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(7Tf | Houston Homr 1 (Mf t Joimuu H ~ ~ lane Winston The Left Rail JWlNSl939@aol.com Biion giorno a tutti! The movie Under the Tuscan Sun brought much attention to the Italian region known as Tuscany. There is no town of Tuscan, but there is the wonderful picturesque hill top town of Cortona, and it is there the movie was filmed and there I would like to return and stay for a month or more. Not only was the small town beautiful, there were such fun things happening, and American tourists weren’t permeating every nook and cranny. The falconry show going on in the town square was incredible. I saw some of the largest most beautiful falcons that were trained to fly far away into the Tuscan countryside and then return for their treat of uncooked meat found in the gloved hand of their owner/trainer. (Haven’t we all studied B. F. Skinner’s conditioned response?) And there was this gigormous (that’s “grandkidese” com bining gigantic and enor mous) owl. She must have weighed 25 pounds, and her four babies were the teeni est, tiniest balls of fluff. And of course, I saw the 300-year old house Frances purchased and fixed up, and I strolled the very streets she did. And I know I saw the same old man Frances saw daily changing the flow ers in the shrine outside her bedroom window. What a wonderful love story. After leaving Cortona we toured an interesting winery, strolled through the vineyards and closed the lazy, lovely afternoon tasting delicious wines and then napping in the bus as we headed back to Villa Veronica and our final night there. Early the "next day we piled in the bus for our long trip to the village of Stresa which is nestled on the shores of beautiful Lago Maggiore in the Lombardy region, the most northern region we visited. Enroute we passed the famous marble quarries of Carrara where it is rumored that Michael D’angelo got the marble he used in his sculpt ing to include the Statue of David. About our bus driver: John Baptiste hauled us everywhere. He was a mas ter with that huge bus on the narrow, twisty roads of Italy He was born and reared in Northeast Italy in a small town that manufac tures the Beretta weapons. He didn’t want to remain there and work in the facto ry, so he left and has been a bus driver most of his adult life. Of course he and Erika communicated well in their native language of Italian, but the rest of us just smiled and pointed in our efforts to communicate. About the fourth day, someone, some how discovered John spoke Spanish. From then we See RAIL, page 3C SATURDAY, July 1,2006 Best Bets !-- i Compiled by Charlotte Perkins and Kristy Warren BIG»BANG» BOOM The big fireworks show is tonight at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. Gates open at 6 p.m., with fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m. The* Big* Bang* Boom draws thousands, so plan to get your viewing spot early. Country and Southern Rock band Jana Gentry’s Platinum Pony will perform on the WDEN stage at 7:30 p.m. The fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m. and is pre sented by the “First Family of Fireworks,” Zambelli Fireworks Internationale.” Admission for the event is free and the gates open at 6 p.m. The fireworks show can also be seen from locations along Courtney Hodges Blvd. and U.S. 41 South. Expect traffic delays when the show is over. Those arriving at the fair grounds early can bring pic nic food or eat fair food pro vide by Concessions by Cox . Blankets and lawn chairs are a good idea. Alcohol, glass containers, pets, and firearms are prohibited. DIXIE REINING HORSES Sunday at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in the Reaves Arena, Covered Horse Arena and Horse Barn. Opens at 8 a.m. BARREL RACE The Southern States Triple Crown NBHA Super Show Barrel Race exhibition will be from Thursday through Sunday, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds. Thursday and Friday exhibitions begin at noon, continue until 7 p.m.; July 8 exhibition at 9 a.m. COMEDY AND DRAMA Warner Robins Little Theatre will present “The Contrite Spirit” a com edy/drama by Denis J. Harrington,directed by Everyone have a happy Independence Day I have a friend who doesn’t like for anyone to call Independence Day “the Fourth of July” because he says every nation has a fourth of July. It’s the independence part that gives the date meaning. He is so adamant about it that I now catch myself correct ing myself if I say “Fourth of July.” I tend to agree with him, though. It is all about the independence part. I have been thinking a lot about the freedoms we enjoy - and take for granted - as Americans. Perhaps it’s because I just read a novel that took its characters through the Sept. 11 ter rorist attacks. It was pretty intense, reading and reliv ing those days. I also like to read nov els about World War 11. I have learned more about Lifestyle [ V\ i Jjf M \ "♦to* ’ r WO r 0000 ' iMm L % ' in,. v jjEiSiHH Cathy Collins, with the opening performance at 8 p.m. July 7. A Green Room reception catered by Chef Audrey will follow the per formance. Further play dates will be July 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. matinee perfor mances will be at 3:30 p.m. on July 9 and 16. The cast includes Ryan McCarty, Terry Minyard, Billie Pritchard, Buddy Sherri Martin The Front Porch Evans Newspapers the history of our country through novels I have read and veterans I have inter viewed than I ever learned in school. I think that had more to do with my teenage lack of interest than with my teachers, though. My thoughts were wan dering the other day - they tend to do that when I’m knee deep in the pea patch. I was thinking how the Great Depression served to prepare the Greatest Generation for for July Elliott, DeWayne Collins and Will Huskey. Warner Robins Little Theatre is located at 502 South Pleasant Hill Road, Warner Robins. Reservation lines, at 929-4579, are open each Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning July 3, and continuing for the run of the show. Tickets are sl2 adults, Seniors $8 (Sundays only), wT^ M Lv 1 1 1 i| the sacrifices they had to make during WWII. Then I was wondering if my gen eration - and those coming along behind me - would ever be able to make the sacrifices they made. Are we too soft? Are the privi leges, the conveniences, and the me-first mentality we live with today too much to overcome? I know that we have many soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen and women who are making the Students SB. THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Thanks to the efforts of the Houston Arts Alliance, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is coming back. Conducted by Laura Jackson, the orchestra will perform on Friday in the sacrifices each day while I complain about having to load my dishwasher. I wonder if we as a whole nation would be willing to make the huge sacrifices necessary to win a war the scale of World War 11. It seems sometimes there are many people who would just as soon protest the war on terrorism as eat and breathe. However, I think most of us would be star tled, even terrified, if we realized how large scale the war on terrorism really is. Has the memory of the Twin Towers falling served to strengthen our resolve as Americans, as voices of freedom to the world? Or have we too quickly forgot ten those days of fear and frustration? And the days that followed when every one put out their flags and gave blood? PAGE 1C Miller-Murphy-Howard Building at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. This year’s pro gram, according to Bobbe Nelson, one of the organiz ers of the event, will include music for every taste, from Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance op. 46, No. 8, to J. Williams’ theme music from “E.T.”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Superman” and the Harry Potter movie. A high point for many will be the ASO’s rendering of Strauss’ “Blue Danube.” The program will also include music by Liszt and Glinka. The performance will be in the Miller- Murphy-Howard Exhibit Hall, Georgia National Fairgrounds At 6:30 p.m. the Houston County Honor Band will play. At 7:30 p.m. the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will begin its con cert. The cost for individual seats is $lO for adults, $5 for students. Reserved seat ing: S3OO Patron table, SSOO Grand Patron Table, SI,OOO Sponsor Table CANOE THE OCMULGEE July 8, 2 p.m. Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences, 4182 Forsyth Rd., Macon. The first couple of trips planned by the museum were so popular, they’ve scheduled more! Enjoy a three-hour guided canoe tour of the river from the Old Water Works to the Heritage Trail. No experi ence is needed and a box lunch is provided. S3O for Museum members; $35 for non-members; advanced registration required. 478- 477-3232; www.masmacon. com LAST CHANCE FOR CASSATT July 9: “Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist” Video Screening 2 p.m. Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences, 4182 Forsyth Rd., Macon. Hear the story of how a visit by Cassatt’s family led to her friendship with artist Edgar Degas. This is the See BEST, page 3C Or have we become too much of a society of victims - ready to sue and get what’s in it for us - to care about the future of America and the world for our children and children’s children? Perhaps this train of thought came about when I heard a quote about George Washington. The speaker on a History Channel documen tary said that Washington had more to lose from the American Revolution than many others. He had much to lose, but more to gain as he became the father of a great nation, as did all of those who signed their names on the Declaration of Independence on our first. Fourth of July. Would that we would all be willing today, if called upon, to step up, sign our name, and take a stand for liberty and justice for all.