A lone dead live oak. An oxymoron in the fog

The dock appears to be floating

Looks like a spider breakfast buffet!

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When our kids were growing up much of the summer was spent swimming in the lake. Its waters are spring fed and cool until the dog days of August when even its waters are hot.

One morning the sun was hitting things just right so I snapped a few shots. The time focusing brought back memories. Kids in the water. Fish frying in the fryer. Laughter of many a fourth of July. Rehearsal dinner lake party swims. The summer was when Camp Register was in full swing!

The dock is full of so many memories and there are still more to make!

Life is still good at the lake!

The dock

Fishing and fish fries

Fishing lures some once owned by my father and last used in the late 1960s

Sunscreen and bug spray the essentials of a southern summer

Sunlight lights the way to the top

Memories:

Y’all come back!

A spinybacked orbweaver What a great name!

Bumble Bee loaded down with pollen

Dragon flies having sex

Squirrel dropping his nut

My Male Animal in his natural habitat

Below is a cotton mouth. Gotta love a zoom lens. I was NOT close to him and no they don’t chase you,

It has been a while since my last post. Inspiration has eluded me. When I’m uninspired I like to go hang with the goats. Their crazy antics make me smile. One has decided he wants to be scratched all the time and will butt me if I am not paying enough attention to him. They love animal crackers but those cookies can stay right in the feed room. There is a frenzy like a swarm of piranhas if I enter the pen with the cookies. The goats get fed once a day and are fairly well behaved. I go quickly from one bucket to the next and they run chasing each other away from the food.

We’ve all heard about the studies which show animals reduce stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills. Being with animals you can just feel something shift mentally. My stress and anxiety ease. In the past I would take my evening glass of wine and go hold the baby goats. Well, I don’t drink anymore and the goats are grown but they still try to get in my lap!

Sometimes the farm animals can relieve my stress. The quiet munching of the cows is bucolic. However, the high headed heifers who chase me through the pastures do not reduce my cortisol or sooth my soul!

Back at the house Mom is getting up earlier and sleeping more. It’s like she gets up in the morning to go back to sleep in a different place. Her forgetfulness has also grown. There is increased stress for both of us with each new stage. She knows she isn’t thinking right. She can’t stay focused to read like she did only a few months ago. Now, she sits on the porch and just looks. She is like the nosy neighbor watching the comings and goings of the tenet in our cabin. She carries a calendar around all the time. Today the page is turned to September.

One afternoon I left her sleeping on the porch and ran to the barn for a few moments. Here are a few quick pics.

Not sure the point Izzy is making

20 year old barn cat lazing

Nothing runs like a Deere!

Here are a few black and whites from this morning. Taken with my new Nikon Z8 and a Nikkor 28-75/2.8 lens. When my Z5 started having issues I decided to upgrade. This camera is so powerful! I have watched hours of YouTube tutorials to figure out how to get the most from it. So far I am having fun experimenting with it.

It was a hot south Georgia summer day and I was running late. Cairo Main Street was hosting Market Days and I was to take pictures for the paper. Within a block of the event the train crossing guards came down and an extra long train rattled through. Between the numerous boxcars I could see the traffic light cycling through the colors. Finally, the train ended and I arrived at the event just as the karaoke finished.

Did I say it was hot?!? Most vendors and many attendees had fans blowing on them.

Plenty of family friendly fun! Even the Twisted Sisters Pythons were there

Violet the smiling pit!

Little Girls and a snake

The kids had a blast with all the toys. They were serious about Tetris

There were lots of good things to eat and purchase

Rufus the hot dog man!

The day ended with a concert by a local country band. They were really good!

For this celebration I wasn’t taking pictures for the paper and could enjoy the event with out worrying about missing something.

Enjoy!!

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I find the beach a place of healing and restoration. It helps restore who I am which is more than a caregiver, a mom, a wife. What I am is deeply tired from struggling to find me in my current role.

As my skin begins to be pulled tight from salt and sun I feel the tiredness release. It reminds me that I need more sunscreen!

It was a great week spent with the people I love most. My soul felt whole again. I don’t know if I found me but I am restored and able to face reality with more positive energy.

May you find what restores you and enjoy it!!

Sunrise

Fishermen waiting

Mother and Child

Trash or treasures? No lost shaker of salt only a blown out flip flop

Seagulls

Decades long tradition is son flies his kite at the beach at least once. It was a real challenge this time with the high winds but he did it!

As at any event there was good food! BBQ, roasted corn on the cob, lemonades and other typical rodeo foods were being sold from food trucks. Between races were events like a watermelon eating contest and a game of musical hay bales that the little kids took over from the adults.

My son had come down from Atlanta and went with me. We had a blast! When the rains rolled in we left but the racing kept going.

As at any rodeo the winner took home a large belt buckle.

These photos were taken for the locally owned weekly newspaper. It is never a guarantee many of the pictures will be run but that week most of my submissions were printed. Here are a few from that night.

Donkey and Ricky Bobby at attention while the National Anthem played.

The line up

Sasquatch braved the heat

Lots of the latest technology in zero turns were on display

The Mayor!

Putting on sunscreen

The only woman in the race

And they are off!

”King of the Grass”

Winner! (Photo by Whigham Downtown Development Authority)

Watermelon eating contest

Enjoying roasted corn on the cob

Musical hay bales

It was hot! Fans were a favorite item

Home from Atlanta, son enjoyed seeing so many old friends and meeting new ones like the new fire chief.

With the barn cat and goats fed and chickens released from their coop, I head to check cows. The grass is high and the bahia seeds stick to my housecoat. Guess it is going to be a laundry day. Still moving unenthusiastically and craving another cup of coffee I reach the top pasture. The cows are quietly eating grass. The sun is slowly moving above the trees. It is going to be a hot day but my spirit begins to feel rejuvenated. I enjoyed my time on the hill and now dread the return to that cup of coffee.

I hear a tractor start up at the barn so I guess it is time to go back to the house to put on day clothes. I feel renewed and look forward to having that second cup of coffee.

The photo prompt is Summer in Black and White. If you have photos you want to share of Summer in Black and White drop them and tag me. I would love to see your work.

So many flies!

Little cow dog ready to work

Makes me want to go swimming

Tractor mowing with cowbirds enjoying the feast of disturbed insects

Just down the road is a graveyard affiliated with White Springs Missionary Baptist Church. For many years there was a building on the property known as the Pallbearers Association. From the book, Cemeteries of Grady County Georgia, “in 1938 Carl Godwin sold parcels of land to the trustees of the Pallbearers Association of White Springs Church for the cemetery.”

I was unfamiliar with the group so did some asking around and googling. What I found was the group was started after emancipation. Members paid a small monthly fee to ensure they received a proper burial.

The foot print of the organization online is nonexistent. I only found one article from 2018 from Memphis, Tennessee quoted below.

White Springs Missionary Baptist Church Pallbearers Association Graveyard:

SLYVKST LOWMAX DIEE IN JANARY 1936

Unmarked tombs

Hooks on top of tomb lids must have been used to lower the heavy stones into place

Elmer Brown is being overtaken by the woods

If you do not already follow/subscribe to I highly recommend you do. She is a phenomenal landscape photographer. She is on instagram, too.

Summertime

Barn swallow nest in the slanted sunlight

On the summer pastures

Cow birds have returned for the summer. Humidity hair on one cow

Magnolias

Flowers starting to bloom and grow

Mushrooms in the thick grass

The rest of the night is fitful. She comes out of her room at 5:45 am for breakfast- No glasses no hearing aides. She is completely dressed by 6:00. Nothing going on today but her brain is full of ‘static’ she is uneasy. Soon the repetitive questions will start “is Becky coming today?” “is it time for Judge Judy?” “have you heard from the student'“ and it goes on then starts again.

By the time she is dressed she has settled down. She is reading and dozing which means I have about an hour to go and do my barn chores.

I grabbed my camera and headed out. Here are a few of Jack and Dudley and a cow or two.

Jack

Dudley in his favorite spot

Jack and his magnificent horns

Jack and Dudley playing

Dudley loves to butt everything. We can hear him banging all the way to the house.

Bear wanting in to herd goats

Bull and F3

On this Memorial Day thank you to all that paid the ultimate price, those who served, and those who are serving. May we all enjoy the freedom they secured for us. Let’s continue the fight against fascists, traitors, grifters, and users of political might which are all rampant in this president’s administration. Love the country hate the president.

Reading this morning I came across the comment that there is a kind of tiredness that does not come from physical exhaustion but from mental stress. This mental exhaustion can come from many places work, family, politics, caring for others, etc. This type of exhaustion can be mentally debilitating. I also feel a sense of isolation and loneliness.

This weekend was a reboot for my mental health. Husband watched mom. I sat on the porch listening to the rain while reading a couple of really good books. Took my camera out for a walk and got caught in the rain at the barn.

Hope you all can find a way to reboot and relax on this holiday.

The barn is quiet 
but for the rain
on the roof.

No chickens cackle 
nor
goats bleat.

The cows are
bedded down 
under the
trees.

The rain sooths the 
tiredness.

The voices are
quiet.

The quietness
relaxes the
mind.

The loneliness
shifts to 
contentment.

Everything is so green it looks photoshopped.

The vividly green swamp

Destroyed Magnolia blossom after the hard downpours.

Backlit C5 enjoying the now growing grass

Dudley avoiding the rain by hanging in the hay box eating

I love the sound of the rain hitting the tin roof of the barn. Izzy sheltering in place

Lizzy

Meri

20 year old barn cat

Southern Gothic is my favorite genre. It’s haunting and familiar. It stirs memories of visiting old home places, cemeteries, and stories the old folks once told.

All this was on my mind as I took my morning walk about the farm. Here are a few pictures with some quotes that don’t fit the picture.

The grass is just this green after all the rain we have had. It is lovely!

Wild magnolias are abundant on our property. Their leaves cover the ground of the woods. Water collected in the leaves provided amazing reflections.

As I was busy snapping pictures of reflections I crossed a small creek and saw what I thought was an alligator swimming upstream. It was not a gator but an otter! You don’t see them often although they are abundant in the area.

Reflection in a puddle

Otter heading upstream to a neighbor’s pond

Going under!

There is an understanding in the family that the goats are mine. Husband will help out but only on rare occasions. Today for Mother’s Day husband helped me trim goat hooves. On the fun that is!

It’s like they can sense something is up and every goat on the place runs not wanting to be touched. When I finally catch one, even the smallest, they throw their bodies around slamming me into whatever structure is close. Every single time we work the goats I end up battered and bruised and on the ground at least once.

Today was no different. I decided to catch our most friendly Nigerian Dwarf, Jack. He is a squat fat thing who doesn’t even come up to my knees. His horns are really long and curved. On most days he loves to be loved. Not today! I finally caught him and was straddling him so I could keep him still. Nope. He hooked one of his horns around my leg, pulled back and to the side and over we both went. Triumphantly, I didn’t let go of him as I slammed into the ground. I imagine if I had let go I would not have hit the ground but I wasn’t letting that little shi-thead get away! Husband just laughed and trimmed Jack’s hooves while we were both upside down! Needless to say that was the last goat I was doing on Mother’s Day.

BTW I love my crazy goats!

Here are a few goat pictures and a dog.

Sweet Izzy stood perfectly to get her hooves trimmed.

Lizzy was still but screamed the entire time.

Goat love

The horns on this one are a mess.

This is Jack. Jack is sweet on most days. Jack was NOT sweet today

Yep, flipped. My view from the ground.

Little cow dog ready to go!

As I was taking pictures a pinwheel started to spin. My imagination spun also and for a moment I hoped the spirit of the dearly departed was not angry at me!

This reminded me of the hymn. Well, I didn’t think of it my friend Joy started singing it when I showed her the picture! :)

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever,
With His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Wonder if this person loved to read?

Someone loved cats!

Reflection in the polished granite looks like they are gazing into a pool of water

This was on a new grave yet to have a headstone. They must have loved crocs!

New grave with lots of trinkets and a picture waiting on a headstone

Recently, my son and I spent one afternoon strolling through historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. The tombstones and mausoleums were fascinating. The amount of history was overwhelming. I took lots of pictures and only sharing a small portion which still makes the post too long for email. So open this in the app if you want to see them all.

In 1850 the City of Atlanta purchased 6 acres of plantation farmland on the edge of town from A.W. Wooding (d. 1878). By 1867 the six acres had grown to 48 acres. Today it is the permanent home to more than 70,000 people of all distinctions from the renowned and wealthy to ordinary citizens. There is even a paupers field with no markers.

Alice Wooding died in 1850. She was buried here before the property was bought by the city of Atlanta from her husband, A.W. Wooding. Her headstone features a Willow tree symbolizing grief and sorrow.

Dr. James Nissien (d. 1850) was the first known interment after becoming a city cemetery. He was so afraid of being buried alive, he asked to have his jugular vein severed before burial. His wish was carried out by the attending doctor.

In 1974 Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. became Atlanta’s first African American Mayor. During his three terms he was instrumental in bringing the 1996 Olympics to Atlanta and expanding the airport and its international terminal which now bears his name.

Carrie Berry Crumley (1854-1921) was 10 years old during the siege of Atlanta. She kept a diary that provides a rare glimpse of a child’s experience of the Civil War. Historians still use the diary today. It is available on Amazon and is a very short but interesting read.

Kontz Memorial (1909, Egyptian Revival). This style was popular during the Victorian era. The monument contains both Christian and Egyptian symbolism. The crown and cross symbolize the triumph of God with the winged disc (Ra the Sun God) and lotus blossoms for the renewal of life.

Jasper Newton Smith (1833-1918) a businessman and real estate entrepreneur was known for his eccentricities. His statue is on the top of the Smith Mausoleum. He faces Oakland’s entrance enabling him to watch all comings and goings.

Margaret Mitchell author of Gone with the Wind is buried beside her husband, John Marsh. On August 11, 1949, while crossing Peachtree Street near 13th Street in Midtown Atlanta to see a movie, Mitchell was hit by a car. She died 5 days later from severe internal injuries and a skull fracture.

Charlie is buried in what once was the Slave Square. Between 1853 and 1877 over 800 African Americans were buried here. In 1877 the Atlanta City Council ordered these residents’ remains be disinterred and reburied in Oakland’s “colored pauper grounds.” The old graves in Slaves Square were re-plotted and sold to white Atlantans like Charlie.

The Richards’ Mausoleum. Born in London, Robert Richards (1830-1888) started Atlanta’s first bookstore before becoming a successful banker.

The old and the new. Marta train and pencil building in the background of old graves.

There is a large Confederate cemetery and monument. There is also the grave of General John B. Gordon who was an outspoken critic of Reconstruction and an acknowledged leader of white supremacist efforts in Georgia. I chose not to spotlight those. This is just one of hundreds of Confederate soldiers buried in Oakland.

Appears to be a death mask for Thibadeau! Really unnerving

There were so many interesting tombstones

Resting under the evergreen

Vandals have tried to break into the tomb to see if the legend is true. Unfortunately, they have nearly destroyed it.

The tomb is of Zilpha Inman Braswell, Feburary 14,1787 - June 17, 1839. She was the wife of Kindred Braswell. They had seven children. In 1860 they owned 82 slaves.

The inscription on the tomb reads:

While researching the history of Zilpha, I came across some disturbing comments on a Facebook post about the grave from 10 years ago. White washed history at its finest. An example of why the Confederate flag and memorials are still honored here.

In all my tours of plantation homes I have yet to see slave quarters nice enough to house family.

Owning people is ALWAYS a bad thing!

My family roots are all in the south. Most have been poor farmers but I don’t doubt there has been slave ownership in my ancestry. Also, I know there has been deep rooted prejudice and evil on a branch of the family tree. You can’t change the past but you can change the future. When you know better do better!!

It is important we learn. It is important we are intentional about inclusion. It is important we raise our voices against racism.

Trump and his administration are doing all they can to erase the true history of the African American. Giving a voice to the racists and oppressors. We must speak up! We must stand up even if we are afraid. Many of us have spoken up and most have received death treats because of it. Be strong!

Back to the tomb:

I couldn’t get a good picture of the tomb because it was covered in vines and trees. This is a photo from FaceBook.

Tomb today

The details and inscription are better seen in black and white. The leaning tomb is being held together by rods.

It is very ornate and elaborate.

Debris from the grave caused by vandals.