On The Hunt For Wildlife In Colorado

Living in Colorado, I have always been on the hunt for wildlife to photograph. I have searched high and low for moose, bears, and unicorns, but have never seen one. The best I have done is the occasional deer and elk. I have even driven to the Colorado Center for the Moose, located just to the east of Walden, Colorado, which is no short drive from either Denver or Fort Collins, to see moose, without success. Some weeks the only wildlife I see, besides the hipster's in Denver's River North (RINO) neighborhood, are squirrels, such as the one in the photograph above that I took across the street from Observatory Park. Observatory Park is located in Denver's University Park neighborhood, just east of the University of Denver campus, where faculty and staff built large Victorian homes after DU moved to its current location back in 1892. DU's Chamberlin Observatory is in the center of the park. Not surprisingly, this area is a very desirable and expensive place to live. Even the squirrels seem to be fat and happy. But still no moose or bears in sight.

Pizza With Stuart At Grabowski's

My friend Stuart - seen in the photograph above - and I had a late lunch yesterday afternoon at Grabowski's Pizzeria in Lakewood, Colorado. They started out at The Source Hotel and Market Hall in Denver's River North (RINO) neighborhood, and after closing that location, moved to a full-sized restaurant in Lakewood. Grabowski's serves Chicago style pizza, with names like the Classic Chicago and Old Comiskey - definitely our kind of place, since Stuart grew up on the North Side of Chicago, and I grew up in the Brainerd neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. We shared a Classic Chicago, a fennel-heavy Italian sausage thin crust pizza, covered in cheese and cut into squares, just like the ones back in Chicago. And it was really good, with plenty left over to take home. I can definitely recommend it to Chicagoland transplants who are searching for authentic Chicago style pizza. And since Grabowski's has a pizza called Old Comiskey, I have high hopes that they will be televising all the Chicago White Sox games next season. It will be great to have an entire roomful of people to commiserate with.

Mustard's Last Stand - Great Minds Evidently Do Think Alike

Mustard's Last Stand has been in business here in Colorado since 1978, with an outlet in Denver near the University of Denver, and one in Boulder near the University of Colorado. It was started by a Chicago native who "kept running into Chicagoland transplants who couldn't find an honest-to-goodness Chicago style hot dog to save their lives." Although they specialize in Chicago-style hot dogs, they serve hamburgers and other items as well. Working for almost 30 years at the University of Denver Bookstore, and living in the neighborhood, I have eaten there many times. In any case, I was watching the WGN Chicago News online, and there was a story about Northwestern University wanting the city of Evanston, Illinois to approve a new stadium that, in addition to football games, would host 6 concerts, which many neighbors strongly objected to. Business owners were more supportive, including the owners of Mustard's Last Stand, located in Evanston, near the Northwestern campus. And was this place connected to the two Mustard's here in Colorado? I checked on the internet, and no - it was founded by a different owner back in 1969. I also found out that there are two Mustard's Last Stands located in Melbourne, Florida, started back in 1987 by still a different owner. And what does this all mean? For one thing, great minds do think alike, and since all of these operations are successful, Chicago-style hot dogs must be very popular everywhere. Also, I have learned that I have no idea how copyright laws work in these situations, and am too lazy, and uninterested, to find out. And by the way, the mayor of Evanston broke a tie during the city council meeting, and voted to allow that new stadium and those 6 rock concerts, too. Time for Evanston residents to start pricing noise canceling headphones.

A Bad Time To Be Homeless

It got down to 12 degrees the past couple of nights here in Denver, and that made me think about the homeless tents I saw across the street from the British Bulldog Pub this past Friday. These days, the homeless include not only the mentally ill, and people with drug and alcohol problems, but also the many migrants that have been bussed here from red states like Texas and Florida. There have been stories on the local television news of people trying to collect warm clothing for these migrants, many of them from Venezuela, who arrive here wearing only sandals and tee-shirts. The mayor of Denver has made finding housing for the homeless a priority, but due to such overwhelming need, it is not an easy task. Hopefully, during these extremely cold days, the city and non-profit groups can at least get these poor souls into temporary shelters. Common decency requires it.

Thinking About Florida After A Denver Cold Snap

It has been a pretty nippy Thanksgiving Weekend here in Denver, with the temperature reaching a high of only 20 degrees yesterday. And then, after the sun sets, it starts to get cold. Of course, with the wind chill, it felt like 9 degrees out there, which always reminds me that my sister Susan and I actually own a condo in Stuart, Florida, which is predicted to have a high of 84 degrees today. Of course, we currently have renters occupying the place, who would probably object if we drove down and asked to "crash" there for a few weeks, and so we will just have to tough it out up here. According to the internet, Florida is now the fastest growing state in the union, the first time that has happened since 1957. And if it is on the internet, it must be true. The photograph on the left, by the way, was taken of my mother Mary and Susan on the Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale back in August of 1995, where we spent an afternoon after driving down from Stuart.

We drove down to Fort Lauderdale a number of times, and once took a cruise on the Jungle Queen, which docks at Bahia Mar Marina, where author John D. McDonald's hero Travis McGee docked his houseboat, the Busted Flush, at Slip F-18. The photograph on the right was taken of the three of us as we boarded the Jungle Queen for the cruise up the New River, past the mansions of the super rich, who these days are no doubt even richer. After the cruise, I had Susan take a photo of me in front of the plaque at Slip F-18, honoring Travis McGee and the Busted Flush. Sadly, I recently read that that plaque has been removed from the site, and is now located in the gift shop. The article mentioned that the person running the shop says visitors stop in all the time to see it. However, she doesn't understand the fuss - she never read the books. Very sad, as famous Florida resident Donald Trump likes to say. 

Watching Leeds Play Rotherham With Leeds United Colorado!

I went to the British Bulldog pub here in Denver yesterday afternoon with my friend Mark to meet up with Leeds United Colorado soccer fans, and watch Leeds play Rotherham (located in South Yorkshire). For quite a while, I kept hearing Rotterdam instead of Rotherham, and wondered how Rotterdam wound up in the UK's Championship Soccer League. However, I was soon set straight. The Leeds United Colorado group are a very genial bunch, and very enthusiastic about Leeds soccer. Sadly, Leeds and Rotherham tied, but happily, Leeds is still in third place, with dreams of being promoted back to the Premier League dancing in their heads. I took the photograph on the left of Mark, who is doing well and as enthusiastic as ever about soccer, in front of the pub right before we went in.

It has been a while since I was last in the British Bulldog. The building started out back in 1885 as a house, and was turned into a pub not long afterwards. Back then it was called The Punch Bowl, so named because they would hold prizefights there, and bets on the matches would be thrown into a punch bowl. The bar, seen in the photograph on the right, is original to the place, and used to feature bare lightbulbs in a half circle, since lightbulbs were the new technology, and it was trendy to display them. The place remained the Punch Bowl, minus the boxing matches, until it was taken over by new owners and became the British Bulldog. They remodeled the place and cleaned it for the first time since 1900, but it still retains its Victorian ambiance, and is now the meeting spot for many Denver area soccer fan clubs. Nice to see that the place was able to escape urban renewal, at least for now.

The 50th Annual Mile High United Way Turkey Trot

Yesterday morning was the 50th annual Mile High United Way Turkey Trot, which took place in Denver's Washington Park. I have lived in Denver for over 42 years, and this is the first time I have attended this event, even though the starting line is a mere 15 minute walk from my condo. I did not do any running, but simply watched from the sidelines. And, I must say, it was a lot of fun. For some reason, I always thought this event was just one run that started very early in the morning, but in fact there are 4 "waves" of runners, beginning at 9:00 A.M. I arrived at the starting line in time for the 2nd wave, as seen in the photograph on the left, which consisted of 3,000 runners (attendance averages 9,000 a year, and judging by the traffic all around Washington Park, I can believe it).

The crowd was in a great mood, and a lot of the runners were wearing turkey suits, turkey caps, tutus (beats me), and other assorted outfits. As I have mentioned many times before on this blog, people in Denver just love dressing up in costumes, although this is the first time I realized they did it on Thanksgiving, too. Many people were also running with their dogs, and pushing baby carriages. And a lot of people were just walking the route, which is what I would have done if I had wanted to take part and pay the 50-$55 registration fee. And I must say, if an average of 9,000 people attend the Turkey Trot annually, this must be a huge fundraiser for Mile High United Way. Which, of course, is a very good thing.

At the finish line, Great Divide Brewing Company had set up a beer garden, which was doing a booming business, even if it wasn't even 10:00 in the morning yet. It reminds me of an old beer commercial from back in the day: "Pointer Beer - Not Just For Breakfast Anymore." There were food booths around, too, as seen in the photograph on the left. I was actually tempted to make the dog in that photo the next Mutt of the Month, but what the hell - he or she added to the general ambiance of the Turkey Trot, and needed to be included here. Dogs, by the way, also had to register for the event, at $10 each. Surprise!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! In honor of this holiday, I am featuring a photograph of what my sister Susan and late brother-in-law George's dining room table looked like years ago at their townhouse up in Fort Collins, Colorado, when they hosted family get-togethers on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Looking at that table, some people might think it a bit strange. And do I? Let me put it this way: how would you like to have dinner with that damn cat sitting across the table watching your every move? Talk about unappetizing. In any case, I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving, with or without your cat as the table's centerpiece.

School Is Out At The University Of Denver

Final exams ended yesterday at the University of Denver, and the holiday break has begun. And it is a rather long break, too. The Winter Quarter does not start until Monday, January 8th. Let the good times roll, DU students! Back when I was the Finance Manager at the DU Bookstore, before the university outsourced the store to Follett Higher Education Group, this was a very slow time for the bookstore. The stockroom people checked in books for next quarter, the floor staff shelved them, and the textbook office checked with the departments to make sure all book orders for classes had been submitted. However, the sales floor was devoid of customers for almost 7 weeks. Talk about poor sales. At one point, the university investigated switching to a semester system, but decided not to do this, since with a quarter system, students were exposed to a broader range of classes. Of course, the real reason was that faculty and students did not want to give up that long break. The semester system would have meant having an actual Christmas sales season for the bookstore, and so we were all for it. But alas, it wasn't to be. The downside for DU students is that they have to attend classes into the first week of June, while students on the semester system are out by mid-May, grabbing all the good summer jobs. Of course, since so many DU students come from wealthy families, that is no problem. A job is always waiting for them at dad's (or mom's) firm. Must be nice.

Late Fall At The Zoo Part II

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the Denver Zoo this past Saturday afternoon to walk around and take a few photographs. And for once, one of the clouded leopards came out of hiding, and I was able to snap the photograph of it on the left. One of the parents was telling their kids that it was a baby, but I think it is actually the female that rotates it's compound with the male clouded leopard. They used to share the space, but once again, it is the same old story: after the kids left home, they spent all their time fighting, and after many sessions with the zoo's animal psychiatrist, they decided to split up.

The male orangutan was out and about on Saturday, too. This gentle looking beast is always willing to look right into the lens of the camera and pose for a portrait, God bless it. Whom I haven't seen yet is the new baby orangutan and its mother. That baby was born at the end of August, but mother and child still seem to be keeping a low profile. As regular blog readers will remember, the last orangutan baby born at the zoo was cared for by the male featured in the photograph on the right, after the mother unexpectedly passed away, which I guess never happens in the wild. Hopefully, this time the mother and baby will stay healthy.

There is also a new mandrill baby at the zoo, which is much more visible, I'm happy to say. Last time, the mother was sitting right in front of the viewing window, more or less showing off her new baby to zoo visitors, and I able to get a good photograph of the two of them. This time, they were in the back of the compound, although I was able to get a profile shot of them, as seen in the photograph on the left. I think the mother was looking out past their cage to the outside world, and explaining to her child why they could never leave. Sad.

And, of course, I was able to get a photograph of the giraffe, as seen on the right, while I was standing on the platform which is used by zoo visitors to hand feed the giraffes, if they register in advance and pay an additional fee. It is rare that anyone else is allowed to enter the area, but there were two docents present answering questions about the animals, and so I guess it was just a one-time deal. And no doubt, that poor creature thought I was going to give it a snack. Sorry guy!

Late Fall At The Zoo

I went to the Denver Zoo this past Saturday to take some photographs. It was in the 50s and partly cloudy, a perfect day to see the animals out and about - not too cold and not too hot. And so no hanging out inside watching Animal Planet on the tube, or sleeping outside in the shade with backsides turned toward zoo visitors. The photograph on the left is of one of the four bachelor lions that make up one of the zoo's two prides. Sadly, the head of the other lion pride, Tobias, was euthanized last month due to severe medical issues, and his male offspring, Tatu and Oskar, were sent to other zoos to form their own prides. A very sad turn of events on Predator Ridge, as the lion compound is called. Happily, those bachelor lions are more than happy to pose for a photo.

The zoo also lost Yuri, a 12-year-old tiger, to medical issues last November, but was replaced by 12-year-old Victor, who might or might not be the tiger in the photo on the right, who zoo officials hope will mate with Nikita, thus producing tiger cubs for the Denver Zoo. Which is really important, because it will mean being able to take really cute tiger cub photos. The last 2 or 3 times I have visited the zoo, this tiger was at the far end of the compound, sleeping, barely visible to visitors. But this time, Viktor was very willing to have his portrait taken, and even smiled for the camera. Thanks guy!

I was able to access the deck at the back end of the giraffe compound last Saturday, which is a very rare occurrence - it is usually reserved for zoo guests who pay extra for the privilege of feeding those giraffes by hand. As I was walking up the ramp, I couldn't help but notice the ostrich in the photograph on the left, who was in what I thought was the exclusive home of the zoo's zebras. This ostrich was very friendly, and wanted to visit with everyone who passed by, even willing to let me take his portrait. There was a zoo docent standing right next to it, and so I was unable to reach in and pat it on the head, which was of course disappointing. On the other hand, the docent did let me know that the ostriches and the zebras are currently taking turns using the compound, and the zebras were all inside that day, surfing the web, no doubt.

And as usual, the Northern White-cheeked Gibbon was sitting on his island, staring at zoo visitors on the walkway, who were all staring back at him. I have taken photographs of this gibbon many times, and it always seems to me to be in a very bad mood. Which makes sense, of course, since he is imprisoned on this island and can never leave, kind of like a life sentence to Devil's Island. There was another docent at this exhibit, too, giving the monkeys special treats (Hershey bars and M and Ms, no doubt), which explains why that gibbon looks marginally happier in the photograph on the right. All in all, a fun day at the zoo, even if I wasn't able to pet any of the animals.

Thinking About Chicago's Beverly Neighborhood

Back in April of 2009, I visited my old home town of Chicago after a 28-year absence, and in addition to  checking out my old South Side neighborhood of Brainered, I also visited Beverly, the upscale community just to the west of Brainerd. It was originally called Beverly Hills, but the Hills part was dropped for reasons I never knew. The highlight of the community is Longwood Drive, along which is a line of mansions on a tree-covered hill, where executives from the stock yards and other wealthy individuals built their impressive homes. As a child, I was always fascinated by one that looked like a castle that we passed on the way to the Morgen Park Library.  During my visit, I was happy to see that Beverly was still very beautiful and upscale, still well out of my price range after all these years. Sadly, just a few days ago, there was a horrific car-jacking in the neighborhood, as reported on the WGN 9:00 O'Clock News. The suspects were caught, and hopefully this was just a one-time incident, and the neighborhood is still as lovely and peaceful as I remember it. The photograph above, by the way, is the business district just down the hill from Longwood Drive, where the Rock Island coomuter train to the Loop stops, although for some reason they insist on calling it Metra these days. Very weird. 

Chicago Magazine Finally Recognizes A South Side Pizza Legend

The cover story in the November issue of Chicago Magazine features the 25 best pizza places in the city, ranked in order. The article starts out by saying "Homegrown styles have evolved thanks to a new crop of chefs putting their twist on pan, deep dish, and tavern." Of course, in my opinion, the twists these new chefs put on pizza usually involve disgusting ingredients that make the pizza inedible, and so I was surprised and delighted to see that number 15 on the list of the best pizza places in Chicago was none other than Vito and Nicks, from which our family got takeout years ago when we lived in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago. Getting a Vito and Nick's pizza was sheer heaven. Even Irma, our beagle, went absolutely crazy when my father Nelson walked into the house with that wonderful smelling pizza. Vito and Nick's, by the way, opened in 1923, and so I have a sneaking suspicion that they do not have any of those new crops of chefs on their staff. And thank God for that.

No Snow? Oh Noooooo!

This time every year, the weather forecasters in Denver start panicking about the lack of snow in the mountains. This is a big deal out here, since all the ski resorts in the area are now open, and Thanksgiving marks the season's first big ski weekend. But so far, there has been very little snow up there, and the resorts are making do, thanks to snowmaking equipment, with only a few ski runs open. And yet people will actually fork over big money for this experience - a single day lift ticket at Breckenridge currently costs $129. A ticket to Disney World costs $109, and you won't even freeze your ass off the entire day. Granted, I am a cheapskate, but does this not sound just plain crazy? I know that if you are really into skiing, you can buy a season pass, which would make each trip much cheaper over the course of an entire season, but all that means is that you have more chances to die.  And by the way, the photograph above is of a ranch, under a dusting of snow, on Upper Bear Creek Road in Evergreen, Colorado, where to me it looks like they tend to just gaze at the snow instead of ski on it. To me, a much more sane idea.

Thoughts On Riverside Cemetery

This past Halloween I drove over to Riverside Cemetery to take some photographs to put on my blog. I was hoping for a cloudy, dreary day to create a spooky atmosphere, and so naturally, it turned out to be hot and sunny. Perhaps next year I will capture that perfect image. In any case, Riverside is Denver's "Pioneer Cemetery," founded in 1876. It is located along the South Platte River, in what was back then countryside, and was a popular burial spot for the rich and famous. However, once the railroad was built along its border, the area became very industrial, which it still is today, making for a less than idyllic atmosphere. Sadly, Fairmount Cemetery, which owns Riverside, decided a few years ago that it could no longer afford to water the grounds, and the grass and trees have all but disappeared. The only green spaces left are close to the Platte River, such as seen in the photograph on the left.

Fairmount still has two full-time maintenance workers on site, and volunteers with a non-profit staff the office on Saturdays, as well as three weekdays during the summer. Many of the grave markers are very ornate, and very Victorian in style, well worth seeing. Unfortunately, many graves are damaged, and there is no money to repair or restore them. There is a group called Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery that tries to bring public attention to this issue, but they can only do so much - Fairmount will not let volunteers do maintenance work or other such duties due to liability issues. The only solution is to raise an additional million dollars to fund operating expenses, but that does not seem likely to happen. And so part of Denver's history is slowly disappearing. At least the geese in the photograph on the right seem to be happy with the place, at least that part of it close to the Platte.

The November Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the November Mutt of the Month on the outside patio of Syrup, a breakfast restaurant located just across the street from City Park in Denver. And I must say, that dog gave me its complete attention, no doubt hoping I would toss it a few strips of bacon. Syrup's patio is indeed very nice, with a great view of the park across the street, and the food is good too. But like most restaurants in Denver, due to inflation and the increase in Denver's minimum wage over the past few years, the cost of dining out is getting pretty damn expensive. Back in the good old days, breakfast used to be a reasonably priced meal. Now, eating out at any time of the day can require getting a short term loan, no doubt at an interest rate of well over 20%. And that dog thinks I will share my bacon with it? Dream on, my furry friend.

The Boulder Firefly Handmade Holiday Market!

I was driving past the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado this past Saturday afternoon, and noticed that it was packed with people milling about various booths, scattered all around. Happily, I was able to find a parking space just around the corner, which was a loading zone, but only Monday through Friday, and it was free. Free! I hurried back to the mall, and found out that the Boulder Firefly Handmade Market was taking place, which I have never heard of before, but which definitely attracts a big crowd. The weather was perfect, the restaurant patios were full, and everyone seemed to be in a great mood.

I walked the length of the mall, checking out the art, doing a little people-watching, and once again thinking about how fun it would be to live in this very special community. If I was a millionaire, that is. Assuming your average millionaire could still afford to live here these days. I also thought about how much fun it must be to attend the University of Colorado, located just up the hill from the mall. Many of the students walking around probably live in the dorms, no doubt at a much cheaper cost that renting a place in Boulder. But after 4 years, they too will have to face the real world of unaffordable housing, not to mention paying off those student loans. Once again, it is probably best to just come up here from Denver on the occasional weekend, and pretend that you live here. It has always worked for me, after all.

Watching Tottenham Play Wolverhampton With Mark

My friend Mark and I teleported down to Wolverhampton, near Birmingham in the UK, this past Saturday morning to watch the Tottenham Hotspurs play the Wolverhampton Wanderers (aka Wolves) at Molineux Stadium, built in 1889 and the oldest in the Premier League. Tottenham, one of Mark's favorite soccer teams, had been playing very well up to now, and was recently in first place in the Premier League. However, two players who have been key to the team's success suffered injuries, and as a result, the team has slipped in the standings. Evidently, Tottenham suffers from a lack of depth, a concept which, as a Chicago White Sox fan, I can truly appreciate. The season before last, it seemed like the entire White Sox starting lineup was on the injured list, with nobody left to replace them except Little Leaguers. This season, of course, the team was just plain bad. And my advise to Tottenham fans? Get ready for heartache. Tottenham lost to Wolverhampton 2-1 this past Saturday. And, by the way, the photograph above was taken of Mark, on the right, and me, on the left, at Molineux Stadium, just before we teleported back to Denver. Isn't the 21st Century amazing?

Downtown Brainerd - Just Not The Same

Lately, my sister Susan has been waxing nostalgic about our growing up in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Brainerd many years ago. She fondly remembers walking to Fort Dearborn Grammar School, Brainerd Park, and shopping in Brainerd's business district, a single block of stores on Loomis Street between 89th and 90th. I also remember those things, including our class at Fort Dearborn being taken trick or treating in that business district on Halloween every year. I myself never took any photographs of that district, not realizing at the time I would be looking back at that street so fondly. The only photograph I could find of Brainerd's business district is the one on the left, taken in the spring of 1943 of my sister Susan, in a baby carriage, just a little over a year old, and our Grandmother Louise Spillard. And how do I know it was downtown Brainerd? Because I recognize the High-Low Foods Store in the background (more visible if you click on the photo), which was still around when I came along a decade later. 

I went back to visit the old neighborhood in 2010, and took the photograph on the right of what that business district looks like now. Back when I was growing up, there was a Woolworth's Five and Dime and a record store on the left side of the street, and the High-Low Foods and Mayer's Bakery on the right. However, with the passage of time, I can't remember any of the other shops that were located there. Back then, all those places closed at 5:00, except for Thursday nights, when they stayed open late. And every one of them was closed on Sunday. As you can see in the photograph on the right, when I returned in 2010 it was all vacant lots, except for a senior residential building in the background on the right. I imagine all the stores on that block closed, and they bulldozed everything to prevent crime and drug dealing in that deserted stretch. I checked on Google, and there are now apartments on the left side of the street, although it is still all vacant lots on the right. An improvement, but still not the same. Most things never are.

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day, the day set aside to remember everyone who served in the US Armed Forces. It was first celebrated on the one year anniversary of the end of World War I, and originally called Armistice Day. It later became Veteran's Day in the US and Remembrance Day in the British Commonwealth. Both my father Nelson and my Uncle Jack (my mother's brother) served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The photograph above was taken in the Philippines, where my uncle was stationed at the time. He volunteered right after Pearl Harbor, but was rejected due to a hernia, and had an operation so that he would be accepted into the service. His gung-ho attitude gradually disappeared as the war went on. He wound up traveling all through the South Pacific, from New Guinea to the Philippines, and in the process contracted marlaria, which affected his health for the rest of his life. My father, a dentist, was drafted at the age of 35, which was a big surprise (i.e. shock) to him, and was sent to Okinawa to serve in the Army Medical Corps (a MASH unit, as it is known to vintage television viewers). That photograph, by the way, was taken while he was on leave in the Philippines, trying to find out what happened to our cousin, Adam Boysen, who was captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March, only to be killed when an American submarine, although warned not to, sunk the prison ship that was taking the captured soldiers to Japan. War is a horrible thing, and sadly, it appears it will always be with us.

White Sox Play-By-Play Guy Jason Benetti Is Leaving Chicago For Detroit!

Jason Benetti, the play-by-play announcer for Chicago White Sox television broadcasts, is leaving the Sox to become the play-by-play guy in Detroit. Yes! Detroit! Benetti grew up in the Chicago area as a White Sox fan, and attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School in the Southern Suburbs. And why is he leaving his dream job after 8 years? He says he is looking for new challenges, and the position being offered is exactly what he was looking for. I did hear that there was some friction with White Sox managenment about his taking time off to do various national broadcasts, but whether that was a factor in his decision, I don't know. I really am sorry to hear that he is leaving. I really enjoyed the back and forth repartee between Jason, seen on the left in the photograph above, and color guy Steve Stone, on the right. They made the broadcasts very entertaining, even as the team struggled to win games this past season. Hopefully, they can find a suitable replacement, since viewers will need a reason to tune into White Sox games for the next few years, or possibly next few decades, while they try to rebuild the team. Which gives me an idea. Perhaps they should try to steal Bob Uecker, who played play-by-play broadcaster Harry Doyle in the movie Major League, away from the Milwaukee Brewers. After all, the Chicago Cubs already took manager Craig Counsell away from those Brewers just a few days ago. Why not Uecker too? Be sure to mention my name. It will no doubt impress him.

If It Was Good Enough For Monet, It's Good Enough For Me

Of course, I am no Monet, but I do have a habit of taking the same photograph of a place at different times. One of those places is the Boulder park in the photograph on the left. It was taken on October 24th, when the fall colors were at their peak, and shows a man sitting there enjoying the weather and the ambiance. US News and World Report, by the way, has just named Boulder the 4th most livable city in the nation. Of course, the top three on the list are Green Bay, Wisconsin, Huntsville, Alabama, and Raleigh, North Carolina, so who knows what to think? Especially since I read an article that said news stories on my browser home page (Microsoft Start) are now selected by artificial intelligence, replacing living, breathing editors, and contain many "fake news" stories. Which probably means the recent article about aliens from outer space now living all around us might not be entirely factual. And also explains why so many articles featuring subjects like the best states to live in, worst states to live in, best cities, worst cities, etc. often have the same damn places on both lists. Surprise!

In any case, let's get back to my point about taking a photograph of the same subject at different times. I took the photograph on the right of the same view up in that Boulder park two weeks later, and am amazed at how quickly things changed. Except for that person sitting at the table, who seems to be the same one that was sitting there the last time. Evidently, he has found the perfect spot to hang out at, and intends to stay there. Forever. And speaking of lists, a while back I read that Boulder was the 7th most expensive housing market in the country. This was, of course, from one of those articles on Microsoft Start, and so who the hell knows if that is true? All I know for sure is that I really like the view from that park.

So That's Where The Elk Hang Out...

I have driven past Elk Meadow Park up in Evergreen, Colorado many many times. It is a very scenic place, but I have never once seen an actual elk hanging out there. I must say, the place is badly misnamed. And where do the elk around there congregate? I found the answer to that yesterday afternoon, when I stopped for a traffic light a few blocks south of downtown Evergreen, and ran into a herd of elk, as seen in the above photograph (I assume they are elk, but perhaps they are deer - I was born and raised in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, where wildlife was limited to various patrons of the taverns). In any case, they appeared to be heading from the library to Three Sisters Park, located a few blocks to the west. I couldn't help but notice that they were using the crosswalk, as they indeed should be doing, but were crossing against the light. And then it hit me - elk (or deer) must be color blind. Perhaps Colorado Parks and Wildlife should fit them all with those glasses that correct color blindness. Then, the next time they cross that intersection, they will do it safely. Just a thought.

Religion And Soccer: Watching A Scottish Soccer Match With Mark

I watched a soccer match on TV Sunday morning between the Glasgow Rangers and Heart of Midlothian with my friend Mark, seen wearing a Rangers jersey in the photograph above, and learned how religion has become intertwined with soccer in Scotland. And no, Heart of Midlothian is not a team from the South Side Chicago suburb of Midlothian, but from Edinburgh, which I found mildly disappointing, but once again, I digress. I learned from Mark that soccer teams in Scotland were established as either Protestant or Catholic. The Rangers were originally a Protestant team, and its arch rival, Celtic F.C. were Catholic. They originally chose or rejected players depending on whether they were Catholic or Protestant, but no longer do so. However, many fans still identify with the teams based on religion, Rangers fans flying the Union Jack and Celtic fans flying the Irish flag. Lately, reflecting the current political strife, Ranger fans have been waving the Israeli flag, and Celtic fans the Palestinian. I knew about the tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, but it was truly a surprise to learn that those same tensions exist in Scotland. You learn something new every day. And by the way, the Rangers beat Heart of Midlothian (from Edinburgh, not South Suburban Chicago) 3-1 at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

The Day Of The Dead, The People's Fair, And The Taste of Colorado

I went down to Civic Center Park in Denver this past Saturday afternoon to check out the Day of the Dead Festival that was taking place there. And I must say, I was very impressed with the size of the crowd, as seen in the photograph on the left. Of course, the fact that it was sunny and close to 70 degrees helped, too. The festival and a parade were originally scheduled for the previous Saturday, but snow and freezing temperatures forced a postponement. The parade was canceled, but the festival went on without a hitch a week later. 

There were booths selling food and merchandise, as well as various services of interest to the community (after all, who doesn't dream of replacing their windows?), and there were two stages for music, as well as other creative presentations. The focus, of course, was on Mexican and Hispanic culture, but it did remind me of when the People's Fair and the Taste of Colorado took place in this very same park, the People's Fair in June and the Taste of Colorado on Labor Day weekend. The People's Fair was run by NEWSED (North West Side Economic Development), a non-profit organization helping underserved populations in the Denver area. They ran the People's Fair for years, and it was very popular, the first big event of the summer. Then NEWSED decided to buy a Victorian Mansion along Cheesman Park to house their headquarters, and sold the rights to the People's Fair to a for-profit company to fund the purchase. And after just a few years, when they didn't make a profit, they ended it for good.

The Taste of Colorado was run by the city, and was the last major festival of the summer. In addition to many, many food booths, it also featured several stages with musical groups such as Johnny Rivers, Creedence Clearwater Revival (minus John Fogerty) and many others. Then, this past summer, the city decided to skip the big festival over Labor Day Weekend and sponsor a number of scaled down Taste of Colorados, which took place on nearby, closed off streets. Whoop de doo. I still don't know why the city did that. Budget concerns, crowd control issues, a hatred of large, joyous celebrations? In any case, the Day of the Dead Festival was indeed very nice, and a pleasant way to spend a few hours. And who knows - maybe the City of Denver will be inspired to bring back some of the other festivals that have gone by the wayside over the years. And maybe I will win the Powerball Lottery the next time it hits a billion dollars. You just never know, right?

Remembering A Snowy December Afternoon In Chicago

I took the photograph on the left from the observation deck of Chicago's Prudential Building back in December of 1973, almost exactly 50 years ago. I think it must have been starting to snow, but you can still make out Michigan Avenue, East Congress Plaza Drive (the half circle roadway), as well as Grant Park. In the background, the tallest building on the right is 1130 South Michigan Avenue, where my sister Susan and late brother-in-law George once had an apartment, and across the street from it is the main depot and headquarters of the Illinois Central Railroad, now long gone. These days, of course, that depot and the office building next door to it are also long gone, replaced by an extension of Grant Park down to 12th Street, where new high rises now dwarf the 1130 South Michigan building. That observatory in the Prudential Building, where I took the photo, has been closed for years, replaced by observation decks at Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center, or whatever the hell they call those structures these days. Although I have read on the internet that it will soon be reopening, and if it is on the internet, it must be true.

The photograph on the right I took on the same day, and have used it on this blog before. This is what Chicago's Loop looked like 50 years ago. And as I mentioned in that previous post (last year or last decade, I can't remember), I have often wondered what I would have thought back then if someone had showed me a photograph of Chicago from fifty years earlier, back in 1923. I naturally would have thought it was a photo of a long gone era, and wondered what it had been like to live in Chicago way back then. But these days, when I look at the photograph on the right, it doesn't look like a different time to me at all. It looks very familiar, and if I was somehow transported back there, I would feel right at home. And immediately start buying Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and whatever other stocks I could think of. With age comes wisdom, right?

The First Friday Art Walk

I attended the First Friday Art Walk on Denver's Santa Fe Drive yesterday evening for the first time in quite a while. I arrived at 5:00, which is well before the crowds usually arrive, but still had a hard time finding a parking spot. This month many of the galleries were celebrating Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Grateful Dead), which is celebrated in Mexico, but very popular in Colorado, too. I only planned to stay an hour, and so would miss a number of events, including the catrina contest and procession at Museo De Las Americas, but still found some good subjects to photograph, such as the couple in the photograph on the left.

Since the Museo De Las Americas was having the most Dia de Los Muertos events, and it was free admission last night, I headed there first, and took the photograph on the right of a colorful display. Granted, it a bit creepy, but then again, to me, having a Day of the Dead celebration is just creepy to start with. I have no idea what all those things symbolize, but frankly, if they make a good photograph, I don't care.

I knew I was going to miss the catrina contest and procession, but I still was able to get the photograph on the left of a woman in costume. At least I think she was in costume - she was standing at the entrance to the gallery and I assumed she was a greeter or something. Perhaps she was just waiting for her boyfriend. She was checking her cell phone before I snapped that shot. In any case, since I had only a limited amount of time, I didn't stick around, and headed to the Denver Art Society, which I read was also celebrating the Day of the Dead. 

The place was pretty crowded, and many people were listening to the band in the photograph on the right. As far as I could tell, the music did not seem to be traditional Mexican ballads - more like rock and roll - but the stage seemed to be decorated in a traditional way. After staying a few minutes, I headed back to the car and tried to leave the area, with mixed success - Santa Fe Drive and surrounding streets were being closed off for the event, and there were lines of cars arriving for the evening's festivities. It was a very mild night, and so I think that by 7:00 the place would be overflowing with art lovers and revelers, especially at the Renegade Brewing Company, just off Santa Fe Drive on 9th Street. Art is in the eye of the beholder, after all.

The 2023 Baseball Season Is Over - At Last!

The Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 5-0 to win the 2023 World Series 4 games to 1 this past Wednesday night. The Rangers lost 102 games only two years ago, and now have won baseball's biggest prize, giving hope to Colorado fans after the Rockies lost 103 games this year. And if Colorado Rockies fans think that the team might win a World Series just two years from now, they need to get some serious therapy - fast. And so baseball is now over until next February, when spring training starts up in Florida and Arizona. And by the way, last Friday I advised blog readers to bet heavily on Texas to win the series due to the fact that I was rooting for Arizona, and up until then, every single team I rooted for during the playoffs had lost. Time for all of you new millionaires out there to send me 10% of your winnings as a thank you for that valuable tip. Don't forget to mail me a check! I'm in the book.

All Souls' Day And Dia De Los Muertos!

Today is All Souls' Day, a day set aside to remember and pray for the dead. It is also Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a holiday which celebrates the dead by leaving gifts and food at their gravesites, and very popular in Mexico as well as Colorado. Some people celebrate this day by painting their faces with skull imagery, and others dress up as "La Calavera Catrina," a skelton dressed in fancy clothing. Even though Dia de los Muertos officially ends on November 2nd, here in Denver there will be a celebration at the Museo de las Americas in the Santa Fe Arts District during the First Friday Art Walk this week, and also a parade down Santa Fe Drive, as well as a Day of the Dead Festival in Civic Center Park, on Saturday. Who says Denver is still a boring old cow town, although the National Western Stock Show is only a little over two months away. But, of course, I digress. The photograph above, by the way, I took on this most recent Halloween at Riverside Cemetery, established in 1876, where some of the people buried there enjoy taking a little stroll around the grounds on that day, and don't mind posing for a portrait.

All Saints Day!

Today is All Saints Day (aka All Hallows' Day), and in honor of this occasion I am featuring a photograph of St. Francis of Assisi that I took at the Santa Fe Fiesta this past September. Evidently, St. Francis decided to retire to Santa Fe, New Mexico, but still makes an appearance at the fiesta parade every year. No doubt some sort of miracle - the camera never lies, after all. There also seems to be a garrison of Spanish conquistadors in the Santa Fe area, too, as shown in a photograph of them riding past the Palace of the Governors that I posted on this blog back on September 12th. It is still another true but amazing fact. The things you learn when you travel, right? My sister Susan and I intend to look St. Francis up and pay a visit when we return to Santa Fe for next year's fiesta. I am sure he is listed in the local phone book. All we will have to do is find a phone booth. How hard can that be?