The 46th Anniversary Of The Fall Of Saigon

Today is April 30th, the 46th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, which marked the end of the Vietnam War. I remember that day very well - my parents and I were visiting Stuart, Florida, where my Uncle Bill and Aunt Elsie had recently retired. My parents wanted to check out the place to see if they might want to retire there too (and did so the following March). I was sitting in the cottage we were staying at along the Indian River, in Jensen Beach, reading Before the Fall, by William Safire, and listening to a radio broadcast of the events taking place in Saigon. So many lives lost, and all for nothing. The photograph on the left, by the way, is from The Vietnam War: An Intimate History, by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, the companion book to Burns' PBS documentary about the war. It shows the long line of people winding along the swimming pool at the American Embassy, hoping to fly out of the country on one of the helicopters leaving from the embassy's roof. Most never made it.

On May Day, the day after the fall of Saigon, a photographer took the photo on the right, which is also from the Ward and Burns book, showing people coming out to see the men who had captured the city. According to a French diplomat quoted in the book, a third of the people were scared, a third were enthusiastic, and a third just didn't care. After so many years of war, you can definitely understand the feelings of the people who just wanted it to finally be over, no matter the victor.

Watching The Carabao Cup Final With Mark

I watched a rebroadcast of the Carabao Cup final between the Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester City yesterday with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph on the left wearing his Tottenham jersey and baseball cap, hoping to bring them some luck. We were originally going to watch the game live this past Sunday, but Mark was under the weather after getting his second Covid-19 vaccination shot. Mark and his brother Mike drove down to La Junta, in the far southeast part of Colorado, and dangerously close to Texas, to get their shots, a long drive from Denver, but ultimately worth it. In any case, Tottenham did not play well, and lost to Man City 1-0. Manchester City, by the way, is the top soccer team in England, and has now won the Carabao Cup four times in a row. They remind me of the New York Yankees back in that team's glory years, the only difference being that Man City plays soccer, and are forced to live in Manchester. Bummer.

More Thoughts On Rome

Last Wednesday was Natale di Roma - Rome's City Birthday Celebration - and I did a blog post featuring Rome's Colosseum, where many of the festivities, in non-pandemic times, take place. I just love that city, and so decided to keep the celebration going by featuring a photograph of the rooftops of Rome that I took from the top of Hotel Smeraldo, where back in 2019 my sister Susan and I were staying, just around the corner from Campo de' Fiori. It is a wonderful part of the city, and I often wonder what it would be like to live in one of those apartments, seen in the above photo, enjoy on a daily basis all that Rome has to offer, and take part in la passeggiata, the traditional evening walk. It is fun to daydream about it, especially since the EU is allowing fully vaccinated US citizens into Europe this summer. And just when will they be offering those 1 euro homes for sale I hear so much about in Rome, instead of just the hinterlands?

Late April At The Zoo Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I went to the Denver Zoo this past Friday afternoon to take a few photographs, and all of the animals were out and about, enjoying the day, including the female orangutan in the photograph on the left. Whenever I see her, she is wearing a blanket over her head. Since it was not that cool outside, I assume she was just trying to make some kind of fashion statement. Perhaps a zoo intern could be sent into the compound to dress her in different outfits each day. I suspect zoo visitors would find watching that intern trying to do this quite amusing. Plus, the orangutan might find a regular change of clothing very refreshing.

The large male orangutan in the photo on the right does not know what to make of all this, and seems to be pondering the meaning of it all. And I have to add here and now that on most of my visits to the Denver Zoo lately, the ape house has been closed to the public. I am not sure what they are hiding, but I suspect they are definitely hiding something. Write your congressman and senators today.

I am not sure what kind of primate has been captured in the photograph on the left, but it definitely has one long tail. Happily, it was willing to pose for me and look straight into the camera. I have concluded that the best time to take photographs of zoo animals is on a crisp spring afternoon. During the winter, they prefer to stay indoors and watch television, and during the hot summer months, they tend to sleep in the shade, which does not make for good photography. And the Denver Zoo still refuses to send interns into the compounds to poke those animals with a stick, and get them moving around a bit. What a pity.

Late April At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Friday afternoon to take a few photographs. It was a typical spring day here in Denver, and all of the animals were out and about. The baby mandrill, seen in the photograph on the left, was full of energy, as usual, jumping up on the fence, then leaping onto a tree, and then back on the ground again, running up to the display window and visiting with two little girls. It put it's hand on the glass, as did the little girls, too, bonding with what it evidently recognized as fellow children. One of the little girls turned and told me I should know that the baby mandrill was her best friend in the world.

The clouded leopard was out and about, too, starring intently at the door of its cage, no doubt waiting for the time it would be let inside for dinner. It did turn toward me for a couple of seconds, which is when I took the photograph on the right. This is a very shy creature, which usually hides in the back of it's compound, and so I was happy to see it finally out in the open for a change.

Friday was also evidently "flamingo's day out" at the zoo, and can be seen in the photograph on the left mingling with zoo visitors. One of the zoo employees was giving a talk about these creatures, although I was not really listening. I was just wondering once again why the zoo doesn't have a lion's day out at the zoo, too. I am happy to report that the lion pride that includes Tobias, his offspring Tatu and twins Oskar and Araali, and various female lions, were all outside Friday in one of the compounds. At first I didn't recognize either Tatu or the twins. They are no longer cuddly little creatures, but almost fully grown. All seem very mellow, however, and so I am sure it would be perfectly safe for zoo visitors to mix with them, too, just like with the flamingos.

The Original Sloppy Joe's Bar

My sister Susan and I watched the 3-part Ken Burns documentary about the life of Ernest Hemingway on PBS a few weeks ago, and reminisced about the last time we were in Key West, Florida, where Hemingway lived for 8 years. This was back around 1977 or so. We were visiting our parents, Nelson and Mary, down in Stuart, Florida, and on a lark, we all drove down to Key West for a few days. We toured the Hemingway House, watched the sunset at the Mallory Street Dock, took a harbor cruise, and walked around the town, where I took the photograph above of Susan and my mother in front of Captain Tony's Saloon. This was the original location of Sloppy Joe's Bar, where Hemingway used to drink, and who even gave the place it's name. Sloppy Joe's still exists, of course. It moved to it's present location in 1937, after the landlord wanted to raise the rent from three dollars a week to four, which the bar's owner refused to pay. Makes perfect sense to me.

Visiting Boulder After A Snowstorm

I drove up to Boulder this past Tuesday afternoon, the day after a snowstorm produced a moderate amount of snow in that town. My first stop was Chautauqua Park, located right against the Flatirons, which was filled with Boulderites walking around the park and into the mountains.  Although the Chautauqua Auditorium is still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dining Hall is open for business. I remember many Sunday mornings having brunch there with my mother Mary, sister Susan, and brother-in-law George. Back then, brunch ended at noon, and it was always exciting to see if Susan and George would make it in time. They always did, but just barely.

My next stop was downtown Boulder, where I walked the Pearl Street Mall, as well as West Pearl Street, where I took the photograph on the right of the Arnett Fullen House (aka The Gingerbread House), built in 1877, the same year the University of Colorado opened a few miles down the way. This house is reputed to be haunted by a little girl in a white dress, who likes to sit on the spiral staircase. It is still a private home, and so I resisted the urge to knock on the door and request a tour. I am, after all, a model of self-restraint.

Blackberry In The Snow

I took the above photograph of my sister Susan's dog Blackberry during a snowstorm this past Monday, while attempting to take her for a walk. Blackberry loves to play in the snow, but if rain or snow is actually falling on her, she insists on doing her business and going right back inside. And by the way, Blackberry is looking at the camera so intently because she was waiting for me to give her a dog biscuit. I usually give her a treat after each walk. Of course, technically, this time we didn't actually go on a walk, but I gave her the biscuit anyway. Otherwise, she probably would have gone for my throat.

Slim Pickins' At The DAM

I went to the Denver Art Museum (The DAM) yesterday afternoon, and was surprised to find that there were only two exhibits on display. All the other galleries in the Hamilton Building were waiting for new art installations, and the opening of the remodeled Ponti Building is on hold until it is safe to hold ritzy galas for major donors and supporters. In the meantime, I checked out "Paris to Hollywood: The Fashion and Influence of Veronique and Gregory Peck."

As far as I am concerned, this is one weird exhibit. At first I thought Veronique Peck was a fashion designer, and the show was showcasing her creations. But in fact, she was a "fashion influencer," and 100 of her personal ensembles, created by 17 different designers, are on display. Interspersed along the walls are photographs of the couple at various functions, publicity photos of Gregory Peck, and videos showing scenes from his most famous movies, such as Roman Holiday, as seen in the photograph on the right. And I do have to ask: Is this really art, or just a way to get paying customers through the doors?

The other gallery features "The 19th Century in European and American Art", an ongoing exhibit featuring many French impressionist paintings. I saw this exhibit the last time I visited the museum, but it was still enjoyable to see these paintings again. This collection received a big boost when Frederic C. Hamilton, the museum's chairman emeritus, loaned 22 impressionist paintings from his private collection to the DAM for a major show. After it was over, the museum asked if they could keep them.  Hamilton agreed, as long as copies were made to replace the originals on the walls of his home. That was in 2014, and it is only this year that they are being permanently displayed at the museum. And why exactly is that? But what I was mostly wondering was where two of the museum's most famous paintings - "Portrait de Femme" by Modigliani and "House of the Customs Officer, Varengeville" by Monet - have gone? I haven't seen them in years. Have they been pinched by art thieves, or what? Time for the DAM to fess up.

Natale di Roma - Rome's City Birthday Celebration!

Today is the City of Rome's 2,774th birthday, which is usually celebrated with a festival called Natale di Roma. Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, it is being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.  During normal times, the highlight is the Grand Parade, which features over 1,500 costumed participants. This parade moves between the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum, seen in the photograph above, which I took when my sister Susan and I visited Rome back in 2019. Let us hope things get back to normal very soon, so that next year I can dress up as a gladiator, join the procession, and cross one more item off my bucket list. Dreams still can come true, after all.

Reflections On Photography

I took the above photograph while I was walking around downtown Denver a few days ago. It reminded me of a long ago photography exhibit at the Denver Art Museum (the DAM), featuring the work of a local Colorado photographer. As I recall, I liked it very much. It featured photographs of the photographer's wife and pets, in addition to various street scenes, among other subjects. I later heard that a number of people in the Denver photographic community thought the work was very ordinary, and didn't deserve an exhibit at the museum. They were especially critical of photographs of store windows that reflected objects from across the street. Which is exactly what the photograph above is, reflecting surrounding high rises, as well as the Brown Palace Hotel, built back in 1892. And my opinion on the matter? I much prefer traditional photographs (including window reflections) to most of the more artistic (cutting edge) ones, which is a style I refer to as pretty damn weird.

A Colorado Rockies Baseball Update

Even before spring training began, the Colorado Rockies were predicted by experts to finish with the worst record in baseball this season. And how are the Rockies doing now that the season has begun? As of this morning, their record is 4 wins and 12 losses, the worst in baseball. Optimists point out that they lost 9 of those games by 2 runs or less, very close games indeed. The offense has just not produced many runs, and I have to wonder how many of those 9 games they would have won if they hadn't traded away Nolan Arenado, their all-star third baseman, in a salary dump? Sadly, yesterday they lost the game to the New York Mets by a score of 2 to 1, the game ending when shortstop Trevor Story was thrown out trying to steal second base in the bottom of the 9th inning. I took the photograph above as the rather subdued crowd was exiting the stadium. But cheer up, Colorado Rockies fans - there is no way this team can finish worse than the 1962 New York Mets, who ended the season with a 40-120 record, right? Right? Right?

April In Stuart

My mother Mary lived in Stuart, Florida for almost 30 years, and my sister Susan and I would often visit her during the month of April. It is one of the nicest times of the year down there. It is still not too hot, all the snow birds have gone home, reducing traffic congestion, and you can dine along the water while it is still daylight. Plus, the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals, members of the Single A Florida State Baseball League, are usually playing at Roger Dean Stadium in nearby Jupiter, Florida by then. What could be better? The photograph above, by the way, is of my mother and sister, taken on the boardwalk at Stuart Beach back in 1997. Wish I was there now.

April Snow! Say It Ain't So!

Actually, April is Denver's 2nd snowiest month, and so Thursday's snowstorm should have come as no surprise. I think people here were just spoiled by temperatures in the upper 70s for the first two weeks of the month. The official snow total was 6.9 inches at Denver International Airport, but somewhat less here in Central Denver. The snow was so wet and heavy, however, that there was a lot of damage to trees throughout the area. Those snow covered trees did look very pretty, though. I took the photograph on the left of the University of Denver's University Hall, the oldest building on campus (on the right in the photo), from out the window of my condo, using a telephoto lens.

I must admit it was a bit nerve-wracking trying to distinguish the lanes on Interstate 25 Thursday night as I was driving home from Fort Collins. However, yesterday afternoon, when I went out to do my errands, the roads were perfectly clear, and you could even see some blue sky as I was driving down Buchtel Boulevard, just to the right of which is the Historic Buchtel Boulevard Trail. And what makes this trail so historic? As far as I can tell, it is because it is made up of native plants and grasses. And I must point out to everyone that the settlers here in the West were so enthralled with those native plants and grasses that they paid big money to have trees, flowers, and grasses from back home shipped out here. I'm just sayin'.

Blackberry Gets A Trim

My sister Susan took her dog Blackberry - seen in the above photograph - to Marie's Pet Grooming up in Fort Collins last Saturday for a long delayed trimming. Blackberry desperately needed a trim, but Susan wanted to wait until the weather turned a bit warmer, to make sure she did not get cold when going on walks. I do not know if Marie gave Blackberry a bath or not, but afterwards, on several walks with me, Blackberry did a lot of rolling around on her back, no doubt wanting to replace the delightful smells she had just lost. Sadly, Marie did not dye her white goatee and even whiter behind. Evidently, Blackberry will need to go to a regular hairdresser for that. And I will definitely be on hand to photograph those beautician's reactions to that request.

Income Tax Day! But Not Really...

Today is April 15th, the traditional deadline for filing income taxes. However, due to the pandemic and the extra burden of issuing another round of stimulus checks, the IRS has extended the filing date until May 17th. I myself put both my federal and state taxes in the mail yesterday, as seen in the photograph above, despite the new deadline. For one thing, now that I am retired, I don't owe any money. And for another, due to delivery problems at the post office, it will probably take until May 17th, or even later, for the IRS and the State of Colorado to receive my taxes. The mail has been delayed due to pandemic related increases in package volume, as well as new policies instituted by Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general appointed by Donald Trump. In addition to that, DeJoy has recently promised to institute further cost cutting measures that will slow the mail even further. I think that is what is considered progress these days.

The 109th Anniversary Of the Sinking Of The Titanic

Today marks the 109th anniversary of the sinking of the "unsinkable" Titanic. Over 1,500 people lost their lives in that tragedy. Back in 2012, on the 100th anniversary, I bought one of those Life Magazine special editions commemorating that event, titled Titanic: The Tragedy that Shook the World. Many of the photographs in that book were taken by a Dublin theology student named Frank Browne. As a gift, his uncle bought him passage on the Titanic for the first legs of it's journey, from Southhampton to Cherbourg to Queenstown, and Browne took many photographs of life on board, including the one above. While on the ship, he befriended a millionaire, who offered to pay his passage to America, but Browne's Jesuit superior refused to approve the time off. Thus, both he and his photographs survived. Talk about a lucky break.

The Alleys Of Old Town Fort Collins

Fort Collins, Colorado has really done a great job in transforming their alleys into people spaces. They are filled with art, restaurants, bars, and even residences. As my sister Susan and I were walking to The Exchange, a very lively outdoor food court just off College Avenue, we spotted the piece of artwork in the photograph on the left, etched onto utility equipment in one of those alleys.

It reminded me of some other artwork that I took photographs of in a Fort Collins alley a few years ago, one of which can be seen in the photo on the right. The building with the large eye mural has shops on the bottom and renovated condos above, priced in the million dollar plus range, no less.

There are a surprising number of residences off those alleys, such as the one in the photograph on the left. Old Town Fort Collins was really hopping this past Saturday afternoon, as Susan and I strolled through the area. It took forever to find a parking space, and virtually all of the restaurant patios were packed. I think the presence of Colorado State University, just down the road, helps to make this such a lively area, but all generations were out and about, enjoying the unusually warm weather. I offered to buy Susan a beer at the Odell Brewery, as long as the patio was dog friendly (we had Susan's dog Blackberry in tow), but when we got there, it was also packed. I asked a young couple, heading for their car with their dog in tow, if pets were allowed on that patio. They said yes, but there was an hour and a half wait. Far too long, even for a pint of beer on that sunny patio.

McGregor Square - One Week Later

One week ago today I posted a blog about the newly opened McGregor Square, a mixed use real estate development next to Denver's Coors Field. It was opening day weekend, and the central plaza was filled with fans having drinks and watching the Colorado Rockies play the LA Dodgers on the giant television screen. I went back there yesterday, and while the giant screen was showing the Rockies battle the Giants in San Francisco, as seen in the photograph above, the place was deserted - just two fans sitting on the small grassy berm, watching the game. I have to wonder if things will pick up during away games, once all the storefronts in the complex are open, or if fans will only show up during homestands. That is a mere 81 days. Those businesses in McGregor Square will have to generate a lot of bucks during those 81 days to make up for the slow times the rest of the year, if yesterday proves to be the norm. Only time will tell. I am sure glad that I have no dog in that particular fight.

The Good Old Days

I took the above photograph back in the late 1960s or early 1970s, in the kitchen of our family's home in Country Club Hills, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago. From left to right are Margaret White, my mother Mary, and Peggy Caitlin, all of whom were lifelong friends, born and raised in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago. Back then, most people grew up and lived in the same neighborhood all their lives. Families were very close, and lifetime friendships were the norm. These days, people tend to scatter all across the country, and never get to know their neighbors. I think something really important has been lost because of this. And no, my mother was not crazy - this photograph showing her weird facial expression has always been a source of amusement for us, although I do have to admit that our family was pretty damn eccentric. And that is, of course, a very good thing.

DU Is Back In Session

The University of Denver, where I was employed as the Finance Manager for the DU Bookstore for almost 30 years, began the spring quarter this week. The start of each quarter was always a big deal for the bookstore, involving the hiring of lots of temporary employees, preparing complicated work and break schedules, and getting all those textbooks onto the shelves. Most of the yearly income for the store was earned in just a few weeks during the months of September, January, and March. The internet - especially Amazon - has really hurt college bookstores over the past ten years. However, I have no idea what business is like at the DU Bookstore these days. I worked for one year (per contractural agreement) at the store after it was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group in 2012, and to me, it seemed like they were doing all they could to discourage business. Since they were very secretive about sales figures and business strategy, I am not sure what their strategic plan was, and currently is. Bankruptcy, I suspect. The photograph above, by the way, is of University Hall, constructed in 1892 and the first structure built on campus. And no, I was NOT working there at the time.

The April Mutts Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the April Mutts of the Month in front of the Whole Foods Grocery Store in Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo) a few weeks ago. I have photographed dogs tied up in front of that store a number of times, it being a popular spot to shop for residents of the many high rise apartment buildings in the area. Whole Foods, of course, is also known as "Whole Paycheck," catering to an upscale crowd, of which LoDo has no shortage. Of course, just across the street, near the Union Station light rail stop, a group of homeless people gathers every day, waiting, I suspect, for the local shelters to open. The juxtaposition of these two groups sometimes seems surreal. Probably what these two dogs are thinking, too.

Alley Art

Denver has lots of murals on buildings across the city, especially in the River North (RINO) neighborhood. RINO is a former industrial neighborhood that became an arts district after art galleries were  priced out of Lower Downtown (LoDo). It soon filled up with brewpubs, bars and restaurants, as well as many new, pricey apartment buildings. I am not sure there are many art galleries left, but virtually every structure has murals painted on it. I suspect zoning rules must require it now. However, there are murals on buildings in many other neighborhoods, too, including on the side of Kaladi Coffee Roasters, on East Evans Avenue, just to the west of the University of Denver, and seen in the above photograph. This particular mural I like, although I must admit that some of the ones in RINO might have been painted by space aliens. I'm just sayin'.

One Cent Day At The MCA

This past weekend I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. The first Saturday of every month, Colorado residents can get into the museum for one cent, and since they currently have a photography exhibit that is part of Denver's Month of Photography, I decided that the price was right to pay a visit. The photography exhibit features a series of portraits, along with interviews of the subjects, taken by photographer Narkita Gold. She moved to Denver from Nashville, and wanted to capture Black life here in Denver, along with understanding her own place in it. The portraits are very good, and each person's story is pretty fascinating. Virtually all of these stories are very positive about their lives and experiences here in Denver, making for a very upbeat experience.

I very seldom visit the MCA, even on one cent days. Except for the photography, most of the exhibits are pretty far out there (or cutting edge, if you prefer). You usually walk around the galleries and just ask yourself: what? why? However, I do like the building. It was designed by UK architect David Adjaye, and features a lot of windows looking out over the neighborhood, and a truly wonderful rooftop deck, which can be seen in the photograph on the right. The reflective glass on the right surrounds a very pleasant cafe, with outdoor tables on two sides. It is definitely worth a visit to the MCA Denver just to see that building. And ponder the state of contemporary art.

The Month Of Photography's Final Weekend? Not By A Long Shot...

I spent this past Saturday afternoon visiting various art galleries participating in Denver's Month of Photography. Since March was now over, I was hoping some galleries still had those exhibits up. Many did, and I was very surprised to find that the Museo de las Americas (seen in the photograph on the left) recently announced the opening of still another major photography exhibit. If I had known this before, I could have attended the opening reception the previous night (the First Friday Art Walk for April). In addition to hobnobbing with Denver's art community, I could have gotten in for free. As it was, I was more than happy to pay the $5 admission fee (the senior rate, that I am now always given without even asking - so sad). And it was definitely worth it. I would have even paid $6 to get in. 

This exhibit, titled La Nueva Cara (The New Face) features works by not only well known Denver photographers and other local contributors, but also photographs by such famous photographers as Sebastiao Salgado, Imogen Cunningham, Denver's own Hal Gould, and Yousuf Karsh. The famous Karsh portrait of Ernest Hemingway can be seen on the right side of the photograph on the right. This is obviously THE major exhibit of The Month of Photography, and so I am not sure why it is taking place in April instead of March. But regardless, it is definitely worth seeing. Be sure to catch it if you can. It runs through April 17th.

McGregor Square Is Open!

McGregor Square, a major mixed use real estate venture next door to Denver's Coors Field, is now open, although a lot of businesses have yet to move in. I biked past it yesterday afternoon, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it is a pretty cool venue. There was a huge television screen, showing the Colorado Rockies game, seen in the above photograph on the right, and tables and chairs in the middle of the square where people can order drinks and sit and watch the game. There is even a small grassy berm on the left where people can sit, just like at many ballparks. The Tattered Cover Bookstore, where I worked as the bookkeeper before retiring back in 2018, plans to open a store there next month. I just hope they plan on applying for a liquor license. It looks like a sure bet to me.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone! And yes - I am indeed using the same picture that I use every Easter. It is the only photograph I know for sure was taken on Easter Sunday. It is of me on the back porch of our home in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, when I was at my most charming best. Back then our family celebrated every Easter morning with an Easter egg hunt. My sister Susan tells me that since our father Nelson was the one who hid them, he usually wound up finding the most chocolate eggs during the hunt. He would put them in a circle on the smoking stand by his chair, and eat them one by one as he read his library books. I myself don't remember those particular details, but it does seem to be a bit of an unfair advantage. But that's just me.

Coors Field Or Dodger Stadium? Hard To Tell

This is Opening Weekend at Denver's Coors Field. But when I biked past the ballpark early yesterday evening, it seemed more like Dodger Stadium. What appeared to be several thousand non-social distancing Dodger fans marched toward the ballpark behind a banner celebrating their 2020 World Series championship, as seen in the photograph on the left. What I want to know is whether these fans traveled here from L.A. to see the game, or if they are simply some of the roughly 20 million Californians who have moved to Denver over the past couple of years?

When they reached the front of Coors Field, they held a sort of pep rally for their team, as seen in the photograph on the right, and then went into the ballpark. Considering their number, I have to wonder whether any Colorado Rockies fans - those that are still left, that is - were able to get tickets to the game? You do have to admire those Dodgers fan's enthusiasm, however.  I also noticed that kind of passion among St. Louis Cardinals fans at bars and restaurants, back when I traveled to Columbia, Missouri for software training for the DU Bookstore. As for Denver fans, it is very telling that the lead sports story each night on all the local news programs concerns the Denver Broncos football team, no matter the time of year. Three months until draft day always beats out the baseball scores in this town. Sad.

The Terminal Bar, Old And New

I walked through Denver's remodeled Union Station on the way to the light rail train home a while back, and took the photograph on the left of the Terminal Bar, which is named after the original Terminal Bar, located a few blocks away down 17th Street. There are a number of upscale shops and restaurants, as well as an upscale hotel, inside Union Station now, and the original waiting room has been transformed into a living room style open space to sit and enjoy your food and drinks. And you can order your drinks at the Terminal Bar through what was once the ticket counter for the station, and then sit wherever you like.

The original Terminal Bar, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, was located in what was then a very sketchy area. Jack Kerouac used to drink there, and is said to have rented a room on the second floor. The building is now the home of Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar, specializes in sushi, and can be seen in the photograph on the right. I am pretty sure that Jack Kerouac was not a sushi kind of guy, and I suspect if he was still around today, he would ditch the room on the second floor and move somewhere else. And I also suspect he wasn't very picky. He once bought a house in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb just west of Denver, and convinced his family to move there, which they briefly did before realizing what Lakewood was really like. Once they left, Kerouac sold the place and moved to San Francisco. A very wise choice indeed.

Happy Opening Day!

Today is Opening Day, the start of the major league baseball season. And unlike last year, fans are being welcomed back into the ballparks, including Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, which will allow 21,363 fans through the turnstiles. I have not attended Opening Day for the past 4 years, due to the insane cost of those tickets. However, I was very surprised to see that this year, ticket prices are actually pretty reasonable, probably an incentive to come to the ballpark during a major pandemic. As for me, perhaps I will attend next year. The photograph on the left, by the way, was taken on Opening Day in 2016. Since Opening Day ceremonies at Coors Field haven't changed in over 25 years, I think it will suffice for today's blog.

The photograph on the right was taken exactly 20 years earlier, back on Opening Day in 1996, and shows, from left to right, myself, my sister Susan, and brother-in-law George.  This was the year after Coors Field opened, a season where the Rockies made the playoffs for the first time in their history. Expectations were high that Opening Day, as opposed to this year, when the Rockies are predicted to have the worst record in all of baseball. Since attendance at Coors Field averages close to three million people every year, no matter how good or bad the team is, there is unfortunately no incentive for management to improve the team. No wonder the announcer at the ballpark always refers to Colorado Rockies fans as the greatest baseball fans in the world. It sounds so much better than calling them the greatest chumps in the world.