Expect the Unexpected
Pearl River is a major waterway that has its beginnings northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. Dammed, forming the Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson, the Pearl River flows through south central Mississippi, eventually joining the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
This is an area scattered with recreation opportunities, both on, and near the Pearl River. Mississippi has several Waterway Districts that exist to mange local waterways for conservation and recreation. One nearby district is the Pat Harrison Water District, 
centered on the Pascagoula River area. The Pearl River Basin Development District handles these tasks for the Pearl River region. If you check out their websites, camping and river activities, such as tubing and canoeing, abound.
If you are travelling in this area, a truly unique experience awaits you at the Grand Canyon of Mississippi, also called Red Bluffs. Near Columbia and Newsom, MS, off MS Hwy 587, this is a natural area controlled by the National Forest Service where the rainbow-colored clay has eroded over thousands of years to reveal a colorful canyon this is 150 ft. deep, ½ mile wide, and almost a mile long. There is a steep, hiking trail into the canyon, located near the banks of the Pearl River. The Forest Service will give you all you need to know about getting there. But I digress……
One of our most unexpected camping experiences occurred on a most unlikely, sleepy bluff overlooking the Pearl River. We had travelled to a small, private campground near Columbia, Mississippi. Mimosa Landing Campground, (601) 736-9700, is in a quiet location, with full services and a nice pool, open during the summer. A path with metal steps descends the steep bluff from the campground down to the rocky (rockhounds rejoice!) shore of the Pearl River, where you can fish, canoe, or just relax with nature.
The nearby city of Columbia is a small gem of the Old South. Columbia has dubbed itself the “Bottle Tree Capitol of the World.” Brought to the forefront by noted Southern writer Eudora Welty in her short story “Livvie,” and locally produced by folk artist Felder Rushing, bottle trees adorn many of the homes in Columbia. (www.felderrushing.net for your curiosity)
We settled in this November evening in our RV, knowing that the night was forecast to be chilly, and that a line of showers might move through. No problem. After all, this was Southern Mississippi. Just in case, we lowered one side of the awning so the rain could run off. As we turned out the lights and snuggled under the blanket, we could hear the soft sound of rain on the trailer. Sleep was only moments away with this lullaby.
Waking up at first light, we looked outside to see that, sometime during the night, the temperature had dipped far lower than
Surprise Mississippi Snow
predicted. Rain had turned to sleet; sleet had turned to snow, and there was a thin dusting of white on everything. Ice had encased our outside water lines, that were sitting in puddles that had frozen solid. Ice had also formed on our awning, which was now collecting snow. And the snow was just beginning.
For the next two hours, snow fell like we were in Colorado. Two inches an hour. Giant white flakes. And, at some point, the inevitable “pop” of the awning giving way to the accumulation of snow sitting on top of the ice. Photos of our dilemma even made the local news!
Expect the Unexpected
By ten o’clock that Sunday morning, the snow ended, the sun came out, and the snow and ice disappeared just about as fast as it had come calling.
The moral of this story: If it CAN happen to an awning, it WILL happen to an awning!
