Day 2: The Deep South

I have heard it said that Olympians move months in advance to train in the same city as the Olympics.  After a twenty four hour visit here, I can understand why. 

The humidity is really hard to breathe in – whether you are outside or inside.  I spent a lot of last night trying to get used to breathing in 60% humidity.  It really does a number on the lungs if you are used to light California air. 

I got up early today and did my Bible study (Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and Christ was resurrected).  Did you know, if you read a chapter of Genesis and a chapter of the New Testament every day, you will read through both Mathew and Mark before you ever finish Genesis?  Fun fact. 

We decided since I missed a work out do to travel yesterday we would go for a long run today.  We did two and half miles (approximately) in twenty eight minutes.  If you ever thought humidity doesn’t affect performance, I usually do a 5K (3.1 miles (in that time). 

We grabbed some coffee and toured the base (they have a lake on base though acreage wise it is significantly smaller than Beale).  We headed into town and found a Chinese Restaurant for lunch.  It was the first non-Waffle and fast food place there was.  Owned by actually Chinese the food was good.

We drove through some beautiful country of great trees and marsh.  Saw the Mississippi Vietnam War Veterans Memorial.  It was beautiful.  And then we went to see the art museum.  Alas it was closed (better luck tomorrow) we drove through what I would consider the Deep South – plantation homes, brick buildings, reconstruction, shops and restaurants that don’t all look alike, nothing cookie cutter.  It was beautiful. 

When the heat and humidity finally got to me (he can deal with it), we came back in to watch the Soloist.  A great movie he had never seen and we both fell asleep.  Better luck next time with that one.  Then it was off to the pier for a true Independence Day celebration. 

We headed straight to the beach for the Air Force Independence Day celebration.  We got some burgers for dinner and ate on the sand.  The man-made 26 mile beach is full of fine white sand and you can walk out ten miles on the sand they brought in.  The sun was high and the night was cooling off.  After dinner we decided to take a walk through the overcrowded beach.  In Mississippi the entire town goes down to the beach to set off fireworks.  Unlike in California where most fireworks are illegal, anyone in Mississippi can purchase any kind of fireworks from Screamers to Piccolo Peats to the big kind that you can see at Disneyland.  There were a few times I walked under actual fireworks and thought I might get hit by one.  The fireworks started early and were set off by kids ranging from six to sixty.  The waves crashed into the beach and made a softer sound than the waves back in Huntington.  The water was warm beneath my feet…like bath tub warm (something you don’t experience in California). 

We found a place to relax on the beach and watch the fireworks go off as we waited for the main event. As we waited we found ourselves being more distracted by the lightening on our right than the fireworks on our left.  We watched as the storm came in and nearly left early due to exhaustion but decided to wait out the storm.  When it began to rain it was like a sheet of rain poured out upon the entire base.  There were screams of delight and hundreds of young trainee airmen and women heading back to the base.  I took the opportunity to get water by God.  The rain came down hard in big heavy drops.  I was saturated in seconds and the rain just kept pouring.  As we got to the gate the young trainees stood in a mile long line in the rain drenched and searching for the party in which they went to celebrate with but lost in the storm. 

Instead of heading back to the room, we decided to enjoy the storm in the gazebo.  I stood in the rain loving every minute of it and he sat on the swing in the gazebo.  We were joined by an Airman Reserve named Rowan (pronounced Rylyn in some parts of Tennessee).  It was the first touch of actual southern hospitality we enjoyed.  He was just beginning his weekend commitment and was loving the weather.  He told us of his family and how he love the service and was trying to make it full time. 

When the rain stopped we headed back and put in a movie to go to bed to.  All in all a great welcoming day to the great state of Mississippi.