Tailgating

Today is the annual football rivalry between Florida and Georgia, the Gators versus the Bulldogs. The game is held at the EverBank Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the event is one of the few times in the year where downtown Jacksonville actually comes alive.

I headed downtown to see what I could capture. The Landing was cordoned off and it cost $10 to gain admission to watch the game on the large TV screen. I passed on that for obvious reasons.

A stage built for entertainment tonight was blasting out All Right Now by Free; School's Out by Alice Cooper; and Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water. I can remember my parents telling me as a teenager that these bands would never last and no one would have heard of them in ten years time. Just goes to show what parents know when it comes to music. :-)

I took a few shots of girls clad in bikini tops and Daisy Dukes but they did not really capture the spirit of the occasion. It was only when I was walking back to the car, and thinking I was going to have to resort to a picture of some derelict building or other in the downtown area, that I spotted this couple tailgating in one of the carparks.

I still don't really understand the interest in college sport in the United States. I was at Manchester University for six years and never once watched a sporting fixture featuring one of its teams. I think part of the reason is that the games are held on a Saturday afternoon. If it was a choice between watching Manchester University playing Sheffield University or Stoke City playing Chelsea, I think you know where I would be heading.

Things are a little more peaceful. I think the CEO may be feeling that she went a little OTT the other day. Or it could be that she feels my proposed visit to a counsellor/therapist will provide a solution. But the news that she passed her test to become a Certified Legal Manager, the reason for out trip to Atlanta a few weeks back, has put her in a far happier and relaxed mood. Perhaps, it was the stress of waiting for the result.

B&W conversion with Silver Efex Pro in Photoshop CS3.