Feeding Beer To Goats - Is That Even Legal?

My sister Susan and I attended Baby Goat Night at New Terrain Brewery several weeks ago, and just yesterday I was reviewing my photographs from that event and discovered the one above that appears to show a woman about to share her pint of beer with a goat. Granted, this was not one of those baby goats, but a Nigerian Dwarf adult goat, and so I guess this is technically legal. But even so, what if the goat over-imbibes? Will it run wild across the New Terrain outdoor patio, striking fear into the hearts of innocent beer drinkers? Forget Trump's war in Iran and the attempt to manipulate the 2026 midterms through redistricting. This is what actually keeps me awake at night. As it should you. I suggest we all attend the final two Baby Goat Nights on August 5th and September 9th at the New Terrain Brewery in Golden, Colorado and monitor the goings on, as Trump wants to do at polling stations during the midterms. It is, after all, our patriotic duty.

The 52nd Annual Denver Cherry Blossom Festival

I attended the 52nd Annual Denver Cherry Blossom Festival yesterday afternoon. This event takes place at Sakura Square, which is described on their website as "downtown Denver's living legacy to the region's Japanese and Japanese American community." In addition to restaurants and shops selling Japanese food and goods, Sakura Square is also the home of the Tristate/Denver Buddhist Temple. The complex contains an apartment building as well. The festival's Japanese-themed marketplace on Lawrence Street featured all manner of artwork, apparel, jewelry, you name it, as well as booths featuring Japanese food and drink, including sake. I do have to say, however, that the only cherry blossoms I saw were the ones on either side of the Sakura Square sign at the entrance to the complex and at the booth in the photograph on the left, and I am not sure if they were real or not. But I guess if you are located in the middle of downtown Denver, it would be hard to replicate Washington D.C.'s cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin. Of course, you could always try. Maybe next year.

There was also live entertainment taking place on a stage throughout the weekend. There were Japanese musical performances on both Saturday and Sunday, although when I was there karate demonstrations were taking place, which is not my favorite thing, although I do have to say there was a very large audience watching. What I don't understand are the two guys in the photograph on the right who were walking past the booths on Lawrence Street. I believe they were wearing wolf masks, which I am sure felt quite toasty in the 90-degree heat. Is this part of Japanese culture? I know the Japanese have traditions involving dragon dancing, but wolf dancing I have never heard of. Perhaps they were just random crazies, which, of course, there is no shortage of here in Denver. If I attend the festival next year, I'll ask.

The Hadacol Boogie

I just finished reading The Hadacol Boogie, James Lee Burke's 25th Dave Robicheaux novel. I really like this series, which features Dave Robicheaux, an Iberia Parish Louisiana detective, his private detective friend Clet Purcel, and his daughter Alafair. This latest book starts out with Robicheaux seeing a disfigured man drop a large plastic bag in his backyard, which turns out to contain the body of a murdered young Black woman named Clemmy Benoit. He begins an investigation with his partner, detective Valarie Benoit, and unofficially, with his friend Clete. It leads to the unsavory owner of a local bar and brothel named Jerry Carlucci, an otherworldly handyman, a scary hitman, and a mafia don who wants to build a casino along the Gulf near Carlucci's bar. This is a really good mystery, but in addition to the investigation itself, the story dives into much bigger issues, such as the environment destruction of South Louisiana, racial injustice, Louisiana's haunted past, the presence of evil in our world, and even elements of the supernatural. It is much more complex than the average crime novel, a very serious book indeed, far more so than Burke's previous mysteries. At 89 years old, I suspect Burke wants to get his message of the darkness this country faces out there while he can. 

Mapleton Hill: Tree-Lined Streets, Victorian-Era Homes, Stunning Views, But Not Cheap

Whenever I am in Boulder, Colorado, I like to drive through Mapleton Hill, one of that city's most prestigious neighborhoods. It is filled with some of the oldest and most impressive homes in Boulder. Walking the streets is like going back in time to the Victorian era. I am especially fond of Mountain View Road, which is where I took the photograph on the left of the view that the houses on that street have. Imagine waking up every morning to the sun hitting the Flatirons and the city below. This has been called Boulder's most sought-after neighborhood. I took a look on the Redfin real estate website and the downside to the neighborhood is that it is not cheap. The homes for sale there range from 2.5 to 6 million dollars, none of which are on Mountain View Road. However, there are some lower cost alternatives not too far away. You can get an older, 748 square foot, two-bedroom, one bath condo for $525,000, or a 442 square foot one-bedroom, one bath unit for $340,000, but that is not exactly cheap. And it makes you want to ask yourself how much you want to sacrifice to live in Boulder.

On the positive side, if you did decide to buy that 5-bedroom, 3 bath 2,304 square foot 1903 Queen Ann Victorian in Mapleton Hill for 2.5 million dollars (estimated monthly payment $14,815), you would be only a short walk from West Pearl Street, with all its restaurants and bars, such as the West End Tavern, the front of which can be seen in the background of the photograph on the right. Not to mention Trident Booksellers and Cafe, a popular Boulder gathering spot that has been around for decades. Having a happy hour beer at the West End Tavern, or a cup of coffee every morning at one of the outside tables at Trident, you could relax, enjoy hanging out in that beautiful and vibrant community, and try to figure out how to come up with that nearly $15,000 monthly payment. You would have to knock over an awfully lot of 7-Elevens to come up with that kind of money.

Watching The Colorado Rockies Win A Game At Coors Field - At Last!

I went to Coors Field here in Denver this past Wednesday afternoon with my friend Stuart and sister Susan, as seen in the photograph on the left, to watch the Colorado Rockies play the Boston Red Sox. It was a very unusual game, in that the Rockies actually won. In the previous games we have attended, the Rockies lost to the Texas Rangers in the 9th inning by a score of 5-4, to the San Francisco Giants by a score of 19-6 (that was a fun one), and to the Chicago Cubs 9-3. This time, however, it was a very exciting game, and the Rockies came from behind to beat the Red Sox 8-6. There were a lot of Boston fans in attendance, but when the Rockies came back to take the lead, it seemed like everyone began cheering for the Rockies.

The Colorado Rockies are currently the worst team in baseball with a 32-49 record and a .395 winning percentage, but they are actually doing much better than last year at this time, when they were 18-61 with a .217 winning percentage. And I must say, they do have some talented rookies playing on the team, along with solid players such as Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak, which bodes well for the future. Manager Warren Schaeffer says that this season is preparing them for a World Series win down the road. Talk about confidence. Of course, the Boston Red Sox are not exactly the '27 Yankees these days, sporting a 33-46 record and .418 winning percentage, just a few games better than the Rockies. But still, it was good to finally see the Rockies win, and celebrate after the game, as seen in the photograph on the right. And yes, that is indeed Dinger, the Colorado Rockies mascot, waving the victory flag. Savoir those victories whenever you can, guys!

A Little Bit Of Beer Garden Nostalgia, And A Lot Of History

Every time my sister Susan and I go to a beer garden such as the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street here in Denver, Susan waxes nostalgic about going to a beer garden with our parents, Mary and Nelson, when she was a little girl growing up in Chicago. When everyone got up to dance, including our parents, she would go around all the tables and finish off whatever was left on them. Happy days indeed. I remember talking with my mother years ago, and she told me that beer garden was probably located in South Suburban Glenwood, Illinois. And so just for fun, I decided to do a little research, and found out that place was called Hottinger's Garden, that the building was built in 1843, and that it started out as a hotel and inn. Not only that, but it was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. The train would stop at the station across the street, and the escaped slaves would cross the street to the inn to rest before continuing their journey. The inn became Hottinger's Garden around the turn of the 20th Century and can be seen in the photograph on the left.

Over the years, the beer garden was added and can be seen in the photograph on the right from back in the day. Susan tells me she was around 5 years old when she started going there with our parents, which makes sense, since our father was drafted into the army in 1943, served as a dentist in Okinawa, and came back home to Chicago in 1947, which is when Susan was 5 years old. And with them all living with my mother's parents at the time, I imagine they really valued a night out.

The drawing on the left shows the "modern" Hottinger's Garden, which is the closest to what it was like when Susan and our parents used to go there. And in fact, I remember once going to a beer garden with my parents when I was young, too, and looking at this drawing, I think this was where we went. Sadly, over time, the exterior of that 1843 building was significantly modified. The business failed around 1970, and it became the Fireside Chalet/Amore Bistro. I found a Chicago Tribune review of this restaurant on the internet, and at first, I saw a date of 2021, thinking it was published only 5 years ago. However, when I looked further, it was "updated" in 2021, but originally published in 1994, and when I looked on the google maps site, it was a vacant lot. Evidently the building is no longer there. Doing a little more research, I found that the site was turned into an Underground Railroad Memorial back in 2023, which seems very appropriate, although it would have been nice if the original structure could have been saved. In any case, it is a tale of both nostalgia and history. And of course, beer.

Enjoying Weekday Happy Hour At The Denver Beer Company

My sister Susan and I dropped by the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street here in Denver yesterday afternoon for a couple of happy hour pints. This brew pub is a neighborhood favorite, filled with the old, the young, and everyone in between. And lots of families with kids. In point of fact, the Denver Beer Company even provides a playground at that location for those youngsters, as seen in the photograph on the left. And I must say, they all have a lot of energy, zooming across the patio down to the playground and back again the entire time.

And best of all, the patio is dog friendly, and most days there are more dogs than you can count, sitting by their owners having a beer (the owners, not the dog), or even sitting on one of the benches with them, enjoying the ambiance. I took the photograph of the spaniel on the right sitting with its masters by the fire pit, just enjoying the day. And happily, it was willing to let me take its portrait. Which is a nice change from when I go to take a photo, and the dog immediately turns around and shows me its backside. I just hate that - not the kind of photo you want to see. Try explaining that to the dog, though. Not easy.