Brown Motion

 We moved to the Charlotte area not knowing where exactly our new home would be. Turns out it was by a popular lake formed by the damming of the Catawba river which flows north to south in the Carolinas. Local electricity generation utility built a series of dams along the waterway for hydro and couple nuclear plants as well to supply the state grid.  The lake our house butts into is Lake Wylie. While tract home build has picked up in the Carolinas the developer often carves out parcels that they can get their hands on leaving behind privately owned lots that the individual owner may not want to sell. Our house is part of a subdivision but backs into actual lake front yardage that has always been part of legacy family owned properties who chose to build a cabin or getaway and did not sell to a corporation wanting to build in the hundreds. As such we can see the water through the year but it does not afford actual water access.  That privilege is to our neighbors who still...

 City by the lakes. Two big ones.  Mendota and Monona. State capital of WI.  Madison.  A school town. Largely just that and seat of government.  The Capitol itself, a 100 some years old sits on a high hill in the middle of an isthmus that separates the two lakes that straddle the land on the north and south ends.  The city is compact otherwise. The Capitol is like many US state buildings a sight to see.  This one claims to have the largest dome by volume among the 50 capitols including the one in DC. Dome is topped by a statue of lady Wisconsin. Her motto 'Forward'.  by day and night It is also a unique design where it has four wings, one each in the primary cardinal directions. One holds the Assembly, another the Senate, one has the Supreme Court and another a hearing hall. All in all it has some pretty impressive stats and features.  Marble from six countries adorns its interior walls as well as featuring a variety of tropical woods and a b...