Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Country Roads Part 2: A Place called Flora

This is a continuation of my photo shoot adventures featuring pictures I captured along some of my favorite Mississippi country roads, primarily MS Hwy. 22, and a few less traveled roads leading off of it. If you would like to read Part 1, you can click here: Country Roads Adventure: Part 1.

After stopping to capture pictures of the moss-covered trees featured in Part 1, I decided to follow MS Hwy. 22 on into the little town of Flora, Mississippi.

As I drove around town, several things caught my eye. Like the new water tower standing boldly above the treetops ...

Water towers are one of the first things you see when you approach a town, regardless of its size, and I've noticed that a lot of the old towers are being replaced with new ones. I can understand the need for progress, but it makes me kind of sad to see the old towers fading into the background ... especially when they have a lot more "character" than the new ones, like this old tower in Flora.

At the end of Main Street, sits the Flora Depot, which is now a museum.

As I was taking the picture of the depot, I heard the sound of a train in the distance and hurried over to the tracks beside the depot. It was exciting to capture the engine up close (with my zoom lens) as the train rushed past ...

Just around the corner from the depot is the beautiful First Baptist Church of Flora ...

And a couple of blocks away is the Flora United Methodist Church ...

I love these doors!

I was impressed with this memorial located in the center of town honoring our veterans ...

This is one of my favorite houses in Flora, and I was saddened to see its condition has deteriorated since the last time I saw it.

It looks as if its owner is in the process of restoring it, though, so that's good news.

I did a double take as I passed this Christmas yard art display. It looks like these little guys need some help getting back to the North Pole.

You've gotta' love southern imaginations and ingenuity.





I would be amiss if I didn't mention Flora's "claim to fame." It is home to the Mississippi Petrified Forest, a forest collection of petrified wood which is designated a National Natural Landmark.

I am embarrassed to say that I have never visited the forest, but I will definitely put it on my list of ideas for "Spring Photo Shoots."





I hope you enjoyed my photo tour of Flora. It just goes to show you that no matter how small a town is, you can always find something of interest in it ... especially if you take the time to venture off "Main Street."

In tomorrow's post, I plan to take you not only off Main Street, but off the beaten path in the country, too. I hope you will join me.

4 comments:

RachelD said...

There's just to much, too much overload, in this group of photos. The sights and the street which is wide as a cattle-drive avenue in the West, and the water tower---they replaced ours with a big round one years ago, and last time I was there, the little one with our town name was still struggling to stay upright. I'd always thought all the tiny rotund rockets-on-sticks might all just take off one night, leaving us all bathless.

And the churches---just from our own two, these seem switched, somehow, as our Methodist was a graceful smaller straight-from-a-shire-in-England one and the Baptist, a big, robust square one, much mirroring their own demeanor and musical preferences. And I love the graceful, demure be-ribbon and be-wreathings.

And the HOUSE---I counted fourteen columns, and hope that they continued on around in the back, for a true verandah in the old style. We do hope that someone is taking her in hand, dusting off her petticoats and powdering her face---those always make a lady of that age feel more presentable. I couldn't see the mailbox---when there's only one, there's hope for transformation and renewal.

If there are four or five hung on a house that size, you can only hope for good tenants and kind ways and neat sunny apartments with very high ceilings.

And what could a town named Flora be BUT beautiful?

nanny said...

What a great little town. I can imagine a movie being shot there.
I love your pictures, the train is great and the churches so pretty.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Janie, I love the verde gris color on the little points on the steeple and also on what looks like a stack next to the doors of the Baptist church. And I'm with you on the Methodist doors... they are beautiful. Love the colors of the train cars, too. Great shots there.

I shudder to think what the upkeep of that house must be with all of that detail on the Corinthian columns. No wonder people painted things white. Much eaiser to keep up!

And I love Santa's airplane. LOL! SO cute.

You definitely need to tour the Petrified Forest. That's a must do.

XO,

Sheila :-)

Deb said...

Flora looks like my kind of town...I love the old water towers also....such character....