Marie Clanton, 13, of Franklin County, leads a cow to shelter during a sudden and heavy downpour at Mississippi Fairgrounds in Jackson on Tuesday where the Mississippi 4H Southwest District Livestock and Dairy Show is currently underway.

Braylen Thornton, 9 months, of Florence, tries to get his mouth around a candy apple offered by his grandmother, Brandy Brent, while at the Mississippi State Fair on Sunday.

Aurianna Barber, right, seems to enjoy the ride aboard the Sizzler more than her mother, Princess Bracey, while at the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson on Saturday.

Harlem Stokes, center, is wide-eyed as he and his cousins, Kennedi, left, and Kamryn Taylor, all of Byram, drop suddenly on the Jumpin' Jack ride at theMississippi State Fair on Sunday.

A member of the Provine High School marching band disappears behind his instrument during the band's performanc at the Southeast Regional Battle of the Bands on Sunday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.

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Chandler Carter, 9, of Pearl enjoys a cool mist of water while playing on the splash pad at the Mississippi Children?s Museum in Jackson on Tuesday.

A group of young ballerinas wait their turn to perform an exercise during Ballet Mississippi's Summer Workshop for age 3-5 on Monday at the Mississippi Arts Center in Jackson. The four-day workshop concludes Thursday.

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Keeping an eye on the ground below, fourteen-year-old Daryl Simmons of Jackson flips in the air using a pile of mattresses as both launch pad Tuesday morning in a vacant lot near the intersection of Mill and Roosevelt streets in Jackson. In the background (left to right) Tony Johnson, 15, Brandon Williams, 17, and A.J. Johnson, 11, wait their turn.

Anna Jefferis, 8, of Jackson, is shaded beneath a bright-blue parasol while walking the midway at the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson on Thursday with her mother and two sisters.

Gleaming gold is framed by a gray sky as a worker carefully places a cross atop one of several glass spires around the perimeter of a chapel under construction at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson on Tuesday.

Willie, a five-year-old mixed-breed, lets out a melodious howl with a little coaching from his owner, Keri Friedley of Brandon, during a talent contest at the Dog Day of Summer on Saturday at Pelahatchie Shore Park in Rankin County. The event is an annual fundraiser for Community Animal Rescue and Adoption (CARA) in Jackson.

With classroom pride on the line, a group of third-graders pull with all their might during the tug-of-war competition at the conclusion of FIeld Day on Friday Madison Avenue Upper Elementary School.

Jaycee Pilcher, 9, of Richland, tries to launch a kite into an uncooperatve breeze while at Old Trace Park in Ridgeland with her friend Elizabeth Martin and Elizabeth's mother, Emily Martin, on Saturday during the city's annual Waterfest. Music, food and games entertained those willing to brave the unseasonable cool weather.

Belhaven University student Darren Terpstra of Janesville, Wisc., goes airborne as he fellow classmates Belhaven blow off a little steam on Study Day during finals week with a make-shift slip-n-slide Tuesday afternoon. The Study Day slide has been a school tradition for several years when the Spring semester draws to a close.

Gusting winds foil Jace Bunch, 3, of Brandon, as he tries to grab a frisbee thrown by his grandmother, Roxanne Coulter, during an outing at Lakeshore Park on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Rankin County on Sunday.

Rawlins Biggs (left), her sister Hastain Biggs (center) and friend Mary Reid Dixon sail down a snow-covered levee at Main Harbor in Ridgeland Friday morning.

Landon Boyd, 7, of Pearl, tries to catch a bubble with his mouth while on a family outing on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Old Trace Park in Ridgeland.

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The state Capitol is framed by a dazzling display of fireworks exploding over downtown Jackson on Thursday during the city's annual Red, White and Jackson event sponsored by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and Pepsi. In addition to the fireworks display, the event featured music, children's activities, and a C-17 fly-over courtesy of the Mississippi Air National Guard.

Jerry Roane of Chatham, La. displays a stringer of bream that he caught during af Fourth of July outing with his family on Wednesday to Lakeshore Park on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Rankin County.

Garner Cheney, 7, concentrates while working on his archery skills with a little help from his father, Pack 305 Cubmaster Bill Cheney, during the Andrew Jackson Council Eastern District Cub Scout Day Camp on Monday afternoon at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson. In addition to archery, the week-long features BB shooting, crafts, games and more.

Third-grader Vincento Smith, 9, flinches as parent-volunteer Adina Welker pierces a water-filled plastic bag over his head during a "Phun Day" science demonstration at Vine Street Elementary School Friday morning. A group of parents along with some students from nearby Northwest Rankin High School pitched in to coordinate numerous hands-on science activities set up in the Vine Street cafeteria and in some classrooms.

Jalisea Bailey, 7, enjoys a cool blast of water while playing with her big brother Jason Bailey, 9, outside their home at the corner of 1st Avenue and Fredrica Avenue in Jackson on Sunday.

Gent Parker, 17, of Hattiesburg, practices roping along with a group of friends outside the Kirk Fordice Equine Center at the Mississippi Fairgrounds in Jackson on Wednesday where all are participating in the Mississippi High School Rodeo Association State Finals. The event kicked off on Tuesday and will wrap up on Saturday.

Six-year-old Cole Miracle of Madison dives headlong onto a water-soaked sheet of plastic Thurday afternoon during a sliding drill at the Millsaps College youth baseball camp.

Not letting a little rain dampen their spirits, Mary Stephens (left) and Marianna Peragallo, both of Madison, enjoy a wild ride aboard the Tornado on Wednesday at opening night of the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson.

Despite the sun glaring overhead, Ed Carstens of Madison is able to juggle seven beanbags Saturday morning at the Dr. Hugh G. Ward Children's Playground at Parham Bridges Park on Ridgewood Road in Jackson. Members of the Jackson Area Jugglers meet every Saturday at the park to practice from 10 a.m. to noon.

Garrett Nichols, 7, concentrates on a pitch from his Dad Scott Nichols as the pair play ball outside their house in Richland Monday afternoon. In June, Scott and Garrett will travel to Birmingham, Ala. where Garrett will receive one of his father's kidney's in a transplant operation.

After maintaining her composure as long as she can, Kierra Carson, 3, of Jackson, gradually breaks down in tears while sitting on Santa's knee as her group from I.S. Sanders YMCA on Farish Street enjoy "Snacktime with Santa" Monday morning at the Edison Walthall Hotel in Jackson. Children from several area preschools participated in the event, sponsored by the hotel and Downtown Jackson Partners.

Marcus Allen (center) of Jackson lays the ball up and in as he and a group of friends take advantage of unseasonably mild weather Monday afternoon during a pick-up basketball game at Battlefield Park in Jackson.

Cat judge Richard Bailey of Jackson makes a face at a grumpy contestant Sunday afternoon during the 25th Silver Anniversary Cat Championship Catshow at the Mississippi Trademart. Sponsored by the Mississippi Cat Fanciers, the two-day event attracted roughly 160 of the feline contestants.

Stephanie Jeffcoat (left), 12, and Brent Thornton, 14, drag twelve-year-old Megan Goodin into the water Thursday afternoon as the three friends relaxed along the east shore of Ross Barnett Reservoir near the Palisades.

Sentoris Bronner, left, 13, Nartaryus Coleman, center, 13, and Montarious Knight, 13, all 7th-graders at Broadstreet Junior High School in Shelby, Miss., make last minute adjustments to their contest entry during the "Mousetrap Car Competition" portion of the 1998 Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering (S.E.C.M.E.) Student Competition, Friday, April 3, 1998, on the campus of The University of Mississippi, in Oxford. Contestants constructed cars from ordinary mouse-traps and awards were given based on the distance the vehicles were able to travel, powered only by the mouse-trap's spring. (AP Photo/Joe Ellis)

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A young camper works on his sliding skills on a water-soaked tarp during the Champions Baseball Camp at Millsaps College in Jackson. The four-day camp concludes Friday.

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Colton Fickbolm, 8 months, casts a wary eye to the rising surf as he enjoys his first trip to the beach in Gulfport on Tuesday with Ava Leih of Gulfport and other friends and family.

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Ella Quin, 2, of Jackson, carefully seats her doll in a swing at Laurel Street Park in Jackson's Belhaven neighborhood on Sunday while on an afternoon outing with her mother, Mary Quin.

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Scott Byrd, 8, somersaults into the Ross Barnett Reservoir at Lakeshore Park in Rankin County on Sunday as he and other area residents find a fun way to beat the summer heat.

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Lauren Balfour, 7, of Madison, enjoys a cool spray of water while playing at the Jackson Zoo's new Splash Pad on Monday. Entrance to the Splash Pad is inlcuded in the price of admission to the zoo.

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A student struggles to keep a ball between his chin and chest during an event at Friday's Field Day at Madison Avenue Upper Elementary School

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Birds swarm to catch scraps of bread tossed into the air by a group of people outside the Cock of the Walk restaurant on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Ridgeland on Sunday.