So basically, if you have seen any of my other blogs, or again if you know anything about me, I used to write a whole lot when I was younger, but now that I have fallen in love with photography, I usually let photographs tell my story. I will provide a little bit of context in the beginning, however. I arrived on Monday evening in the Memphis area to work with the diocese of Memphis and a school, Our Lady of Sorrows. I need to come here later that last year with one of my most awesome colleagues. This time, however, I was traveling alone so some of my experiences occurred with a bit greater loneliness than before. At the same time, being on my own allowed me to do a bit more exploring and "feeling" the place, which I tend to find really important from a research perspective. It also allowed me to do a lot more work, exercise more, and write more than I ever can. And the alone time is super important given my life and duties at home.
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| Treeshadow, parking lot of Our Lady of Sorrows |
Lowes, Goodman Road, Southaven, MS. I had a super long day yesterday and was feeling a bit out of my element. Usually at home I get to spend some time outside doing yardwork or head to my favorite Home Depot or Walmart or Lowe's on the way home with Gabi. Luckily for me this particular captain and where I stand is surrounded by commerce, and one of the very nearest stores and stilettos. So I went there, all decked out in my work clothes and heels, and went straight to the garden center. I did not buy anything but was somewhat tempted to get a big bag of wild flower seed that they had on sale.
This is one in a series of little posters on when the bulletin boards in the main hallway of the school I visited today. I love the theme of all of them, but just snapped a couple of shots of my favorites.
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| Station of the cross, Our Lady of Sorrows school |
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| Route 51, Frayser TN |
Mississippi River, near Frayser, TN
Super brave -possibly overly brave-activity of the day was to drive down to a state park near the school. The park was nearly deserted, as one might expect on a Wednesday afternoon. After stopping at the visitor center and examining a couple of little exhibits they had on new plants, I was about to leave when I saw a sign that pointed to the right, saying "Mississippi River". Now if you know anything about me, you should know that there was no way I could miss seeing the Mississippi River if I were this close to it. Nevermind that I have probably crossed over it and the number of times in this region or others, but I have never been able to get close to it and take a look (at least not that I can remember off the top of my head.) So I drove in the direction of the sign, farther and farther and deeper into the woods, down a twisty road. After the piece, there was a sign saying about the road was about to go to a one-way if you continued straight. To the left there was a two way road and I at first turned that way with the intention of turning around and heading back the way I came. But I kid you not the words came into my mind: "don't be a p&*&&y". Since I was too freaked out by the high quotient of red-neckery at the general store, I felt like I had to go ahead and do this.
So I went to head down the road, for what felt like miles and miles through the narrow strip of road surrounded by trees, then marsh and a wide open field of cotton that gave me the creeps. Perhaps the most disconcerting thing were the signs instructing hunters to pull all the way off around and not shoot too close to the trail. I don't think I have ever been in a state park where hunting was allowed, or at least not a regular use of the land. I really had that kind of feeling of nervous dread like I was going to get shot at, or drive off the road, or get hit by an oncoming car, or have a herd of something or rather pull out in front of the car and I would swerve and then hit a tree. At one point, a medium-sized bird with a bright red head flew across the front of my car. I was thinking it was a duck, but perhaps it was a woodpecker. It had the floppiness of a duck, but I don't know. Can ducks have red heads?
Passed a number of pickup trucks pulled off to the side of the road, presumably they were sitting up in a tree somewhere with their guns. Anyway, I finally got the end of this long long long lonely road and got the ramp where the river was. I hopped out to take the picture and then hopped back into the car and left with a growing sense of relief the closer I got to "civilization".
