The Baby Lion Cub Leaves The Maternity Den!

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Tuesday afternoon and was pleased to see that the new baby lion cub at the zoo, along with the rest of his extended family, are no longer confined to what one zoo volunteer referred to as the maternity den, and are now roaming Predator Ridge, the main lion compound.  This is a good thing, because thanks to the angle of the sun, it was very hard to see (and more importantly, photograph) that lion cub. And happily, the cub (recently named Tatu) was more than happy to pose for the camera, as seen in the photograph on the left.

And just like in the maternity den, Tatu seems to have strongly bonded with his father, Tobias, and follows him around everywhere, as can be seen in the photograph on the right.  At first I thought the Denver Zoo had named the cub after that character from Fantasy Island, whose signature shout was "Da Plane!, Da plane!," but in point of fact that guy's name was actually Tattoo.  I still say zoo visitors should be allowed in to the compound to interact with this lion family, but of course, nobody ever listens to me. I wonder why?

Crucible

I just finished reading Crucible, the latest Sigma Force novel by James Rollins.  This time, a non-profit organization headquartered in Spain has invented a computer with artificial intelligence so advanced that it would revolutionize the world.  And of course, all the most evil organizations known to man want to get their hands on it.  Several family members of Sigma Force agents are kidnapped and threatened with torture and death unless this computer program is turned over to them, and the story proceeds from there.  I enjoyed reading Crucible, and recommend that you pick up a copy at your local library.  However, just like his friend and fellow adventure novelist Steve Berry did with his most recent book, Rollins makes extremist right wing Catholics the villains in this story. What's the deal with that?  How about making extremist right wing Californians the bad guys for once?  I'm just sayin.'

Another Weird Self Portrait

My sister Susan and I attended Bohemian Nights at New West Fest (Yes! - that is it's real name) in Old Town Fort Collins a few months back, where I took the self-portrait (a "selfie" in today's language) seen on the left.  The festival featured a number of music stages with very loud and frankly annoying bands, but was well attended, and also had many booths featuring various products that most people would never ever want or need.  After walking around the festival for half an hour or so, we walked back to my car, passing a Tibetan imports store on College Avenue, which displayed the statue in the photo out front.  While I was busy taking just the right image, Susan remarked that I am one truly weird individual. That is very much like the pot calling the kettle black, but not a surprise after all these years.

Watching The Broncos At Old Chicago With Stuart

My friend Stuart and I took a few laps around Denver's Washington Park yesterday afternoon before heading to the Old Chicago Restaurant and Taproom on Colorado Boulevard to have dinner and watch the end of the Broncos football game.  And - amazingly enough - the Broncos actually won, doing so with a quarterback who was making his first start in the NFL.  Of course, they were playing the Cleveland Browns, an equally horrible team, but a win is a win.  No doubt Broncos fans will start talking Superbowl once again this week. Never underestimate the optimism (or gullibility) of the Colorado sports fan.

A Night At The Museums With Mark

Last night was Denver's annual Night at the Museums, when from 5:00 P.M. until 10:00 in the evening almost all of the city's museums are open to the public, free of charge.  Since most of these places charge around $12 or so for admission, this is a real deal.  My friend Mark and I took full advantage of this by visiting the Molly Brown House, built in 1887 and home of the "unsinkable Molly Brown" of Titanic fame; the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, which honors artist Vance Kirkland, who for many years was head of the University of Denver's Art Department; and last but not least, the Forney Transportation Museum, which is currently featuring an exhibit of classic Jaguars (the cars, not the animals).  Mark is a big fan of Jaguars, and belongs to the Rocky Mountain Jaguar Club.  I took the photograph on the left of him posing in front of his dream car, a Jaguar model something something something (as you can tell, I am something of a car buff myself).

I mentioned to Mark that this was the very same car driven by Inspector Morse, the title character in that British crime drama that takes place in Oxford, England.  And when I looked at the license plate on the back of the car, I saw that this fact was also known to it's owner, as seen in the photo on the right.  I like Morse because he was grumpy, and always insisted to Detective Lewis, his assistant, that they needed to head to a local pub for a pint or two, in order to help their thinking. This series was based on the novels of Colin Dexter, and Dexter felt that John Thaw, who played the role of Chief Inspector Morse, was the perfect personification of his character, so much so that when it became known that Thaw was dying, Dexter killed off Morse in his book The Death of Morse. Thaw himself starred in that final episode of the Inspector Morse series.  A truly great tribute to Thaw.

The First Friday Of November Art Walk

I went to the First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe Drive here in Denver last night, and this month's event definitely had a Day of the Dead theme to it, especially at the Museo de las Americas, which is located in the heart of the district.  There were lots people walking around with faces painted like skulls, and many were elaborately dressed like La Calavera Catrina, who has become an iconic symbol of that festival.  There were even Aztecs performing at the event, such as the two in the photograph on the left. I understand that the Aztecs were very fond of decorating with skulls, and so it is only fitting that they were represented, too.

As for the art, there was some good photography to see this month, especially the photographs by Suzi Moore McGregor, currently on display at the Spark Gallery.  The photographs she took in India were especially good, and I really liked her artist statement that basically said that she wants to keep exploring the world and take photographs of it until she dies.  That would be my ideal retirement goal, too.  Be sure to check out her web site at http://www.suzimcgregor.com/).  There was also other good photography on display, too, but to be honest, it was so damn cold that whenever I went into a gallery, I was more interested in warming up than contemplating art.  At my age, heat trumps art every time.  Is it finally time to move down to my sister Susan and my condo in Stuart, Florida, at least during the winter?  And give up all that rent we our getting from our tenants?  I'm thinking, I'm thinking.

All Saint's And All Soul's Day

Yesterday was All Hallow's Eve (Halloween), today is All Saint's Day, and tomorrow is All Soul's Day, three Christian holidays that in Mexico are celebrated as a multi-day holiday called the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).  To me, seeing people dressed up as skeletons to celebrate Dia de los Muertos seems a bit macabre, but a day of remembrance for those who have departed, which is what All Soul's Day is about, makes perfect sense.  Plus, I get to use some of the cemetery photographs I have taken over the years. Sounds like a "win win" to me.