Peaceful bench at Melrose in Natchez, MS (October 5, 2018)

Living in Austin, I miss the magnificent moss-draped oaks of New Orleans.  If I lived in Natchez, I would sit on the bench under this oak, with a good book, passing the time and remembering the slaves who suffered and died here.  This oak is at Melrose, a plantation home preserved by the National Park Service.  My emotions are conflicted: appreciation for the charm and beauty of Melrose is outweighed by the horror and immorality of human slavery used to support the planter's lifestyle.