The Office......Have a Drink and a Rooster on the side! What?

The Office is a relatively new addition to the downtown restaurant bar scene opening about a year and a half ago.  It is located on the corner of Government and Washington Avenue.    

The bar is a lively meeting
place for after work drinks.....

..a cool place to stop while shopping and a hot music venue late at night.

I know you want to know about the roosters...I will get to that......but first let's step inside. Cool and dark with a great handcrafted wooden bar.

Beer, wine and mixed drinks are provided by friendly bartenders...think modern day "Cheers"

A glance out the window and you can watch the local action as people come and go..

The Office features an "infused" vodka bloody mary that is pretty popular.                                                                                    

The steeped vodka is displayed in a giant glass container on the counter and contains a variety of garden veggies including tomatoes, peppers, onions and lemons and olives.  Four days to get it ready and the bar goes through one batch every 2 weeks...

Now let's talk about the roosters.......

The roosters seemed to have just "appeared one day" and have been hanging around The Office ever since.  My guess is they are always ready for happy hour.....and not sure if they draw customers in but seem to be drawing quite a crowd outside......

Not sure if they have names maybe The Office will have a contest to name the birds...  Rumor has it that recently, late one night among the well served crowd,  a local magician was able to put one of the roosters in a trancelike state on the bar....a feat that wowed the patrons present.....don't worry the rooster was not harmed!!!

No, it's not Key West, its just Ocean Springs, but if you are looking for a good drink and some cheap entertainment with good friends or strangers stop by The Office.........just look for the roosters...

The Hidden Magic Of Shearwater Pottery

When you see the sign for Shearwater Pottery, you wonder just what awaits you down that narrow tree-lined gravel road other than another car coming from the opposite direction.....

 Well, there is a lot of "artistic action" going on at the family owned pottery established in 1928. Peter Anderson's family members continue to produce ceramics and hand thrown pottery that is sought by collectors worldwide.  The property that  makes up the pottery and family compound is inspirational to anyone with a love of nature and the outdoors. The coastal woodlands and views of the Ocean Springs Harbor, Biloxi Bay, and Deer Island have not changed since the 20's when the pottery was first established. I decided to stop by and watch some of the work in progress as the pottery was being made.  There are two buildings that almost look like storage sheds from the road, one is where the pottery is decorated, the other is where the pottery is made and prepared for painting and glazing.

The men of Shearwater were busy creating ceramics and pottery the day I visited..



Local flora and fauna are the basis for many of the pieces of pottery that are created...including pelicans, seagulls, pine trees and palmetto bushes as well as fairy tale characters.

 Utilitarian pottery, such as cups, bowls, plates and wine goblets in beautiful and unique glazes are treasured wedding gifts of local brides. 












The building next door houses the painters of the pottery.....

I continue down the gravel road through the woods to arrive at the pottery showroom.

 Finally, you get to view some of the finished pottery. Fairy tale creatures dance among swimming fish, flying birds, colorful cups, vases, bowls and tiny pirates, fishermen and farmers.
                                                                           

Weaving, Spinning and Knitting, OH MY!!!!

 What do you think of when you hear those words?  I think of my grandmother knitting a sweater that I am not sure I am going to like. Well, Kathleen's Fiber Arts Shop in downtown Ocean Springs has shown me that weaving, spinning and knitting are not just for little old ladies or aging hippies!!!

 When I entered the shop, I got the opportunity to sample some ice cold "Swamp Water" tea......wow, refreshing and also for sale in the shop!  Great way to begin investigating......





Check out the loom and the huge variety of beautiful yarns....if you want to learn how to weave or spin or knit, Kathleen has classes to teach you!

Ok, so maybe you don't want to learn one of these "fiber arts"....maybe you just want to buy some of it!   Select one of Kathleen's hand woven items for sale in her shop... including table linens, handbags, scarves and more.....

Looking for a  trendy, unique gift for a teenager, college student or young business professional?  Kathleen has a variety of handmade, "fair trade" items that are unusual and fun! These scarves,coin purses, and indoor frisbees are from Guatemala....

                                              
The bags and tape measures below are from Vietnamese craftsmen and are sold under the label, Lantern Moon.

Wait there is more........How about a beaded lizard, frog, or crab from Asian artists at GrassRoots?

 Wait!!!! THERE IS STILL MORE!!! For such a small shop there are surprises everywhere!!!  Need a hat?  How about a hat made from recycledsweaters or BROWN PAPER BAGS!!!  yes, you heard right!!!

                                                            
KEEP SHOPPING!!   Check out the shiny plastic handbags from Minnesota and the painted canvas handbags and cuffs from Page Holliday Designs....

 Wander in to Kathleen's Fiber Arts the next time you are on Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs...You will find Kathleen, barefooted at her loom, weaving............Have a sip of "swamp water"........study the fine workmanship of Kathleen's hand-woven items.... purchase something special and different...RELAX, there isn't anything old fashioned about what you find here....... except the quality of the work!!

Kathleen's Fiber Arts, 630 Washington Ave. Ocean Springs, MS
228-818-6666
Monday -Saturday  Open 10 a.m.

Breakfast At Red Zone Grille

Saturdays and Sundays are the best days for a hot, home cooked breakfast served up with lots of sports on tv.

New in town, the Red Zone Grille recently opened and provides all the above and THEY DO THE COOKING!! Yay, no dishes to clean!!! The Red Zone Grille is a Sports Bar and Restaurant

Lots of TVs and lots of space!

Great bar for a cool drink and more tvs!

Stop by and donate your favorite team souvenir for the walls!

They have lots of delicious things to select from the menu....... burgers, seafood, wings, salads..... but we are always on the lookout for a new breakfast place and I think we found it, a quick study of the menu........

and we were ready to order from our friendly waitress....ready and waiting with hot coffee!!! My hubby chose a traditional breakfast.......

My son chose a fresh hot waffle with butter and syrup........

I decided on the shrimp omelet with hash browns......the omelet was stuffed with nicely grilled shrimp and some cheese as well...

We all enjoyed our choices and are looking forward to trying the other menu items in the future.  Stop by for lunch or dinner as well..Monday through Thursday 11 am until 9 pm....Friday 11-11pm.. Saturday and Sunday 7 am til 1 pm. Red Zone Grille is located on Hwy 90 in Ocean Springs next to Maisanos and Rebeccas Closet..... Get down there and try it out.........restaurant website coming soon

Afternoon Bike Ride in Gulf Islands National Seashore Park

 What could be better on a pleasant afternoon than to load up the bikes and head to our local national park and get some exercise and fresh air?   

All was quiet in this Park on Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs.  The views were spectacular as was the weather.

The park has picnic and camping areas as well as a boat launch and a visitors center.

The fishing pier is near one of the picnic areas, so if you catch a fish you can cook it and eat it right there!

We did not realize how out of shape we were when riding our bikes, but it was great exercise and the next time we will bring a picnic lunch.  If you would like more information about Gulf Islands National Seashore Park check it out at www.nps.gov/guis/miss.htm