Mid-Winter At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo yesterday afternoon to walk around and take a few photographs. It has been a pretty typical January here in Denver - a few days of cold and snow followed by a few days of sun and mild temperatures, such as yesterday. Because of that, the zoo was packed, especially with families. Thanks to the zoo's family membership plan, it is affordable to take the kids to the zoo all year long, which is especially helpful to those who can't afford an annual vacation. And most of those kids seem to love it there, with the possible exception of a few of them (perhaps more than a few) screaming their damn heads off. But I digress.

Many of the animals were not in a very sociable mood yesterday, although the elephants were willing to look at the camera and smile, such as the one in the photograph on the right. The elephants at the Denver Zoo have a large compound called the Toyota Elephant Passage, a $50 million facility no doubt sponsored by - you guessed it - Honda. These are all Asian elephants, and I suspect if they tried to put them together with African elephants, there might be a rumble, no doubt rivaling the Sharks and the Jets.

The giraffes were pretty attentive, too, at least when there wasn't anyone feeding them across the compound at the "Giraffe Encounter." You used to be able to walk over there and photograph them being fed, but these days you have to make a reservation in advance (for an additional fee, of course) and then are escorted to the feeding platform - no one else allowed. To me, that seems pretty chintzy, but that is just a cheapskate's opinion. Still, I was able to take the photo on the left with a zoom lens. Not an up-close, personal experience, but what can you do?

Remembering Winters Past

When my mother Mary lived down in Stuart, Florida, she would come up to Colorado every Christmas and stay with my sister Susan and brother-in-law George in Fort Collins.  She and my father Nelson moved to Stuart from Chicago back in 1976, and from that time on she just hated cold weather. I think that is why Susan was helping her bundle up during a visit to Old Town Fort Collins in the photograph above. This photo was taken back in 1988 in front of the Stone Lion Bookstore, back when bookstores in downtown locales were actually financially feasible. Talk about the good old days. In any case, ironically, it was warmer in Denver yesterday than in Stuart, where it was expected to go down into the mid-thirties last night. I wonder if the snowbirds will still be hitting the beaches in their speedos and bikinis during this cold snap?

Mustard's Last Stand Still Stands!

Mustard's Last Stand (seen in the photo on the left) has been a fixture in the University of Denver neighborhood since 1978. It was started by a native Chicagoan who wanted to serve the large community of Chicago area transplants who couldn't find Chicago-style hot dogs in Colorado. He opened stands in both Boulder, by the University of Colorado, and near DU, and has been going strong ever since. And being a true Chicagoan, during baseball season, he shows Cubs games on TV to entertain his fellow ex-pats. No doubt he is one of those damn North Siders.

Back when I worked at the University of Denver Bookstore as the Finance Manager, I used to have a friendly bet going with Larry, one of the store's Operations Coordinators, and seen in the photo on the right. He grew up in Streator, Illinois and was a died in the wool Cubs fan. Since I am originally from the South Side of Chicago and a White Sox fan, we would bet on which team would have the better record at the end of the season, the loser buying lunch at Mustard's. Each year the Cubs would outperform the White Sox, and each year I would buy lunch for Larry. Finally, at last, the White Sox had a better season than the Cubs. However, Larry retired that same year, left the bookstore before the end of the season, and I never did get my free lunch. He told me he was retiring because his father died young, and he wanted to make sure he would actually have a retirement, just in case he died early, too. Sadly, he did pass away, at the age of 68, and so it was wise of him to leave when he did, and have at least a few years to enjoy the good life. A lesson for us all.

Strolling The DU Campus In The Snow

I took my sister Susan's dog Blackberry for a walk across the University of Denver campus the other day, right after a mid-week snowstorm. It is a very pretty campus, and well-tended, although I do have to confess that I allowed Blackberry to piss on the grounds about 17 times. And - it goes without saying - this had nothing to do with the university outsourcing the DU Bookstore, where I worked for 28 years, to Follett Higher Education Group, and laying off the entire staff back in 2012. I am a much bigger person than that, as regular blog readers can attest. In any case, the photograph above shows University Hall (on the right), built in 1890 and the first building on campus. It was completely renovated in 1995, with the outside preserved and the inside completely demolished and rebuilt. Not exactly an historic renovation, but in keeping with DU's penchant for facades.

Get A Gander At All Those Wash Park Geese

I went for a walk with my sister Susan and her dog Blackberry around Smith Lake in Denver's Washington Park the other day, and took the photograph above of all the geese out on the ice. And let's face it - there are a lot of them in the Wash Park neighborhood. They discover the place, never leave, and seem to keep multiplying every time you look, just like Californians. The city's solution is to cull them every summer (the geese) and give the meat to food banks, a course of action many in the neighborhood have protested against. However, I am not sure what their opinions are concerning all those Californians.

My Mother's 106th Birthday!

Today would have been my mother Mary's 106th birthday if she was still alive today. As I recall, it was hard enough for her to believe she was 93 back when she was staying with me here in Denver, and so being 106 would probably have made her pretty crabby. To celebrate this day, I am featuring a photograph I took of her back in 1979 in Key West, Florida. She was 63 years old at the time, 6 years younger than I am now, and she, my father Nelson, sister Susan and I were taking a mini vacation to the Keys from Stuart, Florida, where my parents had retired to three years earlier. As for Bahama Mamma's, a restaurant in Key West, I suspect it is long gone. And by the way, that was the last time Susan and I were in Key West. I wonder if it has changed any since then? Nah. Probably not. But nevertheless, we'll have to head back down there one of these days and check it out.

The January Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the January Mutt of the Month sitting in a car parked next to me in the Safeway parking lot. I usually shop at King Soopers - it has lower prices and a wider selection - but employees there were on strike at the time, and I didn't want to cross the picket line, in fear of being clubbed to death (grocery store cashiers are sometimes known to be especially violent). Happily, the dogs of Safeway shoppers seem to be far more willing to have their portraits taken than those at King Soopers. And so, score one for Safeway. Now all they have to do is fix everything else. 

Sunday Afternoon At The DAM

My sister Susan and I went to the Denver Art Museum (The DAM) yesterday afternoon and visited three exhibits: Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France; Disruption: Works from the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection; and The 19th Century in European and American Art. Whistler to Cassatt is the big draw this winter, which was nice, but for pure shock value and the inspiration for hours of art talk, you can't beat the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection. One of the paintings I actually liked in the exhibit was Giant Apache Bride, seen in the photograph on the left. But most of the other works just made me wonder why. Why???

For example, take the painting on the right. Would you actually want to hang it in your house? And if so, why? It is the stuff of nightmares. Can you imagine getting up to go to the bathroom at night and passing this thing hanging in the hallway? I wish that the Logans would host an open house at the museum and take questions about what they were thinking when they bought these pieces. I would love to hear their answers.

As for the Whistler to Cassatt exhibit, I enjoyed looking at the paintings, especially the ones by Cassatt, but what I really liked best was the moving pictures of 19th Century Paris being shown in the atrium. To me it was fascinating. Just the fact that it was possible to make these films back then, and that they are still around today, is amazing. I took the photograph on the left of coaches being driven past Notre Dame. These films remind me of my first trip to Paris back in the day. Or was that actually a past life?  Who can tell?

Getting Together With Some Of The Old DU Bookstore Gang

I had brunch with some of the old University of Denver Bookstore gang, who worked at the store before it was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group back in 2012, and their spouses yesterday afternoon. It was fun getting together with everyone and hearing what they have been doing, and the trips they are planning to take this year. In the photograph above, from left to right, are Jim and his wife Chris, who was the Accounts Payable Assistant at the bookstore; Linda and her husband Darrel, who was the Accounts Payable Supervisor; and Jake and his wife Valarie, who was the Operations Manager for the store. I told them all I intended to photoshop myself into the picture, but I lied. Jim is planning to take part in a biking event through the Alps this year, while Darrel and Linda plan to spend time in Tucson and California. Jake and Valarie plan to visit Paris. Talk about fun times. I myself intend to explore the sights of Fort Collins, Colorado in greater depth than ever before. Eat your hearts out, people.

High Tea At The Brown With The Grand Champion Steer

I went to the Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver yesterday morning to have high tea with the National Western Stock Show Grand Champion Steer. I have never attended this event before, and was surprised the line to get in was moving so slow. Most of the time, I was standing outside in the cold, but when I finally got into the building, I took the photograph on the left of the crowd sipping their tea. However, no sign of the steer.

Once I got into the lobby, I saw that Yeller, the Grand Champion Steer, and Bacardi, the Reserve Champion, were in the far corner of the room, as opposed to being in the center, where I envisioned they would be. And I also learned why the line was moving so slow: everyone was having their photograph taken with Yeller, the Brown Palace e-mailing their photos to them later in the day. Obviously, that takes a lot of time. But the more important question is why? Why do people want their photograph taken with this doomed animal? Must be some sort of cowboy thing. And yes, that is indeed a piano player on the left in the photograph on the right, no doubt soothing the souls of those savage beasts. 

I myself opted not to have my portrait taken with Yeller, but was able to take the photograph on the left of him as I passed by. The poor thing was not at a table, and as far as I could tell, was not given any tea or crumpets. Seems hardly worth the effort for him to go from the National Western Stock Show grounds to the Brown Palace, and then back again. Grand Champion Yeller is from Iowa, and Reserve Champion Bacardi is from Texas. Each weighs around 1,300 pounds, and so if one of these creatures steps on your foot, you will know it. After yesterday's adventure, I have decided I will not attend another one of these galas unless the guests of honor are allowed to mingle with their admirers in the dining area. Fair is fair, after all. Plus, it would make for much better photographs.

Great Art!

I took the above self portrait up in Fort Collins, next to the famous Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup Can, located in front of Colorado State University's University Center for the Arts. This piece of art was constructed in conjunction with Warhol's visit to CSU back in September of 1981. Warhol dictated the details of the soup can's construction and signed it in a ceremony when he arrived on campus. And happily, I have an exact replica of this artwork in my kitchen cabinet. It's probably worth a fortune by now. Time to sell it and buy that house in Washington Park.

Winter In Wash Park

I took a walk in Denver's Washington Park after a recent snowstorm, and took a few photographs along the way. The photo on the left was taken from the front porch of the Eugene Field House, which was moved to Washington Park from West Colfax Avenue back in 1927, thanks to the help of Denver's "unsinkable" Molly Brown. Field lived in the house when he was the managing editor of the Denver Tribune, from 1881 to 1883. He moved to Chicago after that, and his famous children's poem, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, wasn't written until years later. But no matter - the house became a branch of the Denver Public Library, eventually replaced by a much larger and more modern facility, which now happens to be my local library branch. There is also a Wynken, Blynken, and Nod statue in the park, a particular favorite of both passing dogs and assorted pigeons.

Washington Park is quite a beautiful spot, and is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Denver. In the background of the photograph on the right is the Washington Park Boathouse, built in 1913, and a popular venue for wedding receptions, graduation parties, and other events. It is located on Smith Lake, which I have walked around many times, along with my fellow senior citizens and assorted other Denverites. My ex-wife Lisa and I ran across a home for sale on the east side of this park, back when we first got married in the early 1980s. The listing price was $279,000, which was a fortune at the time, but a steal these days. Needless to say, we never bought the place. A shame, since I am sure it is worth well over a million dollars these days. But what the hell - we would have had to sell the place when we got divorced, and the sales price would have been nothing like it is today. Plus, think of all the property taxes we have avoided paying over the years. The glass is always half full, not half empty, right?

My 69th Birthday!

Today is my 69th birthday, which is old, but not as old as my sister Susan, who celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday. Susan, our mother Mary, and father Nelson were celebrating Susan's 11th birthday at their favorite restaurant, the Rosewood Inn, owned by family friend Art Houle, and located in Chicago's Southern Suburb of Blue Island, a few hours before I was born. The Rosewood Inn had the coziest bar I have ever seen, and I must have instinctively known this, and wanted to get out into the world and have a beer. However, instead of having me there, they took my mother to St. Bernards Hospital on Chicago's South Side to be born. Susan was hoping for a baby sister and was very disappointed that she got a baby brother instead. She did finally get over it after about 60 years or so. The photograph above, by the way, was taken of me at age 6 in Galesburg, Illinois, back in 1959, where we dropped Susan off at Knox College to begin classes, just a few years after one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates took place there.

My Sister's 80th Birthday!

My sister Susan is 80 years old today, which is no kid. The photograph on the left is not recent, of course, and was taken 78 years ago in Abilene, Texas, when Susan and our mother Mary were visiting our father Nelson, who was going through basic training back during World War II.  Susan wanted to celebrate this milestone birthday in the Rue Cler neighborhood of Paris. However, considering the surge in Covid cases in Europe due to the Omicron variant, she will have to settle for dinner at the Campus Lounge or the Saucy Noodle, two of the finest restaurants in Denver's Bonnie Brae neighborhood. Much the same as dining in Paris, I might add. Susan probably won't even notice the difference.

Blackberry On The Trail

I have been taking my sister Susan's dog Blackberry on walks along the Spring Creek and Poudre River trails up in Fort Collins, Colorado recently, while my sister is at her twice weekly physical therapy sessions. After these walks, Blackberry expects a dog biscuit as a reward. A reward for what, you might ask? Good question - I have been asking myself that question, too. In any case, that is why she is standing upright in the photograph on the left, looking at me intently, waiting to be given that treat. And is Blackberry spoiled? I think you can answer that question for yourself.

It's January - Missing The Good Life In Florida

It has been cold as hell here in Denver lately, and I am wishing that the condo down in Stuart, Florida my sister Susan and I own was not rented out, and that we could head down there and enjoy the (comparatively) warm weather. I say comparatively, since I remember going down to Florida in December, taking the train from the airport, and being glad I brought my winter jacket, as I watched the snow birds on the platform, in shorts and tee shirts, freeze their asses off. The above photograph, by the way, was taken just a short walk from our condo, showing an egret that once made it's home there along the St. Lucie River. The river was pretty clean back when this photo was taken, but these days it is polluted by runoff from sugar plantations, owned by wealthy, politically connected insiders who donate large sums to elected officials to avoid having to clean up their act. But I still wish I was down there right now. And yes, there is currently a serious attempt to save the river. I certainly wish them luck - they'll need it.

The National Western Stock Show - Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the National Western Stock Show this past Thursday afternoon to take some photographs, and my sister Susan came along, too, to see what it was like. She has never attended this event before, despite living in Colorado for almost 40 years, and really enjoyed it, especially the petting zoo. I took the photograph on the left of her interacting with one of the horses down in the horse barn, on the lower level of the Expo Hall.

Susan did mention that she thought the cows were pretty boring, but I myself  disagree. Down in the cattle barn, everyone seems to be continuously vacuuming their steers. I hope they don't have to do that back at the ranch - they would need an awfully long extension cord, if so. I was especially fascinated to see how they take the cattle into the showers and scrub them down, as seen in the photograph on the right. And is that a blue cow that guy on the right is scrubbing? Must be some sort of new breed.

And as in past years, the Cowboy Bar is back, located right in the middle of the cattle barn. It is a pretty busy place during the evenings, but since we were at the show in the afternoon, it was not crowded at all when I took the photograph on the left. What I want to know is why Coors is the beer of choice for cowboys? Is it because it is brewed in Golden, "Where the West Lives?" That's as good an explanation as any.

As we were leaving the stock show grounds, I wondered once again why there are horses out in front of the place, one of whom can be seen in the photograph on the right, and separated from the rest of the herd back in the horse barn. Are these work horses, kept separate from the horses participating in the various official shows? In any case, that horse in the photo was happy to have it's portrait taken, and seemed to enjoy being outside in the fresh air, as opposed to the "official" horses, stuck inside a building in small stalls. Sometimes it is better not be a star.

The 2022 National Western Stock Show

I went to the National Western Stock Show yesterday afternoon to take a few photographs, and as usual, that meant lots of animal photos. The horses were especially willing to have their portraits taken, including the one in the photo on the left. No doubt they think everyone has a carrot to give them, which someone actually did, although I think she was a member of the family that owns that horse. All of whom were very down to earth and friendly. Part of a world we all thought was long gone.

Most of the action was at the petting zoo on Thursday, which had a lot of very friendly farm animals wandering around, delighting all the kids in attendance, not to mention their parents. The goat in the photograph on the right no doubt also thought I had food to share with him or her. However, just a few minutes after I arrived, a stock show employee came in with bags of hay, and every one of those petting zoo animals was off like a shot to get their share, abandoning all those adoring stock show visitors. Let's face it, it is all about food, whether it is farm animals or your own pets. Loyalty only goes so far.

I really enjoyed interacting with all those animals Thursday afternoon, and everyone at the stock show seemed to be in a great mood, especially the kids. But what I want to know is why two goats in the petting zoo, including the one in the photograph on the left, were in a separate pen, and not allowed to run free with the rest of the animals. They seemed friendly enough, but perhaps once they enter the general population, they start to act up. No doubt an evil mind is behind that innocent looking face. Beware.

Birds Of A Feather

I took the photograph above of some geese at the Colorado State University Botanical Garden up in Fort Collins last week.  As regular blog readers know, I grew up in the Brainerd neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, and can't even remember seeing a goose there. However, we did learn in school that geese - along with other birds - fly south for the winter and north in the spring. Well, here in Colorado, they don't go anywhere - they stay here year round. In that respect, they are just like all those transplants from California that have settled here recently. Perhaps we need to set up a GoFundMe page to raise the money to truck them (the geese) up to Canada this spring. Coming from Chicago, that makes perfect sense to me.

Five Weeks Until Spring Training - Maybe

Spring training is scheduled to begin on February 16th, exactly five weeks from today. However, baseball owners and players are once again arguing over a new collective bargaining agreement, and as far as I can tell, there has been no progress since the owners "locked out" the players on December 2nd. I would not hold my breath expecting they will reach an agreement anytime soon, by which I mean this decade. On the bright side, the strike will not affect minor league baseball, which is cheaper, provides much better seats, features various stunts and contests each half inning, and is just a heck of a lot more fun than major league baseball. My favorite minor league venue, by the way, is Roger Dean Stadium, which is the spring training site for the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, but is the home of the minor league Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals during the regular season. I took the photograph above of a Palm Beach Cardinals game from my front row seat back in the summer of 2008. And so, happily, all is not lost if those millionaires can't reach an agreement. 

Reflecting On The Past While Walking Across The DU Campus

I walked across the University of Denver campus Sunday afternoon, passing the new Community Commons, as seen in the photograph above. This building replaced Driscoll North, which opened soon after I started working at the DU Bookstore back in 1984, and housed cafeterias, a pub, a ballroom, and various student offices. The bookstore is located in Driscoll South, connected by the bridge over Evans Avenue seen in the photo. The university outsourced the store to Follett Higher Education Group 10 years ago, laying off all the employees. These days, to enter any university building, you need take a Covid test, quarantine for God knows how many days, and then apply to the university's Covid coordinator to get a "badge" that gives you access to the buildings. I can't imagine what that has done to the DU Bookstore's sales. An alumni, or parent of a student, would really have to want a DU hoodie or tee shirt very badly to go through all that. Parent's weekend, homecoming, graduation, all those sales opportunities lost. And do I care? I bet you can guess the answer to that one.

The January Issue Of Chicago Magazine

The January issue of Chicago Magazine is out, and once again this month has a lot of interesting articles. The main feature is about the reasons we still love Chicago, which was pretty fun to read, and in addition to places and things I am very familiar with from back when I lived there, such as Western Avenue businesses in the Beverly neighborhood, and biking along the lakefront, it includes places I am not familiar with, and want to see the next time I visit. Most interesting to me, however, was an article about the South Side Pullman neighborhood - bounded by 103rd and 115th Streets, Cottage Grove Avenue, and the Bishop Ford Freeway -  becoming a national monument.

This neighborhood was built by George Pullman back in the late 1800s as a company town, housing workers near the site of his Pullman railcar factory. I occasionally used to visit this area to take photographs, and when passing by on the IC train heading downtown, would see the Florence Hotel, built by Pullman for salesmen and others having business with the company. I will always remember the big sign out front advertising nickel beer. God knows, those days are long gone. I took the photograph on the right of that hotel back in 1972, when it was still a hotel with a bar and restaurant on the first floor, proudly advertising Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, today a hipster favorite. And for God's sake, why is that? But I digress - the Florence, along with a number of other historic structures, are now part of that historic monument.  Be sure to visit the next time you are in Chicago. And if you can't do that, at least pick up a copy of this month's Chicago Magazine. Available at newsstands everywhere, I am sure.

Newport Beach Used To Be Affordable. Who Would Have Thought?

When my sister Susan and I visited California this past fall, we had planned to stop in Newport Beach to have a look around. I last visited that beachside community over 50 years ago, and was anxious to see it again. However, the traffic was so bad that we ran out of time, and had to drive on to San Diego without stopping. Back in 1968, my parents, Nelson and Mary, and I visited my paternal grandparents, Claire and Fleta, who lived in a trailer park in Costa Mesa. Back when they lived in Chicago, they used to spend winters at a place in Newport Beach, as seen in the photograph above. When it became too expensive for them, they decided to live year round at the Trade Winds Mobile Home Park in Costa Mesa, just up the road from Newport Beach, and had a happy retirement there. What I find amazing is that Newport Beach, home of the super rich, was once actually affordable. That just boggles the mind. I also assume that the traffic was not so bad back then, either, which is equally amazing. Talk about missing the good old days, especially if you happen to be a Californian.

The Whistler

 

I just finished reading The Whistler, the first book in John Grisham's two book series featuring Florida Bureau of Judicial Conduct investigator Lacy Stoltz. I was originally going to put in a hold request at the Denver Public Library for Grisham's latest book, The Judge's List, but after reading a review, learned that it is the second of a two book series, and decided to start with The Whistler. This story involves the investigation of a corrupt Florida judge, in league with a ruthless criminal gang, skimming millions of dollars from a casino on a small Indian reservation in the Florida Panhandle. This is an exciting and fast paced thriller, and I can whole-heartedly recommend it. I have now put in a hold request at the DPL for The Judge's List, the next Lacy Stoltz thriller, which has been on the bestseller's list for many weeks now. I am number 240 in line, and so I am sure I will get a copy of it soon, by which I mean early fall at the latest.

The National Western Stock Show Parade - Canceled Once Again!

The National Western Stock Show Parade, which usually takes place on 17th Street in downtown Denver, and is the prelude to the National Western Stock Show's 16 day run at the Denver Coliseum, was canceled this year due to weather concerns. Last year's parade was also canceled, due to Covid-19. It is probably all for the best. I had decided that to get a really great parade photograph - like the ones you see in the Denver Post - I would need to stand in the middle of the street in front of the steers, with Union Station in the background. To do that, I would have had to wear my fake Chicago Daily News (out of business since 1978) press credentials, and most likely would have been either unceremoniously ejected from the area or arrested. The stock show itself will go on as planned, and I still intend to get a photograph of the grand champion steer at the Brown Place Hotel in a few weeks, where it is traditionally invited for high tea each year. Of course, that steer is destined for the slaughterhouse, and high tea is obviously not nearly enough compensation to make it worthwhile. And so for God's sake, make a break for it, guy! And by the way, I took the photograph above back in 2020 from the sidelines. Good enough, but not great.

Epiphany!

This is Epiphany, the day the three kings are said to have arrived in Bethlehem and presented their gifts to the Christ Child. After today, you have no more excuses for leaving the Christmas tree up, and can be reported to mental health professionals if someone sees it is still up after a few more months. Just a heads up, as I am wont to do. Today is also the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection. Donald Trump was planning to hold a press conference, and no doubt make some off the cuff remarks, but canceled it at the last minute. Which I, for one, am disappointed to hear. I will miss his message of optimism and good cheer to all, which, of course, is in the true spirit of Epiphany.

Blackberry Gets Groomed

My sister Susan and her dog Blackberry stayed with me at my condo here in Denver over the holidays, and I am pleased to report that she had Blackberry - seen in the photograph above - bathed and groomed for the holidays. I am not sure how Marie, the dog groomer up in Fort Collins, is able to get Blackberry to stand still for this miracle, but somehow she does. I suspect she uses knockout drops. In any case, whenever I take Blackberry out for a walk these days, she has been trying hard to get back all those smells she lost by rolling around in such things as goose poop, and the remains of a squirrel - the Chanel Number 5 of the canine world.

The 2022 CTA Historical Calendar Is Here!

Right on time, the 2022 CTA Historical Calendar appeared on the Chicago Transit Authority website on New Year's Day, providing another year of fun and historic photographs of Chicago neighborhoods and the streetcars, busses, "L" trains, and other kinds of public transportation used in bygone eras. I just love this calendar - you can download it to your desktop, or print it out each month and put it on your wall. I was hoping to see some photographs of the South Side Brainerd and Beverly neighborhoods - my old stomping grounds - but once again, there were none. Oh well, maybe next year. Be sure to check out the CTA website at https://www.transitchicago.com/historicalcalendar/ to download your copy.

Winter Arrives At Last

Like a lot of places around the country, the weather has remained very mild here in Denver - at least until New Year's Eve, when temperatures plummeted and the snow began to fall. That was, of course, the night of the fireworks displays on the 16th Street Mall - one at nine and one at midnight - which I am sure were just lovely, what with the temperature hovering around zero and the snow blowing around. I did catch the fireworks live on television that night, but was not impressed. I guess you just had to be there. Thank God I wasn't. The photograph above, by the way, is the view from my condo, across the street from the University of Denver, on Saturday morning, when it was a brisk 6 degrees outside. Hard to believe there were actually people getting ready at that very moment for the "polar bear plunge" in Evergreen, in the foothills just to the west of Denver. I suspect they all must be transplants from California. But it does sound invigorating. Perhaps next year.

New Year's Weekend Continues!

New Year's Day was on a Saturday this year, and so the celebration will no doubt continue today. My sister Susan, soon to turn 80 years old next month, advises people still reveling to be sure to "mind their Ps and Qs." She tells me that expression goes back to 17th century barkeeps, who, as part of their job, were supposed to keep a close eye on their patrons. The barkeep would tell everyone to "mind their Ps and Qs," which referred to pints (Ps) and quarts (Qs). Good advise no matter the century. And speaking of centuries, I took the above photograph of Susan sometime back in the late 20th century, when we were visiting our mother Mary at her condo down in Stuart, Florida. I assume Susan borrowed that hat from my mother. As for the bear, I suspect she swiped it from some young kid living in the neighborhood. Hopefully, she returned it.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! Let's hope 2022 is a much better year than 2021. And to celebrate, I am featuring a photograph of my mother Mary and father Nelson, taken in the family room of our house in Country Club Hills, a suburb south of Chicago, back in 1968. I never did like Country Club Hills very much, and living there for 10 years is the main reason I developed such a hatred of most, but not all, suburbs. On the other hand, almost the whole extended family lived close to each other back then, and we all got together frequently. It was only later in life that I realized what a great thing that was. In any case, I hope you all have a great 2022, and spend as much time with your family and friends as possible.