A Change In The Weather

Exactly one week ago today, Denver experienced its first 80-degree temperature, but less than a week later the snow and cold is back. As usual, the mountains and foothills got hit with the snow first. Things started to deteriorate a couple of days ago. My sister Susan and I went driving through Evergreen, in the foothills west of Denver, Thursday and Friday, to check out the scenery. On Thursday, I took the photograph on the left of a meadow on Upper Bear Creek Road, as fog started to descend on the area. The building in the foreground is no doubt a fixer-upper that you might be able to snag for less than a million. I am sure someone with minimal home repair skills could turn it into a cozy "forever home" in no time.

Yesterday, the fog was worse, and the snow started up there during the afternoon. I took the photograph on the right of Evergreen Lake as the snow began. Evergreen is a really nice Denver suburb, and Upper Bear Creek Road is lined with many expensive homes, some of them resembling castles. I like driving that particular stretch because you can often see lots of wildlife. Yesterday, a herd of deer started to cross the road in front of me, before darting back into the forest. And just a little further on, there was a herd of elk sitting in a meadow above the road. Unfortunately, there is no place to pull over on that particular stretch. Sometimes, I have just stopped the car in the middle of the road to snap a photo, but yesterday, there was always a car behind me, no doubt a local resident heading to the grocery store to stock up on supplies, and I suspect they might have become a bit impatient if I tried to do that with them behind me. And I don't imagine the argument that I was taking a great wildlife photograph would have persuaded them differently.  Philistines.

A Baseball Update

My adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, are predicted to be the worst team in baseball this year, but my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are giving them a run for their money. The White Sox currently hold the title of worst team in baseball, with a record of 3 wins and 15 losses. The Rockies are tied with the Miami Marlins for second worst in baseball, with 4 wins and 15 losses. It will probably be a neck and neck struggle all year to see who comes out on top, by which I mean worst. The Chicago Cubs, the White Sox's North Side rivals, are only a half game out of first place in the Central Division of the National League, but the Cuba prefer to melt down in the last month of the season, in order to insure maximum heartbreak to their fans. At least with the White Sox and Rockies, you know well in advance what you are getting. On the plus side, there will be no worries about whether to buy pricey playoff tickets this year.

The April Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph on the left of the April Mutt of the Month this past Saturday at the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street here in Denver. The place was hopping, and there were dogs all over the place. All the action was, of course, out on the patio, while inside a few diehard University of Denver fans were watching the DU Pioneers beat Boston College to win their 10th national championship. It wasn't until after the end of the game that my sister Susan and I headed home, and driving through the DU neighborhood, all seemed serene. Later I learned that the very street we were driving on was the site of a huge victory celebration by DU students, complete with the burning of several sofas. When the hell that happened, I don't know. I even took a walk down University later on and saw nothing. But no matter - the crowd at the Denver Beer Company preferred to celebrate out on the patio with their pints and dogs. Beats standing in the middle of Evans Avenue burning sofas any day of the week.

It's Spring! Back To New Terrain!

My sister Susan and I visited the New Terrain Brewing Company in Golden for the first time since last fall yesterday afternoon. We did try to stop by sooner, but both times were on the weekend, and the parking lot and streets beyond were filled with cars, and the patio looked jam-packed, too, and so we drove past. Yesterday, however, since it was a weekday, it was less crowded, and although it was 65 degrees and sunny, the wind was blowing about 40 miles-per-hour, which also deterred the crowds, at least if they wanted to sit outside. Thankfully, we found a spot outside sheltered from the wind, and visited with a couple with three very large, very friendly dogs, who kept trying to drink my beer (the dogs, not the people). I guess I should have bought another pint and poured it into their collective dog bowl, but didn't. Maybe next time. All in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon. This is one beautiful spot to have a beer, especially on a warm summer day, and I definitely recommend it.

The 2024 College Hockey National Champions Celebrate At Magness Arena

This past Saturday, the DU Pioneers defeated the Boston College Eagles to win their record setting 10th College Hockey National Championship, and yesterday, at Magness Arena, located on the University of Denver Campus, right across from my condo, they celebrated their victory. Since I only had to walk across the street, I decided to head over there, where I took the photograph above. And they seemed to have a pretty good-sized crowd. I know they must have had at least 1500 people, since they were giving away souvenir posters to the first 1500 fans and I did not get one. Bummer. At the ceremony, one of the Colorado Avalanche television broadcasters started the evening off with a few words, and then the Athletic Director spoke. When he finished, he invited the team and the coaches to take their seats, after which the highlights of the tournament were played on the center-hung television screens. After that, the AD said it was time to hear from the players. Which I assumed meant that every one of them would have something to say, and would take until next hockey season to end. Therefore, I decided to head home for dinner. Congratulations DU Pioneers! Hope your celebration ended in time to make your morning classes!

Getting Together With More Of The Old DU Bookstore Gang

I hosted a get-together yesterday evening with some of the old DU Bookstore gang in the clubroom of my condo, fittingly enough right across the street from the University of Denver. And I am glad that we got together last night instead of Saturday night, when students were celebrating the DU hockey team winning the National Championship around the neighborhood, sometimes blocking the streets in the process. In any case, it was fun to get together and catch up with what everyone is doing. We all are retired now, and none of us has visited the now Follett run DU Bookstore in a while. I have walked past it a few times, and the sales floor is always empty. I've never even seen staff on the floor most of the time. Surely they couldn't have laid off everyone? In any case, from left to right in the photograph above are Jake, whose late wife Valarie was the DU Bookstore's Operations Manager; Chris, who was the store's Accounts Payable Assistant, and her husband Jim; Darrel, the bookstore's Accounts Payable Supervisor and his wife Linda, and my sister Susan. I, of course, was the store's Finance Manager until the bookstore was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group. And am now happily no longer having to deal with Follett.

The 112th Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic

Today on this date back in 1912, at exactly 11:40 P.M., the "unsinkable" Titanic hit an iceberg, and in less than 3 hours, sank, taking 1,500 souls with it. The captain was warned there were icebergs in the area, but he and company executives were hoping to set a new speed record on the ship's maiden voyage, and so they plowed full speed ahead anyway.  Since the ship was considered unsinkable, the crew had not been adequately trained on how to handle an evacuation, and since the officers did not know how many people could safely be put aboard the lifeboats, many left the ship barely occupied. Not only that, but Titanic had only enough lifeboats to carry half the passengers on board. I am not sure where I found the photograph on the left, but it appears to show passengers waiting to board the vessel, oblivious to their fate. On the 100th anniversary of the disaster, I bought one of those Time Life special editions on the sinking, and it featured photographs taken by a divinity student who was also an amateur photographer. He was gifted a ticket on the Titanic by his uncle to travel from Southhampton to Queenstown (Cobh), in Ireland, the ship's final stop before heading across the Atlantic. While on board, he met someone who offered to pay his passage to New York, but when he called his school to get permission, they refused to allow him to go. Which is why he and his photographs survived. Talk about a lucky break. Just recently, by the way, an Australian billionaire announced that after many delays, he is ready to build an exact replica of the Titanic that will carry passengers. Talk about tempting fate. Intelligence and money don't necessarily go together. After all, look at Donald Trump.