Five

I had a few hours to myself Sunday morning before my second NAJA meeting of the weekend started, so I traipsed around to all the cool little towns for some photos while I was in the Mississippi Delta.  I love this one, which was actually taken of my reflection in a storefront window that had a gold mirrored tint to it.  B.B. King smiling over my shoulder is a bonus!  I love the Delta for its gritty enthusiasm for life!

I have always wanted to find Po Monkey's Lounge in Merigold, Mississippi, and on Sunday morning it was easy to find.  This is supposedly one of the last of the real "Juke Joints" of the Mississippi Delta, out in the middle of a cotton field north of Cleveland.  There was nobody around, even though you could tell Saturday night had been a good one, so I got to shoot some photos without anybody knowing I was there.  Just me and a cat...

The signs are awesome!  I just wish I hadn't crossed my arms like I was in a straight-jacket.  It doesn't fit the mood of the joint at all. I hope to go back someday and take more relaxed photos and hopefully run into the owner, who hangs out regularly.

Leland, MS, is a tiny town, but one rich in Delta Blues history.  There is a Highway 61 Blues Museum there, but it wasn't open on Sunday.  All of the old brick storefronts are covered with murals of famous Delta Blues musicians like this one of Son Thomas, my favorite (right), and B.B. King.

The Greenville Garden Club has curated a cypress preserve near the Mississippi River and I enjoyed walking the trail there and taking some shots among the beautiful cypress trees.  Unfortunately, the weather was not good, so the light was not as strong as I had hoped for. I'll go back to Greenville for another meeting in February and hope to take some more shots in the cypress preserve then.

Another favorite spot of mine is McCarty Pottery.  The store was closed while I was there but I took some photos in the bamboo out front.  I edited this one to go with the Love Life pink breast cancer awareness t-shirt I had on...I know it's strange, but I like it.