Celebrating Memorial Day In Boulder

My sister Susan and I, along with her dog Blackberry, drove up to Boulder from Denver yesterday afternoon to walk around the Boulder Creek Festival, which was celebrating its 33rd year. There was a beer garden, musical acts, artisans, and lots of food booths. This festival was very dog friendly - every other person seemed to have one. Susan's dog Blackberry, as usual, greeted the dogs that were smaller than her, but pretended not to notice the larger ones, including two of the largest dogs I have ever seen, drooling as they scanned the crowd. Blackberry must have a strong sense of self-preservation. Smart dog.

Last year, the festival was delayed until July due to the pandemic, but is now back to its traditional Memorial Day weekend. Boulder considers this event to be the official "welcome to summer festival." Yesterday, it did indeed feel like the start of summer, although Sunday it was cold and rainy, and it probably felt like the official "welcome to hellish spring festival" instead. In any case, as the name implies, the event is held along Boulder Creek, as seen in the photograph on the right, and half the crowd seemed to be just hanging around the river, enjoying the day. The most amazing part of the festival was that I found a parking spot only a block from the main entrance. As we were leaving, I was seriously thinking about asking for 10 bucks to give it up, but I was not sure if this was legal or not in Boulder. If caught, they would probably have sent me to a sensitivity training class, and that I could just not face.

Memorial Day Memories

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, back when I was married to my then wife Lisa, she, my sister Susan, brother-in-law George and I would go on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park each Memorial Day. After all, this was the unofficial start of summer, and what better way to celebrate than a hike in the mountains, despite the fact that the snow never disappears until July? Of course, once we got on the trail and headed up the slope, the snow got deeper and deeper, and the mist thicker and thicker. When George said he wanted to try out his orienteering skills and head off the trail, Lisa always began to cry and demand we head back down to the car. Which we did, winding up drinking beer back in Estes Park. We did this every year, with the same result, and now that I think back on it, I believe this was George's plan all along. It took me only 35 years to figure this out. And yes - in the photograph on the left are Lisa and George, on the trail back in the 1980s.

Another Great Photo From The 2022 CTA Historical Calendar!

The May photograph in the 2022 CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) Historical Calendar is of the Clark/Lake elevated station, built in 1895. Sadly, it was torn down to make room for a modern facility in 1988. I myself remember riding past this station many times. After my parents moved to Stuart, Florida back in 1976, I rented a studio apartment in Forest Park, to the west of Chicago, and often rode the Lake Street "L" downtown on my days off. I have no idea what the new station looks like (new being relative), but I'll bet it has nothing like the charm of the one in the photograph above. Charm beats efficiency every time in my book (the book of old fuddy-duddies).

The Photography And Self Class Celebration And Photo Exhibit

Yesterday afternoon I attended the Photography and Self class celebration and photo exhibit. Photography and Self was a four-session exploration of self through photography and intergenerational discussions, jointly sponsored by the Denver Public Library and the University of Denver. Half the class was made up of DU photography students, and half were senior citizens from the community. One of the instructors was Roddy MacInnes, seen on the right in the photograph above along with me. Roddy is a great photographer, and when I worked at the DU Bookstore, I took many of his classes. Back in April I ran into him while walking my sister Susan's dog Blackberry across the campus, and he invited me to join the class. For the celebration, Roddy printed out large color photographs he had taken of each class member, and exhibited them all along the walls of the room. He told me it was a pretty busy morning getting them all done, and I definitely believe it - there were a lot of people in that class. Great to see you again and take another of your classes, Roddy!

The DAM - One Of The Seven Best New Museums In The World? Really?

According to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine, the Denver Art Museum (the DAM) is one of the seven best new museums in the world. That is really saying something, considering that the museum has been around since 1919 (the same year the Chicago White Sox threw the World's Series. But I digress). Conde Nast reasons that since the eight-story Martin Building reopened in late 2021 after a four-year, 150-million-dollar remodeling, it qualifies as new. And I have to say, the new welcome center (the circular structure to the right of the Martin Building in the photograph above) is very nice. However, to me, the galleries in the Martin Building look pretty much the same as before the remodel. And I am still pretty peeved that the free buffet on Untitled Final Fridays, a monthly event that was halted due to the remodel, has not restarted. To me, that was always the artistic highlight of Final Friday, which has now been changed to a quarterly affair. But no matter. I imagine the publicity from Conde Nast will boost attendance at the DAM, but I advise visitors to eat first before they go. There is no free lunch, and you can quote me on that.

The Heat Is On! Time To Head Out To Wash Park!

After a rather long cold snap, starting today the temperatures here in Denver are back in the 80s, which means it is once again time for strolling and biking through Washington Park. Of course, some people actually take to the water, such as the paddleboarder in the photograph above, bringing his dog along for a ride across Smith Lake. You can also rent paddle boats and traverse the lake that way, too. What I want to know is why Washington Park only rents plastic, bright yellow paddle boats, while City Park, the city's largest, and home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, has swan boats? Is Washington Park not good enough for swan boats? I definitely intend to talk to my alderman, or whatever the hell they are called out here, as soon as possible about this. I am now retired, after all, and have lots of time to devote to such trivial matters, to the dismay of almost everyone. What can I say? Somebody has to do it.

Bye Bye Baby

I just finished reading Bye Bye Baby, the latest Spenser private eye novel by Ace Atkins. The series' creator, Robert B, Parker, passed away a number of years ago, but his widow hired Atkins to continue the series. And I am glad she did. I can't tell the difference between his and Parker's writing. And are the stories as good? Many actually are, although the important thing is that all the characters, including Spenser, his girlfriend Susan Silverman, and his sidekick Hawk live on through these novels. I must admit, Bye Bye Baby is not one of Atkin's best, but it is still a Spenser novel, and it is reassuring he is still wandering the streets of Boston fighting the bad guys. And why is the book titled Bye Bye Baby? I am still trying to figure that one out.

Has Denver Declined That Much That Quickly?

U.S. News and World Report has just released its list of this year's best places to live, and Denver, Colorado, where I have lived for the past 40 years, has gone from the number 2 spot to number 55. In just one year! The magazine cites the high cost of living and the rise in crime as factors in the steep decline. Granted, it is indeed pricey to live here, but both San Francisco and San Jose are in the top 10, and they are not exactly bargain paradises. As for crime, if you are not doing drug deals or wandering the LoDo neighborhood after the bars close at 2:00 A.M., you will probably be pretty safe. Of course, Colorado Springs moved up to the number two spot this year, despite being filled with right-wing crazies. Boulder, the number one best city to live in last year, is now at number 4, despite being the 7th most expensive housing market in the country, all of which means Colorado is still well represented on the list. Of course, I am reminded of the articles I see on the web of the states most people are moving to, and the states most people are leaving, and many of these states are on both lists, which definitely says a lot about their value. And the number one place to live on this year's list: Huntsville, Alabama. That says it all.

Remembering A Visit To Viscaya

I am guessing that my mother Mary, sister Susan, and I visited the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens back in the 1990s, although it could have been a little earlier or later. Vizcaya is a Mediterranean Revival style mansion, containing the original furniture, paintings, and antiques, with a beautiful formal garden, and located along Biscayne Bay in the Coconut Grove section of Miami, Florida. It was built by James Deering between 1914 and 1916. Deering's father founded International Harvester, and James and his brother Charles both started working there in 1880. Deering lived and worked in Chicago, but retired from International Harvester in 1908 for health reasons, after which he built Vizcaya for his winter residence. We all were very impressed with the place, especially the gardens, where I took the photograph on the left of my mother and sister sitting on some sort of seashell bench. Must be a Florida thing. James' brother Charles had a house on Biscayne Bay, too, a few miles to the south, also open to the public and which I have never visited. I am definitely putting that place on my "must see" list and visit it the next time my sister and I are down in Florida. Which considering the weather here in Denver lately, might be very soon indeed.

Springtime In The Rockies Continues

This past Thursday it reached almost 90 degrees here in Denver. Friday and Saturday, the view from the window of my condo looked like it does in the photograph above. Although we did not get much accumulation in Denver, the foothills, mountains, and southern suburbs received 6 to 12 inches of snow, depending on the location. This with less than two weeks until June. Of course, by next Thursday, the temperature will be back in the 80s, which is why people here always say "Springtime in the Rockies" whenever a late spring snowstorm hits, even though Denver is not really in the Rockies. The entire Front Range is actually the western edge of the Great Plains. But what the hell - that saying does sound very wise and pithy, kind of like me.

Big Changes Afoot In Golden

As regular blog readers know, I really like the town of Golden, Colorado, located up against the foothills to the west of Denver, as seen in the photograph on the left. In addition to the popularity of Clear Creek, on which tubers and kayakers play all summer, the town features many old buildings from the late 1800s, including historic frontier era structures in the Clear Creek History Park. Of course, in addition to all those recreational activities that take place on Clear Creek, just downriver the Coors Brewing Company uses that water for it's beer.  I am not exactly sure on the procedure for making beer, but I know it involves a boiling process, which I assume will remove whatever was left in the water by those recreationists further upriver. 

The big news out of Golden is the remodeling of the Astor House, which was a hotel and rooming house built in 1867 for miners, legislators (Golden was at the time the territorial capitol) and others who settled there back in frontier days. In addition to being a boarding house, it also had one of the first bathtubs in Golden, and the Astor House rented that tub out for 25 cents to anyone who wanted a hot bath. The Astor House eventually became a museum, but was not very popular, and for the past few years the City of Golden has been trying to find an alternative use for it. It now appears the Foothills Art Center will build an addition on the back and turn the place into an exhibition space. I just hope they will consider renting out that bathtub for a suitable price (it is still there) in order to maintain that historic tradition.

I like historic structures and have toured the Astor House several times. However, I have to admit that I would not like to actually live there, despite its historic bathtub. Of course, Golden has many houses from around that same era that I wouldn't mind setting up residence in, such as the house in the photograph on the left. Not only does it look like a fine 19th century home, but it is just a short walk from the Golden City Brewery, the second largest brewery in Golden, with a beer garden located in the owner's backyard. Location, location, location, as they say in the real estate world.

Springtime At DU

Spring has sprung around the University of Denver campus, as can be seen in the above photograph. I live across the street from DU, and now that I am walking my sister Susan's dog Blackberry on a regular basis, I have been spending a lot of time there, where I worked as the Finance Manager of the DU Bookstore before the university outsourced it to Follett Higher Education Group. Although the campus is quite beautiful, the downside during the spring is that in May, virtually every damn high school graduation ceremony in the state takes place there, in the Ritchie Center's Magness Arena. Parents and friends clog the streets with traffic, take parking spots reserved for apartment residents, and generally raise mayhem. One year, a woman from Spokane, Washington, looking for a place to park,  drove her rental car right behind me at a high rate of speed as I was pulling out of my space. Naturally, the accident was determined to be my fault. Some insurance companies tout their "accident forgiveness" policies. My company has an "accident punishment" policy, and raised my premium up the wazoo. And no, I am not bitter about it after all this time. Not me. No way. Congratulations Graduates! Welcome to the neighborhood!

Hanging Out With Stuart On Old South Pearl Street

I had a late lunch with my friend Stuart at a Qdoba's here in Denver, and afterwards we headed over to Stella's Coffee Haus on Old South Pearl Street. Stella's has been around for over 30 years, and Stuart - seen in the photograph above - and I both had a couple of decafs on the coffee shop's front patio. Eventually, I looked across the street and saw a line of people a block long waiting to get into a popular sushi restaurant when it opened at 5:00 P.M. Seriously. TO EAT RAW FISH! I myself would never stand in a line to get into a sushi restaurant. However, I would be more than happy to stand in a line that long to get out of a sushi restaurant. If I were them, I would immediately go a few doors down to Kaos Pizzeria, get a table on their patio/garden, have a couple of happy hour beers, and ask themselves why in God's name they would want to eat raw fish. Back on the South Side of Chicago, where I grew up, you would be sent for a mental evaluation if you even suggested such a thing. And with good reason.

The View From Washington Park

I took a walk around Denver's Washington Park a few weeks back, where I took the above photograph of Smith Lake, with Mount Evans, a fourteener 35 miles west of Denver, in the background. The peak is still covered in snow, although the Mount Evans Scenic Byway - the highest paved road in North America and which goes all the way to the summit - is supposed to open in time for Memorial Day. But frankly, it is much easier just to walk around Washington Park and look at Mount Evans from there. And as a lifelong cheapskate, I have to add that it is much cheaper than driving there. In other words, it is a win-win situation, although I hate that kind of business-speak. I say just enjoy the view, and the hell with the rest of it.

The Judge's List

I just finished reading The Judge's List, John Grisham's latest legal thriller. This time a woman whose father was murdered decades ago approaches Lacy Stoltz, an investigator for the Florida Board of Judicial Conduct (BJC), and tells her she wants to file an anonymous complaint against a judge, who she accuses of not only murdering her father, but being a serial killer. Lacy suggests she go to the police, but the woman is afraid the judge will kill her too if he learns her identity. And so Lacy opens an investigation, which soon turns dangerous for all involved. This story was an exciting read, and I enjoyed it very much. I recommend you pick up a copy at your local library today.

Watching Tottenham Beat Burnley With Mark

I watched the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club beat Burnley 1-0 yesterday morning with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph above waiting to be put in the game, with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the background. Tottenham has only one more soccer match left to play this season, and it appears they will finish no lower than 4th place in the English Premier League. This means they will qualify to play in the Champions League, which is the major annual competition for soccer clubs in Europe, and is a big deal indeed. Mark is a Tottenham fan, but also roots for Newcastle and Leeds. Newcastle is not very good this year but will not be relegated to the 2nd tier Championship League. Leeds, on the other hand, has a real chance of being one of the three teams demoted. Mark and his friends in Leeds are going to have an anxious week waiting to find out what happens. And I did learn one new thing watching the Tottenham match yesterday: their fans constantly sing "'When the Saints Come Marching In" during the game, substituting "Spurs" for Saints. I have to wonder if some sort of copyright laws are being violated. Tottenham might owe a fortune in royalty payments, and then have to sell off all their top stars to pay the debt. Just something to think about during the off-season, guys.

Biking Chicago's Lakefront Back In April Of 1973

I took the above photograph during a bike ride along Chicago's lakefront in April of 1973. Back then I was living with my parents, Nelson and Mary, in south suburban Country Club Hills (which has neither hills nor country clubs) and going to school at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). I think on this particular occasion my sister Susan and brother-in-law George came along on the ride, too, although I often rode alone. It is a truly beautiful bike path that passes through both Grant and Lincoln Parks. Once my parents moved to Stuart, Florida back in 1976, I moved into a studio apartment in Forest Park and had no room for a bike. Five years later I moved to Denver, and so it has been well over 40 years since I last took that ride. It is definitely time to head back to Chicago and get on that bike trail again. Be sure to look for my "Go Fund Me" page, which will appear within the next few weeks.

Wild Boars Are Terrorizing Rome!

I read on the internet the other day that wild boars are attacking people in the northern sections of Rome. It will only be a matter of time before they move into the central area of the city, which is filled with tourists this time of year. First Covid, and now this. Italy is highly dependent on the tourist industry, and now it is taking a one-two punch. I took the photograph above of a street scene in Rome back in 2019, and through the magic of Photoshop, I am now showing just what central Rome will soon look like. Will those boars eat the dinners that are on the tables in the background, and then eat the diners, too? I guess that is just the price you have to pay if you want good ham from naturally fed boars.

A Hot Day At The Zoo Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the Denver Zoo Wednesday afternoon to walk around and take a few photographs. The temperature hit 90 degrees, which meant some of the animals were hunkering down inside, enjoying the air conditioning and cable TV. Fortunately, the mandrills were out and about in their compound, including the female mandrill Kumani and Akili, her one-year-old who she holds by the hand 24/7, as seen in the photograph on the left. Whenever I see them, they look like they are terrified of something or someone. Last time I was at the zoo, I thought they were afraid of the large male mandrill, but Wednesday afternoon he was nowhere in sight. Maybe they are afraid of some of the zoo visitors. There are a lot of nuts out there these days, and perhaps they instinctively recognize true crazies. Makes sense to me.

The orangutans pretty much stayed inside on Wednesday, including 4-year-old Cerah, seen in the photograph on the right with the stub of a cigar in her mouth. Cerah's mother passed away last year, and surprisingly, her father Berani stepped into the role of caregiver, which never happens in the wild. Right before I took this photo, Cerah was sitting on her father's shoulder at the door to the compound, while a zookeeper fed them treats. I am not sure what those treats were. It looked to me like chocolate bars, but who knows for sure. I just hope one of the zoo interns brushes their teeth for them every night to prevent cavities.

The only orangutan I saw outside was the one in the photograph on the left, who popped out a door in the rear of the compound, looked around, and then hopped back inside through an entrance by the front.  Obviously, it too prefers air conditioning to 90-degree temperatures. I looked on the Denver Zoo's website to find the name of this orangutan, but wasn't able to locate it. I did, however, find out that the Denver Zoo, in partnership with National Jewish Health, is a leader in the care of male orangutans with respiratory diseases. I can just imagine the reaction of people being treated at National Jewish Hospital and finding out their roommate is an orangutan. I guess that is better than it being a Trump Republican. Orangutans, of course, are intelligent creatures, and do not insist that the 2020 election was stolen.

The Denver Zoo recently acquired two new primates, but I failed to note what kind of monkeys they are. When I arrived at their compound, there was a take-out bag lying on the ground, and they were both busy devouring its contents. Finally, one of them looked up, and I was able to take the photograph on the right. It is good to know that the zoo allows these animals to order take-out and have it delivered. Life can be good, even if you are not in the wild. Just try getting Door Dash to deliver in Borneo. All in all, it was a good day at the zoo, despite the heat. If only you could get up close and personal with these primates, it would be perfect.

One Hot Day At The Zoo

It hit 90 degrees here in Denver for the first time this year, and many of the animals at the Denver Zoo seemed to be feeling the heat. The lions in the main compound on Predator Ridge were either sleeping or just hanging out in the shade, trying to stay cool, as seen in the photograph on the left.  And the lions in the zoo's other pride, in the smaller compound, were all sound asleep. But at least they were all outside. The tigers were evidently all indoors, enjoying the air conditioning and watching the soaps on TV. You would think, since they come from tropical climates, that they would enjoy this weather. All spoiled by creature comforts, I guess.

I was happy to see that the female lion in the photograph on the right was willing to pose for the camera - in a fairly scenic locale, no less - despite the heat. The sun did not seem to bother her, and I have to assume that she is giving me her winningest smile. I have to wonder what she is thinking about as she stares at me? Who is this guy and why is he taking my photo? Will he put it on the internet? Or is she just considering dinner options if she ever gets out of that compound?

The hippopotamus in the photo on the left seemed to be enjoying the day the most, staying cool by playing with a ball in his pool. I know that I have posted a similar photograph in a previous blog, but frankly, I don't care. It would be kind of fun if one of the zoo interns would go into the compound and play ball with that hippo, but I am sure that there are regulations prohibiting such a thing, although that would make a great photograph, which is what really counts.

The May Mutt Of The Month

I took the above photograph of the May Mutt of the Month several weeks ago in Golden, Colorado, while walking around town with my sister Susan and her dog Blackberry. As I have mentioned many times before, Golden was founded in 1859, and thanks to being sheltered from the rest of the Denver area by Table Mesa, has retained it's small town charm. That particular day we walked down Washington Avenue, the main drag, which has many restaurants with dog friendly patios, the proof of which is the dog in the above photograph. Curiously, Blackberry pretends not to see other dogs when they are bigger than she is, no doubt due to a strong sense of self-preservation. Smart dog indeed.

The Dark Hours

I just finished reading The Dark Hours, Michael Connelly's latest Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch detective novel. I put in a hold request at the Denver Public Library as soon as it was published, but didn't get a copy until a few weeks ago. I have always enjoyed the Harry Bosch series, but for some reason, Connelly ages the character in real time, meaning that Bosch is now well past retirement age, and works on the sly with current LA police detective Renee Ballard solving cold cases. Nevertheless, it is still a great series. This time, Ballard seeks Harry's help in the murder of a man killed with the same gun used 7 years earlier in an unsolved murder Harry investigated before retirement. Meanwhile, Ballard, who works the midnight shift, is investigating a series of rapes taking place around Hollywood at the same time. As usual, this is a well written story and a real page-turner. Plus, at the end of the book, Connelly drops a hint about how Bosch, with Ballard's help,  might return to the LA Police Department. We'll just have to wait for the next book to find out for sure. I myself can't wait. Be sure to pick up a copy of The Dark Hours right away.

Cinco de Mayo 2022

My sister Susan and I, along with her dog Blackberry, went to the Cinco de Mayo festival in Denver's Civic Center Park this past weekend, which is the first time it has taken place in three years, due to the Covid outbreak. There appeared to be fewer booths than in past festivals, but I am happy to report that the crowds seem to be back. A big part of the festival was about food, including tacos, empanadas - as seen in the photograph on the left - and the always popular Mexican favorite, "los turkey legs."

Musical performances and traditional Mexican dances were in abundance, too. I biked down to the festival on Saturday, and there were what sounded like punk rock bands playing "music" so loud it hurt the ears. Sunday, when I went with Susan and Blackberry, however, it was mainly traditional Mexican music, and there were also performances by Mexican dancers in traditional costumes, as seen in the photograph on the right.

The most popular event seemed to be the chihuahua races. It was so crowded, it was hard to watch the action, but we finally found a spot where I was able to take the photograph on the left of the dogs and their owners at the starting line. This contest was sponsored by a radio station called JAMMIN' 101.5, which I have never listened to and probably never will. The prize for the winner was $500, and so there were a lot of dogs taking part, some of which looked nothing like a chihuahua. I certainly hope the sponsors checked the pedigrees of all the contestants to make sure there won't be a chihuahua dog race scandal. I would hate to see the JAMMIN people in a jam.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, and in honor of this special holiday I am featuring a photograph of my mother Mary and myself on the 5th hole at the Monterey Yacht and Country Club, in Stuart, Florida, where my mother and father Nelson retired to from Chicago back in 1976. They both loved Stuart. My mother did not play golf before moving there, but soon learned, and made many friends while playing that 9-hole, par 3 course. My father passed away back in 1983, but my mother continued to live at Monterey for almost the rest of her life. And although the complex does have a yacht club, there are no yachts there. due to restrictions on dredging in the St. Lucie River. No matter - there were plenty of yacht club parties even without the boats, which I suspect was the purpose of the place all along. Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Kentucky Derby Day!

Today is the running of the 148th Kentucky Derby, an event that always evokes memories of family for me. We would often have get-togethers on Kentucky Derby Day where my father Nelson would cut out the names of the horses from the newspaper, throw them in a hat, and after putting a few bucks in the pot, each person would draw out the names of 2 horses. We would then watch the race on television, with everyone having "skin in the game," as they like to say in those sports betting ads that now run incessantly on the television here in Colorado. It was a fun time for everyone, and best of all, nobody had to use their phone to place a bet. The good old days for sure. REAL TIME UPDATE: Rich Strike, an 80-1 longshot, has won the 2022 Kentucky Derby. This horse was only added to the field Friday morning when another horse was scratched. How about that!

The Final Photography And Self Class

Today I am attending the 4th and final Photography and Self class, sponsored by the Denver Public Library and the University of Denver. The group is half DU students and half senior citizens, and so, in addition to photography, there is an intergenerational element to it. I must admit, however, that taking "selfies" with my phone, which was what most of the sessions were about, was pretty challenging, especially the assignments that wanted you to depict your true inner self (I am originally from the South Side of Chicago, where we have no inner self). As for having to do everything through your smartphone, I find that truly difficult. As I have mentioned before, this class has made me feel very nostalgic about rotary dial phones. I keep thinking how wonderful that black phone located on its own shelf in the dining room of our old house in the Southside Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago truly was. No having to charge it, no spending hours trying to figure out how to send photos from it, and best of all, not having to figure out how to access your paperless ticket at the turnstile so you can get into the damn ballgame (that wasn't a class assignment, of course. I just thought I would mention it as long as I was ranting).  But the class was still a good experience, despite the technology issues. And yes, on the left is a self-portrait of me in front of the portraits of my Great Grandfather Jerry Spillard and Great Grandmother Mary Margaret Spillard, using the double-exposure and "grunge" features of the Snapseed Photo app. Weird but artistic. Perfect.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a holiday celebrating Mexico's 1862 victory at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Denver has a large Hispanic population, and so this is a major holiday here. In addition to today's celebration, there will be a large Cinco de Mayo festival at Civic Center Park this Saturday and Sunday. Years ago, this celebration took place on Santa Fe Drive, which was a major Hispanic neighborhood back then. The entire community would turn out, and the street was filled with food stalls, craft booths, and music stages. Another festival celebrated on Santa Fe Drive was Mexican Independence Day, which takes place in September. It was at the Mexican Independence Day festival back in 2004 that I took the photographs posted here, but since the two events are practically interchangeable, I thought using them would still be appropriate. Both of these festivals were moved to Civic Center Park near downtown as they grew in popularity.

These days, Santa Fe Drive is the home of the Santa Fe Arts District, and between this district and downtown, large, luxury apartment buildings are being constructed, which has changed the entire character of the area. As far as I can tell, there is still a large Hispanic population in the neighborhoods off Santa Fe Drive, but for anyone who does not own their home, it will become harder and harder to remain there in the future.

Nevertheless, the festival at Civic Center Park is also a lot of fun, and it is good to see it return after being canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid. I myself will certainly be there to walk around, do a little people-watching, and take some photographs. And since Cinco de Mayo is actually on Thursday, and the festival at Civic Center takes place Saturday and Sunday, I will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Seis de Mayo, Siete de Mayo, and Ocho de Mayo. Years ago I mentioned a similar celebration plan to Peter, my former Tattered Cover office-mate, and he told me that that is exactly what happened to the Aztecs. Must be true. Warning taken.

Good News! More Housing For Hipsters!

Denver has been experiencing a major housing shortage over the past few years, especially among the hipster population. In addition to a lack of homes for sale, people are also having a hard time finding rentals. Hipsters are moving to Denver in droves, and due to this shortage, are having to take on 6 to 10 roommates when they move here, causing massive anguish for many. Happily, developers are putting up new luxury apartments buildings all over town, but especially in the River North (RINO) neighborhood, a former industrial area now filled with restaurants, shops, and a brew pub on every block, as seen in the photograph above. RINO is very popular with hipsters, and they desperately want to live there. These days, there are construction cranes as far as the eye can see in that neighborhood. Of course, the apartments in this area are pretty damn pricey, but if you have a brew pub on every block, I am sure it is worth it. Let's hope all those buildings under construction are finished soon. I just hate to see hipsters - especially the ones from California - suffer. But don't we all.

A Visit To Olde Town Arvada

My sister Susan and I, along with Susan's dog Blackberry, visited Olde Town Arvada, just to the north of Denver, Sunday afternoon to walk around and perhaps grab a cup of coffee, sit on a patio overlooking Grandview Avenue, and do a little people-watching. The city dates from 1870, and the downtown area has lots of commercial buildings from that era, now filled with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and various other types of businesses. It was sunny out as we headed up there. However, as soon as we got there, it clouded up, the temperature dropped, and the winds began to howl. In other words, not a good day for people-watching on patios. What can I say? Springtime in the Rockies.

A Warning To All Florida Tourists - Monsoon Season Is Coming Soon!

Today is May 2nd, which means that it is exactly 30 days until the start of monsoon season in Florida. My mother Mary and father Nelson retired to Stuart, Florida from Chicago back in 1976, and my sister Susan and I would go down to visit them 2 or 3 times a year. As I recall, May was just fine, but anytime I visited during the month of June, it seemed to rain 24/7. Of course, June 1st is also the start of hurricane season. Humorist Dave Barry, who lives in Coral Gables - near Miami - has famously stated that the weather in Florida is just fine, except during hurricane season, which runs from June 1st through May 31st. That might be a slight exaggeration, but I would still stay away from Florida in June. And by the way, the photograph above was taken by me of my sister Susan and mother Mary on Stuart Beach sometime during the last century. What year I can't remember, but it sure wasn't in the month of June.

Celebrating Jim's Retirement!

I got together yesterday morning with some of the old University of Denver Bookstore gang at North Italia, in Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood, to celebrate the retirement of Jim, third from the left in the photograph above. Jim worked for CoBank for many years, and enjoyed it, but decided it was time to retire and do other things, such as biking across Europe, which he hopes to do this summer. The brunch was good, and it was nice to catch up on what everyone has been up to lately. In the photo, from left to right, are Linda and Darrel, the former Accounts Payable Manager for the DU Bookstore, who have just returned from a month in Tucson and a month in Southern California, and Jim and Chris, who is the former Accounts Payable Assistant at the store. Great to get together with you guys again!