Gumball!

I was in Northpark Mall today, when I passed this Kiosk for gumballs!! I always love it; it is a bright spot of sweet chewy color! So I decided to share it with the world!!! Anyone have a quarter???

Black Rose Theatre

There was something about this photo that reminded me of the Alamo. I think it was the color and the way the lighting played on the building. I of course had to play with it in Photoshop I wanted to play with the color some; I am pleased with how it turned out!!!
The building of course is Black Rose Theatre on Black Street in Brandon, Mississippi. http://www.blackrosetheater.com

The Pursuit of Happiness

Sometimes we go through life just expecting things to go the way we want it to… at least until we face something completely unexpected. It is in those moments that we need the most help we can get, some way to get through to the other side of the obstacle in our path. When you come across an obstacle in life, don’t just dive in and try to swim through it, you never know how swift the current may be, chance are if you walk along the bank, you will find your way… It may take longer, but at least you can keep your head above water.

This is a view of Rosemary Bridge on Rosemary Road in between Florence and Terry. I figured Black and White was fitting; it gives it a little something extra.

Mame!

I took this photo last night at rehearsal for Mame, it is going to be a rather large performance for the Black Rose Theatre, but if we can pull it off it is going to be great. I am rather excited about the play; I am portraying Patrick Dennis (aged 19-29) it happens to be the largest most important role that I have ever taken on… talk about expanding your acting abilities. PLUS!!! Hal and Clif are also in the play, as well as many of my other friends from Who Killed Aunt Caroline!

Performance Dates are: March 06, 2008 - Mar 09, 2008 & March 13, 2008 - Mar 16, 2008.

Looking Out

This photo was taken on the Rankin side of Rosemary Road in Florence, Mississippi. It is the top of one of the highest points in the area, overlooking the Pearl River plain. Winter has taken most of the green out of the normally bright landscape, the field yearns for the warmth of spring… so it can burst with life once more.

From this point you can actually see about seven water towers from towns many miles away, althought not in this photo. It is a spot that begs you to stop and take in the beauty around you.

Shadow

She was my best friend when I was a child, and I remember when she first came into my life… one of the few moments that I remember with vivid clarity. She followed me around like I was her hero, she would even go into the bathroom when I was taking a bath and try to jump in… it was so adorable. Her following me earned her name, Shadow, and for the next five years she was my shadow. She was with me when things were great, and I remember that no matter what happened in my life, she was my constant… my companion, a love I could always count on. I remember the day she left as vividly as the day she came into my life, it happened fast, she got really sick… I remember holding her and telling her how grateful I was that she was in my life, and I remember her whimpering for me to hold her… and I remember her last breath. She was my best friend, but as time passes us by, and memories of her fade I know that she will always be in my heart.

This photo of Shadow was taken sometime around 1996 or 1997, it has stood the ravages of time, and the original has many flaws that appeared over the last decade. When it came into my hands I stored it, and today I decided to try to restore it. I am pleased with the results considering how worn the original is. I love the photo itself, it captures her essence perfectly, she was very playful and sweet, and I do miss her.

Snow!

This is a rare sight in Mississippi, very rare indeed; and I apparently missed most of it by an hour. I’ve only seen snow maybe a dozen times in my entire life and the most I have ever seen was 7 inches on January 1, 2001. So needless to say I was surprised to walk out my front door and see about an inch of snow on the neighbors roof, and on mine and my room-mates car.. I love it!!!

The Mighty Pearl

The Pearl River is a major river in Mississippi, not that anything travels along it, it is not a navigable river by most means, but it is part of our heritage. The river flows from Winston County all the way through the capital Jackson, and down through Terry (where this photo was taken) until east of Picayune where it spits into two before finally meeting the Gulf of Mexico. Sometime in the 1960’s the river just north of Jackson was dammed creating the Ross Barnett Reservoir with it’s famed 105 miles of shoreline created for recreation, and somehow flood control… however the flood control never fully worked. Easter 1979 the upper Pearl river was inundated with water, and it washed over it’s banks, many businesses in down town Jackson were flooded as well as in most cities down river, the reservoir flowed over, and many feared that the huge earthen dam would fail washing everything down stream away, this did not happen, and eventually the river returned to normal… but most who were here do remember the Flood of ’79. The river still maintains it’s flood cycle despite the reservoir, and many new “Flood Control” plans are underway to help illeviate the problem…but with recreation still being the main focus, is it really worth it?

Sunset

Another beautiful sunset! This one was on the way down Highway 49 N. in between Bentonia and Flora, Mississippi. There is something awe inspiring when our little yellow star dips below the horizon…

Ghostly Tour

This image is off Highway 49 North at the North Bentonia Exit. It used to be something of a school, or other important building. It has been abandoned for many years and the roof has collapsed in several areas, it was odd approaching the building through a cow field with a lone flag pole at the center.

Not sure if this was a receptionist desk or what… I liked the colors.

This was another office, the floor has collapsed and there was a nice easy chair in the hole... someone forgot to take everything.

This was an odd bathroom, either the toilets had been removed (I saw no sign of their being there) or it was a science lab with a sink to wash hands.

This photo was taken through a window, it was of one of the areas where the roof had collapsed, the chaos inside is oddly beautiful, gives a new meaning to outdoor classroom.

Blurred Lines

I occasionally find myself staring into the distance, and just thinking, and allowing myself to not focus on anything in my line of sight. Sometimes in that second when I come back, just before my eyes focus, the world makes more sense. Today I went to get my mom, and on the way home the sunset was absolutely beautiful, but I could not get a still shot, the final image left the horizon blurred, but the image itself retains its immense beauty.

Life After Us

One thing that has fascinated me is what would
happen to our infrastructure if it we were to disappear. This has led me to have an insane interest in abandoned buildings and places that people have allowed nature and time to take control… places such as Chernobyl, Ukraine or the Varosha Quarter in Famagusta, Cyprus. It’s really a fascination I can not explain, and it must be one that I share with many people, especially with the book The World Without Us by Alan Weisman or the History Channel Event Life After People: on January 21st. I would love a chance to explore a city abandoned for thirty years or so, basically just to take a few thousand photos and document what I see… I think it would be awesome.

I got a glimpse into what would happen to some of the smaller areas throughout the country today in Bentonia, Mississippi. There is a rather large two story building that is nice from the outside, perhaps a little rundown… not unlike many of the buildings in the city.. .but this one has been neglected to the point that the inside has collapsed, and there are small trees growing inside… the mess is magnificent in a way… makes you wonder….

Jackson, Mississippi

For most of my adult-life I have fought a loosing political battle to make downtown Jackson someplace to be proud of. Historically Jackson was a very beautiful city, the original plans called for every other block to be a park, and for all the streets running a certain way to be named after rivers. Today Jackson is a far cry from what it was meant to be, the downtown financial district is in basic need of revitalization, and our own short sightedness has caused our capital city to be a disappointment. We have no real skyscrapers, nor is there a real demand for them, we have large abandoned buildings downtown, we have no places to visit downtown, the only surviving planned park is the poorly maintained smith park, and we allow hoodlums to run free. I had hoped that Frank Melton would do something about this, and he has done some great things… as well a lot of not-so-great things, but nothing has been done to really turn our downtown into something that would draw businesses our tourists into the area, it is really sad that we are the largest, and ugliest city in our state. Our own politicians allow the “moral-majority” to run things, when what we really need is something to increase revenue so we can boost our economy and revitalize our capital city… why not put a few casinos in the Pearl River, or even God forbid in the ABANDONED King Edward Hotel? What could it really hurt? Except maybe a few Christian’s feelings that we would allow Satan a place to play in Jackson, and by Satan I mean those very Christians that spoke up against it, but would still go and gamble. Why not pass a bill that would bring businesses downtown, and allow the facades of some of the buildings to be rebuilt or revitalized, why not have some sort of downtown tourist center something to bring people and their money to Jackson,. Why let the coast and Vicksburg get all the money… why? It makes no sense. But that’s politics for you.

I do find it funny that in the past when Jackson was beautiful, money was spent on man-hole covers that are actually very nice, and something unique. I was shocked… but why has that mentality died?

Inner City Life

On Terry Road in Jackson, I learned about some of the inner-city problems that face the people in those areas, and it saddens me to know that people have to lock their businesses in the daytime for protection against the hoodlums that run the streets. Gang bangers or Gangsters whatever they are called are nothing but domestic terrorists that are no different from Al Qaeda or the Nazi’s and the federal government should do more to stop these people from terrorizing our city streets, than fighting the war in Iraq. It makes no sense how we can allow these terror organizations to exist in our own back yard, but send people a world away to Gitmo for “Suspected Terrorist Activities.” It just goes to prove that the people we elect to oversee our country have no real idea what is going on, and perhaps before we have a far-reaching foreign policy, or expand the war on terror, we should tackle the terrorist in our own back yards!

Something to Ponder....

"Today I had a chance to watch Fire... Its wild tounges licking toward the sky, sending glittery sparks flying. The embers smoldering like passion in your soul, as the flames lust to grow higher. The heat warmed my face arms and legs, as it begged me to feed it further. I felt bad as the night grew on and I had to starve it to smoldering embers, I knew that it left me a legacy of heat, passion, and lust... A Gift, I suppose." ~ J. Grant Wixson Blakeney 2/20/2006

I wrote this a while back, and I still find it odd, and yet beautiful.