A Somber Day

I stayed home from work today, after leaving work early yesterday, due to a cold-like illness. I slept little last night because I found it difficult to breathe through my nose. After waking this morning, I worked on my photography and organizing my pictures for a couple of hours. Then it was time for me to get myself dressed and presentable in order to attend the funeral.

I attended the funeral for my preacher's wife. She's the first person that I've both been close to and cared about to die. The church was packed, and some people were left to stand in another room (like myself) or were forced to sit outside in seats facing the church. Throughout the service tears fell from my eyes despite my best attempts to dam them behind my eyelids. Thinking about her death still causes me to tear up, but I try to take comfort knowing that she is in heaven where she will no longer feel the pain of cancer.

Tomorrow I hope to finish cleaning the two remaining algae-covered aquariums in my room. I also hope to be able to rest and continue working on organizing my photos.

I can't wait to get my Canon Digital Rebel XTi later this summer. I think that my photography will greatly improve with a more professional camera. I had a little difficulty deciding whether to go with the XT or the newer and improved XTi. I decided on the XTi for three reasons: it has 2 more megapixels than the 8 MP XT, it has a 2.5 inch screen compared to the XT's 1.8 inch screen, and I think I would regret not spending the extra $200 for the better camera. I want to get the Lowepro Slingshot AW 200 case/backpack in order to house my camera. I like this one because the design will allow me to access the camera without going through the trouble of removing the backpack first.

Alpha Retreat in Lynchburg This Past Weekend

This past weekend I went on an Alpha retreat to Lynchburg, Virginia with the United Methodist church affiliated with the college.

It was exactly what I needed; a chance to get away, relax, and be happy. The weather and the mountains were absolutely gorgeous. The trees all had new, lush, green leaves on them. The air was clean and refreshing.

I went on the retreat with Liz (a friend of mine here at school), Pastor Ed (the youth minister at the United Methodist Church associated with the college), and Daniel (Ed's younger brother). We stayed in the church of Pastor Ed's in-laws. His in-laws are such wonderful and kind people. Ed's father-in-law is the minister of the church we stayed in. The church has its own gym with full-size basketball court and two kitchens. On Saturday, we moved into the church, and played some basketball. Later that day, we went on a scavenger hunt on the river walk in Lynchburg, Virginia (you can view the pictures below). The river walk and scavenger hunt were a lot of fun. The retreat was relaxing and refreshing; I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Out of all the pictures I took in Lynchburg, this is my favorite. I absolutely love the blue sky and the beautiful pink flowers against it.


This is a picture I took of the river fountain and a few buildings in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia.

This is a picture of a dam along the river walk. It was very beautiful and the roar of the falling water was deafening.

Here is a picture of the Virginia state tree, the dogwood.

This is an enormous, ancient tree on the river walk in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has an interesting root system that cascades down the hill like a waterfall. Over the years, many people have carved messages into the tree.

This is an old train tunnel that people pass through on the river walk in historic Lynchburg, Virginia. When inside, one wonders how a train actually fit in it.

This is a picture of the vegetation and rocks that can be seen on the river walk in Lynchburg, Virginia. There were droplets of water running down the rocks, and in some instances, they were a natural waterfall, providing the soothing sound of falling water.

Top Thrill Dragster Roller Coaster

With a record-breaking height of 420 feet and a record-breaking speed of 120 m.p.h., Top Thrill Dragster delivers a wild ride to vistors to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio.

It almost looks like a rocket.


Look at that drop! It is enough to take your breath away; literally!

Another drop and twist ahead!

I think this picture gives some perspective as to the sheer enormity of the roller coaster.

(I received these photos in a forwarded e-mail, so I'm not sure who to give credit to. They are NOT mine.)

My Old Barn

This is a picture of my barn which was built in 1883.

The numbers at the top, near the peak of the roof, are barely recognizable because a farmer poked the "3" out with a pitch fork many years ago.

Old Town Winchester

This is the Old Town section of Winchester, Virginia, my hometown. It is the most wonderful place in the world. I was born and raised there, and will return there when I graduate from college.

The yellow building was the old Farmers and Merchants National Bank, but is now a BB&T.

The building on the right is the old courthouse, which was built in 1840. Winchester switched hands around 73 or 74 times during the Civil War, and during that time, the courthouse was used as a prison. Civil War soldiers left graffitti on the walls, and now the old courthouse is a Civil War Museum.

If you have any interest in the Civil War, you should really visit Winchester. Stonewall Jackson had his headquarters there, and now it is a museum. General Sheridan also had a headquarters there, which coincidentally is right down the street from Jackson's. Sheridan's former headquarters is now Kimberly's, an upscale furniture and boutique store.

Numerous Civil War battles were fought in and around Winchester.

In addition to the Civil War history, Winchester was also a home for George Washington's surveying company. His headquarters is still standing and is also a museum.

Winchester and the surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful, if you would like to see it, hurry, because numerous developers from Northern Virginia are building large subdivisions and destroying the land, the history, and the community of Winchester and Frederick County.