Yes I'm still posting more photographs from
My last Walkabout. I took quite a few on
this last one, and am putting the better ones
here.
I may well get out there a couple of more
times before I leave. I have to apply my
time effectively for this last little bit.
Just more of my perspective.
AAE
Just a few more Photographs and thousands
more unspoken words.
These things I see through the lens of my
camera, some good some bad. Images that
tell tales and stories. Moving me more than
the words of great poets, or authors. Painting
instantly those things around me.
I took these the same day I did the ones in
my previous post.
Welcome again to my perspective.
AAE
Looking yourself in the mirror of you life,
face to face with who or what you are.
Or is it what you think you are? Facing
long days and dark overly silent nights,
trying to make sense of those things you
have seen, tasted, touch and smelled.
Your senses shattered, mind scattered and
tattered, by the horrible reality around you.
You take on a different likeness unlike
yourself, a fractured perception of what
you are. You no longer know the sum of
all the parts, because they do not always
fit, not like they use to. Where is that
person who you were, what really
happened to him? Moving from light
to darkness and back again, trying to
find your soul. You scream silently in
your soul for quiet from the screams in
your mind and pray the smell of burning
flesh will leave you forever. It never
leaves along with the emptiness that
is constant that you find no relief for.
Look behind you and see yourself
following, like a specter haunting yourself. 
Welcome to a Fragmented Perception
Just another perspection.
During the first couple of days of my leave,
Dee had not yet made it to the US. It is hard
coordinating leave from overseas sometimes.
I spent a lot of time with my Son, Daughter,
Grandson, and granddaughter, during those
days. It does my soul good to look at these
photographs of these Grandchildren. The
beauty of the whole thing is that I am still
young enough to enjoy participating with them.
Shadrach
Ocean
I miss them.
Art
These are photographs overlooking the wing
and engine of the plane I flew home in on leave.
I took these images because I liked the
contrasting of the plane over the blanket
of clouds.
Our flight took us to Budapest http://english.budapest.hu/Engine.aspx ,
which unfortunately it was night so we didn't see much.
Then to Ireland http://www.shannonregiontourism.ie/ We arrived
just at daybreak. On to Newfoundland
http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/
We came in during the day and I have to tell
you, Dee and I are going to see this place
some day. Talk about beautiful wooded
areas, lakes, and from my understanding
many other sights to see. From there on to
the USA, and my family. More to come
from this story.
Just a view
Art.
I guess I needed to clear something up. I'm
already back to work from leave, I'm just
relating the story of the trip.
Ok this is one of the rare times you will see me in a photograph. I took this using a tripod and that Fuji Finepix A210. A little history about the throne. This throne was given to Saddam by Yassir Arafat.
Yes I really look like this at 0300hrs in the morning after work
The emblem in middle is a representation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem; also know as the Dome of the Rock. The inlay says “Holiness to us” on the sides and on the Top it says “victory from God and success is near” It is not clear that, that is the translation as there are differing documents the other document says the translation is “Jerusalem is ours”, on the sides, and on the top it says, “Victory from God and conquest is near,”
Detail 1
Detail 2
Detail 3
The book at the top has a verse from the chapter of the Koran Entitled “The Israelites” “AL-Isra” Its translation is “Glory to Allah, who took His servant for a journey, by night, from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts God did bless.
Detail of the Book
Detail of the arms
This is a link to the original article:
http://www.vcorps.army.mil/news/2006/july3_bagpiper_release.pdf
This Article can be seen at:
MUSICAL V CORPS MAJOR
These are the Photographs MAJ
Gunther and I wanted the PAO to use. 
Here is a link of interest:
http://www.vcorps.army.mil/VictoryForward/default.htm
I Beautiful Mosque along the waters with flowers in the foreground at morning.
Photograph taken in June.
There is a grove of date palms and cedars all together in this one small plot. When it is hot like it has been and the cedars bake in the sun, if you pass by early in the morning the fragrance of cedar fills the air. It is as if you had just opened a chest made of that wonderfully aromatic wood. The palms are really beautiful in their own way. I find myself enjoying the appearance of the palm fronds spreading out from the center of the trunk.
These are T-Walls, large concrete barriers used for protection. I just thought they looked kind of interesting in a still life sort of way. Laying in stacks on the ground waiting to be set up.
Sometimes the mundane simple and plain things in life are artistic in their own way.
Welcome to my perspective.
AAE
I thought I would show you all something different and a little weird from over here. They call this thing the Bat Mound. Just a little strange looking isn't, probably in more ways than one. Apparently the bats use it to hang on at night and the birds use it during the day. I cannot confirm the bats using it, but if you look off to the right of the lower photograph the birds do use it by day. 
This is a view looking right up the side of the mound. Just as I was taking this photo I was thinking I sure hope the birds behave themselves.
This thing is right near where I live so I see it every single day will I miss it? No way.
I know it this is not as pretty and fantastic as marble Palaces but hey I got to show you some other stuff too.
AAE
I'm going for a different twist on this posting this time. I managed to get some new photos, and used a tripod to get some of them. I am adding a little history along with this post to.
Faw is one of 8 presidential palaces used for hunting and recreation by Baathist party members and Saddam Hussein and his family. Both sons had matching villas on the artificial lake. There were houseboats to move them around, often they would cruise the lake and take tea at one of the artificial islands.
Below a different view of the rotunda. Notice you see eight of the sixteen columns in this view.
Below feathered friends by the lake.
Look at those fish no one knows for sure what
all they have been eating in the past.
Wow there are some big ones.
Art.
Each day I look to the West to watch the setting sun,
and dream of my true love.
AAE
22 July 2006 0100hrs
Black bodies flitting wings
Dancing back, forth, up and down
Little bat eat more
AAE
The below photographs were taken on one of my walkabouts at one of our other wonderful sights. These were taken about the 18th of June.
Everyone Take Care.
AAE tm
It is hard not to come back to the subject of the Rotunda. I was spelling it wrong on the first couple of posts. Rotunda is correct. The below shot was taken from a counter top (no tripod at that time) I will be doing some more photos with a tripod that I finally got.
The two photos below were taken from the second level using one of the handrail posts from the stair case as a tripod. Amazing what you can do to make things work when you have to.
When I get on a computer with good photo software I might try to make these two panoramic.
Here is the second level from an interesting point of view.
You just got to love this Spiral Staircase. This is a view from the second level.
Everyone that walks into this place cannot help but look around. It is interesting to watch the people who work here as they walk in.
Everyone take care.
AAE tm
