Random shots

Here are some random shots taken in the last few days. It includes a little church tucked away on a hill off Stouts Street in Vicksburg. I don't know the name of the church since there is no sign located anywhere identifying it. 

• The scarecrow was doing a fine job in a garden on Sea Island Drive at Eagle Lake. He even waved at me!

• The next two photos of are of the bridge flag taken from both the south and from the north. Thanks to Riverwalk Casino for the beautiful photo-taking site they made for me along the Mighty Mississippi. You can get right next to the river there. And the higher the water gets, the closer you can get!

• The bottom photo is the Buzzard Roost Motel located at Steele Bayou up near Eagle Lake. 

Mount Olive Baptist Church

This old church located near Newellton, La., has come to the end of its road it seems. It looks like a big tree has torn off a big part on the back of the building and now seems to be abandoned. I nearly cry at that thought. It really grieved my heart to see the beautiful pew exposed to the elements in the top photo (click on the photo to enlarge it). The other shots are from the interior of the old church. I especially love the materials used for the pew cushions. It looks like the material that would have been used to make Joseph's coat of many colors. The offering basket and hand fan were sitting on the pews like folks just got up and left the building. The little table is in the rear of the church. I guess they let the children sit back there and color or play quietly while the sermon was going on.

I wonder how many people were saved in this humble place? I said a prayer for the congregation that called this church home. And hope one day it is vibrant once again.

Country stores

I've run across some country stores while I have been out and about the past few weekends. The ones pictured here are closed down, but oh how I wish I could step inside them. In my mind, they would all be set up just like the stores I went to in my youth. That is a memory that is different for each of us, but we each have fond thoughts of those old stores and the people who made them what they are. The top two photos show Hoben's Store, lcoated at the corner of Old Hwy. 27 and Warriors Trail. Man, if that screen door could talk!

The third photo, of the Phillips 66 sign, is near Newellton, La. The store is gone now, but the gasoline sign has not had enough bullet holes put into it to kill it off just yet. The plastic signs of today just could not take an onslaught of bullets like this one has, now could they?

The bottom photos are of Po Boy Don's, a famous store located on Hwy. 602 south of Mound, La. It's situated on a beautiful little bayou that runs along the opposite side of the road and is featured in country singer Tim McGraw's "Down on the Farm" video. Folks down that way have to go a long way now for their Holsum bread.

I've been trying to find an old country store that has been closed for a while that I could go in and shoot some photos with the available light. I'll keep looking.

The Magnificent Magnolia

I love shooting photos of magnolia blooms during this time of year. I keep on the lookout for the perfect bloom. It's a joy to stumble upon one that is positoned just right. Such is the case of the blooms in the second photo. I love this combination of the two blooms, of one having burst forth already and the other biding its time, I guess, so it does not have to share the spotlight with its sibling above it.

My favorite magnolia tree is one that the blooms are not the main focal point for me. The fourth photo, with the graves nestled in its roots, is located next to the gazebo in the Vicksburg National Cemetery. It's a majestic old tree that has been sheltering many graves of brave, young men who died in battle many years ago like a mother goose snuggling her goslings close underneath her wings. I stop at this point on the road that meanders through the cemetery and take a look back, for it is one of the most stirring sights in the cemetery. Most people don't see it because you have to look back while riding along the road and most people just see what's in front of them. Hmm, there's a lesson here I will need to mull over for a while to understand it's true meaning.

Some real pretty magnolia blooms can now be seen on the roads surrounding River Region Medical Center. And don't forget the mighty magnolia trees that grace the lawn of the Old Court House Museum. Even if you don't have a camera, venture by there soon and take a mental picture of those gorgeous blooms and setting for use in bringing a smile to your face for many years to come!

Sunset at Fort Hill

While most folks like to settle in and watch a little TV around 7 each night, I get itchy to go find a nice place to watch the sun set. That took me to Fort Hill last week for this spectacular sunset. I love the solitude offered by Fort Hill and the opportunity to practice my, "I'm the King of the World!" line while there.

Random shots

Here are some random shots I have taken over the last couple of weeks.

• The little white church is up near Eagle Lake right before you get on the levee heading to Lake Chotard. I love the windows.

• My friend, Janie, over at http://southernlagniappe.blogspot.com loves to take photos of cows she sees every once in a while and I took this photo for her. They were on the levee near Steele Bayou.

• The Dixon's sign is on the side of a building in Edwards, Miss. It was painted for the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" starring George Clooney. 

• The bell and steeple are at Champion Hill M.B. Church near Bolton. The land was the former homestead for the Champion family. The area is famous for being the location of the Battle of Champion Hill. Lots of events are happening on the 146th anniversary of the battle on Saturday.

Wildlife at Eagle Lake

We have driven up to Eagle Lake a few times in the past couple of weeks and this is some of the wildlife we have encountered. You might want to click on the photos to enlarge them. The alligator at top is one of the big boys. I would estimate him in the 9-10 foot range. He lives in a bayou near Eagle Lake. The deer was on the levee near Eagle Lake. Notice the two nubs where he will soon have spikes. Mama Goose and Daddy Goose did not appreciate me taking photos of their children and skedaddled further into a bayou along the levee near Eagle Lake. I don't know what kind of bird the little fella is in the last photo, but it is beautiful. 

Bryce's Bayou II

Last week I showed you the first photos I took of Bryce's Bayou on a recent jaunt down Campbell Swamp Road in south Warren County. Heck, I couldn't show you all the beauty of that creek in one post, so here are some other shots. The top photo are balls of clay that have been made smooth by the rushing water. It looks like chunks of dirt fell from the bluff overlooking the creek and landed in the creek, where the Lord took over and sculpted some pretty interesting things! What a gorgeous place this is. The water is crystal clear and only the sounds of nature and running water could be heard as I waded down the creek.

A stormy Sunday morning

Louisiana Monument

Graveyard Road

Battery De Golyer

Illinois Memorial

Gen. U.S. Grant

For many, Sunday morning was a pretty dreary time with overcast skies, some light rain and then some heavy rain. Not for me! Just look at many shades of blue the Lord threw into the sky that morning! I was up early and once I saw the clouds I knew I had to go see what I could find. Naturally, I ended up in the biggest art museum in the Southeast United States — the Vicksburg National Military Park. The sun broke through for just a little while and the Lord blessed me by letting me be near Graveyard Road when that occurred and the result is the second photo. I just love the sunbeams shooting down through the clouds. It only lasted for a moment, but I was once again overwhelmed by the beauty of this great world of ours and this small portion of it we call home.

Sunset at the bridges

My wife, Karen, and I were lucky enough to be out and about in Vicksburg Friday afternoon and we took time to watch this spectacular sunset go down behind the bridges over the Mississippi River. What beauty! Again, this is another example of God's Glory. The one thing that you cannot see in these photos are the purple martins who filled the air swooping in and out and all about. Have you been to the overlook lately and viewed the majestic Mississippi River? Don't take it for granted. It will bless your heart to take it all in at least every once in a while!

Alligators at Lake St. Joseph

One of my favorite lakes to photograph is Lake St. Joseph in Newellton, La. I meandered there in the last few days and found some old friends waiting for me. These alligators were spotted in front of Winter Quarters, a historic home located on the bank of the picturesque lake. I've spotted alligators there each time I have ever visited. Alligators are usually shy creatures, not wanting to appear in many of my photos. But the fella at top had not a care in the world and let me shoot photos of him to my heart was content. Now that is the way to relax!