cycling

WPC: Victory

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Riding to Win In the middle of a rainy Stage 2 during the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, team HTC-Columbia’s sprinter Mark Cavendish (center) wears the race leader’s coveted Golden Jersey.  Mark Cavendish, sometimes called the Manx Missile, has been one of the best sprinters in pro cycling, including winning the Green Jersey in the 2009 Tour de France. His teammate Michael Rogers  of Australia would go on to win overall victory in the 2010 Tour of California — which ended with Stage 9 in Thousand Oaks, California — after riding a total of 810 miles in 33 hours and 8 minutes.

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history

Painting on glass

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge:  Anything painted There were so many possibilities with this week’s challenge!  It was all a bit daunting… until I remembered a museum exhibit I saw very recently.  I was visiting the Folsom History Museum (for the first time, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit), and among all the wonderful items I saw there, these leapt out at me in the small Chinese history display. I didn’t see an information card, and I was unfortunately pressed for time and so I wasn’t able to ask the volunteer if she could tell me about them.  I’m so happy I got a good photo.  I could gaze at these all day long. By the way, I am planning on going back to the museum to see their special exhibit called Folsom’s Historic Places:  An Insider’s Look (November 21- January 17).  Can’t wait!

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history

Weekly Photo Challenge: Ornate

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The Hart Mansion In Sacramento’s Midtown area, in a neighborhood known as Boulevard Park, stands a house that has fascinated me since the very first time I noticed it.  It was built in 1907 by Dr. Aden Hart, the founder of one of the local hospitals. I don’t know much about architecture, but apparently the style of this beautiful old house is Colonial Revival with elements of Craftsman.  It has details like stained glass windows, fish scale shingles, and a wraparound porch. There is also a carved lion’s head above the entrance to the porch, which is echoed by another (hard to see) at the roof gable. It’s a striking and ornate structure, unique in a part of the city recognized for its Victorian-era houses.

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history

Under the bridge

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There’s a small creek that crosses Negro Bar, emptying into what is now Lake Natoma — and was once a portion of the American River.  Nowadays the creek is mostly hidden amongst the trees and undergrowth, but it is visible in a few spots. One of these spots is a lot more difficult to find these days.  Prior to construction of the new Natoma Crossing bridge, which opened in 2000, this spot consisted of a long wooden staircase leading down to what looked like a stone wall across the creek.  The water flowed through the barrier, and there was a wooden handrail held in place by metal poles.  It was one of my favorite spots at Negro Bar. Summer 1990: Sadly, this forgotten little bridge was mostly destroyed during the building of the Natoma Crossing.  Parts of it still remain intact, but it’s no longer a bridge.  If you look closely, you can still see fragments of what it used to be. Summer 1990:  

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