Black and white and shades of gray...revisited

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Picking up from the "to be continued" notation at the end of my last blog entry...

As one of my friends and fellow blogger Chip "Rocket Man" Allen, commented on my previous entry, "winter or when the skies are overcast, just beg for monochrome".  Well, I wholeheartedly agree.  However, I've shared the shots in previous entry, and the one below, in black and white and shades of gray for a couple of different reasons.

The first is because in thinking about people, human nature, community and our abilities to love, despise or live in a state of ambivalence, as with so many things in life, it comes down to the choices we make.  We can look at and focus on what's black and white.  Meaning what happens to be right in front of our faces.  What we look at, but not necessary see.  The obvious, and/or what we think (or assume) we know about someone.  And, sadly, quite often, that's it.  We go no further. 

In communities, those of shades gray can bring people together with the same or similar passions and goals, to make things happen.  Even in the midst of differing opinions with shared passions and goals people can come to a place of working together in harmony, rather than against each other.  In fact, those differing opinions can actually translate to a better version of the bigger picture.  Goals and projects can be completed so much more efficiently and expediently when such harmony exists.  However, when it doesn't, attitudes and negativity rules.  Passions can become but a flicker.  Or, at worst, dashed altogether.  While common goals go unmet and projects unfinished.  Or, finished "in spite of", so some of the joy of achievement is lost.

Am I pointing fingers at Hamlet?  No, not really.  Unfortunately, this happens everyday, everywhere, in our homes, in our churches, in our businesses, all across the USA.  But, I do believe smaller localities feel it because so many people know each other.  Or, know of each other.  Or, think they know each other.  And so much is at stake.  I bring it up here because the name for this blog is All Aboard Hamlet for a reason. 

I've mused about the blacks and whites and shades of gray for days and days now.  So much so, I could probably write about it for hours and hours.  I shall spare you, though!
 
What it boils down to is that it's the black and white "things" of this world that can simply either bring us together, or separate us.  Yet, beneath the surface view, within the various shades of gray is where "the stuff" that can form true bonds can be discovered and forged.  Rather than resentments and animosities fostered.  It's the area where our differences can be overtaken by positives and mutual understandings.  Even when the understanding happens to be to agree to disagree.  The shades of gray are home to the common ground(s) where life long relationships can be created, or a single moment of perfect understanding between people can be found.  And yes, within the shades of gray are the places where adversity can melt away into diversity.  It's where the stark contrasts aren't seen as negatives, but compliment each other as positives.  It all depends on the way we choose to see things. 

How does this translate to photography?  Or, vice versa?  Or, maybe better said, it's how did Jeanne get into this groove?  Well, I've always been a people person and an observer of people as far back as I can remember.  Then, even more so after spending eleven years in my former career interviewing countless people from all walks of life for my old employer.  But, in *this* case, I believe God reminded me of things I already knew using a few of my photos.  It's just amazing how that happens.  

For some it may be an easy jump to get, for others, a leap...

In looking at black and white photography, immediately you're aware that there is more to the picture.  Of course, your mind registers the most obvious... it's missing color, but is it really missing anything else?  Or, does it actually give you more of the picture?  Do the blacks and whites and shades of gray pull you into the photograph deeper than a color version would?  Does it capture your imagination?  Without the grays sewing the photograph together, could you even see the black and white portions clearly?

Or, does a color photograph give you a clearer picture? 

With me a black and white scenic photo can pull me in more than color version does because it actually captures more of my interest.  The same holds truth with most black and photos and me regardless of the subject matter.  My eyes stop at the surface with color photos, so I've learned to take time to discover and see each detail, way beyond just looking at the photo.  During the process in my mind, I'm describing each detail to myself.  (This is just one of the little things I do to help rewire my brain from the effects of misfires and seizures.)  With black and white, I automatically see the depth and beyond.  That's just me, though.  Also, the photos I chose to share are a variety of "vanilla" shots.  Nothing super striking, however, I did find the black and white versions of the ancient trees were a bit Sleepy Hollow-ish and a little scary.

No, truly this isn't a lesson on interpreting black and white vs. color photography.  But, my choice to share a few of my shots of the recent ice and snow in  Main Street Park in black and white and shades of gray, surely got my mind to thinking.  And I believe God seized opportunity to open my eyes a little wider.  What about yours?

Now, for the second reason I chose to share my shots in black and white and shades of gray.  Trust, me this is super short!  I was playing with my camera settings in an attempt to deal with the reflections and brightness of the sunlight that morning against the ice and snow in some of the photos I snapped.  Unfortunately, I wasn't thrilled with the results at all.  Honestly, I felt like kicking myself, because who knows when Main Street Park will be so beautifully draped in ice and snow again.  However, once I added a simple black and white effect, I found those particular photos more to my liking.  Normally, I'm not really into effects much at all, but this time, the effects caused me to reflect deeper and much further than a simple photograph would normally take me.  In the color counterparts, I couldn't get past what I was looking at to see what God had for me in the black and whites with shades of gray.  What an effect!

Me thinks Mr. Thoreau certainly knew what he was talking about...  

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see."  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Black and white and shades of gray...

Well, it's been about seven weeks since my last blog entry here on All Aboard Hamlet. True, that's a long time to go without an entry, however, for the purposes of this blog, I'm striving not to duplicate content that one can read in the Daily Journal.  Reporter, Hollie Nivens has been doing a nice job keeping up with all of the happenings and news in Hamlet.  Also, there are several avenues available for locals and once locals, and interested parties to read about main stream happenings in Hamlet, as well as view photos, too, such as OURHAMLET.org.

In a way these seven weeks have blown by in a flash. From the Christmas Tree Lighting in Main Street Park, to Hamlet's Christmas parade, to Hamlet's Old Fashioned Christmas festivities up and down Hamlet Avenue and Main Street on the evenings of December 10th & 11th, to the actual Christmas and New Year's holidays, it's been a busy time for the community of Hamlet.  It's been a busy time for me, and I suspect the same is true of you!  Add the gorgeous day late white Christmas, followed by Hamlet born author, Jody Meacham's Through the Heart of the South book signing event at the Hamlet Historic Depot & Museum the evening of December 27th, the days have just clicked on by!  And, between then and now, a great deal has been happening in my family.  The most difficult has been the recent loss of my last living uncle back home in Virginia, which has hit all of my family with heart string ties to Hamlet very hard.  I have such fond memories of him.  In fact, several trips I made to Hamlet as a little kid was with he, my aunt and my cousin.  My next post on Project Rewire will be about him, so as I've been writing this in my mind, I'm also thinking a about him, too.  He enjoyed hearing and reading what was happening in Hamlet.  He loved trains and railroad stories like all of us do in my family.  He also read my entries here, so, admittedly, it hurts a little for me to be here.  I liken it to walking into a room and someone's special chair now sits empty. 

Anyway... add another snowy weather event partnered up with ice this past week, time, thankfully, seemed to stop for a couple of days.  Personally, it was a very welcome inclement weather situation as it gave me time to play hooky from life during special walks through the icy forest nearby my home with my husband on Monday and Tuesday.  We couldn't wait to get outside to experience the beautiful winter wonderland first hand.  It also gave me some blank spots in my days to catch up on other stuff, too.  So, I'm finally at the place where I can focus on my blogs again. 

Here, on All Aboard Hamlet, I have several upcoming posts planned already.  Lately, I've been devoting a lot of thought to "community" in respects to shared common ground and possible bonds that could be fostered as a result of that shared ground.  I've been appreciating the changes I see happening on Main Street Hamlet, and even new Hamlet focused Pages on Facebook.  And it may sound silly, but I've pondering black and white and shades of gray.  How so?  Well, in photography and how I see the things that make you and I, you and I.  How the shades of gray are the areas where our common bonds can be found. I'll elaborate in my next post...

But, for right now, I want you to take a walk with me through Main Street Park in black and white and shades of gray.  Once the roads in our neighborhood became passable last week, my husband and I headed to the Depot.  I already knew I'd missed taking the photos I would have so loved to take of the Depot itself, but I had an inkling Main Street Park would make up for it.  It truly did.  It was like being the midst of an ice castle with the sky for a ceiling and fencing, instead of walls.

(To me, black and white photography isn't necessarily without true color.  It's all about one's imagination and in viewing color photos vs. black and white, with color the eye sees the image first, where in black and white, your heart does.  The emotion that can be provoked, or illustrated in black and white and the all important shades of gray can pale a color version of the same shot if you see them side by side.  Black and white shots are poetic stills, where colored shots vividly portray their subjects. It may just be me, but I believe black and white shots are more timeless.  They certainly capture a part of me, color doesn't. What about you?  As you view the shots below, think about it...) 

We had the most lovely walk through Main Street Park amidst the snow and ice. It was so icy, my husband had to keep a tight grip on me to keep me from falling.  I almost wiped out several times, but fortunately, either my husband, or I caught myself.  We saw one man fall three times.  Poor guy.  He was there with the love of his life, and we were thrilled he didn't take her down, too.  To say it was beautiful, is an understatement.  It was just breathtaking the way the ice covered and molded to everything.  It shimmered and glistened in the sunlight so perfectly, I could have cared less if the trees ever leafed out again.  The sky was a gorgeous blue, but the reflection off the snow mingled with the brilliant morning sunlight made it so incredibly bright, there were times I couldn't see through my camera's view finder.  There were times, I couldn't see at all.  Yep, I was blinded by the light!  We could hear the sounds of the ice cracking as we walked, well, stomped to maintain our balance. We could hear the birds, and a brisk whooshing of the wind through the trees and stark areas. It was refreshing, exhilarating, and the icy air felt so clean.  Like a blast of healthy!

The ancient trees were magnificent. I found myself wondering how many ice and snow storms they'd weathered and how many people they've enjoyed seeing stroll by them. And how many trains either carrying passengers on a journey, or goods to keep our nation's stock piles of whatever filled go by them.  And how much of Hamlet's history they've witnessed, but are keeping to themselves like secrets. What about the younger specimen trees planted around the park?  What are they learning about people as they listen in and observe them as they stand silently?

Although I always find Main Street Park wonderful, it's the views from within it in all directions that always seem to be the most intriguing and appealing to me.

To be continued...

Hurrying up Old Man Winter in the header...

Or, I could as easily title this entry the hidden meaning, behind the header...

I've been toying with the idea of creating a festive holiday spirited header with various images I've taken over the past couple of years in the Hamlet area.  But, I've thought better about it.  The holidays for me, even though I never ever forget the reason for the season, meaning celebrating Christ's, our savior's birth, admittedly, are an up and down time for me.  I miss my loved ones.  Those in heaven, and in various places across the country.  I always miss them, but over the holidays, the missing is jacked up quite a few notches.

It's an up and down time for many people I know.  And right now, several of my family members and friends are going through various challenges.  On my end, my mother remains in extremely fragile health.  Thank the Lord, the key word in the previous sentence is "remains".  She's still here on earth, yet, she's been on a steady decline since we lost my dad in 2006.  The past two weeks have been extra difficult for her.  Fortunately, she's a praying and faith believing woman.  She's in God's hands.  Both my husband and I know this, however, we can't help but wring our hands over her condition.

Why am I sharing such personal stuff on this blog?  Well, it's important for my readers locally to get to know me.  In time, I'll share more and some readers may very well realize they crossed paths with me in the past. 

What does this have to do with my blog header change?  You'll see.  Yet, you may have to connect the dots.  It's only the temperatures I don't care for at all during the winters months.  Winter can be harsh, but there's a special softness to it, too -- if you're in tune to it.  I like snow and as much as I complain about being cold throughout the winter months.  Unless we're buried in a blizzard, snow makes me very... very... very... happy.  I also adore winter skies.  Gray fluffy clouds mingled with pastel hues never fail to make me smile.  Winter sunrises and sunsets are practically everyday treats to anticipate, savor and enjoy.  In spite of the shivers, and teeth chattering moments, I find it all can be strikingly beautiful in contrast to the other seasons depending on my perspective.
 
The images in the header are reflected below...

On a cold day a train with flat bed open rusty rail cars traveling the east track heading out of Hamlet was a special sight late last fall.  Against a pinky lavender sky with a special heart warming glow below the coolness, can be magical ingredients.  Don't you agree?

A rail road signal sign with the silhouetted image of a favorite tree during the a late winter to fall dusk was as refreshing a spring day.  The signal was a sign for me to stop and take in the beauty of the moment.  Does that make sense to you?  If it doesn't, the trick is to stop for a moment to breath in such moments silently.  The Word says... "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

The Hamlet Historic Depot & Hamlet Crossing during even a scant snow was a beautiful sight for sore eyes.  How about to about you?  I was actually surprised to find no one there to take pictures of the snow at the Depot that day besides my husband I.  Ours were the first foot prints in the snow, though.  What fun it was! 

So, what better way to portray the coming winter months on this blog than to create a superimposed collage of the three photos above.  Three wonderful chilly to icy, but heartwarming memories.  And you know what?  The drear of winter is actually easier on my eyes, than bright and dappling sunlight happens to be.  Yes, even for a beach girl like me.  It's why I gravitate toward dawn and dusk skies.  This is a fact I didn't realize until writing this entry.  Geez, the surprising tidbits we can learn about ourselves sometimes. :)    

Just fyi... soon, I'll be taking the Facebook component to All Aboard Hamlet live.  That will be a way of bringing the blog to more locals, in an effort to help you to get to know me within the community better.  

Also, I'll be adding static links to Hamlet businesses and/or websites and entities with heart string ties to Hamlet.  If you're interested in being linked up, do let me know!

Lastly, did you happen to catch the hidden meaning behind the new header?  If not, you'll find it above in italics.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  The message in italics isn't just for me, it's for many of you, whether you sense it right away, or not.  Several of you have suffered a variety of hurts recently.  Hurts you've shared with me, personally.  Hurts you'll take into the holiday season with you.  It's during those times to help the coping process, consider stepping back from your life for a moment.  Yes, while you're living it.  God knows what you're going through. Just as He knows what's going with me.  

I've had issues with being able to read the Bible, or any book since Epilepsy entered my life.  There's just a crazy disconnect, which is one reason I write in my blogs, and elsewhere, to help those areas in my brain work as they were designed to again.  But, I can hang on to scriptures.  My mantra, as I've mentioned in this blog and Project Rewire, is push past and through, push past and through.  In order to do that, it requires not action on my part, but stillness.  Think about it.  It may be the same for you.    

Autumn vividly signals transitions & changes both nature & manmade...

;

Autumn signals many changes.  We've already turned the clocks back from "fast time" as my grandmother Holland used to call it, even though she never turned her clocks back.  She said she'd had enough of that during WWII, and she stuck to it!

In Hamlet Autumn means the Seaboard Festival for townspeople and for visitors from all around.  It also means the colors of the season's change can be seen up and down the old side streets vividly and in places like Main Street Park.

Toward the end of Autumn after the Seaboard Festival, there's a little bit of a lull while shades of yellow, orange, gold and red appear on the trees and leaves begin to delicately fall, before they're either raked, bagged and taken away.  Or, returned to the earth as Mother Nature's natural mulching material.  Once the color peak becomes a thing of the past, and more leaves are on the ground, than on trees, Hamlet begins preparing for the upcoming Holidays.

The transition doesn't really happen overnight if you're frequently in the area, but if you aren't it surely may seem like it.  Even old timer trees get into the act in prepping for the holidays by allowing Mistletoe to adorn their upper limbs.  They want to make sure everyone gets kissed during the Christmas season.

Up above, banners that line the streets signaling events, holidays and season changes are in the midst of transition, too, to reflect greetings for the season.  And giant soon to be lighted snowflakes sit on the ground waiting for a quick boost up from city workers.  They'll softly light up the streets for the holidays with a certain type of warmth and old timey charm one can only find in small town America cities, like in Richmond County, NC.

I believe of all of the seasons, as Autumn begins to roll in the changes it brings to the naked eye are more obvious, than Winter, Spring or Summer.  As the leaves begin to fall, and breezes kick it up a few notches, we know what's ahead for us.  Yet, we're stuck kind of in between Summer, Autumn and Winter with the way the temps swing to and fro in the Sandhills.  Often, there are 40 degree differences from dawn until dusk.  That's like three seasons in a single day.  Some trees stand leafless, while others either hold tight to the few leaves they have left, or their foliage as long as they can with merely a flag pole in between them.

They know it's going to turn cold, just like we do.  The difference, they undress for it, while we bundle up.  Now, ponder that one for a few!   For warm weather lovin' people like me, we actually begin to brace ourselves for the icy temps and the dreary weather.  For me it means some extra pain in my head and throughout my body, but whatever.  It's part of my life now.  I don't like it, but it's the way it is, that's why I do everything I can to distract myself every waking moment of every day.  At the first sign of cool temps, I begin layering my attire, even inside my home.  My homemade iced lattés become steaming hot yummy concoctions to warm myself inside out, inside my home.  Pots of delicious hot tea made from my husband's and my favorite loose teas become must haves, frequently.  I begin switching from showers to hot baths to warm my forever cold feet and hands when nothing else will.  As leaves begin to fall, they begin showing up inside my home with the help of my four rescue Springers (and my husband).  So, with Autumn I find I must tap into my hope reservoir and remind myself that it will get warm again even though the deciduous trees are preparing to hibernate by dropping their leaves.  I keep in mind that we're just in transition and remember how easy it is to find beauty in the imperfections.  During the colder weather that means skies filled with a variety of clouds, and sundogs are apt to pop out at random during icy feeling late afternoons.  I find myself actually looking forward to taking pictures of my favorite sleeping trees, as I affectionately call my tree friends.  I find myself hoping and anticipating lavender, pink and red sky sunrises, and sunsets on cold days, that are so refreshing and renewing to my spirit that they have the ability to warm my heart and soul.  Sky views that only come along with winter.  I begin praying for a few pretty snows, too.  Nothing significant, just enough to  blanket the ground with fun white stuff for kids and critters young and old to enjoy.  And, I know that no matter how cold or icky it gets, a splendor of fresh flower blossoms and delightful fragrances are ahead as Spring rolls in and becomes Summer.

During Autumn I have some special places in Richmond County that call me each year.  One of these places is very nearby me.  So close, I can actually walk to it.  Two are in Rockingham -- the Historic area, and Hinson Lake.  One big favorite, I just featured in my other blog, Project Rewire.  To see an amazing yellowish gold sight, considering clicking "here" to take a quick peek.  The fourth, of course, is Main Street - Hamlet and the Depot area.  The colors aren't as vibrant as in years past, in my opinion, and when I look back through photos, but nonetheless, they're still pretty to me.

 

In strolling around the area, I still see beauty in the imperfections all around, however, it does hurt just a pinch to see how the frost turned the Kudzu lace upon my old telephone crosses into a vine.  It reminds me of the thorns Christ wore on Calvary, even though there are no thorns.  Again, I keep the image of Spring in mind when the green returns to prove God's plan for the cycle of the seasons was the perfect way to go!

Man made transition is so apparent up and down Main Street.  The rehabilitation of several buildings has now taken place and it's so good for the hearts of those who live in, or have heart ties to Hamlet, like me.  The changes have taken what were practically eyesores, to literally stunning joys to behold.  Particularly, when you can see the contrast right before you, as I can via photos I've taken over the past couple of years.

When I began this blog, I shared some photos of the Lackey Building, but there's many more in my stash.  I also held back pictures of Main Street Central because it was in the transition process.  Plus, the photos showed a building of yesteryear, sadly fallen into disrepair.  The aerial above, doesn't show it all, thankfully, but it shows enough to give you an idea of the way it was before it was given a new life by Nancy Rivers.

Even though, I've not talked with her personally, nor do I know her, she obviously saw that it was high time for a change.  That the old anchor building on the corner, needed some badly TLC hands on care to bring it back to it's attractiveness of decades long since passed.

Talk about another amazing transition!  The work Nancy has done, is nothing short of a miracle!  It's gone from being a place a person couldn't get by fast enough, to quite welcoming.

I mean really, what could look more comfy and welcoming than seeing this entry way along Main Street Hamlet?

I've yet to get a chance to see the interior, but I've stood and just to admire it a couple of times now.  In fact, day before yesterday I had to take package to the Post Office for mailing.  As I often do, I went to the Hamlet Post Office.  Yes, it's a nostalgia thing.  I get to walk up the steps and through the doors like I did as a little girl with my granddaddy to retrieve mail from Box 128.  I took this little trip on my own since my husband was working.  These days, I don't get behind the wheel of a car very often.  So, it's a big treat to go off on my own even for simple errands.  Of course, I had my handy dandy point 'n shoot camera with me, because I'd planned on taking a few shots of Main Street Central while in Hamlet.  Standing there soaking in Nancy's handiwork from the Happy Holidays way she has the porch decorated, to the paint scheme, truly was the cherry on the top of my day.  

I looked at the building closely and the hard work that's so easy to see from the outside and appreciated it for several minutes.  To say it's night and day, is an understatement.  It's like a breath of fresh air on that corner now, compared to what always struck me, and others, as sadness and despair for too many years.  I hope to go back soon during the Christmas season to take a collection of photos with my Nikon, and perhaps, get a peek inside the place.

Now for a few comments about this blog from the blogger...

Obviously, it's been almost a month since my last entry.  It's not that I haven't had thoughts, words and photos to share.  It's not that I haven't been compelled to share.  More or less, it's been a matter of holding myself back to give some further thought to this place -- my hopes for it, blended with reality.  And, to be honest, to give my Aunt Jane, the subject of my last entry, which was an open letter to her, some time to get set up with a new internet provider.  I didn't want that special post to get covered up by other entries, so she could easily discover it on her own as she rehabs from the stroke.

And... to be totally honest, I wanted to see if anyone would take me up on my offer to share photos from the Hamlet's Seaboard Festival.  But, no one approached me.  Has that bothered me?  Maybe a pinch, but it's not that I didn't expect it.  And, I'm not throwing off on anyone.  People need to get to know me, to trust me, and the vehicle for that is partially through this blog.  The non response from locals helped me to see that this particular blogging endeavor will be pretty much "my" thing, rather than a community driven blog as I'd hoped.  Not my original intentions, but changing directions "now" in my thought processes is an easy transition.  Down the road would set me up for possible disappointment.  Hopefully, in time people within the community will embrace All Aboard Hamlet, and climb on board by taking time to read and comment here and there.  Hopefully, in time people will get to know me and share their stories with me.  And, in time allow me to share there stories on All Aboard Hamlet, if they are uncomfortable sharing them themselves.  I don't claim to be a photographer, nor a writer, but I do enjoy sharing stories and memories.  I believe it's important for future generations in Hamlet and elsewhere to hear about "then" for several reasons.  One, so we can appreciate the contributions made in getting to  "now".  Two, so "now" as compared to "then" will become crystal clear.  Three, so we can understand how change and transition, although difficult at times, is necessary to bring about a better future.

I could go on and on with this train of thought, cementing it in various examples, but Autumn itself, illustrates it much better than my humble attempts via words ever could.  And what's one of the best things ever that Autumn has to offer?  Well, Thanksgiving, of course!  This year I'm especially grateful for having an opportunity to make a little bit of a difference at The Hamlet Historic Depot & Museum.  My husband and I both enjoy our volunteer gig there, and working with my partner, Dave on the website project has just been great.  I enjoy cyber networking to promote The Depot and all that comes with it, and Hamlet as town with a bright future.  I'm also especially grateful for some special new bonds I've made this past year with some of the town folk and the encouragement they've given to me.  As I walk up and down Main Street Hamlet, I'm thankful for all of the efforts a collective group of people in giving a good part of the street a much needed face lift.  The strides that have been made are both heart warming, touching and amazing.  Thank you from a person with heart string ties to Hamlet.

My best wishes to all for a blessed 2010 Thanksgiving!

Hamlet has some terrific events to enjoy locally ahead.  The ceremonial lighting of the Christmas Tree in Hamlet's Main Street Park this coming Monday, November 29th at 5:30 p.m. tops my list of my "Hamlet" must dos.  How about yours?

 

To see this lovely tree in it's glory, you must see it 

at night once it's lighted for the Christmas Season!

Hello to my dear, Aunt Jane...

An open letter of sorts, to my Aunt Jane, one of the special twins, the last two babies amongst my mother's 7 siblings.

Such memories I have of you, Aunt Jane...

I can't tell you all I want to share, because if I did, this entry would not have an ending.  So, instead of getting overly lengthy, like I most often do, I'm going to do my very best to keep it fashionably long enough not be to unsightly short sighted.  I'd say sweet, too, but since you are the epitome of sweetness, I fear my words would pale in comparison to what you exude naturally.  Nonetheless, my thoughts as I write this will be sincere and heartfelt, as if you were sitting here, right with me.

I'm going to be sharing a few aerial photos I shot very early one morning this past July when Steve and I were treated to a a wonderful ground fog while flying in our hot pink powered parachute.  We made a beeline to Hamlet that morning.  Needless to say, it's our favorite air venue around here.  The fog was glorious and provided some stunning natural effects to our flight.  And, consequently to my photos, too.  The air was fresh.  The winds were perfect and Hamlet very much was still nestled in from the night before.  The pictures will give you and other readers a perspective of the little town that mainly only the birds in residence get to enjoy.  Note, on photos without captions you can click them to make them larger.  The ones with captions won't enlarge, but I'm hoping the captions will serve as markers.

The fog didn't mask the beauty or charm of the little southern railroad "hamlet" as the sun beamed through it, but added to it.  Just like the challenges we women have faced in our family, the fogs that have rolled in to try to overtake us, didn't.  Although they have indeed left their mark.  And will again, our hearts remain in tact, just like Hamlet's has.  With each of we "Monroe girls", it's apparent we have southern roots intermingling with our individual life experiences that are very much demonstrated in our personalities and reflected in our drive to put one foot in front of the other.  As well, as in our thoughts and/or opinions about what is appropriate, and what is not.

In essence, our foundation is still very much alive and well in the very cores of each of us.  This is regardless of the obstacles we've chosen to push through and past.  Rather than allow them to win over.  Again, similar to Hamlet.
 

Flying west toward what was once the Monroe's...

So, thank you, dear Aunt Jane,  so very very much for calling to tell me that you'd read "this" blog.  Of course, it inspired me to write to you here so readers will have a better understanding of my heartstring ties to Hamlet.  What a surprise it was to hear you on the other end of Steve's cell phone last Friday.  You have no idea how encouraging it was for me to hear your praise.  And to hear your praises again as echoed through a phone call from my mother. To know you'll be following what's shared here, really touched me, too.  In doing so, you're on the other end, which meshes with my goal to be connected to all of my family members.  Know now, as I write and take photos to share here, you'll be on my mind and in my heart.  I'll not only be whetting my appetite for capturing images which reflect a desire to illustrate how beauty can been seen in the imperfections, but I'll look for special glimpses of true beauty to share with you in mind, too.  If you wonder why, it's because you are a reflection of true beauty, inside out.

A 1/2' below the Tinman water tower is where one
of the "sisters" called home before it burned...

You are also most assuredly a representative of the strength that lies within "we" Monroe girls.  A reference I made in my first post, just a week or so ago.  Without going into deep detail, I want my readers to know that you're recovering from stroke and haven't gotten the use of one of your hands back.  Nor, do you have full use of your "good" hand.  Yet, you have made miraculous strides over the months.  There's that amazing inner strength.  But, that's something all of "we Monroe" girls share in common. Personally, I can relate to your journey, as I've been on my own for several years now. Yet, that story for the most part will be kept to the confines of Project Rewire. What I'll share here is that in and of itself Project Rewire is my personal rehab tool, a tool I believe God inspired me to start two years ago to help me rewire my brain, literally.  So, to me, it's more than just a blog.  It's very much part of my journey on a road to healing.  It's a cyber keepsake of strides made and not made.  Much like you've been doing with your MacBook, progress has been made.  Even though sometimes it clashes with reality, do keep it up.  (Don't ever worry about not replying to emails or making written comments.  Dialing a phone is much easier and more personal, too.)

The memorial bricks are to the right of the top of the righthand "V"
where you see the white building...

Aunt Jane, that same strength that lies within you, is inside of me, most assuredly and I feel it every single day.  When things changed with me and I truly began to find my core self again on the tracks that run alongside the Hamlet Depot... the very tracks Granddaddy and Uncle Homer used to meet Mom and I on... I'd already visited the bricks laid in their honor by you and "the sisters".  Those simple memorial bricks were much like little stepping stones to me as I found my way to the tracks as dusk was about fall that day and memories from our family reunions came flooding back.  It was as if a wellspring rose up inside me that Autumn almost eve of day in 2008.  The "Monroe" girl quickly began working her way to the surface at the pace of a fast moving train down the tracks.

Whenever we saw the towers we knew the family was near. This
day they were awash in the bright July a.m. sunlight...

I want you to know, every single time I'm at the Hamlet Depot or walking along Main Street, or looking at the two Hamlet water towers, or go past the now vacant lot where your sister/my aunt here used to live, I think of you and all of "the sisters" and the female offspring in our family. My Grandmother Holland would have said we have "constitution". We surely do.

Not only did I receive positive feedback from you, Aunt Jane, about this blog, but I did from some other sources over the course of the weekend. One was a gentleman who sought me out on Saturday at the Depot where I was greeting Seaboard Festival guests to the museum.  He shared with me that his wife began having seizures a fews ago, but fortunately, she's been living seizure free thanks to Keppra.  An AED medication I failed, unfortunately.  Another was a beautiful lady who shared with me that she has actually been reading Project Rewire and mentioned my post about my dad.  I almost fell over because that's my "Father's Day" tribute to him.  She'd actually read that far back.  She also asked me for both Mom's and Grandmother's names.  That's when I decided to include Grandmother's vintage photo within this entry.  I'd already decided to share a poem here I'd written several years ago, that I've shared on Project Rewire, previously.  The words strung together pretty much sum up the females in our family.  The picture of Grandmother and the poem go hand in hand in my opinion and in and odd way tie to my feelings for Hamlet.  The way I see it in my spirit and from vintage photos I've glanced, and my view of it for the future.  Aunt Jane, you and your sisters are all over the poem, too...

Others reading this may wonder what does any of this entry have to do with All Aboard Hamlet?  In a nutshell, my grandparents, an uncle and an aunt chose to make Hamlet their home.  With that came family reunions and visits from as far away as Seattle and Texas where my Aunt Jane lives.  Our roots may not be "seeded" in Hamlet, but as a family with roots all over the U.S. we all have heartstring ties to it.  My parents eventually relocated to the Richmond County area after my dad retired.  Eventually, I made my way to the area, too. 

Aunt Jane, thanks again for the call!  We love you!  Just so you know ahead of time, I'll be closing this entry with the photo of Grandmother I sent to you a few Christmases ago.
 

~ The Beauty Beyond the Looking Glass ~

What lies beyond her looking glass

does truly a beauty make

'Tis not the mere beauty of her face

but a warmth inside her soul it takes

What lies behind her eyes that dream

so genuinely a beauty reveal

'Tis not the color, size, nor shape

but a reflection of true compassion she feels

What lies beneath her surface shows

the gifts each beauty knows

'Tis not the tiara or gossamer gown she wears

but her humor and intuition she shares

What lies inside her heart does tell

the secrets a beauty understands so well

'Tis not what she keeps to herself each day

but the hope and charity she gives away

What lies within her vibrant spirit glows

the enchanting charms of her inner beauty

'Tis not the jewels in her bracelet, ring or lavaliere

but the blessings of grace and trust she bestows

By
Jeanne Holland Newton

 Fannie Channell Monroe 

(Your mother, my grandmother -- no one knew years later she'd marry a Seaboard Airlines Railroad man & sleep with a gun under her pillow!)

A handful of "then" shots of the Lackey Building; a remnant of a once saloon...

 turned into a pharmacy...

The Lackey Building has been begging for attention. It now knows that its steadfast patience is paying off.  Soon, it will be totally restored with improvements to make it better than ever.  An investment that will benefit the owner and the community.  One of several which will indeed bring vitality and pride back to the close knit southern town.  What could be sweeter?

Some of the pics strike me as poignant for some reason.  I guess its the romantic in me thinking of days gone by before my time, when truly things were much much simpler.  It could also be because I'm such a pie lover!  Ha! 'Cause I sure would have loved to have a slice of homemade pie from way back when.  How about you?  And yes, for those of you who've caught on to it, I saw much beauty even in the areas that needed some serious hands on loving care.  All kinds of beauty.  But, to say I'm loving the new and improved version taking it back to its aesthetic glory of yesterday, is an understatement.   

Rather than sharing photos individually, I'm embedding a very quick slide show.  My original plans were to post an accompanying slide collection of "now" shots, too.  But, my hopes are for someone or someone(s) visiting the upcoming Seaboard Festival might just be inclined to snap a few pics to share here.  If not, be sure to look up at the fine detail work that's been done to re-create and restore missing pieces.  If you're anything like me, you'll find it all too too amazing! 

Note re. the period chalkboard like signage.  It was created for the movie Billy Bathgate, which was filmed in Hamlet and released in 1991.

Meet my friends, the charcoal wall and its buddy, the weed...

Picking up from my October 25, 2010 entry...
Below will be a few more illustrations of how I see beauty in the imperfections from Main Street Park.  For those of you who aren't local and may not know about Hamlet Crossing, it's the physical "X" railroad North, South, East & West crossroads directly in front of the HHD&M (Hamlet Historic Depot & Museum). 

Depending on the weather conditions -- blue skies to cloud cover.  Or, whether we have a front moving in or out.  Or, the time of day such as dawn, dusk, and in between, to long past midnight (if the Amtrak arrives late on its way to Florida) my glimpses of beauty aren't set in stone.  They are ever changing.  However, I do have some favorites that once they captured my attention, I was hooked.  And since, they've gone on to become captivating to me.  Meaning, I take photos of those things often.  I'm using the word "things" very loosely here.  There are certain trees that I take photos of seasonally and whenever Steve and I go down to the HHD&M simply to sit outside and watch and wait for trains to come by.  There's also a particular RR Crossing sign I'm quite fond of and the natural lighting effects upon it can change it from being washed in pastels to reflecting the sun right in my eyes.  Also, the Hamlet Crossing Equipment Building reflective abilities and position intrigue me.  Of course, my fave of all is my heart building, none other than the Depot itself.  And along with the Depot, the tracks running in each direction.  But, one thing that's probably the most unique and may seem curious to others that I could call a fave is the outer wall of the old falling down charcoal building behind the Tornado Building.  Or, perhaps better described as the Main Street Park perspective of what's left of that old building.  To me, it makes for a great back drop, or canvas.  Plus, I respect that it once had a life and gave people jobs.  It had visitors.  It maybe even had friends.  I study that building and look at how the lighting of the day plays upon it.  I study that building and look closely at the foliage, shrubs, and plants growing along its base.  I look at the tangle of vines on the south end of it, and the weeds growing on top of it.  Call me odd, but I actually like those weeds and am thankful they are out of reach for grounds maintenance care takers to remove them.

During the summer months there is a marvelous vine with vibrant orange flowers which attracts butterflies and dragonflies like crazy.  One afternoon the dragonfly population was so busy I hopped around like frog trying to snap as many photos as I could of them.  But, there is a lone weed standing sentry on top of the wall since I first began visiting Main Street Park frequently.  Seriously, God only knows how longs its been there.  It's there in fair weather and bad weather.  Except for it's top, it's roots are unmovable.  Boy, can't a lesson be learned from the weed right there?

I've watched my friend, the weed, bend to and fro in the wind.  I don't know, maybe it's roots are holding that wall together?  Ya think?  It's only a guess, because, much of the rest of that building, contrary to the buildings along Main Street, didn't hold tight.  Possibly, because it's been out of sight and out of mind for so so very long.  I've also wondered if its counterparts, meaning the other building nearby, have made it feel jealous, and sad because it's not getting much attention by its owner.  I hope it knows how fond I am of it, in spite of its condition.

 This weed is very hardy. 
It's growing in brick and mortar at the very top of a relic of a 15' wall.  

 This weed is strong and resilient.  It asks for nothing at all from man to live, not just exist,

because God is its creator and caretaker. 

 This weed is stubborn.  Blue skies, clouds, rain, sleet, hail or snow.  Temps from 110+  degrees with varying heat indexes to temps so cold the ground lays frozen.  Yet, it steadfastly survives.  Which is stronger?  The weed, or the wall?

God made weeds virtually to be thorns in our sides and tough to be done with forever.  This one figured that out and lives single.  It's chosen to live high enough out of reach to keep itself safe.  It's solitary, yet not alone, Main Street Park and all it encompasses gives it company.

As I've mentioned before and will again and again, much in life comes down to perspective.  How you look at things, literally, and how you focus your attention.  A few example of perspective will follow that I snapped this past Monday and Tuesday.  Only one is an exception -- an aerial I took a year ago last summer above the building.  You'll notice that I've cropped my weed friend to show it off.  I bet, to look at it, you would never suspect it sits atop a wall of a caved in building.

 Not quite in its entirety & the Autumn is definitely leaving its mark upon the foilage and   little tree.  Shadows were cast by lots of moving clouds yesterday, yet, there is a bright ray of sun beaming through and down on the grasses and Liriope -- that means something to me, sort of a like a ray of hope.

I have a thing for the fan.  I've watched it spin again and again.  A very welcome sight on a hot as Hades day, as it signals a welcomed breeze.

This south end of the wall or corner is very hard to see due to the overgrowth of fuscia colored blooms, various greens, and yellows.  Some of the yellow is actually that bright Monday sun.

 I believe nature's cosmetic touches to the old building (that could be easily seen as an eyesore) actually help the remnant feel better about itself.  Any architect will tell you a building has a heart, a soul and a personality.  This one is no different.  It's just neglected and partially in pieces.

 Blooms deserve to be appreciated whereever they grow,
even if they're hiding something easily considered unsightly. 

Now, this is what the wall is hiding all of us from,
amazing how appealing the wall suddenly becomes?  

I didn't know exactly what was hiding until my husband and I first flew about 300' above the area on July 25, 2009.  I was already a fan of the wall, but from that point on, my appreciation of it and affection for it grew.  However, cropped with what remains of the building chopped out, it almost looks like a cool abstract painting to me.  How about to you?

To me, the building is happier with its caved in roof.  It can breath again.  It can hear all of the sounds in Main Street Park from the trains to the birds singing.  It can see dawn to dusk and the heavens above.  It can watch Hamlet's annual Fourth of July fireworks and the Christmas tree lighting.  It's no longer closed from the inside in darkness, nor shut in.  And one day, it will have a life again.  Possibly, not as it once did.  It could be something new will be put upon it's foundation, since that is truly the part that has stood the test time.  Or, it could mean something brand new is built from scratch, or the park is expanded where it once stood.  Regardless, just so you all know, as politely as I can say it, the City of Hamlet is not responsible for its condition.

At the moment, my friends, the charcoal wall and its buddy, the weed are anxiously anticipating one of its favorite events, the 27th Annual Seaboard Festival in less than 3 days!  Meet, too!  How about you?

Next up will be some "thens" or "befores" of the Lackey Building, so anyone attending the festivities on Saturday can have a fresh memory of just how far the building has come, as the hands of time have been turned back. Tip... just remember to look up!

Lastly, a comment about my photos.  This is something I've repeated again and again on Project Rewire (which I'll be picking up again very soon).  I don't add effects to my pictures.  On several of the shots above there appears to be no sky.  That's a brightness issue due to the sun.  I could add a sky, but then it wouldn't be exactly real.  Make sense?  Hope so!