The Dogwood at Weaver Castle

The dogwood at Weaver Castle was turning from tender green 

to glowing white last week on Lauderdale Street. The Gothic residence

 was built by William Weaver in 1868 and is said to be inspired

 from a castle on the Rhine River 

The house's bricks were made from an on-site kiln, and its magnificent

 woodwork and flooring are from trees cut in Weaver's Grove.

 Weaver Castle has been undergoing extensive renovation

 for the past several years and is privately owned.

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

This week, I've read several blogs, newspaper columns and Facebook posts

 reminding us that the true meaning of Easter isn't about rabbits, eggs

 or new clothes. It's all about a Savior who died a humiliating death 

in our place. He hung upon a cross, then was placed in a tomb

 before his resurrection on the third day.

 For those whose Lord is Jesus, it's all about the promise of  eternal life

 and a peace and joy beyond our human understanding.

That's why I chose the dogwood, which is blooming in my yard this Easter,

 as a reminder of this awesome occasion. Legend says the bloom resembles

 the shape of a cross and its center, a crown of thorns. The pinched edges

 resemble the wounds caused by nails and the red tinge, His blood.

 

 1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy

 he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection 

of Jesus Christ from the dead... (NIV) 

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs and Weekly Top Shot

Dogwood

It's still March, but much of the dogwood is starting to fade.

 Our early spring seems to be turning into an early summer!

Friday Fences and Fifth Anniversary

Old Live Oak Cemetery is lending this ornate fence

 and gate to celebrate this blog's fifth anniversary today! 

In this photo are five of my favorite photo subjects:

 old wrought iron, lovingly inscribed tombstones, dogwood,

 Spanish Moss and over in the background, azalea. 

Thank you to everyone who has visited Selma 

through my blog and especially for your kind comments!

Posted at Friday Fences

Abundance (Skywatch Friday)

This past week has brought an abundance of blue sky and dogwood blooms cloaked with Spanish moss. (I won't mention the pollen!)

More skies await you at Skywatch Friday.

March Theme Day, My Favorite Part of Town

It's Theme Day again, and the bloggers at City Daily Photo Blogs get to choose their favorite part of town. So now, can you believe that mine is a cemetery?

Old Live Oak Cemetery is simply magnificent in spring. The garden atmosphere amid ornate monuments and billowing Spanish Moss is both romantic and haunting. Whenever I need something new for the blog, there is always a statue , a flower or an inscription that I've never noticed before. And, while it's located next to busy Dallas Avenue, the sounds of traffic seem to fade away...right along with the etchings of weathered gravestones. 
(Spring is not this far along  here YET!  I snapped this photograph a few springs ago.) 

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

For the Beauty of the Earth

"For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise."

It's such a beautiful Sunday morning, the first that either wasn't cold and/or raining or threatening severe weather in more than a month. So, I offer the first and last verse of one of my favorite hymns, "For the Beauty of the Earth," written by Englishman Folliott Sandford Pierpoint.

The photo was taken at Old Live Oak Cemetery last year when dogwoods were blooming and covered in Spanish Moss. Have a blessed Sunday!

He is Risen!

The legend of the dogwood symbolizes Christ's sacrifice with a crown of thorns in the center, the imprint of nails on the petals and the stain of blood on the outer edges.

To read more about the dogwood, click HERE.

Happy Easter to all!

Dogwoods in Old Town

Ah, Spring!

Walk or ride through Old Town, and take in clouds of dogwood blossoms to recover from last weekend's soaking rains!

The weather folks are forecasting perfect weather for the Selma Pilgrimage this weekend...with highs in the low 70s and plenty of sunshine.

I have posted a new blog focusing just on Selma events since I seem to feature so many of them here, and of course, the Pilgrimage this weekend is the first post. Check it out at Selma Now.

Dogwood and Spanish Moss

Spring in Selma means dogwood blossoms
that appear to be growing from drapes of Spanish Moss!
Wish you were here!

Spring!

The first day of Spring finally brings the redbud in bloom and dogwood gradually opening its white crosses. After almost an inch of rain yesterday, the skies are a brilliant blue today, and it's a bit cool! Forsythia and Bradford pear (not shown) are at peak.

The Colors, They are A'Changin'

After such a hot, dry summer, the dogwoods are turning color extra early! Here is one of the dogwoods in our backyard. Usually, the leaves start changing in October or even November. I thought cooler temperatures had something to do with the color change, but we haven't had those yet! Nowadays, 90 degrees seems cool in comparison with the temps of a couple weeks ago.

Spring blooms in Selma

Spring came a couple of weeks early to Selma this year. Dogwood (above), redbud, wysteria, Bradford pear, forsythia and Japanese magnolia are among the flowering trees and shrubs in bloom.

Record high temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s make March feel more like May.

Maybe the month will go "out like a lamb" since it came in on the 1st "roaring like a lion" with deadly tornadoes in nearby Miller's Ferry and down south in Enterprise.