The Cross Tree redux

This is our annual Christmas post. It was our first, and we’ve never found one better. To get the whole story be sure and follow the link to the Corndancer dot-com story which is “the meat of the coconut.”

 

This lone tree stands as a memorial to Frank Cross who was murdered in the mid-eighties. Click on the picture to see our original December 2008 post for more details and information.

This story started on the Photo of the Week Page at  corndancer.com Click on the link to see the first part of the story, a very cool thing to do.

Frank Cross, an invalid confined to his bed,  was murdered in the mid-eighties at his home which formerly stood behind the tree. The family had the house demolished, but left the fine cedar tree standing as a memorial to Frank, who was an admired member of his community in southeast Arkansas.

Close inspection of the tree base reveals some artifacts which were probably part and parcel of the old home.

Apparently, some items and materials which were not removed during the house demolition were left under the tree.This also included a wire wreath holder.

Thanks for dropping by and Happy New Year,
Joe Dempsey

http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html

 

Santa Paws in Pine Bluff

This dog wants to check Santa out completely before proceeding with the portrait.

Click the picture to see more Santa and dog pix

The first weekend in December for the has for the last few years has found me at Margland Bed and Breakfast photographing Santa with dogs, families, kids, and other dogs. The event is a fundraiser benefiting The Humane Society of Jefferson County.

Funds raised by the event support the society’s care and adoption activities which are 100% dependent on donations. It is a worthy cause of the first order.

Be sure and see more of our Santa and dogs pictures on the Photo of the Week page at Corndancer dot-com.

All went well during the introductory sniffing and Santa analysis which paved the way for this canine at Christmas picture. Everything is cool.

This gentle giant was cool with the entire process. And aren’t we grateful. As in really Grateful Daneful.

Size does not matter. Bring ’em on.

Say hello to Mick Mack, a friendly dog who has provided organic fertilizer to my yard. I must admit, our dogs have returned the favor.

My friends Amanda Cook, her daughter Hannah and their furry friend, Maxie came to the event for a picture. The first thing Maxie did was to get to know me better. After a brief get-together, the we proceeded with the pictures.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, including your fur-babies, feathered friend, slinky buddies, fish, bugs and whatsoever your non-human compatriots may be, should I have missed a category in the previous litany of critters.

Thanks for dropping by,

Joe Dempsey
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html

 

 

Cosmic confluence on the bayou

This dude is doing a good job at sculling on Bayou Bartholomew in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a small boat propulsion/navigation skill, the development of which is considered by many southerners as a rite of passage to proper adulthood.

As many of you may (or may not) have noticed, here lately, posts on this blog have not been as frequent as in the past, a set of conditions brought about by my meeting other responsibilities. Though those obligations have not diminished, I have had this nagging itch to post something, but had no idea what it would be.

Then on my way home from a shoot, as I drove over the Bayou Bartholomew Bridge near the Chez Dempsey, I spied a dude sculling and fishing on the face of the waters. It was then that my faith in the higher power providing for one’s means and relief got a turbo boost.

It was at that moment that I realized that the Master Puppeteer had skillfully made our axis cross. The dude needed some fishing relief and I needed something cool to shoot. Incredible you say. I don’t think so. After all, it is hard to argue with the results.

I hope the guy managed to boat a few denizens of the deep, since I recorded the pixels for which I yearned. If he knew I was there, he gave no evidence of having noticed. So my heartfelt thanks to HP and to the dude for following his cosmic instructions.

The dude nicely moved his craft and presented the bait to his potential catches.

As I departed he moved his boat to the craggy south banks of the bayou. I believe if I was a fish, I’d think that was a good place to be.

On Corndancer this week:

Click on the crib to see more details.

Ebenezer Bowles, the fearless leader and creator of Corndancer dot-com offers a picture and short story of a more or less disheveled domicile he stumble across in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It’s one of those pictures that defies description and keeps your attention for a while. See in on the Corndancer Photo of the Week.

 

Thanks for dropping by,

Joe Dempsey
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
http://www.joedempseycommunications.com/
http://www.joedempseyphoto.com/
http://www.corndancer.com/joephoto/photohome.html