Some of the pictures from the last week that haven’t made it anywhere else yet.
That’s my girl, holding her girl.
That’s two flags, a plane and the moon. That’s not bad for one composition on a cell phone’s camera. Taken on the Samford University campus.
They were shooting a scene for a movie on the Samford campus.
Samford football played on a Thursday. And, suddenly, there’s tailgating. And RVers! I believe that’s a first for SU.
The balloon Aubie at Niffer’s, on game day. Niffer’s has a guy that comes through the store some nights making animals for the little kids. Clearly he was hard at work here.
Comer Hall, named after an Alabama governor, is the home of the Auburn University College of Agriculture. That’s my building. One of them, at least. I haven’t been inside in a decade. The door was open on game day, which probably shouldn’t be the case.
This is the second floor, I spent a lot of time here.
Fifteen years ago I checked Email for the first time in this room, in the Comer computer lab. No one remembers this sort of thing, but me.
These books have been in the Comer basement for ages. I’ve always wondered what kind of data is between the covers that needs to be stored so securely and for so long.
If anyone needs any birthday gift ideas …
We’d been out in the sun for a while. It doesn’t look so much like it now, but then, this cloud looked like Puff the Magic Dragon moving in over Jordan-Hare.
ESPN’s Gameday is here. Lee Corso picked Auburn. That’s usually not a good sign.
The sun was also here. It was a hundred thousand and three degrees. Yes, 100,003 degrees. I spell it out for dramatic effect. In an uncrowded restroom at Jordan-Hare Stadium a lone voice spoke out “I think I’m dehydrated.”
But we saw friends. We tailgated. I walked inside Comer Hall, the building where I studied during undergrad, for the first time in a decade. I’ll have a few pictures tomorrow.
We walked into the stadium as soon as they opened the gates and sat with our newest friends. We are in the student section and found a few very nice graduate students to hang out with. Today they brought us fans, The Yankee brought them a water.
Clemson came out and marched down the field in a simple offensive scheme. And then they punched Auburn in the mouth while on defense. Before you knew it the score was 0-17. Auburn rallied to kick a field goal at the half and the orange and blue Tigers were lucky to be down only two scores.
Clemson’s band marched. Auburn’s band marched better.
Auburn marched down the field in the opening drive of the second half. Cam Newton threw an interception at the goal line. But Auburn’s defense looked as ferocious as it ever has, shutting down Cousin Clem in the third quarter. And then Auburn’s offense came alive, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a 24-17 lead. Clemson rallied to tie the game. Auburn sat on the ball at the very end of regulation to set up overtime.
Clemson won the toss, made Auburn drive first and they could do nothing with the ball. Wes Byrum coolly kicked a field goal to set up a 27-24 lead. When Clemson had the ball they were carving into an exhausted Auburn defense. And no wonder: the game was more than four hours old and it was still in the very humid 80s after 10 p.m. Clemson got close to the goal line, but Auburn’s defense rallied again, which seemed impossible.
So Clemson lined up to kick a field goal. It was good. The score is tied 27-27. But there was a flag. At first the referee signaled a penalty on Auburn, which would have given Clemson a first down at the goal. But the referee consulted with his friends (who were not running a good game, at all). Turns out the penalty was on Clemson. Back ’em up, make ’em kick again.
The Clemson placekicker marked off his steps, and then did it again. And then he pushed his kick right. Auburn won. It was an improbable and ecstatic atmosphere. A mysterious Clemson team played out of their minds in what looked like as physical a game you’ll ever see. Those Tigers gave our Tigers their best shot. Auburn came out cold and found a way to storm back into the game. What happened at the end was luck and intangible and delirious. It can never happen again. Thousands of fans’ hearts can’t take it.
Someone has already uploaded the overtime highlights:
I took 134 photographs on the day. The good ones will be uploaded next week sometime. The nine that best illustrate the day are here.
Nova flew right over us in his pre-game flight.
The sun setting over Jordan-Hare Stadium.
It’s a sellout.
Darvin Adams gets his toes down for a huge touchdown to get Auburn back in the game.
Adams could not haul in this one, which should have been the game-winner.
Speaking of shoulda-beens, if the receiver hauled in this pass in overtime Clemson would have gone home the winner.
This is the slogan du jour and the post-game celebration.
A relieved rolling of Toomer’s Corner.
Saw that on the way back to the car. Seemed appropriate. I don’t know if they put that on the marquee before the game after it was finally finished.
We have two weeks of pictures to work through here. The world simply needs to see these without further delay.
This is certainly an brightly painted building for being 170 miles or so inland. It is a bike shop. Very nice people.
This is in the comm building at the University of Alabama. Because there are comm scholars there I’m convinced that everything is a potential experiment. If there is a scrap of paper on the ground I don’t pick it up. Someone is watching. Unless they don’t want me to pick it up. So I kick it. Or stomp on it. Or pick it up and move it over six inches. Anything that might keep me from being a part of the experiment.
If you meet enough field study types you can become paranoid. It hasn’t gotten to me. Unless they want to think it has gotten to me …
Anyway. I’m waiting on the elevator and I see these two selections and think This must be another experiment.
Same brand, same filling. One is a cookie and one is a cracker. Different shapes. But 30 cents different?
(Not everything is an experiment. Though this might be one.)
Aubie is helping this cute little girl with her shoe. This is at the Florida State-Auburn soccer game. Aubie got it into the action later, as you’ll see.
The Yankee at the Auburn soccer game.
A fence. I was being artistic. You’re welcome.
Aubie takes a header.
Samford Hall on game day on the Auburn campus.
We hadn’t met this character before. I’m guessing he’s new? He says Aubie is just a mascot, and not idolatry.
Here’s the thing. It was very, very warm. But she was in the shade. Suddenly that eagle head wear doesn’t seem so silly, does it? OK, it does. But she was a very nice, enthusiastic lady. Next time I’m going to ask her how she came about this idea.
The normal membership at a Sam’s Club only gets you in after 10 a.m. Unless you have the premium membership you have to wait outside with the rest of us. It only costs you $60 more a year to avoid the masses.
I just waited the 20 extra minutes.
My view from inside the Davis Library at Samford University.
The fountain on Ben Brown Plaza at Samford University. This particular day was an organization day. All the groups set up tables to recruit curious students. This was just after they began tearing down the displays.
This joke still works. I only took the picture because I heard a girl get fooled by it.
