Claiborne County creek

The water was mighty muddy in this creek, one that I have yet to find the name of. It might possibly be the Big Sand Creek. However, the pretty little waterfall located upstream of the big waterfall made me forget all about that. It was such a beautiful setting. With the recent rains, the surrounding landscape was lush in greenery. It's hard to describe how pretty it all really is.  The water running over the little waterfall was pure and clear. And the sound, oh how wonderful!

The bottom picture is one I took while standing on top of the large fall. All these photos are made compliments of my snake boots, which are waterproof and let me venture into water and brush and stuff along creekbanks. I wouldn't take half the photos I do if not for them.

I will be returning to this spot later on, when the water in the entire creek is clear. There won't be much water going over the falls. But I still think it will be spectacular! 

If any of you have been wanting to get out and shoot some photos, let me know and you can go with me next time I go! It will be early in the morning, for that is the time I like to shoot best.

Stay tuned for Wednesday. I venture down Old Port Gibson Road and then on to Rocky Springs. Took some neat pictures all along the way! Hey, thanks for visiting. And don't forget to pass this blog along to others!

Down Claiborne County way

This is a waterfall down on Curtis-Luster Road, way down in the depths of Claiborne County. I knew there would be some water running down the creek after this weekend and have been wanting to go shoot it for some time. I wasn't disappointed. Took me a while to find it, but it was definitely worth the trip. It is a gorgeous place. On Tuesday, I will show you an even prettier picture taken just up the creek from this fall.

Cedar Hill Cemetery

I seem to be drawn to Cedar Hill Cemetery. The mystique of the place just calls to me with the haunting artwork that dots the landscape. I found myself there once again in early March right after a rain. The water makes the colors so much more vibrant. Being at the cemetery so early in the morning, which is when I usually go because of the lighting, is almost a reverent pilgrimage to a time long past. I never fail to find something new. This time, I started thinking about Cedar Hill itself and started looking for cedar trees within the cemetery.  I also stopped to think about why someone would put a fence up around their family's grave and then have a doorknob with a lock to enter the space. Is the lock to keep someone out or, superstitiously, to keep something in? That's the kind of things I ponder sometimes. I like the old fence with, I believe, to be Masonic symbols. It's an extremely elaborate fence that has braved the elements for decades.

No, I am not morbid or anything. Cedar Hill Cemetery is a history book. I just like to go in there every once in a while for I know I will never read the same page twice.

Rambling

Vicksburg National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park

Foggy morning at the Mississippi River bridges

Ceres Plantation in Flowers

Redbuds in the Vicksburg National Military Park

Any weekend morning there is some fog around, I will usually be out in it. I like how fog accents the surroundings, bringing out the details of the foreground objects.  Most of all I like that fog is fleeting, you have to be there at the right time with the right light to get the shot. And before you know it — poof! — the fog is gone.

Spring has sprung

Vicksburg Rose Garden

Vicksburg Rose Garden

Bobbie Nasif's Garden

Bobbie Nasif's Garden

Bobbie Nasif's Garden

On such a horrid day, these pictures should help brighten it just a bit!

It wasn't too hard to get some great pictures this weekend. All you had to do was go outside! Here are some photos I shot at the Vicksburg Rose Garden on Walnut Street and at the garden of Bobbie Nasif on Short Cherry Street.  What color! I love the single pink tulip among the flowers in the bottom two shots.

Rambling

Mound, La.

Bloom Fountain

Bowmar School

Belle of the Bends

Belle of the Bends

Here are some random shots I took last week that I thought you would enjoy. The bayou in Mound is one of my favorite places to shoot. I took it on the way home from Monroe to watch the Warren Central Vikings play in a tournament there.

Belle of the Bends on Klein Street has one of the prettiest yards in Vicksburg. It is unmatched in its beauty when the azaleas bloom! The owners, Mary and Dan Lee, are pretty special, also!

Sunset at the bridges

Friday's sunset was glorious! So glad I was able to see it unfold.

More dogwoods

Bobbie Nasif's garden

Bobbie Nasif's garden

Vicksburg National Cemetery

Vicksburg National Cemetery

Vicksburg  National Cemetery

The prettiest garden in Vicksburg — a must-see for me each year — is the yard of Bobbie and George Nasif on Short Cherry Street, just off Mulvihill. She has a gorgeous dogwood in her front yard and the prettiest array of flowers you will ever see. Some of them are blooming now and more will be coming later! I can't wait. What pictures! And the Nasifs are one of the nicest couples you will ever come across.

The dogwood tree in the Vicksburg National Cemetery is also pretty stunning. When it is in full bloom it presents such a powerful message standing there among the graves. The photos above were taken in the afternoon sun this past weekend. The biggest gingko tree I have ever seen is right behind this tree. Wouldn't that be something if they peaked at the same time? That would be too much for this ol' photographer's heart, I imagine.

If you decide to take a dogwood tour this weekend, don't forget the ones at the Old Court House Museum. And there are some beautiful trees in the Glenwood Circle area. There's beauty all around us...if you only look!

As an added bonus, go on over to my friend Janie's blog, http://southernlagniappe.blogspot.com. She has some delightful photos of dogwoods, and another recent post of hers, a photo trip along Hwy. 22, is an absolute treat!

Wagons for Sale?

Need a wagon? They are still being advertised in downtown Vicksburg, along with buggies and plows on the back of this building. The building is one of those affected in the collapse on Clay Street. You can see this wording from China Street. Can you see the word "wagons" in the photos? On its left is the word "buggies" and on the right is the word "plows". I can't figure out the wording on the top, but surmise it is the name of the store when it was orginally built. Anybody willing to play Sherlock Holmes on this one?

Pink Dogwoods

If I had to choose a favorite flower it would have to be the pink dogwood bloom. I like the legend that comes with the dogwood tree. It makes it real, you know? Plus, pink dogwoods are just not found everywhere. I know of only four in this city. I keep my eyes open for them, but it is rare to find them. There are probably scores of others, but I have yet to find them in the countless miles I put in each year riding the roads in and around Vicksburg. And like the gingko tree and its beautiful yellow leaves, the dogwood does not stay in bloom for very long, making me appreciate its beauty even more.

The pink dogwood you see here is located on Washington Street across from Cedar Grove. I shoot photos of it each year and will go by it pretty much each day while it is in bloom just to look at it. It's God's Glory in its finest....and that's worth a trip to see.