Dreaming of Spring

Having spent the majority of my life on the Gulf Coast, I am positive I have seen more snow and ice thus far in 2011 than the sum total of my previous 38 years.  Nashville has had its share, and it seems I am either running from or into it wherever I go. . .  While working in Kosciusko, MS - I watched 5" of that white flaky stuff fall in the course of a few hours. Believe me when I tell you - Central Mississippi isn't really sure WHAT to do with 5" of snow!  Later the same week, I found myself outside of Paris, TN where the low temp dipped alarmingly near the 0*F mark - quite the shock to my system. 

Hopefully (fingers crossed behind my back), Spring is just around the corner.  I spent the last week working in and around Birmingham, AL where it has been beautiful and sunny.  I squeezed in a trip to Oak Mountain State Park for a hike down to Peavine Falls and got a few decent shots.  :) 

The Local Soda Fountain and Something Called a Slugburger

One of my favorite American institutions is the soda fountain lunch counter in a small town.  Nothing fancy, just plain ole homemade goodness.  Most are under the same roof as the local pharmacy.  Extra points if they have hand dipped ice cream or are located on the town square. In my experience, its where you will find local color and characters in a small town.   Always interesting in my book. 

Earlier this week, I trekked down to Corinth, Mississippi to work for a couple of days.  Corinth (the locals say Cor-IN-th) is home to Borroum's Drugs - established and continually operating, in the same location, since 1865. 
Prominently featured on the menu is something called a Slugburger.  Sound appetizing?  Not so much at first, but interesting enough to investigate. Evidently the Slugburger is a tradition in the Northeast corner of Mississippi, particularly around Corinth and neighboring Iuka. During the Depression, cooks in the area sought to stretch ground beef to make as many patties as possible.  They added ground pork, soy flour and additional spices; then deep fried the patties and sold for a nickle (sometimes referred to as a "slug") a piece . . . and the Slugburger was born.  Decades after the Great Depression, this recipe is still around and popular enough that Corinth hosts a "Slugburger Fest" every August. 

http://www.slugburgerfestival.com/what-are-slugburgers/

On my first trip to Borroum's in 2010, I opted for the Chicken Salad  (always a safe option) and a fountain Cherry Coke.  The Chicken Salad was yummy, but the fountain drink was fantastic!!  When I started planning this week's trip, a return trip for a "real" Cherry Coke was defintely on the agenda.  This time I decided to try the local fare and was pleasantly surprised.  It was different, but still good.  One of those things you'll just have to try for yourself.  Maybe on my next trip I'll try an ice cream float.  :) 

If you go, Borroum's is located on the town square (of course) in Corinth, directly across from the Alcorn County Courthouse.

Afternoon at the Frist



William Eggleston (c) 1991



I hate to admit that after living in Nashville for over a year, I had not been to the Frist Center for Visual Arts - until today.  Shameful, I know.  Anyway, I met up with a friend from my U. South Alabama days to see "Anointing the Overlooked"  - a collection of William Eggleston's photography.  His favorite subjects are, as the exhibit's name implies - ordinary and overlooked, but edgy, and sometimes humorous.  I am particularly fond of his Mississippi Delta photographs. 

If you get a chance, check it out.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The Frist is located in the former Nashville Post Office - built in the 1930's and a fantastic example of Art Deco Architecture.  Admission is free until the 19th of February.  See the link below for more info.

http://fristcenter.org/site/exhibitions/exhibitiondetail.aspx?cid=887#content





Montgomery Bell State Park

On my way back from West Tennessee, I stopped at Montgomery Bell State Park.  The park is beautiful, with rolling hills in places and rocky bluffs along creeks and lakes in others. There was still snow on the ground, but the sun was out and it was a perfect day for a hike.  Well, more like a leisurely stroll . . . 

Along the way I stopped in at McAdoo Chapel, circa 1807 - the first meeting place of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  The stone structure is small with simple wooden pews, but the stained glass was gorgeous!

Winter Weather and Cabin Fever



January is a slow work month for me.  This week I haven't had any scheduled work so my plan was initially just to hang out at home, relax and stay out of the winter weather that had been forecast for the early part of the week.  Sounded good in theory, but easier said than done!  The first round of wintry mix never materialized and it did not take long for me to get restless and start looking for somewhere to go.

Tuesday afternoon I headed out for Percy Warner Park.  I hoped to get a few shots of the many resident deer while I walked, but Mother Nature had other plans.  It started raining and fog started hovering over the hills.  Bambi and her posse were nowhere to be found, but I did manage to get a couple eerie shots of the fog hanging around.  Snow followed later that night into Wednesday morning.  Maybe I'll get some more pictures later. :)

Welcome :)

I have always enjoyed reading blogs, and have often thought that I would enjoy writing my own.  There are travel blogs, blogs about family, photo blogs, art blogs, project related blogs and blogs about life in general.  So, the big questions have been:   What do I have to share?  What do I want to write about?  Finally, I realized that maybe I don't have to know the answer to those questions to get started.  Maybe the best answer was to not get lost in the details and just to do it.  I can pretty much guarantee, given my profession and hobbies . . . that photography, travel and nature will be frequent topics ;)