EARTH DAY 2015

It's EARTH DAY!   We have been given a beautiful planet to live on, let's do our best to try and take care of it!
 

 

 

Never forget . . .

"We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."

I can't believe it has been 20 years since the bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building; it seems like yesterday.  These are photos I took in 2009 of the beautiful national memorial there.  If you EVER find yourself in the area of Oklahoma City, be sure to pay your respects.

Trip to Athens, GA

I love the town of Athens, Georgia.  It's quaint and beautiful and clean, and filled with Music History, which I love.  There's a gorgeous college campus, so it's filled with young, energetic people.  The buildings downtown are all historic and wonderful.

I came here for a concert at the Georgia Theatre (The War on Drugs).   This theatre burned down a couple years ago, but it was rebuilt with the same character it always had.  It's beautiful with fantastic acoustics.  Great, great concert!

Driving through Georgia, you see fun stuff!

And, pretty sunsets

 This little jail looks too NICE for criminals!

Small town USA (Bishop, GA)

First stop in Athens:  The Grit - an amazing vegan restaurant

I am eatin' like a southern girl (only vegan) - including sweet Georgia tea!

Bees the size of dogs!

CUTE!

Interesting way to hold your engine in!

Very pretty campus!

The amazing Georgia Theatre

The War on Drugs (great concert!)

Can't beat that CHEAP gas (relatively speaking!)

Pretty, pretty, pretty!

Beautiful old Georgia-brick buildings, but abandoned and in disrepair

The Tree That Owns Itself.  This is a very popular spot in Athens.  I won't even pretend to understand what that means (read about it:  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11703), but it was a nice enough tree.  The best thing about it is, the road leading up to it is the last cobblestone street left in Athens - that's worth seeing (and so is the tree!)

LOVE the cobblestone!

WALKING MUSIC TOUR

Do this if you ever find yourself in Athens.  It's fun, interesting, and a good way to get some exercise and see this charming town:  http://www.visitathensga.com/live-music/music-tour/

Each of these buildings (and there were plenty more) has a unique connection to music.  Rock band REM call Athens its hometown - a lot of the music history involves their early years.

Beautiful Georgia Theatre

The first place the B52's ever played music!

The Grit (again) holds a lot of music history 

Speaking of REM, the photographs on both the back and from of their 1983 album, Murmur, were taken in Athens.  The front was taken in a very obscure place, near some railroad tracks and old abandoned buildings.  It's just a field with some overgrown weeds.  In the field is a concrete - something.  Not sure what it is, but you can see it in the photo.  The album cover photo was taken in 1983, and the second photo is how it looks in 2015.

Front Album Cover, Murmur

Above:  1981.  Below:  2015

Rear album cover, Murmur

I found the back cover photograph MUCH more interesting, and easier to find.  This beautiful train trestle, built in the late 1800s, was featured on the back of Murmur.  It was originally part of the Georgia Railroad line into downtown Athens, and now is a local landmark (it runs through Dudley Park).  Plans to demolish it met with public outcry, and in 2000 the city voted to save it.  But, in 2012, they said they couldn't afford to keep it and deemed it unsafe.  Well, it's 2015, and it's still there.  I don't see how it would be unsafe, unless you tried to put a train on it.  

I love music history such as this; it's fun to go out and find things that are such a part of music.  The train track is really quite spectacular, even if you're not an REM fan!

1983, Murmur

2015