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Picture of the day - July 20, 2006
A Beautiful Fountain In Abingdon, VA
Click photo to enlarge
Man has always been fascinated and soothed by the sight and
sound of flowing water. One of the simple pleasures in life is
sitting on a river bank late on a hot summer evening, letting the
troubles and tensions of the day drift away with the splashing
current.
Fountains allow us to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of flowing
water most anywhere at all - even indoors if we so choose! Ponds,
pools, waterfalls and fountains were used thousands of years ago by
the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Persians as a way of creating an
"oasis" anywhere they desired to have one. Later, the Greeks and
Romans built elaborate fountains all around their cities. These
fountains served as both easily accessible water supplies and
magnificent works of art.
The ancient Romans' amazing expertise in engineering was perhaps put to its
best use in the construction of Rome's water supply. They
constructed a massive array of aqueducts to carry water from high in
the nearby Alban Hills into and around the city. The 3,100 foot drop
created a tremendous amount of water pressure, allowing them to
supply water to the entirety of Rome and fill the large number of
splashing fountains using the power of gravity alone. Given the era
in which it was built, Rome's municipal water supply is one of the
greatest human creations of all time.
Today, fountains can be seen just about everywhere in the United
States and around the world. You'll find them accenting flower
gardens, serving as birdbaths, and adorning the property of private
homes, government buildings, small businesses and major corporations
alike. And while the technology behind them has changed dramatically
over the centuries, the reasons for having them have not. We still
love the way a beautiful, splashing fountain teases our senses and
washes away the troubles of the day.
About the photo: The other night, Cheria and I were walking
around downtown
Abingdon, Virginia taking photos of the
Barter Theatre,
the
Martha Washington Inn and a few other historic buildings when we
noticed the fountain in front of the Abingdon Town Hall. It was lit
up very nicely, so we walked over and snapped a few photos of it -
one of which is the "Picture Of The Day".
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