Wednesday, September 30, 2020
The Quest For Wildlife In Colorado Continues...
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
The White Sox Are In The Playoffs!
Monday, September 28, 2020
Watching Tottenham Play Newcastle With Mark
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Remembering Elburn Illinois
My sister Susan recently asked me if I had any photographs of her and her late husband George's first home, an old farmhouse located in the little town of Elburn, Illinois. After George got a job as a salesman with Wesco, the industrial supply branch of Westinghouse Electric, they bought a house in Elburn, about 10 miles west of Geneva, Illinois, which itself is about 30 miles west of downtown Chicago. The photo on the left not only features that house, but also my mother Mary and father Nelson posing in front of it. At that time, Elburn was a small farm town, and the next door neighbors kept chickens and a rooster, which to Susan's delight crowed every morning at dawn. Elburn also had a slaughterhouse, and when the wind was right, it made the neighborhood quite fragrant. Susan was very proud of that house, and was so obsessed with keeping it clean that she made my father fry bacon for breakfast in the unheated utility room, which was quite nippy during the winter. She would also tend to vacuum up crumbs under the dining room table while my father was still sitting there. He would simply kick at it, and tell her to go away. Very little fazed him. George's father Elmer also visited Susan and George there, and told them that the house was "really far out." And I don't think he was using that old 1960s expression, either. As I understand it, the town is now just another suburb of Chicago, and the farmland between Elburn and Geneva is now nothing but suburban tract homes. Progress.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Squeeze Me
I just finished reading Squeeze Me, Carl Hiassen's latest farcical Florida adventure. Hiassen is a columnist for the Miami Herald, and a native Floridian. For many years, he has railed against developers and politicians who have allowed so much of the state to be paved over, and many of his books focus on that theme. This time the story centers around the society crowd in Palm Beach, and features a truly out of control president and his first lady, who own and often stay at an exclusive club there. Sounds like a pretty farfetched idea to me, but I digress. The trouble starts at a nearby mansion that is hosting a charity event, where a wealthy society matron takes walk on the grounds and is eaten by a giant python. This horrendous event is covered up, but an illegal immigrant is accused by the president of murdering the woman, who was a member of a local fan club supporting the president. Pretty soon other pythons show up, too, and it soon becomes clear it is not just coincidence. This is a fun read, and I definitely recommend it. However, I get the feeling that Hiassen is not much of a fan of the current president. Go figure.
Friday, September 25, 2020
A Mellow Afternoon In Washington Park
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Early Fall At The Zoo Part II
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Early Fall At The Zoo
As for the mandrills, they were all outside, but the baby mandrill and it's mother were sitting in the shade in the far corner of their compound, and for some reason the baby clung to it's mother the entire time I was there. I came back during a second loop around the zoo, and they were still in the same position, as seen in the photograph on the left. What is the poor thing afraid of? Zoo visitors? Very likely. After all, the Denver Zoo got rid of all their peacocks, which have been there practically since the zoo was founded. And why? Because zoo visitors - mainly children whose parent's are evidently unable or unwilling to control them - couldn't resist chasing them around the grounds. Why didn't they just get rid of the children instead? And once again, I realize that I am sounding more and more like an old curmudgeon. Which everyone who knows me will verify is not true. I think.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
The First Day Of Fall
Monday, September 21, 2020
Back In The Saddle Again!
Sunday, September 20, 2020
More South Side Chicago Nostalgia
Today I am featuring a couple of photographs from the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, where I grew up. The one on the left shows me on my tricycle, posing with my Grandfather Hoyt on the sidewalk in front of our house. I have always enjoyed bicycling, even at a young age, although after a recent bike accident and resulting dental issues, I have realized that everything does have a price. Perhaps wearing a helmet actually does make sense. But I digress. What strikes me most about this photograph is the car in the background. It looks ancient to me - which perhaps means that I am ancient, too. The mind boggles.
The photograph on the right is of my mother Mary, sitting on the railing of our house at 9314 South Aberdeen Street. My mother just loved that place, and hated to leave it even to go on vacation. I suspect one of the reasons for this was because after World War II, my father Nelson came home from Okinawa and he, my mother, and sister Susan lived with my mother's parents for a while (Susan is not sure if it was one year or two), until they bought the house on Aberdeen Street. I think my mother was just very happy to finally have a place of their own. Susan, on the other hand, loved living with our grandparents. However, I have heard stories that make it sound like she was quite a handful when she was young, making life exciting for my Grandmother and Grandfather Spillard, especially her fondness for walking around the neighborhood with her friend Janet without either of them wearing a stitch of clothing. Pretending that she was locked in the bathroom, forcing my grandfather to get a ladder and attempt to rescue her, was also quite a family legend, too. Like I said, quite a handful.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
When Old Midnight Comes Along
I just finished When Old Midnight Comes Along, Loren Estleman's latest Amos Walker private detective mystery. The novels take place in Detroit, and are written in an old fashioned, hardboiled style. So hardboiled, I sometimes don't understand what some expressions mean. However, Estleman writes a good mystery, and this one is no exception. This time, Walker is hired by a client to investigate his wife's disappearance 7 years earlier. The client wants to remarry, assumes his missing wife is dead, and wants Walker to prove it. As usual, the case is much more complicated that it first appears, and includes crooked cops, blackmail, and ex-gangbangers. I heartily recommend it if you like fast-paced detective novels, not to mention Detroit, which is right across the river from Canada. What could be better?
Friday, September 18, 2020
Another Chicago Flashback
I took the above photograph of Daley Plaza and it's famous Picasso statue, located just adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center, back in 1971. The Daley Center houses offices and courtrooms for the Cook County Circuit Courts, and several times I have reported for jury duty there when I lived in Chicago. One time, I was picked to serve on a vote fraud case (it was Chicago, after all). The jury could not reach a decision, and so we were sequestered overnight at the Holiday Inn of Skid Row. I have happy memories of looking at the stares of the other guests as we got off the sheriff's bus, no doubt wondering if they wanted to stay in the same hotel with 12 obviously depraved prisoners. Another time, I almost wound up in The Blue's Brothers movie while walking across Daley Plaza. It was early one Sunday morning, and I was minding my own business when someone started screaming at me to get off the set. I guess they didn't want any locals in the movie, the SOBs. For God's sake, I am a Chicagoan! Damn those Hollywood types.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Denver Is Not Paris, And Other Sad Facts Of Life
Don't get me wrong - Denver is a very nice city, with lots of parks and bike trails, a vibrant downtown, and many pleasant neighborhoods. However, given a choice, I would much rather be in Paris. My sister Susan and I visited there last year, and it is a marvelous place to walk and just hang out. However, actually living there would be problematic for all but the wealthy. Aziz, a former University of Denver colleague, once lived there, but had to have about 6 roommates to afford it. He told me because of that, he much preferred Denver. I took the photo on the left, by the way, on the Ile Saint-Louis, probably one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Paris. On an episode of Rick Steves' Europe, a tour guide was taking Rick around the island, and said that if he could afford to live there, he definitely would. And who in their right mind wouldn't?
I took the photograph on the right at a small neighborhood park not far from Rue Cler, a market street near where our hotel was located. This is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Paris. Rue Cler is pedestrian only, and filled with a variety of shops and inviting cafes. What a pleasure to be able to live on this street, and be able to walk out of your apartment each day to do your daily shopping, and have a drink in one the sidewalk cafes afterwards. My sister tells me she would like to visit Rue Cler again on her 80th birthday, which is still several years away. Of course, her birthday is in January, and so I imagine that it might be a bit nippy drinking wine out in the elements. However, on the plus side, the museums would definitely be less crowded. Upsides and downsides, like so much of life.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Hanging Out At Qdoba And Bonnie Brae With Stuart
I spent Tuesday afternoon with my friend Stuart at Qdoba Mexican Eats for an early dinner and Bonnie Brae Ice Cream - a famous Denver landmark - for dessert. As we were leaving Bonnie Brae, I took the above photograph of Stuart, looking like he was about to knock off a 7-Eleven. Of course, thanks to the coronavirus, you could say that about almost everyone these days. I think it would be especially unnerving to work at a bank during this pandemic, since everybody who comes into the place looks like a suspicious character. Perhaps tellers should get hazard pay, too. Just a thought.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
The September Mutt Of The Month
I took the above photograph of the September Mutt of the Month outside the front entrance of South Mesa Veterinary Hospital up in Fort Collins, where my sister Susan, her dog Blackberry, and I were waiting for the vet to finish a routine follow-up examine on her other dog, Tutu, who recently had a tooth removed. Due to the coronavirus, the vets prefer to have people wait outside while they look at the animals, which is okay with me, since I can still photograph the dogs going in and out, such as my friend in the photo. Just as an FYI, veterinarians charge a fortune these days, even more than regular doctors. And people are so emotionally attached to their pets, they will pay almost anything to keep them healthy. How much is too much to save your animal's life? Still another good reason not to own a pet.
Monday, September 14, 2020
Watching Korean Baseball With Mark
I went over to my friend Mark's house yesterday afternoon to watch a prerecorded Korean League baseball game between the KIA Tigers and Samsung Lions. The games take place very early in the morning here in the US, and are broadcast on ESPN by announcers also watching the action on TV. Before the game, we walked over to pick up lunch at a fast food chain called Freddy's, which is known for it's steakburgers. I took the photograph on the left of Mark while we had lunch in his backyard. And how was the food? As far as I can tell, steakburgers are just hamburgers by a different name. They were OK. High praise from me.
And how was the baseball game? The KIA Tigers beat the Samsung Lions by a score of 6 to nothing, and it was not even as close a game as it sounds. And yes, Korean baseball teams are all owned by corporations, and they are identified by their corporate names instead of their home city, which I personally think is beyond weird. Also weird is the fact that the Denver Police were parked right out in front of Mark's place for part of the afternoon, and he tells me they have done so several other times, as well. Are Mark and his brother the subject of a stakeout? Mark insists they have done nothing wrong. Are the cops there just to consume donuts and check their e-mail? Next time I think Mark should just go across the street and demand answers. What could go wrong?
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Street Music
I just finished reading Street Music, Timothy Hallinan's final book in his Poke Rafferty adventure series. These novels features Poke Rafferty, a travel writer living in Bangkok, Thailand, who, with his wife Rose - a former bar girl - adopt a young child named Miaow, who was abandoned on the streets by her mother at the age of 5. Rafferty always winds up getting involved in all kinds of trouble, and this time is no exception. After 10 years, Miaow's mother, Hon, a street person herself, reappears, forced by a gangster to try and extort money from Rafferty. It is an exciting story, although there is a long section on Hon's life, focusing on why she abandoned Miaow, that is pretty damned depressing. Rafferty did the same thing in another book, where he had an extensive section on his wife Rose's difficult life before meeting him. Both of these episodes describe what life is like in rural northeast Thailand, and how young girls from there often wind up in Bangkok - either voluntarily or sold by their families for cash - where they are victimized and exploited. Rafferty clearly paints a portrait of a fascinating, but not very nice city. But still, I strongly recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series. The underlying story of the family that was created out of such adversity is truly heartwarming.
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Burgers And Beers With Wally At Spanky's
I got together yesterday afternoon with Wally - my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore co-worker - for burgers and beers at Spanky's Urban Roadhouse. This place is just to the west of the DU campus, and fittingly, we were there the day before classes started for the fall quarter. Of course, that means classes were beginning on a Saturday - definitely unheard of at DU - and so naturally there were very few students around. No self-respecting DU student would ever go to class on a Saturday. I'm not even sure they will be there on Monday, either. In any case, Wally (seen in the photograph above) is doing well and this month is planning to visit a friend who owns a ranch near Red Lodge, Wyoming, which is located close to Yellowstone National Park. While there, they plan to drive to nearby Cooke City, where Ernest Hemingway spent five summers during the 1930s, hunting and fishing and hanging out with the locals. Wally tells me that several bars that Hemingway frequented up there are still around, and they plan to visit them all. Sounds like a plan to me. Have a great time, Wally!
Friday, September 11, 2020
La Fiesta De Santa Fe
I took the photograph on the right on Sunday night, the last day of the 2018 festival. People were dancing in the streets in front of the Palace of the Governors, which was built sometime between 1610 and 1618. By that time, most of the tourists had left for home, and it was mainly locals in the plaza, making for a much less crowded atmosphere. As I recall, we had dinner that night at Maria's New Mexican Kitchen, which is the go-to place in Santa Fe for good, reasonably priced meals. I have to say, however, that after days of eating New Mexican cuisine, it was good to get home and eat something completely different for a change.
And what about this year? As I said, all public events have been canceled, but since the City Council of Santa Fe declared on September 16, 1712 that a fiesta must take place annually, some events will still be held, all of them religious in nature and requiring advance reservations. I myself will wait until next year, when hopefully this damnable virus will be history. And by the way, I took the photograph on the left under the eaves of the Palace of the Governors, showing spectators looking out at the festivities on the plaza, with Native Americans from the local pueblos selling their crafts and jewelry behind them, as they have done for many decades. Such a fascinating place - who can resist visiting, especially if you are just a 6 hour drive away, as we lucky Denverites are?
Thursday, September 10, 2020
A Visit To The Snowy Range
Last Monday, my sister Susan, her dogs Tutu and Blackberry, and I drove from Fort Collins up to the Snowy Range, located in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, just west of Laramie, Wyoming. Fort Collins was covered in smoke from the nearby Cameron Peak wildfire, so much so that the city seemed to be in either perpetual dusk or the middle of a total eclipse. It was good to get away and see some sunshine and blue sky for a while. Wyoming is very cow intensive, and between Laramie and the start of the mountains was nothing but rangeland infested with cattle. We were predicted to have snow and below freezing temperatures the next day, and Susan told me she hoped that all those thousands and thousands of cattle would be soon heading to their heated barns. She being an animal lover, I felt bad telling her that cattle stay out in the elements all year long, only leaving when sent to the slaughterhouse. In any case, we stopped at Brooklyn Lake, seen in the photograph above, where we took a short walk, and then headed back to Fort Collins, past all those cattle ranches. Wyoming's not called the Cowboy State for nothing. I probably don't have to tell you this, but DON'T move there.
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
The Zoo Part II
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I visited what to me seemed like a packed Denver Zoo this past Sunday to take a few photographs. Some of the animals were inside to avoid the 97 degree heat, but most were out and about, especially the monkeys, one of which can be seen looking pretty transfixed in the photograph on the left. One of the other zoo guests was talking to it, and he or she really seemed to be relating to that woman. The zoo guest said she wanted to take the monkey out of it's cage and play, and that monkey seemed pretty up for it. Good luck making that happen, lady.
I also visited the baby mandrill, who seems to be as feisty as ever, running around like hell on wheels despite the heat. While I was there, the mandrills were herded inside, and a zoo employee went into the outside compound, threw treats all around, and then let the mandrills back out. I must say, that baby mandrill definitely got it's fair share, and more. Don't let that haunted look fool you. It's all an act. That little thing is as cunning as it comes.
Labor Day Weekend At The Zoo
I went to the Denver Zoo this past Sunday, and despite the need for a reserved time and limits on the number of zoo visitors, the place seemed packed. There were lines to see a lot of the animals, especially at the gorilla house, where all the orangutans were inside, preferring air conditioning to the 97 degree temperatures on the outside. Surprisingly, there were no lines to see the twin lion cubs Sunday. The first time I visited their compound, only one was outside, and sound asleep in the shade. On my second circumnavigation of the zoo, it was still in the exact same position, but at least it's eyes were open, and so I was able to snap the photograph on the left.
Happily, the tigers were much more lively and willing to have their photograph taken, despite the heat. I snapped the photograph on the right my second time around the zoo, the tiger smiling (I think) down on me from an upper perch in The Edge, which is what the tiger exhibit is called. Is it thinking "I like you," or "could this be dinner?" Either way, as long as it poses for the camera, I am good with it.
Monday, September 7, 2020
The Unofficial Last Day Of Summer
Today is Labor Day, the unofficial last day of summer. Especially for people like me, who grew up in Chicago and had to return to school the very next day. To me, the last day of school each year was the happiest day of my life, and I just dreaded returning to the classroom on that horrible Tuesday morning. It was hard to believe that only a few weeks ago, my family and I had been vacationing up in Ontario, along with my Uncle Bill's family. My Uncle Bill was my mother's brother, and he and his family lived in Cleveland. Our family would drive to Canada from Chicago, and they would drive up from there. The first resort the two families stayed at was a really nice place on the Lake of Bays, called Britannia. When it became prohibitively expensive, they went to a resort called Lumina, on the same lake and which is actually still around. That is where the above photograph was taken, sometime in the mid 1950s. From left to right in the back row of the photograph is a person I don't know, then my Uncle Bill, and then myself, being held by my father Nelson. Sitting down in the front row are my cousin Linda, mother Mary, cousin Judy, Aunt Elsie, and my sister Susan. I had to crop this photograph quite a bit to better show everyone. The photographer seems to have taken this photo from quite a distance. I wonder what he or she was afraid of? Most likely my sister Susan. And I mean that with all due respect.
Sunday, September 6, 2020
The 2020 Kentucky Derby
Yesterday the 2020 Kentucky Derby took place at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky. Traditionally, this race takes place on the first Saturday of May, and was an event my family always watched on television, often inviting friends and relatives over to take part in a Kentucky Derby betting pool, each person putting in a few dollars and drawing the name of a horse or two out of a hat in an attempt to win the pot. This year, Authentic led the race from start to finish to beat heavily favored Tiz the Law. I myself went for a walk through downtown Denver yesterday afternoon to take advantage of the 100 degree temperatures, before a snowstorm (Yes! A snowstorm!) moves into the area on Tuesday. I got home the exact same time the race started, and was able to watch most of it live. Sadly, I did not have a bet on the winner. And no, I did not teleport myself to Churchill Downs for the race. Once again, the above photograph is thanks to the magic of Photoshop. And these days, it is the most magic I think we can hope for.
Saturday, September 5, 2020
The Walk Down 17th Street
I decided to once again take the bus up University Boulevard to the Tattered Cover Bookstore - where I used to work as the bookkeeper - and from there walk downtown to Denver's Union Station and take the light rail train home. Ever since the coronavirus took hold, people have been saying that taking public transportation is a death sentence, which I found a bit off-putting. However, since I noticed that there are virtually no passengers anymore - I wonder why? - I decided to chance it. Since it has been 5 months since I last took this walk, there were a lot of changes. For one, a huge apartment building that has been under construction is now completed, and for the first time - possibly because of the new tenants there - I have seen customers actually sitting on the patio of Waffle Brothers, located right across the street. I also noticed a lot of other patios filled, too. The Millennials and Gen Xers are back in party mode!
People are even bringing their pets along again, as seen in the photograph on the right. For many years, 17th Street has been known as restaurant row, and virtually all of these places have patios where customers sit, eat, and people watch. Recently, the area has been gentrified - for better or worse - with hipsters moving into the neighborhood and new apartment buildings being built the entire length of the street. Ironically, just two blocks to the south, on Colfax, the streets are filled with homeless people. Each group sticks to their own street - their paths never seem to cross. What an amazing - and sad - contrast.
Friday, September 4, 2020
Big Trouble For Minor League Baseball
I just finished reading an article in the June issue of Sports Illustrated about the state of minor league baseball, and it is not good. Due to the coronavirus, the minor leagues are closed down this summer, and the revenue stream has stopped. How many teams will survive? This is important, considering how much these baseball clubs mean to the cities they play in, not to mention to all their faithful fans. Will major league baseball step up and help these clubs survive? Considering how the owners and players behaved while negotiating their 60 game season this year, I personally don't hold out much hope of them being charitable and giving up a single dollar. But I'm a cynic and an old curmudgeon these days, and so I could be wrong. But I doubt it. Goodbye Rocky Mountain Vibes!
Thursday, September 3, 2020
The Night Train To Milan
When my sister Susan and I were in Europe last year, we took an overnight train trip from Paris to Florence, which was quite the adventure. The train was divided into 6 person compartments, and the seats folded into berths where you could sleep - if you could, that is. It was hot as hell in there, and it was decided that we should open the windows. However, if you did that, the sound of the train was very loud, and so we wound up dealing with the heat. One of the passengers had a cold I was worried about catching, and the wife of an American couple recounted the horror of having to watch an old Italian guy take off and put on his pants during the trip, being as she was on the lower berth. I don't think anybody slept - except me, of course - and everyone agreed that next time they would fly. I took the above photograph as we got off the train in Milan, and a few minutes later watched our connecting train to Florence pull out of the station. Those trains really do run on time, damn that Mussolini. You can never pay too much for fun like that, as we cheapskates like to say.
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Walking Through A Vibrant College Neighborhood
I had a few hours to kill up in Fort Collins Monday afternoon, and decided to walk around the area across the street from Colorado State University. Now that CSU students are back on campus, this area - located around College and Laurel Streets - is hopping, with restaurants and cafes doing a very good business. I was especially taken with the alley in the photograph above, which is now a pedestrian only walkway with retail businesses as well as green space. Sadly, I noticed that the Rams Bookstore, at 130 West Laurel, has closed after serving the community for over 50 years. It was an independent operation, but carried textbooks, school supplies, and CSU apparel and gifts. Like the University of Denver Bookstore, where I worked for almost 30 years, the textbook business has taken quite a hit because of the internet, and operations like this now struggle to survive. Ordering over the internet may be cheaper and easier, but because of this, we are losing something very special.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Warsaw Protocol
I just finished reading The Warsaw Protocol, Steve Berry's latest Cotton Malone spy novel. A while back, I put in hold requests at the Denver Public Library for 10 new books by some of my favorite authors, and 4 of them recently turned up at the same time, requiring me to pick up the pace of my reading, which is normally pretty pokey. Which is why I finished the Warsaw Protocol at record speed. This time Malone finds himself dragged into an auction, attended by representatives of 6 nations, offering blackmail material on the Polish president, who is refusing to allow an American missile base to be located in Poland. If the United States gets this material, it can force the Polish president to allow those missiles, putting Poland in Russia's cross-hairs. I enjoyed this book very much, and found the ending especially exciting. In some of his recent books, Berry has let his conservative viewpoints come through, which I have found a bit off-putting, and so was surprised to find a harsh narrative describing a thinly veiled Trump administration. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading international thrillers. Just as long as you are not a Trump supporter, of course. And by the way, today is the 81st anniversary of Germany's invasion of Poland, which was the start of World War II. How timely is that?