June 4th - 6th: Across the South

We were up and going around 5 a.m., but by the time we packed, ate breakfast, and got over to Rebecca’s office, it was nearly 9 a.m.

I wonder if they make these for Iowa?

We left some smoked albacore tuna with 'Becca that Marty had flown from Olympia to Texas, and that had lived in the motel room fridges and the cooler for several days.  I wonder what the “Carbon Footprint” was for that fish?  We left town on Highway 90 east to Interstate 10, then continued east through east Texas into Louisiana, where we stopped at the Louisiana Welcome Center.  There was a nature trail here that looked promising for a short bird-walk, but the trail was closed,

presumably due to the recent high water.

One should always watch out for alligators . . .

But these Cajuns want you to beware of snakes!

We continued across Mississippi and into Alabama, where we went north on Interstate 65 to the town of Atmore and checked into the Hampton Inn in Atmore.  A gal at the Alabama Welcome Center had recommended the Dixie Catfish Shack in town, so we went down there to split an order of catfish, which ended up costing us $19.  It was all right, but no great shakes for supper. We came back to the motel, watched the US Men’s team beat France in the World Cup quarter finals and went to bed.

Mourning Doves are everywhere in the South

We got up the next morning, Wednesday the 5^th, and continued from Atmore on our way toward Marty’s sister’s place in North Carolina.  We stopped at the Turtle Point Environmental Education Center trails in Flomaton.  This site is a hands-on science center on 20 acres of wetlands along Big Escambia Creek.

Pretty good sized stream for a "creek"

Their Interpretive Wildlife Center wasn’t open when we were there, but we walked the Wetland Trail and Boardwalk.  The gardens were open, but we couldn’t go inside to see the butterfly and honeybee exhibits, the touch tank, and such.
The garden did have live turtles, fish, and amphibian exhibits.

Big ol' Snapping Turtle

Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina

Marty wanted to say she was in Florida, so we dropped down into the town of Century so she could ‘tick’ another State on her trip.  Getting back on the highway northeast, we cut across Alabama and into Georgia, finally making it to Bishop, Georgia and to our friends Molly and Kayloe’s place where we will stay for the evening.  Molly and Marty had worked together at the NRCS office in Olympia, and had a great visit and caught up.

We were up early on Thursday morning, and I walked around the yard, and out to the railroad tracks.  The Central of Georgia Railroad is now a subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern lines.

Kayloe said that the railroad runs stock on this route every once in a while, just to maintain their ownership and right-of-way.  It looked to me as though it had been a while . . .

Downed Limbs, rotten ties, bent rails.  Not ready for Amtrak . . .

Molly is quite the gardener, and her flower and vegetable beds were blessed with nesting House Wrens.

Dropping off breakfast for the kids . . .

 . . . then, it's off to find more.  A Mother's work is never done.

We said our goodbyes to Molly, Kayloe, and daughter Josie, and left for North Carolina, driving pretty much straight through.  We made pretty good time, and got to Sister-In-Law Ellen’s place near Southern Pines about 4:30 p.m. EST after a 350-mile drive.

Downy Woodpecker female

Louisiana Welcome Center eBird Checklist is Here

Turtle Point Environmental Education Center eBird Checklist is Here

Bishop, Georgia eBird Checklist is Here

Southern Pines, North Carolina eBird Checklist is Here