Dale Pohl thrives by sharing the joy of making art with children, both in and out of the classroom.
- story by Lisa Monti, photos courtesy Dale Pohl 

​When they were done, Pohl dutifully circled back to clean up the creations so neighbors wouldn’t be inconvenienced. They weren’t. Instead, she said, “People came running out and said ‘No, stop, don’t touch it.’ ” They had become instant fans of the ninja art.
 
During the camps, the students can come up with their own ideas for their creations and revise them again and again until they’re happy with them. “They can explore and I can let them,” Pohl said of the sessions. ​

Pohl’s sessions are designed for ages 5-8 and 9-12. “After that, they want to come back and help,” she said.
 
In the past, Pohl has offered special sessions like the one last Christmas for 7th to 9th graders where they made holiday cards, frames, ornaments and free style pieces. Ladies night out printmaking parties and kid’s birthday parties also are big hits, Pohl said.
 
She’s looking to do more adult workshops as time permits between her family (including the four Pohl children), her school schedule and her own art.
 
Watch for more special art events on The Nest’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/thenestbsl/

A newcomer to Bay St. Louis discovers a community of local businesses and neighbors who welcome her and her Doodle sidekick to the dog-friendly town. 
- story by Denise Jacobs

Linda especially enjoys eating on the porch at Lulu’s on Main (126 Main Street) with Mowgli, her mostly Finnish Spitz, at her feet.  I feel the same way about the Old Town merchants, who have always welcomed Biscuit, my mini Goldendoodle. ​

From the beginning of my move to BSL almost three years ago, the courtyard of the Mockingbird Café has been my go-to place for meeting others with dog on leash. It’s where I met Fahey DeBenedetto House, now a dear friend. Fahey and I began talking about Biscuit, and by the time I had downed an iced coffee, Fahey had invited me to join a loosely-formed cadre of women with dogs. Before I knew it, I was on the receiving end of a flurry of daily texts: Heading out in 15. Woof!  And just like that, my new life in Bay St. Louis began to take shape.
​
At first, I felt awkward as the newcomer. Because these women had established relationships with one another, I tried to stand back and give them space—not hard to do given Biscuit’s tennis-ball fixation. It was easy to throw one tennis ball after another and give my potential new friends space. 

I soon realized, however, that there was nothing cliquish about the group. We simply aligned per the configuration of the day, and the configurations varied.

Once, Fahey and Karen paired-off on some swings deep in conversation while Diana and I paired-off at the picnic table, also deep in conversation. At other times, Fahey and I might walk and talk about politics, or she might tell me about growing up in Bay St. Louis, a town I was just getting to know. Rebecca and I, both writers, talked about writing. I liked to talk to Karen about yoga—a perfect topic since she had recently completed her 200-hour yoga training at Kripalu. 

Between us, we had Goldendoodles (Haggis and Biscuit), Westies (Allie and Marley), and mutts (Willie and Skye). There were others—some pictured here—but I had yet to meet them. For two years now, our little pack has both expanded and diminished, and text messages come and go with varying degrees of frequency and complexity.  
​
Sadly, Willie’s companion, Skye, died. That was a blow to all of us, but none so much as Diana, who had rescued him in the first place, and Rebecca, his undercover sleeping companion. Haggis and Karen have since moved far across the country. Deirdre of Long Beach, on vacation when I first joined the group, reappeared with her two Westies and occasional fosters. You just never know, but if you show up, we draw a circle and take you in just as the group drew a circle and took me in.

Love me, love my dog is the rule of the day and more than a metaphor. We admire each other’s dogs. We let them lick our faces and climb on our backs. Biscuit places his drool-soaked tennis ball on a bench to the left of Diana. She picks it up, hands it to me (on her right), and I throw it to Biscuit. Repeat 500 times.

Biscuit, a loner, has become a little more social and now happily greets his human friends if not the dogs. When Haggis’s arthritis exacerbated, we all kept an eye on him, as he didn’t seem to know when to stop. Allie began catching tennis balls of her own. The question is, will she ever return one? ​

One day last year, Fahey texted me that Willie could not be found. Within minutes, without hesitation, I grabbed my coat, leashed Biscuit, and began walking down DeMontluzin looking for Willie. Fahey had already been to the beach; no Willie. She and Karen were walking down Necaise. At Second and State, I turned left onto Main.

“Willie cannot have gone far,” I thought.

I could see Rebecca walking around her house, the front door wide open. Diana was teaching a yoga class and had no idea Willie was gone. I knew we had to find him before Diana’s class ended in an hour. No one said it, but we all knew that Diana and Rebecca, having just lost Skye, could not take another loss. Willie had to be found before Diana’s yoga class ended. We had an hour.

Biscuit and I walked up to the white picket fence surrounding Diana and Rebecca’s house. As we stood there with a worried Rebecca, a very dirty Willie sauntered up from somewhere underneath the house. He may have been digging to China. I like to think that he knew Biscuit and I were there and came out from under to say hello, what’s up? Whatever Willie’s thinking, we were all relieved to see him.  
 
Later, Rebecca texted a thank you and wrote, “I feel like the troops came out to help . . . now, that’s community!”
​
It is community. Studies have shown that dogs can provide their owners with more than companionship; they also help create human-to-human friendships and social support. Between our dog adventures and good old-fashioned Southern hospitality, our lives here in the Bay intertwine in the very best of ways and our circle of friends ever widens.  ​

Whimsical Tramp Art pieces can be found throughout Old Town - and has inspired a number of local contemporary artists.  But what in the heck is it? 
- story and photos by Grace King

Hobo Art, or Tramp Art, is a term referring to art made of found objects - mainly wood, toothpicks, discarded cigar boxes, crates or pallets - and often whittled into layers featuring geometric shapes. 
 
This art form has been traced back to the 1870s and began to die out in the 1940s.
 
Magnolia Antiques often carries carved knives called Trench Art, a similar art form that refers to decorative items made by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians affected by wartime who were often literally stuck in the trenches and needed a project to take their mind off their conditions.  Of course, they had to work with the materials they had at hand - toothpicks, pieces of scrap wood, wire, popsicle sticks, etc.
 
I’d seen these rustic forms of art, especially in the Delta, but never knew about Tramp Art. ​

The South has a long history of self-taught artists, many using discarded materials. Museum sensations like Thornton Dial have made being an “outsider artist” more mainstream. 
 
His paintings and assemblages fashioned from scavenged materials hung proudly in the New Orleans Museum of Art during a popular exhibition in 2012 called “Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial.”
 
Patrons were so moved by his show that the museum now houses 10 pieces of art from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation in its permanent collection.  His extraordinary body of work continues to garner recognition. 
 
It’s easy to find primitive art and furniture in the antiques shops of Old Town once you know what to look for.
 
Antique Maison has some truly one-of-a-kind large-scale pieces. Right through the doorway, shoppers can see a tall form of early folk art — a cupboard with original paint, copper screens and square nail construction. It’s certainly a unique piece made from reclaimed materials long ago.
 

Further back in Antique Maison, John Walrod’s Steampunk Curiosities are sculptures and wallhangings made from found objects, transformed into fun little creatures, clocks and bits of home goods.  Walrod is a contemporary artist whose work brings to mind the intricate and often whimsical works of Tramp artists.  
 
Spencer Gray Jr. at Gallery 220 is also known for his fun, vibrant creations and yard art, also made from colorful brick-a-brack.  He creates smaller pieces and larger one-of-a-kind sculptures that are filled with animation and delight collectors. 

Artist Joe Derr divides time between Bay St. Louis and New Orleans, creating fanciful sculptures and watercolor paintings.  The Derr's paintings carried by Bay Life Gifts & Gallery in Century Hall (112 South Second Street), are "framed" in wooden trays or old cigar boxes.  

​Bay Life owner Janice Guido says several of her customers now collect Derr's work, vying for first shot at them when he brings in new pieces.   

Also at Century Hall, Susan Peterson proudly showed off a small chest of drawers that had all the hallmarks of Tramp Art. Hand carved embellishments, drawers made out of cigar boxes and beautiful bits of decorative wallpaper lined the inside. 

Hobo, Tramp and Trench may not be the most flattering names to label a world of art, but it turned out these pieces are some of the most desirable finds in Old Town. 
 
Find them and bring them home before they hit the road.

This specially themed Second Saturday artwalk in July - Frida Fest - celebrates the birthday of iconic artist Frida Kahlo with an extraordinary costume contest and a fiesta of other special happenings!  

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Bodega Spirits & Liquor (111 Court Street) and Manieri Real Estate (501 Main Street).

​- stories by Grace Wilson

On July 14, in honor of Second Saturday and Frida Fest, Bodega Spirits and Liquors will host their first free wine tasting experience at 111 Court Street. The tasting will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Parrot Head Bar, in the same building as the spirits ship and the rental store. 

Nestled in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis is a new liquor store. Don’t be fooled by the small footprint - this well-stocked store has over 200 labels of wine and 250 brands of liquor.
 
Located in the same building as Bodega Adventure Rentals and Sales and the Parrot Head Bar and Grill, Bodega Spirits & Liquor has brands you want and prices you’ll like at a convenient location.
 
“We picked out our own favorites,” said owner Kevin Jordan. “If you are a regular and you want something we’ll get it.”  
 
Jordan knows his spirits and wine. His family owns a vineyard in California that sells grapes to some of the most popular labels in the United States.
 ​

“We have a lot of great connections in the wine business and are looking forward to bringing in educators to host wine classes and tastings,”said Jordan.
 
Look for an upcoming schedule of classes and tastings.
 
Larry Main is often behind the counter at Bodega Spirits and Liquor to impart his knowledge of wines, liquors and - if needed - local fishing spots. 
 
Truly a one-stop-shop, everything a vacationer or local could need for an afternoon of fun and food is under one roof. Bodega Liquor Spirits is also pet-friendly and Main has a stock of doggy treats and also features local pet celebrities on Bodega’s social media channels.
 
There are discounts for purchases by the case, and Bodega Liquor and Spirits also has a wholesale license, so they can deliver wine and spirits to local businesses.

Manieri is one of the most familiar family names in Bay St. Louis, and in real estate, people want a name they can trust.
 
The family has been in business in Bay St. Louis, in one form or another, since the 1870s. Manieri’s Restaurant was once known as one of the oldest businesses in town.   
 
"Our roots are in the restaurant business, but at our core we are hospitality through and through," said Joey Manieri. 
 
As a native of this area, Manieri truly enjoys meeting newcomers and sharing his love of this special place with them, which is why real estate is a perfect fit for the family. 
 
Their team has been meeting real estate needs for over 25 years. From sales to vacation rentals and property management, Manieri Real Estate, LLC is a one-stop-shop in Bay St. Louis. 
 ​

"Our Main Street location is like open house every day,” Manieri said. "We never know who’s going to pop in just to say hello. People enjoy the atmosphere we’ve created here as we strive to keep it light and easy." 
 
Many vacationers end up calling Bay St. Louis home, and the Manieris say the real estate market, especially in Old Town, has been heating up in the past couple of years.  But Manieri remembers a time before Katrina when there was barely an empty lot to build on.
 
“We are certainly coming back faster than after Camille. I was 16 years old and lived a block off the beach, as I do now,” said Manieri. “Believe it or not, there are still people out there who are waiting for the right time to come back.”
 
In the meantime, Manieri has seen lots of new people discovering the Bay. 
 
“We have a unique thing in Bay St. Louis that people don’t come across in other vacation spots,” he said. “We’ve got an easier lifestyle, It’s more laid back, and we don’t have the traffic the bigger beach cities have. People are beginning to find out more and more about that.”
 
Manieri takes pride that his agency - comprised of him, his wife and two other agents - works on a different philosophy than bigger franchises. 
 
“We are consultants, troubleshooters and problem solvers,” said Manieri. “Most people don’t realize what a good agent will do because much of it is behind the scenes.”
 
The agency runs dozens of vacation rentals and features about 30 long-term rentals, so whether someone is looking for a quick getaway to the Bay or a second home, Manieri Real Estate is a team - and a name - you can trust. ​

Conjuring up a fascinating backstory for this Cedar Point cottage creates a serene port o'call for owners and visitors alike. 
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson 

This invented narrative technique is a favorite of Eric Grieshaber’s.  The architect has worked with the noted Hopkins Company firm in New Orleans for 25 years and specializes in residential designs.  
 
Eric believes that starting out with a backstory – even when it’s been created - works well for both renovations and for new home designs.  This narrative becomes a theme of sorts, threading together architecture and interior design in an unexpected - and delightful - fashion. 
 
“I call it romance architecture,” Eric says. “I create a backstory for every project.  It helps the completed house have a richer feel in the end, whether the client wants an 1800s wood barn or a French chateau.”  
 
Eric and husband Scott Umberger have lots of practice using that technique.  They’ve purchased and renovated six different houses since 1994.  But the first house they bought in Bay St. Louis actually came complete with a great story.  In 2004, the couple purchased it from a retired sea captain who had traveled the world and brought back mementos from his exotic voyages.  Shortly after the renovation was complete, Hurricane Katrina swept in from the gulf and destroyed the house.  
 
Fast forward to 2014. Eric and Scott, whose primary residence is a Craftsman classic they restored in Uptown New Orleans, had been considering rebuilding in Bay St. Louis. They shifted gears when a diminutive cottage in the Cedar Point area came on the market.  Real estate agent and friend Jeanne Baxter alerted them about the new listing and before Eric and Scott finished their first tour of the unpainted wood house, their decision was made. 

​“[Buying a house] is a very emotional decision,” says Scott, an attorney with Iberia Bank in New Orleans. “I want it or I don’t.  I don’t want to second guess myself.” 
 
Built in 1906, their latest project on Leonhard Street is probably one of the oldest surviving structures on Cedar Point.  Many cottages in the neighborhood had been  built to house seafood factory workers.  At the turn of the 20th century, at least two oyster canning factories operated on Cedar Point (one was the Peerless Seafood Company, located where the Bay-Waveland Yacht club stands today).  The immigrant workers, mostly from Slavic countries, lived nearby in simple shacks.  

But while simple, the Leonhard Street cottage was a serious cut above the worker’s typical dwellings.  It was sturdily built, lined with old growth timber bead-board.  Even Katrina’s unprecedented surge couldn’t destroy it:  it simply tipped over in the storm, instead of coming apart.  On the other hand, the unpretentious house wasn’t large or elaborate enough to have been the home of a prosperous local businessman or another sea captain.  ​

So who had called 208 Leonhard home in 1906? 

​Eric and Scott spun a backstory about a boatswain.  Often called bosuns, a boatswain wasn’t a ship’s officer, but managed a ship’s deck department.  A bosun wouldn’t have been wealthy enough to have afforded a grand home, but would have wanted one comfortable and well-appointed in a lovely natural setting. The imaginary bosun of the Leonhard Street backstory  traveled the world many times over and having “an eye for nice things,” surrounded himself with fascinating objects from around the globe. 
 
So “Boatswain’s Cottage” was christened and work commenced.

Although Eric and Scott joke that their personalities are like “oil and water,” to an observer it appears that the team operates like a well-oiled machine.  The construction and space design is Eric’s purview, while the interior design falls to Scott.  
 
“I’m more concerned about how the space looks, and Eric’s more concerned about how the place feels,” says Scott.  
 
The men started by calling in a contractor they’d worked with on three previous renovations, Jim Boucher.  A “true craftsman, who doesn’t do something unless it reflects well on him,” Boucher, Eric and Scott began forensics on the house.  Their goal was to recreate the original floor plan.  
 
They realized that the side gallery had been closed in and reopened it.  A clumsily built fireplace that had been added at some point came off to allow for a large screened outdoor living space.  The dark living room became light-filled.  

A half-bath became a full one by expanding into an adjoining closet.  All doors and windows were replaced - the interior doors with salvaged cypress ones from New Orleans. Boucher, who collects special pieces of old wood, built a splendid cypress kitchen island with a pull through drawer. 

​“We never do anything half way,” says Eric, who points out that the island allows guests to visit the cook without being in his way. Large crank-out windows over the sink open to allow serving to the screened porch, where a table seats eight and the space easily accommodates thirty.  
 
While Eric handled the structural space, Scott began collecting furnishings and art with a bosun’s eye.  An experienced auction shopper, he sought out paintings of ships and interesting marine décor.  He snagged an ornate metal chandelier from Morocco to hang over the dining table. An iron gate and urn from a sugar plantation in Trinidad would eventually become garden centerpieces.  An ancient retractable chandelier from an abbey in France to grace the new porch.  ​

Eric says that all he has to do is “give Scott a general idea, and it becomes reality.”  
 
Scott counters. “Truth be told, I can’t usually carry projects out, but I can find someone who can.” 
 
“We approach most of our house renovations this way,” Eric says.  “It’s completely impractical.  Who would do this?  But we want this to be a special retreat.”  
 
The new pool certainly helps with that.  Scott visualized a pool that had the feel of an ancient fountain, like the hidden children’s wading pool in Audubon Park.  Eric designed the pool with an elegant marble birdbath in mind as a statement piece.  The base was modified and the bowl fitted with a copper spout designed by New Orleans jeweler/sculptor Soren Pederson.  The end result is an ancient, almost Grecian feeling of tranquility. 

​Since both men work in very stressful jobs, they believe it’s important that they, as well and visiting family and friends, can “immediately decompress.”  Scott says that the serenity they feel at Boatswain’s Cottage often makes it hard to return to the city. “We always feel like we just got back from a vacation,” he says, laughing.  
 
But these days, Eric’s work often follows him to the Bay.  He’s often tapped by friends for architectural input and designed his parents’ new house. 
 
“My mom was my hardest client,” Eric says laughing. 
 
“He’s lying about that,” Scott quips with a grin.  “He always tells me I’m his most difficult client.” 
 
The most difficult client of all began imagining a larger entertainment space last year.  So next to come on Leonhard Street is another building altogether.  Eric’s design for the 1000 square foot free-standing addition shows a large library/dining room in the center, flanked on both ends with guest rooms.  The size, scale and style complement the existing house. Construction will begin this fall. 
 
Ground hasn't broken on the new building yet, but it already has a name:  Shikamoo. It means “welcome, honored guest” in Swahili.  

​It’s a name that might have been chosen by a well-traveled boatswain, one who found peaceful and permanent anchorage in a place called Cedar Point.  

This solo-practice dentist offers everything from fillings to crowns to cosmetic enhancements, all in a hometown office where everyone knows your name - and your smile. 
- story by LB Kovac

He was inspired to pursue his career by a friend of the family, a dentist, also from Mississippi. “He was left-handed,” says Dr. Conaway, “and I was left-handed. It just seemed important.”He went on to study dentistry at the University of Mississippi in Jackson and completed a one-year training residency before he looked to set up his own business.

His love for his home state and its people was part of the reason he decided to start his practice right here in Bay St. Louis almost thirty years ago. “My college roommate (at Ole Miss) was from Bay St. Louis,” he says. “When I was looking to start my own practice, I came to visit and saw that the area needed a dentist, and I put two and two together.” The local beaches and vibrant local culture couldn’t have hurt either.

And Bay St. Louis was a great place to put down roots. When he started his practice in 1990, it “was before the casinos were around,” he says, as well as before Hurricane Katrina hit. “The little town has changed dramatically over the years – for the better.”

Dentistry has changed as well. ​

Back in 1990, wire bracket braces were the norm when it came to tooth alignment. And electronic braces, hardware that had tiny chips that individually regulated how much pressure was applied to each misaligned tooth, were the so-called “future” of dentistry. Space-age devices like that have long since been abandoned in favor of invisible incremental alignment aids like Clear Aligner. 

The end of the millennium also marked a downturn for a particular type of dentistry – the solo practice. Due to economic pressure, many dentists have turned to group practices as a way of defraying costs and sharing expenses. 

Dr. Conaway’s office has remained a solo practice. He runs his dental office with the help of a close-knit team of assistants. And he’s quick to point out the benefits of his model. “I’m the boss – always an advantage. And I feel like, at our practice, we have a family. It’s a little more personalized.”

He knows the names of all of his patients and their dental histories, and he can provide a more specialized experience. “Teeth are a challenge. Some people have it easy, based on their biology, but some people have it hard,” says Dr. Conaway. A generalized approach just won’t help everyone he sees. “You have to individualize what you’re doing for them.” 

With the changing times, Dr. Conaway has also adapted his practice to better serve his patients in the area. 

“I do it all– fillings, crowns, cleanings, you name it,” he says. Dentures, partials, teeth bleaching, and veneers are offered as well. And, he's also added Botox injections and other non-surgical cosmetic procedures to his list of services to help people look their best and feel more confident. 

In short, Dr. Conaway is a good dentist to have working on your smile. He received a Mastership Award and Lifelong Learning Service Recognition from the Academy of General Dentistry. Between appointments, he’s traveling across the United States to administer licensing exams to prospective dentists. He also currently serves as president of the State Board of Dental Examiners. 

His best dental advice? Break out the floss. “There’s still nothing that substitutes for floss,” he says. The American Dental Association says that as much as 80% of plaque can be removed by flossing daily. 

That’s something to smile about. 
​

Waveland Alderman Jeremy Burke reports a celebration of Ernest Hemingway's birthday to benefit the Ground Zero Museum, the MS Municipal League Conference and Waveland capital improvements. 

This patron party event is limited to 250 guests. Advance tickets are $66 per person or $119 for two and tickets at the door are $75 per person and $140 for two. The proceeds of the sales of the tickets go to benefit the Ground Zero Hurricane Museum fund of the Hancock Community Development Foundation.

Ernest Hemingway's 119th birthday celebration will continue on Saturday, July 21st with the "No Bull Fun Run".   This event is a 1K Fun Run for HemFest and begins at Central Avenue and Coleman at 6:00PM. The bulls will be roller derby ladies on roller skates and runners are encouraged to wear your best whites and red scarf!  The race entry is $25 per person in advance and $35 per person on-site. During and post-race refreshments include paella, sangria, and cold brew courtesy of Rum Kitchen.

To purchase your tickets for either event, contact Linda Aiavolasiti at 228.216.0561 or linda@wavelandgroundzero.com.

During the week of June 25th to June 27th Mayor Mike Smith, Alderman Charlie Piazza and I attended the 87th Annual Mississippi Municipal League Conference in Biloxi. The MML Conference has over 2,500 attendees and is a great opportunity for public officials to get professional training and to network with other public officials from all over Mississippi.

I am delighted to report that Mayor Mike Smith was able to satisfy the graduation requirement for the advance level of the Certified Municipal Official (CMO) program.

I was also able to complete the final level of the Certified Municipal Official program, the professional development level at the conference.  Although I have no more level to complete, I will continue to attend classes because I never want to stop learning.

Although the certification course is voluntary, receipt of the designation of Certified Municipal Official requires completion of core courses: Municipal Organization, Municipal Law, Municipal Finance, Municipal Land Use and Community Development. The CMO program provides the participants training to become more effective leaders for Waveland.

Established in 1931, MML represents 295 city, town, and village governments in Mississippi. The mission of the MML is helping cities and towns excel through training, lobbying at the state and federal level, and providing resources and networking opportunities with state, federal and private entities. For more information about the Mississippi Municipal League, visit www.mmlonline.com.

In the past month, the Waveland Board of Alderman submitted a number of applications for  capital improvements.

Waveland's goal is to make transportation for pedestrians more safe. The Board has applied to construct a bike/walk lane on Central Avenue from Waveland city limits to Waveland Avenue.  I will report back in a few months to inform everyone if the project will get funding from MDOT.

The Board of Alderman also applied for 3 Tideland Trust projects.
The project we applied for are as follows:
1. Handicapped accessibility ramp to the water's edge
2. Beach pagodas
3. Parking bay along Beach Blvd with electric car charging station

Waveland will learn which Tideland project will be funded in early 2019.

It's hard to keep coast residents and their pets indoors - even in mid-summer.  Longtime dog owner and daily walker Lisa Monti offers savvy advice to stay cool and safe. 
- story by Lisa Monti

My dog walking starts earlier in the summer and my bike rides are shorter when the heat really bears down like it did recently. We were only three days into official summertime this year when the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory June 24 warning of a heat index of 105 to 109 scorching degrees. 
 
The combination of hot temps and high humidity can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but you can take simple precautions such as drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioned room and generally staying out of the sun. 
 
If you are spending time outside, take extra precautions like rescheduling your activities for early morning or evening, wearing light, loose fitting clothes and drinking plenty of water.  If you’re working outdoors, OSHA recommends that you take a lot of breaks either in the shade or inside an air-conditioned place. Call 911 if you or someone else feels overcome by heat. ​

Pet owners should keep an eye on their dogs and other animals during hot weather as well. Make sure they have plenty of fresh clean water (in containers protected from the sun) and a shady place to help keep them cool. The ASPCA also advises to take care not to over-exercise your pets and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
 
If you’re walking your dog outdoors, the same basic safety rules apply to dogs.  Exercise early or in the evening. If you’re out in the mid-day heat, walk in shaded areas so they don’t burn their paws on hot asphalt.  Test pavement for heat by pressing your palm against it for seven seconds.  If it’s too hot for your hand, it will burn your dog’s paws.  If the air temperature is 87 degrees, the asphalt is 143 degrees. An egg fries in five minutes at 131F. ​

​Some symptoms of overheating in pets, according to the ASPCA, are excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. And, of course, don’t ever leave a pet in a vehicle in the heat.  In just a few minutes, the interior temperature of a closed car can shoot up.  It may be a moderately hot 80 degrees outside,  but in just 10 minutes, it’ll be 99 degrees inside a vehicle in 10 minutes and a deadly 114 in 30 minutes.

 
If you’re dog walking, you can get creative finding shade in some local spots, like the old City Park shoofly on Second Street or one of the local restaurants with outside seating (the porch and sideyard of the Mockingbird Café are local favorites. If you prefer a spot beachside, the pavilion at Washington Street offers benches along with breezes off the water.
 
If you’re poochless, you have even more options.  The library is the perfect place to comfortably spend some cool, quiet time on a summer day and so is a local health club. 
 
Bike riders (and walkers) can find shady stretches on streets and lots of good places to take a water break around town. I like riding down Third Street, from Washington to Bay Oaks Drive and loop back around. There’s plenty of shade in spots on both sides of Third as well as some less traveled blocks between Main and Ulman and on the grounds of the Depot.
 
Staying safe outdoors in the grip of summertime takes a bit of preparation but it’s worth the effort to enjoy exercising, socializing and keeping a spoiled dog happy between now and October.

Writer Joyce Carol Oates, author of more than sixty books and one of the most esteemed living American writers, will be visiting the Mississippi coast in July, signing her two newest publications at Pass Books. 
- by Carole McKellar

Born in 1938, Oates published her first book in 1962. She taught creative writing at Princeton University from 1978 until she retired in 2014. Oates has won awards for her writing, including the National Book Award for “them” in 1969, two O. Henry Awards, and the National Humanities Medal. Her novels and story collections were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize five times.​

Beautiful Days, published this year, consists of eleven stories. All of the stories previously appeared in respected periodicals but never appeared together. The subject matter is diverse including stories of extramarital affairs and suicide alongside fantasy.
 
“Les Beaux Jours” is about a vulnerable girl desperate for the love of her absent father. She is drawn into a Balthus painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The subject imagines herself a prisoner inside the painting and writes a letter to her father begging him to rescue her from the cruelties imposed by the Master.

 
In “Undocumented Alien” a Nigerian student is saved from deportation by participating in a classified research project. A chip implanted in his brain adversely affects his cognitive function and drives him to madness. This chilling story describes a young man fighting to maintain his humanity.
 
Although the eleven stories are disturbing and generally dark in tone, I liked this collection. Oates is a skilled and imaginative writer.

Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense is on my nightstand, and I look forward to reading the six creepy tales within. The first story, “The Woman in the Window,” is a reimagining of Edward Hopper’s painting, ’11 A.M., 1926,’ which features a woman sitting in an apartment window naked except for high heels. That painting is on the front cover of “Beautiful Days.”
 
At eighty years old, Joyce Carol Oates continues to earn the respect of readers and writers alike. She avoids celebrity and has cultivated a reputation for hard work and professionalism. Oates is regularly discussed as a strong contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. I look forward to meeting Ms. Oates at Pass Books and consider it an honor for the coast to have such a literary icon visit.

In this very different kind of parenting column, writer, new mom, and old soul Grace Wilson introduces three-week old baby Pearl to the community - at the annual Frida Kahlo costume competition.                                                                                                         
- story by Grace Wilson, photos by Ana Balka

So there I was in the back of a 1979 Dodge Commander RV with my Halloween costume on staring at a positive pregnancy test looking down the barrel of many sober holidays to come.
 
Dr. Google told us that the baby would be due around July 14. 
 
“Bastille Day!” Christian said with pride.
 
“Damn, we may miss Frida Fest,” I moped.

Bay St. Louis’s Frida Fest may have been 10 months away, but it is always on my mind. I’ve been on a mission from the ghost of Frida Kahlo to win the look-alike contest hosted every year at Smith and Lens gallery.
 
Three years have gone by without even a whiff of the prize, so at this point I’d settle for an Honorable Mention.
 
The first year, I was sure I had a win in the bag. I dutifully bribed Martha Whitney at the French Potager to make me the prettiest, biggest flower crown in town. I housed one of the judges in my vacation rental. I even brought along my tiny chihuahua, Presley, as a prop to sit on my shoulder. 
 
When I rounded the corner of Second Street I saw what looked to be thousands of beautiful Fridas and knew I had no chance. Not even with a puppy.

With the ghost of Frida haunting me every day since July 11, 2015 — fast forward to June 22, 2016 —I was so excited Pearl had arrived three weeks early! 
 
As I was holding her in my arms at the hospital, all I could think was, “Get ready for Frida Fest, girlfriend.”
 
As soon as we rolled in to the Bay and settled in to life with Presley at the Palm House, I began to get the wheels in motion.
 
Mommy and Me flower crowns from Martha Whitney - check.
Tiny little Mexican dress - check.
Eye brow pencil - check.
 
I was still feeling and looking 6 months pregnant. None of my maternity clothes fit right. None of my regular clothes fit right.
 
As I sat atop a Mount Everest pile of clothing in despair, I realized there was only one thing to do… draw a uni-brow on my three-week old, five-pound baby, wear the prettiest nightie I owned and pray no one would notice me.
 
Surely all eyes would be on Pearl, right?
 
And, of course, Presley.
 
As the summer sun began to set and sign-up time drew near, we got the family ready to roll down to Frida Fest central near the Mockingbird Cafe. 
 
We were light packers for the two block journey: One bassinet, five diapers, two packs of wipes, three baby toys, a tube of sunblock, four bottles of breastmilk and one can of formula. I know what you’re thinking. Formula? You know, just in case.
 
Total parenting experts three weeks in!
 
Once again, we rounded the corner to find double the amount of Fridas from the first year - all more beautifully decked out than before.
 
We got to the sign-up table: Contestant Number 471. Or maybe it was 47.

 
We waited for what felt like hours for our number to be called, my husband nervously cradling the baby and me calling over everyone in town to come and breathe on her.
 
As our big moment got closer, I had more butterflies in my tummy than a Dolly Parton song. (Dolly Should is another Bay St. Louis Festival - and another story - entirely.) 
 
I was able to peel the baby away from Christian and make our way to the judging platform. 
 
Pearl had long fallen asleep, but I didn’t let that stop us. (And by us, I mean me.) As they called our number I lifted my tiny offspring into the air and was met by a collective gasp from every person in the crowd.
 
“Oh God,” I thought. “Did my boob pop out of this nightgown again?”
 
Looking down I saw the girls were safely secured. 
 
Looking back up, I saw every jaw on the ground.
 
Obviously no one could believe….how beautiful my three-week old, five-pound baby was.

I skipped over the judges, one of whom could not even make eye contact with me for some reason. There were murmurs and whispers all around me… mostly I kept hearing… “Is that a real baby…?” Well, it’s not a Tickle Me Elmo, sister.

There was even a super-fan about my own mother’s age who asked to get a picture of baby Frida. 
 
“I’ve got a massive doll collection and that baby looks just like one of ‘em,” she cooed.
 
Of course, I obliged. As she snapped the pic I smiled thinking that one of the things I love about splitting my time between Mississippi and the French Quarter is that no matter where you go or what you do, there’s always someone crazier than you in the crowd.
 
Just as I was getting my sight back from the flash of cameras, I realized that darkness had fallen, winners had been announced and once again my husband was dragging me - and now Pearl - home without a winning title.
 
He immediately sat me down in the cool air conditioning, looked me in the eyes and said very calmly, but sternly, “We need to talk…”
 
I stared past him thinking about how Pearl and I could take the Frida crown next year. She’d be big enough to wear a monkey costume, I bet… maybe stick her on my shoulder…
 
“That was too much,” he said.
 
Oh well. 
 
Ignorance is bliss, right?

Editor's note:  The 2018 Frida Fest is slated for Second Saturday, July 14, in Old Town Bay St. Louis.  Click here for complete details and start getting your costume ready - with or without a baby or chihuahua.  

DIY Diva Holly Lemoine-Raymond does it again! Read on and discover how she added curb appeal to her home and office. 

​Assemble your wood. You know me and my recycling … I used pallet boards measuring 12 x 16 with large numbers. Depending on the size of the numbers and length of your address, you can adjust the size of your wood blocks.
 
If you are not handy with a saw, you may want to buy your block from your local hardware store. See the pictures for some examples. 

​With your blocks assembled, it is time to stain your wood. I love to use Espresso. It gives the wood such a rich color, and if you are using nickel plated or a light colored number, the numbers will stand out more. Let the stain dry. 

​Once your stain has dried, you can beat up your block to give it more of a rustic look. Just take a hammer and give a few hits to the wood.  Another touch I like to add is to take the black spray enamel and spray it on a paper towel and rub it on the wood. This technique creates a “weathered” look. Plus, it brings out a little of the wood’s character. 

​Now that your wood is stained and dried, it’s time to add the numbers. Using your tape measure, determine where you want your numbers to go. Measure twice to ensure the numbers are evenly spaced and mark the places your numbers will go. 

​​Using your hammer, drive the numbers in to the block of wood. Once all your numbers are in place, it’s time to hang your new Trendy Address Block to the front of your home or office.

Yes, it really is that simple.
 
Now that you know how to add a little curb appeal to your home or office I would love to see your finished project! Go to my FB page (www.facebook.com/holly.lemoine) and upload a picture of your address block. I can’t wait to see what Beautiful Things you create!