Christmas Memories
A Christmas wreath hangs in the window of the original site of the Enchanted Cottage in Lewisville, North Carolina.
Thoughts of Family
The final photos I’ll share from the recent snowfall were taken at the site of the old mill in Lewisville, now primarily occupied by the Enchanted Cottage, a popular rubber stamping, scrapbooking and papercrafts business.
My fascination with the mill goes back to my childhood, when I used to play there with my younger brother, Ed. Our grandfather, Fielden H. Jennings, Sr., owned the mill. Several of my uncles and my mother, Grace, the youngest of ten children, helped run the family business for almost 60 years.
In fact, my mother was born in the old “cottage” next to the mill. A year after her birth, the family moved into their new brick home next door. (For more on the history of my family’s association with the mill, please read the article on Lewisville Roller Mills.)
CLICK to read more on Deb’s CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
A Walk in the Snow
Lewisville residents — human and canine alike — were out enjoying the beauty of a freshly fallen snow.
More Beauty to Photograph
The first snowfall of the season dropped approximately 4-6 inches of white stuff on our beloved Lewisville, providing a myriad of subjects to photograph. As the sun began to break through parting clouds, the best direction to point my camera toward was typically westward. Snow-covered yards and homes facing east were bathed in poignant morning light. The scenes were a delight to my eyes — and visual food for my hungry camera!
After arriving at snow-draped Shallowford Square and photographing it from various viewpoints (see Serenity at the Square), I continued making my way through downtown Lewisville.
Residents were beginning to emerge from their homes to experience the beautiful snow for themselves. Couples were walking together, and individuals were out with their dogs. I found them all to be just as intriguing and beautiful to photograph as the stately snow-covered homes I’d been photographing.
Photo Gallery
Check out a few select photos of Lewisville homes and residents in the Lewisville Snow photo gallery.
Stop and Look
Colors and shapes: The combination of the red stop sign with a dusting of snow on it, the blue sky and the green lamppost in the distance compelled me to photograph this scene at Shallowford Square.
Unexpected Art
Continuing with photos from last weekend’s snowstorm, today’s photos confirm my belief that art is everywhere, if we’ll only stop and look for it.
Very often it’s the everyday objects and moments that give us the opportunity to capture or create art. Lighting, shapes, colors or textures are often key components of appealing art. Even an ordinary old stop sign can qualify as art! CLICK for more UNEXPECTED ART
Serenity at the Square
An early morning view of the beautiful snow at Shallowford Square.
Early Reward
As I approached Shallowford Square early on the morning of our recent snowfall, I was surprised to see not a trace of footprints in the beautiful snow around the Square. “Wow,” I thought, “It looks like I’m the first one here.”
Pure, unblemished snow is not only a serene sight, but for me it holds a hint of the sacred. As I made my way around the perimeter of the Square, photographing from various viewpoints, I just couldn’t bring myself to transgress the white beauty. I surely did want to move into the scene and take some close-ups here and there, but I hesitated to mar the perfection before me.
Why not simply enjoy the beauty from afar and allow others to experience the same serene sight? That’s what something deep within urged me to do. So I moved on, leaving the scene as I’d found it — pure and unblemished.
Perhaps on the next snowfall I’ll dare to move in and get the shots I relinquished that morning at the Square. Nevertheless, on that particular day, not violating the serenity at the Square seemed more important than the photos I might have taken.
Photo Gallery
Please visit the Shallowford Square photo gallery to enjoy a few more serene photos of the Square. Any thoughts you’d like to share in the Comment section?
