Heart of the Mississippi Delta

My husband and I recently had the pleasure of driving up US Hwy. 61 North, from Vicksburg to Belzoni, Mississippi, which took us straight through the heart of the beautiful Mississippi Delta.  After leaving the hills of Vicksburg, Highway 61 is as about as flat and straight as a road can be, bounded on both sides by hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile Delta farmlands, literally stretching as far as the eye can see.  Hwy. 61 is also known as "the Blues Highway," because legend has it that blues music was born in the cotton fields and "juke joints" of the Mississippi Delta. I love the Delta, because no matter how many times I go, I always find new and interesting things (to me, anyway) to capture with my camera.   Like this single tree standing in the midst of the plowed fields, like an oasis in a desert.  Come August, I can imagine several of the drivers of the big cotton pickers resting in its shade for a quick lunch. The landscape is also dotted with farms, barns, and cabins like the one in the picture below ... silhouetted against the horizon.  Along with the rustic farm cabins, you might also see homes like these ... If I had to choose between the two, I most definitely would choose the second one, which is Mont Helena, a colonial revival style home built atop a ceremonial Indian mound in 1896.  Another familiar and fascinating sight in the Delta, especially this time of year, are the brightly-colored crop duster planes flying low over the newly-plowed fields spraying whatever they spray in preparation for planting (herbicides, insecticides, fertilizer?). I've always admired the daredevil-like skills of the pilots as they swoop down, barely clearing power lines and treetops ...    On the outskirts of Yazoo City, I got a glimpse of a rusty tin roof on an old barn, partially hidden behind the tangled vines of a fence row.  I asked my husband to turn around so I could get a closer look.    I love the contrast between the rusty tin roof and the brilliant blue sky in the background ... And while I'm on the subject of barns ... as we approached the town of Rolling Fork, I was saddened to see the two large silos which are all that remains of one of the Delta's most picturesque and treasured landmarks, affectionately known as the "big red barn at Rolling Fork."   This is the way the barn looked a few years ago ... During the early morning hours of Saturday, April 29, 2011, a strong storm with damaging winds passed through the area, destroying the barn.  Only its twin silos remained standing.  I captured the following pictures the next day ... As we approached Rolling Fork, I told my husband that I needed to get some pictures of the silos so I could complete the final chapter in my collection of pictures of the barn.  That old barn was one of my favorite places to photograph, and it saddened me to see that the silos were the only reminder that it had ever been. As I mentioned at the beginning of this story, we were traveling up Hwy. 61 North from Vicksburg to Belzoni, Mississippi, which is proclaimed "the Catfish Capital of the World."   But that's not why we were visiting the Belzoni area.  We were looking for one of Mississippi's hidden treasures ... a wildlife management area called Sky Lake, which is home to some of the oldest and largest bald cypress trees in the world.    I hope to share my pictures and the story of our tour of Sky Lake soon.

An Allée in the Country

Not too far off Interstate 20 between Edwards and Bolton, Mississippi, lies one of my favorite country roads that winds its way through hundreds of acres of pastures and farm lands in rural Hinds County.  Then, out of the blue, you come upon a section of the road that is lined on both sides with glorious old oak trees, twisted and gnarled by age, but standing proud and creating a glorious canopy over the road for about half a mile. It is truly a sight to behold!

As you drive through the awe-inspiring tree tunnel, it's as if you have entered a peaceful sanctuary (especially during our hot and humid Mississippi summers) ... and every time I drive down that beautiful allée, I can't help but wonder who planted the oaks and when they planted them.

I took the next picture (from the other end of the tunnel) a couple of summers ago ...

I love this metal cross someone nailed to one of the oaks ... it looks as if it's glowing.

I like to imagine that the original allée once led to a grand plantation home which is long gone with the wind ... and, perhaps, much later in time, the descendants of the plantation owner came along and preserved it with a coat of blacktop and the simple curbing.

I enjoyed my drive through the countryside  ... and especially enjoyed spending some time capturing forever in pictures those twisted old oaks as they were on this beautiful April morning ... their twisted black trunks and limbs standing out in sharp contrast to their new spring green leaves.  

Curb Appeal ~ Southern Style

You never know what lagniappe awaits you in small towns across America, especially the small towns of the South.  I love exploring "off the beaten path" Mississippi towns, in hopes of capturing a little of their southern grace and hospitality in pictures, as reflected in the "curb appeal" of the houses there.

Curb appeal is a popular subject these days of the home and garden TV shows, and during my ramblings I have discovered that curb appeal, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Webster's defines "curb appeal" as "the visual attractiveness of a house as seen from the street" ... and I have found that some houses have a way of catching your attention by seeming to welcome you and beckon you to "come sit a spell."

From primitive country cabins ... to charming little cottages ... to the grand antebellum mansions of Natchez and Vicksburg ... I have gathered quite a collection of pictures of houses whose curb appeal  epitomizes what southern hospitality is all about.  

I'd like to share some of those pictures, but first, let's talk a walk through an imaginary neighborhood in  "Small Town, Mississippi," and see some of the lagniappe I've captured along the way.  Like this lovely  Wisteria arbor (and the picket fence and flowers shown in the distance, too) ...

I love gazing balls, and found this one "floating" amongst a rose garden  ...

Cottage gardens always catch my eye ...

And it just doesn't get any better than a cottage garden

with an arbor and collection of birdhouses to welcome guests!

And speaking of "welcoming guests" ... notice the table and chairs set up in the cottage garden of this colorful cottage.  And if you click on the picture, you can see the "twig fence" that encloses the garden.  Talk about "curb appeal!"

A colorful cottage garden graces this cheerful little house in Vicksburg ... 

Bottle trees are a common sight in southern gardens, and come in all shapes, sizes, and styles ...

I found this lovely lady in the center of a courtyard, all decked out in her Easter bonnet (and little else!), waiting to welcome visitors to the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage.

Oh, how I wanted to walk along this beautiful

meandering path and see the rest of that glorious garden.

I couldn't resist stopping to smell the roses growing on this charming picket fence ...

But enough lagniappe!  Let's look at some of the houses I've captured in pictures that, to me, are overflowing with curb appeal -- southern style!

I love this pretty house in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, with its vine-covered arbor and twin Japanese Maple trees welcoming guests ...

Patriotism is alive and well in Port Gibson, Mississippi ... 

I also found this little Victorian in Port Gibson, and was immediately drawn to its beautiful Mexican Petunias, brick sidewalk, and picketed gateway ...

This country cabin in the Louisiana Delta, had a cornfield for a backyard.  The front yard was begging to have its picture taken, and I was happy to accommodate it ...

From country cabins to the more formal facades of the grand houses of Natchez ... I love them all.

This next picture features Myrtle Terrace, ca 1844, Natchez, as seen through its ornate iron gate ... 

Stately Stanton Hall, ca 1857, Natchez

Rosalie, ca 1823, Natchez
I hereby nominate Rosalie as "The Queen of Southern Curb Appeal"
It just doesn't get any better than this, Y'all!


"Faded Grandeur," but this old house still has curb appeal, as far as I'm concerned ...

Although not as grand as the historic houses of Natchez,
this cottage is brimming with southern charm ...


Picket fence, huge Crape Myrtle, Azaleas, and Flag ... this one has it all!

Raymond, Mississippi
Love the white iron fence and elegant gate!

Sweet little porch ... Raymond

Curb Appeal, Canton, Mississippi Style

The Priestly House, ca 1852

Vanity Castle, ca 1896, Canton

I love this pretty almost-hidden red chair beckoning to passersby on a quiet street in Vicksburg.

And these "painted ladies" of Vicksburg are sure to turn heads ...

Two huge magnolia trees welcome visitors to this

lovely southern home in Yazoo City, Mississippi.

And last, but not least, are these two pretty houses I found in Crystal Springs, Mississippi ... 

If you are a southerner, you may live in a house like the ones I've shared here, or perhaps there are houses in your neighborhood that reflect the traditions and culture handed down from generation to generation of southerners who grew up in a kinder, gentler world where picket fences, porch swings and rocking chairs, slamming screen doors, American flags, azaleas, and magnolias were taken for granted ... long before the term "curb appeal" was created.

I think I just described Mayberry, didn't I!