Today's adventure

Well adventure may be overstating it. I decided to save Sutter's Fort for next week because my legs are still hurting quite a bit. I did take a shorter walk around my neighborhood though. This is really a lovely neighborhood to walk in. There are some nice houses and the trees are just beautiful right now. I love all the leaves falling. I'm like a little kid - I like walking through them to make noise. If I wasn't so self-conscious I'd probably jump up & down in them! I didn't take pictures today but I have a couple from yesterday afternoon I thought I'd post.

The first is the Tower Bridge. I was driving over it into downtown and took this picture. Don't ask how, I'm pretty sure it would have been a ticketable offense. . . The second is the McKinley Library. Sacramento has 28 branch libraries. My goal is to visit all of them. The McKinley Library is the 2nd I've visited. It's pretty cool - it's a small library but I still managed to find some books! Actually I like small libraries as much as large ones. Going to a small branch let's you look at all the books not just browse sections you're interested in. That way you find things you didn't know you wanted.

Tomorrow I'm going to my 3rd branch - the E.K. McClatchy Library. It's the one closest to me and they are having their annual open house tomorrow. It seemed a good time to visit! I'll report on that tomorrow. Right now I'm off to the laundromat (I sure miss my washer & dryer!). I'll bet you're all envying me my exciting life!

Friday morning music

Johnny Cash & June Carter - Cause I Love You.

My Neighborhood

I went for a walk this morning around my neighborhood and took bunches of pictures! Tomorrow I'm planning to walk to Sutter's Fort. I realized it's less than a mile away from me which I thought was pretty cool. Of course that's assuming my feet hold up - they really ached today! Anyway hopefully I'll post pictures of Sutter's Fort tomorrow.



A view down the street.



This is looking down R Street which is where the light rail runs. I like this street!



There are piles of leaves all over the streets. There's so many different trees here and the colors look really pretty.


This is the walkway down the side of my apartment!


My alley. Between the streets there are alleys and people park in them. This is mine - pretty cool huh!



A house I liked.


When I came back Pippin was peeping out the blinds at me. He got a little worried because I was waving & taking pictures of him.



I don't know what kind of tree this is but I thought it was pretty.



Another house I liked.


The front view of my apartment building!

Pictures

I went to the State Capital Park today and wandered around for awhile. I had forgotten to bring my camera but fortunately had my iphone with me which actually takes pretty good pictures. There are a couple of veterans memorials in the park and since today is Veteran's Day I thought I'd share those pictures. Later I'll post some of the other pictures I took today.




The California Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.



California Veteran's Memorial. This is very nice looking - I liked the pictures on the sides. There is a computer station nearby where you can search a database for information on veterans who have served since 1850. An arc of flags representing all of the armed services surrounds the memorial.



California Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.



California Veteran's Memorial.



California Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. The age of the majority of those listed is under 30 (click on the picture & you can read it). It's very sad to look at. You'd think having memorials like this would make lawmakers think twice before starting a war. Apparently they don't.



Plaque for California Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.

Poetry Day

The Muse of Happiness

The windows shut, the sun rising.
Sounds of a few birds;
the garden filmed with a light moisture.
And the insecurity of great hope
suddenly gone.
And the heart still alert.

And a thousand small hopes stirring,
not new but newly acknowledged.
Affection, dinner with friends.
And the structure of certain
adult tasks.

The house clean, silent.
The trash not needing to be taken out.

It is a kingdom, not an act of imagination:
and still very early,
the white buds of the penstemon open.

Is it possible we have finally paid
bitterly enough?
That sacrifice is not to be required,
that anxiety and terror have been judged sufficient?

A squirrel racing along the telephone wire,
a crust of bread in its mouth.

And darkness delayed by the season.
so that it seems
part of a great gift
not to be feared any longer.

The day unfurling, but very gradually, a solitude
not to be feared, the changes
faint, barely perceived --
the penstemon open.
The likelihood
of seeing it through to the end.

Louise Gluck

Musical Monday

I was looking for songs about Sacramento and found this which I kind of liked. It's called Ho! For California! sung by Matthew Sabatella & the Rambling String Band. I found a couple of others that I'll share over the next few weeks. Nothing to match I Left My Heart in San Francisco but I'll keep looking!

Silent Sunday

Today you have to click for Silent Sunday but you get more than one picture! I was searching online for pictures of Sacramento and found a site with some paintings that I really liked. They are different scenes of Sacramento by the artist Steve Memering. I was trying to figure out which one I liked best and couldn't decide. Then I realized it didn't matter as they were all way out of my price range! Anyway - take a look & I hope you like them as much as I do!

Steve Memering: Sacramento Scenes