Lagniappe on the Trace

I drove to Jackson yesterday to do some Christmas shopping, and took my cameras along to capture a particular picture on the Natchez Trace, that's been beckoning to me for over a week. The Trace serves as a bypass around Jackson, from Interstate 20 at Clinton, Mississippi, to Interstate 55 North at Ridgeland. I never fail to breathe a sigh of relief when I leave the fast pace of the interstate and look forward to a relaxing and picturesque drive through the countryside surrounding the Trace. About halfway between Clinton and Ridgeland, there is a huge old oak tree that is always a glorious sight, whatever the season. Here is a picture I captured last summer ... This past weekend, we passed the tree on our way to Jackson, and I told my husband that I needed to come back with my cameras and capture it in its Fall glory, before its leaves fell. Unfortunately, I was a day late. This is the way it looked yesterday morning, shrouded in the early morning fog ... Isn't it interesting how the leaves at the top of the tree fall first! I look forward to preserving the tree in pictures again this winter, after all its leaves have fallen. The silhouette of its trunk and limbs should be striking against the winter palette in the background. If you live near the Natchez Trace, I hope you will take the time to explore its natural beauty. I promise you will always find a little lagniappe and serendipity along the way.