According to Webster's — serendipity is "the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for" ... and the word lagniappe means "something given or obtained gratuitously, or by way of good measure." I prefer to think of lagniappe as being "a little something extra, usually unexpected," and as a photographer, I encounter both every time I venture out in search of "pictures waiting to be taken."

Our Mississippi landscapes are vibrant with the glorious colors of Spring now, but a couple of weeks ago, I went on a photo shoot hoping to capture the Redbud trees in the Vicksburg National Military Park.  I soon discovered that, although they were blooming at that time, the trees weren't quite at their peak yet.

I was disappointed, but my spirits were lifted when I noticed that all around me, bees and butterflies and dandelions and wildflowers were happily heralding the coming of Spring – all “valuable and agreeable things not sought for,” right? Serendipity!

I also found Snowbells ...

 And a patch of purple Hyacinths brightening a street corner in downtown Vicksburg ...

On the way to the park, I spotted these Daffodils, high on a bluff overlooking the Port of Vicksburg ...

And not too far away, I found this magnificent pink Crabapple tree ...

Have you ever looked at a Crabapple tree up close?  The blossoms are truly breathtaking, and I couldn't resist capturing some closeup pictures.

Spring is is full bloom now, and I'm looking forward to capturing and preserving as much of it as I can in pictures.  I hope I have inspired you to take a closer look at the glory of Spring surrounding us.  I promise you will be blessed with both lagniappe and serendipity!

One of the earliest Spring-blooming trees here in Mississippi, is the Bradford Pear tree, and in just a few weeks the trees will be covered with beautiful white blossoms which appear before the leaves emerge.

I captured the following two pictures in early March, a couple of years ago, when the buds were just emerging.

As glorious as they are from a distance, I discovered that their crowning glory is found deep within the delicate flowers. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked through the lens to get a close up view of one of the blossoms.  This is what I saw ...

You can click on the pictures if you would like to get a closer look at these exquisite flowers. I love the little heart-shaped purple centers ...

I hope these pictures have inspired you to take the time to get a closer look at our glorious spring flowers and trees.  I will never cease to be amazed by the awe-inspiring beauty hidden deep within their petals.  Like the "flame" I found deep in the heart of this Iris ...

 Or a tiny cross silhouetted by the sun filtering through the petals of a tulip ...
  

I love taking pictures of trees, and have discovered that sometimes the twisted and tangled roots of a tree are more interesting than, and just as beautiful as, its flowers and foliage. Here are a few pictures from my collection which, I think, illustrate this perfectly.

Tangled roots of an old magnolia tree located on the grounds of the Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

 More magnolia roots ...

I captured these huge roots of an old oak tree in an antebellum neighborhood in Natchez, Mississippi.

I found these moss-covered roots on the side of a road in Vicksburg.

The roots of this old magnolia tree, located in the National Cemetery inside the Vicksburg National Military Park, embrace grave markers of soldiers who died during the Siege of Vicksburg.

I love the roots of this magnificent old Ginkgo tree, also located in the cemetery of the Military Park.

This picture, which was taken during winter, gives us a glimpse of what the roots of a tree look like underground. It amazes me that trees can live with their roots exposed like that, but those are, indeed, alive and struggling to hold on to their tentative grasp of the soil crumbing around them.

I hope my pictures have inspired you to pay more attention to the roots of trees.  I think you will find them not only beautiful, but fascinating, as well.