Nothing grand or fancy,
Not even a bright blue sky.
Just simple things I passed,
That happened to catch my eye.
Like Ivy and Geraniums ...
And Mockingbirds at rest ...
Pretty Purple Crapes,
Atop a downtown crest.
I love these bright Blue Flowers,
Whose name I do not know.
And these yellow Lilies ...
that beckoned me to slow.
Although I didn't find Magnolias, I really didn't mind,
Because I found sweet lagniappe ... of the very best kind.
May your weekend be filled with lagniappe as sweet!
I will never cease to be inspired and awestruck by God's exquisite handiwork, as evidenced in Nature. And I'm so thankful He blessed me with an interest in photography at this stage of my life, because without it, I would have missed seeing so much!
For instance, this Golden Raintree, which I featured in a post last May when it was in full bloom ...
If you would like to read that post and see some close-up pictures of that beautiful tree, you can click on the following link: The Glorious Golden Raintree.
I recently saw a smaller tree and noticed that it was loaded with seed pods ...
Here are some close up views of the heart-shaped pods which hang in clusters on the ends of the branches ...
I'm always curious about what is inside the seed pods of plants, so I broke off a couple of stems with pods and brought them home. Here is what I found:
I plan to plant the seeds on our land in hopes that someday we will have a little Golden Raintree to remind me of the ones in Vicksburg.
And speaking of seeds, my husband recently noticed seed pods on the Japanese Maple tree in our courtyard.
I took the following pictures after a rain shower ...
Aren't they beautiful! ... and so delicate looking. They are just beginning to form, and I'm looking forward to watching them evolve.
God's handiwork is on display everywhere in this wonderful world of ours, and I hope this has inspired you to take a closer look at the beauty of Nature surrounding you. I promise your day will be better for it.
To every thing there is a season, and yesterday I discovered that this ISN'T the season for Magnolias to bloom, at least not in Vicksburg. I drove through the Vicksburg National Military Park and Cemetery, and over half of Vicksburg, searching for Magnolia blossoms to capture with my camera, and didn't find one blossom!
I quickly discovered that the trees are loaded with seed pods now, and my quest to find the perfect blossom will have to be postponed for a while.
I did manage to capture some pictures of the pods, though, which, I think, have a beauty all their own (you can click on the pictures to get a closer look, if you'd like).
The cloudy skies made a rather stark background for my pictures, but I like the contrast, especially in this shot with the street lamp in the background.
While I was out, I captured a few lagniappe pictures which I will share next time, but the best lagniappe was waiting for me, of all places ... at home! This is what I saw when I turned into our driveway: Yes, those are blossoms on one of our Little Gem Magnolia trees. The only problem is that they are at the very top of the tree, and there's no way I could get a good shot of them.
I guess I'm going to have to "stake out" my Little Gems and be ready to capture the first blossom within camera range. To be continued ... again! |
They're called the "Dog Days of Summer," and there's no doubt that they have arrived here in Mississippi.
Webster defines "Dog Days" as "the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs" — and also as "a period of stagnation or inactivity."
I can especially relate to the latter definition, because I find myself very "inactive," especially when it comes to being inspired to get out and take pictures. I have been wanting to capture some Magnolia blossoms with my camera for weeks now, but, so far, I haven't been able to muster the energy and adrenaline to make myself venture out into the oppressive heat to do it.
But today, with an 80 percent chance of rain in the forecast for Vicksburg, I think I will take advantage of the cloudy skies and go out in search of "the perfect Magnolia bloom." I know it's "out there somewhere," in all its glory, waiting for me, and I can't wait to go find it!
To be continued ...
All of the following pictures were originally in color, but sometimes I think black and white is even more interesting.
I like the idea of using black and white photographs in decorating. To me, they provide an uncluttered less is more look, which I prefer.
This picture of our granddaughter Avery Grace has inspired me to convert more of my pictures of her to black and white, and perhaps put together a grouping of framed photographs of her.
If you have a photo editing program, you might enjoy converting some of your photographs to black and white. I think you will be surprised by the totally different look it gives them. Sepia tones are also nice.
