Hank, Merle and Waylon. West Asheville.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Outdoor Badminton

I'm very lucky to have a friend who has a badminton court in his yard! This is a real court, and it's one he's just put in. It's virtually finished, except for a line or two. If you click on the images to enlarge, you can spot me in the green shirt. My teammate is Qin (pronounced Chin), and our opponents are Jeam and Kenny. Kenny, in the black shirt, is the one who owns the court and the lovely house that's next to it. During the winter months, all of us will simply play badminton at our regular indoor facility, the Montford Community Center. Come Spring, however, I will get in some extra playing time at Kenny's.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Fall of '67

Read the caption card (below, from Watty's album) to get details of these photos. The photo that was simply of Mark, I can't find.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Boo

Uncle Watty and two of my siblings on a Halloween night back in 1967. Watty had these photos (and caption card) in one of his albums.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

He's Back

Last week I attended a weekday rally for congressman Heath Shuler, who is up for re-election in Western North Carolina. The "racehorse" flown in to stir the masses in favor of Heath Shuler, who is in a surprisingly tight race, was none other than former president Bill Clinton. Kade and I decided to get passes for the event, simply so she could see Clinton, arguably the best political orator of my lifetime. I had seen him during the '08 Democratic Primary when he was stumping for Hillary. I had even got to talk with him and shake his hand. Click on Clinton in categories to see photos from that particular event. Now, at last week's event, we didn't get close enough to "get personal" with the former president. Also, the set-up was not conducive for getting too close, unless you were a VIP. Nonetheless, we did get within 30 yards or so. I took the images above, and I made the YouTube video. Unfortunately, when I used the zoom while videoing, there was a lot of shaking.

My impression of the overall event was that the wait to hear the president's speech was way too long, and the local Democratic party did a poor job in organizing what we expected to be a superb day. Still, when Bill Clinton walked onto the stage, there was an electricity in the air and we were grateful to have the chance to see him. I can't say the same about Shuler! Here are some nice photos of Pack Square Park, where the event was held.

Although the tide, predictably, has turned in favor of the Republicans this time around, Asheville and Western North Carolina are still "in play" for the Democrats. Let's see what happens. I still am amazed at the ability of this charming, diverse mountain town to attract people of all stripes. Politically and socially, it's a liberal town, which happily welcomes the likes of Obama and the Clintons. However, due to the fact the city is surrounded by more traditionally conservative communities, Asheville has hosted rallies that welcomed Palin, McCain and other conservative figures. The Rev. Billy Graham also lives up in the mountains overlooking Asheville. This unique ability to attract a wide range of people is one reason I enjoy calling Asheville home. Kade likes it as well.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Two Auburn Stars

Dad with Marquis Daniels of the Boston Celtics

My dad and step-mom recently got back from a fall foliage tour of New England. On one of their stops, in Rhode Island, they stayed at the same hotel as the Boston Celtics, who were in pre-season training camp. Above, Dad is pictured with Marquis Daniels, a former Auburn star. Dad also saw Shaquille O'Neal walking around the hotel lobby. As for the changing of the leaves and the New England sights, I hear Dad and Regina had a great time.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Mission Accomplished

Our last visit to South Alabama yielded some gems. My main purpose in visiting was to scan Mom's photos and documents so that they are forever protected. These 250 new scans, combined with the 100 plus Mom helped me collect and scan the past few years, mean virtually all her best photos and Abbeville and Judson College mementos have made it to the digital age. I am already making hard copies of some of her best portraits. This week alone, I have framed several for my office wall. They look really good. Below, the first image is a sample of a photo of Mom that I recently scanned.

During our Headland visit, we also got to visit Aunt Marilyn (image two). After catching up on the latest news over coffee and sweets, we sauntered over to the dining room, where we looked at some old family photos. I ended up scanning many, including the photo (image four) of our cousin Beverly Espy Dayries, her husband Bud, one of their children and Granddad Major. {On our return through Atlanta, Kade and I actually got to have a nice visit with Bud and Beverly at their home in Sandy Springs.}

Image Three is of Mother's "resting place" at the Shorterville Baptist Church Cemetery. Her parents' graves are to the immediate left. Next week we are hoping to have Mother's headstone in place.