All Things Bright and Beautiful

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all. He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. [From the hymn written by Cecil F. Alexander, 1848] Raindrops Pine Seed Pod Trumpet Vine B Blue Hydrangea Blossom Lotus Blossom Soaking Tiger Balloon Vine Tendrils Wild Georgia Blackberries Swallowtail Mississippi Delta Sunflower Mimosa Blossom Peacock Pink and Red Crape Myrtle Blossoms Dragonfly Orange Flamingos  And last, but not least ... My favorite ginkgo tree in the Vicksburg National Cemetery May your weekend be filled with all things bright and beautiful.

On the Wild Side

All of these pictures were taken at the Jackson, Mississippi Zoological Park. I hope you enjoy the tour.

This little guy looked so sweet and "cuddly" ...

Until he opened his mouth!

This next picture of a Diana Monkey reminds me of a line from an old song that goes, "If I had the wings of an angel, over these prison walls I would fly."

And speaking of flying, remember Dumbo, the flying elephant in the Disney movie?

I think Giraffes are so graceful-looking, to be so tall and gangly ...

Awwww ... such a sweet face!

And while we're on the subject of faces — here's one that only his mama could love!

I interrupted the Leopard's naptime.

Isn't he gorgeous!

My favorite wild animal is the Tiger, and this one was truly magnificent.

Sable Antelope

Gotta love that sweet little "smiley face!"

The Zebra almost faded into the background.

What's for dinner, guys?

If you live near Jackson, I encourage you to visit the zoo and see all these beautiful animals for yourself.

The zoo is celebrating its 91st birthday this year and needs your support and patronage.

Odds and Ends

I have a busy day ahead of me today, so I thought I would just share a few pictures that I have captured while rambling with my camera. These are just random shots of things I saw that caught my eye while on photo shoots.

Sun setting over the Mississippi River at Vicksburg

Rocks in our pond

The Ameristar Casino in Vicksburg, "neonized" with Photoshop

A sparrow patiently waiting his turn

They don't call them the Blue Ridge Mountains for nothing

A touching roadside monument

Rusty old sign

Naptime

You've gotta love southern "yard art"

Rain on the Natchez Trace

Close up of a snapdragon

Tiger at Jackson Zoo

Cows in a pasture (you can click on the picture to enlarge it, if you'd like). Have you ever noticed how they all face the same way?

This was my parents' Betta fish. I took this picture in 2005, and photoshopped the background.

And last, but not least, this was a little pond I passed on a country road.

It was fun "gathering" these pictures for this post, because each one evoked a memory of where and when and why I took them.

I'm looking forward to collecting more "random" shots like these this Spring ... if it ever gets here.