White Pelicans on the Pond
What a treat! A flock of about twenty White Pelicans paid a visit to our little pond behind the house earlier this week. These pelicans winter in SW Florida and…
The Warrior Motel
How do you know? Along life’s journey, how do you know? Do you take the right fork on the road ahead or the left? And what lies just beyond that…
Gettin’ the Blues at the Poor Monkey Lounge Ain’t Easy
You see, just finding the Poor Monkey Lounge isn't easy. I asked directions from an older gentleman wearing bib overalls and a straw hat as he walked down the shady side of First Street in tiny (pop 428), downtown Merigold, MS. "You ain't from around here are you," he responded, with a squint and just a bit of disdain. His face brightened slightly as he proceeded to give me directions. I got lost anyway.
Fishing in Bayou Country
As the saying goes, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day working." And these guys are making the best of a late summer's day of fishing deep…
Shrimp Boat Reflections
Sometimes life at the water's edge is like living in a mirror. As clouds flow across the sky they drift along the still waters below, perfectly choreographed, celebrating the day.…
Frames Within Frames
Frames within frames at a small Japanese Tea House located on Avery Island at the very bottom of Louisana. Avery Island is the home of the tabasco chili pepper, the…
Mrs. Johnson and the Praise House
For the better part of the next hour, Mrs. Johnson tells us her story - she recently moved back to St Helena from New Jersey - and the history of this praise house. This area was once a part of the Mary Jenkins Plantation. Thus, we are standing in the Mary Jenkins Community Praise House. Prior to the Civil War, slaves who were living on plantations were often allowed to build small structures for worship known as praise houses. After Emancipation, former slaves who remained in the area would build more substantial praise houses. This one was built in 1900. Mrs. Johnson tells us that the community is dwindling and services are no longer held on a regular basis. But her eyes brighten and a smile crosses her face as she tells us that the services they do have are lively affairs with much hymn singing and praising, and ending with a shout. A shout was a tradition practiced by African slaves where the worshipers move in a circle as they chant, clap their hands, and shuffle and stomp their feet.
Southern Sunrise
A recent sunrise I couldn't resist. Looking onto the property adjacent to mine through ancient live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss just as the last of the morning's mist rises…