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Archive for my South – Page 8

go . Post Office on Jefferson Street

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Hundreds of little metal doors with tiny windows marked with hand-painted numbers in red and gold. I have to admit it’s why I love to walk in the post office in Macon, MS. I wander in there every now and then when I’m visiting my parents hometown because it’s filled with interesting shapes and textures. And those little decorative, but time-worn doors.  They are so fascinating to me for some reason.

The lobby is a tiny L-shaped space where folks still come to check their mail. I’m not sure when the structure was built, but it has the tall, chicken-wire laced windows and warm woodwork you don’t often see in more modern public buildings. Plus, the north wall contains a painting created by Douglass Crockwell through the Depression-era Works Progress Administration, dated 1944.

Mr. Crockwell became a fairly popular artist in the 1940s-50s creating advertisements and cover art for some notable companies as well as the Saturday Evening Post. The work was created more specifically under the jurisdiction of the US Treasury Department in its Treasury Section of Fine Arts designed to offer artists commission work to create paintings and sculptures for public spaces in the 30s and 40s. The painting depicts the “Signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek.”

I imagine walking into the Post Office would be a lot like it was in the 1950s if it weren’t for the glossy posters touting first class mail and “forever” stamps. It still has hand-painted signs for the “office” part of the Post Office and the now-dissolved “Civil Service Commission”. The stained wood is still polished and pock-marked next to newer, more modern metal stands and the metal sliding door covering the postal counter.

Every time I wander in, I always wish for a tiny key to slip into box number 534 or some other sacred address to turn the lock and retrieve some treasured bit of correspondence.

[Macon Post Office, 201 Jefferson Street; Macon, MS]

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photo essay . At the Speed of Summer

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Is anyone else in shock that summer vacation is over? My kiddos begin school tomorrow, and this year, all three are in “big school.” Our lazy, hazy days of summer have been filled with fun activities, swimming, yard work, relaxed schedules and our own brand of daily celebrations. Never is there another time when relaxing activities move so fast!

One of those week-long celebrations was our second annual trip to Gulf Shores, AL for plenty of sun and waves. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to an amusement park, but we were actually able to spend a couple of evenings at one in Gulf Shores. I had almost forgotten how alive they are with sights and sounds and movement. In between bumper boat showers, go cart races and carnival rides, I took a few snaps. Most of them have some blurred elements, as I tried to capture what you couldn’t possibly grab hold of… Life at the speed of summer. Enjoy!

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photo essay 052413 . Translucence

I’m away from home with my children, and if you follow Plop much, you know that means you can expect several photo posts. I usually enjoy the companionship of my Canon and a few iPhone photo apps along with my kids when we’re out and about. I love to capture memories with them and also the scenes that inspire me.

On Friday, we were preparing to leave home for a week, and it was also the official first day of summer vacation. Summer vacation!! We’ve been anticipating it with a lot of fervor in the last few weeks, and the trip to the farm we’re enjoying has been dubbed the official kick-off of summer around the Montgomery parts. So, when we also noticed some of the first few magnolia blooms of the season appearing on the lower branches of our tree in the front yard, I took it as a signal and added confirmation that this year’s summer vacation would indeed be sublime. Much needed this year.

I decided to get a few quick photographs of the magnolias with my Hipstamatic iPhone app to remember the first blooms. It was around 9:00 a.m. and not a cloud in the sky — yes, perfect conditions for the kick-off of summer vacation. Conditions for a great photo — not necessarily. The morning light in May on a cloudless day can be so strong that it bleaches the wonder right out of images. BUT, I decided to try letting the magnolia bloom offer me it’s own shade and took a shot (actually, multiple shots) from the underside. Given that the sun also prevented me from really seeing the iPhone screen, it was kind of a leap of faith.

The images turned out to be a really neat reminder to me of why I love Mississippi’s signature bloom, and why I love the summer. I love the translucence of the velvety white petals, how they reveal the light behind them and the delicate stamens they are holding. And I love the translucence of the summer season where everything seems overlapped with strong light, strong scents, long days, hard play, relaxed schedules and the satisfaction of days completely absorbed. I know these days will be fleeting, just like the delicate bloom I photographed — this one will likely be withered to multiple shades of brown by the time we return home. But, I’ve been looking forward to this summer vacation more than in other years, and I intend to enjoy each moment of it with my three little partners in crime.

I hope you enjoy the photos too. And the long days of summer we kick off this Memorial Day weekend. May you relish every bloom.

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go . Farmer’s Market Saturday

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There’s my breakfast on this Wednesday morning. It’s a slice of homemade pecan bread with a drizzle of honey and a few shake-shakes of grated parmesan cheese. Yeah, I can’t explain the combination, but it’s good. Soft and a little crusty from the toaster. Nutty and yeasty. Tangy and sweet washed down with a tall glass of iced water. And it probably tastes better because I’m eating it on the patio to the tune of about 65 birds hopping and chirping and foraging and tweeting in the old-fashioned way.

I bought the bread on Saturday at the Starkville Community Market, our local farmer’s market. It opened for the summer last weekend, and I enjoyed getting to check it out. I’ve been designing promotional elements for the Market this year to incorporate a new look with some of the original graphics, and I’ve been hearing some of the plans for the season and excitement from the new Market Manager. It was fun to get to see some of those plans get started for the kick-off weekend. My children decided to sleep in with the company of their grandparents, so I was able to visit the Market with just my camera and some cash in hand for must-haves. And, of course, I found some in the markets-are-more-than-veggies section. I bought us two kinds of bread — the pecan bread and a beautiful sour dough loaf, along with fresh strawberries, homemade whole wheat pasta, grape jelly, handmade soap and some all-natural citrus cleaning liquid. I also took in a culinary demonstration from one of our local chefs — a delicious strawberry & honey basil yogurt dip served with fresh bread. The kids are now convinced that they need to wake up for the adventure next Saturday morning!

Enjoy this glimpse of market finds, and I hope you’ll also enjoy the growing season in a farmer’s market in your area. In MY neck of the pond, the Starkville Community Market is open Saturday mornings from May to August at the corner of Lampkin and Jackson Streets in Downtown Starkville. See you there!

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still life . 041913

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A repeated angle, plus a collage of textures and colors

Behind the photo: This photo was taken at Libby Story on University Drive in Starkville, MS. It’s a women’s boutique, and I was there to take shots of some of their favorite Spring 2012 styles for a client blog post. I looked down and snapped a picture of the floor. Serendipity!

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