If you're from the South, you probably grew up hearing the expression, "Walking in high cotton," which, loosely translated, means, "the best of times," or, "it just doesn't get any better than this." Well, last Friday, I was literally walking in waist-high cotton, and spent a fun half hour capturing closeup pictures of cotton bolls (I know — it doesn't take much to make me happy, especially when I have my camera with me).
Cotton is one of my favorite subjects to photograph, and I have written several posts featuring it. My favorite is this one of our granddaughter Avery Grace exploring a cotton patch last year (you can click on the link to read it, if you'd like).
Green cotton bolls
After a while, the cotton gets so fluffy that it overruns the boll, like suds overflowing a sink ...
I hope the next time someone asks you how you are, you can tell them that you are "walkin' in high cotton," because it doesn't get any better than that, folks. Just ask Avery!
7 comments:
Ohhh weee, I can remember walking through Grandaddy's cotton fields but it wasn't fun for me, we had to pick it and it could give you some nasty cuts. It has been years since I got that close to a cotton patch...lol..guess I was afraid it would reach out and grab me. Our fields literally came up to the sides of the house.
That was along time ago. MEMORIES
you got some great shots and Avery looks like she is having fun.
Molly
When I see cotton, I think of my Popaw. He was a sharecropper. I have heard many a story about when they would work the fields and pick the cotton. How I miss that old man.....
Those scenes still bring a pang to go walk amongst the prickery bolls, to grab great handfuls, to cut enough for that BIG brass vase on the hearth, to simply revel in the days of such plenty and such eye-searing WHITE.
I love your photo essays---especially since they are all so familiar and so memorable.
Girl, you Do beat ALL!
"I wish I was in the Land of Cotton,
Old times there are not forgotten. Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land....
And when those cotton bolls get rotten,
you can pick very much cotton,
In those Old Cotton Fields back home.
It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana, In those old cotton field back home.....
I know I left out some of the words,and got the order all wrong, too. But, I have not thought of that song in years! Thanks for bringing that memory to mind. And, be thankful you only had to read the words and not hear me sing them as I wrote! :)
Aww...What a cute little "Southern Belle" Amongst the cotton bolls!
Thanks for the "study in cotton". I have heard my Mamaw and Papaw talk about pickin'cotton way too many times to count. Now I finally know what it must have looked like...
Oh and I thought about this Southernism -- "Wait just a cotton - pickin' minute!"
;-)
Janie, these are fabulous!
I have some bad news. The unthinkable happened! Back Porch Musings has disappeared. Happened between noon and one, yesterday. I've moved over to Typepad and started a little blog so I would have an address to pass around.
Hope to see you there!
I plan to upgrade and improve the looks. Just thought this would do as temp until I can get things up and going again. I think the blogger blog is gone for good.
http://backporchmusings.typepad.com
My family never picked cotton but did work the tobacco fields. We raised our share of tobacco with our 3 daughters beside us learning the value of a college education. Today foreign markets and the ability to find field help drove prices down but, I don't miss it.
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