New Orleans

Thinking about the city of New Orleans today as it's being attacked 

by Hurricane Isaac seven years after the attack of Hurricane Katrina.

I pray for their safety.

This is a shot of Bourbon St. on a early Monday.  

It's very rare you can capture a shot without being honked at

or being offered one of the several Most Famous Drinks in the World!

Longwood Gardens - Delights

Not just another elevator...

Built to last.

Blooming color in every corner

Need a drink?

Bourbon St. New Orleans

Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

It's the calm before the storm.

Before the day begins.

Kings Gap

SOOTC

[straight out of the camera]

Don't you love how our whole society is now an acronym!

Every area has its own language, even photography.

During a fun filled afternoon at the local mountain park of Kings Gap I snapped this butterfly when he decided to finally land and pose.  

The Summer flowers are starting to see the end of their days.

Some are still vibrant but there are a few that are losing their color and are tired of fighting the heat.

Oak Alley Plantation - Scenic History

Oak Alley provides a backdrop of Kodak moments.

Even the Oak roots provide a garden spot.

A history lesson:

The Date Candle.

The Father either lowers or raises the candle and then lights it as a suitor calls on his daughter.  When the candle burns down to a certain point the date is over.  

Notice the intense listening skills the tourists are giving the tour guide.  

Oak Alley Plantation - Grand Style

Breakfast in bed

Enter and sit back and let the South enfold you.

Art

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2012 - Roman Chewing Candy

2012?  1915?

The New Orleans Jazz Fest offers the past the present and even a little bit of the future.

Music, Food, Art, People.

From the very young to the very old something is available.

Candy?

Try the Roman Chewing Candy. For over four generations this taffy candy has remained popular.  Find your forte' and embrace it and make a profound impact.  Who knows how long it could prevail.  I'm sure as with any other businesses Roman has had its  great years and its  not so great years.  Perseverance.  I keep looking for my forte' and once I find it I'll pray for perseverance to pull me through from one year to the next.  If you have an idea for me just let me know!

Oak Alley Plantation

 Timeless.

Can you imagine ladies strolling by on the upper porches with their dresses swishing back and forth?

 Just another 'alley' at Oak Alley. 

The trees aren't the only stars!

 Bridging the gap from one generation to the next.

Character is everywhere you turn at Oak Alley.

Open the gates and come on in! 

Impressive. 

Backdoor or Front door?

Oak Alley Plantation

 The wide 17 foot porches provides ample shade and fantastic sitting areas.

The shade helps keeping the house cool.

Today electricity and fans aid in the coolness factor here in the very deep South!

 Details

It's all in the details.

Sugar Kettles

The plantation played a central part in growing sugar.  

 Today the kettles are filled with lilly pads. 

Lilly pads = frogs?

We couldn't find any frogs but if they were around I'm not sure how they managed to climb aboard...

Oak Alley Plantation

 Oak Alley

The leading characters.

This is one side of the row of Oaks lining a path from the house to the Mississippi River.

You can see the branches behind the trees coming down to the ground.  Some of the branches have even begun another tree by sinking into the ground over the last 300+ years.  I included Samantha in this photo to give some perspective in size. 

I wonder just how much yellow ribbon it would take to tie it around just one of these Oak trees...

 Come on in for a spell and a nice cup of sweet tea.

Nothing defines Southern hospitality than a visit to Oak Alley.

Summer Heat?

Flies?

Oak Alley has a cure for these challenges.

This is a fan above the dining room table.

A slave would pull the rope and the fan would swing back and forth to keep those flies moving onward and to give somewhat of a breeze as everyone enjoyed their meal.

Hershey Hotel

Hershey Hotel -- Hershey, PA

Some friends and I recently enjoyed some time at the Hershey Hotel.  It was one of those perfect weather days where it wasn't hot and humid or cold and blustery but 'just right'.  The flowers were beautiful and the whole place was just tranquil.   

There were many hidden spots to relax away an afternoon.

The back of the hotel was as impressive as the front.

Longwood Gardens

 Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA

A couple of months ago I was blessed to have lived on this Earth for 50 years.

I should have fretted and done something outlandish but I was content to spend the day with my parents who gave me that opportunity to be here for 50 years!  My parents and my daughter and I ventured out to spend the day checking out the thousands of varieties of flowers at Longwood Gardens.  Maybe when I'm 60 I'll plan that 'big' trip or do something insane!   

Pictured here near the entrance is the green with envy hallway.

The doors?

They are bathrooms!  

It felt like you were in Alice in Wonderland and each door was going to bring a new adventure.

Oh well just have clean, flushable bathrooms sufficed for the day!

 Everything in the greenhouses radiated.

It felt like someone already came through and saturated the flowers with some high contrast.

I found these adorable little bells hanging around waiting to be rung.

The title?

Of course it's --- "Birds of a feather - flock together"

These flowers seemed to be literally flying above keeping watch over us. 

Can it be this real?

Can it be this vivid?

You bet!

I'm glad I snapped away with my camera because while looking at them later we are able to see things we missed while trying to take all the scenery in at once.

The enormous hanging baskets in the top center are dwarfed with every other flower hovering around.

Enjoy!

University of Memphis School of Law

University of Memphis

Cecil C. Humphrey's School of Law

On a brief walk around Memphis I came across this impressive door.  For whatever reasons I like doors that catch one's attention.  I don't think I'm alone in this curiousness.  This door opens into the University of Memphis' School of Law to help prepare for yet another lawyer.  We need a few good lawyers so I pray that someone opens these doors into a bright future to want to change the world and make it a better place for all.

Beale Street, Memphis, TN

I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Home of the Blues...

Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll

***

It's been a musical kind of year in my travels.

To get to Memphis we had to pass through Nashville home of County Music.

Then to Memphis to see the ghost of Elvis and W.C. Handley with B.B. King on the side.

Ending in New Orleans Jazz Fest for some music mania.

Beale St. in the day light.

 Beale St. at night

Of course with any city you visit on a vacation leaves you feeling like you missed something. It was the same with Memphis.  The highlights were seeing Graceland, Beale St, good BBQ, baseball and the ole Mississippi.  BUT.   There's so much I feel I missed.  The victorian homes, a boat ride on the Mississippi, a blues band, the pyramid, a trolley ride etc...  Missing the opportunity to see or do things just gives you the excuse to return again.  

So See ya real soon Memphis and until then keep the blues and rock 'n' roll and keep the Mississippi flowing!

Memphis, TN Cobblestone Landing

Cobblestone Landing along the Mississippi River in Memphis, TN.

Up and down the Mississippi lies history at every bend.

This is one of the last cobblestone landings in the United States.

  It's also home to the Mississippi Queen River boat.  

We all have those so called bucket lists and in my bucket lies a dream to take a cruise

on the Mississippi in a paddle boat or steam boat.  I need to finalize or think deeper of weather to take an upper or lower Mississippi cruise or go all out and start in St. Louis and end in New Orleans.  

Kress Building, Memphis TN

The Kress Building in Memphis, TN is a colorful addition to the whole block.

It once was one one several Five and Dime stores. 

It has been refurbished and is now part of the Marriott Spring Hill Suites Hotel.

We were lucky enough to get a room in this part of the building.  The inside was just another hotel but the outside held its own against an otherwise concrete jungle.

The Kress Building

(http://www.memphisheritage.org/mhihost/News-NewLifeOldBldgs.html)
Closed since 1994, this building is easily recognizable by its colorful and decorative terra-cotta facade.  Kress opened the first in what was to become a nationwide chain of five-and-dime stores in Memphis in 1896 and moved to the Main Street location in 1927.   Conscious of the historical significance of the building, the new owners plan to restore the structure in accordance within historical guidelines as they adapt it for reuse as a suite hotel, Spring Hill Suites by Marriott.  

A close up of some of the ornament features of the building.

Oak Alley Plantation

Oak Alley Plantation

Built around 1837 (pre air conditioning and electricity!) the colonnades and aligned windows kept the whole house air conditioned in a true 'green' fashion.  Elegance abounds from the grounds to the inside decor.  Of course a mint julep has to be enjoyed in the cool shade.  Overlooking the Mississippi River with only five foot levies I'm sure at some point made the owners nervous when the River decides to overflow.  Today the levy is 40 feet and you are not able to view it but you still know it's there.  We were fortunate enough to see a huge ship pass by that the top of the ship was over the levy.   Of course the real characters of the plantation are the Oak Trees.  

Lots of oak trees!

The trees were HUGE!

They date back to before the house was built.  Nobody really knows the story of why or who planted the trees but they left behind a beautiful breathtaking view.

Samantha was sizing up the trees....

The branches sometimes began new trees.

The Oaks line both sides leading from the house to the river.  

They are spaced out over a span of 800 feet long.

Majestic!

Imagine an evening walk to the river.....

Daisy Days

Daisy and Samantha

Where oh Where have I been?

The past few months have been a whirlwind.  All of us get loaded down in our daily lives but recently it's been on overload.  Excuses?  I've got 'em!  Kids, Husband, new puppy, house, dinner, running, yoga, trip to Memphis to watch baseball and see Graceland and walk on Beale St, trip to New Orleans for last college baseball and graduation and Jazz Fest and to see Oak Alley and say goodbye to Bourban St., did I mention puppy?, working, working, working, a little shopping, tweeting, You Tubing, Pinterest,  Church (this should be  higher on the list),  family time, tackling my Mac, Evernote,  that puppy again, getting Sam ready for a mission trip, Prom, prom shopping, talking about the prom, hearing about the prom, worrying about Samantha flying by herself, learning to live with my college graduate again.

Busy?

I suppose;  but hopefully I can get back to blogging.  Heaven knows I've taken enough pictures to last a couple years.  So hello again and I'll make no promises but say I'll try to be more active on here.  I do miss it but there's so very much out there in this big ole world and I want to see and do it all!

New York, NY Buildings

New York City

A city unlike any other.

Details everywhere.

Just stand still and turn around and you'll find it.