I used to live here...

I was just forwarded these pictures. They are interesting, to be sure. I'm surprised there wasn't more rot in the studs...

This is more for Kelly's edification than anyone else's, since everyone else (except for one of my former professors, apparently) who reads this blog has already seen it. This was mailed/postmarked exactly one month after my graduation and arrived in Prattville (don't ask how...since I told them to mail it to K&P in Northport on the commencement confirmation) and arrived in Prattville on Thursday, June 14th. It is now framed in a frame that is the same model of my bachelor's degree (purchased at Michaels) and is hanging where my bachelor's used to hang (I would hang both, but since it is so close to the time when I'm going to move, I see no need to hammer another hole into the wall yet.

So this is what I have to show for my two years of work, studying, research, etc. Now I have two diplomas/degrees, and no job. Hopefully I'll work on the latter before too terribly long.

More pictures

Again, I haven't a clue as to what I am doing here, except posting pictures. Here are three more (and the last three) "highlight" pictures. The first is a picture of a fully grown asparagus plant in a garden behind Stonewall Jackson's home (the building you see is the home. I couldn't take pictures inside, nor could I get a good angle on the outside to actually get a shot of it), the second, a picture of Read Mountain from a scenic view pull-off along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the third a view of the Roanoke Valley (though not the city of Roanoke, however) from the top of Roanoke Mountain. This was a little trek off the Blue Ridge Parkway (part of the parkway, just off the main road) up about 1000 feet from the parkway along a road that was about 6in. wider than my rental car--a Chevy Impala. I miss a turn, I either hit rock and swerve into a 1000 foot fall to the parkway, or just plunge headlong 1000 feet to the parkway. I lose either way. Since neither happened, fortunately, I won and my reward was a nice view of the valley.

Roanoke/Lexington Pictures

I actually have more pictures than I am about to post here (23 I believe), but I'm just posting the highlights here. Enjoy!

Not being as familiar with posting pictures as Kerry, I don't know how to get these in the correct order. I'll post more pictures later in the day. A couple more from the Lexington area, and a couple from along the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Roanoke. You should be able to tell which are which based on my description.

VMI Parade grounds, two shots of Stonewall Jackson monument statue/grave, and the VMI historical marker mentioning Jackson, Matthew Fontaine Maury, as well as George C. Marshall.

Roanoke Trip (pictures later)

I am sitting in the fabulous Charlotte Douglas International Airport right now in one of the rocking chairs in one of the many atrimus that dot the airport facility. My flight boards in a few minutes for Huntsville after which I have a two hour or so drive back to Tuscaloosa.

The trip went well, and Roanoke is a lovely town. I think I could be happy living there if I were to get the job. It was no more than 80 when I was there and the temperature when I left my motel this morning (about 5:45am EDT) was cool enough that I could see my breath. The last time I was able to do it this late in the year was when I was on Mt. Fuji, and that was in late July. Granted, it was probably unseasonably cool (they're talking about mid 90s on Friday and Saturday), but hey, when I was there it was VERY comfortable.

I have some pictures to post. Mostly of Lexington, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway (in fact, ALL of those), which I will later today/tomorrow.

(the remaining is typed some 30,000 feet above western North Carolina as they started boarding when I was typing)

I didn't get to go to Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee because 1). There was a baccalaureate service going on that was making use of the chapel and 2). The museum level (which contains R.E. Lee's remains) was closed anyway due to the addition of a new museum exhibit, or something like that. I got to walk around the campus a bit, however, just not near the chapel.

I did get to VMI and the Cadet Museum, as well as the George C. Marshall museum, both on VMI's campus. There was housed 1). The raincoat Stonewall Jackson was wearing when he got shot and 2). The uniform he was wearing on his three most legendary moments (marched out of Lexington in April 1861, nearly got captured by union troops, and when he got his nickname "Stonewall").

I also got a private tour of his house in Lexington, and walked to his grave, which is housed at a Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Lexington (Lauderdale ARP Church is the name, I believe).

I've been up since about 4:15am (CDT) and am slated to get back to Huntsville in just under an hour now.

One year ago today...

One year ago today (well, technically at about 2:30 tomorrow morning based on information available on the picture in iPhoto), I snapped one of my greatest pictures ever. My only regret...I wished I had snapped it at a higher resolution on my camera. I have a framed copy of it after playing around with it in Photoshop a bit, but it's not great when blown up. Just don't look at it too closely, and all is well...

I'm also including a link to a GoogleMaps air/satellite photo of the resort where I snapped the picture. You can't see much, but you'll have to trust me on this one. Click this for the image

Here's a link for the resort's website too.