The Big Red Barn is Gone with the Wind

The Mississippi Delta lost one of its treasured landmarks Friday night.

The recent high winds and storms that rolled through the Delta took their toll on the 93-year-old Red Barn at Rolling Fork, Mississippi, causing its buckling walls and already weakened roof to finally give way.

The old barn collapsed in on itself, creating a pile of rubble resting against the twin silos which are still standing proud above the flat Delta fields.

Here are a couple of pictures of the barn which I took a couple of years ago ...

I hated to hear about the loss of the old barn, and felt compelled to go see it for one last time. My husband and I drove up to Rolling Fork yesterday, and I would like to share some of the pictures I captured of what, I am sure, is the final chapter in the barn's history. I don't see how it could possibly be restored.

The shattered rafters and beams reminded me of an abstract sculpture ...

And this broken support reminded me of a cross ...

The Red Barn, built in 1918, was part of a 33-acre land purchase by the U.S. Department of Defense a year ago, and was overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District. The Department of Defense had planned to build a 3,800-square-foot interpretive center on the land, but the federal government’s $40 million cut in non-defense discretionary programs over a week ago suspended the project indefinitely. The project was to include a $6 million interpretive and educational center focusing on wildlife and the environment.

According to a Corps spokesman, "the Army Corps of Engineers does not have any congressional authority to do anything with the building, including repairs and maintenance."

The Delta isn't going to be the same without that awesome old landmark ... but, thanks to photographers like Marty Kittrell and Robert Walker of Vicksburg, its beauty and glory will be forever captured and memorialized in photographs. To see Marty's and Robert's pictures of the barn (including inside shots, too), you can visit their websites at Marty Kittrell Photography, and Grits Photography.

Rest in peace, old friend.

Lagniappe Pictures

I'd like to share a few "odds and ends" pictures I've taken on various photo shoots. Most of these are photos of things that just happened to catch my eye, but weren't necessarily related to the subject of the photo shoot. For instance, I captured this picture of Ameristar Casino at Vicksburg while I was taking pictures of the sunset that day.

This old water tower is no longer standing. It has been replaced with a new bright and shiny blue tower. I've discovered that sometimes "befores" are better than "afters," especially from a photographer's point of view.

The simple beauty of a steeple of a little country church always catches my attention. I found this one in Nitta Yuma, Mississippi, which is located in the Mississippi Delta. The bell came from Nitta Yuma Plantation.

You've got to admire the tenacity of this little clump of Henbit, growing between the bricks of a wall in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg.

I love the door of this little country church. I converted my original picture to black and white and didn't keep the original photo file. I'd like to go back someday and capture it in color.

Lichen growing on an old fence ...

I found this old urn at a cemetery off the Natchez Trace, between Natchez and Vicksburg ...

A tunnel in Vicksburg ...

I always enjoy revisiting places through my pictures and recalling how, when, and where I captured them. I've found that sometimes the "lagniappe pictures" are even better than the ones I set out to capture.

The Colors of Indian Summer

I had to go to Jackson yesterday, and while driving the Natchez Trace on my way back to Vicksburg, I noticed that there had definitely been some changes in the trees and roadside foliage while we were on vacation in Georgia last week. I had my cameras with me (I don't usually leave home without them these days), and decided to detour onto old Highway 80 between Bolton and Edwards, Mississippi, to get a closer look at the leaves and trees. I call this time of year "Indian Summer," because although there is a hint of fall in the air, our days are still hot and humid. I think my detour was worthwhile, because I was able to capture several trees and vines with some of their leaves turning red and gold amongst the green. [You can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like] On another "detour," I found some goldenrod blooming in a field inside a split-rail fence. I've been trying to find some blooming close to a road, but I was able to walk up to the fence to capture these pictures with my telephoto lens ... While standing at the fence, I noticed this little clump of goldenrod at my feet, and was delighted to have an opportunity to try out my new macro lens. I got the macro lens a couple of days before our vacation and haven't had much time to use it, but I was pleasantly surprised by these closeups of the goldenrod. I'm going to keep looking for more easily accessible goldenrod plants, and hope to get better pictures. Fortunately, I'm not allergic to it! Although it's a little early for us to have brilliantly colored fall foliage here in Mississippi, I hope you enjoyed seeing the colors of our "Indian Summer."