On the Road and In Your Backyard

Good Morning All,

On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!

Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com

 

 

Have a wonderful day !

 

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I meant to write yesterday about how horrible it was the morning of Oct 2 last year, with my mother asking me about the news and what was going on, not knowing of the events the previous night. In her weakened, very vulnerable state, she’d stopped watching cable news just a few days before, and I collapsed into a chair, sitting for a moment and crying while thinking of the previous night’s horror in Las Vegas. Then I quietly said “nothing good” and after a prolonged pause while I wiped the tears away with the backs of my index fingers, asked her what I could make her for breakfast.

For the first time, I began to realize how much the world from Trump’s election-on had weakened and threatened her, before her cancer, but even more so when she was weak and fighting for her life. Trump and Brexit and the general right-wing/fascist ascendancy terrified her to her core, no doubt contributing to her decline. I spared her from any coverage of the massacre horror as she did not need any visceral reminders of the evil that our species can cause.

Backing up a bit to this whole Trump horror show, more than a few of us have been dealing with the stress and fear that this shanda engenders in countless, often unproductive or damaging ways, but it’s important to preserve perspective. Bad events outside your control can weigh on you in outsize ways; do not surrender them more credence than necessary. Sometimes you can’t escape them, but if you’re lucky, you can briefly glimpse how much more there is to appreciate in this world and forget the shit for a few blessed minutes.

 

And so I thank all of you wonderful commenters and submitters – past, present, and future – for helping make this feature something positive for each of us to explore or take refuge, if only for a brief few moments each day.

 

Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.

A little more from the State Capitol in Sacramento…

The State Capitol in Sacramento was built between 1860 and 1874, it took 14 years due to floods, the Civil War, lack of funds from the Legislature, and building construction issues(the project literally drove the architect insane). As state government grew during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, some functions that were housed in the building(the judiciary and library) were moved to other buildings and the building was remodeled to accommodate state business. In 1949 construction of the east annex was started to provide additional space for legislative offices and new offices for the Governor and Lt. Governor. This addition required the demolition of the Aspe at the rear of the building. In the mid 1970’s it was determined that the original building was seismically unsafe to continue to be used and the choices were to completely raze the building or restore the existing structure. The state government(headed by Chairman Jerry at the time) decided to undertake a costly restoration that involved gutting the original structure, leaving just the exterior walls, and rebuilding the internal structure using steel frame construction methods. The Legislature met in large trailers at the sides of the building while their chambers were being reconstructed. The old portion of the Capitol was restored to it’s 1906 appearance and the original artwork was restored.

Taken on 2018-07-17 00:00:00

Sacramento, California

Last time we saw the view from the base of this of this statuary group up to the top of the dome(you could see the top of the statuary at the bottom of that picture). The statuary is titled, Columbus’ Last Appeal to Queen Isabella, and has been in the Capitol rotunda since 1883. There was discussion of moving this piece of art from the rotunda to another place in the Capitol during the restoration in the late 70’s, but it was decided that it would remain.

Taken on 2018-07-17 00:00:00

Sacramento, California

You’re probably more used to seeing this gentleman in judicial robes, but before he was Chief Justice of the US, Earl Warren was Governor of California for 10 years. In his run for his 2nd term he received the nomination of both the Republican(he was a Republican) and the Democratic parties. The portraits of all the Governors of the State of California are in the halls of the 3 floors of the old Capitol building.

Taken on 2018-07-17 00:00:00

Sacramento, California

I tell folk that Edmond G. Brown was Governor of California when I was born, when I graduated from high School, when I graduated from college and now. This soon won’t be the case, at least the last part, but is true. Of course the Governor when I was born was Edmond G. Brown, Sr(aka Pat Brown), Jerry’s father. Jerry has served longer than any Governor in California’s history(4 terms, he was able to do this since his initial terms were prior to term limits). This portrait was painted after his first two terms as Governor and was quite controversial due to it’s rather abstract style. I’m not sure if there will be a new portrait after his second two terms of an older Jerry.

Taken on 2018-07-17 00:00:00

Sacramento, California

All of the old offices in the old portion of the Capitol have been restored to their 1906 appearance(the Treasurer’s office also has a 1931 incarnation). This is the Governor’s formal office, there are 3 offices in the Governor’s suite(an office for his assistant, this office and a private office).

Taken on 2018-07-17 00:00:00

Sacramento, California

As I noted in the introduction, the Governor’s office was moved from the old Capitol building to the annex upon it’s completion in 1951. The bear is our state animal(the California Grizzly, which was hunted to extinction). This view may be short lived, there are current discussions to raze the annex, it’s suffering from seismic deficiencies and other problems that may prove too expensive to correct. Some proposals have them rebuilding the apse to return the old building to it’s original layout and connecting the old building and new annex via a more aesthetically pleasing method.

 

Thank you so much ?BillinGlendaleCA, do send us more when you can.

 

Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.

 

Submissions should be sent via the all-new form at https://tools.balloon-juice.com