October Snow

I had errands and appointments in Jackson three days last week, and, while driving East on I-20 between Vicksburg and Jackson, had to pass by acres and acres of cotton fields that looked as if they had been dusted with a blanket of snow.  I could hear those fields calling my name and was frustrated by not having time to stop and capture them with my camera. 

I planned to go back Saturday morning, but was afraid the cotton pickers would get there before I did. Saturday morning dawned overcast, with a heavy fog, and I knew it was my lucky day —the cotton pickers wouldn't be there until the fog lifted and the cotton had a chance to dry out.

I, not so patiently, waited for the fog to lift and was rewarded with a brilliant October blue sky as a background for my photo shoot.  I love it when a plan comes together, don't you!

This field is the same one I featured in a post a couple of weeks ago [The Joys of a Cotton Patch], but it was mostly green then, with a few white tufts of cotton scattered amongst the rows ...

I know the cotton farmer's heart races a little faster every time he checks these beautiful fields ... and where I see beauty, I'm sure he sees dollar signs.

There's just something about a cotton field that inspires my southern pride and makes me glad that I grew up in the "land of cotton."

   

The cotton bolls were, literally, overflowing, and some looked as if they were the size of baseballs.

Here's that October blue sky I mentioned earlier ...

Isn't it glorious!

And speaking of glorious ... I've photographed dew on roses and pansies and other flowers, but I had never seen dew on cotton!

Is that not awesome!

There should be a country song called, "When the Dew is on the Cotton, I'll be Comin' Home to You."

This next picture is one of my favorites ... I love the contrast between the soft, pristine white cotton and the rustic texture of the leaves and boll.

I was in my glory as I wandered the rows of that cotton field.  What better way to spend a Saturday morning than in the midst of God's glory under an October blue sky ... and to be able to capture it and its memory forever in pictures was a special blessing.

Reflections

Sometimes the reflection of something in water is more beautiful than the thing itself.

I think that is true of these yellow Irises I captured with my camera at Mynelle Gardens in Jackson, Mississippi ...

The blue reflected in the water is the sky.

These pictures remind me of Claude Monet's "Yellow Irises" painting ...

If you would like to see more pictures of Mynelle Gardens and read about my visit there, you can click on this link — Mynelle's Garden

A Ride through Belhaven

I recently had some time to kill before an appointment in Jackson, Mississippi, and rode through one of my favorite neighborhoods in Jackson -- Belhaven. Centered around Belhaven College, the houses in Belhaven range from large colonials to charming little to cottages that stand out because of their uniqueness.

The most famous house in Belhaven is the home where Mississippi's beloved Eudora Welty lived for over 76 years of her life.

Miss Welty wrote stories about the South, and her book, The Optimist's Daughter, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Her house is a National Historic Landmark and open to the public as a museum.

Here's another impressive house that caught my eye ...

But as I drove through the charming streets of Belhaven, I found myself drawn to some of the more, shall we say "unique" houses and "yardscapes."

This boldly painted little cottage is my favorite ...

Just look at that sweet little table and chairs. It looks as if they are expecting company for a tea party at any moment.

And I love the imagination and ingenuity that went into the creation of this fence made of sticks ...

Down the street and around the corner, I found this pretty little cottage, and did a double take when I saw the "yard art" displayed in the front yard. I would love to know the story behind that "fish lady."

The pretty red door and shutters on this little house caught my attention at first glance ...

And then I noticed its yard art, and slowed down for a closer look.

I love cobalt garden accessories, and this "yardscape" called for a closer look, too.

And here's the unusual, but pretty, house it belongs to ...

And speaking of cobalt, everything on the porch of this house was cobalt blue, including the metal chairs, blue swing, cobalt planters, and a bottle tree with cobalt bottles. I thought it was interesting that the shutters and steps were painted purple.

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of this charming area of Jackson. I plan to go back again soon when I have more time to explore it.

A "Birdhouse Garden"

Last week I had some errands to run in Jackson, which is about an hour's drive from where I live in Vicksburg. I was taking a shortcut through one of the oldest and prettiest neighborhoods in Jackson, when I happened to get a glimpse of a white picket fence in front of a house on one of the side streets. It looked so pretty, and I couldn't resist turning around and going back for a closer view.

When I turned into the side street, I couldn't believe my eyes ... for there sat the sweetest little cottage-style house, with a white picket fence and the most glorious flower garden I think I've ever seen. But, as picturesque as all that was ... what literally took my breath away were the charming little BIRDHOUSES tucked in and amongst the flowerbeds bordering the fence, both on the outside and inside. There must have been close to a hundred of them!

I pulled over and sat in my car for a minute, just taking it all in. I noticed a lady working in the yard, so I got out and walked over to her and asked if she would mind if I took some pictures.

I wouldn't have blamed her if she had said no, because I was babbling away about how gorgeous everything was and "gushing" over all those birdhouses. But she was very gracious and introduced herself, and said I was welcome to take pictures. After gushing and babbling some more, I went to my car and got my cameras and spent the next 15 minutes "in my glory," taking pictures and visiting with "Miss Susie."

She was as lovely and gracious as she looks in her picture, and made me feel like I had been invited to visit her beautiful gardens. Miss Susie told me they built the picket fence about 16 years ago and called it "the playpen," because that's where their grandchildren played when they were little. She has been collecting birdhouses for about 15 years, and the majority of them were custom built by a friend. And what an amazing collection it is! It should be featured in Southern Living magazine, or in Mississippi Magazine.

Here are my photos taken from the street side of the fence. I hope you will click on the pictures to enlarge them. The birdhouses are truly works of art and Susie's cottage flower gardens are a perfect "gallery" for them (you can see close ups of them in the slideshow at the bottom of this post).

This cute little "Tin Man" stands beside
the arbor and greets guests as they arrive.

These little turtle stepping stones lead you through the arbor to inside the fence ...

I love this sweet little ceramic sign that welcomes you as you enter the front yard. There's a lot of truth in its message, too ...

Here are a few of the flowerbeds and birdhouses nestled along the inside of the fence:

I love the cobalt blue planters sitting in the flower bed.

And there's a blue gazing ball in the back of the flowerbed by the fence (I'm in the process of looking for one, but haven't found exactly what I want yet) ...

The little statue hiding in the ferns is Saint Fiacre, the Patron Saint of Gardeners (if you would like to read more about him, click here) ...

Everywhere I looked there were pictures to be taken, but I didn't want to impose on my hostess. She told me that her flowers and birdhouses make her happy, and I could certainly feel her sweet and gracious spirit reflected in them.

My visit with her, brief though it was, will always be a fond memory for me.

I created a slideshow featuring close up views of some of the birdhouses, and hope you enjoy "touring" them as much as I did (don't forget to turn your sound up if you'd like to hear the music).