Restaurants, Katrina sculpture, Sophie the pug gets a wheelchair and we pack up for New Hampshire...sad!!

We can't say enough about the beaches here on the Gulf Coast, and if Maggie could talk, well...just take a look.






 

This is before the fun starts...she's still a diva.

Then she heads for the water, today's feature shot.

By the time it's over, she is a real mess, but oh so happy and tired out!

We've really loved the restaurants here. We stopped again at Shaggy's in Pass Christian the other day for lunch. It's the only restaurant we have found that allows dogs inside as well as out--kind of fitting with the beachy marina setting.

Another place we sampled just yesterday is Salute's Italian Restaurant down the beach a bit in Gulfport. They have a great menu, tons of outdoor shaded tables overlooking the beach and very, very reasonable for the upscale food they serve. Wish we had stopped by earlier in the month--another meal there will have to wait for our return. 

Our return to the Gulf Coast is absolutely guaranteed!

A moving feature of the Gulf Coast I haven't mentioned is the sculptures carved from the trunks of trees that were killed by Katrina. Click here for details. The concept began with local chainsaw sculptor Dayton Scoggins, and the idea was to utilize the dead trees as a sort of memorial, carving them into representations of coastal marine wildlife--birds, dolphins, and more. The idea also inspired Florida sculptor Marlin Miller to join in. Now there are more than a dozen sculptures along Biloxi's Beach Boulevard.

And for those who remember my post on the 75 dogs surrendered to the Humane Society of south Mississippi, I have an update.  I stopped by yesterday to meet with Executive Director, Tara High and chat about shelter operations and governance. Sophie, the black pug with the crippled back legs featured in the TV segments, happened to be visiting with her new adoptive family--and a brand new wheelchair. Mom says that she took to it with no training at all.



How's that for a fancy doggie wheelchair?

For those who were worried about the pig who was surrendered the same day as all the dogs--she is NOT going to be bacon!  She has been adopted as a pet and should be installed in her new home in Pennsylvania very soon.

Soon we'll be starting a Capital Campaign for our shelter in Concord (NH)--I am so inspired to see what can be done, and have pages of notes to bring home to my fellow SPCA board members.