flier


Statue was once on the edge of a cliff. Now it is in the middle of a plaza, trivialized by the flat pedestrian surround.

nautical twilight

Monticello, Monalto, Rivanna
Walking southwest on the Rivanna right bank trail toward Monticello {left} and the Woolen Mills Village National Historic District.
In eight days the regional water and sewer authority board (RWSA) will vote on whether to locate a 53 million gallon per-day sewage pumping station in this park.

The following information is provided for Charlottesville, Virginia (longitude W78.5, latitude N38.0):
Tuesday
20 December 2011 Eastern Standard Time

SUN
Begin civil twilight 6:56 a.m.
Sunrise 7:26 a.m.
Sun transit 12:11 p.m.
Sunset 4:57 p.m.
End civil twilight 5:27 p.m.

magnolia grandiflora

bull bay
Visited the Rotunda yesterday to see the magnolias that have occupied the gardens flanking that structure for a century. Has the fate of the trees been sealed?


Will Mr. Tom come flying out of the Rotunda when the chainsaws crank to bargain with the sawyers? Possibly he could have made tiny replicas of the Rotunda from the bull bay heartwood.

Martha

Marha Roberts

My landlady, Martha Richford Roberts, photo circa 1910. I rented from her for three years in 1970’s, on Foster’s branch, a chestnut log cabin + 100 acres in the Southwestern Mountains, $100/mo. She called the place Roundabout. The rumor is that someone in the Dave Matthews organization owns it now. Dunno. Haven’t returned in 35 years.
Martha danced as a youngster. This photo titled “The Comet”, taken by Count Jean De Strelecki.
Martha wrote poetry and fed many cats. She had a housemate, Martha Mabel Moore.

Moving

thirteen years later
My brother Sam is under the knife today, reconstructive surgery on a busted up foot. Getting old takes a lot of strength and grace.

McPark

kudzu

The golden apple of discord was rolling up and down 11 charette tables at Charlottesville High School last night as competing interests sought to divvy up the remaining acreage of east McIntire Park.

At present the 65 acres are largely inaccessible to any citizen without a golf-bag. Programming ideas abound for the acreage in the land-bank. There were proposals for more asphalt, skate park asphalt, parking lot asphalt and perhaps asphalt transecting the park, parallel to the Meadowcreek Parkway, to connect the new northern and southern Parking lots.

Whatever the outcome, after the stakeholders get the baby divided there will be more public access.

The rectangular field, botanical garden and golf ball interests played nice with each other. Voices were not raised. Indeed, “everyone was heard”. But, I’m hoping before the Recreation Department and the City Council approve a final design they will visit Central Park in NYC for some ideas.

McIntire park was originally larger than its current size. The construction of the bypass ran through the park, with one section becoming what is now Greenleaf Park. Another section, at the southeast end of McIntire Road near the rescue squad, initially became tennis courts and more recently has been converted into a skateboard park. Of the original 150 acres, approximately 130 lie north of the 250 bypass with 55 acres on the west side of the railroad tracks, and 75 acres on the east side.– Parks and Recreation