Quail Hollow

The Quail Hollow Golf Course is actually in McComb, MS which is near the Louisiana border. We recently played there when our friends from Germany were here. It was a very beautiful course and we all enjoyed it immensely. I have a feeling we'll be back with other golfing friends and family!

Friday the 13th!

For Friday the 13th, I thought I would chose a spooky subject! This angel is guarding her charges carefully.

It's funny in the US people see the 13th as an unlucky day when bad things will happen. In Europe it's quite the opposite! For example, lottery ticket sales always spike on Friday the 13th. I suppose my husband and I will be participating here in Berlin!

Newk's

Newk's is a good place for a quick, but filling lunch. They have the best salads and there are even vegetarian options on the menu! I like to use them when we have catered meetings at work. They provide lunch boxes with all the fixings, including a delicious brownie (without nuts) for dessert.

There are a few different locations around town, but this is the original. Nothing beats Newk's!

Inside Lemuria Books

Here is a small peek inside Lemuria Books. The small outcrop I visited this weekend actually hosts rare editions and first runs. Most of them are signed and some are even pre-print versions for proofreading purposes.

The walls are lined with bookshelves and there is a small stage where they sometimes have live music or poetry readings. So, if you know anyone out there looking for a rare book, take a look at lemuria.com.

I am going to be out of town for about 10 days. My husband and I are heading to Berlin for some quality time with the MiL and our friends. I've scheduled some posts for while I'm gone since I'm not sure if I'll have reliable access to the Internet while I'm across the pond. Hope you will enjoy!

Lemuria Books

Lemuria is one of the few local bookshops left in this world being taken over by Barnes & Noble and Borders. Lemuria has two branches, one in the nearby Banner Hall and this smaller outcrop. I'll give you a look inside tomorrow.


I stopped by on Saturday morning for auditions for the Mississippi Murder Mysteries group. I just found out yesterday that I'm in!! It's all very melodramatic and a bit silly, but I think it will be fun. And it pays, even if only minimally.

New License Plate

When I first moved here I tried to Halcyon as my plate, but that was already taken so I compromised with Halcion.

We recently got new license plates. I really liked the old one with the magnolia better. I'm not sure what a lighthouse has to do with Mississippi. The only positive is the colors go with my car better (it's a blue Beetle)!

I'm not sure if I should change my profile photo or not, any thoughts?

All Aboard!

I recently took the train from New Orleans back to Jackson. The train was quite comfortable and you can't beat the price - $22 for a one-way ticket. Perhaps I'll have to take the train to New Orleans one of these days!

PS: Amtrak also goes to Memphis!

Skywatch Friday: Dragonfly

Another reflective shot for skywatch Friday. This little guy was enjoying the sunny day as much as I was!

Click on the logo to see some other skies around the world.

New Orleans Most Powerful Drink

I was in the Big Easy last week and, of course, I spent my evening on Bourbon Street. I have had a handgrenade before and it is actually quite a tasty drink. I think that is where the danger lies! Sadly, none of our German friends wanted to try one. I think they were deterred by the advertisement of it being the city's most powerful drink. I did get them to do a jello shot though!

The regularly scheduled photos of Jackson will resume tomorrow.

Welcome Home!

The men and women of the 113th batallion received a warm welcome home from Siemens employees yesterday morning. The 113th is a National Guard Military Police Unit. These soldiers were coming back from their third tour of duty in Iraq.

They drove down highway 49 on their way to a tickertape parade in Pearl. About 30 of us went out to show our support. Although I am anti-war (especially this war) and not particularly patriotic, I do feel we should show our thanks to the people who willingly sign up for the Armed Services.

Here's a short video of the procession which included a police escort and the Harley guys who ride for veterans.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

I could not resist!

Mockingbird

I saw this young mockingbird one morning in one of the bushes at the entrance of my house. I couldn't tell if he was alive or not since he didn't move at all. That evening, I came home and he was gone. I figured he either got eaten by a neighborhood cat or was able to fly back up to his nest.

A few days later I was working in the garden and I saw him hoping across the grass. It seems he's not a very good flier and he only managed to hide in one of my bushes again. He spent the afternoon calling to the other mockingbirds to come help him. I guess they finally did because later that evening he was gone. I haven't seen him since, but his flying skills (or lack thereof) lead me to believe he won't be long for this world.

June Theme Day: My Corner Shop

Sometimes I find it difficult to find a suitable subject for the CDP theme days, not so with this one! I knew right away that Steven's Golf Shop would be my choice.

This shop is literally around the corner from where I live, and my husband and I probably spend more time here than any other shop in the area. Over time we've gotten to know both Steve and the others who work there. They are always friendly and now even know us by name. Steve's is locally owned and operated and I usually try to find what I need here before going to Edwin Watts. I'd much rather my money goes to a real person rather than a corporation.

Take a look at the other cities around the world participating in today's theme day!

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey by afyonblog, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by Digger, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Evry, France by Olivier, Folkestone, UK by Clare Unsworth, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gainesville (FL), USA by Leah, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hangzhou, China by Chanin, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Jogja Portrait, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Los Angeles (CA), USA by Martha Perez, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Misawa, Japan by misawa mama, Monroe (GA), USA by Tanya, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montego Bay, Jamaica by Ann, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Magiceye, Nancy, France by yoshi, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by • Eliane •, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Oslo, Norway by Lothiane, Owasso (OK), USA by Jennifer, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Perth, Australia by Elevation7, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea by Jules, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Fotos. Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, San Francisco (CA), USA by Louis la Vache, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Seoul, South Korea by Phil, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torino, Italy by Fabrizio, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Urayasu, Japan by Zono, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn

Amtrak

We recently had some visitors from Germany who came to play the annual "Gentleman's Cup" with my husband. We all drove down to New Orleans together on Sunday morning and spent an evening enjoying Bourbon Street and all it has to offer.

The gentlemen went on to Alabama to play the Robert Trent Jones golf trail and I came back to Jackson on the train. It was quite fun. Although the speed of Amtrak is in no way comparable with the TGV trains in France, the seats are quite roomy and comfortable. And a one-way ticket only cost $22 - a real bargain considering the price of gas these days!

Skywatch Friday: Reflections

A reflective look at the blue, Mississippi sky from the lovely hole.

Please check out some of the other skies around the world participating in today's skywatch.

Lily

I just love flowers. These are some lilies I spotted a few days ago. I couldn't decide which one I like best, so I'm sharing all three. Which one is your favorite?

Tranquil Setting

This setting looks so peaceful. I can just imagine bringing a sandwich and a tall iced tea out here for a nice picnic lunch. Perhaps I will have to do just that one of these days!

Field of Flowers

I'm not exactly sure what kind of flowers these are, but I believe they are some kind of coneflower. If anyone has an idea, let me know. They were certainly pretty. And they seemed to attract lots of birds and butterflies. Maybe I need some for my yard!

Fruit Stand

Our local fruit stand is back in business! They moved out of their outdoor stand and into a permanent structure that was erected over the winter. Now they're well-stocked with lovely fruits, vegetables and flowers. I couldn't resist a basket of these juicy red tomatoes. They made an excellent addition to our evening salad. Yum!!!

Medgar Evers

Medgar Evers was a leader of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. He was a WWII veteran and a graduate of Alcorn State University (a traditionally black school) with a degree in Business Administration. He first made history when he applied to law school at the University of Mississippi (better known as Ole Miss) and was turned down based on the color of his skin.

He became a vocal champion of equal education opportunities for blacks and worked within the ranks of the NAACP to desegregate Mississippi's universities. Unfortunately, his work was not appreciated by all Mississippians and he was gunned down in front of his home on June 12, 1963. His killer, Byron de la Beckwith, went unpunished until until 1994 when new evidence brought the case back into the court. He was sentenced to life in prison and died in 2001. The case is chronicled in the movie, The Ghosts of Mississippi.

Being one of Mississippi's most prominent citizens, Jackson's airport bears his name. These photos come from a wing of the airport which pays tribute to both Evers and other Civil Rights leaders and the work they did.

Workin' at the Carwash Yeah!

The hot, sunny weather we've been having lately is perfect for taking a spin through the car wash. The Lighthouse car wash is on highway 49, just a few minutes from where I work.

I never understood why in France they wanted you to get out of the car when it went through the wash. I think staying inside and watching all those swirly things work is the most fun part! The structure of the Lighthouse is also transparent, which is extra fun!

Motorcyle Procession

There was a huge line of Harleys out on I-55 yesterday. I just happened to catch a bit of it as I drove home from work. The whole procession was really impressive, my camera-phone photo really does not do it justice!

The parade started with police from each of the different cities that make up the Jackson metro area and then continued with private bikers. I believe this is part of a national bike-a-thon or something, but I couldn't find any further info online. If anyone knows something about it, leave a comment in the box.

Keifer's

This photo was taken on the terrace of the now-famous Keifer's. I used a slow shutter speed and moved the camera to make the lights look circle-y. I'll try to get a better picture of the actual restaurant next time.

Bird Feeder

Thanks to fellow bloggers Abe and Dan, I've finally found the secret to attracting feathered friends to my backyard. I bought a double-sided shepherd's hook and a bird feeder filled with sunflower seeds and... voila the birds flocked to my backyard!

This morning I saw a beautiful red cardinal, a giant woodpecker, several mockingbirds, finches, sparrows... and this brother that I cannot identify. If anyone knows what kind of birdie this is, please let me know. Get ready for more bird photos to come. I may even have to buy a new camera to do the little guys justice.

Skywatch: Colonial Golf Club

This picture was taken this afternoon at the Colonial Golf Course. My husband and I are officially new members!

The sky was really weird today. At times it seemed like it would rain and then the sun would come out. This was a sunny moment, although the picture came out a little dark.

Check out some of the other skies around the world participating in skywatch.

Jerusalem Cafe

I love Mediterranean food, although I find it confusing when some people around here call hummus and felafel Greek.

When we first arrived in Jackson, one of my husband's co-workers offered to show us around town. Our first stop was his favorite bar - the hotel bar at the Hilton on County Line Road, not even a downtown hotel. They had live music with an Eric Clapton cover artist. Both my husband and I agreed, it was not an auspicious start!

After a few drinks, and plenty of conversation about himself, he said he wanted to take us to a great little Greek place. That did not sound promising to me, when I think of Greek food, roasted goat comes to mind. The food actually turned out to be the highlight of our evening. We stopped by Keifer's, a well-known hangout for students from Millsap's College. They have great hummus and felafel and lots of other Mediterranean stuff.

In any case, I had a craving for some baba ganouj a few days ago and decided to test the Jerusalem Cafe with a friend of mine. It was a bust - Keifer's has my business from now on!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

This is a sampling of the different veggies and flowers I've planted. I've also planted quite a few bulbs - fresias, sparaxis... So far, nothing has come up. But I'm hoping something will soon. We have visitors from Germany set to arrive next week and I'd like to have some colorful flowers to greet them with!

Bye Bye Birdie!

My husband and I finally made the decision to change golf clubs. Although we are still members at Bay Pointe until the end of the month, we've probably played our last round there.

During our last round, we saw this blue heron. I think she wanted to say good-bye, or maybe, so long and thanks for all the fish.

Sunning Turtles

If you look closely, you'll see a line of turtles on the floating log. I often see them crowding onto the log to get some sun. They seem to be pretty good about sharing the space though.

Purple Vibrations

New Vibrations is one of those cute boutiques that line State Street as it runs through the Fondren District. It's locally owned and operated. They have lots of neat gifts and handmade jewelry. If you look closely, you'll even see the flower pot with the fake birds!