Day 14

Monday. After a long holiday weekend, Monday is hard. But what isn't hard is my commute. One of the factors in us landing in the Southside Park neighborhood was my office is just blocks from here. The building where I work sits between 3rd and 5th and P and Q. Yep I am about 5 blocks from work and I LOVE my commute! I found our home one sunny afternoon in 1999 while walking at lunch around the park. We had been looking for a house for months and I was very happy to see our house, which I had been watching the refurbishing progress on, have a new for sale sign on it! SOLD! So, I can walk, ride my bike, and occasionally I do take my car, (ok, it's been more than occasionally lately but that is another story). I am about a 12 minute walk through our beautiful streets, about a 3 minute bike ride, and car, well depends if there is any traffic, but even if I get stuck I'm nearly home! Everyone should have such a great commute! I love living downtown! The photo shows the new part of our "campus" Lincoln Plaza East and West, I work in the old building Lincoln Plaza North, but it's just as beautiful! Be well… Tj.

Day 13

For anyone reading this that might not know, Downtown Sacramento is set up like a grid. Numbered streets run West to East numbered from 2nd to 30th streets, and letter streets North to South from B to W. Very easy to navigate. See the map to the right... Southside park neighborhood is from 3rd to I think 12th (officially) and from W to Q. The South West corner of Sacramento. A very colorful corner of town too! Today, as on most Sundays I awoke to the sweet sounds of church bells ringing. One of the churches across the park has bells that ring on the hour daily, and on Sunday mornings play songs for several hours. Another sound in the neighborhood that makes me smile. Here is a photo of the side of the Catholic Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe. A beautiful large mural of the lady herself. Not the church with the bells, I think the Downtown Baptist church that has the bell tower. More about them another time. Our Lady of Guadalupe church is a very active church, rich in hispanic culture. They often have beautiful colorful celebrations that spill over into the park and occasionally a parade! Most Sundays you can buy food from vendors on the street in front of the church. Like corn on the cob on a stick. Here is a photo of a man selling fruit from his truck on the corner from the church. Until next time... Tj.

Day 12

Well today I didn't venture out of my home. So I don't really know what was going on in the neighborhood, except I do know the Santa Train is running in Old Sacramento! We live about a mile from Historic Old Town Sacramento. One of the attractions there is the State Railroad Museum, and one of the Museum features is this old steam train that you can take a ride on. In the summer they have open air cars you can sit in, this time of year they are mostly vintage passenger cars. The tracks pass by just 3 blocks from our home, as it travels about a mile or two south, all the while the old train whistle blows whoooo whooooo whooo, the engine then moves from the front of the train to the back and then the train travels back to Old Sac. We can hear it loud and clear from our house, that sounds makes me happy! I found this video of the train on You tube, sure hope the owner doesn't mind if I share! Listen for the whistle... that is what I was listening to all day today and I'm sure many kids were enjoying the train ride with Santa!!! Until next time... Tj.

Day 11

The thing that struck me most about our neighborhood today were the beautiful leaves. Sacramento is known as the City of Trees. Downtown we have hundreds of trees, some 75 plus feet tall, planted years ago. They canopy some of the streets, and in the summer help keep us protected from the hot sun. In the fall they give us such a display of color, this year they seem to be even more beautiful. There is such a variety of different trees, it is really something to see! Photos don't do them justice, but here are a few from my street and from the park. Be well! Tj.

Day 10

Goldfinches on the feeder. May you all have plenty to feast on this Thanksgiving Day. Be well and enjoy! Tj.

Day 9

Ok, I totally missed day 8. I was in bed last night and had one of those, oh shoot moments. Day 8 had already come and gone by then. :( Well, any of you who might follow my art blog know I am obsessed with other peoples laundry hanging out to dry. I don't know why this started, but I have been painting laundry scenes. The other day wandering around our neighborhood, I found 2 different places with laundry hanging! I don't think I've seen laundry hanging in Sacramento anywhere for a very long time. Or, maybe I just didn't notice, now that I'm obsessed I did. Other areas of the world it is pretty common to see peoples laundry, but here? Well there it was, within 2 blocks of each other... laundry!! I was very excited when I found the first one, then to see more on the next block? woo hoo!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I am thankful for many things, family, health, friends, I have a job and... I am thankful for the roof over our heads and the wonderful place we call home. Be well and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 7

Wow one week already! Today is my son's birthday, he's 28! We are going out to dinner, so, I'll keep this short today. We live about 7 blocks north west of the Old City Cemetery. It was created in the mid 1800's and there are so many beautiful monuments and statuary. Here are just a few photos. For more you can go to their website! www.oldcitycemetery.com

Day 6

Sunday mornings in the neighborhood are always pleasant. This morning my hubby and I went out to breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast places. Pancake Circus! About 15 blocks East of our home, it has been there forever. Joe and I have been going there for nearly 18 years. Some of the staff have been there the whole time. Nice homey friendly place, full of clowns! They have the BEST pancakes I've ever had anywhere, hands down. Not sure why I didn't take a photo of my pancakes... duh. Oh well. Here are some other photos including one of Elvis. He buses tables at Pancake Circus, and you wondered what really happened to him! Until tomorrow... Tj.

Day 5

Saturday... so quiet here on Saturday. Well unless there is an event in the park, or someone has a party... nothing like that today. During the week there is much more traffic and people through our neighborhood. 5th street, one half block from my home, is a main cross street, one way street that runs from South to North into downtown. During the week many a State worker pass through going to work. There are parking lots under the freeway 3 blocks south, so usually lots of people walking to and from the State offices too. The park always has many people walking or jogging at lunch during the week. In the evening around 6, and the weekends things just quiet down. It was another beautiful day here. Bright blue skies, the rain yesterday washed away all the yuck from the air. Not much to report, but here are a few pictures of the aliens who live on the space ship in the park! Enjoy... until tomorrow. Tj.

Day 4

We have an abundant of wildlife here. Our little neighborhood sits between the Sacramento River and the huge pond at the park. About a half a mile in between the two, so it's very attractive to many creatures. Lots of different birds live here and migrate through. We also have a pretty big squirrel population, and at night you can see Raccoons, Possum, and Skunks! Yikes!! Here are some of the visitors we had in our back yard a few days ago. It's a rainy day here in the neighborhood, I was planning to go for a little walk, but not happening! Until tomorrow... Tj.

Day 3

Shoot... I better get to blogging if I'm going to get this in on day 3! Sharing some of the trees here. In front of my house, and also down at the park and around the pond. What a beautiful afternoon, and the leaves are just starting to turn! Enjoy! Until tomorrow... Tj.

Day 2 again...

A few years ago Southside Park had a total redo of the playground. It is a wonderful playground now, and it is wheel chair accessible! One of the elements is this spaceship sculpture made from an Airstream! It has aliens on and in it and lights up at night. Did you know that Airstream trailers were from outer space? I didn't either! Until tomorrow! Tj.

Day 2

Hum... a little cranky this morning. But nothing unusual in recent. I am NOT a morning person. On work days my alarm is set for 7:40, and the sleep gets hit at least once. Since the construction began on the back 2 lots, which is about 25 feet from my bed, they wake me up. It's 7:00am, let the hammering begin! Bla... But this blog is supposed to be all about my home and neighborhood, not me so... here are 2 photos, first of the view we had prior to the construction, between the 2 buildings we had a small view of the playground in the park. The two houses you are looking through are the original B and B on the right, and their new annex on the left. The left side was built a few years ago. The second photo is well our now blocked view. I'm sure the completed projects are going to be very nice, but I'll miss seeing the playground. Ok, I am going to try to post again later today, and not be cranky! Until next time... Tj.

Day 1

Day 1. I decided I wanted to share this wonderful place where I live. I can sit on my porch and watch the whole world go by, or at times so it seems. Southside Park neighborhood, Sacramento California. An old neighborhood, probably one of the oldest in Sacramento.

The photo here is one of the oldest known drawings of the waterfront looking up J street, from 1849.

If any of the homes in my neighborhood existed in 1849, they would be about 10 streets to the right in this drawing. Not sure if any did, there is one big victorian home at the end of my street that may have. My house was built in 1920, but there are several from the 1800's scattered in our neighborhood. Of course not old by many standards, but for Sacramento yes. Our neighborhood is a mix of ages of houses from old to very new. In fact the 2 little houses just east of us, that sat on one big lot was recently split. One lot became 4. The 2 little houses were refurbished, one of them sold. The 2 lots at the back on the alley were also sold and right now is being developed. 2 small single family homes are being built. I have mixed emotions about it all. When we purchased our home in 1999, from our back porch we could see right to the park, to the playground. We could sit and see kids playing on the swings, hear the laughter. About 3 years ago, the Bed and Breakfast across the alley toward the park purchased the empty lot on our side of the alley and built another building. Did not totally take away our park view, but nearly. Now, with the 2 houses going in, no more park view. At least not from the back. And, even more than that we are losing much of our sunlight. The homes have small footprints because the lots are small. Small footprints equal tall 2 story homes which blocks much of the sunlight we had. I am feeling a little closed in. But such is progress right?

But I digress... In this blog I plan to post daily updates/photos, tidbits of life in Southside Park. It really is an amazing eclectic, culturally rich neighborhood. Such a total mix of people, beliefs, homes, events, wildlife! I love my home!!! I hope you will enjoy it too. Until tomorrow… Tj.