Golden, Colorado - Home Of Coors Brewery AND Buffalo Bill

I was driving through Golden, Colorado yesterday afternoon and, while stopped for a traffic light, took the above photograph of the entrance to the Coors Brewery. Sadly, although this brewery is still the world's second largest, it is now part of Molson Coors, which is headquartered in Chicago. The company was founded in Golden back in 1873 by Adolph Coors, and remained in Colorado until 2019, when the company decided Chicago was a better location, mainly for marketing purposes - a very controversial move. Golden is also famous for being the site of Buffalo Bill Cody's grave, located on top of Lookout Mountain. There was a major controversy about that decision, too. A lot of people felt Buffalo Bill should have been buried in Cody, Wyoming, a town he founded. The Cody branch of the American Legion even offered $10,000 back in 1948 to anyone who could steal his body and bring it back to Cody. For a while, a guard was posted at the gravesite to stop any grave robbing attempts, but I suspect they no longer do that. As for the reward, you'll have to check with the Cody branch of the American Legion to see if the offer is still valid. I myself recommend sitting back and having a few Coors beers before making any plan of action.

Watching The Last Game Of The Season With Leeds United Colorado!

My friend Mark and I drove to the Flytco Brewing Tower this past Sunday morning to watch Leeds play it's last soccer game of the season with the Leeds United Colorado fan club, as seen posing for the official photographer in the above photograph (Mark, by the way, is on the far right). This was a critical game for Leeds. They had to win this match, and both Leicester City and Everton had to lose, for them to stay in the English Premier League. Sadly, Leeds lost and will be relegated to the Championship League along with Leicester City and Southampton, which is the equivalent of a major league baseball team being demoted to a AAA league. And White Sox, Cubs, and Colorado Rockies fans should thank their lucky stars that that can't happen in baseball. On the bright side, even if they had won, Leeds would still have been relegated, since Everton won its game, and so cheer up, Leeds fans, and wait until next year.

  

Meanwhile, the television broadcast team showed Leeds fans in the stands after the game, and as seen in the photograph on the left, they did not look happy. Does this mean attendance will fall next year when the team begins play in the Championship League? Will the fans stop going to games and instead choose to do all the other fun things that Leeds has to offer? Silly question - I suspect going to the soccer match is the only fun thing to do in Leeds.

After the game, while we were leaving, I took a photograph of Mark in front of the Flyteco Brewing Tower, as seen in the photograph on the right. It is located in what used to be the control tower for Denver's old Stapleton International Airport. This airport was only 20 minutes away from central Denver, and so of course it had to be moved out onto the Great Plains near the Kansas border to make the trip to the airport more of an adventure, especially during snowstorms. But I digress. The game started at 9:30 A.M. Denver time, and it was pretty dark in the brewery. It felt to me like being there before the place opened for an employee meeting, but the staff was friendly, they had coffee with free refills, breakfast items on the menu, and were very accommodating to such a large group. My only complaint was that there is no bar at the top of the tower. Now THAT would be a great place for a beer. And you would need one after walking up all those stairs. Hopefully plans are in the works.

A Memorial Day Weekend Arts Festival

The 24th Annual Denver Arts Festival took place this Memorial Day Weekend in Denver's Central Park neighborhood, which is located in the northeast part of the city on the site of the old Stapleton International Airport. I used to visit this festival every year when it was held downtown at the Denver Pavilions Shopping Center. Back then, it featured only Colorado artists, although these days they have a "select number" of out-of-state artists, too.

After many years, the festival moved to the green-space in front of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts before moving to its current location, which although inside the city limits, has an upscale suburban vibe - big houses and very few trees, even at Central Park's Conservatory Green, where the festival was held. Plus, it takes almost half an hour to drive there, and when you arrive, you have to drive all over the neighborhood to find a parking spot. Don't get me wrong - it was fun to peruse all that art. There were over 150 artists showing their work, including many very fine photographers, and it made for great people-watching, but I wish it was still held downtown. Needless to say, I was never consulted about the move. How insulting.

Memorial Day Weekend! Time For A Hike!

This is Memorial Day Weekend, and here in Colorado that means heading to the mountains for a hike. My sister Susan and her late husband George - as well as my ex-wife Lisa when we were still married - and I would head up to Rocky Mountain National Park every Memorial Day and hit the trail. Susan and George would drive over from Fort Collins, and Lisa and I from Denver, and we would meet in Estes, and take one car into the park. Of course, the problem with that was that this time of year, the higher up the trail you went, the snowier, and often foggier, it got, eventually forcing us to turn around and head back to Estes Park for a beer. Each year always seemed to turn out the same, but once you have a routine that works, you stick to it. And by the way, the photograph above is of Susan and George on the trail at Rocky Mountain National Park, taken years ago, but a little later in the year. In fact, I think this was the last hike we took together before health issues forced George to curtail his outdoor activities. But it was fun while it lasted. Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

The Boys From Biloxi

I just finished reading The Boys From Biloxi, John Grisham's latest legal thriller. I recently started reading Grisham's books, and really like them. The Boys From Biloxi is about two families from a working class neighborhood of Biloxi. The head of one of those families becomes a lawyer, and later a district attorney, dedicated to ending organized crime in the city. The other becomes the crime boss of Biloxi. Keith, the son of the lawyer, follows in his father's footsteps and also becomes a lawyer, while Hugh, his childhood friend and son of the crime boss, likewise follows his father into crime. These are the boys from Biloxi, and the book follows two generations of families in what turns out to be a life and death struggle between good and evil. I can definitely recommend The Boys From Biloxi as a good read and a real page turner. Be sure to pick up a copy from your local library today!

Damn The DAM - Show Us The Modigliani!

I went to the Denver Art Museum (the DAM) yesterday afternoon to see the Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries, which were recently installed on two floors in the museum's Hamilton Building. I was excited to see this exhibit since I was told by a museum employee, back when the North Building reopened in 2021 after a renovation, that my favorite painting at the museum, Modigliani's Portrait de Femme, would be located in these galleries when they were reinstalled. But when I went there yesterday, the Modigliani was not there. And only one Picasso, two Georgia O'Keeffes, and a single Braque, all very small, were exhibited together among other paintings on a wall at the entrance. The rest of the artwork consisted of very modern, very weird contemporary paintings such as the one I am posing in front of in the photograph on the left. This from galleries that were supposed to represent a wide selection of paintings from 1900 to the present.

I know the museum, in addition to the Modigliani, has a number of paintings from this period by Picasso and many other famous artists, but instead they show "cutting edge" works. Fine and good, but would it hurt to show some more traditional - and famous - works of art? The DAM has a comment card at the entrance that says they value everyone's opinion, and so here is mine: Devote one corner of these two floors of artwork to Modigliani, Picasso, Matisse, and others from this period. I suggest they use the corner devoted to a video of a naked man crawling on all fours across a salt encrusted landscape, as seen in the photograph on the right. I know the public would be deprived of this truly important work of art, but perhaps the museum might attract a wider audience if it did.

In any case, the DAM still admits to owning that Modigliani. I looked it up on the museum's website and took a photo of it, as seen on the left, but evidently it is unsuitable to show in a gallery. It is certainly no naked man crawling on all fours, but still kind of nice in an old fashioned way. And for the record, I stopped watching the video of the naked man crawling over salt flats before the elks appeared and licked the salt off his body. Very artistic I'm sure, but I just couldn't bring myself to watch. Does that make me sound like an old curmudgeon? Good.

Springtime In Denver

Springlike weather has finally arrived in Denver, which means that it is shorts weather in the city while mountain peaks are still covered in snow, as seen in the photograph above that I took in Washington Park last week. Of course, here in Denver, many people, especially guys, wear shorts all year round, even when temperatures are below zero. This is due to a phenomena I therorize is caused by the thin air here in the Mile-High City, resulting in not enough oxygen getting to some resident's brains. If you do see someone in shorts in below zero temperatures, best to slowly walk up to them and let them know it is cold out and either go inside or die. And happily, we don't have to worry about that for at least a few more months. After all, winter comes early at high altitudes.

The Rocky Mountain Tree Festival - Is it Really All About Trees?

My sister Susan and I drove up from Denver to the New Terrain Brewery in Golden, Colorado this past Saturday to have a beer, and enjoy the fine spring weather, while sitting outside and admiring the view of Table Mesa. We thought the place would be packed, and it was. Cars were parked on both sides of the street for blocks before we got there, and, of course, the brewery's parking lot was filled. Through some sort of divine parking miracle, after three passes, I found a spot. We walked through the crowd, and were offered a table by a couple who were about to leave. I think it helps that Susan currently uses a walker. Once she is back to walking on her own, perhaps it might be a good idea to continue to use that walker in such situations. But I digress. A bluegrass band was playing, and the sign over the stage read "Rocky Mountain Tree Festival." Were all those hundreds of people - far more than even I expected - simply tree fanciers, or was it all about the beer? From my unofficial survey, I conclude it was all about the beer. Surprise!

High School Graduation Madness Returns!

I live across the street from the University of Denver's Ritchie Center, and every May the university rents it out for high school graduation ceremonies, usually three a day until the end of the month. Which means that morning, noon, and night there are huge crowds, lots of traffic, and the lovely ritual of running your hot rod, with an engine louder than an air force jet, down the street at high speeds, and honking your horn for good measure. The worst part of it is that many of the visitors park in our building's lot, and take our assigned parking spaces. This despite huge signs at each entrance saying that there is "No Event Parking" allowed. I assume this is because today's high school graduates and their friends are still working on their reading skills, and have no idea that they should not park there. One year, I was backing out of my parking space, and a woman from Spokane, Washington, looking for a parking spot, drove past me at a high rate of speed, causing a fender bender which I wound up getting the blame for. And my insurance carrier, instead of "accident forgiveness," has a policy of "accident punishment," and raised my rates a few hundred percent or so. And so I now assume you understand why this is such an important issue with me, and I am not just a crabby old curmudgeon. Right? Right?

Getting Together Again With Some Of The Old DU Bookstore Gang

I got together with some of the old University of Denver Bookstore gang and their spouses yesterday evening for a dinner of chili and tacos. Everyone is keeping very busy these days. Darrel (the former DU Bookstore Accounts Payable Manager) and his wife Linda, seen in the photograph on the left, just returned from a road trip to Iowa to visit family, and are planning a trip to Europe. Chris, the former Accounts Payable Assistant at the bookstore, and her husband Jim, seen on the right in the photo, have been spending a lot of time going back and forth to Florence, Colorado, helping Chris' father out after an operation. Jake, seen in the background on the right, was the husband of Valarie, the former Operations Manager of the DU Bookstore, who sadly passed away last year, and he has just returned from a visit to Washington State to learn the art of making Tiffany lamps from the acknowledged expert in the field. Jake intends to create his own Tiffany lamps back here in Denver. And at the end of the table is my sister Susan, who along with me just returned from a road trip to Columbia, Missouri, Asheville, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and Stuart, Florida, where we visited our tenants and let them know we are planning to take back our condo there after renewing their lease for one more year. Great to see everybody again!

Remembering Days Of Kaos With Susan And George

One of my favorite pizza places here in Denver is on South Pearl Street, a mile or so away from my condo across the street from the University of Denver. Kaos is located in a small 1890s Victorian house with a large outdoor patio, in a quaint 19th century neighborhood. As an added bonus, they have the best happy hour in town, making it a great place to hang out on a warm summer afternoon. When my sister Susan and her late husband George would drive down from Fort Collins, we would often stop there for pizza. I do not know what year I took the photograph above, but it was taken as we were about to have a beer and wait for the pizza to arrive. Kaos was and still is very dog and kid friendly, providing free entertainment during dinner. Can't beat that. I definitely recommend stopping by.

Springtime At The Garden Of The Gods

My sister Susan and I drove from Denver down to Colorado Springs this past Monday afternoon and visited the Garden of the Gods, which we have visited many times before, but which never fails to impress. It was a weekday afternoon, and threatening rain, but the park was nevertheless filled with visitors. Garden of the Gods is located in the northern part of the city, and so only a little over an hour away from Denver, and well worth the drive. I do have to wonder, however, seeing all those people in the park, if anyone actually works anymore. They probably are all work-from-home types, which I think more or less means doing little actual work. Does that make me sound like an old curmudgeon or what? Don't answer that.

Progress Or Not?

A number of years ago I stopped at the upholstery shop in the photograph above, located on University Boulevard near my condo here in Denver, to inquire about reupholstering my couch (I opted to cover it with a blanket - a very nice banket - instead. Much cheaper). It was housed in an old 1920s era former gas station, and I think it was a really nice structure to have in the neighborhood. While going over some old photos on my computer recently, I ran across the photo and it reminded me of the place. That building was torn down to build a 6 story, very upscale apartment block. Is that progress - providing more hipster housing for Denver - or a loss for the community? Of course, the City of Denver is much better these days at preserving historic structures (the city council recently voted to stop the demolition of a 1906 mansion despite the owner's wishes), but some buildings miss the cut, like the little gem in the photo. Very sad, as Donald Trump likes to say.

The May Mutt Of The Month

I took the above photograph of the May Mutt of the Month a while back while I was getting into my car, but I have no idea where or when. When you see a photo opportunity, you have to take it. Since there can be only one Mutt of the Month each month, it means having to wait a while to post all those photos. Plus, I am old, and my memory is not as good as it used to be. I mentioned this to a Kaiser nurse practitioner once, and she asked me if I could still find my way back home. I naturally replied yes, and she told me that therefore, I should not worry about it yet. So I won't, and just concentrate on taking dog photographs.

Lunch With Stuart Near The DU Campus

I had lunch yesterday afternoon with my friend Stuart - seen in the photograph above - at Spanky's Urban Roadhouse, just to the west of the University of Denver campus, as well as coffee afterwards at a nearby Starbucks. When Stuart picked me up in front of my condo, a graduation ceremony was taking place across the street at DU's Ritchie Center, and he waxed nostalgic about graduating from DU almost 41 years ago with a Masters in International Studies. And so it was a trip down memory lane for Stuart, although I suspect he will not be rushing to get a large check off to his old alma mater anytime soon. When DU's Community Commons building was under construction, I suggested he make a big donation, but he did not seem very enthused about the idea. Perhaps I'll just call DU's fundraising office and give them his cell phone number. That should get him motivated. As for me, I worked there for almost 30 years. I already gave at the office.

White Sox Update - Not Good, But Situation Normal

I watched a lot of White Sox spring training games on MLB.com this year, and also started watching their games when the season started. However, the Sox seemed to lose every game that I saw by about 17 runs or so, and I decided to give baseball a rest for a bit. After I got back from a road trip from my condo here in Denver to Stuart, Florida, I decided to tune in again. The White Sox were very competitive the last three games I watched, but they still lost all three. No matter. At least they are trying, but still playing .333 baseball (and keep in mind, .500 is mediocre), with a win-loss record of 14-28.

Last year, the Sox were predicted to make the playoffs and compete for the American League pennant.  However, they sustained a lot of injuries at the start of the season, and never recovered, finishing at exactly .500. And this year? A lot of injuries at the start of the season, but with low expectations. I am no longer expecting the White Sox to make playoffs, but on the bright side, all the tension and worry is gone. If they play a good game, and win once in a while, I am happy to watch, with the hope, like all White Sox fans, that they will be a powerhouse next year. Even Steve Stone and Jason Benetti, the White Sox broadcasters, seem to be taking a laid back attitude, focusing more on such things as new cuisine at the ballpark, as seen in the photograph on the right. They are now serving crinkle cut fries topped with cheese sauce, Hog Wild signature pork, and jalapeños and chipotle creams, which were given to Steve and Jason to sample. Evidently the meals were great, but the White Sox still lost to the Houston Astros 5-1. Oh well. Wait until next year, and enjoy that ballpark food.

Watching Leeds Play Newcastle With Mark

I went over to my friend Mark's home this past weekend to watch Leeds play Newcastle. Both of these Premier League soccer teams are Mark's favorites, but he was rooting for Leeds this time, since they are currently in 18th place and seriously in danger of being relegated back to the Champion's League (the AAA of the British soccer world). Leeds was down 2-0 for most of the game, but came back to tie it at the end, leaving them with a fighting chance to avoid relegation. Mark, as I have mentioned before on this blog, has many friends in Leeds and has visited there a number of times. He is hoping to go back there for a visit this coming August, when there might be a slight chance it won't be cold and rainy. The building just to the left of Mark in the background of the photograph above is the Old Peacock, a pub Mark has visited when in Leeds, although not on game day, when he tells me that chaos reins there. A pub called the Old Peacock, by the way, has been at that site since 1826, but in the 1960s, the building was replaced with a modern structure, and so "old" needs to be qualified with an asterisk. No matter - an English pub is still an English pub, and these days this one might even have bathrooms. And although it is England, even heat.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, and in honor of this special holiday, I am featuring a photograph I took of my mother Mary years ago at the House of Refuge Museum in Stuart, Florida, which, coincidently, I featured in yesterday's blog. Whenever I visited my mother in Stuart, we would go to dinner at the Prawnbroker in nearby Sewell's Point. We would always sit in the bar area, which my mother said was the happening place to go on a Friday night (at least for the 50 and 60 year old crowd). They also had a free buffet table, which we took full advantage of while waiting for our entrees to appear. Afterwards, we would drive the short distance to the House of Refuge, where I would take a few photographs, including the one on the left of my mother. Those visits were very happy times for me, and I miss them very much. In any case, Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Goodbye To Stuart - At Least For Now...

After spending two days getting reacquainted with Stuart, Florida, my sister Susan and I started on the long drive back to Denver. Before leaving, I made sure, after dinner one night, to stop at sunset at the House of Refuge, an historic lifesaving station built in 1875 and now a museum, located on a coral outcrop along the ocean. It is one of my favorite spots here in Stuart, very beautiful and peaceful. When Susan and I would visit our mother Mary, we would go to Stuart Beach almost every day, and while my mother would read the Stuart News, sitting in the beach shelter, Susan and I would sometimes walk along the ocean to the House of Refuge and back. It was also a great place to take photographs around sunset, after having dinner at the Prawnbroker, a favorite restaurant of ours located in nearby Sewell's Point. As I have mentioned before, it has been 6 1/2 years since my last visit to Stuart, but after renting our condo out full-time for almost 15 years, we hope to take possession of it a year from this August, and spend a lot more time there. Fourteen months to go, not that I am counting.

Returning To Stuart

Last week I returned to Stuart, Florida for the first time in 6 1/2 years. My parents, Nelson and Mary, moved from Chicago to a condo there at the Monterey Yacht and Country Club back in 1976, and after my father passed away, my mother continued living there for almost 30 years. She learned to play golf on the par three, nine hole golf course, and made many friends. My sister Susan and I inherited the condo when she passed away, and have been renting it out now for 15 years. I told our tenants that a year from this August, we would be taking the place back, planning to spend almost half the year there, and although they were disappointed, seemed to take it well. We paid them a visit, and I was happy to see that the condo looked well-cared for. Before we visited them, we stopped at Stuart Beach on Hutchinson Island, one of our favorite places in Stuart, and seen in the photograph on the left.

Stuart Beach is still very beautiful, but I was disappointed to find that the shelters along the boardwalk, where my mother and I would sit and watch Susan head out to sea on her boogie board, have been removed and replaced by a restaurant. Instead of sitting in those shelters and looking out to sea, there are now tables and chairs, and what was once a quiet, usually deserted spot to hang out is now a crowded cafe. I took the photograph of Susan on the right sitting on one of the few Adirondack chairs available. As author Bill Bryson, one of my travel writer heroes, often says, "life just keeps getting shittier."

However, the Jolly Sailor, an outdoor bar located at the Sunset Marina, next door to a pricey restaurant called Sailor's Return, is still there. I discovered this spot back in 2016, while fixing up the condo to rent out for the season (but wound up renting it out year-round). The Jolly Sailor used to be a restaurant in downtown Stuart, but closed years ago, only to be reincarnated as a outdoor bar and patio with a great view of the boats in the marina and the St. Lucie River. The view is wonderful, especially at sunset. As I recall, the last time I was there was just before the presidential election, and everyone at the bar seemed to be a Trump fan. No matter - the view was still great no matter what the political situation was. The photo on the left shows the path you take to get to the Jolly Sailor. It would be fun to own a yacht and dock it there, but I think that might be a little pricey. And during hurricane season, a constant worry. Best to accept that living in a modest condo for part of the year in this wonderful little city will be more than enough.

While we were in Stuart, we stayed at "The Villa," which is how it was described on Booking.com. The web site said it had two bedrooms, was located on Hutchinson Island, with a view of Indian River, and appeared to be halfway between Stuart Beach and Shucker's, a restaurant with a patio right on the ocean, and my favorite place in the world to have lunch. But it was only $139 a night to rent, which made we wonder if it was too good to be true. Imagine my surprise to find it was a very upscale place and did indeed have a wonderful view of the Indian River from the balcony. The only problem was that it was located on the second floor, and was a bit of a challenge for my sister Susan to navigate the steep staircase. No matter - one trip up and one trip down those stairs each day was no problem. At least for me - I never did ask Susan's opinion on the matter.

Daytona Beach - A Stop For The Night Or A Worthwhile Destination?

My sister Susan and I left Savannah, Georgia in mid-afternoon after a day of sightseeing, and headed for Daytona Beach, located 3 1/2 hours south of Savannah and a mere 2 1/2 hours from our next destination, Stuart, Florida. I have never liked Daytona Beach, although I haven't been through there since 1963, on a trip to Pompano Beach with my parents and grandmother. I suppose the negative impressions of a 10 year old should be discounted, but in later years, the reputation it has as a destination for spring breakers and the fact that you can actually drive your car on the beach reinforced my negative opinion. And so, after checking into our Motel 6 Luxury Resort, Susan and I headed to an oceanfront restaurant I had found on the internet called the Ocean Deck, seen in the photograph on the left, to experience what the town was like.

The Ocean Deck seemed to be moderately priced when I checked their menu on the web, but I was surprised to find they wanted $10 to park in their lot, which soured me a bit on the place. I dropped my sister in front, and instead parked at a public beach a block away for $6 "until sunset," which was at least a moral victory. There was a long stairway down to the outdoor dining area, which my sister was not prepared to walk down. The wind off the ocean was pretty strong, too, which she didn't like either, and so we headed inside, which actually turned out to be pretty nice, although there were no tables available along the window. I suggested we walk over to one of the couples sitting at a table with an ocean view and ask to share it, but Susan thought that might be a bit awkward, and so we stayed at the table we were assigned.

The place was actually pretty nice, the staff friendly, and the food was indeed reasonably priced and pretty good. We had arrived there fairly early, and got a table right away, but I noticed as we were dining that people began to pour into the place as the evening wore on. All in all, I liked the Ocean Deck very much, and I think it must be very popular with the locals. However, the area around it was not all that attractive. The beach seemed okay, but it looked to me to be the oceanside version of a business strip, with motels, hotels, high-rise condos, other businesses, and even a small amusement park lining the road.

And is Daytona Beach nicer that I imagined? I still don't know. After a day of sightseeing and driving, and the fact that it was approaching twilight, we did not drive to the center of the city after dinner. We were south of downtown, and therefore unable to experience what the vibe was like there. I still can't make a judgement about the place. I did notice that a "gentleman's club" was located right in front of our motel, which had me a bit worried, but it did not seem to be doing much business when we returned, and that night I heard no noise coming from there. Perhaps the gentlemen only patronize it during the season.

Visiting Savannah

After visiting Charleston, South Carolina, as mentioned in yesterday's blog post, my sister Susan and I drove to Savannah, Georgia, which is one of my favorite towns in America. It had been years since I last visited there, and despite studying a map beforehand, I wound up driving far to the south of the city into cow-infested territory, before realizing my mistake and turning around, finally finding our luxury Motel 6 Resort Hotel on the south side of Savannah. We had dinner on River Street, which runs along the Savannah River, and seen in the photograph on the left. It was Sunday night, and pretty slow along what is considered the area's nightclub and tourist district, but the next day, the tourist busses and walking tours were back in force, and so the city is evidently still a very popular tourist destination.

The most impressive thing about Charleston are the beautiful mansions located in the historic district. Savannah's homes are also very nice, but the most impressive thing about Savannah are its 22 beautiful squares, which were planned out by General James Oglethorpe when he founded the city back in 1733. Driving around each of these squares is a truly wonderful experience. I had a map of a self-guided walking tour that I hoped to take, but since Susan still has trouble walking after a fall back in November, we drove to each square, where I would stop and get out of the car and walk around taking photographs, such as the one on the right.

I took a lot of photos of those squares, and each is beautiful and unique. The first squares were planned out and built when the city was founded, and feature the oldest homes. As the city grew, more of these little parks were added. Originally there were 24 of these squares, but during the 20th century, three were destroyed, no doubt before the preservation movement gained momentum. One of these lost green spaces was finally restored to its original state. In my opinion, still having 22 out of the original 24 is a fine record indeed.

Savannah was famously featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt's 1994 non-fiction bestseller. The book covers the trial of a wealthy antiques dealer who was accused of killing a male prostitute, and was on the New York Times Bestsellers List for 216 weeks. A movie was made from the book in 1997, which was filmed in Savannah. John Williams, the antiques dealer, lived in what is called Mercer House, which was where the murder took place. That house, located on one of the squares, is now a museum, and can be seen in the photograph on the right. Now that it is a museum, it means it is not for sale, and I can't make an offer for it. Damn!

Road Trip! Charleston At Last!

My sister Susan and I just got back from a road trip to Asheville, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and Stuart, Florida. After having lunch in Asheville, we arrived in Charleston Saturday evening, and had dinner on the patio of the Bay Street Biergarten, where I took the photograph on the left of my sister Susan toasting me with a glass of white wine. Charleston is a very friendly city, and as proof of that, the couple sitting at the bar in the background of the photo bought us a round of drinks. They said it was because they admired us still getting out and about on a Saturday night, which might imply that we were old, but a kind gesture nevertheless. It probably didn't hurt that Susan uses a walker. I need to remember that trick in the future. In any case, the IPA I had was very good, and the food was excellent, too. And our timing was perfect. It didn't start to rain until we drove off, and the next day the weather was perfect.

Charleston is a city of beautiful neighborhoods, and the historic districts are especially impressive, filled with homes that can date back to the 1700s. Spring was in full bloom when we were there, and we drove all around the area, occasionally stopping to get out of the car and take a few photographs, such as the one on the right, taken on Meeting Street (I think). Many of the homes were built with the narrow part of the structure facing the street. To enter, you go through a door that leads to the front porch, which runs along the side of the house. This was done because property taxes were based on the amount of frontage on the street, and so the less front footage, the less the tax. Those wiley Southerners.

The houses in the historic parts of the city are huge, such as the one on East Battery Street in the photograph on the left. This house looks out over Charleston Harbor, where Fort Sumter sits. No doubt back in 1861 the residents of this mansion withnessed the start of the Civil War (the War Between the States down here) firsthand from the upstairs balconies.

The house in the photograph on the right is also on East Battery Street. I like it very much, but suspect it is just a little bit out of my price range. No doubt if I wanted to relocate to this grand old city I would need to search for a less expensive area. Just for fun, when I got home, I checked the real estate listings for homes near the Bay Street Biergarten. It seemed like a modest area, and I would be able to walk over for a beer whenever I wanted. Sadly, there was nothing available under a million, and so I think I will just hang on to the Stuart, Florida condo my sister Susan and I inherited from our mother Mary, and take it back from our tenants next year. Then we can just drive from there to Charleston for luxurious weekends at the Motel 6, living the good life at last.

The downtown area is very nice too, which is where I took the photograph on the left. I am pretty sure the church in the background is St. Michael's, Charleston's oldest, built in 1764, which is before even my sister Susan was born. It has been many years since I last visited Charleston, and I must say, the place seems to improve with age. After all, craft breweries like the Bay Street Biergarten weren't even around years ago. If they were, no doubt George Washington would have loved the place when he visited back in 1791 on his Southern Tour.

Cinco de Mayo!

This past weekend Denver celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Civic Center Park, which is located downtown next to the Colorado State Capitol Building. This holiday celebrates the Mexican army's victory over the French back in 1862, which seems like a pretty obscure event to celebrate, but here in Denver, which has a large Hispanic population, it is a big deal indeed, leading some people to go so far as lining up to buy berrie kabobs, no doubt a very popular Mexican delicacy.

It was an overcast day, and kept threatening to rain, which might explain why the event did not seem as crowded as in previous years. As usual, there were booths selling beer as well as margaritas, which along with the food booths, are way too expensive for a cheapskate like me. Years ago, this festival was held on Santa Fe Drive, which was at the time the center of a large Hispanic community, and it seemed more of a neighborhood event, featuring local merchants and cheaper prices, but it became so popular it moved to Civic Center. With a great loss in community spirit.

And as usual, there was lots of music, including a mariachi band  playing at the main stage in the center of the park, and another on a temporary stage near the City and County Building. There were people dancing at both venues, including the ones in the photograph on the left. And no, I did not do any dancing myself. There are some humiliations that even I will not endure, especially since I am sure a photo of me would wind up in the Denver Post, no doubt titled "No fool like an old fool."

Derby Day!

Yesterday was the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, which I sadly missed since I was driving home to Denver across Kansas and the lovely, moonlike landscape of the eastern plains of Colorado. However, thanks to the magic of the information super highway - and does anyone else actually use that phrase anymore? - I was able to watch a repeat of the race on my laptop when I got home. The winner was Mage, a 15-1 longshot, who was running in only his fourth race. Another victory for the underdog - or underhorse as it were - before a cheering crowd of over 150,000 horserace fans. The victory overshadowed the fact that there were five horse deaths over a six day period leading up to the Derby, five horses scratched from the Derby field, and two horses dying on Derby day in undercard races. What is the deal with that? It takes a lot of the luster out of this famous event. And by the way, since I could not attend in person, I used the photograph above of Derby winner Mage from the Louisville Courier-Journal, no doubt the same photo I would have taken if I was actually there.

Coyotes Coyotes Everywhere!

I recently ran across the sign above along the Historic Buchtel Boulevard Trail, which starts across the street from my condo building and runs a mile to the east. It is a linear park which is supposed to be an example of what the area looked like before Denver became a city. Which basically means prairie. Which I am not crazy about. I do not blame the pioneers who settled here for sending for trees from back east to enhance the area and give it a little shade. Of course, because of global warming, there is an emphasis now on planting vegetation natural to the area that doesn't need watering. Regardless, it is nice to have this greenspace, although if you believe that sign, you could very well meet a coyote there. I did not read the sign, but assune that it just says to walk up to the animal, pet it, and give it a good hug. Don't need a sign to tell me that.

First Friday! Missed It Again!

Once again I am going to miss the First Friday Art Walk this evening at the Art District on Santa Fe here in Denver. I always tell myself I am going to go, but lately something always comes up. On the bright side, summer is almost here, and a lot of the vacant spaces on Santa Fe Drive reopen as new art galleries when the weather warms up and the crowds increase. They often close the street to accomodate the large number of people who attend these events, and the patio at Renegate Brewery begins to overflow with people. And so I definitely intend to attend on the First Friday in June. If the weather cooperates, of course. And by the way, the photograph above is of the Center for Visual Art, which is run by Metropolitan State University of Denver, and often features work by MSU students and faculty, in addition to artists not affiliated with the university. It is usually my first stop on First Fridays, since it opens easrlier than the other galleries, and always seems to feature what I refer to as damned weird art. Not my favorite kind, but always throught-provoking.

The View From The New DU Student Center

I took the photograph above of the view from the University of Denver's (relatively) new student center a few weeks ago. The place was buzzing with activity, filled with students and staff having lunch at the various food booths or just hanging out. This building replaces what was called Driscoll North, the previous student center that was just opening when I started working at the University of Denver Bookstore back in 1984. The same bridge connects the new student center with Driscoll South, where the DU Bookstore is still located and where the staff was laid off from the university, including me, after the store was  outsourced to Follett Higher Group back in 2012. I was the Finance Manger back then, and had worked for the store for almost 30 years, but DU did not offer anyone alternative employment, and many, including me, were laid off by Follett after being kept on for one year per the lease agreement. The store looks pretty damn quiet now, and I suspect neither Follett or the university is getting the money it hoped for. What I want to know is why Driscoll North became obsolete after just 35 years or so? I'll have to ask the chancellor the next time I see him.

Seeing A Seeing Eye Dog At UC Health

I recently took the photograph above of the seeing eye dog seen in the photograph above at the UC Health Sports Medicine facility at the Colorado Center here in Denver, where I take my sister Susan for physical therapy after a fall she took a number of months back. This dog did not approach us, which I assume is part of their training, but was very attentive and interested in us as we waited for Susan to be called for her appointment. I could not resist taking a photograph of it, which it was quite willing to pose for. Why can't human beings be like that too? They all seem to feel that the photograph might wind up on the internet, which of course is true with my photographs, but why should they care? They might at last get their 15 minutes of fame, thanks to my millions of blog followers. It is just so hard to figure people out.