Winter's Grace

The new year roared in like a lion, bringing extremely cold record-breaking temperatures to most of the country, including the Deep South. Here in Vicksburg, the bitter cold quickly took its toll on our plants and winter landscapes, creating, to all appearances, a drab, dreary, and colorless palette. However, from my experience as a photographer, I knew appearances can be deceiving, and the winter palette was far from "drab." The first mild day that came along loudly beckoned to me, as if challenging me to come out of hibernation and capture the essence of God's winter grace. So even though the day was cloudy and the temperature was in the mid-fifties, it seemed almost balmy (compared to the low teens of the previous two days), as I set out with my cameras and headed to one of my favorite places ... the Vicksburg National Military Park. No matter how many photo shoots I do in the park, I never fail to find beauty, serenity, and inspiration there ... and I wasn't disappointed on my most recent visit. I chose to share a few of the pictures I captured that day in a brief slideshow presentation, with the stirring strains of the "John Dunbar Theme" from the movie, "Dances with Wolves," playing in the background.  I hope you enjoy the pictures and will be able to imagine the rustling of the magnolias leaves, the sound of the water rushing over the rocks of Mint Springs, the crunch of the winter grass under my feet as I knelt to get a close up shot of the sage grass, and the awe I felt being in the midst of God's amazing "winter grace." [Don't forget to turn the volume up on your computer before you click on "Play," if you'd like to hear the music.]