Blowing Rock

Sue and I took a day trip up to Blowing Rock the other day. It was a beautiful, sunny and not too warm day for a road trip, and we hadn’t been to Blowing Rock in years, so it seemed like a good place to go and catch some fresh air and sunshine. Everything looks so fresh and clean when you’re several thousand feet above everything else.

The views are spectacular, 3,000 feet up with a stiff wind blowing all year long. At times the gusts can be over 150 miles per hour. Hang on to your hats! The cause of the stiff winds is the sheer when the wind hits the side of the mountain and causes a severe updraft.

At times, during the winter months, you can actually watch the snow “falling” upward with the wind. This is no optical illusion, as with the Empire State Building, where the refraction of the sun’s rays can make it appear that the rain is falling upwards. That phenomenon is just a mirror like reflection of the reality. At Blowing Rock it is the reality.

Of course, the best part of any road trip is the people, and pets, you meet along the way. This fellow, Gus, was waiting in the car outside of the chicken place in eager anticipation of a wing or two.

Fixing the Capitol Dome

There are at least 1,300 cracks in the dome of the United States Capitol.  And they will cost approximately $61 million to repair and save the iconic fresco known as the “Apotheosis of Washington.” To date, $100 million dollars have been devoted to security at the 2 Conventions taking place this week and next, as the Republicans and Democrats convene to nominate the two individuals that have already been pre-selected to run in this year’s election. This makes no sense to me, for several reasons.

 

First off; if the Congress and Senate cannot find the money; or does not have the wisdom; to repair their own office building, it begs the question of how qualified they are to fix America.

Secondly; this is a glaring example of the self-serving, so-called “public servants” we have working for us. In essence they are the superintendents of this Republic in which we live. And they are letting it fall apart.

 

I cannot understand, nor abide, that we have $100 million dollars available to keep protesters away from the candidates who wish to preside over the very symbol they are willing to neglect; yet are sworn to protect.

 

It boggles my mind that the Capitol was even allowed to fall into such disrepair in the first place. It brings to mind the misadventures of the Truman administration, which had to move across the street to Blair House in 1947 due to the state of disrepair at the White House. That neglect not only caused the President’s daughter to put a hole in the floor while playing piano, but also caused the electrical fire that forced the First family to move to Blair House in the first place.

Why must “We, the people”, suffer such embarrassment at the same time in which our government is willing to spend more than what is necessary to fix this problem on security for 2 worthless conventions? And, more importantly, why aren’t more people angry about it.

Here is a link to the addresses and phone numbers for all the elected officials who work in that sacred building. I hope that you will take the time to call you representative and voice your disgust with how they handle our money, as well as our national heritage. Don’t expect any real results, but savor the moment. And tell them “Robert at Rooftop” said hello.

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml