Jackson Oak

On a quick reprieve from the grey European winter (which actually wasn't that much of a reprieve, because Alabama was a little grey, too), I met the Jackson Oak in Daphne, Alabama. I guess Andrew Jackson gave some big, rousing, inspiring speech there en route to New Orleans in the War of 1812. This picture doesn't give an adequate sense of scale, but it's still majestic and moss-covered.

 

I also noted a Rapture Preparation Center in Mobile..

 

.. and a funky little sci-fi statue in Tuscaloosa.

 

More Mobile Art

As in, art in Mobile (moh-BEEL), not art on your phone.

I'm not sure the Dude "roll tides" as this street art would suggest, but it was still cool to see in downtown Mobile.

Part of a larger street art/graffiti work on Dauphin Street. Never forgett-i.

Further Nature-inspired Art and Amusements

One post wasn't enough for the entertaining signs and amusements I've seen around Louisiana and Alabama. So without further ado, here are some of the more "nature-inspired" things I saw around.

Barnacle-covered driftwood on Dauphin Island, Alabama

Magnolia flower from outside my apartment

Cypress knees from our lab aquarium covered with dried (probable) cyanobacteria

African iris (Dietes) planted around Baton Rouge

Water hyacinth covering the swamp at Buffalo Cove

Chanterelle mushroom found near the office and its light spore print

American beautyberry, one of my favorites

Small snake in the middle of the log.. hard to tell from the pic, but I think it was a water snake (Nerodia)

Roseate spoonbill feather that probably belonged to the bird that I saw fly off as we approached in the boat

Giant crawdad statue at the LSU Hatchery

Pumpkin butt scarecrow

Ducks at the LSU lakes (mallards + muscovy)

The total (partial) eclipse, viewed on a sheet of paper through my binoculars

Bugs and other creepy crawlies

A photolist of some of the insects/bugs/critters I saw recently in various locations:

My mayfly friend getting a free ride while I was driving the boat through Buffalo Cove

 Snake skeleton near Ramah, Louisiana

 Paper pondshell mussel (Utterbackia imbecillis) from LSU lakes

 Cow killer outside LSU

 Xenox tigrinus (Tiger bee fly) in Mobile, Alabama

 Fish fly, rescued from the office building

Green tree frog near the LSU lakes

 Okay, these last two are just coffee mugs picturing insects, but I'm still counting them. Apparently a previous visiting researcher from Asia had a thing for entomology and left these mugs as his legacy. (Honeypot ants and leaf cutter ants)

Signs and Wonders, Gulf Coast Edition

I love graffiti, weird signs, and cool old artwork, and the Deep South has not disappointed on any of those fronts. Check out my collection of signs and wonders!

Not sure who wanted everyone to know about Resa Burden's cheating heart, but they put the message all over downtown Mobile, Alabama.

Beautiful artwork built into the sides of the "new" capitol building in Baton Rouge

Old entryway downtown in Baton Rouge

Who dat Buc-ee?! I haven't been to a Buc-ees, but I hear everything's bigger in Texas, including Buc-ees. (It's like a Flying J trucker stop times 10.)

Cracker Barrel: the gas station that has more than you'd expect. Allegedly.

MSG "for sell" in the Mobile Winn Dixie (Note: words in quotes are mine, not Winn Dixie's)

One of my bros and I created this masterpiece in the sand in Florida.

This person loves their family... heartwarming graffiti from Bellingrath Gardens, I think.

No smoking during meals on the USS Kidd.

Are there interesting augers?

Y'reckon God's in this church? at the Rural Life Museum

Another message from Mobile, Love has returned!

Open your eyes, by the Baton Rouge lakes overpass

Belling Wrath

Evan and I paid a visit to Bellingrath Gardens outside Mobile, Alabama, during a sweltering summer day. (We're still unclear whether it's pronounced "Bell-in-grath" or "Bell-ing-wrath," as we figured the staff wouldn't understand what on earth we were talking about if we asked them.) There was a wedding being hosted there that day, and I pity those poor wedding party members who were wearing long sleeves having their photos done. (Or the guests who were going to be sitting out in full sun, for that matter.)

Bellingrath's landscaping is pretty spectacular, and my photos don't do it justice, but here are a few pictures of some noteworthy things we saw there. Above: an example of some of the plantings that line all the walkways on the meticulously-managed property.

Fountain in the middle of the rose garden

Plumeria, which I think look like little fondant flowers (and smell amazing)

A two-tiered hibiscus flower, with pentas flowers in the background

Dragonfly camouflaged against leaf

Mermaid fountain at the end of a stone walkway

Ridiculous sign in the Asian garden that says in rough katakana "Drink Coca-Cola".. dot. dot. dot.

Inspiring Things

 .. a.k.a. some random stuff that I took note of.

This slide was at a talk in Athens. Good to remember.

From a guy from Berkeley (East Bay) in a bar in Fairhope, Alabama (Eastern Shore): I like to think it means that being normal is meh, and you should strive to be un-normal. It could also mean that the baseline of feeling normal is kinda cruddy, but let's go with my first interpretation; it's more inspiring.

Someone in Mobile did not care for Wells Fargo, putting up this simple sign as well as a banner that reads something along the lines of, "Roses are red, violets are blue, Wells Fargo sucks, you are so screwed."

Located near the USS Kidd, permanently based in Baton Rouge: "Mourn not for him. He sails with one more divine."

Ladies' Night has always been a thing. From the Old State Capitol's display on Huey P. Long: an old election party meeting that says "All Democrats and Especially the Ladies Are Cordially Invited to Attend."

Lastly, this one isn't so much inspiring as disturbing, so can we all agree not to do this anymore? (Low-fat, lactose-free creamer powder, bleh.)