An evening at the beach

Bicycling, exploring and eating

     Today began in Wiggins cold enough at 50 degrees for four layers - all I have - plus long tights to keep my knees warm as we set off along highways and byways to Moss Point, just north of Pascagoula. I was anxious to get back by 4 p.m. because my son and his wife were coming to visit for the weekend and I wanted to be showered and relaxed when they arrived.
      The ride was fun - some hills and ups and downs, some barking dogs, some decisions about turns - but altogether a lovely ride along quiet roads with trees and squished armadillos and a few trucks and some beautiful vistas of farms and cows and horses and foals. One of the barking dogs was a beagle who ran out eagerly barking. I assured the others that beagles do not attack because it's not in their nature - and this one ran around barking and then went back to the trailer park where it lived.
     It was a lot of cycling for one day - and as the day wore on, and it got warmer, we were all shedding layers of clothing to deal with the sunshine. We stopped for about half an hour at a gas station and had a meal of fried chicken, smoked chicken legs, mashed potatoes, vegetables or salad, and some Blue Bell Icecream afterwards. When we reached the 60 mile Sag at 2:30 p.m. I said I'd like a ride because I wanted to be back in time. This worked out fine and I had a shower and dressed in time to meet David and Lisa about 4 p.m.who drove over from the Hampton Inn opposite, and I introduced them to Carol and Dolly, a couple of other people.
      We decided to go to Shaggys, an authentic fish restaurant right on the beach at Biloxi Beach, which meant driving across the bridges again. We drove along the beautiful Biloxi waterfront with rambling old Victorian mansions, charming ante-bellum style houses, and the Visitor Center which seemed to be holding a wedding, and other lovely places to live.  Shaggys is a happening lively fish restaurant and we got a table on the deck outside so we could look at the peaceful ocean and the miles of white sand beach. While we were waiting we took off our shoes and walked on the beach but decided the ocean looked a funny color so didn't go in. I had a glass of Chardonnay - in fact two - and David and Lisa had a beer. Then we ordered fish - David had oysters, I had shrimp on eggplant and we had a plate of mixed fried fish which were all delicious. And key lime pie for dessert.
      It was warm, sunny, wonderful and the first beach I've seen since I started bicycling along the Southern Route. When I read about the trip I thought there'd be lots of beaches, but instead this is my first but not, I hope, the last.
      Inspired by the good food, I bought the tie-dyed Shaggy's teeshirt and will try to get a goo photo of it soon.  We ride tomorrow a mere 40 miles to Dauhpin Island, where we're staying two nights for a day off by the beach in a luxury condo complex. How hard can that be????