Mid-winter

Greene County, Virginia 

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

201 Canal Street

McComb, Mississippi 

Fan

McComb, Mississippi 

Street, rain

McComb, Mississippi

This is the side of the building that was pictured in yesterday's post. The day did not look too promising for photography as I approached McComb on I-55 in a pouring rain, but the rain let up when I got to town, and I was able to work for a couple of hours before the rain started again. I was in McComb in early May, 2013.

Double doors

McComb, Mississippi 

Last spring I was in McComb, Mississippi to photograph the McComb Railroad Museum. It was a rainy day and I had little time to explore the town, but did get some pictures of a couple of old building near the railroad tracks. McComb was a thriving railroad until the Illinois Central Railroad closed down its McComb shops in 1987.

Waiting . . .

Greene County, Virginia 

The birds have been on extra rations this week because of the cold. The feeders are kept full and seeds are scattered about on the frozen ground for ground feeding birds that do not like to come to the feeders. The red bellied woodpecker has been coming to the feeders and a pair of downy woodpeckers frequent the suet cake.

The squirrels who normally hog the feeders have not been seen since the snow started falling on Tuesday. Most likely they are holed up somewhere trying to keep warm and living on a stash of pilfered bird food.

Everyone around here is waiting for the cold spell to end. Temperatures are forecast to climb into the upper 30s tomorrow. It will feel a bit like Spring.

Winter berries

Greene County, Virginia

Snow day

Greene County, Virginia 

Snow fell here in central Virginia yesterday, and birds crowded the feeders all day. They were getting ready for a cold night. Overnight lows were predicted to be in the single digits, and I kept the feeders full all afternoon as the temperature fell. This kind of weather can be cruel to such tiny creatures.

Winter fog

Greene County, Virginia 

Geese on ice

Greene County, Virginia 

"Any sort of disturbance, whether man-made or elemental, is of immense interest to a goose, and geese watch the world through eyes that often seem capable of seeing things not visible to men.  I have always envied a goose its look of deep, superior wisdom." - E.B.White

Winter light #5

Greene County, Virginia 

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

Winter light #4

Greene County, Virginia 

Winter light #3

Greene County, Virginia 

Winter light #2

Greene County, Virginia 

Winter light #1

Greene County, Virginia 

One late afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I took a walk in the woods near our home. The light in winter is often dull and gray, or on clear days, the sun can be cold and harsh. But on a cold afternoon when sun and clouds mix, the woods are illuminated with  lovely winter light. It lasts only a few minutes; then cold and gray dusk settles over the wood, and it is time to turn toward home.

Lightfoot Washateria

Port Gibson, Mississippi 

All this week's pictures of Port Gibson were taken on a warm morning in October, 2013.

Hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

Alley

Port Gibson, Mississippi 

200 Carroll Street

Port Gibson, Mississippi

A man came up to me while I was photographing this building and asked what I saw here that would make me want to take pictures. Caught off guard, I thought for a moment and then said that I was interested in how time had left its mark on these buildings, altering them and writing their history.

The man nodded. "There is a lot of history around here," he said. "I cut down the weeds the other day. There is nobody to take care of the place anymore."

*RIED *HIC*EN

Port Gibson, Mississippi

217 Walnut Street

Port Gibson, Mississippi 

"My mother once said to me, 'Son, everybody is going to think Alabama is a rusted, worn-out, bullet-ridden place, based on your work.' It is said that Greensboro, the county seat of Hale County, possesses more antebellum homes for its size than any other little town in the South. But for me they're almost too accessible, too ready-made for making a picture of them. I was always attracted by the warped shapes of the rustic, smaller buildings and houses—the way they had been molded, altered by time."

William Christenberry from his 2008 book Working From Memory.

Cultural Crossroads

Port Gibson, Mississippi 

The H. FRISHMAN sign on the building advertises Red Goose Shoes which were made during the first half of the 20th century. Red Goose Shoes were discontinued around 1950.

2014

Port Gibson, Mississippi 

Out with the old; in with the new. Hope you had a safe and happy New Year's celebration.

With the arrival of the new year we have changed the look of Photography In Place to what I hope is a cleaner and easier to read format. Most everything should work as it has in the past, but if you run into any trouble navigating or find something that does not work correctly, please leave a comment and let me know.

Also, we will be going back to the five day a week posting schedule, with a new post appearing at 7:00 each morning, Monday through Friday with an occasional weekend post.

Thanks for reading Photography In Place, and I hope you will visit often in 2014.