Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American poet. The hymn above, entitled Christmas Bells, was composed by Longfellow on Christmas day, 1863 - in the midst of the Civil War and upon news that his son Charles had been wounded in battle.

More than a bell tower, the ETSU Carillon is really a musical instrument in that its 26 bells can be played using a keyboard. The bells, which were cast in Holland, are of various sizes -- the largest weighs 550 pounds, and the smallest weighs just 40 pounds. The 48 foot tall carillon was dedicated in 2005.

I love this video of Johnny and June Carter Cash!

mind vs. body

Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going.
--George S. Patton (1885-1945) U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

This past weekend, ETSU played host to the Niswonger Invitational and to over 1,400 athletes from 105 top collegiate, post collegiate, and professional athletic teams. And, as if that wasn't enough activity for the Memorial Center, there was a second event taking place concurrently there with over 1,000 high school students competing in the KTC High School Indoor Track Classic.

Revealing Character

Sports do not build character. They reveal it.
--Heywood Broun (1888-1939) American Journalist

From the emails and comments I receive, I know that most tune in to see nature photos - and that's usually what I have to offer. But I hope you'll indulge my sharing some more shots from the NAIA National Track and Field Championships at ETSU. It really is a wonderful thing that athletes from all over the country come to Johnson City for this event. I spent all afternoon out there taking photos -- and in the slideshow above are some that I think reveal the competition, the contestants and their character.

[click any photo above to see larger images]

...Get set...

The NAIA National Indoor Track and Field Championships began last night at ETSU's Memorial Center. The three day event draws nearly 1,000 athletes from over 100 colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada. ETSU has played host to the indoor championships since 2001 - and talks are currently underway to keep it in Johnson City through 2010. With all of the athletes, coaches, trainers, parents and fans, the event is a boon to the local economy, coming one week before the annual pilgrimage of NASCAR fans to Bristol Motor Speedway.

ETSU Sherrod Library

Above is a photo of the soaring entrance to the ETSU library. The building, completed nine years ago, is absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. Besides the obvious contents, the building also contains a replica of longtime east Tennessee Congressman Jimmy Quillen's Washington D.C. office as well as the 'Archives of Appalachia.' Both are located on the fourth floor. Click here to learn more about the building. For a map to the library, click here.

Gray Fossil Museum

The 33,000 square foot fossil museum in Gray, TN is now open -- and full of amazing sights. The building itself is architecturally beautiful -- it's modern "building block" design somehow works to compliment the prehistoric artifacts and exhibits within. The price of admission is right: FREE! That's the price for a self-guided tour of the permanent exhibits. For a guided tour of the museum and the actual fossil site the cost is $5 for adults, $4 for those age 65 and older and $3 for children ages 5-12. Check out their new website!

Directions: From I-26, take exit 13 (Gray), turn left onto Route 75 (Bobby Hicks Highway) and travel for 1.8 miles. The museum is on your left. The ETSU and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitors Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Old Soldiers' Home

In the heart of Johnson City, TN is "Mountain Home," a place that was once described as a "city within a city." The Old Soldiers' Home, as it was originally known, was unique in that it served Civil War veterans of both the North and the South. This sprawling institution occupied 475 acres and was originally composed of 37 buildings, complete with theatre, chapels (one for Protestant services and one for Catholic mass), Carnegie library, mess hall (above), barracks for 2,500 veterans, dairy farm, power plant, morgue, hospital, ice house, hotel, jail...the list goes on. Construction began in 1901 using an intricate French renaissance style, with the first veteran being admitted in 1903. Construction was ultimately completed in 1910. Veterans still come to Mountain Home, but today they have a new state-of-the-art facility at the VA Hospital. The clock tower building, and many of the other buildings of the Old Soldiers' Home have been restored and are occupied by the Quillen College of Medicine and the ETSU College of Pharmacy. Click here for a map of the area.

ETSU Mini-Dome

Tonight I went to ETSU to take pictures at the NAIA Track and Field National Championship. I left feeling very old and out of shape. Nationals continues for the next two days at ETSU. The Mini-Dome is a versatile and unique venue that brings in hundreds of athletes from all over the country for competitions such as this. This particular event gives the local economy a $3.75 million economic boost.

For the past 30 years, the ETSU Mini-Dome (officially called the Memorial Center) has been one of the most recognizable landmarks of Johnson City. Home of the Buccaneers, ETSU uses the facility for a variety of sporting activities: basketball, track and field, and tennis (to name a few). I'm not sure why they call it "mini" -- this thing is enormous. And that might be part of the problem. For all its versatility, the Dome has plenty of detractors who argue that it is not a fan friendly stadium for any sport. Many believe the unpopular Dome caused the end of the ETSU football program in 2003. While occasionally there is talk of revitalizing football at ETSU, you can be sure that if football ever does return, they won't be playing in the Mini-Dome!