Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A Year in Pictures


As we begin to count down the days of 2013, I'd like to share a little of the lagniappe I captured in pictures this year. Along with the pictures, I captured some lovely memories of where and when I took the pictures, so I was doubly blessed. 

 Let's begin with last JANUARY ...

A Yuletide Sasanqua peeping out at me from behind its leaves ...
Japanese Magnolia Buds reaching for the sun ...
And a close up of a magnificent old Japanese Magnolia tree in Vicksburg.

Moving on to FEBRUARY ...

I fondly remember the day I used my zoom lens to capture this cardinal
in a cedar tree several hundred yards away in the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Isn't he glorious!
And, on the same day, these dried grasses caught my attention along
one of the roads winding through the Vicksburg National Military Park.
I love the contrast between the dark green cedar branches,
the bright red cardinal, and the dried grasses.

MARCH brought its own lagniappe, in the form of Irises
at the Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg ...

Wisteria to the Natchez Trace ...
And the American Queen to the Vicksburg Waterfront.

It seems as if it was just last month when I captured the next picture of a tree tunnel created by twisted old oak trees in rural Hinds County, but it was actually in APRIL. It is one of my favorites of the pictures I made this year.

April also took me to one of my favorite places to photograph -- Mynelle Gardens in Jackson.  I was there on April 12th, and was just in time to capture the gardens at their prettiest!

I'm pleased to say that several of my photographs were included in Our South magazine's feature article on Mynelle Gardens ...

MAY graced us with happy little Daisies ...

And regal Magnolias.
Gardening with our granddaughter ...
And delighting in our grandson ...

Time marches on ... faster and faster these days ... and before I knew it, half the year had passed me by.   The month of JUNE found me rambling around country roads in pursuit of the "Queen of the Wildflowers," the elegant Queen Anne's Lace ...
  
While searching for Queen Anne's Lace, I found some
colorful lagniappe in the form of these pretty "ditch lilies."
What an "inelegant" name for such an elegant little flower!

The highlight of the month of JULY, was having the pleasure of our grandson Maddox's company for a weekend.  It just doesn't get much better than watching a little one enjoying the simple pleasures of life, like playing with a water hose and delighting in his first popsicle ...
What a joy this little boy is!

In AUGUST, my husband and I took a short trip to South Louisiana, where we found ...

Alligators
And Frogs ...
"Work of Art" Bridges ...
Magnificent old oaks ...
Sugar Cane 
And Bamboo!

SEPTEMBER found me rambling along country roads again, this time capturing a few pictures that were "there for the taking." 


Here are just a few of the treasures I found "amongst the fence rows" along the way ...


It was also in September that I visited a cotton patch that was in full bloom!

A month later, in OCTOBER, I returned to that cotton field and this is the way it looked then ...

Cotton is so much fun to photograph because each and every boll is different.

Next comes NOVEMBER ... and late blooming roses.
I captured these around the first of November.

In stark contrast to the soft, pastel roses, November also turned the leaves on our Japanese Maple tree bright crimson.

Doesn't God have a glorious palette for the different seasons!

And that brings us to DECEMBER, when all is "merry and bright," and God's glory and love surround us.


May your last days of December be Merry and Bright ... and may they bring back many happy memories for you as we reflect upon the passage of this year.  I'm so thankful for being able to forever capture a part of my year in the pictures I've shared today.  Seeing them again brought back fond recollections of many happy hours and "How Great Thou Art moments" spent in the midst of God's Amazing Grace and Glory.

6 comments:

The Quintessential Magpie said...

How absolutely gorgeous, Janie! I love them ALL. They take your breath away, and that scarlet cardinal! Have you ever seen one that red? He is phenomenal.

I have a little something on my blog I want you to check because with those cuties you might want to do something similar. It is a table setting that can go into the winter.

Merry Christmas, my friend!

xo

Sheila

One Shabby Old House said...

What a beautiful year you have had. Beautiful photos. I don't think I ever knew how beautiful a cotton plant was until I saw your pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Becky

Stacey said...

Your photos are so beautiful. You have amazing talent.

RachelD said...

Absolutely magnificent, from bird to baby, flowers and fields to the magical possibilities of an open road.

I still marvel that you must have stood in "my yard" to take the cotton field photo---the angle, the field, the so familiar stand of woods swaying around like open arms.

But you KNOW my heart-favorite will always be those shining tracks, stretching out forever in welcome to my small scuffed brown shoes, and the infinite maybes of the quest. I can feel the sun and smell the creosote and ashes, and feel the slippery rail beneath my clutching toes, as I walk. And walk.

love and thanks for this,

rachel

C M Designs said...

I remember seeing your pictures in your "year in review". I ALWAYS like to travel with you to see the sights you take pictures of.
I'm sure we will be amazed and delighted while viewing the photos you share in 2014.
Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy new year, Janie and family.
Blessings,
Charlotte in Virginia

Pat said...

Hello Janie,

So many lovely photos and a beautiful testimony to a blessed 2013. Your grandchildren are completely adorable and I know they make your heart sing.

I am always inspired seeing your beautiful photography.

Looking forward to the photos of 2014.

Pat in Tallahassee