Chimney Swifts

After an amazing meal at the 5&10, which must be the best restaurant in Athens, we came upon a massive swirl of hundreds of chimney swifts in the sky near dusk. This picture does not do justice to what I saw by a long shot but the beauty of the moment is what I want to capture here. The birds kept circling above that chimney in the center of the frame. Periodically a swift would go in. Sometimes a whole group in a line would go in. There happened to be a birder there watching and taking pictures and he told us they were migrating to central and South America and that they gather in these masses and sleep in chimneys or other vertical safe houses overnight. We watched until they were all inside the chimney resting for the night.

Athens Sign Art

I love when people change standard signs and offer up another interpretation. This one is behind the Bottle Works and made me and my lunch partner laugh.

Cemetery Tour

I toured the Oconee Hills Cemetery yesterday. It is right on campus, huge, and beautiful. I had seen the entrance but never paid any attention to it. In fact, I have passed the entrance at least a 1000 times. I toured with a group of people and learned a great deal about Athens my adopted home town. This picture of a gravestone surrounded by wild flowers is so right to me. Some might say that no one is taking care of the site. I disagree. If I were to be buried, which I don't want to be, I would want it to look like this with wild flowers. I'm all about cremation, just fling my ashes in beautiful natural spot and I will be forever grateful.