The Big Red Barn

I took a loop up through Rolling Fork this past weekend and I can't go through there without stopping and updating my photos of the Big Red Barn. These itty-bitty photos don't do justice to this big, big barn, however. It is quite an impressive structure. I have read about the history of this place and it must have been an even more impressive sight in its heyday. The landscape has also changed since I shot it a couple of years ago. The corral and fence that ran along the highway is gone, replaced by soybeans planted right up to the barn. I love the old gas pump out in the field near the barn and wonder how many families lived in the small home that is located on the farmplace. I am surprised that the silos are still standing. They make a person feel mighty small when you stand between them.

I hope this place can be preserved. It is such an important part of Rolling Fork's heritage.

Bees and mystery blooms

One of my favorite places to work on my macrophotography is at the butterfly garden located next to the Audubon store on Washington Street in downtown Vicksburg. One of the biggest plants in the garden is the plant that produces this neat looking bloom. Will someone please tell me what it is? All I know is that bumblebees love the thing! They literally swarm the bush during this time of year. The bees just leave me alone. They're too busy packing their back legs with the yellow stuff to pay me any mind. I would be better at macrophotography if the dang bees would stay still for more than 2 seconds!

Sunset at the bridges

To carry on with the theme from yesterday, this is the sunset of June 1. It shows the first photo I took and follows the progression of the sunset. A film crew from Dollarhide Film Inc. from the Jackson area was at the overlook filming this sunset for use in videos for the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. They hit the jackpot on this day. I enjoyed watching the folks do the video recording. It was neat to see them set up for each shot and observe the angles from which they shot. I can't wait to see the finished products. They were in town for a couple of days at the end of May filming from a helicopter. That had to have been a neat experience. I'd like to try it myself. Anybody got a helicopter?

Sunset in Vicksburg

There is no better way to spend the end of a day that reveling in God's Glory through watching a beautiful sunset. We are blessed with a wonderful one each day along the Mississippi River. These were taken from the railroad tracks above Golding Barge's new headquarters, which is on the river right past DiamondJacks Casino. They have a birdhouse erected next to the river and it was swarming with purple martins. Then out of the blue, two geese appeared and settled on the bank right near the birdhouse. They flew off into the sunset a few minutes later and that is the photo you see in the sequence. Photos just don't do the sunset justice, however, and I consider myself blessed to have seen it in person.

Sunset at Eagle Lake

My family and I really enjoy riding up to Eagle Lake and seeing the sun set. Here is a recent one taken at the public boat launch and from along Eagle Lake Shore Road. It shows God Glory at its finest, don't you think?

Flowers of the Old Court House Museum

The grounds of the Old Court House Museum are absolutely spectacular with all the foliage and flowers. It is certainly something every citizen of Vicksburg should take pride in and not take for granted. So what are you doing this weekend? How about a visit to the Old Court House Museum?

Old Court House Museum

I had a wonderful time the other weekend shooting photos at the Old Court House Museum in the early morning light. I made it a challenge by just shooting with a wide-angle lens. This is such a beautiful building and has more character on its front porch than some entire homes have. With the dogwood trees, magnolia trees and gingko trees upon its grounds, it's fun to shoot photos here at many different times of the year. The last photo is the entrance to an underground chamber that has seen many uses over the years. One of the hidden treasures of the museum, however, is the beautiful flowers that adorn its exterior. And pretty much each plant has a story, too. I'll show you some photos I shot of the flowers at the museum tomorrow. Y'all come back now, you hear!

The studio of Hobbs Freeman

One of the neatest places I have been in during the past few years has been the studio of Hobbs Freeman down Campbell Swamp way in south Warren County. The beautiful studio is chockful of wonderful stuff that I could look at and plunder through for hours. The four photos here are just a sampling of the many treasures Hobbs has collected over the years. He has made some beautiful pieces of art himself. The photos were taken with available lighting and hand-held, but I think they came out wonderfully. Hobbs is sick now and my prayers go out to him.

The Garden on Grove Street

There are few photo opportunities in Vicksburg that make me stop and say, "Wow!" That's what I did with the photo above. It's a home on Grove Street right across the street from St. Aloysius High School. In its front yard is the most efficient use of ground that I have ever seen. An entire garden is planted in the front of this house, including some mighty tall corn. I took this photo right after sunrise a couple of Saturdays ago, so no one was around to ask about the garden. It's a sight to see. And there is going to be some mighty fine eating coming from this little patch of ground.

Mill D

The dismantling of Anderson-Tully's Mill D at the railyard in downtown Vicksburg is nearly complete. Tearing down the front part of the mill has exposed what looks like the original building that existed on the site, an old brick building that I can only guess at its age. You could always see portions of the building when the mill was active, but it is a pretty impressive building now that all the infrastructure around it has been cleared away. It has some beautiful brickwork. It will be sad to see this portion of the mill come down; the birds who have made the holes in the brick walls will have to find new places to dwell. Click on any of the photos to see the detail in the brickwork.