Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Feeling Patriotic

Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, and so I'm feeling unusually patriotic. At least, watching the HBO series "The Pacific" the past few weeks has me in a mood to remember the WWII veterans -- old friends, long-gone relatives -- whom I knew personally.

One of the flags displayed on the Lipscomb University campus, at the Shackleford Road entrance, was just catching the early light as I rounded the turn on my morning walk. That entrance is flanked by massive Magnolia grandiflora trees in full bloom. The flag is above the athletic field to the west.

Our Flag Was Still There

Sunrise at Lipscomb

By the Dawn's Early Light

It's the flag of my country -- but had history taken a different course, I might be feeling sentimental today about a Confederate flag, or even a Spanish or French or Mexican banner.

Just before the little entrance pavilion to the university that I've shown above, there's a historical marker, commemorating a Confederate defensive line across these hills during the battle for Nashville, almost 150 years ago. I've left my photograph of that marker uncropped, for the contrast it brings to mind between today's busy street adjoining the peaceful campus and that long-ago scene of desperation and violence.

Historical Marker Commemorating a Civil War Battle

A short summary of the events surrounding the Battle of Nashville is at
http://www.answers.com/topic/battle-of-nashville .

For a longer account, see this interesting page on the website of the Civil War Preservation Trust:
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/nashville.html

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Remembering Douglas Adams

Arriving at 42

May 25 is Towel Day (see http://towelday.org/ ), and so I celebrated with this photo of my copy of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on a pink hand towel, temporarily in the custody of one mouse and one pig.

Monday, May 24, 2010

More Magnolia Grandiflora Views

Magnolia Blossom, cropped, May 24, 2010

On the south side of the Lipscomb University campus, along Shackleford Road, there's an entrance enclosed by an ornamental brick wall, with magnolias planted on either side, above the steeply sloping lawn. Just at sunrise, May 24, I tried to capture their glossy beauty with my Canon G2 digital camera. Below, a few of the better shots I got:

Magnolias Beside an Enclosing Wall, May 24, 2010

Magnolia with Gate Post, May 24, 2010

Magnolia Bud, in Brighter Sunlight, May 24, 2010

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