Tuk Tuk Tales

Whenever I visit the Denver Zoo, I pass by the old tuk tuk there, as seen - along with me - in the photograph above. That tuk tuk has seen better days, of course, not least because thousands of children love to play on it. These are motorized vehicles that serve as taxis, mostly in Asian countries, but surprisingly enough, there is a company that has started running a fleet of tuk tuks in Denver. They are actually made here in Denver, are all electric, seat up to 6 people, and instead of a taxi, are used for tours. Their website touts city tours, pub crawls, cocktail crawls, and even ghost tours. They can also be rented out for special events such as weddings. I remember that in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a movie set in India, the retirees taking a tuk tuk to the hotel they were planning to live at were scared out of their minds by the high speed trip through those crowded streets. However, to me, that ride looked like a lot of fun. Perhaps I should apply to be a driver. In any case, be sure to check out the website for eTuk Ride Denver at https://etukride.com/denver/about-us/ .

Time For A Sunset Photo

It has been a while since I have posted a sunset photograph, but thanks to a case of bloggers block, today is the day to rectify that. I took the photograph above from my living room window, showing the sun setting over the spire of the University of Denver Law School, and in the background, the spire of the School of International Studies. Former Secretary of States Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice both graduated from DU's School of International Studies. Sometimes, they return to campus for fundraisers, but I have never attended any of them. DU expects you to fork over major dollars if you attend, which is something I will not do. And even if they did not outsource the DU Bookstore, where I worked as the Finance Manager for 28 years, I would still not give them a dime. And no, I am not still bitter. Not that much, anyway.

The View From 1130 South Michigan

Back around 1968, my sister Susan moved to a studio apartment on the 40th floor of the building simply called 1130 South Michigan, located in downtown Chicago. Susan just loved that apartment, and the view out the window. The view was especially beautiful at night, although I did note that looking straight down, you could see the cells on the top of Chicago Police headquarters on South State Street, as well as all the action outside the liquor store at the corner of 12th and Wabash. That high-rise apartment building is where Susan met her future husband George, who also had a studio there. After they got married, they moved to a 2 bedroom apartment on the 24th floor, which had a view of Lake Michigan, as well as the headquarters of the Illinois Central Railroad, as seen in the photograph on the left. It also had a view of a giant neon Pepsi sign, which gave the time and the temperature 24/7. To me that was a great feature, but to Susan and George, not so much.

The Illinois Central no longer exists, and it's main train station and offices were torn down years ago. Grant Park was extended to Roosevelt Road, replacing those buildings.  On the south side of that park, along Roosevelt Road, are now a row of highrise apartments and condos, including NEMA Chicago, a 76 floor tower. As you can see from the photograph on the right, back in 1970 there was nothing there but railyards. Strangely enough, Susan and George never liked that 2 bedroom apartment, despite the view, and soon moved to south suburban Flossmoor, where they rented a grand apartment in a 1930s era building right across the street from the Flossmoor IC Station. I myself miss the IC, not to mention Chicago. Time for a road trip from Denver to Chicago. And soon.

The Grand Illumination At Union Station

I took the light rail train to Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo) last evening to see "The Grand Illumination," which is the lighting of the Christmas tree in front of Denver's Union Station. The festivities began with Christmas carols by the Denver Dolls, an Andrews Sisters style vocal group, followed by a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus. The grand finale was the lighting of the tree and the station itself, as seen in the photograph above. There were several thousand people in attendance, a curious mixture of families and hipsters. As usual, many of the hipsters were zooming around on those damn motorized scooters, several of which came within inches of hittting me. But after all, it is now the holiday season, a time to be jolly, and just shrug off these little irritations, right? Although I still think those little SOBs were aiming at me. And all right, I'll just say it. Bah Humbug!

A Portrait Of Susan

As you can tell from yesterday's blog post, my sister Susan was happy to have her photograph taken back when she was younger. Now that she is older, she just hates it when I aim my camera at her, and it is very rare that I can get a photo of her when she is actually looking at me. I was lucky enough to get the photograph above while we were sitting by the fire pit on the patio of the Odell Brewing Company, up in Fort Collins, a few days ago. She does not look happy, but a photograph is still a photograph. Many people - especially women - feel the same way about getting photographed when they are older. Years ago, that was not the case, the proof of which is all the photos I have of my family members from over the years, many of which I have posted on this blog. One has to wonder what is wrong with our society today, that such a negative attitude toward aging is so prevalent. And as regular blog readers know, I always have lots of questions, but very few answers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is, of course, Thanksgiving, one of two days during the year I find myself cooking a turkey dinner. Practice makes perfect, and so hopefully one day my Thanksgiving dinners will be as good as the ones my mother Mary and father Nelson used to host each year. Back then, they would invite both sets of grandparents, my Uncle Jack and Aunt Helen, and lots of other relatives to the feast. These days, it is usually just my sister Susan, myself, and perhaps a friend or two. The photograph above was taken at Susan and her husband George's townhouse in Fort Collins back in 1998. From left to right are my mother Mary, brother-in-law George, and Susan. It wasn't taken on Thanksgiving, but I have very few photos that were actually taken on that holiday, and I have been using the same ones over and over again each year on this blog. And so time for a change. Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Getting Down To Brass Tacks

Years ago, back when Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo) was not yet a hipster hangout, my friend Stuart and I used to sometimes have dinner at a place on Blake Street called The Firehouse. We would usually sit in front of the window, and across the street was a costume shop called American Costume. It had pretty fascinating drawings on the facade, which inspired me to take the photograph on the left back in 1994. Eventually, The Firehouse went out of business, replaced by the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, which is still located there. As for the costume shop, I assume that once LoDo became Denver's hot spot, it was priced out of the neighborhood, just as the Tattered Cover Bookstore in LoDo was eventually priced out years later.

Today, the building has been renovated, and was recently occupied by a restaurant called Brass Tacks, which is now closed. I suspect that is because of the pandemic. Before that, it was the home of the Blake Street Vault, a restaurant famous for it's 19th century architecture, it's secret main floor vault, and also for the fact that it was haunted by Lydia, a saloon girl who died in the building back in the 1860s. Stuart read an article about the place in the Denver Post, and suggested we give it a try, but sadly, we never did. Currently, the building stands empty. Since all the LoDo hipsters love to dress up in costume for Halloween, the Zombie Crawl, ComiConn, St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, or just for the hell of it, perhaps the building should become a costume store once again. Talk about going full circle. The photograph on the right, by the way, shows what the place looks like today.

Back when Stuart and I were having burgers and beers at The Firehouse, I never gave much thought to the history of the building, but recently learned that it, along with several of it's neighbors, were built in 1863, after a fire burned down the wooden commercial buildings put up when Denver was founded, five years earlier. Back then, it was a saloon and boarding house, and after a bit of research on the internet, I found a photograph of the building, seen on the left, taken in 1866. There is a covered wagon parked in front of it, and back then there was a balcony attached to the front. However, if you look at the second floor, you can recognize those same distinctive windows. I just hope somebody rents the place before next Halloween, so it can be added back to the downtown ghost tour. I myself would sign up for that tour immediately. Perhaps I'd even dress up in costume.

Thoughts On Laramie...

My sister Susan lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, which is actually closer to the State of Wyoming than Denver. Recently, we drove up to Laramie, home of the University of Wyoming, to walk around and enjoy a warm, sunny day. In less than an hour we were admiring the outside of the Ivinson Mansion, built in 1892 and now home to the Laramie Plains Museum. The grounds are beautiful, as seen in the photograph on the left, and maintained by a local garden club.

Laramie was founded as a tent city during the building of the transcontinental railway, back in the mid-1860s. Trains first started arriving there in May, 1868, and soon permanent structures were being built. The University of Wyoming was established in 1887, and there are still a number of structures from that era on that tree lined campus. Many of Laramie's neighborhoods are from that era, too, and examples of homes from that period are everywhere, such as the ones in the photograph on the right. 

Susan has often stated that Laramie would be a pleasant place to live, although I keep warning her about all the snow and cold, not to mention the constantly blowing wind. She does not understand why on earth the weather should be so much different from Fort Collins, less than an hour away. The answer is that Laramie is on the High Plains, at an altitude of over 7,100 feet. On the plus side, I must say that the people there are very friendly. We once met a retired professor walking the campus, and after talking with her, she invited us to stop by her place the next time we visited. Talk about going back in time to a different America. I still wouldn't like to spend a winter there, though.

Outside Dining In November

It is starting to get pretty chilly after the sun sets here in Denver.  No matter how warm it is during the day, the nights are always cold. I took a walk around downtown Denver last week, and saw that despite the cold, all the restaurants in town are trying their best to keep outdoor dining going as long as possible. Many have fire pits, such as in the photograph on the left, which I took in Larimer Square during happy hour.

After visiting Larimer Square, I decided to walk up to McGregor Square to check out the action. On the way, I walked through the Dairy Block, which features a variety of restaurants and shops centered around a central walkway, as seen in the photograph on the right. I did not see many people there, but perhaps they all show up later, closer to the dinner hour. I myself have never had a drink or a meal there. For some reason, the place makes me feel blue. 

The last time I was at McGregor Square was on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was half filled with Broncos fans watching the game on the big screen, witnessing what would become their worst loss of the season. The week before that, it was packed with fans watching the Green Bay Packers play Kansas City. This time, the Christmas tree was up, but there wasn't a soul sitting outside, although inside Mile Post Zero, a food hall, they were doing a moderate business. I am starting to think that McGregor Square might be pretty slow during the winter, and that business might not pick up until baseball season returns (Coors Field is just across the street). That is how it is for most of the bars and restaurants in the area. They make all their money during the baseball season, and hope that will be enough for them to survive the winter. And hopefully, that business model works for the tenants at McGregor Square.

Taken For A Ride By Grandmother

The photograph on the left is of my grandmother, Louise Spillard, and myself, back when I was at my most charming best. We were evidently on an outing around the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago.  I can tell the photo was taken at the corner of 93rd and Aberdeen Street, just down the block from my parent's house. It must have been taken in 1953, the year I was born. I am not sure who took the photograph - possibly my mother, or even by my grandfather, Bill Spillard. The last time I was in Chicago, back in 2010, I walked through the old neighborhood and was pleased to see it was still as nice as I remembered. One of these days I hope to visit it again, although sadly, both sets of grandparents, as well as my mother Mary and father Nelson, are all gone now. Happily, the photographs, and the memories, still exist.

Lunching Once Again With Peter At Pepper

I had lunch yesterday with Peter - my friend and former Tattered Cover Bookstore office mate - at Pepper, an Asian restaurant a few blocks away from the store. This is the first time we have had lunch together for almost 2 years, before the start of the pandemic. Since that time, the Tattered Cover has been sold to a local investment group, and is starting to add more stores. They closed the Lower Downtown location and opened a new store in nearby McGregor Square, as well as a children's bookstore at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora. They will soon open another bookstore in North Suburban Westminster, and are considering opening a store in Colorado Springs. Peter is back working full-time at the Colfax store, and has settled into the business of paying the bookstore chain's bills. He seems the same as usual, and that includes his camera shyness. And if you are wondering, I took the photograph above in 2017, back when he was still "camera friendly." 

It's November! Finally Time To Read That October Issue Of Chicago!

When the November Chicago Magazine showed up in my mailbox, I suddenly realized that I had not yet read the October issue, which was still sitting on my dining room table. I picked it up, thinking that I would quickly peruse it and move on to November, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there were a lot of interesting articles to read. There was one piece about the damage the rising levels of Lake Michigan is causing to apartments, condos, and homes in the Rogers Park and South Shore neighborhoods, and what was being done about it. There was also a feature article marking the 150th anniversary of the Chicago Fire, which my Great Grandfather Charles St. Pierre watched from the safety of Chicago's South Side. Next, there was an article about White Sox television broadcaster Jason Benetti, the South Suburban Homewood-Flossmoor High School graduate, who overcame cerebral palsy to become a major sports broadcasting figure. And, of course, there were lots of ads for very pricey high rise apartments and condos (some over 100 stories) on Michigan Avenue and along the lakefront. Lots to read indeed. I have to wonder if I will ever get to the November issue. Eventually, of course. Which can mean between now and the end of time, to put it all in perspective.

Denver Reflections

I really enjoy walking around Denver, usually starting in one of the neighborhoods and ending up downtown. It is a thriving and fast growing city, but like all cities these days, there are lots of underlying issues, and many of society's problems are on full display. Stray away from the upscale Lower Downtown (LoDo) or Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhoods, and you see large homeless camps on the sidewalks, people on the 16th Street Mall screaming about God knows what, people sleeping in doorways, and all manner of other downtrodden souls. And Denver is not nearly as bad as many, if not most, big cities. What the solution is, I do not know. A sad state of affairs for our country.

Denver Post Columnist: The Broncos Have Turned Into The Rockies

I went for a walk through downtown Denver this past Sunday afternoon, ending up in McGregor Square, where Denver Broncos fans were watching the football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on the big screen. It was the 3rd quarter, the Broncos were behind by only 7 points, and had possession of the ball - still plenty of time for a comeback. Then I walked to Union Station to take the light rail back to my condo. When the train got to the Mile High Stadium stop, the car filled to the rafters with Broncos fans heading home, as seen in the photograph above. I was pretty surprised, since the game could not possibly be over yet. It wasn't until I got home that I found out that there was a fumble, and Denver quarterback Teddy Bridgewater just stood there as the ball was scooped up by an opposing player, who ran the ball 80 yards for a touchdown, eventually leading to a 30-13 rout. As can be expected, the press - not to mention the fans - were not happy, especially all those people on the train who left the game early. One columnist even wrote that the Broncos have become the Colorado Rockies, with owners caring only about making money, not winning. That is pretty harsh, and I don't believe it is true. No sports organization other than the Rockies could be that unconcerned about winning, even the Broncos.

Thank God For Fire Pits

The days are getting shorter, and the evenings turning pretty cool here on Colorado's Front Range. My sister Susan and I, along with her dog Blackberry, are still stopping by Odell Brewing Company's patio in Fort Collins whenever I come up there from Denver, and fortunately, we have found a spot by one of the fire pits each time. Most of the action has moved indoors, but there are still a few hearty souls who remain outside, especially the ones who have dogs, like us. In jolly old England, you are free to bring your pet into the pub, and even let it sit with you at the table, if you choose, but here in the US, it is not allowed. Perhaps the PETA people should start working on geting that changed. Even I might send them a few dollars if they did.

The Cellist

I just finished reading The Cellist, Daniel Silva's latest Gabrial Allon spy novel. This series, along with Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch police procedurals, are my favorite crime/spy stories. This time, a Russian billionaire, who has evidence about the laundering of billions of dollars from Russia to the West by Kremlin leaders, is poisoned, and Gabriel, head of Israeli Intelligence, gets involved in finding the killer, and also seizing the cash. He is assisted by an employee of the Rhinelander Bank (a pseudonym for Deutsche Bank), who has been leaking information to the reporter who gave those files to the poisoned billionaire. This bank employee is also a cellist, which becomes an essential part of the story. I enjoyed this book very much. It was a real page turner, and I strongly recommend it. One thing I was very surprised to learn, in the author's notes at the end of the book, was that Deutsche Bank financed the building of the extermination camps at Auschwitz. And they are still in business, and the main lender for Donald Trump. My mind just boggles at that. In any case, be sure to pick up a copy of The Cellist at your local library today!

A South Beach Flashback

Back when my mother Mary was alive and lived in Stuart, Florida, my sister Susan and I would often visit, and sometimes we would drive down to South Beach, check out the art deco buildings, and people-watch on Ocean Drive, as seen in the photograph on the left along with my sister back in August of 1994. Miami Beach is a fun place to visit, but the times I have been there after dark, the place was absolutely manic, the sidewalks jammed with people, and made very narrow due to restaurant patios. I have decided that it is best to be gone from there before the sun sets, and the crazies come out.

I took the photograph on the right of my mother (on the left) and sister (on the far right) back in August of 1989. I assume it was taken on Ocean Drive, but don't recognize any of the buildings, and so I suspect the location is south of where those famous hotels like the Colony are located. After 32 years, I sometimes can't remember details like that anymore. Hopefully, it is not a sign of early Alzheimer's.

One place I do recognize is the News Cafe, where we often stopped for a coffee, and to watch the crowds go by. It is amazing how many people would walk by with parrots on their shoulder, or dressed in outlandish outfits (at least by Denver standards). I checked online and saw that the News Cafe temporarily closed in January of 2021 due to the pandemic, but am not sure if it ever reopened. They do not seem to have a website anymore, which is a bad sign in this day and age.

My sister Susan took the photograph on the right of me posing in front of a South Beach advertisement back in 1994. Amazing enough, that shirt I am wearing is still in my closet. And now probably worth a fortune. Of course, the truly amazing thing is that I haven't aged a day since that photograph was taken. Time to get that portrait of myself, drawn years ago in Montmartre, out of the closet, and take a serious look at it.

Getting Together With The Old DU Bookstore Team

I got together with my friends and former University of Denver Bookstore co-workers last night at Spanky's Urban Roadhouse, just to the west of the DU campus. Since the DU hockey team was playing at Magness Arena last night, and Spanky's is a popular pre-game gathering spot, I got there early to claim a table, carefully nursing my River North IPA until the rest of the gang arrived. It was a very pleasant evening, and fun learning what everyone has been up to lately. From left to right in the photograph above are Bill, the former Operations Coordinator for the store, who has just returned with his wife Renee from a dream vacation in Switzerland; Darrel, who recently spent some time at a rented bungalow near Santa Fe's Plaza with his wife Linda; Tony, who still works at the DU Bookstore as the Manager of the Quick Copy Center; Owen, the former DU Bookstore Computer Center Manager, who now works for DU's Information Technology Department; Wally, the former Operations Manager for the store, who has just returned from a road trip to Michigan; and Joe, who still works as a teacher at the Art Students League of Denver, but retired last month from his part-time job at the DU Bookstore. And then, of course, there is me, the former Finance Manager for the store, taking the photograph, and now footloose and fancy free. Great to see all you guys again! Keep on keeping on, as we used to say.

Any Excuse For A (Costume) Party

Here in Denver, people just love to dress up in costumes and parade around the city. I was thinking about that a few weeks ago, as I was walking past the Colorado Convention Center, which was hosting Fan Expo Denver 2021. This festival seems to celebrate all things involving sci-fi, comic book heroes, old television characters, and God knows what else. The featured speaker on it's final day was Captain James Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. All of the attendees dress up in elaborate costumes, walking through downtown Denver on their way to the event. I don't know who the people in the photograph on the left are supposed to be. Students of 18th Century history? And yes - that is indeed the foot of the famous Blue Bear sculpture, loved by one and all, in front of the convention center.

In addition to Fan Expo, people here dress up for Halloween (naturally), Oktoberfest, the Denver Zombie Crawl, St. Patrick's Day, and sometimes just for the hell of it. I noticed when the last Denver Zombie Crawl took place in 2019, creepy clowns, like the one in the photograph on the right, were very popular, thanks to revelations about the life of Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Why should this guy make all clowns into creeps? Back when my sister Susan was little, our Grandfather Spillard would take her to the circus, where he personally knew a lot of the clowns, who were often former vaudeville performers. After vaudeville disappeared, many had no other option than to try and make a living at the circus. Sometimes, the crowds did not find them very funny, and let them know it, and Susan thought it was a pretty sad thing to witness. Of course, these days, thanks to PETA, there are virtually no more circuses, which solves that particular problem. And no, I have no idea who the other character in the photo on the right is supposed to be. After all, I am old, and only know about TV shows such as Mr. Ed. A true classic.

Veteran's Day 2021

Today is Veteran's Day, first celebrated in 1919 to honor the end of World War I, which concluded on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Back then it was known as Armistice Day, but today this holiday honors all veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. My father Nelson was drafted, to his surprise, during World War II, when he was in his thirties. He served as a dentist on Okinawa towards the end of the war. He hated being a dentist, and my mother told me she thinks he actually liked being in the army, since it was a break from his daily routine. The photograph above of him was taken in the Philippines when he was visiting his brother-in-law (my Uncle Jack), who was serving in the air force. Dad was also trying to find out what happened to his cousin, Adam Boysen, who was captured by the Japanese on Corregidor, survived the Bataan Death March, and who, it was later found out, died when the prison ship transporting American soldiers to Japan was torpedoed by an American submarine. This despite a warning that American soldiers might be on that ship. How sad. And how maddening.

An Early Dinner With Stuart At Denver Beer Company

I had an early dinner with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph above, on the patio of the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street here in Denver. The original Denver Beer Company location in Lower Downtown (LoDo) is a very popular hipster hangout, always packed, but this location, opened this past summer, seems a lot more laid back. Not that we wouldn't fit in with the hipsters, of course, but the South Downing location was a much closer drive. The food was pretty damn good, the beer excellent, and we were near a fireplace. What could be better?

The November Mutt Of The Month

I took the above photograph of this month's Mutt of the Month while walking through Denver's University Park neighborhood, still another beautiful area filled with old Victorian homes. Obviously, this is an upscale kind of dog, living the good life, and actually very well mannered. It didn't even bark as I passed by. The problem with well-mannered dogs, of course, is that if someone burgles your house, these dogs - like my sister Susan's dog Blackberry - will greet the thief like a long lost friend. Oh well - life is filled with these tradeoffs, after all.

A Car Proud Family

I think my Grandfather and Grandmother Spillard - but especially my grandmother - really liked cars. I have been going through some old photo albums, and it appears that my grandmother liked to pose in front of their newest cars. The photograph on the left, which I have featured on this blog before, shows, from left to right, my Uncle Jack, Grandmother Louise, and Uncle Bill in front of their new 1930s era car (possibly a Buick), in front of their apartment on the South Side of Chicago. 

The photograph on the right was taken of my grandmother back in 1957. I know the car she is posing in front of is a 1957 Buick, since I have a second photo that shows both the make of the car, as well as the year on the State of Illinois license plate. My Grandfather Spillard loved Buicks for some reason. After he had to stop driving, he gave his Buick to my mother. That was the car I drove during the road test for my first driver's license, which I failed by driving over a curb while backing out of a parking space. And by the way, I did pass that road test the next time I took it. So there!

The Night Of The Museums

No - it is not a horror film. Last night was Night at the Museums, an annual event in connection with Denver Arts Week, where admission is free to most of the city's museums from 5:00 until 10:00 in the evening. This year, I decided to skip the major venues, and make a late afternoon visit to the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum and the Four Mile House. Actually, the best part of the Air and Space Museum is the Lowry Beer Garden, seen in the photograph on the left, located right next door, and which looked like it was doing a very brisk happy hour business. It's the one place in Denver where you can sit outside, have a beer, and gaze at the huge B-52 bomber in front of the museum. In my humble opinion, it is probably best to skip the museum entirely, and just hang out on the patio. But there was no time for that yesterday - I needed to head to the Four Mile House before sunset.

I visited the Four Mile Historic Park this past winter, but at the time, due to Covid restrictions, the actual house was closed to the public. Happily, this time it was open. The Four Mile House, the oldest house in Denver, was built in 1858, and soon became an inn serving stagecoach passengers on the Cherokee Trail. It was called the Four Mile House because it was exactly 4 miles from the center of Denver. Once the stagecoach stopped running after train service reached Denver in 1870, Four Mile House became a farm, and was enlarged over the years to become a pleasant Victorian residence. It was fun to see the inside of the place again, the outside of which can be seen in the photograph on the right.

The best attraction at Four Mile Historic Park is, of course, the animals. The place is still a working farm, with horses, sheep, goats, and yes, even pigs, such as the one posing for a photograph on the left. My sister Susan donates to a lot of charities benefiting various types of animals, and she tells me that pigs are among the smartest, and can even play simple video games. Really? Seriously? Be that as it may, nothing like a perfect pig portrait to end the day. 

The First Friday Of November

Last night was First Friday on Santa Fe Drive, home of Denver's largest art district, and since it was such a pleasant evening, I decided to head down there to see what was new in the art world. I was pleased to find that D'art Contemporary Art Gallery, seen in the photograph on the left, was hosting "Meditations in Nature," an exhibit of nature photographs by Terrel Bailey and Dan Baumbach, many of them quite abstract. Perhaps even too abstract.

There was a big crowd at the Museo de las Americas last night, which was celebrating a Dia De Los Muertos First Friday, complete with music, dancing, and costumed celebrants, as seen in the photograph on the right. They are all posing in front of a memorial dedicated to friends and relatives who have passed away, but are still fondly remembered. The Day of the Dead is a very popular holiday in Mexico, and also among the many Hispanics now living in the US, including Denver, too.

Another popular spot during the First Friday celebration, as always, was Renegade Brewing Company, which was packed with revelers. Of course, "what is art" is open to interpretation, and here in Denver, many people believe that a good craft beer is indeed a work of art. And, I might add, a lot cheaper than those photographs that were on sale at the D'art Gallery. I'm just sayin'.

Experiencing Fall At The Zoo Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the Denver Zoo Wednesday afterrnoon to take a few photos. It was a perfect fall day, and so all of the animals were out and about, and many, including the lion in the photograph on the left, were happy to pose for a portrait. Strangely enough, all of the zoo's lions and tigers came down with the coronavirus, but are all on the mend. And how did they contract the coronavirus in the first place? Beats the hell out of me. Perhaps they were not socially distancing.

The ring-tailed lemur was also quite willing to have it's portrait taken, although it seems to be constantly angry. At me! It's not my fault it is locked up for life, after all. I have suggested several times that the zoo let visitors take the monkeys home for a visit on the weekends, giving them a break from their boring routine. What could possibly go wrong?

The clouded leopard in the photograph on the left is usually never interested in posing for the camera. It likes to pace back and forth past the door to it's cage, waiting to be fed or let back inside, where it can watch Animal Planet on cable TV. Eventually a zookeeper came along and fed it something through the cage. Amazingly enough, that clouded leopard acted just like my sister Susan's dog Blackberry as the zookeeper gave it treats. Perhaps clouded leopards should be allowed to go home with zoo patrons for a visit, too. After all, they are just big cats.

Experiencing Fall At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo yesterday afternoon to take a few photographs. It was sunny and pleasant, after several cool and cloudy days, and all the animals were out and about, enjoying the 60 degree temperatures. I was happy to see that the mandrill baby was doing well, although it's mother still insists on keeping it close, and holding on to it's arm 24/7, as seen in the photograph on the left. Granted, it is still only 6 months old, but such overprotectiveness could lead to psychological problems in the future. The zoo's resident animal psychologist should definitely have a talk with that mother. 

The orangutan baby is getting older, which is probably why the father let's it do whatever it wants these days, although that little orangutan still seems to hang out a lot with his dad, as seen in the photograph on the right. Sadly, it's mother passed away a while back, but the father took over the child raising duties, much to the joy of the zookeepers. And I must say, that little orangutan really has lots of energy, climbing up and down and all around, all day long. You have to wait a long time until it stops moving, so you can take a photograph. They used to say the same thing about me, but not any more.

Of B&Bs, Ghosts, and Hidden Hipster Havens

I read an article in the Denver Post the other day about The Queen Anne, a Victorian bed and breakfast built in 1887, located in Denver's Five Points neighborhood, and which is now on the market for $4 million. The owner and his parents bought the place in 2008, and planned to sell it after 10 years, but have held onto it until now. The bed and breakfast actually consists of two Victorian homes, seen in the photograph on the left, and is right across the street from Benedict Fountain Park. From the outside, the B&B looks quite pleasant indeed.

The family purchased the place in time for the 2008 Democratic Convention, and rented out all 13 rooms to The Hill's newspaper staff. All the homes on the street are Victorians, and the park across the street is quite beautiful, as seen in the photo on the right. It is hard to believe that the City of Denver was prepared to bulldoze the entire area to accommodate the 1976 Olympics. This was one of the reasons used to reject having the '76 Olympics in Colorado, and resulted in the area being preserved. This neighborhood, just to the north and east of downtown Denver, is now pretty upscale, with lots of expensive apartments, condos, and restaurants. 

When I googled the Queen Anne to see how to get there, I noticed that Uptown Square Apartments, the subject of another recent Denver Post article, was just around the corner. This modern apartment building was built on the site of St. Luke's Hospital, which was called a "death house" by the neighbors. Two young women who recently moved into the building posted a request on Nextdoor, a local neighborhood web site, asking how to get rid of the ghost in their apartment. In addition to a lot of odd occurrences, the boyfriend of one of the women woke up at 3:00 in the morning and saw someone staring at him through the window, even though they were on the 3rd floor. Then the face disappeared. A former tenant responded to their post, writing nostalgically about his experiences with the ghosts there. Phil Goodstein, a local historian, speculates that the ghosts are probably the victims of medical mistakes, still bitter about how they died. Makes perfect sense to me.

Enjoying A Fall Walk Across The DU Campus

I took a walk across the University of Denver campus the other day. As regular blog readers know, I worked as the Finance Manager of the University of Denver Bookstore for 28 years, until the university outsourced the store to Follett Higher Education Group, and laid everyone off. Follett agreed to keep all staff members employed at the store for at least one year, and after that laid everyone off who was actually making a living wage. Despite that, since I continue to live across the street from DU, I still like to stroll the campus, especially during the fall, when it is especially beautiful.

DU is a private institution, and tuition there runs $50,000 per year, the same as Harvard University. It once (and possibly still does) refer to itself as the "Harvard of the West." My friend and former DU Bookstore co-worker Wally likes to say that he will refer to DU as the "Harvard of the West" when Harvard refers to itself as the "'DU of the East." Does it sound like they take themselves a little too seriously at DU? Certainly not to me.