Honduran Day

Snorkeling in the calm, crystal-clear waters of Big French Cay in Roatan, Honduras, is an unforgettable experience. As you glide through the water, schools of cheerful fish swim playfully around your legs, creating a lively scene. Beneath the surface, replica ruins surrounded by anemones spark the imagination, inviting you to dive deeper into the wonders of the sea. After a refreshing swim, unwind with a Mai Tai or another tropical drink in hand, while soaking in the beauty of a perfect Honduran day.

Romney Manor Bell Tower

Peaceful and scenic—this is your first impression of the bell tower at Romney Manor on Saint Kitts. Surrounded by lush, manicured gardens, the tower stands as a striking contrast to its dark history.

For the enslaved people who toiled on these grounds, this tower was not just a structure; it was a tool of control. Its bell dictated their days, signaling when to work under the relentless Caribbean sun. Upon emancipation, most bell towers like this were destroyed, symbols of oppression too painful to preserve.

 This one survived—saved because its owner was considered ‘nicer’ than most.

Coming from a state with its own deep and painful history tied to slavery and the slave trade, I have visited many places that played a role in this unimaginable chapter of human history. No matter how uncomfortable it is, no matter how much it hurts to confront the past, we must not turn away.

We must remember.

We owe it to those who lived and those who died in slavery—to acknowledge that they existed, that they were people deserving of the freedom that was stolen from them. We owe it to those torn from their homes and families, to those who perished on the voyage, chained in the depths of ships.

Yes, these are difficult truths to face.

But while history may not repeat itself, it does rhyme. The only way to prevent the horrors of the past from resurfacing is to teach them, to remember them. In doing so, we honor those who suffered—and, hopefully, we ensure that no one else, now or in the future, endures the same fate.

Also linked to: Sunday Best.

Scenic Sunday

The jungle grows around the faux Mayan Ruins on Cozumel, Mexico's Chankanaab Adventure Park.   The jungle and ocean provided scenic views and plenty to explore.  

Scenic Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and share the breathtaking beauty that surrounds us. Whether it’s the serene stillness of a forest, the vast expanse of a desert, the rhythmic waves of the ocean, or even a charming city park where towering buildings peek through the treetops—scenic is whatever moves you.

Take a moment to showcase the views that inspire you, bring you peace, or simply make you pause in awe. Don’t forget to share your post and link back so others can join in the journey. Let’s fill Sunday with scenes that stir the soul.

For More Scenic Sundays, Click Here.

Please, link this blog, either using one of the images below or directly.  

We revive this meme in honor of the original Scenic Sunday that has since passed into blogger meme history.  

The Wind Done Gone...

Prior to the civil war, and even a bit after the war itself, this was a home.  Hard to believe now, as it could easily be from Athens or Rome if only for the columns, but this is in Port Gibson, Mississippi.   This state was once full of beautiful homes, seemingly right out of Gone With the Wind, but the reality is that it is just that…  gone with the wind.

I took this photo with an actual film using camera many years ago.   It was the first time and currently the last time that I saw these iconic columns rising from the surrounding nothingness.   I was mesmerized at the size, I had until that point seen just photos and the sheer magnitude of the columns made me wonder how beautiful the house once was.

Katrina Ruins

Water is one of the most magickal elements on earth. It exists in such a wonderful abundance, and it is where all like sprang forth unto the land. However it is also a destructor, it can take just as many lives. Mississippi has seen more than it’s share of death and destruction from water, Hurricane Katrina being one of them. There are still Hurricane Ruins on the Mississippi coast, and elsewhere. This is the remains of the Presidents Casino, just ruins along the beach, it stands as a testament to the destructive power that is water.

Water may destroy, but from that destruction comes new life… it is this that we need to nourish after such events. Hope can never fail, we must never allow that. There are still people on the Mississippi Coast without permanent homes post-Katrina, if you would like to help visit AdoptaKatrinaFamily.org.

This Post was a Retro-Thursday post on 8-25-11.

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Randomly when you least expect it you find something that makes you breathless. I don’t know why this happens, but it does happen. Three years ago I lost a friend in a car accident, I had to go to her myspace today for something… it had defaulted to the original… I found this http://www.gabawordsjots.blogspot.com/ it would have been hidden behind the background she used to have. I am in a bit of shock at this discovery, a glimpse at a friend that I cared for. I know that death is not an ending, and I know she still lives in each and very life she touched, I caught a glimpse of her tonight.

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.

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….

Port Gibson Ruins

Destruction can be devastating, ruining everything that people have built up over long periods of time. Through destruction there can also come unimaginable beauty... That most can not see initially. Volcanoes kill thousands and destroy large areas but through this come fertile land that can feed millions of people and creatures… When bad things happen, you have to find the beauty, otherwise the sorrow will take you to a place you really do not wish to be.

This home was in Port Gibson, Mississippi, all that is left are the ruins of the bottom floor and the bathroom on the second floor… through the destruction there is a eerie beauty that can not be missed.