The Cheesman Park Art Fest - Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's Blog, I went to the annual Cheesman Park Art Fest Saturday afternoon to check out the art, and was happy to find that there was a lot of photography on display.  In one booth, I noticed a really nice photograph of Haystack Rock, off the coast of Cannon Beach, Oregon, taken from almost exactly the same spot where I spent the 4th of July weekend.  I got to talking with the photographer, Kathi Jensen (seen in the photograph above) about Oregon and what we liked and didn't like about the place.  Kathi had some great photographs on display, especially the ones from Oregon.  She and her husband Gary live in Idaho, but made the trek here to Denver to exhibit her work.  Thanks for the chat, Kathi! Be sure to check out Kathi's photographs at http://natureartgallery54.photoshelter.com/index.

The Cheesman Park Art Fest

I drove over to Denver's Cheesman Park yesterday afternoon to check out the annual Cheesman Park Art Fest.  It is only a few years old, but is becoming very popular, with artists from all over the country displaying their work.  I especially like it because there is a lot of photography on display, and their work gives me on ideas that I can incorporate (i.e.steal) for my own work.  Cheesman, by the way, along with nearby Congress Park, were Denver's first parks.  They were originally cemeteries, and the city paid a contractor to move all the graves to cemeteries on the outskirts of the city.  He made a mess of the job, desecrating many of the bodies and leaving many of them still on the grounds,  which is why it is reputed to be haunted, and why it is a good thing the art fest ends before dark.

In any case, I enjoyed looking at all the art work, and ran into Joe Higgins, my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore colleague, and a full time artist and teacher at the Art Students League of Denver.  Joe was not displaying his work at this festival, but was visiting some of his art students, who did have booths there.  Joe is still working 2 days a week at the DU Bookstore, teaching 2 days a week, and spending the rest of the week working on his own artwork.  Joe is pretty happy with that schedule, and I must say it sounds like a great routine. Good to see you, Joe! Be sure to check out Joe's artwork and website at  http://www.joehigginsmonotypes.com .

As I was talking to a photographer from Idaho displaying  her work, none other than my friend Darrel, another  former DU Bookstore colleague, called out my name and said hello. Darrel and his wife Linda,  who are now both retired, decided a year or so ago that spending the weekends doing yard work and upkeep on their house was getting a bit old, and so sold their house and moved to an apartment right next door to the Denver Botanic Gardens.  Talk about a great location.  They can now take daily walks through some of the nicest areas of Denver, and are only a car or bike ride from downtown, not to mention just a short walk from the bookstore where I work.  And just for fun I decided to take a photograph of Darrel with his apartment building (the tall white structure) in the background.  As you can see, Darrel and Linda are also very close to Cheesman Park.  Just don't walk around there after sunset, guys.  Good to see you, Darrel!

The Summer Is Going DAM Fast...

I went to the Final Friday event at the Denver Art Museum (the DAM) yesterday evening.  It seems like I was just at the previous event, and proves that time is accelerating at an ever increasing rate, something I have suspected ever since I turned 50.  It was not as fun an event as in the past - the 7th floor of the North Building (where the photograph gallery is located)  is still closed, and the big Fazal Sheikh photography exhibition will not start until next month.  The Degas exhibition doesn't start until February. Even the guided tours last night were a bit on the thin side.  There was a tour of the European gallery given by two girl scout leaders, allegedly linking the landscapes of Monet with girl scout activities, but the link was tenuous at best. The rest of the museum had the same work that has been on display for months.  I am beginning to think the museum blows off the summer months in preparation for the fall, perhaps because they think many people are gone on vacation and won't show up anyway.  Oh well, now that time is accelerating, fall and winter will be here before you know it.  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

A Wash Park Kind Of Sunset

Yes - I am back to posting sunset photographs, this time ones I took in Denver's Washington Park this past weekend.  I know they are cliches, but as I have said before, I don't care.  They are pretty and I like them.  Washington Park is a great place to hang out, and is located just a few blocks away from my condo. Granted, the Wash Park neighborhood is north of Interstate 25, and my building is south of this imposing barrier, but like I said, time-wise it is very close.  As you might have guessed, Wash Park is a very affluent neighborhood, and like other desirable neighborhoods these days, the wealthy buy older, very lovely homes, tear them down, and put up huge mansions.

I know I am getting off the theme of beautiful sunsets, but once again, I don't care.  What do people do with all that space?  Rent rooms to University of Denver co-eds?  That is what I would do, but I don't think that is what is happening.  It must be some sort of statement about their place in this world, a class thing.  Who knows?  All I know is that I think the sunset photograph on the right is pretty darned good, and cliches be damned.

My Parent's Anniversary

If they were still alive, today would have been my parent's (Nelson and Mary's) 77th wedding anniversary.  And in honor of this day, I am posting a photograph I found in a family album taken of them at the Indiana Dunes back in July of 1937, three years before they were married.  They look so young there, much younger than the parents I knew growing up.  That they seemed much older to me as a child I attribute to having to deal with my sister Susan, who was born 11 years before me.  I think she gave them all they could handle.  Miss Collins, one of Susan's teachers at Fort Dearborn Grammar School, in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, referred to her as " a piece of work," and when she was a child, she used to go around the tables at a local beer garden, while everyone was dancing, and kill off their beer bottles.  I don't mean any of this in a negative way. I understand completely.  I'm just sayin'.  Happy Anniversary Mother and Dad!  And keep on keeping on, Susan!

One Likable Cheetah...

As regular Blog readers know, I have taken many photographs of the cheetah in the photograph above. Every time I go to the Denver Zoo, it is there, observing everyone and everything.  As you can see from the above portrait, it looks you right in the eye, never flinching.  The cheetah is supposed to be a very fast animal, traveling up to 75 miles per hour in short bursts.  It definitely can't attain that speed in it's current environment, which begs the question - is it better to have these animals in zoos to preserve their existence, or should they be left in the wild to either survive or disappear?  I am hopelessly divided on this question, and so am no help at all.  Hopefully wiser minds than I can answer this important - and critical - question.

Sorry Kids - There Is No Escape...

I went to the Denver Zoo Saturday afternoon to take a few photographs, and as usual, I tried to get some good photographs of the zoo babies.  I took the photograph on the left of the baby giraffe, looking out at the wide open spaces of City Park beyond, dreaming of life on the outside. The older giraffes know they are there for life, but the baby still doesn't know that it will be in a cage forever. Eventually it will learn.

As will the gorilla baby in the photograph on the right.  Gorillas are very similar to humans, and so their babies grow up in stages very similar to us.  The little guy on the right has no conception of where he is, or what his future will be.  Like the giraffe baby, he will find out.  As you can tell, I have mixed feelings about the zoo. Going there gives you the chance to see animals you would never otherwise see, and the zoo's mission is to make sure these animals do not go extinct. However, they are indeed serving a life sentence, and will never live as nature intended.  What is the answer?  Damned if I know.

A Pool/Pizza Party With The Old DU Bookstore Gang!

I had a pool/pizza party with some of the old University of Denver Bookstore gang last night in the club room of my condo building.  Several of the gang wanted to know if the pool was clothing optional, which probably explains why nobody went near the water the entire evening.  In any case, we all had a good time catching up on what everyone has been up to lately, and what everyone has planned for the rest of the summer.  In the photograph above (from left to right) are Jake (Valarie's husband), Valarie, the former Operations Manager of the DU Bookstore,  Linda (Wally's wife), Bill, the former Operations Coordinator of the store, Wally, also a former Operations Coordinator of the store; Darrel, the former Accounts Payable Supervisor for the store, his wife Linda, Chris, the former Accounts Payable Assistant, and Jim, Chris's husband.  Jake, Bill, and Darrel and his wife Linda are all retired, with one more planning to retire in September.  The rest of us are dreaming about it, but still had to get up this morning to go to work.  Bummer.

The Condo In Florida Is Rented! Again!

As regular Blog readers know, I took a part time job to pay for the HOA fees, taxes, and insurance on the condo in Stuart, Florida that my sister Susan and I inherited from our parents after we could not rent it for the season.  I was working 7 days a week, some days 12 hours, but at least we could pay for the place, and even go down there in August to prepare to rent it next season.  Then the fellow who checks on our condo every month recommended it to his childhood friend, and he rented it for the year. He liked it so much he even offered to buy it.  However, it has been in the family for over 40 years and we want to hold onto the place.  It is filled with many happy memories, such the trip my father Nelson, mother Mary, sister Susan, and I took to Key West back in March of 1979.  My mother and father and sister can be seen posing in front of the Hemingway House in the photograph on the left.

And because he really wanted to own, our renter decided to buy a place in the next building and gave me notice of that the same day I left the part-time job that I took to pay the condo's expenses.  Life is truly ironic.  And so I was back to square one.  But I was also happy about it, too.  I could go back down there in August after all, get the place ready to rent in January, attend Stuart's annual "Dancing in the Streets" festival, catch a Single A Jupiter Hammerheads baseball game, play some golf, walk the beach, etc. etc. Let the good times roll!  Then someone recommended the place to a mother and daughter already living in the complex, and I rented it to them for the year, with a promise to re-rent it for one more year after that.  It will pay the expenses, and so I won't have to take another part-time job, but I won't get the place back for another two year.  I still have the memories, however, such as walking along the St. Lucie River - a short distance from the condo - with ( from left to right) my then wife Lisa, mother Mary, and sister Susan.

I could still go down there, of course, and stay at a luxury Motel 6 Resort Hotel like I did for a night in Portland, Oregon, but that would cost actual money.  I know people will say "David, you are getting $850 a month that you were not getting before," but somehow it seems like it is coming out of a different pocket - specifically mine.  In any case, Stuart is a mere 40 miles or so from Palm Beach, and so maybe I will go down and stay with my soon-to- be good friend Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.  He needs my moral support because of all this Russian business, all for the price of a guest room.  In the meantime, as I said before, I still have the memories and the photographs, like the pier at sunset with Stewie Anderson's sailboat in the background.  It was the one boat that ever docked at the complex, and like Stewie himself, now long gone.  Oh well, time to suck it up and enjoy not working 7 days a week.  It almost feels like retirement.

Still More Cannon Beach Nostalgia

What can I say?  I miss the place.  I had a great time in Cannon Beach with my relatives, and want to go back. Now.  I took the self-portrait on the left of myself in front of the place the morning I arrived, as I waited for my cousin John and his wife Barb to come back from the store.  It is a pleasant little beach house and is owned by Barb's father. Several times I have offered to serve as the year-round caretaker, but salary negotiations seem to be a sticking point.  Once I retire, my salary request can drop to my drop dead minimum price - free.  How reasonable is that?

In the photograph on the right my Uncle Jack can be seen in the living room, gazing out to sea.  I enjoy doing that, too.  My uncle worked for the navy for many years as an engineer and scientist.  His office was on Point Loma, in San Diego.  He was able to go jogging on his lunch hour along the Pacific, and he absolutely loves the ocean.  In Cannon Beach, the ocean is much different than in Florida.  In the summer, it is misty and cool in the morning, and usually in the afternoon the mist burns off and it is warm and sunny.  I am told that in the winter, however, it is very wet and stormy there, a perfect time to sit by the fire with a good book and occasionally look out at the raging sea.  Oh, what the heck  - I'll pay you guys to be the caretaker.  How much do you want?

The Lost Order

I just finished reading Steve Berry's new Cotton Malone adventure novel, The Lost Order, and thought it was a very good read.  It was an exciting story, and all the familiar characters from the other books in the series are there.  As usual, a secret from the past will change the world (or in this case, the U.S.) in a horrible way if Malone does not act immediately.  Also, for the first time in 3 books, Berry does not paint Franklin Roosevelt as some sort of evil, scheming devil.  Lately Berry has let his conservative political beliefs intrude in his stories, and I must say, it detracts from the books as a whole.  In one, he even says that states have a perfect right to secede whenever they want, and that Lincoln knowingly knew this when he began the Civil War.  Spoken like a true southerner.  But like I said, this story puts aside the politics, and is therefore definitely worth a read.

Still Another Alien Abduction

During my walk one evening from the bookstore where I work to the Union Station light rail stop in Lower Downtown Denver, I saw a bunch of clothing and shoes on a street corner.  This is not an unusual sight on either Colfax, or in this case, 17th Street.  My friend and office mate Peter is convinced that these clothes are all that is left of homeless people who have been abducted by aliens.  Peter feels that the aliens take homeless people because they are less likely to be missed, and suspicions won't be aroused.  And I must say there are a lot of homeless for the aliens to choose from, too.  Colfax seems to have homeless people on every block.  Only two blocks north, and running parallel to Colfax, 17th Street is hipster heaven, and although you  sometimes see the homeless there too, most avoid the street.  Can't blame 'em - hipsters can be scary.

A DAM Funny Moment...

I ran across the above photograph while searching for a photo I used in the Blog a few days ago.  I took it at a Final Friday event at the Denver Art Museum (The DAM) a few years ago.  A comedy team was leading a "tour" of the modern art wing and giving their unique interpretation of the paintings.  I took the photograph while the pair explained that the above work was a huge, discarded dental ex-ray, and that the museum probably got a great deal on it.  I'll bet.  It reminds me of the old saying: "There's a sucker - I mean modern art curator - born every minute."

Joyce Says Goodbye

A retirement party was held Sunday night at the bookstore where I work for Joyce, who has owned the store since 1971 and built it into a nationally recognized institution.  After a number of speakers - including the president of the American Booksellers Association - made speeches recounting their association with Joyce, she came to the podium herself and and gave a moving farewell speech , as seen in the photograph above.  The new owners of the store promise to continue the policies and style that Joyce instituted, and that the stores will remain the same.  Does that mean I still get to take a 3 hour lunch?  Let's hope.

A Visit To The Stanley!

After I hiked around Rocky Mountain National Park Saturday afternoon, I decided to stop at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park and have  look around.  I have never been to the Stanley before, although I have been to Estes Park (the Wisconsin Dells of the West) many times.  The Stanley is just outside of town, on a hill overlooking the mountains.  The views from the porch are fantastic, but it's major claim to fame is that it was the setting for Stephen King's ghost story The Shining.  I read the book a few years ago, and have had the Stanley on my mind to visit, but never have until now.  In the book the hotel was located on an isolated mountain, and the family that went there to take care of it in the winter had to stay until spring, a bad thing once the ghosts there started making their presence known.  In reality, since it just outside of town, if they were truly staying at the Stanley, they would have been able to make it down to a cotton candy or tee shirt shop once the spooks were after them.

Because I read the book and liked it so much, I had to stop in at the bar where the main character in the book would drink with the ghosts in the evening.  He was quite psychic, and could easily see and communicate with them, to the distress of his wife and young son.  In any case, I am not psychic, and did not feel any ghostly presence while I was there.  Perhaps if I had a few more beers, the ghosts would have made an appearance, but like Coors Field in Denver, the Stanley discourages over consumption by charging $7.00 for a beer (Coors Field charges 8, by the way).  I have no problem paying $7.00 to see the place, but above that is a little too much for this cheapskate.  The Stanley has a tourist office in the basement, by the way, for people who want to take a guided tour of the place.  They also have a "resident psychic," but the door was closed when I was there. I think you have to call to make an appointment if you want to communicate with the other world.  Maybe next time.

A Visit To Rocky Mountain National Park

I drove up to Rocky Mountain Park yesterday afternoon for the first time in many years.  I was motivated, by the way, mainly by greed.  The Senior Pass, which allows anyone 62 or over free admission to any National Park for their lifetime - at a price of $10 - is going to increase to $80 on August 28th, and so I wanted to make sure I got it at the bargain price.  Granted, $80 is a bargain, too, and if that's what it takes to cut taxes for the rich, I am all for it (God bless them), but thought I would drive up and just pay the $10.  It took exactly an hour and forty-five minutes to get from my condo to the entrance gate, and once I was in, drove to Bear Lake, seen in the photograph on the left.  Bear Lake is one of the most popular spots in the park, and I realized I had never before walked around it.  Whenever I came up here with my ex-wife, or my sister Susan and brother-in-law George, we would take a look at it and then find a more challenging hike, since Bear Lake was a short, much too easy stroll.

After walking around Bear Lake (there were no bears there, by the way),  I drove downhill a short distance and began hiking the Glacier Gorge Trail.  In fact, the last time I was at Rocky Mountain National Park, my sister Susan and brother-in-law George and I hiked this trail.  I made it past Alberta Falls (seen in the photograph on the right) to the spot where we stopped the last time we hiked the trail.  It gets to be pretty tough going from there, and it was getting on toward 6:00 P.M.  Once the sun sets, I might very easily spot a bear - possibly a hungry one - and so I didn't want to be alone on the trail at dinnertime.  I headed back to my car and drove out of the park into the bumper-to-bumper traffic of Estes Park during tourist season.  Oh joy!  It was a very pleasant afternoon, however, and considering how close the park is, and the fact that it is now free for me, I definitely intend to return soon , bear or no bears.

Missing Miami - Not!

Don't get me wrong - there are a lot of nice places in Miami - Coconut Grove, Vizcaya, Old Cutler Road, Miami Beach, they are all great.  But when you get off the TriRail to take the light rail train downtown, the views are usually like in the photograph on the left.  And when you get there, although Bayside and Biscayne Boulevard are nice, the actual downtown is kind of depressing.  When I visited Miami last November one Saturday morning, instead of hanging out downtown, I immediately headed to Coconut Grove, where I spent a few hours walking around that very trendy neighborhood.  I also visited - and thoroughly enjoyed - The Barnacle Historic State Park, right in the heart of Coconut Grove.  In the afternoon, I decided to head to Miami Beach to check out the Art Deco architecture and Ocean Drive.

I took the bus to Miami Beach from downtown, and enjoyed walking Ocean Drive and checking out the scene.  However, if you walk a few blocks to the west, the place seems a bit seedy, which is where I had dinner at a Burger King.  I decided to stay until after dusk to take photographs of the neon lite Art Deco hotels.  My camera was giving me fits, and so I wound up taking photographs with my cell phone, which I promptly forgot about until just a few weeks ago.  The photograph on the right is of The Clevelander, a popular Miami Beach  hot spot.  The lights were pretty, but the music was loud and the crowd even louder.  After just a few minutes of watching all that, I just wanted to head back to my condo in Stuart, Florida and rest.  However, in going home, I found I had missed the 7:00 P.M. train, and that the next rain wasn't until 9:10.  And after finally getting to the station in West Palm Beach, I still had to drive another 45 minutes to Stuart.  It was nearly midnight when I arrived home, about the same time I arrived home the last time I was in Miami, when I drove and got into a horrible traffic jam, the main reason I took the train this time.  Am I beginning to whine here?  Good.  I don't care.

Cannon Beach Nostalgia? Already? Yes!

It has been a little over a week since I returned to Denver from Cannon Beach, and I am already missing it. Walking on the beach during the day, looking out the windows at the ocean and Haystack Rock in the late afternoons, visiting with my relatives in the evenings - what could be more perfect?  Oh well.  We all have to return to the real world eventually.  Perhaps if I do indeed retire this coming March, I will be able to live in a state of unreality 24/7.  Although you would be surprised how many people claim I am doing that already.

A Post All Star Game Review

I got together with my friend Stuart for burgers and beers last night at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom on South Colorado Boulevard here in Denver.  The subject of major league's baseball's annual All Star Game- which took place the previous evening - came up, and I mentioned that for the first time in years I decided to watch it.  It was close game, and the American League finally won it with a home run in the top of the 10th inning.  I couldn't resist mentioning that it was a Chicago Cubs relief pitcher who gave up that home run, and also added a whimsical  "surprise!"  Stuart then asked me if after winning the World Series and having such a wonderful season last year, I was going to go back to considering the Cubs a lovable loser once again?  And to that I replied "definitely."  Speaking as a dedicated fan of the Chicago White Sox (the city's South Side baseball team) - a team that won the 2007 World Series and has been horrible ever since - I say you are only as good as you are right now.  And I am not just bitter because the White Sox are solidly in last place.  Not at all.  No way.

A Stroll Down 17th Street Past Dos Santos

Now that I no longer have a part-time job in the evenings, I am able to resume my after work walks from the bookstore where I work to Union Station in Lower Downtown Denver, where I am able to take the light rail train home.  That is exactly what I did yesterday evening.  I decided to walk down 17th Street, on which are a lot of restaurants and bars that are popular with the hipster set.  The photograph above is of a restaurant called Dos Santos, and it was doing a booming business as I passed by.  I perused the menu, and saw that they had steak tacos for $4.25 on the menu. One of these days, if I can forgo my cheapskate ways, I might even give it a try.  Especially since the patio seems to be filled with my fellow hipsters.  I'll greet them all with my traditional "What's the haps, dudes and dudettes?"

The July Mutt Of The Month

This month's Mutt of The Month was spotted at the 4th of July parade in Cannon Beach, Oregon last week.  It was sitting quietly around the sidelines, just enjoying the ambiance.  I believe it is a golden lab, or something of the sort, although it does seem to have a lot of white fur, and was shedding something fierce.  If it lived in my house, there would probably be dog hair up to my knees before I had the time to vacuum.  Still another good reason not to own a dog.  You can always just borrow one for the day.

Saturday Night At Coors Field

I went to the Colorado Rockies - Chicago White Sox game Saturday night (the second night in a row, no less) thanks to my friend Mark.  Mark was given 2 tickets to the Rockies game by Steve Fisher, an historian and author who recently retired from the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library). They were great seats, on the lower level right behind home plate.  And in a stunning development, the White Sox actually won. Really!  I took a photo to document this once in a lifetime event (Mark is on the left, I am on the right). And by the way, check out Steve Fisher's books on Denver at https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Search?searchmode=anyword&searchoption=Author&aliaspath=%2fSearch&searchtext=steven+fisher.

It appears the unexpected win stunned the White Sox players, too.  They can be seen in the photograph on the right high fiving each other and enjoying their moment in the sun.  They obviously recognized what a rare thing this was, and wanted to enjoy it while it lasted, which was a good thing.  The next day (Sunday), they lost to the Colorado Rockies 10 to nothing, and were hitless until the 9th inning.  Which is all right - it reminds me of when I used to watch them at Comiskey Park back on the South Side of Chicago years ago.  It gives one a feeling of peace to know that some things never seem to change.

Rockies Versus White Sox!

I went to the Colorado Rockies - Chicago White Sox game at Coors Field here in Denver with my friends Stuart and Mark Friday night.  Stuart had to leave early, and it was probably a good thing, because the White Sox really stunk up the field.  It was a horrible game.  The Rockies won 12 to 4, and the game wasn't as close as the score indicated.  My South Side Chicago heros looked no better than they did when I left Chicago back in 1981.  As Jean Shepherd once said, if he were the leader of a platoon of men he had to choose a suicide squad for a secret mission, he would first ask if there were any White Sox fans among them, because White Sox fans are used to hopeless situations.

After the game, Mark suggested  we stop at a techo dance club and pick up some chicks (I am paraphrasing here using my inimitable style) , but unfortunately it was way past my bedtime, and time to head home.  And I need to mention two things about the evening.  First, the music the Rockies play at the stadium is horrible - loud, heavy metal, techno, garbage type music that hurts the ears.  Why do they do that?  Obviously to attract a younger crowd, but at the expense of driving away older fans.  And second, I have been badmouthing Portland about the number of homeless sleeping on the streets there.  Well, Mark and I had to walk across town to get to where I parked my car (it is against my religion to actually pay money to park).  It was after 11:00 P.M., and we walked down 18th Street, where one block was also filled with the homeless bedding down for the night. So it is truly not a Portland problem, but a national problem.  A national disgrace.

Goodbye To Cannon Beach

Wednesday morning it was time to say goodbye to Cannon Beach, Oregon for another year (or more).  It was really nice to spend 3 days being able to look out the picture window at such a beautiful beach, and to be able to walk it during the morning mist and the sunny afternoons.  I took the photograph on the left as we walked back to the beach house from the 4th of July Parade.  There was still a bit of mist in the far distance, but each day it burned off by the afternoon.

My final night in Cannon Beach I took the photograph on the right of the sunset over Haystack Rock, an iconic landmark on the Oregon coast. Everyone likes to walk up to the rock at low tide and see if they can find any starfish in the shallow waters. Unfortunately, a state forest worker assigned the area says that there is only one there these days.  A great many have died off in the last few years.  I suspect it is due to some kind of pollution, but nobody seems to know for sure.  In any case, I must say that the sunsets in Cannon Beach are almost as good as the ones over the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida.  Almost.  One must have some regional pride, after all.

The Big Parade!

I was able to attend this year's 4th of July Parade in Cannon Beach, Oregon for the firs time in 3 years.  It is a really fun experience, and is the epitomy of small town America.  Anyone who wants can be in the parade if they show up at the appointed time and place. Each time we have discussed taking part with a Hoyt Family Float, but invariably we wind up sitting on the sidelines and just watching the show. That is not true for the Jackson Street Lawn Chair Brigade, which can be seen showing off it's lawn chair skills in the photograph on the left.

In the photograph on the right, of course, is none other than a living, breathing Statue of Liberty.  I think that parade participant carries off that look very well.  I have often thought of wearing an outfit like that myself, possibly even to work, but at my age I am afraid my employer would think it was a sign of early (or perhaps right on time) Alzheimer's and have me taken away to God knows where.

And I must say everyone in our group thoroughly enjoyed the event.  It was definitely a feel good kind of day.  It was a warm, sunny morning, everyone was in a good mood, and the entertainment was all good fun.  While most of the family drove to the parade, a few hearty souls, including my cousin Annette and myself, walked to and from the parade along the beach. Although it was warm downtown, it was actually windy and kind of chilly along the beach, thanks to the 54 degree temperature of the water.  There was not a single swimmer in sight, not even a surfer in a wet suit.  If I had only packed my speedo, I would certainly have put it on and shown those Oregonians what Coloradans are made of.  Maybe next time.

A Hoyt Family Reunion In Cannon Beach

I took an Amtrak bus from Portland to Cannon Beach, Oregon Sunday morning to attend a Hoyt family reunion.  I arrived around 11:00 and headed down the beach to find the beach house owned by the father of my cousin John's wife, Barb.  I couldn't find the place, and so had to call to get a better description of where they live.  I talked to my cousin John, got a better lay of the land, and found the place a short while later.  Of course, once I tipped John and Barb off that I was heading there, they left the place immediately and nobody was there when I arrived.  I gave them another call and John explained that they were still out shopping. Yeah . Right.  Eventually they resigned themselves to the fact that I would have camped out front until midnight if they did not return, and came back, so it all worked out.  By the next day everyone had arrived safely and we all had a great time, thanks to John and Barb.  In the photograph above are (from left to right) Barb, John, my Uncle Jack (my father's brother), my cousin Annette, Pat (an in-law), Jason (another in-law), and my cousin Denise.

A Weekend In Portland And Cannon Beach

I spent last weekend in Portland and Cannon Beach, Oregon to attend a family reunion with my fellow Hoyts (my father Nelson's brother Jack's side of the family), as well as with several relatives from the other side of their family.  I flew into Portland Saturday morning, found I could not check into the luxury downtown Motel 6 Resort Hotel until 2:00, and then proceeded to walk across the Steel Bridge (seen in the photo above) with my backpack to check out the Saturday Market along the river.  To get to the market, you have to walk through Old Town/Chinatown, and that requires you to walk down streets where the homeless have set up camp.  I have never walked down a street before where the homeless have set up tents, sleeping bags, beds made of garbage, and everything else the entire length of the block.  It is quite unnerving, and a big reason why I have never been too fond of Portland.  Walking past those homeless people is pretty damn depressing.  I am not sure why so many elect to sleep on the street instead of shelters, or if even Portland has shelters.  Homelessness is a major problem in Portland, and another sad thing about living in our times.

Happy Fourth Of July!

Happy Fourth of July Everyone! In honor of this most auspicious day, I am featuring a photograph I took several years ago of the annual 4th of July parade in Cannon Beach, Oregon.  It is a resort town, but at heart it is simply small town America, and the parade seemed to include almost every resident in the city.  The rule is to just show up at the appointed place and time, and your're in.  Which means the parade viewers were mainly tourists  like me.  I was there for the Hoyt family reunion, which was being held at the beach house owned by the parents of my cousin John's wife Barb.  A great time was had by all.  I volunteered to be the caretaker of that beach house for a nominal fee, and my cousin John said he would get back to me about it. He never did.  Go figure.

In The Garden Of Beasts

I just finished reading Eric Larson's book In The Garden of Beasts, which tells the story of the ambassador to Germany and his family back in the 1930s, when Hitler came to power.  It is a fascinating story, and like his previous book, The Devil in the White City, which tells the story of a serial killer during the 1892 World's Fair in Chicago, reads like an exciting novel.  The book gives you a good look at what it was like, and the thinking of politicians during that period, but I especially was struck by the antisemitism that was prevalent at that time not only in Germany but in the American diplomatic core.  It is of course hindsight I am expressing, but if only those diplomats woke up and realized what they were witnessing and what the end result would be, perhaps 6 million lives might have been spared.  A very sad chapter of history, especially considering that maybe it could have been avoided.

More On Final Friday...

As I was leaving the Final Friday event at the Denver Art Museum (The DAM) Friday night, there was an art talk going on just in front of the entrance. Mexico City designers Hector Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena were discussing their interactive art installation titled La Musidora.  I can only describe it as an extended row of colorful lounge chairs, dove-tailed so that each person is facing the person next to them, encouraging conversation and interaction with your neighbor.

As you can see from the photograph on the right, the exhibit seems to be  a great success.  I get the feeling from the talk that the installation was designed specifically for the plaza in front of the museum.  What I want to know is whether the museum bought it outright, and whether it will remain where it currently is from now on?  Is it safe to leave it out in the elements?  How much did they pay for it?  Is it theft-proof?  And does it come with a warranty? The people in the photograph don't seem to care, however.  They are just enjoying a pleasant, cool evening in Denver. More power to them.

Running Into Frankie After 20 Years

I went to the Denver Art Museum for their Final Friday event yesterday evening, and signed up for Detour: Work It Out - an active workout tour of the museum's Hamilton Building.  The tour leader was very friendly, asked me if I was retired or still worked and where.  I mentioned the bookstore where I currently work as the bookkeeper, and also that I used to be the Finance Manager at the University of Denver Bookstore.  It turns out that the tour leader, seen in the photograph above, was none other than Frankie, who is married to Heidi, who worked at the DU Bookstore as the general book buyer 20 years ago.  I did not recognize Frankie at all, but he recognized me and took a photograph to e-mail to Heidi.  The last time I saw them was just after their first child was born.  He is now 20 years old - it is unbelievable how quickly time passes. Heidi and Frankie now have 4 children,  and Frankie owns a gym called Cole Fusion Fitness, just down the street from the museum.  Great to see you again, Frankie!  Thanks for the workout!