Veterans Day

Miss Cappie, preschool teacher at Highland County Public Schools, and the students and their escorts visited the courthouse today. Deputy Bill Wagner was there with his family. I watched from a distance as the group explored the Veteran's Memorial.

From Artful Gifts, I have a front-row view of the courthouse. The Veteran's Memorial is to the left close to the sheriff's office. Each branch of the military has its flag flying, with the American flag standing taller than the rest and in the middle. To the right is the courthouse. Four white pillars stand in front of the red brick building. The porch roof forms a triangle of white. In the middle of the triangle is a semicircle of glass, three white spokes emanating from center, four more spokes joining the three from another semicircle of white dividing the glass. The spokes and semicircle divide the glass into 12 parts. Slightly behind the triangle is a clock tower with a green, presumably copper, cupola. There is no clock, only the outline of where one could go. On the side of the triangular roof are variously  configured rectangular roofs covered in grey slate tile.

In front of the pillars are the American flag on the left and the Virginia flag on the right, framing the steps leading up to the entrance. Also framed by and in front of the flags is a white stone statue of a soldier from long ago standing atop a grey pillar, a rifle at his right side, his left hand shading his eyes. The soldier appears to be looking to the north.

The stone soldier is there in memory of those who fought in the Civil War. The Veteran's Memorial honors all those who served in the military. The flags represent branches of the military, and the state and federal governments.

Behind and to the right of the courthouse is a two-story wood framed building with a sign in the shape of a trout on the roof and the word, "maple," printed in its body.

Further to the right is the steeple of Monterey Presbyterian Church, and still further to the right is First and Citizens  Bank.

The forecast says this afternoon will be sunny. The sky is overcast. Countless brown and yellow leaves cover the green grass in front of the courthouse.  A breeze causes the flags to sway ever so slightly.

Veteran's Day is a week away. On that day a parade will go from HCPS to the Veteran's Memorial. Hopefully it will be a nice day for a parade. But who can predict the future. We make our best guess and accept whatever comes our way knowing that everything is not always what it seems.

The soldier in the yard is not in a Civil War uniform and the statue itself came from Italy, according to local sources. The old courthouse was rebuilt after a fire in the 1940s. The flags represent different things to different people, depending on political persuasion and temperament. The church could be a sign of unity under God or division among people in the community. The bank could be a sign of community wealth or poverty depending on who has money there or who is not able to get a loan.

The Veteran's Memorial could be a sign of local patriotism or nationalism, or a way to remember friends and family who have served in the military.

And the Maple fish is no fish at all. It just looks like one.

The sun has finally come out as predicted, although a little late. The red and yellow leaves of the artificial plants in the Artful Gifts window sparkle.