The Loveliest Village of the Plain
Yesterday, we went to see Unca Benji at Auburn. We got up really early in the morning, and drove, and drove, and drove some more before we got there. It took a long time to arrive but it's ok, we watched Allison Kause, Toy Story, and Sesame Street. I really like to watch tv.
When we got to Unca Benji's apartment we got on the bus with him and rode to campus. When we got off the bus, there were more buses coming up behind it. Britt kept asking, "Where dat bus going?" And Momma would say, "I don't know where it's going." This happened over and over, until Britt finally informed Momma, "No, not I don't know, buses going to Auuuuu-burn!"
First Unca Benji took us to Stamford Hall. It's the oldest building on campus, and orginially all the classes where held here. Momma told me that Oliver Goldsmith once wrote a poem that began with the lines "Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain" and it was for this poem that Judge John J. Harper named a little town that sits on a plain in South Alabama in 1836. Another line in the poem later gave the college their mascot, "Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey." For this poem, the students of the college are often termed the Plainsmen (and sometimes today Plainswomen), and in fact the school paper is "The Auburn Plainsmen". Momma knows alot about Auburn, I have to take her word for it though since I can't read.
Next, we walked along College Street to Toomer's Corner, and saw all the trees. Britt and I thought they looked like all the other trees that were loosing their leaves, but Momma thought they looked really bad. Unca Benji says that he thinks they will cut them all down at the end of the year, maybe even before the Auburn - Alabama game as motivation to beat Bama since they destroyed our trees. Anyway, after that we walked along Magnolia Street and saw all the engineering buildings and stopped to see where most of Unca Benji's classes are at in Lowder Hall. Of course, when I see we walked, I mean everyone but me. Daddy carried my mostly but Unca Benji and Momma carried me some too. They say I'm too slow, but Britt is the really slow one. Every time someone offered to carry him though, he said no and insisted on walking.
Next we headed over to the Hailey Center, and as we walked in and out of it, we could see the stadium. It isn't as big looking as the one in Gainesville, and we couldn't go in and walk around it, but Momma says maybe next year we can all go see a game together there and cheer on our Tigers. In the Hailey Center, we stopped by the book store. Oh boy, did we have fun playing in there. Britt pointed out every AU and said, "War Eagle!" He also kissed the tigers and threw them in the floor to wallow with them. I got to try on head bands and hats, and when I got tired Daddy found me a chair to sit in and I played with some streamers. Britt kinda embarrassed us, him and Unca Benji were running around in the clothes and being really loud. Momma had to go and calm them down. We picked out a few things before we left.
Unca Benji wanted to show us the old Auburn mascot outfit that they had hanging up on display in the student center, but we got up there and couldn't find it any where. Instead we all looked at all the eagle and tiger statues everywhere. Britt's favorite was a Tiger wearing a tie and clothes. I like touching the big wooden eagle. After that we were ready to leave campus and go find some lunch, so we headed out and on our walk back to the bus we saw the stadium again, and walked by a bunch of dorms that sit next to the stadium. Unca Benji should live there.
So we left Auburn, the loveliest village of the plain, and headed over to Unca Benji's apartment building. He had a really tiny room, and Britt rearranged all of his stuff for him while we were there. Then we ate lunch together at Loco's which is across the street from where Unca Benji lives. Britt colored, I ate, and Unca Benji told us both lots of stories, that Momma says she'll load on facebook later. We had a good time, and hated to tell Unca Benji bye, infact I refused to. Momma says that didn't change anything though, because we really did have to leave to go see Grumps and Ahna. I was pretty tired though, so I went to sleep pretty fast. We had a wonderful time with Unca Benji, and I hope we can visit him again.
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