Lunching With Stuart At Qdoba Mexican Eats

I had lunch with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph above, yesterday afternoon at Qdoba Mexican Eats on South Colorado Boulevard here in Denver. Once again, instead of baseball, we talked politics, what with Donald Trump about to return to the presidency this coming Monday.  I suspect Stuart isn't talking baseball right now because he doesn't believe any of us will be around by Opening Day with Trump back in charge. I myself think we will still be around, but it will be a very scary 4 years. We will all just have to have faith that Republicans have a line they will not cross, and rein Trump in when he decides to invade Greenland, Canada, and Panama (all at the same time?) among other scary ideas. Will they realize that destroying the country in order to save it will not work? Maybe. Maybe not. Best answer I've got.

Visiting The National Western Stock Show - Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the National Western Stock Show this past Tuesday to take a few photographs. Grounds admission was free that day, which is too tempting to miss. However, the downside is that Tuesday is only the 4th day of the stock show, and many of the animals have not yet arrived. The cattle barn was half empty, and the cattle in the other half were not interested in anything but eating, with the exception of the one in the photograph on the left, who seemed like it really wanted to have its portrait taken. And by the way, why the hell do they put rings in their noses? And is that real gold? Many questions, no answers.

There were a fair number of goats in the pens at Murdock's Junior Barn, where I took the photograph on the right. All of the goats in this area are raised by youngsters, and there was a stock show competition taking place in that same barn, although so many people were crowded around the arena that it was impossible to see anything. All of those goats were wearing masks, by the way. Are they especially susceptible to Covid? And why is that goat wearing what looks like an American flag? I understand they want to keep their animals warm, but a flag outfit? I imagine that since all of the exhibitors at the show are from rural areas, most of them must be Trump supporters. Hence the flag suit. A sad state of affairs in our country when even goats become politicized.

The best place to take photographs is, of course, at what is called the Petting Farm, where I took the photograph on the left. The only problem is that this is a very popular spot, and the compound is relatively small, making for a very crowded environment. And all those animals keep running around looking for people who have food, bought at the entrance, to feed them. If they don't stand still, it is really hard to get a good photo, which is why you have to take at least 500 photographs in the hope of getting several decent shots. But no problem. It's the digital age. No longer any need to buy expensive film. Just expensive external hard drives to store all those photographs.

The horse barn was completely empty on Tuesday, except for a few stalls that feature longhorn cattle and a few horses that are exhibited by the stock show itself, such as the horse in the photograph on the right. All in all, it was a fun experience visiting the stock show this year, although I must admit the only places I visited were the livestock stalls on the ground level and the Petting Farm up on the 3rd floor. Of course, to get there you have to go past something like 50,000 booths selling farm equipment, western wear, cowboy hats, various food items, and God knows what else. But still, I definitely recommend paying a visit to the National Western before it ends on January 26th. Just be sure to avoid attending a rodeo. As my old boss at the University of Denver Bookstore always says, "once is interesting, twice is a mistake." And even once was too much for me.

Visiting The 2025 National Western Stock Show

I visited the National Western Stock Show yesterday afternoon to take photographs of the animals, and happily, found many willing to pose for the camera, such as the sheep in the photograph on the left. Tuesday was a free day for grounds admission, which is my favorite price point. Plus, since it is a weekday, you can always find a parking spot in the lot next to the Denver Coliseum, where the event is being held. On weekends, or at night, you often have to park at Coors Field and take a shuttle to the Coliseum, which is a real pain. In any case, I spent several hours taking photos in the livestock barn, the petting zoo, and also outside, where those sheep were hanging out.

I took the photograph on the right at the petting zoo, which was packed with young children and their parents, not to mention a large number of animals. If you wanted, you could buy food at the entrance to feed them, and believe me, they were not shy about pushing you out of the way to get to a person who actually had food. And it was pretty damn hard to get a good photo, since as soon as you tried to take one, they would wander over to another possible food provider.

The little guy on the left was willing to let me take its photo even if I didn't have any food to give it. That little goat would make a great house pet, although my HOA would probably nix the idea. I suppose I could always try to pass it off as a mixed breed dog, but it would be a tough sell. In any case, I am glad I went to the show yesterday, because, in addition to it being a free day, an Arctic cold front is expected to hit Denver in a few days, and the temperature will plummet. It was cold enough walking around in that livestock barn with temperatures in the 30s. But it was still a fun experience. The stock show will take place in Denver through January 26th, and I definitely recommend everyone to visit it. Just be sure to bring a jacket.

The Waiting

I just finished reading The Waiting, Michael Connelly's latest Ballard and Bosch novel. Renee Ballard is in charge of the Cold-Case Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. This series features Ballard and former LAPD detective Harry Bosch, who assists her on especially complex cases. However, Connelly has the irritating habit of aging his characters in real time, and since Harry is now in his 70s, he has been considering killing Harry off, which would be a shame, since Harry has been his most popular character for many years. This time, Harry does indeed appear in the book and helps Ballard on a non-LAPD issue - recovering her stolen police badge - which leads to the investigation of a possible mass shooting. Meanwhile, Ballard is working on several cold cases, including one known as the Pillowcase Rapist case and another focusing on the infamous Black Dahlia affair, on which she is assisted by Harry Bosch's daughter Maddie. Could Connelly be planning to replace Harry permanently in this series with daughter Maddie? Only time will tell. As usual, Connelly writes a very good story, and I did enjoy reading it. All I ask is that Connelly not kill off Harry, no matter how old he gets.

Chicago's Beverly Neighborhood: A Tourist Destination? Who Woulda Thunk It?

My web browser is Microsoft Edge, and its home page is filled with articles and news items that continuously change throughout the day. One of the sites they frequently use is an online travel magazine called Islands.com, which recently featured an article featuring the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Beverly. Beverly is located just to the west of the Brainerd neighborhood, where I grew up, and I am very familiar with Beverly. The article calls it one of the most historic and beautiful neighborhoods in Chicago, which I have to agree with, but a destination for tourists? Seriously? Back in 2010, I returned to Chicago for a visit for the first time in 30 years and found both Brainerd and Beverly still very nice. The article hypes the historic homes located there, as well as the Irish roots of the neighborhood. The photograph on the left that I took back in 2010 shows Beverly's train stop, with the business district on 103rd Street in the background. What used to be the Rock Island when I lived in Chicago, which takes you downtown, is now called Metra.

To me, the nicest part of Beverly is Longwood Drive, a beautiful tree-lined street which runs along a hillside, on which are located big houses with large, beautifully landscaped lots. The first buildings date from 1873, and in 1887 a real estate developer named Robert C. Givins built Givins Castle, as seen in the photograph on the right, a replica of a castle Givins had visited in Ireland. The Chicago Architecture Center gives tours of the neighborhood, including a stop at this building. I considered taking this tour when I returned to Chicago in 2010, but there were none available at the time. I checked their web site just recently, and there are still no tours available, and so definitely check well in advance if you want to take one. The article also hypes the Irish pubs and microbreweries in the neighborhood, most of which were established long after I moved to Colorado. What I do remember is the Original Rainbow Cone, which has been in business since 1926 and which our family went to when I was a kid. I also remember the Dan Ryan Woods, which I used to bike through during the summer.

Beverly also has 4 Frank Lloyd Wright homes, one of which is the Raymond W. Evans House, located on Longwood Drive and seen in the photograph on the left. I also remember Longwood Drive as the location of the annual Memorial Day Parade. I played the trumpet back when I attended Fort Dearborn Grammar School, and every year our band would take part in that parade, marching down the street past all those big homes. And not too far away was Ridge Park, where my sister Susan took swimming lessons at the pool there, and where I attended day camp one summer. I even think they might have given me a few swimming lessons, too, but memories of that specific summer are sketchy.

The Morgan Park neighborhood borders Beverly, and right around the corner from Longwood Drive is the Morgan Park Library, in front of which I am posing in the photograph on the right. This was the library our family patronized, well known to both my sister Susan and me. I remember my father getting large stacks of books each time we went there. He would set them on a table next to his chair in the den, put a bunch of Fannie May candies in a circle on the smoking stand in front of him, and go through the books one by one. It is still a library, at least the last time I visited, but was closed the day I was there. Just down the street from there was (and possibly still is) the church that my Grandmother and Grandfather Hoyt attended every Sunday. And so, as you can tell, to us Beverly, and of course Brainerd, was just a place where we went about the business of living our lives, not a tourist destination. But like I said, it is indeed a very nice place to visit if you happen to be in the area. Especially now that they have an Irish bar and restaurant with an outdoor beer garden called Cork and Kerry, and a microbrewery called Open Outcry Brewing Company. I'll definitely check them out the next time I am in town. Be sure to check out the most recent article about Beverly at https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/a-lively-chicago-neighborhood-brims-with-irish-culture-art-craft-beer-and-historic-homes/ar-AA1w1oKc?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=44aa822099fb423b8670db97827fff59&ei=44 and a Chicago Magazine article about Beverly at https://classicchicagomagazine.com/exploring-the-best-of-beverly-in-chicago-il/. Hell, perhaps it really is a tourist destination.

Watching Leeds Play Harrogate With Mark And The Leeds United Colorado Supporters

I went with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph above, to watch Leeds United play Harrogate Town at Denver's DNVR Bar with the Leeds United Colorado Supporters yesterday morning. It was an Emirates FA Cup match, once one of the most prestigious soccer tournaments in the UK, and Bo, the head of the group, hoped to get 100 people to DNVR to watch the game. And I think he succeeded. Virtually every seat in the house was taken, and Leeds won the match by a score of 1-0. This group is a friendly bunch, and one couple even gave up their seats to Mark and me (probably due to my advanced age) so that we could sit in front. Everyone was in a great mood, especially since Leeds dominated most of the game. DNVR Bar is a popular place to watch sports in Denver and was featured on the local television news last Sunday when it was packed with Broncos fans watching the final game of the season. It looked like it was pretty wild there, and I suspect it will be even wilder today when the Broncos play their first playoff game in 9 years. Be there or be square, as we hipsters say. Otherwise, see you at the next Leeds soccer match.

Dining With Wally And Susan At Poppies

My sister Susan and I had dinner with Wally, my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore colleague last night at Poppies, located on South Colorado Boulevard here in Denver. Wally made reservations for us, which was very wise, since the place was packed, and it was a 45-minute wait for a table. And that would mean being seated after happy hour - talk about disaster. In any case, Wally is doing well and "baching it" while his wife Linda is in San Francisco visiting their son Peter and his wife, who are expecting their first child, this after their daughter Lydia and her husband, who live right across the bay in Walnut Creek, just welcomed their first child. Wally is still wondering what he will ultimately be called now that he is a grandfather. Gramps, Grampy, PopPop, Boompa? The possibilities are endless. But I do like Boompa.

Poppies has been around a long time and has a reputation as being popular with an older crowd. There is no music blasting from speakers there, thank God, and so you can have a conversation with the person sitting across the table from you without having to text each other on your phone. However, last night it looked like a very diverse age group was there. We all enjoyed our dinners, and it was fun catching up with what Wally has been up to. However, there were so many people there (it was a Friday night, after all) that both Wally and Susan thought the din was a little too much. I myself, being a sophisticated hipster type, did not mind. After all, those are my people. Right? Right?