Ancient Beach

Brandon is the county seat of Rankin County in Mississippi; it is located approximately 130 miles from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. However during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods this was not true, Mississippi was part of a warm shallow sea, and they speculate that the Jackson Volcano was actually an island much like Hawaii. However Brandon Park just off highway 80, located just behind the Brandon Library is one of the few places in Rankin County where the sandstone breaks the surface. If you look closely the ground is littered with cockle shells all millions of years old, most of them are broken, but you can occasionally find whole ones. It is truly a unique place, I have heard and seen fossil sand dollars, sharks teeth, crabs, and lobsters from the area around what may have been Jackson Island. I would have loved to have seen it!

I Can Still Recall...

Although it has been a long time, thoughts of you still flood my mind,
I still feel as I have committed a crime, but only because It is you I want to find.
I’m trapped in this maze I call life, hoping to catch a glimpse of you.
Suffering through the pain and strife, waiting for something new.
I can still recall what it was like, to have you near.
And now when I like awake, I know that I have nothing to fear.
Memories of us may fade as time goes on, but I will always have you in my heart.
And I know that now you are gone, but we are never truly apart.

The Mightiest

The sea is king, all life sprang from the sea… and it still keeps us in its wave of influence. Even the mightiest of trees can fall to the sea, man can build the largest most unsinkable ships… but if the sea wants it, she will take it.

This tree is either a remnant of Hurricane Katrina from one of the other barrier islands (as there are no trees on East Ship Island), or it washed the 11 miles from the mainland to Ship Island the old fashioned way.

The Ruby Gensolen

Oceans, Rivers, Lakes all attract me, I love the water… and I love being on the water. Ships and boats all hold a special place in my heart, there is something calming about being on the open water… granted I would want to do it in the lap of luxury and not Titanic style. Needless to say when I went to Ship Island, I was in heaven… I loved the boat ride, and I thought it was awesome when we stopped and passed the Ruby Gensolen (Read the name from a distance, not sure of the spelling.) on its way to ports unknown. One thing about Gulfport it is home to one of the most important Ports in the United States, and brings in ships from throughout the world.

Ship Island

Ship Island is one of my favorite places to visit in Mississippi; it has History, a calm beach… and a wavy beach not unlike those in Gulf Shores or the Florida Panhandle. I spent a good deal of today on the island, it gave me a chance to reflect, and relax… plus the boat ride out on the SS Captain Pete was fun. The waves and wind were strong from Hurricane Dolly several hundred miles away, but the weather was bright and sunny for us on the island, and over all it was a wonderful, beautiful trip.

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Sometimes...

Sometimes we have to do things we do not want to do… sometimes the things we have to do are the right things, but it does not always feel right. It is at these times it is good to have a system of people to support you… I am lucky to have that.

Reflection

Looking at the mirror is one of the hardest things to do, seeing what is in reality you that is never easy. The trick is not to look for your own flaws, you will find them before anyone else ever will… you must look for the big things that you can change, and then look for the good within yourself.

Totem

Totem Poles are some of the most beautiful and significant pieces of art from native America. They also have special significance specifically for the family that created the totem pole… it represents them. I love the colors and detail, and the fact that they do have so much importance to the people.

Walking in Memphis

I’ve lived most of my life in the Jackson, Mississippi Metro area. Jackson is the largest city in the state of Mississippi, but it is by no means a large city. Memphis is the first large city you come to if you drive north three hours on I-55 (Same distance south lands you in New Orleans.) I had been through Memphis several times in the past, but never enough to really stop and see the sights. I liked what I saw, that is until me and my friends got stuck in a not-so-nice part of town. We went to the Zoo, The famous Peabody Hotel, and the Rendezvous for their famous BBQ. It was an amazing trip, and I really hope to go and spend more time there.

These photos were taken from the Observation deck of the Peabody Hotel.

Peabody Hotel

149 Union Avenue

Memphis, TN 38103-2638

Get Directions

(901) 529-4140

Epiphany

Flamingos and Ducks… Living together in Harmony… Like Ebony and Ivory, well Perhaps Cheap Lipstick and Cheap Aftershave. Wow… An Epiphany!!!!

Guardians

Sometimes things happen that you can not control, and the next thing you know you have retreated so far within that nothing seems real. The people you once valued stare at you and you no longer feel like you belong, anywhere. It seems like its impossible, but you know that deep down you will eventually walk through your own gate back into the world that is waiting… But until then… who knows what lurks within.

(These are from the Memphis Zoo entrance to their exhibit on animals from China.)

Elephant Telephant

Elephants are very interesting animals to me. They prove that Humans are not the only creatures capable of emotion, especially in a time where people once claimed that Humans were the only species capable of emotion. They are very intelligent creatures, and never fail to capture my imagination with their size, and overall disposition. They are a wonderful species and we need to do everything we can to save them from possible extinction.

You know… there is a group of people calling to have elephants released in North America to help replace the lost Mammoth Mega Fauna. Apparently the loss of the North American Mega Fauna is still taking a toll on North America… I kinda like this Idea… Elephant herds roaming free, safe from poaching… But people would never go for it, they would find something to gripe about.

(Introduction Side Note: I was watching something on the Komodo Dragon last night. They were talking about how one of it’s island habitats once had a type of deer that was poached out by man, and this has caused strain on the Dragon. Why not introduce the American White Tailed Deer to the island… Just a hundred or so, and tell the poachers to move to the American South, that way everyone is happy.)

Weeds

Growing up in the south I have always been taught about the evils of weeds invading your garden, and how they destroy the beauty that you have worked so hard to create. I never stopped to realize that most of the plants that I was taught are weeds are the natural plants for this area, and 90% of the plants that people have in gardens are invasive introductions. Undesirable, perhaps… but not all weeds are terrible, some have their own beauty that people overlook.

Not sure what plant this is, but I know it is a weed… it had all of these little star shaped blue flowers, it was beautiful.

Is Love

Love is a complex emotion… I do not understand it at all. IT extends forth like a tree, branching into many different forms. You take in love, and you give love out... exactly like a tree takes in nutrients, and sends oxygen out through its leaves. Love never really goes away, it just changes forms, and strength.

The Scheme of Things

Rainbows symbolize many things to many people. Sexual orientation aside, the rainbow means something to me. The rainbow symbolizes the whole of humanity encompassing all races, religions, sexual orientations; they all compose this beautiful composition. However this is just me rambling, the human race is much uglier, we kill for beliefs, money, hate… all petty things that we can’t seem to overcome. When we finally can look at one another and accept each other for who we each are, and know that we are beautiful in our own right… will we be truly beautiful as a race.

When we really think about it, in the cosmic sense… all of our wars, love, happiness... everyone that has ever existed… has done so on an infinitesimal fraction of what exists… We really need to stop killing each other, and look within ourselves and fix what is wrong there… come on people. Wise up.

Memphis Zoo

As many of you can tell from my recent posts from the Memphis Zoo, last Wednesday I went with three of my best friends to see this magical place for the first time. When we arrived at the zoo’s front gate into Egypt, I knew then that this was an unusual place.

Time and Continental boundaries all did not apply in this place it was as if some took the world and smashed it together and placed it smack dab in Tennessee… I regretted having never visited before. Plus, I LOVED the Egyptian décor; I have always had a fascination with the culture, so it was extra awesome.

life... in general

When life gets difficult, sometimes you have to look for the things that make it a little easier. That may not be the easiest thing to do sometimes, but it is a must… otherwise you will go insane.

Et ipsa scientia potestas est.

Knowledge is power, which is a credo that I take to heart. U-Haul has had the most wonderful Idea; take facts about all the U.S. states and Canadian provinces… create the oddest graphics and post them on the side of their U-Haul. Not only does it increase the nations useless trivia cache, but it teaches all of us facts about our home states we may have never known. I came across this Mississippi branded U-Haul in Arkansas, and its facts about the Mississippi Sandhill Crane shocked and amazed me, I had never known that one of the last flocks of this ancient bird lives in my home state. Wow, now I want a photo of it for my blog.

For More on the U-Haul SuperGraphics Series Visit: http://www.uhaul.com/supergraphics/

Madam Butterfly

Butterflies fascinate me on many levels, and its mostly the ugly duckling appeal that they bring to the world. They start out these little worms that do nothing but crawl around and eat, and hope not to get eaten… and when they are ready they retreat into their own little world, and come out this beautiful majestic creature. This fact should make them an inspiration, nothing is permanent all things change… it is up to us to make that change positive.

Wisdom of the Ancients

Perhaps as a species, we need to stop and take heed to the words and wisdom of our grandfathers and grandmothers. The world is really taking a strain, and we can not just sit back and hope it is just a natural cycle, perhaps some of it is… but we are a significant threat to this pale blue dot we call home, we need to cherish it… that is before it gets all M. Night Shyamalan on us.