Hello from Pearlington, MS & MS-LA Border

Run Stats:
Day: 72
Miles Completed: 274.4
Miles to San Diego: 1825.6
Avg Miles/Day: 3.9
Days to San Diego: 468 (6/23/17)
Marathons Completed: 10.5
Shoes: Skora Tempo/Fit
Playlist Favs: Catalyst & Skit Guys podcasts, Switchfoot
Guest Runners: None

Bible Verse of the Day: This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 1 John 4:10-11 (NLT)

Run Reflections: After completing my run this afternoon, I'll be virtually arriving in Pearlington, MS. I'm still running along Hwy 90 but will be jumping back up to I-10 after this. Weather today in Pearlington is mostly cloudy with a high of 72. Thunderstorms are predicted (90% chance) for this afternoon as I believe a front is coming through. It's been a good running week so far but there have been a few days recently when I wasn't all that jazzed about heading out for another run. I remember this being a mental challenge during my last distance running project but I'm always glad for the run after I've done it - whether it was a good run or not. I also switched back and ran a few days in a minimalist shoe, skora Fit, and continue to have good runs with this shoe and brand.

Pearlington: Pearlington is located in Hancock County, MS, on U.S. Route 90 along the Pearl River at the Louisiana state line. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metropolitan statistical area. The population was 1,684 at the 2000 census. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall just south of Pearlington. Katrina apparently devastated the town. Wikipedia stated that: "Almost a year later, a member of C.O.D.R.A. (Coalition of Disaster Relief Agencies) in Pearlington noted that all but 2 homes, every building, and every vehicle in the town of 1600 was destroyed, and a storm surge travelled 4.5 miles (7.2 km) inland to drown what little was left under 12–20 feet of toxic stew from the saltwater storm tide off the Gulf of Mexico." I had a hard time finding additional information on the current status of Pearlington but wikipedia reported that the town is rebuilding and identified that progress reports are periodically posted at the town's web site: http://www.pearlingtonms.com. It was interesting to read on that site how the a group of concerned Christians from Huntsville, AL "adopted" Pearlington after Katrina and have continued to stay engaged with them to help with their recovery.

While information on Pearlington was limited, I was able to find some information about two other sites located along the MS-LA border - the Stennis Space Center and the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area. I have included a picture from each.

The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is a NASA rocket testing facility located north of Pearlington along the Pearl River. As of 2012, it is NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. It was originally known as the Mississippi Test Facility when it was established by NASA in 1961 to support engine testing for the Apollo program. Since then, it was the location where all of the Space Shuttle main engines were tested. It was renamed as SSC in 1988 for the Mississippi Senator and space program supporter. Since the decline of the U.S. space program, SSC has evolved to now include over 30 local, state, national, international, private, and public companies and agencies including the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and a significant Navy presence including the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, the Naval Oceanographic Office and Navy Special Boat Team 22. Makes you wonder if the next Dirk Pitt or MacGyver might be working there.

Pearl River Wildlife Management Area is also located north of Pearlington. It totals 35,618 acres and is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The terrain is flat, drainage is poor, and the area is subject to annual flooding. The forest cover varies from an all age hardwood stand to cypress tupelo and an intermediate type marsh. The mixed hardwoods are made up of water oak, nuttall oak, cow oak, obtusa oak, overcup oak, live oak, bitter pecan, hickory, beech, magnolia, sweetgum, and elm. There are numerous streams and bayous on the area which provide fishing, canoeing, boating, crawfishing, and waterfowl hunting opportunities. Game species hunted include white-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, waterfowl, snipe, and woodcock. Trapping is allowed for furbearers, including beaver, nutria, mink, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, coyote, and bobcat. An alligator season is available on a bid or lottery contract basis.The bald eagle occurs along the streams and lakes in the fall and winter and the golden eagle can be seen occasionally. Swallowtail kites and ospreys are frequently seen.

When you think about it, if you put all of these things together - a struggling town, a state-of-the-art science facility and a vast and mysterious wildlife area; you have the framework for a pretty compelling Clive Cussler novel. It also reminds me of the diversity and continuing beauty of what I have virtually seen, experienced and learned on this journey. How fortunate we are to live in such an amazing country and enjoy the freedoms we have.

I hope you all have a great week and don't forget to set your clocks ahead tonight!

God Bless,

Pat