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.

Mint Springs

Mint Springs was beautiful this weekend. Lots of water was pouring over the fall and the sound was incredible. Usually, just a trickle can be seen — and heard. Lots of greenery is springing (no pun intended) up around the springs, so it is good to see the area come to life after being dormant all winter. Long, thin green reeds abound in the area around the springs and two of the reeds can be seen as they begin their journey upwards in spirals. 

Notice how the water looks in the third photo. I slowed my shutter speed down quite a bit to get the smooth effect of the water, as compared to how it looks in the other photos. I was laying down on a rock in the creek, holding my camera underneath the tree that has fallen, so I didn't know if I would get the shot or not. I did!

A neat experience is to get down near the falls and feel the mist as it hits your face. Soothing. Real soothing. There's just something about a waterfall...

Dogwoods

What a glorious weekend this was! I love when it rains for it makes some photos just pop with color! Such is the case with these dogwoods taken at the Belle of the Bends early Saturday morning. I especially like the last photo with water droplets hanging off the flowers.

The dogwoods are gorgeous now. I will post some later this week of two of my favorite trees in the area, the pink dogwood on Washington Street and the old dogwood tree in the Vicksburg National Cemetery. I took photos of them on Saturday and Sunday. I also went to Mint Springs again and am glad I did. It had a lot of water flowing over the fall and that's always a sight to see.  You'll see them all later this week, so please come back and, as always, keep telling others about this site! Thanks!

Old Cars

1940s Cadillac

Studebaker Wagonaire

Studebaker Wagonaire

1950s Chevrolet

1960s Fiat (with suicide doors)

I like taking photos of old cars. They are time machines to me. Here are some I took recently. I love the ornamentation that adorns old cars. They really have personality.

Trains

Here are a couple of train photos I have taken lately. I always enjoy watching the train come across the river. The train wrecker is an unusual sight along the railroad tracks in the downtown railyard. I'd like to see that big boy in action. Too bad it seems to be in retirement.

State Capitol: Part I

I have been spending some time in Jackson and have enjoyed viewing the architecture of the State Capitol. It's an impressive building of which all Mississippians should be proud. These photos were taken while the sun was setting, thus the extra golden glow to the capitol building and eagle. 

Rambling

Some Civil War re-enactors were at the Vicksburg National Military Park the other day with a shiny cannon. It's nice to see them pristine like this one. It was a real pretty sky that day, too.

The Ergon supply boat heads upriver after delivering to a passing tow.

Climb up an 8-foot ladder, perch precariously at the top and this is a photo you can take of the Pennsylvania monument. (Not recommended.)

The chapel at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center is one of the prettiest buildings in town in my humble opinion.

Farish Street in Jackson

One of the preservation dreams for some Jackson folks is the revitalization of Farish Street. Here's hoping it happens.

Newitt Vick gravesite

The founder of Vicksburg, Newitt Vick, and some of his family are buried in a little plot of ground on Oak Ridge Road, just a curve or two from the last entrance to Openwood Plantation and before you get to Henry Road. It's a pretty little place where I have taken several sunrise and cropduster pics in the past. It received a new historical marker in the past few years. 

Eagle Lake

Mailboxes on 465.

Hunting camp

Fishing at dusk

Eagle Lake is a beautiful and interesting place. Photo opportunities are endless. Here are three of my favorites.

Potpourri

Nothing shows God's Glory more than a sweeping view of the afternoon sky. This was taken from Fort Hill recently.

A scene of downtown Vicksburg before sunrise. I used a tripod for this timed exposure. That's a passing car creating the blurred streaks in the photos.

The Minnesota Monument is due for a makeover in the park. I figured I better get a shot of her before she becomes all shiny and sleek again.

Holy Trinity on a foggy morning. The steeple just disappeared into the sky.

Have you ever been to Beulah Cemetery here in Vicksburg? It's a fascinating place. Easy access can be gained by parking at the General Tilghman statue in the Vicksburg National Military Park (the man and horse statue next to the Louisiana monument) and walking down the path behind the statue.

Capitol Street in sepia: 2 of 2

I don't know the purpose of the running fire hydrant in the bottom photo. Besides me, that was the only other thing moving downtown when I took these photos. I have been shooting Farish Street and the State Capitol lately and will post some of them later on. 

I would have liked to have seen the Bon-Ton Cafe in its heyday. Bet it was a pretty place with plenty of character.  Sometimes I get tired of these restaurants nowadays that try to plaster their character on the walls and ceilings with old stuff, sports stuff, other stuff. Things on the wall don't give a place character, it's the people who work there, especially the owner. That's what's missing from most restaurants today. Gee, sepia pictures may make things look a little bit too gloomy. I got all melancholy all of a sudden!

Capitol Street in sepia: 1 of 2

I love how these photos appear in sepia tones. (That top photo is a keeper!) The nostalgicness of what that area used to be like is more easily visible in my head in these photos. I never visited this part of Jackson when it was a vibrant part of the city. But I can imagine what it used to be. I've already heard a couple of stories from people who remember the street in its heyday. Quite a place. One that is missed by all. When was the last time you went into a store and they knew your name? Have to think about it, I imagine.

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 Like I mentioned in a previous post, take a look at the fourth picture of the Cohen Bros. store. See the horizontal Cohen Bros. wording? A week after I shot this photo in January, about half that sign had disappeared. The Cohen part is now completely gone. I guess that is how it happens. Just a piece at a time disappears and before you know it, it's all gone. Then it's too late.

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And here is the sepia version of the tall building that is also available in black and white and color in posts below. Compare the three and let me know which one hits you the best.