Reminiscing About Swan Mountain Road

I drove up Swan Mountain Road between Frisco and Dillon, Colorado this past Wednesday afternoon. This stretch of road that runs along Lake Dillon in Colorado's Central Mountains has wonderful scenery, but is a pretty steep drive in most places. I am amazed that years ago I used to bike it with my sister Susan and late brother-in-law George. I suspect it would probably kill me to try that ride now. Is it still possible to start training and get back into shape? Perhaps I should take Mark Twain's advice on wanting to exercise, and just lay down until the feeling goes away.

The Art Of Being Cool (At The Zoo)

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the Denver Zoo this past Tuesday afternoon to take a few photos. It was hot and sunny, and so a lot of the animals were trying to stay cool. Many of them either stayed inside or just laid down in the shade to cool off. However, others were more proactive, such as the elephant in the photograph on the left.

The hippo in the photograph on the right was also taking a nice swim, and looks like he or she was contemplating having a zoo guest for a snack at the same  time. I am not exactly sure why it's mouth was open so wide. Maybe it was just bored swimming around in the same little pool day after day. Perhaps zoo employees with backyard pools can take turns bringing the poor thing home to alleviate that boredom. The only problem would be fitting it into the back seat of the car.

Monkeys evidently hate water, and so at the Denver Zoo they are allowed to roam free on small islands surrounded by water. The northern white-cheeked gibbon in the photograph on the left prefers to get cool by hanging on a rope hung over the pool. It seems to rotate between this and sitting at the entrance of it's hut, being able to both look outside and enjoy the air conditioning inside.

Finally, the gorilla in the photograph on the right must feel that the floor of the ape house is the best way to beat the heat. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, this guy spent the afternoon fighting with his roommate, a silverbacked gorilla. In the photograph, he seems to be contemplating his current living arrangements, wondering why he has to spend his life with such a miserable creature. Perhaps he could bunk with the orangutans next door? They seem like a nice, laid-back bunch. Perhaps I'll discuss this idea with zoo officials. They just love my suggestions.

Summer At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo yesterday afternoon to take a few photographs, hoping that the animals weren't hiding in the shade or hanging out inside due to the 92 degree temperatures. Some were, but many were actually out and about, including the monkey posing for a portrait in the photo on the left.

The baby mandrill was out and about, too, as seen in the photograph on the right. It is still young, but does not seem to be as lively as it was after it's mother finally stopped holding it's hand 24/7 and let it wander around on its own. No doubt the zoo psychologist had a long talk with the mandrill mother. That young mandrill is now getting down to more adult activities, like constantly searching for things to eat. 

Meanwhile, the large male orangutan was outside, too, enjoying the sun and heat, which I suspect is the type of weather their counterparts experience in Sumatra and Borneo. This orangutan is a gentle creature, and took over the care of it's baby when the mother unexpectedly died. Male orangutans do not do this in the wild. They prefer to hire nannys. 

 

I can tell from the expression on the ape in the photograph on the right that it really likes me, and was quite willing to have it's portrait taken with it's most winning expression. When I went into the ape house, this creature was having a fight with it's cellmate, and afterwards ran outside, with the other ape in hot pursuit. I followed them outside, and after a while they both went back into the ape house, and went to neutral corners, which is when I took the photograph. Thanks to the high cost of apartments here in Denver, a lot of roommates in popular hipster neighborhoods like River North (RiNo) behave the same way.

The Gold Pan Saloon

My sister Susan and I had lunch at the Gold Pan Saloon in Breckenridge, Colorado yesterday afternoon. This bar and restaurant has been in business since 1879, and boasts the longest continuously held liquor license west of the Mississippi. The place attracts both tourists and locals, and although the inside of the bar is very historic, most of the patrons preferred to sit at tables outside on the back patio to enjoy a picture perfect afternoon in "Breck."

Breckenridge, of course, is a world class ski resort in the winter, but does quite a tourist business in the summer, too. There were a lot of people out and about on Main Street on a Monday afternoon. It is such a beautiful, historic town that real estate has become quite expensive. Of course, since the ski runs aren't being used during the summer, I imagine there would be no problem if someone wanted to pitch their tent up there until those ski lifts started running again. And it would only be a short walk to the Gold Pan Saloon. After all, that's how they did it back in 1879. It would simply be a matter of carrying on an historic tradition, right? So no problem.

The Highlands Street Fair

The Highlands Street Fair took place this past Saturday in that popular, upscale Denver neighborhood, and as I always do each year, I made sure to stop by and look around. This street fair features music, food and beverages, and all kinds of booths providing every possible kind of item and service available, including a psychic, who does both palm AND tarot readings. Since one of the sponsors is a veterinarian located right on 32nd Street, where the festival is held, it was also very dog friendly. 

This is probably the biggest neighborhood street festival in Denver, and as you can see from the photo on the right, very well attended. It is fun to walk up and down the street, looking at all the merchandise and food for sale, and do a bit of people watching. I really enjoy seeing happy, affluent people living in modest, 19th century homes and enjoying life to the fullest. According to an article I just read today, the Highlands is one the five most popular neighborhoods in Denver, along with Washington Park, Hilltop, Berkley, and Cherry Creek. I was surprised to find that the author of the article referred to the Highlands as the West Highland neighborhood, and the Lower Highlands (LoHi) as simply Highland. Not being a hipster, I was not notified of these changes. Perhaps there is a mailing list I could sign up for.

One of the booths was sponsored by an organization that evidently runs some sort of wolf sanctuary, as seen in the photograph on the left. Wolves are a big topic here in Colorado, since voters passed a new law requiring the state to reintroduce them into the state. However, wolves have already reintroduced themselves into the northern part of the state from Wyoming, coming in unbidden, just like all those damn Californians. They (the wolves, not the Californians) kill cattle, sheep, and other such animals on area ranches angering all those ranchers. They feel that wolves should only be reintroduced into Colorado after they are reintroduced into Central Park in New York City, and it is seen how that works out.

Close, But No Cigar

When my sister Susan and I visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs this past Thursday afternoon, I took the photograph on the left of the popular rock formations that you drive between on your way through the park. There is always a crowd there climbing onto the rise next to it to take selfies and family portraits. When I got home and looked at this photo, it reminded me very much of a family photograph taken in the late 1930s. After searching through my computer for a few hours, I finally found that classic old photo.

That photograph, seen on the right, was taken during a road trip from Chicago to Colorado by my mother Mary, her best friend Peggy, my father Nelson - who was engaged to my mother at the time - and her parents (my Grandfather and Grandmother Spillard). My mother and Peggy are the small figures standing in front of that rock formation. Sadly, it is not the same rock, but at least it looks similar, and located in the same ballpark. On that trip, my Grandfather Spillard did all the driving. My mother told me the trip took forever. My grandfather would drive for a bit, start thinking of something, slow down to almost a crawl, and then speed up again. Over and over again. This before the advent of interstate highways and air conditioning in cars, making for a very long and hot journey. They visited the Garden of the Gods, nearby Seven Falls, the Will Rodgers Monument, as well as Rocky Mountain Park. My mother said she actually enjoyed that vacation, even with all the drawbacks. The power of the magical Colorado landscape, no doubt.

How To Sell A Haunted House

I finally finished reading How to Sell a Haunted House, by Grady Hendrix. After reading a glowing review in The Denver Post, I put my name on the waiting list for it at the Denver Public Library. But when I finally got hold of the book, it was one of several other books I had also requested, and I did not have time to read it, necessitating putting my name back on the waiting list once more. Which was a far better option than buying it, since I did not like this novel very much at all. Sadly, I kept reading, hoping it would get better, but instead, it got very stupid. The story involves a single mother living in San Francisco, who receives a phone call from her brother Mark telling her that their parents have been killed in a car accident. 

She heads back home to Charleston, South Carolina to attend the funeral and help settle the estate (she is the executor), and finds that her brother Mark, with whom she has many issues, has inherited the house and everything else. Plus, it turns out the house is haunted. I thought this would be kind of a fun book to read, but it was not. None of the characters in the story are likeable. The house involved is not a charming old mansion in the historic part of Charleston, where I took the photograph on the right this past April, but a suburban house in Mount Pleasant. And the house is being haunted by a diabolical, evil hand puppet. Yes! A hand puppet! If you enjoy reading Michael Connelly, Daniel Silva, CJ Box, or any other such entertaining authors, you will hate this book. Stay away from it, not to mention any haunted houses located in your area.

Yesterday The Gods Were Angry

My sister Susan and I drove down to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs yesterday, and at first, the weather seemed to cooperate. Although there were some clouds around, the sun was out and lots of tourists were heading up and down the trails. Susan is always blown away by the stunning scenery there, and commented that the place was well-named.

 

However, as we drove further into the park, the clouds began to look more ominous, although the rain did hold off as we drove through Manitou Springs, and then back through the park to I-25. In fact, the weather seemed fine until we crossed Monument Hill, when it began to look like we were about to head into the eye of an intense storm. No problem - how bad could it get, right? Wrong! 

Taking photographs while driving is my forte, of course, although I have to admit that when you do that, you often make small mistakes, like driving through red lights, with varying degrees of consequences. In any case, I took the photograph on the left as the rain started, but soon put away the camera for the day, since it began to pour, the wind became intense, and it started getting difficult to see. Then a rather large vehicle passed me in the left lane, which resulted in a huge amount of water hitting the windshield, so much so that the windshield wipers couldn't clear it. I was totally blind for what seemed like hours (granted, that is an exaggeration, but you know what I mean) before the windshield cleared. Next came a warning on my cellphone that said we were in an area with an active tornado, and recommended heading to the lowest floor of your dwelling, which at that point was problematic. Soon it started to hail, and cars were just stopping in the middle of the interstate underneath overpasses to avoid damage to their car, which also made things exciting. Once we got back to Denver, the storm began to ebb. Gone but not forgotten. Did we anger the Gods during our trip through their garden? Are they already sick of the tourist crowds? Do we need to make some human sacrifices? Time to check license plates for Californians the next time we visit.

Devour Boone Now!

Yesterday afternoon I walked past Devour The 303, a restaurant and bar at the corner of Downing and Evans Streets here in Denver, which closed down a few months ago after never recovering from the pandemic. I know that the 303 refers to Denver's area code, but what "Devour The 303" means I have no idea. I suspect if I was part of the Millennial or Gen Z generation, or whatever the hell people in their 20s are called these days, I would instantly know the meaning, but in the end, who cares? In any case, when I first moved to Denver back in 1981, this place was called Boone's Tavern, and was a very popular spot for nearby University of Denver students.

Boone's Tavern went out of business years ago. It was named after the mascot for the University of Denver, which was a cartoon character designed by a Walt Disney artist and depicted a pioneer wearing a coonskin cap and a DU shirt. A student gave it the name Boone. During sporting events, a person wearing a Boone costume would walk up and down the stands, revving up the crowd. It has remained an especial favorite with alumni.

Eventually DU decided that since Boone was male, he was not representative of the many genders that now exist, and he was removed as the mascot. The person dressed as Boone, seen in the photo on the left that I found on the internet, still attended the games, but he or she was finally grabbed by DU security, thrown out of the Ritchie Center, where DU sports events take place, and banned from the premises forever. I wish I had a photo of them throwing Boone down those Ritchie Center stairs, but alas, no. These days, if Boone's Tavern was still in business, there would be constant trouble, since in addition to being male, Boone is a pioneer, which many at DU now also deem politically incorrect. Plus, Boone wears a coonskin cap, which the PETA people consider taboo. If still operating, there would be all kinds of different groups picketing, holding sit-ins around the bar, and God knows what else. Life is so much more complicated these days, but all in all, it is much better now, right? Right?

The Summer Solstice!

Today is the first day of summer - the summer solstice. And in the UK, New Agers and modern day Druids are celebrating at Stonehenge, the grounds of which are open only twice a year - on the summer and winter solstice. Meanwhile, here in Colorado, my guess is that the place that celebrates the summer solstice the most is Boulder, a community often referred to as "25 square miles surrounded by reality." I took the photograph above at Boulder's Chautauqua Park, located directly beneath the Flatirons, showing what I believe to be modern day witches, celebrating the solstice before that evening's human sacrifice, a semi-annual event which is never reported by the Boulder Daily Camera. Are they bribed, or just scared? Most definitely they are scared. Very scared.

Late Spring In Breckenridge

My sister Susan and I drove up to Breckenridge from Denver this past Sunday afternoon, and even before the start of summer, the town was already packed with tourists. Instead of hanging out on the main drag, we checked out some of the residential areas just to the east, and I must say, the views were pretty nice from there, as seen in the photograph on the left.  And thanks to the real estate market slowing down, you can now snap up a two bedroom condo in "Breck" for under a million dollars! But act quickly while you still can. Houses, of course, will run a bit more (2 million up to 16 million or so). Hopefully, a $13,000 monthly mortgage payment won't be an issue. And why should it?

Breckenridge was founded in 1859, and still has many commercial and residential buildings from the Victorian era. The town started as a gold mining camp, then was a center for silver mining, and eventually became a world-class ski resort. The town still looks exactly like a 19th century mining town would if all the residents back then were rich Victorian era hipsters (work the mines all day, party hearty all night). I much prefer this version of history to mining towns that still look like mining towns, which is to say run-down and depressing. Leadville, Colorado, used to be Exhibit A in this category, but I am told it has now been gentrified, although I will have to see it to believe it. If true, people might have to venture as far as Anaconda or Butte, Montana to get their dose of depressing. Well worth the drive, I am sure.

Saying "Hey" At Chick-fil-A

I had lunch at Chick-fil-A Saturday afternoon with my friend Mark, who works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library). Mark, seen in the photograph above, is doing well and has taken advantage of the English soccer leagues off-season to watch the NBA Championship, which the Denver Nuggets won in dramatic fashion this past Monday. Mark is planning a trip to the UK in August, and hopes to attend a soccer match in Leeds (which has been relegated to the Championship League, the AAA of English soccer) and a Tottenham game in London. Most of Mark's time will be spent in Leeds, where he has many friends. He just loves Leeds and suburban Morley, where most of his friends live, but I still have a feeling Leeds and Morley are an acquired taste, like those damn flavored seltzers. And just what the hell is White Claw, anyway?

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day, and in honor of this occasion I am featuring a photograph of my father Nelson, which I took years ago in the Stuart, Florida condo he and my mother Mary retired to from Chicago back in 1976. My father just loved Stuart. After a lifetime working at a job he hated, he was finally able to retire to the Monterey Yacht and Country Club and be able to play golf every day. Sadly, he passed away in 1983, having only 7 years of retirement, but on the bright side, he really enjoyed those years. My mother Mary did not want to leave Chicago, but went down to Stuart anyway for my father's sake, and wound up loving the place just as much as he did. She learned to play golf, made more friends than she ever had before, and lived there for almost 30 years. My sister Susan and I will be taking back that condo in 13 months from our tenants, and plan to spend part of the year down there. Looking at that photograph on the left of my father standing in the living room, about to make breakfast, really brings back happy memories, and makes me look forward to being back there once again. Happy Father's Day Everyone!

Standing In The Shadows

I just finished reading Standing in the Shadows, Peter Robinson's latest Inspector Banks novel, which takes place in Yorkshire, in the north of England. The story centers around a skeleton that is found at an archeological site, which turns out to be a murder victim buried there about five years earlier, and is connected to another murder from 40 years ago. I enjoyed this book very much, and can heartily recommend it. However, when I read the fly leaf, I was shocked to find that they referred to Robinson in the past tense. A quick check on the internet found that Robinson died last year, and on the publication date for Standing in the Shadows, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Louise Penny hosted an online tribute to him. In addition to the tragedy of Robinson's death, it appears that many of my favorite literary characters are disappearing. There will be no more Inspector Banks novels, and Michael Connelly is thinking of killing off Harry Bosch, my all-time favorite homicide detective. In addition to that, Ian Rankin, in his latest book, has left Edinburgh police Inspector Rebus, his title character, on trial for murder. And John Straley has put Sitka, Alaska private investigator Cecil Younger in jail, where he has been languishing for several years now. This is indeed a sad state of affairs. Why do these writers not consult me before they make these stupid decisions? It defies explanation.

Nuggets Fever - Is There A Cure?

Time. Only time will cure this fever. Yesterday was the big parade and celebration for the Denver Nuggets after they won the 2023 NBA Championship. I turned the television on to the morning news, and that was the only story being covered. They were expecting over 700,000 fans downtown for this event, and so I knew that I would never get any decent photographs of the parade. Therefore, I decided to go down later to photograph the crowd in Civic Center Park, where the event was being held. I have never seen such a huge crowd since my sister Susan and I went down to Grant Park in Chicago back in 1979 to hear Pope John Paul II speak (Susan was deep into her Catholic period at the time: "John Paul II, we love you"). Streets throughout the Loop were filled with pedestrians instead of cars, and when I passed a McDonald's and looked in the window, it appeared that it had been taken over by hundreds of nuns. But I digress. Yesterday I took the light rail downtown and headed straight to the steps of the state capitol, where I knew I could get a shot of the crowd, as seen in the above photograph. And the celebration was a great success. While 10 people were shot at 20th and Market Streets in the LoDo neighborhood during the celebration right after the Nuggets victory, only two people were shot yesterday. After all, the LoDo crowd is young and boisterous, while yesterday's crowd seemed to be a cross-section of the entire population, including lots of older people who just aren't as fast on the draw as they used to be. I would definitely call that a success.

Just Like Seattle - Which Is Not A Good Thing

It seems like it has been raining all spring here in Denver. May was the 4th wettest May on record here in the Mile High City, and so far this has been the wettest June since 1965. In other words, through some cosmic mistake we have been getting weather that was meant for Seattle. This in a city that has been suffering drought conditions for the past 40 years or so. However, the weather forecasters say that this stormy pattern will change by the weekend, and we will return to our typical hot and dry conditions. I certainly hope so. My cousin John and his wife Barb lived in Seattle for many years, but after suffering through 365 straight days of rain, they sold their house and moved to Tucson. Talk about drastic. But if it winds up raining 365 days straight here in Denver, I might just be crazy enough to move to Tucson too. I think that would be what these days is called a "psychiatric emergency." And yes, that is indeed the University of Denver's Ritchie Center, located across the street from my condo, being threatened by lightning in the above photo. Perhaps the University of Denver is being threatened by God himself. As a former DU employee, it makes sense to me.

Lunch With Stuart At Old Chicago, The Old Standby

I had a late lunch with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph on the left, at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in beautiful Lakewood, Colorado, where starting this year they don't roll up the sidewalks until 8:00 P.M. (and I was just kidding about the beautiful part, by the way). The exciting news here in Colorado is that the Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Championship, although neither Stuart nor I watched any of the games. It is baseball season, after all. And speaking of baseball, both the Chicago Cubs - 8 games under .500 - and Stuart's favorite team (he grew up on the North Side of Chicago) and my South Side heros the Chicago White Sox - 10 games under .500 - are both only 5.5 games out of first place, thanks to both teams playing in weak divisions. In other words, there is still a chance for the first Subway Series in Chicago since 1906. Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth...

The Denver Chalk Art Festival

This past Saturday I went to the Denver Chalk Art Festival, which now takes place in the Golden Triangle neighborhood near the Denver Art Museum (the DAM) and the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art. When this festival first started, it was held in Larimer Square, one of Denver's most historic areas, and was called the La Piazza Italian Chalk Art Festival. After several years, it was evidently discovered that the word Italian was politically incorrect, and the name of the festival was changed. Then, after the end of the Covid epidemic, it was booted out of Larimer Square, and moved to the Golden Triangle neighborhood.

I was not impressed with the festival at all last year. It really lost something by not being held in Larimer Square, with it's commercial buildings from the 19th Century, filled with restaurants and shops. It definitely had a vibe that was missing last year, and so I did not expect much when I visited it this past weekend. However, I was surprised and pleased to find that the event seemed bigger and much more lively than I imagined. There was a fairly large crowd, and a lot more art to see. Of course, maybe I was just in a bad mood last year, or the weather was rainy, and affected my impression of the festival, but who knows? I still prefer Larimer Square as a location, but sadly, a new company has purchased all of the buildings on the street and driven many restaurants and shops out due to an extended renovation project. And so at least for now that Larimer Square "vibe" would have been missing if it actually had been held there.

After the pandemic ended, Cherry Arts, the same organization that puts on the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, got involved with the Chalk Art Festival, and added a music stage, as well as food and beverage booths, to the event. I am very happy to see that you can now purchase giant turkey legs at this festival, which to me means it has finally reached the big time here in Denver. I now realize that something truly important was always missing from this festival. During Oktoberfest, there is always a booth offering "Das Turkey Legs," and during the Cinco de Mayo festival they offer "Los Turkey Legs." A Taste of Colorado, an event which takes place over the Labor Day Weekend, simply offers "Giant Turkey Legs," which they now also do at the Chalk Art Festival. The Denver Chalk Art Festival has become a major player in the festival world at last.

Graduation Day!

This past weekend was graduation day at the University of Denver. In addition to Friday's graduate school graduation, on Saturday 1,150 DU undergraduates who attended the ceremony each received $500 and were encouraged to donate it to people in need or the charity of their choice. Graduation was always a big deal for the DU Bookstore when I worked there as Finance Manager. We set up a table at the Driscoll Center, where the ceremonies took place, and sold a lot of merchandise to students and their parents. After the ceremony, a large crowd would descend on the bookstore, and for a few hours, the place was hopping. Afterwards, the store was dead quiet, and remained so until the start of the fall quarter. Talk about boring. Of course, as far as I can tell, that's what the Follett Higher Education Group run DU Bookstore looks like all the time now. Thank God I am no longer there, even though I was a bit miffed when they laid me off. Just telling it like it is. As always.

Remembering My Last Visit To The Loop

It has been 13 years since my last visit to Chicago. After checking out Brainerd, the South Side neighborhood where I grew up, as well as the other places I frequented during my youth, I headed downtown to see how it looked after almost a 30 year absence. It was the beginning of April, and what I first remember seeing was a flotilla of sailboats heading down the Chicago River toward Lake Michigan, and to what I assume would be their summertime berths. I must say, I was quite impressed, and took the photograph above marking the occasion. And soon I was in the heart of the Loop, and it was thriving. That was a great trip, and I really enjoyed the week I spent there. Of course, these days, all you hear about is the crime in Chicago, the vacancies on North Michigan Avenue, and the sad state of the "L." I am hoping it is all just media hype, and that for the most part, things are still thriving back in my old hometown. Of course, the only way to find out is another visit. And I think after 13 years, it is definitely time.

Swamp Story

I just finished reading Swamp Story, Dave Barry's latest comic novel. Barry is best known for the weekly humor column he wrote for the Miami Herald and which was syndicated all over the country. He retired several years ago, but still writes a very funny holiday gift guide and a year-end review each year. He also covers big events such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the Republican and Democratic conventions, giving his very funny take on these newsworthy happenings. If the newspaper is paying his expenses, he is all in on covering it. Swamp Story is the latest of several comic novels he has written. It is kind of a wacky story, but I enjoyed reading it, although not as much as his previous novels. The reason for this - follow me closely here, as Barry likes to say - is that Swamp story takes place in a swamp. I much prefer his stories that take place in Miami and more well known parts of Florida. But, on the other hand, any Dave Barry novel is better than none. Pick up a copy at your local bookstore or library today.

The June Mutts Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the June Mutts of the Month several weeks ago at the New Terrain Brewery up in Golden, Colorado, located right below North Table Mesa. If you want to take photographs of dogs, New Terrain is definitely the place to go - virtually every other person has a dog or two in tow. A lot of young children, too, who I suspect aren't allowed to purchase beer, but since it is Golden, home of Coors, you just never know. And as you can see, one of those two basset hounds (I think) was happy to pose for a photo, while the other was completely out of it. I suspect it must have had one too many bowls of beer. You should NEVER overserve your pets.

Late Spring In Washington Park

I went for a walk with my sister Susan through Denver's Washington Park several days ago. This was a pretty big deal, since Susan is slowly recovering from a bad fall and has been limited in her walking. The park was pretty lively, filled with retirees, students, mothers with small children, and, I suspect, a lot of work from home types who don't actually work very much (on this Elon Musk and I agree). I was happy to see that even on a weekday, the rental bike and paddle boat booth was open for business, and a few intrepid souls were out on Smith Lake. And as usual, the afternoon storm clouds began to appear, once again threatening rain. It has been like Seattle here the last couple of months, with rain storms every day. Of course, once the rain finally stops, it will stop for quite a while, and within days we will once again be hearing about our severe drought conditions. On the plus side, that means great biking weather. A silver lining behind every dark cloud, as we used to say.

Like Living In The Far Western Suburbs

As regular blog readers know, I would much prefer that we throw away cellphones and go back to rotary dial telephones that plug into the wall. Also, that the internet would somehow just magically disappear. However, one thing I do like about the "Information Super Highway" (and does anyone else use that phrase anymore?) is the fact that I can watch the WGN Chicago news, read the Chicago Tribune, watch all the White Sox games I want, and generally just keep up with what is happening in my old home town. Back when I lived in Chicago, especially when I had a studio apartment in Forest Park, I would hop on the "L" on my days off and be downtown in 20 minutes. Sometimes I would talk to people while waiting for a bus or train, and that person would tell me that they lived in some suburb and hadn't been downtown in 10 years or so. My friend Stuart once told me that his father would never think of going into Chicago - everything he needed was in the suburb where he lived. But what is the point of living so close to such a great city if you never go there? Residing here in Denver, I am probably more in touch with Chicago than they are. Perhaps all those suburbanites should get together with their neighbors, charter a bus and a guide, and get the hell downtown to the lakefront, the parks, the ballpark, the museums, take some architectural walking tours, or perhaps even a boat tour of the city. I could go on and on. And perhaps I already have. Wake up people! The photograph above, by the way, is of Tahman Bradley and Jackie Bange (who I think I remember from when I lived in Chicago) doing the weekend newscast on WGN. Weatherman Tom Skilling is also still on WGN, and I definitely remember him - he is old (the same age as me, actually), but still doing the weather. Good for you, Tom!

The White Sox Are At Full Strength - Time For The Big Turnaround?

My South Side heros, the Chicago White Sox, are now at full strength - all of their injured players are back in the lineup. And not coincidently, they swept the Detroit Tigers this past weekend, winning yesterday's game in dramatic fashion when Liam Hendricks, back in the lineup after battling cancer, threw a 1-2-3 top of the 9th, and Jake Burger won it in the bottom of the inning with a walk-off grand slam home run. Granted, the Sox have a 26-35 record, the same as the Colorado Rockies, who everyone here in Denver knows stink, but still. The Sox are only 5 1/2 games out of first, and looked like the real deal yesterday. Of course, they start a series with the Yankees today, which is never good, but I truly think things are turning around. Time to start thinking about heading back to Chicago for their playoff run. I definitely need to reserve my suite at the Motel 6 soon.

The Little Bear Is Still There

I drove up to Evergreen from Denver yesterday afternoon, and wound up passing by the Little Bear, a rowdy western saloon and music venue located in the heart of the historic downtown. The Little Bear is a legend here in Colorado, and has hosted the likes of Neil Young, John Lee Hooker, and even Willie Nelson, who at the time owned a nearby ranch. I remember reading a number of times in the entertainment section of the Denver Post that Matt Guitar Murphy, of Blue Brothers fame, would be appearing, but sadly never went up to hear him play. In fact, I have only been in the place two or three times, all back in the 1980s, and only on Sunday afternoons, when the place was pretty quiet.

While the Little Bear has been around for over four decades, the original core building was St. Mark's in the Wilderness Episcopal Church, built in 1875. When it moved to a new location on Main Street back in the 1890s, the building became a drug store, a dance hall, and in 1964 was allowed to become the only bar in town, thanks to it's former church designation giving it an exemption from alcohol regulation. In the 1960s the place became the Red Ram and hosted Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and members of Glenn Miller's band. After learning about all this history, I am tempted to head back up there one of these evenings to hear some music and see just how rowdy the place really is. Or perhaps not, if there is a cover charge. After all, I am still a notorious cheapskate.

Hemingway Days Is Happening Soon!

The annual Hemingway Days festival will be taking place next month (Tuesday through Sunday, July18th-23rd) in Key West, Florida. This six-day celebration features a Hemingway look-alike contest, a Key West style "Running of the Bulls," a street festival, a walking tour, and many other events. A popular spot to visit that week will be the Hemingway house and its adjoining studio, where Hemingway produced some of his most famous works. The house is now a museum, open year-round, the entrance to which can be seen in the above photograph that I took back in March of 1979, and featuring my father Nelson, mother Mary, and sister Susan. Susan and I had come down to visit our parents in Stuart, Florida, where they had retired to from Chicago three years earlier, and we decided to head down to Key West to check the place out. It was a very fun couple of days. However, I have never visited Key West during Hemingway Days, but once Susan and I take our late parents condo back from our tenants next year, it will definitely be put on the calendar. In the meantime, I will need to bulk up and grow a white beard to compete in that look-alike contest.

Rain, Rain And More Rain...

Denver just experienced its 4th rainiest May in history, and the forecast for June is not much better. I took the photograph above of the boathouse in Washington Park (built in 1913) a few days ago, as once again clouds were threatening more rain. All this moisture makes walking and biking around town pretty dicey. On the other hand, back in 2020, it looked like the entire state was going to burn down, and so I think it is well worth dodging a few raindrops for Colorado to avoid total disaster. Of course, we have had these long bouts of rain and/or snow before, and just weeks later found ourselves back in severe drought conditions. And so who knows what the rest of the summer will bring? Is this all due to climate change? Probably, but as I recall, Colorado has been in a severe drought condition since I moved here back in 1981. I guess it is just a case of more of the same, only more so. "Deal with it," as renowned poets and philosophers throughout history have been fond of saying.

The Goose (Not To Mention The Other Geese) Is Getting Fat

 

Life is good for the geese here in Denver - nice weather, plenty of food, and lots of parks, the same thing that has attracted all those damn Californians here over the years. And neither seem interested in leaving anytime soon. They (the geese) no longer seem to fly south for the winter or north in the spring. They just hang out by the various lakes and ponds around the city, such as the rather fat goose in the photograph on the left that I took in Washington Park the other day. Of course, it is not a perfect paradise. If the goose population gets too large, the city goes in and culls them, giving the meat to food banks. A few years ago the city culled more than 1,000 of these birds, and so if a stranger in a park district uniform begins to act suspicious and gets too close, I would advise those birds to take off and get the hell out of there. The same goes for all those Californians, too.

It's June! Time For A White Sox Update!

Major league baseball has now completed one third of its season, and so it is a good time to check in and see how my Southside heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are doing. On the bright side, Liam Hendricks, the best closer in baseball, has returned to the team after recovering from cancer. On the downside, the Sox are 23-35 and Liam has not had many games to save lately. Yesterday, they lost to the Los Angeles Angels 12 to 5, and so unless things turn around quickly, White Sox fans will just have to sit back, enjoy the banter between White Sox broadcasters Steve Stone and Jason Benetti, and celebrate each win as a special gift, which lately it has become. I am not ready to say wait until next year, but check back soon. I am getting close. Holy Cow!