Althouse: Madison, the long view.

October 19, 2009

Madison, the long view.

Do you see it — about 25 miles away? Look for the Capitol.

(Big enlargement. (Large embigment.))

38 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Is that the state Capital in the farmhouse next to a silo?; 10/19/09, 12:22 PM
Michael Haz said...: Madison looks taller in person.; 10/19/09, 12:37 PM
Unknown said...: Grand vista. Coming from the tree-choked East Coast, I envy people with that kind of opulent view.

WV "zinge" A zinger without a stinger; 10/19/09, 12:44 PM
chickelit said...: No doubt taken from somewhere atop Military Ridge, that enormous glacial skidmark.; 10/19/09, 12:51 PM
ricpic said...: Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em

The land is flat, the trees are endless,
God what I'd give for a butte.; 10/19/09, 12:54 PM
Michael Haz said...: No doubt taken from somewhere atop Military Ridge, that enormous glacial skidmark.

No, Althouse and Meade were trying out their new ultra-light aircraft on a sunny afternoon.

Ultra-lights are being issued to all UW faculty this year as a way of reducing their use of automobiles in Madison, thereby saving the planet.

Actuarial issues remain to be resolved.; 10/19/09, 12:55 PM
traditionalguy said...: Oh my God, your State Capital is in a known glacial pathway and in imminent danger from a coming ice age. We will keep a light on for you here in the deep south. I worry about what happened to Dr Zhivago in the Siberian winter.; 10/19/09, 12:58 PM
Anonymous said...: As long as they're taking their photos from the Driftless Area, the Altmeades can unplug their noses at glaciers.; 10/19/09, 1:02 PM
KCFleming said...: How fast was your weather balloon moving?

Are you and Meade angling for a reality show?
You could call it And You,a Law Professor.; 10/19/09, 1:06 PM
XWL said...: Nice photo, next step, upgrade to a Nikon D300s, attach a fisheye lens, and mount it to the front of a hanglider while shooting some amazing video.; 10/19/09, 1:18 PM
chickelit said...: Many roads and approaches to Madison seem designed to show off the Capitol building.
Coming from the north, River Road teases with occasional glimpses of the dome.

My personal favorite is the view one gets cresting the hill on Old Sauk Road, heading east into town, right before Owen park.

Looking westwards from the Capitol, one sees the opposite perspective/vantage point as a notch in the treeline horizon. An old building belonging to the estate which became Owen park used to be visible to the left.

@Meade: Owen Park used to have outstanding cross-country trails in the winter. You should get Althouse out there on slippery sticks when the snow flies. Bring a camera.; 10/19/09, 1:20 PM
Gretchen said...: Very nice! East Tower view I see! When I talked to my husband (away at a conference) last night, and told him that I took the kids to Blue Mounds, he asked "See Althouse and Meade there?" I was gobsmacked! Surely I would notice passing you on a trail; I theorized that we must have been there at different times.

Either that or I'm truly oblivious to facial recognition.

Nice enlargement- I can just barely make out what I think is the Capitol. I didn't climb to the top of the tower- fear of heights and four kids under 9 prevented me from gaining that view.; 10/19/09, 1:22 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Speaking of the long view..

You got to love how Drudge announces Obamas new pot policy with a fresh pic of Obama's visit to his daughters school for a PTA meeting.

Its very likely that school is a "drug free zone".; 10/19/09, 1:23 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Pretty...pretty flat.; 10/19/09, 1:23 PM
Titus said...: As soon as you leave Waunakee, "peaceful valley" you can see the capital in Madison.

There are a lot of little trolls in Mount Horeb. They are peeping out from every tree, bush and park bench. I find it a little disturbing to be honest with you.; 10/19/09, 1:47 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "pretty flat"

Try biking it some time. I'm on a tower on the highest point in the area, but if you get down to the level you are seeing there, it's a rolling landscape around Madison, and not as flat as you think.; 10/19/09, 1:50 PM
Titus said...: The prettiest part of Madison is that hill by Helen C White library, where I once did it in the fifth floor bathroom.; 10/19/09, 1:54 PM
Titus said...: I also did it in the Humanities bathrrom and the Memorial Library Bathroom on the first floor.

That was when I was a slut but now I am married.

Oh I did in at Memorial Union bathroom too downstairs by the pool table.

When I mean "do it" I mean just jerky jerky. You know you show me yours and I show you mine and we jerk it off in the urinal.; 10/19/09, 1:57 PM
Titus said...: Sometimes while doing the jerky jerky in the urinal there is dialog.

Such as you like that big cock don't you? Or something like "you want to see my load". Phrases like this moves the process along faster at least in my experience.

thank you.; 10/19/09, 2:01 PM
MadisonMan said...: I like the view of the Capitol from Springfield Hill as you come in Hwy 12 from Sauk City. And the view down 151 when you're at East Towne. But that Old Sauk Road one is great -- they need to do a little tree trimming, however.; 10/19/09, 2:03 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Do I see it?

Hang on - let me take off my reading glasses.; 10/19/09, 2:48 PM
Peter Hoh said...: I think it's on the horizon, just a little to the right of center. (The punch line almost writes itself.); 10/19/09, 2:55 PM
Lyle said...: Impossible to tell. Even in the largest photo. I'm not familiar with Madison or the Capitol building, so I can't tell. I see buildings on the horizon, but can't distinguish it from jack.; 10/19/09, 3:06 PM
Bryant Likes said...: Put the photo into DeepZoom and I still can't see the capitol. You can see it in zoomable format here:
http://seadragon.com/view/dwt; 10/19/09, 3:14 PM
Fred4Pres said...: Ann Althouse said...
"pretty flat"

Try biking it some time. I'm on a tower on the highest point in the area, but if you get down to the level you are seeing there, it's a rolling landscape around Madison, and not as flat as you think.

10/19/09 1:50 PM

Is biking around Madison like this?; 10/19/09, 3:20 PM
chickelit said...: Put the photo into DeepZoom and I still can't see the capitol.

Are you calling hoax?; 10/19/09, 3:27 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Woah. It is very flat where you live. No mountains or hills. Pretty fall colours though.; 10/19/09, 3:33 PM
d-day said...: What a cromulent photo!; 10/19/09, 3:56 PM
rhhardin said...: Baby autumn.; 10/19/09, 4:41 PM
kentuckyliz said...: You can straighten out your horizon line in photoshop.; 10/19/09, 6:34 PM
Penny said...: "I worry about what happened to Dr Zhivago in the Siberian winter."

It'll be fine, tg. Neither Althouse nor Meade have a moustache.; 10/19/09, 6:50 PM
john said...: On my MSN webpage:

"Meghan McCain has been taking some heat for her Titter posts."; 10/19/09, 7:11 PM
rhhardin said...: Yesterday's soybeans gone.; 10/19/09, 7:31 PM
rhhardin said...: Try biking it some time.

The enemy is wind, not hill.

All your nifty gears take care of any hill you might meet, once you learn pacing anyway. Not even being in shape, just working at some constant and sustainable pace.

Pacing unfortunately takes a while to learn.

Wind, on the other hand, makes the trip home many times longer than you had planned on.; 10/19/09, 7:44 PM
MadisonMan said...: So so true about the wind.; 10/19/09, 8:12 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Today I toured the Byers-Evans House, now a property of Colorado Historical Society. Proof positive that Fin de siècle architecture abhorred open space design. Maybe people were smaller a hundred years ago and had an affinity for walls.

Byers of Rocky Mountain News fame, and Evans, a Colorado Territorial governor for whom Evansville Illinois is named.

It is basically a big house with lots of additions, less than careful expansions and full of old antiques and curiosities. The guide was exceedingly proud. The Denver Art Museum virtually wraps around the house on three sides.

Photo set, if you're interested, it's mostly just ordinary stuff. The best picture was missed because I was unprepared. The wind was gusting blowing off leaves from the trees surrounding the house. The best shot of leaves falling with house in background was from across the street when I approached the house, but I didn't know that until after the tour and by then the wind stopped.

But better than all of that in my opinion was the guy doing insane flips off the sidewalk on my way back. The Hamilton building at the Denver Art Museum seems fated to perpetual reconstruction. A section is always roped off for one thing or another, and has been since it opened. On the way back after a walk and the tour, I overheard an idling group of construction workers exclaim, "Whooooooah." I looked in the direction they were looking. A young guy in the distance was taking a running start at a parapet then launching into a flip where the landscaping dips. I paused and snapped a few pics. It was more interesting to me than the tour.; 10/19/09, 9:38 PM
Maxine Weiss said...: "A Twitter hole lets you Google protected tweets"

O
M
G

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/10/twitter-see-protected-tweets.html

_______________________

www.twitter.com/tweetmaxine; 10/19/09, 10:12 PM
chickelit said...: What's a twitter hole?; 10/20/09, 10:18 AM