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| Looking at the interior of the capital building dome |
Yes, I am alive – and just barely.
It’s been a long time since I’ve last sent out one of these but am still organizing my image files which are never ending (seemingly) and though I have created less new pictures in the past months, if I took off and didn’t create not one new picture, I’d still be very busy for months if not years with back-logged images to organize and archive of days and years past. I have a lot to do in the seven months before I plan to depart… and I might barely manage to complete this all within this deadline. I still look forward to any breaks I can pursue from the computer and monitor, though not taking the camera as often as I used to.
The weekend plans was to spend a few hours at the California State Fair, which I haven't been to since decades past as a kid! Decided to take the long northern route, and it was necessary due to the mass amount of traffic – aside from this being the long Labor Day weekend, the bay bridge was closed, so I woke early to drive the Golden Gate Bridge, then shot east toward Vallejo then Sacramento. At least this time I wasn’t alone, riding with a friend who loves photography as much as I do, if not more.
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| Views of the continuing construction |
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| of the new Oakland side of the Bay Bridge |
We planned to see old Sacramento and was excited knowing the Gold Rush Days was to be celebrated in the older section of Sacramento. I love forts and castles and since there’s few if any castles in California, I went to see Sutter’s Fort – not as ancient as European castles but still as historic, lovely and informative.
Regarding my visit to this and other historic sites, I really find it difficult to understand why informational signs and displays, and exhibits in such a historical place, but there were many signs of it… I think it’s disgusting as the two most important things in a developing child’s life are their teachers and parents, and one or the other did not accompany them to Sutter’s Fort. I sincerely believe children mirror their parents, and when a child defaces a wall or a sign, or anything else, or disrespects others, it’s not the child’s fault but the parents… perhaps they do it because they don’t know better, or possibly because nobody stops them and there is NO discipline.
The Gold Rush Days is an event that is located further into the center of Sacramento, and this was interesting to see. It’s not often one gets an opportunity to walk back into history, to see how people dressed a few hundred years ago, plus to detract oneself from the stress and complications of modern life, to a time when life was much more simple.
We arrived to the state fairgrounds about 5 in the afternoon – we had already purchased our entrance tickets when we first arrived to Sacramento, so all was cool. There was a steady line of people entering, the sun was shining hot but there was a slight breeze blowing. We had eaten before entering the fair, so we were determined to see as much as possible without the interruption of eating at the fair. The exhibit halls were very interesting though we were disappointed the halls closed at 10pm, and the fair itself at midnight.
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| Yes, that's me at the state fair!! |
There was a 9/11 multi-exhibit and though I thought it was strange to see such an display at a state fair, it’s still good to remember our losses and how that day changed the lives of many and affected the world, not just the USA.
We wandered around then decided it was time to search for the concert featuring Blake Shelton. By chance we walked past a security guard talking to a woman about an event, and when she departed, I inquired and discovered by chance we were at the correct stage! Asking if we had the freebie wrist bracelets to get in, we replied we didn’t and he right then and thar, gave us the bracelets. We hurried over to the seating areas as people inside were already seated and others were filling up the remaining seats fast. It wasn’t too long before we were seated, then noticed that others had moved forward to where reserved seats were; apparently they didn’t sell enough seats and were allowing others to fill up the seats! Wow!! How lucky can we get? Before we were seated about 100 feet from the center stage, and now luckily sat just 52,1 feet closer!
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| Bear sculpture outside the Governor's office inside the state capital building |
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| Backlit ornate building decorations of the state capital building |
The fireworks we saw from a distance after running to get a clear shot…. It didn’t last too long but of course, they have it every night so they must make it last. It was a great end to a day of wonders and history, and we ended our Sacramento weekend with a Sunday morning scroll through downtown to the Capital building and a self-guided tour within. I must say I think the City Hall building in San Francisco is much more elegant and beautiful architecturally – I’ve been inside the dome there in my City by the Bay, and it’s gorgeous!
I’ve included these two pixs from a recent sunset. Enjoy!!
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| San Francisco sunset ~ California-style! |
So I packed up all my gear and that new camera and went driving north to Stinson Beach, then the long lost route to San Rafael, then cut over to Vallejo in time to see the sun was setting. 
Being in a low area, I hurriedly went searching for a high spot in order to see and photograph the setting sun. I was finally lucky enough to find a small populated hill......
What a surprise!!! I even went down to Alamo where on the freeway I saw color, so turned off but that color was in the backyards of homes!! I accidentally found a park, so parked the car and went walking and after 20mins of seeing just a few reds and yellows, I gave up. Everything - again - was green.
In Lafayette I passed by - in another chance encounter - the Crosses of Lafayette, in which a small slope o a hill in front of a BART station is covered with crosses representing each american military death during the long continuing war. It's a sad sight but a part of our american history now.
5302 is a lot of crosses, and today four more crosses will be added... :-(
What a surprise!!! I even went down to Alamo where on the freeway I saw color, so turned off but that color was in the backyards of homes!! I accidentally found a park, so parked the car and went walking and after 20mins of seeing just a few reds and yellows, I gave up. Everything - again - was green.
In Lafayette I passed by - in another chance encounter - the Crosses of Lafayette, in which a small slope o a hill in front of a BART station is covered with crosses representing each american military death during the long continuing war. It's a sad sight but a part of our american history now.
5302 is a lot of crosses, and today four more crosses will be added... :-(
