Final Day
By: Carol Gosline and Bob Storrs
Only 30 days and yet so many experiences. The beginning was only a small stream that we
could step across with no problem. Today
we saw a mighty river spewing its water out into the Gulf of Mexico. What a change 2500 miles and many gallons of
water have made to the river. We have to think about the things that affect us
and change our lives on a daily basis.
Certainly the friendships that have developed on this trip are part of
those forces that have changed each of us.
Morning did come early this day as we gathered for
the bus for our ride down the Mississippi delta. While the trip took a while, the reward was
more than worth it. As each of our small
groups boarded small float planes many wondered about the safety of the flight
much less just getting in and out of the plane.
We were instructed where the life jackets could be found but reminded
that the delta is only four feet deep in this area so if we were to use the
jackets we would be standing with the jacket completely out of the water.
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| Yellow Cotton Marina, starting point for our flight |
Once that plane lifted off all changed – peace if
not quiet. We cut through the Rosa (sp?)
cane which is one of the primary plants that keeps the delta from washing away
in floods and hurricanes. As we gained
in altitude we were able to see the Mississippi river moving though the marshes
of the delta eventually cutting three channels to dump its load into the gulf.
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| View of the Delta |
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| Venice, Louisiana |
John, our pilot, pointed out the remains of Fort
Jackson and Fort Phillip that once guarded New Orleans from attack from the sea
– unfortunately not successfully. Then
we saw the shallow water drilling rig that the oil companies are able to use in
this area as well as the ground based facilities that provide supplies and men
to the deep water rigs many miles out to sea.
The oil in this area is encased in the Venice Salt Dome and is extracted
by dripping into the sandy fields inside the dome.
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| Pilot, John |
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| Oil Facilities in the Delta |
Of course oil is not the only activity going on in
the delta. John pointed out a duck
hunting cabin that he uses and the many shrimp boats out that day. There are two types of shrimpers that
operate out of the area.
Of course we were interested in how Katrina and
the oil spill had affected the area.
Hurricanes are a natural part of the delta and it would have responded
much better if man hadn’t made so many changes to suit them. The oil spill was only about 50 miles away
but the pressure of the Mississippi river prevented much of the oil from
entering this area. However whenever a
big storm goes through the area, oil balls are formed and deposited on the
beaches which then have to be cleaned up.
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| Remains from Hurricane Katrina |
All too soon our flight was over and we had to
return to land. Our entire trip has reminded
us of how important and mighty the Mississippi really is but today’s flight
painted a final picture.
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| Crawling to land |
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| Returning to land |
With the excitement of the flight and the time we
spent travelling we were certainly ready for lunch and what a lunch we were
treated to. Woodland Plantation was both
a great eating experience as well a step back into the past. The picture of the plantation has for many
years appeared on the bottle of Southern Comfort (it was removed only last
year). The plantation house has been
marvelously restored and is now a Country Inn. When we finished lunch Foster Creppel, the
owner, began our tour in the Spirit Hall which had once been a local church
that was moved onto the property and completely restored. From the hall Foster introduced us to several
of his pets on the plantation – alligators.
When one, at least 12 feet long, came running out to get the fish, we
all moved back rather quickly. We
completed the tour at the main house, a vision of what the old South must have
been truly like.
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| Spirit House |
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| Lunch Served Buffet Style |
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| The group enjoying lunch |
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| Buddy the Alligator |
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| Southern Comfort Plantation |
Upon return to our campground we were treated to a
dessert party that exceeded anything we expected. It was a great time as we all had a chance to
share our individual memories of special occasions along the trip. Not surprising the list is way too long to
include here but I think is etched in the memories of all who were with us.
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