Happy Halloween!

It has been three years since I have used the above photograph for my Halloween blog post, and so as far as I am concerned, it is time to resurrect it.  I took this photograph of my sister Susan and mother Mary when we were down visiting our mother in Stuart, Florida, where she lived for almost 30 years.  It was actually taken during the summer, at an arts and crafts festival in nearby Vero Beach, and it is one of my favorite photographs of all time.  And it says it all - by which I mean it screams "Happy Halloween."  Enjoy the day, everyone!

Visiting The Monet Exhibit At The DAM

My sister Susan and I went to the Denver Art Museum (the DAM) to see Claude Monet:  The Truth of Nature this past Saturday afternoon.  This show features over 120 of Monet's works completed throughout his career.  It was well worth seeing, although the crowds were fairly large, as should be expected, since this is the largest exhibit of Monet's painting in the U.S. in the past 20 years.  I took a photograph of one of his most famous paintings, The Japanese Bridge, seen on the left, since Susan and I saw it in person when we visited Monet's house and gardens at Giverny this past May. I have to admit that I took a number of photographs myself at this exhibit, but I must say that allowing people to take photographs of the art work - not to mention "selfies," too, - really made it hard to get close to the paintings.  I hate to say it, but it would probably be best to ban photography in museums. Susan and I went to the Louvre this past May, and it seemed like virtually every tourist in the place was taking selfies in front of every damn piece of art in the joint.

When Susan and I were at Giverny, I took several photos of the Japanese Bridge, one of which can be seen on the right.  It is, of course, not very artistic, but certainly very appropriate, since the Japanese Bridge in the photograph is filled with actual Japanese people.  You can't get any more realistic than that.  Monet, by the way, actually made this garden himself, with the help of his family and 6 gardeners.  It is definitely worth seeing if you ever get to Paris.  However, bring an umbrella.

One of the things I like about these major exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum is that, in addition to the art work itself, they also feature large black and white photographs and sometimes even movies showing the artist.  When Degas - A Passion for Perfection was at the DAM, they had a large photograph of the view out of Degas' studio, showing  Paris in the 1800s.  For this exhibit, the museum displayed a photo of Monet standing by the Water Lily Pond at Giverny, as well as part of a documentary film featuring Monet that was released back in 1915.  And to make no mistake about it, I want to say again that I did not take the photograph of Monet on the left  in person, but just took a photograph of what was displayed at the museum.  I am old, but not quite that old.

Winter Returns!

It is not even November yet, and we have already had two snowstorms here in Denver, with a third expected to hit this afternoon, along with frigid temperatures.  My friend Stuart told me that the Farmer's Almanac predicted a harsh winter for us, and I guess it might be true.  And just how do they make these predictions - flipping a coin, which they probably do on the local weather channel?  For me, the only good part of this nasty weather is that now that I am retired, I don't have to get up in the morning and drive to work through that mess.  In point of fact, it wasn't until 4:30 in the afternoon that I ventured outside and headed to Washington Park to take a few photographs, one of which can be seen on the left.

In any case, by the time I got to Washington Park, the snow had ended and the sun was out.  Plus, the temperature had risen to 32 degrees by that time, compared with 15 degrees that morning.  Not biking weather by any means.  And by the way, the photograph on the right is of the Washington Park Boathouse, which was built in 1913 and restored in 2012. It is available to rent for events such as weddings, anniversaries, the installation of a new pope, etc.  I have often thought it would be easy to crash one of these events, since the park district requires a professional bartender - not connected with the event - to serve alcohol, and he or she would not know you didn't belong there.  Something to try next summer.

Getting Together With The Old DU Bookstore Gang

I got together with my friends and former University of Denver Bookstore co-workers yesterday on a very cold and snowy evening.  Perhaps the Farmer's Almanac is right, and we are indeed in for a harsh winter here in Denver.  In any case, it was fun to catch up with everyone and find out what they have all been up to lately.  Darrel, the former Accounts Payable Manager at the DU Bookstore - seen on the left in the above photo - and his wife Linda (who was sick and couldn't attend last night) recently traveled through Wyoming and will soon head to New Mexico for a mini vacation.  Jake and his wife Valarie (the former Operations Manager of the store) - second and third from the left in the photograph - just got back from a road trip to the west coast, going from San Diego all the way up to Oregon.  Chris, the former Accounts Payable assistant at the store and her husband Jim - seen on the right in the above photograph - have not taken any trips lately, since Jim is the only one of us who is not retired.  However, Jim tells us that next spring he will be cutting back to three days a week.  Welcome to the the club, Jim!  Good to get together with all of you again!

The Baker Historic District

A few weeks ago I went for a walk along South Broadway here in Denver, and after surviving that experience (not to put too fine a point on it, but that street is WEIRD), decided to head just west into the Baker Historic District, a neighborhood made up of hundreds of 19th century homes, many from the 1880s.  I myself am not crazy about the idea of living in Victorian era houses. Years ago, my then wife Lisa house-sat for her fellow Opera Colorado member Mary Ellen, who had recently bought an old Victorian just north of Washington Park here in Denver.  I joined her there, and got a first-hand view of what living in a home like that is like.  First and foremost, it was cold as hell.  And the next morning, when I went to take a shower, found that the bathtub was sitting on Victorian style claws in the middle of the bathroom, and the shower curtain was 360 degrees, surrounding you as you grabbed a hose and guided it over yourself, holding it in one hand while trying to wash yourself with the other.  Who could possibly complain about that?

Regardless, the Baker District is really nice, and I think a lot of transplants from across the country have bought many of these houses and fixed them up (let's hope they they didn't skimp on insulation).  You really can't fault people, especially from crowded and super expensive California, from wanting to move here and buy one of these beautiful old homes just minutes from downtown Denver, a city that has a really wonderful climate and is just a short drive from some of America's most beautiful scenery.  Although, since something like half the population of California has now moved here, the freeways are at a total standstill during rush hour, and bumper to bumper the rest of the time.  Thanks to my apartment building (located just across the street from the University of Denver) going condo almost 20 years ago and forcing me to buy a unit, I have been able to afford to stay where I am and avoid that commuter nightmare.  Thank God for that.

A Baseball Update

Tonight Game 4 of the World Series will be played between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals, two teams I have no feelings about whatsoever, except for the fact that they both train at the same spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, about 30 miles or so from Stuart, where my sister and I own a condo. And no, baseball is not still being played at Coors Field here in Denver.  The Colorado Rockies have not gone rogue, unlike former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.  The photograph on the left was taken quite a few years ago, just before my sister Susan, brother-in-law George, and I entered Coor's Field to watch a Rockies game.  The Rockies, by the way, finished this season with 71 wins and 91 losses, an even worse record than my south side heros, the Chicago White Sox.  Sadly, the Rockies say they will not be making any changes to the team next year, since they have committed all their money to long term contracts with very mediocre (by which I mean very bad) players.  Sounds like it will be another long, long season next year.  Big surprise.

Remembering The Ashley

I took the above photograph of my mother Mary and sister Susan in front of a restaurant called The Ashley, which was located in what was then simply downtown Stuart, Florida. This area has since been "gentrified" and is now called "Old Town Stuart," an appealing mix of shops and restaurants nestled along the St. Lucie River.  Many of these independently owned places like The Ashley and The Jolly Sailor Pub (now located in the nearby Sunset Bay Marina) could not afford the rent increases, and are now long gone.  The Ashley, by the way, got it's name from the Ashley gang, which robbed the bank located in that space back during the depression.  My mother and sister and I would always walk around downtown Stuart whenever Susan and I visited, enjoying the wonderful ambiance.  It is still a great place, but many of the restaurants there are now quite pricey, and as regular blog readers know, I do not do pricey.

Boo At The Zoo

Boo at the Zoo, an annual Halloween event, is taking place weekends in October at the Denver Zoo. This long-running tradition lets parents take their kids trick-or-treating at the zoo, which sets up candy stations at various points throughout the grounds.  I was at the zoo last year during this event, and could not help but notice that the parents were dressed up in costumes as well as the kids, and the parents were helping themselves to the candy, too.  Of course, if I dressed up in a costume and tried this without the excuse of escorting a child, I would be thrown in the hoosegow. It's just not fair.  In any case, in addition to handing out candy, the zoo also adds a lot of Halloween decorations and lights along the walkways, some of which can be seen in the photo on the left.

However, I have noticed that there are no Halloween related interactions with the animals, beyond throwing a few pumpkins in their cages.  I myself was thinking the zoo should add something like rino rides to amuse the kids. After spotting the friendly rino in the photograph on the right, I think it would be fun for both the rino and the children to start those rides immediately.  I say just have a zoo intern lead the rino around on a predetermined path, and you have got yourself a major attraction.  What could go wrong?

Of course, zoo visitors are currently allowed to interact with and feed the giraffes if they buy a ticket for it, as seen in the photograph on the left.  My only complaint about this is that the group that has bought tickets are led to the feeding platform, as seen in the photograph on the left, while everyone else is locked out, preventing people who have not bought a ticket from watching this event close up.  Very unfair.  In the past, you could just walk out there and take photos, but no more.  That is just wrong.

The Zoo In The Fall

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Monday to take some photographs, hoping that the cool temperatures (it was in the low 50s) would make the animals want to hang out in the sun, instead of hidden in the shade, where they tend to go when it is hot.  For most of them this was true, but naturally many (including the baby lion) had their backs to me.  I tried not to take this personally, and moved on to find animals who would actually face forward.  One of them was the baby mandrill, whose mother never seems to let go of him, as seen in the photograph on the left.

I also checked in on the black and white colobus monkey, who seems depressed as ever, and can be seen in the photograph on the right.  He is obviously reflecting on his life as a prisoner, and just how in the hell he wound up in this situation. I still say letting all these animals run free throughout the zoo would do a lot to cheer these creatures up.  If zoo officials still refuse to do this, the only humane thing to do is to load them to the gills with anti-depressants.  I'm just sayin.'

The Malta Exchange

I just finished reading The Malta Exchange, Steve Berry's lasted Cotton Malone adventure.  Malone is an ex-secret agent who retired to Copenhagen to become a bookseller, but who is always being called back by his old boss for especially difficult assignments.  The story starts out with Malone trying to obtain letters allegedly written by Winston Churchill to Mussolini, promising Mussolini the island of Malta if he didn't ally with Hitler (you all know how that turned out).  However, he and his sidekick Luke soon get involved with the Knights of Malta and a plot to manipulate a conclave that is choosing a new pope.  I really enjoy reading this series, the present book included, but lately Berry is letting his political opinions leak into the plots.  In previous books he has trashed Franklin D. Roosevelt, claimed that Abraham Lincoln illegally prevented the south from seceding from the Union, and in this book not only has negative things to say about Winston Churchill, but also Pope John Paul II.  I myself just ignore these jabs, but they are still annoying, none-the-less. Even so, I still recommend that you pick up a copy from your local library and read it.  As the old television commercial went, "try it, you'll like it."

From Willis Case To Walnut Hills To Monterey

As I've mentioned in several blogs, I went for a 4 hour bike ride a week or so ago all around Denver, and one of the places I biked to was Willis Case, a municipal golf course on a hillside on the northwest side of town, as seen in the photograph on the left.  It has a clubhouse with a restaurant and outdoor patio at the top of the hill, and the holes are laid out up and down this hillside.

It immediately reminded me of Walnut Hills, a course that was located in Hickory Hills, a suburb to the southwest of Chicago that my father loved to play, and which I too played a few times when I was a kid, although I was, and sadly still am, a horrible golfer.  This course was also on a hillside, and like Willis Case, it had a restaurant and bar at the top where you could sit outside and enjoy the ambiance.   There were so many trees, it was almost like being in a forest. Years later I drove back there just to have a look, and sadly the course was gone, replaced by condos.  I think the clubhouse was still there, but it was truly depressing to see the place covered in housing.  So sad to see such a beautiful place ruined.

And of course, thinking about golf makes me think of Monterey, the condominium complex in Stuart, Florida that my parents moved to in 1976.  All of the buildings but two surround a par 3 golf course, which my father Nelson and Uncle Bill (my mother Mary's brother) loved to play, just like when they were on vacation up in Canada.  And technically, it is not really a par 3. When the complex opened in 1970, so many people were driving over the Winn Dixie grocery store because of the dogleg on the 3rd hole, they made it a par 4 and forced you to hit the ball behind a line straight down the fairway or be penalized. My sister Susan and I still own that condo, located in one of the two buildings across the street along the St. Lucie River, but have to rent it out in order to keep it.  The last time I played golf on that course was in August of 2015 (as seen in the photograph on the left), and there was not a soul around. I used to play golf with my mother there during the month of August.  It was hot, but if you waited until 4:00 in the afternoon to play, there was a nice breeze.  I wish I was down there now, but our tenants would probably object to my sleeping on the living room couch.  Ungrateful retches.

Denver In The Fall

I have been doing a lot of biking lately, and I must say that bike riding during the fall in Colorado is truly magical. The more I have been riding this past year, the more distance I have been covering, lately going from my condo across from the University of Denver to the 16th Street Mall, the Highlands neighborhood, Sloan's Lake, and then home via the Cherry Creek Bike Path. I recently took the photograph on the left of the Bosler House, an historic home in the Highlands neighborhood. The couple who purchased it have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the place, and you have to admire that kind of civic responsibility, not to mention appreciate the result of their efforts.

I finished my ride, as usual, biking through Washington Park, which was packed on that particular weekday afternoon with stay-at-home moms and their children, University of Denver students relishing their time after classes, and senior citizens (much older than me, I might add), enjoying the fall afternoon.  My friend Stuart tells me that the Farmer's Almanac predicts a truly harsh winter for our region, which he seems to fervently believe.  I myself hope that is not true, but you never know.  Therefore, it might be soon time to head back to my villa on the French Rivera.  A tough choice, but one I might be forced to make.  My servants will no doubt be happy to see me.

Watching Canadian Football With Mark

Yesterday afternoon I went over to my friend Mark's place to watch a football contest between the Toronto Argonauts and the Montreal Alouettes.  Awhile back I mentioned to Mark (seen in the photo on the left wearing a British Columbia Lions tee-shirt) that the last CFL game I saw was when I was on vacation with my parents back in 1969 (that is 50 years ago, if you are keeping score at home). My mother Mary, father Nelson, beagle Irma and I were staying at a motel on the outskirts of Toronto, on our way to Quebec City, and the Toronto game was on TV, sponsored by Labatt's Beer no less.  Mark felt it was time for me to see another Toronto Argonauts contest, and invited me over when he saw that this one was being telecast on ESPN. In any case, the game last night was very exciting, and Montreal won just by the skin of their teeth by a score of 27 to 24. I enjoyed watching it very much, and will be more than happy to watch another Toronto CFL game 50 years from now.  And by the way, the CFL playoffs are just around the corner, if you are thinking of heading north of the border this November.  Bring a coat.

Monday Afternoon In Boulder

I drove up to Fort Collins this past Monday afternoon to take my sister Susan around on her errands, and she suggested that we drive to Boulder to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather, which is what we did, along with her two dogs Blackberry and Tutu.  It was indeed a beautiful fall afternoon, made even more pleasant by strolling through such a wonderful place. We walked along the Pearl Street Mall without a care in the world, only later realizing that dogs were not allowed. Thankfully, we were not arrested.  It would have been truly sad if Susan and her dogs were thrown into the Boulder County Jail.  I myself - not being an accessory to the crime - would have been truly depressed about this, driving home to my condo in Denver. It might seem harsh, but I pay bail for no one - no exceptions.

Blue Trees In Denver - A Show Of Support For The Broncos?

I went biking yesterday afternoon to Denver's 16th Street Mall, and couldn't help but notice that there were a lot of blue trees around, such as the ones in the photograph on the left. Is this to show solidarity with the Denver Broncos (whose uniforms are blue), the city's beloved football team that is worshiped by virtually all Coloradans and who are covered by the news media all 12 months of the year? The team started this season losing their first 4 games, causing citywide panic, before winning their next two. And tonight they face the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be a very tough challenge indeed.  I can just imagine the apoplectic headlines in the newspaper tomorrow. Don't buy those Super Bowl tickets yet, people.

P.S. I went on the internet to get information on those blue trees, and found out that they are an art project by a local artist who is making a statement about global warming. But if it helps the Broncos win, what the hell, right?

Is It Still An Anniversary?

Today would have been my 37th wedding anniversary if my ex-wife Lisa and I had not gotten divorced.  Is it still an anniversary? Will there be cake? When we got divorced, Lisa took all the wedding photographs with her - did she want to destroy the evidence?  However, not too long ago, I went through some boxes belonging to my late mother and found copies of some of these photographs, including the one above. Do you see any early warning signs looking at this photograph? Nah. Me either.

The October Chicago Magazine Is Here!

I live in Denver, but still receive Chicago Magazine each month so I can keep up with what is happening in my old hometown, even if it does have a north side bias (I myself, as regular blog readers know, grew up in the south side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago).  This month's issue was especially interesting.  For example, I was shocked to see an ad offering condos for sale at Tribune Tower, the iconic home of the Chicago Tribune. Evidently, the Tribune Company sold the building to a real estate developer and last year moved their operation to an office building overlooking Millennium Park.  Is nothing sacred anymore?  I also saw that there is a new 74 story luxury condominium tower at 1000 South Michigan, designed by Helmut Jahn no less, just a block from where my sister Susan and brother-in-law George used to live.  Sounds like a perfect place for a second home during baseball season (the White Sox are supposed to be contenders next year, so it would be well worth the money).

However, what I found most interesting was a story about the Frank Lloyd Wright designed B. Harley Bradley House, located in Kankakee, Illinois. The article follows the history of the house and it's owners from the time it was built to the present day, and is a tale of suicide, kidnapping, murder, and fire.  This story attracted my attention because I have actually been in this house (seen in the photo on the right). Back when my parents and I were living in the south suburban Chicago suburb of Country Club Hills (and for the record, there were no country clubs, hills, or for that matter even trees there), we were a fairly short drive from Kankakee.  We actually had dinner at this house several times back when it was a restaurant called Yesteryear. And it was a truly enjoyable experience, dining in that fabulous house. I suspect there must have been some sort of early bird special that they offered, since this was a pretty fancy restaurant.  The house is located on a residential street by the Kankakee River, with a second Frank Lloyd Wright home right next door (built by the brother of the Bradley House owner). The restaurant eventually closed, and after a long and twisted history, the house is now a museum.  And if you are ever in Kankakee (God knows why, but if you are), be sure to visit it.

The October Mutt Of The Month

The October Mutt of the Month is none other than Tutu, my sister Susan's Yorkie.  I drove Susan and Tutu to the canine beauty parlor for Tutu to get a trim, and afterwards minded Tutu while Susan went into Planet Hair, located in Fort Collins, where she got a trim, too.  As long as we were waiting, I figured I would take a photograph of the two of us. Sadly, Susan's other dog, Blackberry, had to stay home and did not get a haircut.  For that matter, neither did I.  As my father once told me - at a very young age, I might add - life is very unfair.

Hiking The Clear Creek Trail With Stuart

My friend Stuart (seen in the photograph on the left) and I hiked the Clear Creek Trail in Golden, Colorado Saturday afternoon, the air fragrant with both the smells of fall and the smells from the Coors Brewery, just a few blocks away. You've just got to love that, right?  It was a very pleasant day, after snow and record cold just this past Thursday.  Afterwards, we dined at Colorado+49 Cidery and Pub.  Evidently, cider must be a big thing these days, because the place was packed.  Both Stuart and I skipped the cider, but the food was good and they had a reasonably priced IPA on tap.  Good thing, since I am not sure how long that cider thing will last. Actually, I do.  Not long.

Columbus Day - Still Celebrated In Chicago!

Today is Columbus Day.  Unlike here in Colorado, it is still celebrated in Chicago, and is still a school holiday.   I myself was never crazy about school, and was thrilled to get a day off from attending Fort Dearborn Grammar School, located on the south side of Chicago and seen in the photo above, along with one of the Kloak kids (there were many), taken by me back in 1963. Although Columbus Day is still a holiday for Chicago Public Schools, that is not the case for schools in Colorado and many other states. In fact, Columbus Day in this state might soon become Indigenous People's Day. Talk about the power of political correctness!  In any case, congratulations to all you students out there who will be getting a holiday this Monday, political correctness be damned.  I'm just sayin.'

Carrie Is A Grandmother!

I saw via Facebook that my cousin Carrie, who lives in the Chicago area, is now a grandmother.  This fact just amazes me, since I remember her as the little girl in the photograph on the left, seen along with my sister Susan.  This photograph was taken at our house in Country Club Hills, Illinois back in 1968, on the occasion of my maternal Grandmother and Grandfather Spillard's 60th wedding anniversary. My sister and I have not seen Carrie since we moved to Denver back in the early 1980s. I was surprised, but happy that Carrie contacted me through Facebook about a year or so ago so we could get reacquainted.  I assume that since she is now a grandmother, she currently looks a bit older than in this photo, but you never know.

The last time we saw Carrie was when her mother Betty remarried back in the late 1970s, and my parents came up to Chicago from Stuart, Florida for the wedding.  I took the photograph on the right of my sister Susan, father Nelson, and mother Mary standing in front of the church, looking very jolly indeed. It was not too long after this that I moved to Denver, soon followed by Susan and her husband George.  I know many years have passed, but it still seems amazing that Carrie is a grandmother. Time does indeed fly.  Congratulations Carrie!

South Broadway - Lots Of Hipsters, Lots of Homeless

This past Tuesday afternoon I was thinking about seeing Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins, a film about the late Texas newspaper columnist currently playing at Denver's Mayan Theater on South Broadway (SoBo).  I decided to head over there early to walk around the neighborhood and maybe take a few photographs. Like many of Denver's neighborhoods, it has become very popular with 20 somethings, and features vintage clothing stores, bookstores, gift shops, stores selling God knows what, as well as a large number of restaurants, bars, and live music venues. The bars and restaurants range from upscale to true dive joints. There are a lot of hipsters and a lot of homeless on this street, and frankly I find it pretty damn ugly, although pretty damn interesting, too.  

After touring South Broadway and taking a few photographs, I headed to the Mayan, which opened in 1930 and according to Wikipedia is one of three remaining theaters in the US designed in the Art Deco Mayan Revival Style. Just for fun, I clicked on the link for Mayan Revival Style and was taken to another Wikipedia page, which curiously lists 4 theaters as prominent examples.  That's Wikipedia for you.  To be honest, I am not impressed with the facade of the theater, although I do like its neon sign and marquee, a photo of which is on the right and which I took a few days later after night had fallen.

In any case, when I got to the ticket booth, I encountered the skeletons seen in the photograph on the left.  I think you must be getting an idea of the theme on this street.  In any case, instead of going inside to see what awaited there, I decided to continue walking, and headed into the Baker Historic District, another old Denver neighborhood with hundreds of homes from the 19th century just to the west of Broadway, which is why I am probably still alive to tell the tale.

Lessons from Lucy

I just finished reading Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog, humorist Dave Barry's latest book, which describes how his shelter dog Lucy taught him to live life and be happy after middle age (Barry recently turned 70).  I was not sure I was going to like this book, but found that it was just as witty as his other humor collections, and in some parts even quite poignant.  Barry appeared this past April 15th at Denver's Trinity United Methodist Church, in conjunction with the Tattered Cover Bookstore, to discuss the book and sign copies.  I myself did not attend, since these days bookstores - especially the Tattered Cover - are frequently requiring that you buy a ticket in advance for the event, usually held at an off-site location, which includes a copy of the book.  Back in the good old days, you could simply attend the talk at the bookstore, and if you wanted to buy the book, you could, and if you didn't, you could simply leave after the talk.  But no more if it happens to be a bestselling  author or famous individual.  Happily, I was able to pick up a copy of Lessons From Lucy at the library, and enjoyed it very much.  I recommend that you pick up a copy at your local library, too.  It is definitely worth reading.

Viewing The Aspens In Poudre Canyon

My sister Susan and I (along with her two dogs, Blackberry and Tutu) drove from Fort Collins to Poudre Canyon Sunday afternoon to look at the golden aspens, which are now at their peak after a slow start.  We drove through the canyon all the way to the top of Cameron Pass, and on the way back I stopped at various spots to take some photos, such as the one of the left. And by the way, when I drove through Poudre Canyon a few weeks ago with my friend Stuart, we stopped at the Moose Visitor Center near Walden, Colorado, and a note on the blackboard there said two moose had been spotted recently walking along the road on Cameron Pass.  However, this past Sunday there were no moose in sight.  We did spot a deer crossing the road, but it just isn't the same.

The fall colors were very pretty, as can be seen in the photo on the right, but as we neared the top of Cameron Pass, the aspens disappeared, which surprised me.  When I got home, I tried to find out why on the internet, and found an article in the Fort Collins Coloradan that didn't explain why, but said that the gold aspens start up again on the other side of the pass and that the colors are spectacular all the way to the Moose Visitor Center. Continuing on over the pass would have entailed an extra 2 hours of driving, and so I decided to nix that and turned around at the top.  The truth is that when you have seen one aspen, you've seen them all, similar to what my father once said about mountains.

My sister Susan, by the way, is just as camera shy as my friend Peter, who I featured in yesterday's blog (the blog was about zombies, but - as far as I know - Peter is not a zombie).  In any case, whenever I try to take a photograph of her, she can become quite violent.  I once tried to take a photograph of her in the kitchen of her townhouse in Fort Collins, but when she picked up a rather large knife, I decided it just wasn't worth it, and so, my final photograph is not of her, but of more aspens.  Safety first, I always say.

The Undead Take Over The 16th Street Mall

My friend and former office-mate Peter and I drove down to Denver's 16th Street Mall for the annual Zombie Crawl this past Saturday morning, the day when zombies are allowed to roam free and strut their stuff, so to speak.  Both Peter and I noticed that the event was not as well attended as in previous years, but on the other hand, it was still pretty early, and zombies are known as notorious late risers.  One other thing I have noticed, however - a great number of these zombies are clowns.  Why is that?  Why have clowns suddenly become so sinister? I think they need to form some sort of organization to fight this bad image.

Of course, there were other types of zombies, too - nun zombies, little girl zombies, even entire families of zombies.  I took a photograph of a zombie clown family consisting of a mother, father, and three children.  I would have put it on my blog, but I'll be damned if the father wasn't texting on his cellphone.  Not only is that not sinister, it is disheartening.  Are even zombies now hopelessly attached to their cell phones?

There were even some 18th century zombies in attendance on Saturday, who I suspect must be old as hell, but of course, being undead, what does it matter?  The sad thing is that I remember these two from last year, and I also took their photograph then.  Is the Zombie Crawl losing its freshness and spontaneity, or am I just getting old?  Don't answer that.  The fact is that Denver is filled with 20 somethings, and they, as well as many other age groups, just love any excuse to dress up in costume - the Zombie Crawl, Halloween, Comic Con, St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, the installation of a new pope, etc.  Good for them - I guess.

And no - the person in the photograph on the right is not a zombie - it is Peter, my former office-mate at the Tattered Cover Bookstore.  When I first started working at the Tattered Cover, Peter was always willing to have his photo taken for this blog.  However, after a few years, he became very camera shy. And I am still not sure why - perhaps it involves the Witness Protection Program, perhaps not.  In any case, I think this is the last photograph he let me take of him, which I took several years ago while we were having lunch at Pepper, a really nice Asian restaurant a few blocks from the Tattered Cover. Great to see you and catch up on things, Peter!

Hanging Out In Boulder With Stuart

I drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park with my friend Stuart yesterday to check out the fall colors up there, afterwards having dinner at The Post in Boulder on the way back.  Even though we didn't get to the park until 3:30, there was a long line to get in.  We drove up to Bear Lake, and on the way back, ran into two more long lines - both caused by people stopping to look at the elk, which are not exactly rare around here.  By the time we got to Boulder, we were ready for chicken and beer at The Post, which is an excellent place to dine, right off the Pearl Street Mall.  The wait there on a Saturday evening was not too bad, especially since we were willing to sit out on the patio on a fairly chilly night, where I snapped the above photo of Stuart.  Afterwards we walked along the Pearl Street Mall for a bit, which was strangely empty.  I guess I am used to it being packed with people on warm summer nights, whereas last night, as I have mentioned, was actually downright cold.  Plus, school is in session. No doubt all those University of Colorado students were back in their dorms, studying their hearts out.

The First Friday Of October

I was late getting to the First Friday event on Denver's Santa Fe Drive this month, and the first thing I realized when I got there is that I have been attending this month art walk WAY too early.  I usually show up around 6:00, and the crowds always seemed a bit sparse.  This time I arrived around 8:00, and the streets and galleries were packed.  One of the more popular galleries seems to be the Denver Art Society, which by far has the most artists in attendance, and also has a stage where musicians perform each month.  In the photograph on the left, a young woman is performing in front of a painting of what seems to be a demon in outer space.  And I am sure it is for sale if you have the right spot for it in your house.  Give them a call.

Just next to the Denver Art Society building is Metamorphus, which features on it's walls the seven symbols of metamorphus, one of which can be seen in the photograph on the right, in front of which appears to be several people kneeling at an alter.  These works are the product of Matt Worldly, and there was actually a DJ at the front of the place spinning appropriately mystical tunes.  There was a fairly long line to get into this gallery, and I believe Matt himself was handing out brochures explaining these seven symbols.  I don't think the artwork is for sale, and so I am not sure how this place makes it's money.  Perhaps they offer classes. Once again, feel free to google the place and find out if spaces are available.

One of my final stops was the Center for Visual Art of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, which for the third month in a row was featuring an exhibit called Collectivism.  These are the works of various groups (collectives), one of which produced the work on the left, which boldly asks you to "tell your secrets."  The two guys in the photo seem to be saying that they like to pose in front of truly bad artwork with open umbrellas.  Didn't anyone every tell these guys that open umbrellas inside a building is bad luck? Obviously not.

I don't mean to suggest that all the art on display here is weird.  There are a lot of galleries that feature some fairly decent pieces, mostly abstractions, but very colorful ones, such as in the photograph on the right.  This gallery was originally the Denver Art Collective, or some such name, which closed it's doors earlier in the year. However, a new gallery reopened here fairly recently, and what with a new gallery opening in the space formerly housing John Fielder's Photography Gallery, as well as a few others, the vacancies on Santa Fe that I noticed earlier in the year have disappeared.  And one more important fact - the gallery in the photograph has the best location on Santa Fe, right next to where all the food trucks park. These trucks and close by Renegade Brewing Company still remain, as far as I can tell, the most popular attraction of all.

Monday At The Zoo Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, my sister Susan and I went to the Denver Zoo this past Monday to see the new baby lion, and we also took in the rest of the zoo while we were there.  We made a large loop around the place, and wound up at Primate Panorama, where through some sort of miracle I was finally able to take a photograph of the new baby mandrill, sitting next to it's mother, as seen in the photo on the left. The last time I was at the zoo, I could see the female mandrill at the far end of the compound, but she was sheltering the baby in her arms, preventing zoo visitors from getting a look at it.  As I have said before, sometimes these animals can be so inconsiderate.  What is their problem?

After visiting the mandrills, we headed to the ape house to check out the gorillas and the orangutans.  Sadly, the baby gorilla and it's mother and father were sent to Florida at the recommendation of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  The reason for this move was to introduce the gorilla family to another female gorilla down there, and hopefully have the male produce more offspring with her.  It's sounds to me like the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums is promoting polygamy.  Are they headquartered in Utah, or what?  In any case, on the other side of the building were the orangutans, and I was hoping to get another photograph the orangutan baby, too.  Sadly it was nowhere in sight.  The only orangutan I was able to photograph was the one seen on the right, sucking down some Fiji bottled water.  It surprises me a bit that these creatures will only drink pricey spring water, but this is Denver after all, so maybe it is not so surprising after all.