun. We have only been there twice before-once before kids when I was sick as a dog and the last time in 2010 before Keaton and Whitman were here. So it had been a while since we had eaten New Orleans beignets. I think that everyone liked them-though most of the kids agreed that they preferred the Disney beignets.

Now, let's talk about poor Bentley some more. The traffic didn't seem to bother her today since they were going kind of slow. It did unnerve her the past few days if we walked towards the beach from this house (like pick her up and carry her). However, today it was the saxophones. I think she was pretty much terrified the entire time that we were there-so many new sights and sounds. She did meet a puppy her size and age and was happy then. She did also enjoy the beignet. And man, you certainly meet a lot of people when you have a puppy dog. 

Some of us then walked through Central Grocery which is home of the muffeletta. I probably should have bought Robby one but we had already had our lunch. I did find a gaudy ornament for our tree which I am excited about. The next stop was some pralines from Aunt Sally's praline shop. We saved those for the car and for tonight. We did mostly agree that we prefer the creamy pralines to the original ones. 

We took some pictures in front of the St. Louis cathedral before leaving New Orleans. Beignets and pralines-what more is there to do? It was a fun little day trip for sure. We did have to stop on the way home for a bathroom. That was fine since we were right near a gas station and Robby did need to fill up before tomorrow's trek home.

When we came in tonight, there was some packing and some dog washing. Some kids had showers while some people fixed their supper-leftovers. It was clean out the fridge night here and eat up all of the opened food. We did pretty good, but yes, I am taking home about as much as I brought. I really have enough for a few more days-possibly a week.

Grannymom, Anderson, Keaton, Graham, Campbell and I played a game of Trivial Pursuit tonight. I have never played that game so long that some one actually finished it. Anderson and Grannymom did win and man, they had the easiest questions ever. It didn't hurt that this was actually the Young Players edition from the 80s that Nonna still has at her house. Some how though there questions always seemed to be a lot easier than my questions.

Currently, Bentley is asleep, Robby is doing work, Reagan is having a coke in a glass glass-she has decided that is all she wants to drink out of now, Anderson is on his ipad on the couch, Graham is on his ipad in his bed, Campbell is doing the same but in the top bunk, Keaton just finished packing up her bag and Whitman is hanging out in the kitchen drinking lemonade-but it is soon bedtime for the people!



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