January 25, 2015 Parker Lake, Mississippi

Parker Lake is sort of one of the tributaries of the Pascagoula river. The water runs into the river, but the lake is a forest of cypress trees. It is kind of like wandering around in a in the forest, but in a boat. It is high water now, the water is about 6 feet deeper than other times of the year.

 

We started out downstream. But it had pretty strong current  and we didn’t want to  paddle back against it. Me posing in the boat when we turned around.

 

So we turned around and headed up current into the forest. Cypress trees are coniferous trees. Their needles turn orange in the fall and then drop off. We boated through naked cypress.

 

It is a thick forest. Some of the trees are really big. Most of the first growth cypress which can grow up to 100 feet tall and 15 feet in diameter were cut down for lumber in the old days. These big trees must have been too small to cut back then. They grow really slow.  It all kind of looks the same. We thought we were going straight up and then straight back, but we ended up lost. We had to ask directions from the one guy who went by. It ended up we had gone in a 3 and half mile circle and were almost back. John had his GPS, but forgot his glasses so he couldn’t read it.

 

John looking at kissing trees. The trees in spots were mossy with some fall color trees behind them.

 

John is paddling toward me in these two photos. The first on he is a tiny blue dot in the middle, the second he is closer. This is a huge place.

 

Sue with a big old knarled  tree and a curved one.

 

I think this is primarily a hunting/ fishing spot. There were lots of lures stuck high up in the trees. We met a gentleman putting in when we were. He was rabbit hunting. He had his dogs with him, I guess he lets them out on the solid land islands and they chase the rabbits to him. It is rabbit season now. He said people catch really big crappie in this area and he told us stories about hog hunting here. He was the guy who gave us directions back when we were lots. He didn’t get any rabbits today.

This gas station has big fat juicy cheeseburgers, hot food, cold beer and a pretty cashier.