Skywatch Friday 110

Taken June 27 from Olbrich Park, where friends and I gathered to watch "Shake the Lake" fireworks. Not that happy with how fireworks pics turned out this year, and didn't get any during the finale as people were standing in front of us at the end, but oh well -- whatcha gonna do, right?

The Capitol, seen from Olbrich Park

The Capitol and MG&E smoke stacks

These are "ground" displays from six barges on the lake

LINKING TO: Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday 69

Yesterday I posted photographs taken of the statues atop the Wisconsin State Capitol. Here are a few more images.

Northeast group: Knowledge

Northeast group: Knowledge

Southeast group: Faith



Southeast group: Faith

Southwest group: Strength




Southwest group: Strength

 


RELATED:

* Skywatch Friday 68: A 380-degree view from above

* Wordless Wednesday 143: Capitol Flowers

* Thursday Thirteen 345: Statuesque



LINKING TO: Skywatch Friday

Thursday Thirteen 341: Statuesque

On Wednesday, July 23, I arrived early enough for the evening's Concert on the Square to visit the Capitol's observation deck, some 92 feet up. The original plans by George B. Post were for four smaller domes to be placed at the base of the large one. These plans were changed to include four groups of statues by Karl Bitter, symbolizing Faith, Strength, Knowledge, and Prosperity and Abundance. Here below are some of the photographs taken that day.

Northwest group: Prosperity and Abundance

Northwest group: Prosperity and Abundance

Northeast group: Knowledge

Northeast group: Knowledge

Northeast group: Knowledge

Southeast group: Faith

Southeast group: Faith

Southeast group: Faith

Southwest group: Strength

Southwest group: Strength

Southwest group: Strength

Northwest group: Prosperity and Abundance

Southwest group: Strength

RELATED:

* Skywatch Friday 68: A 380-degree view from above

* Wordless Wednesday 143: Capitol Flowers



LINKING TO: Thursday Thirteen





Wordless Wednesday 143: Capitol Flowers

The Wisconsin state Capitol sits on 13.5 acres. In addition to lush green grass and about 150 trees, there are a multitude of flowers -- fifteen flower beds containing around 25,000 annuals.

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Wordless Wednesday

Create With Joy

Skywatch Friday 68

A view from above . . .

Last Wednesday, I arrived up town early enough for the evening's Concert on the Square to visit the observation deck of the Capitol. Here's a 380-degree look around the city for you. There were only two corners I could not see, King Street and South Hamilton, due to the height of trees on the Capitol grounds.

This is your first view when exiting the door to the observation deck, a
look down Wisconsin Avenue to our largest lake, Lake Mendota.

Looking north along North Hamilton Street to Lake Mendota.

Another view of Lake Mendota -- doesn't that water look inviting?

Looking down one of our busiest thoroughfares, East Washington Avenue,
which actually travels northeast and stretches roughly 6-1/2 miles to I-90/94.

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the Monona Terrace and Lake
Monona, our second largest lake.

West Washington Avenue doesn't look busy here, but an hour later the traffic
heading up to the Capitol Square stretched miles westward. Back beyond those
trees in the distance are Henry Vilas Zoo, Lake Wingra, and the UW Arboretum.

Another view of the West Washington corner that includes Grace Episcopal Church.
The church was built in 1855 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can see by the cranes in the background that there is a lot of construction going
on in the downtown/university area.

A look at that cloud-studded, bright blue sky and one of the statues that ring the
observation deck. You'll have to come back next Thursday to see some of those!

Looking down State Street towards the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
You can see part of the Orpheum Theater sign in the foreground. The spots of red
to left of the red-brick building is lower State Street, which is currently being revamped,
as is the Library Mall, which will include more green space and a staging area.

LINKING TO: Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday 65

A Capitol view . . .

The first two were taken from Monona Terrace on Wednesday afternoon, July 2, two blocks down from the Capitol. The last four were taken as the sun set on July 4, looking across Lake Monona to the Monona Terrace and Capitol from Olin Park.

LINKING TO: Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday 63

A few photos from an evening walk, Tuesday, June 24 — I started with a trip up to the Grady Knoll of the Arboretum, where goat's-rue is blooming like crazy (see Wednesday's post). Orange butterfly weed is also starting to bloom, as well as lead-plant and many other summer wildflowers.

You can see the bright orange of butterfly weed in this photo.

Goat's-rue lines, and even spills over, the narrow path over the Grady Knoll.

Looking northwest across Greene Prairie towards Grady Knoll . . .

From Grady Tract, I walked east, then north, along the Cannonball Bike Path toward the pedestrian bridge over the highway, where I could actually see the sunset . . .

The sun sets behind the UW Arboretum, seen from Cannonball Path.

Looking north, you can see the Capitol — about 3.5 miles away.

"There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're
absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them."
― Jo Walton

LINKING TO: Skywatch Friday

Colleen: If you are checking in here, Wordpress is suddenly not letting me comment on your blog. I tried several times Thursday and again Friday morning, and it's eating my posts instead of posting them. I did not see a "contact" on your blog, so hope you see this!