PEOPLE
The Snoopy College Alumni Football Fan sweater is a timeless classic. That’s yours truly on January 1, 1990 in my then hometown of Dallas. Unseasonably warm 70 degree day. As an alumni of Rocky Top I was attending to support my “Vols.” Growing up in Knoxville where the University of Tennessee’s main campus is, and with both parents being alumni of UT - plus Dad played football for UT until World War II broke out — I was destined to be a Vol. As a child I attended may games in Neyland Stadium. Growing up in the 1960s I saw teams go from all white athletes to mixed race teams. Bear Bryant, even though an adversary, was a bigger than life icon. The song Rocky Top was never played (that came in 1972). And nothing felt as good as a crisp autumn Saturday afternoon with a Vol football game. Autumn and football were synonymous.
Conway is a town in Central Arkansas about 30 miles north of Little Rock. It is also the home of my first cousin whom I always look forward to visiting. Once a year Conway hosts an outdoor street festival downtown, and the name of the event is classic. It is called “Toad Suck Daze.” Toad Suck is a historic river crossing in an unincorporated community located along the Arkansas River just west of Conway. The unusual name comes from folklore about riverboat captains tying up their boats when the water was low and drinking at a local tavern until they "swelled up like toads." There are street vendors taking part in the spring festival, and the picture above is of the most eye catching merchants I came across.
Clearly this young girl is on a path of becoming a future chess Grand Master. Her opening move with her pawn is very clever. . . . This oversized chess board and pieces is setup outside of Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. The innocence of this little girl to pick up a piece and “play” chess was touching to watch.
Meet Evert Jan Muurling from The Netherlands. He grew up near the sea and developed a passion for sailing. For over 20 years he has been piloting passenger river barges made to navigate through France's small locks and narrow canals. I was a passenger on his boat as we sailed from Paris down the Siene, traveled via many canals and countless locks, and made our way to the Loire Valley. I can attest that it is a special skill to captain such a boat. The locks were so narrow there would only be 2-3 inches on either side of the barge! But it is this picture of the Captain that captivates me. He pilots a river boat, but he reminds me of the hard working fishermen of many costal towns. Unbeknownst to him, my camera caught him in a moment of what looks to be quiet solitude. It’s “a penny for your thoughts” moment. He works and lives on the boat, with his wife, also a captain, who does all the cooking for 20 passengers. My guess is he will sail the rivers for many more years, and if he ever does retire, it will be by the sea, with his wife Steffie.
A group of young children enjoying a school field trip. And they should, since they are visiting Château Vaux le Vicomte in Maincy, France (31 miles southeast of Paris). It was completed in 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, the Finance Minister of Louis XIV. The château is known as the masterpiece that inspired the Palace of Versailles. Indeed, the architect, landscape architect and decorator of this château were all hired by Louis XIV to collaborate on the Palace of Versailles. Clearly the young girl in the center of this photo is excited about the upcoming tour of the Château, which is part of the reason that this picture is so delightful. There are few things as joyful as a group of innocent children.
The minstrels of Moret-sur-Loing, a picturesque medieval town in the Seine-et-Marne region of France, located 47 miles southeast of Paris and 8 miles from Fontainebleau. It is situated along the confluence of the rivers Loing and Seine. Population: 4,126.
Late afternoon walk in Moret-sur-Loing
Father and son
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