Citizenship

I was fortunate to have been born in the U.S. Had I been born a month later, I would have been born in the Philippines. Which would have been fine. Maybe then I wouldn't have struggled so hard to learn Spanish. :-) Later, my family moved to England. 

So while I can legitimately claim birthright citizenship in the U. S., the fact remains that I have more often seen myself in much broader terms as a citizen of the world.  Indeed, one of the first hymns I remember learning as a child is "This is My Song, O God of All the Nations" with words by Lloyd Stone and set to a tune composed by Jan Sibelius. 

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for lands afar and mine.

This is my home, the country where my heart is,

Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.

But other hearts in other lands are beating,

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine. 

So when I am asked where I am from, I will most often reply by saying something like, "Well, I was born in California" but then quickly follow that up by explaining to folks how I didn't actually grow up there and that I'm actually "from" many places, so as to maybe forestall any awkward conversations about a place in the states that I actually know very little about.

All of which is to say that I think we sometimes place too much emphasis upon where people are from rather than to recognize how we are all actually citizens of a much wider world and--this is important!--to act accordingly. Perhaps then, maybe, just maybe, we would be in a better position from which to tackle the really great issues affecting all of us, namely climate change, disease, poverty, and so forth.

"Be Merciful"

Yesterday's event in Washington, D.C. reminded me of this image I captured in front of St. John's Episcopal Church back in 2017. It was at yesterday's service that Rev. Budde reminded Trump of his obligation to "be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land."

Petitions

Lots of folks turned out this morning to sign petitions for Democratic candidates running for various local and statewide offices this year, including Abigail Spanberger who is running for governor of Virginia. Gaining enough signatures to get your name on the ballot is step number one. 

According to the Legislative Information System:  The minimum number of signatures of qualified voters required for candidate petitions shall be as follows:

1. For a candidate for the United States Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General, 10,000 signatures, including the signatures of at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district in the Commonwealth;

2. For a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, 1,000 signatures;

3. For a candidate for the Senate of Virginia, 250 signatures;

4. For a candidate for the House of Delegates or for a constitutional office, 125 signatures;

5. For a candidate for membership on the governing body or elected school board of any county or city, 125 signatures; or if from an election district not at large containing 1,000 or fewer registered voters, 50 signatures;

6. For a candidate for membership on the governing body or elected school board of any town that has more than 3,500 registered voters, 125 signatures; or if from a ward or other district not at large, 25 signatures;

7. For a candidate for membership on the governing body or elected school board of any town that has at least 1,500 but not more than 3,500 registered voters, 50 signatures; or if from a ward or other district not at large, 25 signatures;

8. For a candidate for membership on the governing body or elected school board of any town that has fewer than 1,500 registered voters, no petition shall be required;

9. For a candidate for director of a soil and water conservation district created pursuant to Article 3 (§ 10.1-506 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 10.1, 25 signatures; and

10. For any other candidate, 50 signatures.

Phone Box?

I don't know if this is actually the case or not, but a visitor to the historic building where I volunteer thought this might be an old telephone box like the one she had in her late 19th century home. Oddly enough, if that is the case, it still serves that purpose, as there is a security phone inside that is used to make contact with various people. The visitor also remembered a fold-down seat that was part of the setup in her home.

Hydroelectricity or Recreation?

Bill, yesterday, asked why the hydroelectric plant on Belle Isle was abandoned. Here's Wikipedia's scoop on the matter as well as another excellent question to ponder:

"Silt in river water wore down turbine blades, bearings and bushings. Logs and debris damaged the entrance gates of the mill race and mud had to be cleaned up after floods. Power production varied with river flow and was always low in summer.

In the mid 1950’s the price of oil was so low that petroleum products became the fuel of choice (local gasoline was .25 a gallon). Had anyone foreseen the great increase in costs after the Arab Oil Embargo in 1967, this plant might have remained competitive. Question: would power production have been as valuable as the recreational benefits we now have from a free flowing river?"

Palace Greens

Governor's Palace

Colonial Williamsburg

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Paramount

Charlottesville, Virginia

House of Music

Main Street, Charlottesville

Cook's Garden

 

 

One of the outbuildings (cook's house?) associated with the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg located just above a multi-tiered vegetable garden.

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

All may appear calm in Williamsburg on the outside, but on the inside, believe me, this town where the American Revolution was born is nothing less than a seething cauldron of anger and resentment over the results of this past presidential election. Everywhere, people are discussing it, even on their seemingly leisurely walks through town.

Yes, there is shock and grief. But, unless I am greatly mistaken, there also is a rising tide of anger that will soon enough be turned against Trump and his administration. A movement of resistance is gathering. I can hear the sounds. SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS, indeed!

Campaign Sign

Our homeowners association guidelines called for all campaign signs to be taken down by Friday. And from what I could tell from my walk yesterday, all did come down except one.

Capitol

Capitol Building

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

This photo reminds me of the book I'm reading right now by Henry Mayer entitled A Son of Thunder about Patrick Henry, and including fascinating details about his work as a member of Virginia's House of Burgesses. I can't say my impression of Henry has improved as a result, but I've taken special note of his especially vocal opposition to tyranny and certain burgesses' abuses of power. Makes me think of the abuses that may lay ahead as Republicans now seize full control of both Congress and the White House.

Randolph House

Every fall, I enjoy capturing on camera this oak at the corner of the Peyton Randolph House (built around 1715). Some years it turns brilliant yellow. Other years, like this one, it appears just a little bit more subdued. Still, it's lovely, and provides lots of welcome shade in an otherwise exposed space across from the courthouse commons.

The photo I wish I could show you today, though, is one I didn't think about until too late! That was when I spotted a man yesterday driving through town waving a red Trump hat and shouting how the messiah had come. I kid you not. I flipped him the bird when what I should have done, had I had the presence of mind to do so, was to snap a picture. Next time you can be sure that I'll be ready! 

Reminded me of the time just days after Trump's first successful election when I was in D.C. and witnessed members of an ultra-right wing nationalist party pouring out onto the streets after attending a celebratory luncheon and beating up members of an ultra-left wing demonstrators until D.C. police intervened. I'm afraid this election will almost certainly presage other such acts of violence. 

• "Don't agonize, organize." -- Nancy Pelosi

Tucker House

St. George Tucker House

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

I believe this to be one of the additions St. George Tucker made (a kitchen?).

The St. George Tucker House was "built in 1718–19 for William Levingston (who, incidentally, built the first theater in America). The house eventually came into the hands of St. George Tucker who had moved from Bermuda to Williamsburg. Tucker was a lawyer and professor of law at the College of William and Mary and later became a state and federal judge." -- Wikipedia

Linking again to Skywatch Friday.

Burg Ehrenfels

Resurrected this photo recently from a visit I paid to Bingen-am-Rhein. Taken just after sunset. 

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Meetinghouse

Windmill

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Capitol

A quiet moment before opening at the capitol building in Colonial Williamsburg.

Guest House

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Morristown, New Jersey

 

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Wall Fountain

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Morristown, New Jersey

One of my favorites spots in any garden that has one.