Returning To The Riverwalk! In the Sunshine!

My sister Susan and I returned to the Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale this past Saturday afternoon, and I must say, it looks a lot better in the sunshine than in a downpour, which happened to us last week. Plus, this time I actually knew where I was going, and we started our walk at the same spot we always did over 15 years ago, when we came here for the day from Stuart, Florida, while visiting our mother, Mary. And it was very similar to what we experienced back then, with lots of trees and landscaping along the way and boats docked parallel to the piers, as seen in the photograph on the left.

But there were differences. Years ago, we would park on the street right next to Stranahan House, built in 1901 and the oldest surviving structure in Fort Lauderdale. This time, we found ourselves in a canyon between several massive high-rises, one of which fortunately had public parking available. It wasn't until we returned and had a drink at an outdoor bar along the New River called Salt 7, which I was amazed to find had an extremely reasonable happy hour ($5 beers and $7 wines, with a wonderful view), that I figured out Stranahan House was located right next door, hidden from view by, of course, a massive high rise.

I also figured out where Las Olas Riverfront, an outdoor shopping mall, used to stand. This was a very fun place to visit in its day, with upscale shops and restaurants, with great peoplewatching. During the Great Recession it lost all its tenants and was eventually bulldozed. Once when we visited there, we had lunch at a restaurant called Cafe Tutu Tango, and as we were leaving, my sister Susan, who really loved the restaurant's funky napkins, helped herself to several packages of them from the waitress station. My mother and I walked a little distance behind Susan, in case she got pinched, in which case we would deny any knowledge of her and come back the next day, assuming she was released on her own recognizance. But happily, that wasn't necessary, and we all drove back to Stuart together. 

That site is now occupied by several high-rise condo buildings, as well as an office tower. A narrow section of the Riverwalk goes past those buildings, with a small marina in front, with no pretty landscaping like the rest of the walkway. Sadly, no one hired me as a design consultant for the project. In any case, it was great to get back there and enjoy that ambiance on a nice sunny day, as opposed to last week, when the only people out and about in the pouring rain seemed to be homeless people taking cover under shelters. A much better experience, to say the least.

The Market On Main

This past Sunday I visited Stuart's Market on Main, which takes place every Sunday from 9:00 to 1:00 in Flagler Park, along the St. Lucie River. It is considered a farmer's market, but like the Urban Market in front of Denver's Union Station, most of the booths feature arts and crafts and various other types of merchandise, and not too much actual produce. And I must say, it is very popular. There were food booths, too, as well as musical entertainment, and so it was a nice place to spent part of the morning.

The nice thing about this farmer's market is that it is right on the St. Lucie River, as seen in the photograph on the right. Sunshine, palm trees, a beautiful river to gaze at, and great people-watching - what more could you ask for? After the market, my sister Susan and I had breakfast in downtown Stuart at Maria's, a breakfast and lunch place that has been around since 1994. It is a local favorite, and the prices are very reasonable - much cheaper than the breakfast places back in Denver. The only glitch was that due to some mishap that I did not begin to understand, the only beverage they could serve was iced tea. But since it was 90 degrees outside and 100% humidity, iced tea seemed like a great idea.

After breakfast, we headed to Rock' N Riverwalk, which is a concert series that takes place from 1:00 until 3:00 every Sunday at a stage located right along the water, with bleacher style seats leading up to the plaza, where people can sit and enjoy the concert. Those who don't like bleacher style seats can sit in chairs or benches under the trees a little further away, but with better views of the river, as seen in the photograph on the left. Stuart Main Street, the sponsor of both the Market on Main and Rock' N Riverwalk, really seem intent on entertaining local residents, and keeping them downtown. Which is not a bad thing at all.

A Baseball Update

Things have gone from bad to worse for my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox. As of yesterday, they are 27-81, 54 games under .500, by far the worst team in baseball. They have now lost 14 games in a row. I know they are rebuilding, but how can they be that bad? Even my adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, who were supposed to be bad, and are, are a less horrible 31 games under .500. And although they are also in last place, they have only lost 4 in a row as of yesterday. At least with the Rockies you have a chance to see them win a game once in a while. As for the Chicago Cubs, the North Side rivals of the Sox, they are a mere 5 games under .500. And although they are in 4th place,10 games out of first, they are 5-5 over their past 10 games. They are mediocre, but my only wish now is for the White Sox to start playing mediocre ball. As of now, I wonder if they will ever win another game. Hearts are heavy on the South Side these days, although to be honest, I doubt anyone is truly surprised. Nobody on either side of Chicago has ever been surprised at how bad their team is. Wait until next year, people. Or perhaps next decade.

Meanwhile, Back In Denver...

I read in the Denver Post yesterday that a record number of new apartments (7,349) went on the market in the metro Denver area during the second quarter of 2024, and that 7,892 (more than were built) were snapped up by renters. The big question is why. Migration to Denver from other states has decreased significantly since the pandemic, and the cost of renting a place in Denver these days is astronomical, especially in newly built buildings. The article I read says it is probably due to all the 25-to-35-year-olds still living with their parents or non-relatives while waiting to find something decent to rent, their number estimated at around 70,000. All I can say is that these 25-to-35-year-olds must make huge salaries to be able to afford these places. I sure would like to know what they do to earn a living. Perhaps I should come out of retirement for a few years. Or perhaps not. And by the way, the high rise in the photograph above is Country Club Towers, located across the street from the Denver Country Club. It is not brand new, but new enough that they charge $2,300 to $2,800 a month for a one bedroom, one bath apartment. That's almost $28,000 to $33,000 just for rent. For a one bedroom. Who are these people who can afford something like this? Or do they all just have 12 roommates to help pay for it all. Sounds pretty damn cozy to me.

My Parent's Wedding Anniversary

Today would have been my parents Nelson and Mary's 84th wedding anniversary if they were still alive today. They were married July 27th, 1940, at Uncle John Tallman's farmhouse in Geneva, Illinois. The photograph on the left shows them at Hobe Sound Beach on Jupiter Island in the summer of 1977, the year after they moved to a condo in Stuart, Florida from Chicago. They both loved it there. My father could play golf every day, and my mother learned to play golf, too, making more friends there than at any other time in her life. Sadly, my father passed away in 1983 at the age of 74, but my mother stayed on in Stuart for almost 30 years, leaving my sister Susan and I her condo when she passed away. Which we have now taken back after renting it out for the past 15 years. And after being here for a couple of weeks now, I have to stay that Stuart is as wonderful as ever, and this condo does indeed feel like home. Almost like the spirits of my parents are still here, celebrating their anniversary. One can always hope.

Wish You Were Here!

But I suspect not really - many people probably have only limited room in their places for guests. Unless you have them camp out in a sleeping bag on the screened-in porch. In the summer. With temperatures in the 80s at night and 100% humidity. And if they wake up the next morning and find their guest - or guests - deceased, it would take hours until they could finally get back to the beach. But wishing you were here is indeed a nice sentiment. That particular photo opportunity, by the way, is located in Fort Pierce, Florida at Jetty Park. Fort Pierce has really done a very good job in recent years fixing up their waterfront, adding a marina, a Manatee Observation and Education Center, restoring historic buildings, and reviving their downtown.

However, while the downtown, riverfront, and areas along the ocean are all very nice, to the west and northwest of downtown there is a very high crime rate, and 29% of the population lives in poverty. The next step is for the city to start tackling those issues, which is much harder to deal with. I have seen the chief of police, city leaders, as well as neighborhood activists on the local television news, and they all seem dedicated to working together to fix those problems. Which is a good thing indeed. The photograph on the right was also taken at Jetty Park, showing the Fort Pierce Inlet, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean beyond. These are the waters people maneuver through on their way to the Bahamas. If you have a yacht, that is. If not, I hear kayaks are very affordable, and very seaworthy in the ocean. Enjoy!

Stumbling Upon The Original Mulligan's Beach House Bar And Grill

My sister Susan and I took a drive up to Vero beach from Stuart, Florida the other day, and when we got to the beachfront there, discovered the original Mulligan's Beach House Bar and Grill. I know this because I recently saw it listed in an article as one of the best beach bars in the area, which it does indeed seem to be. It is situated right above the beach, with great views from the outdoor patio, as seen in the photograph on the left. We had already picked up a gourmet style lunch, known as a Biggie Bag, at Wendy's, and eaten it at a table at Stuart Beach, and so had to skip dining at Mulligan's that day, but hope to come back soon. And I am sure they will have a comparable item on the menu similar to that $5.00 biggie bag.

And as you can see from the photograph on the right, that beach is indeed very nice. The only problem is that this time of year, there is often a brief thunderstorm in the afternoon, which can disrupt the routine of even the most dedicated beachgoer, which looked very likely to happen any moment. Happily, the rain stayed inland, and it never did rain there, but it certainly looked threatening enough to take precautions. Vero Beach, by the way, is home to retired Miami Hearld columnist and comic mystery novelist Carl Hiaasen, musician Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio, as well as mystery writer Stuart Woods. None of whom I saw on the beach. Go figure.

Adrift On The Riverwalk

My sister Susan and I drove down to Fort Lauderdale from Stuart, Florida this past Sunday afternoon to walk along that city's Riverwalk. It has been quite a few years since we last did that, and so I was not quite certain how to get to the area we used to walk along, which I remember as being very beautiful. Naturally, we headed in the opposite direction, and never did find that stretch of riverfront, although many parts of river were indeed very scenic, as seen in the photograph on the left. We very well might have eventually found it, but it started to rain pretty heavily, and we took cover under a shelter along the river. When the rain let up, we didn't want to chance getting caught in another downpour, and so headed to The Wharf for a beer before heading back to Stuart.

When we used to visit Fort Lauderdale years ago, we always stopped at an open-air, riverfront shopping plaza called Las Olas Riverfront. That center evidently went downhill after the Great Recession in 2008, was torn down, and replaced by two high rise apartment buildings and an office tower, which I must say are not nearly as attractive as that park-like shopping plaza. I noticed on a map that The Wharf, an outdoor bar and event center, was right next door to this complex, along the New River. When we arrived, the outside tables were still pretty wet, and so we sat under a large, covered space, on the opposite side of the bar from where there was some sort of mass dance lesson going on. The music was pretty loud, which was a bit irritating, but what I really found disappointing was that the view of the river was obscured by hedges. Why have a patio bar along the Riverwalk if you can't see the river? It boggles the mind.

In any case, as we were leaving The Wharf, I took the photograph on the left of a sculpture attached to that office building next door. And I have to say, it is pretty damn weird. I think there is greenery under the statue's blouse, and it appears that people are actually walking into her chest. We didn't walk over to confirm that, since the skies still looked stormy, and we wanted to get back to the car before the next deluge. In any case, after carefully consulting a google map of Fort Lauderdale (after the fact, of course), I now know exactly how to get to that segment of the Riverwalk we were trying to find, and hopefully we will come back to walk it in a week or two. But only if no rain is forecast within a few hundred miles of the place.

The Running Of The Hemingways

This past weekend Hemingway Days took place down in Key West, Florida, and one of the major events of this festival is the Hemingway lookalike contest, which takes place over a three-day period at Sloppy Joe's, the bar where the original Hemingway used to drink. Before the winner is announced on Saturday night, they hold a "Running of the Bulls" down Greene Street, a parade featuring all the Hemingway look-alikes that marches past Sloppy Joes, as seen in the above photograph. I always thought it would be fun to attend this event, but each time I get a chance to do so, I wind up skipping it. For one thing, it is two hours to Key Largo from Stuart, Florida, where my sister Susan and my condo is located, and another three hours from there to Key West. This means staying overnight in a motel, which costs a bloody fortune in that town, especially on this particular weekend. Not a Motel 6 in sight down there. Plus, the place is wall-to-wall people during these events. Now that I am an old curmudgeon, not to mention a self-proclaimed cheapskate, it sounds to me more hellish than festive. Best to just drive to Stuart Beach, hang out, and resolve to attend next year. Maybe.

A Chicago Flashback

I ran across the photograph on the left of my sister Susan and late brother-in-law George the other day that I took along the lakefront in Chicago back in 1973. I am pretty sure that I took it in front of the Shedd Aquarium as we were just starting our ride along the lake from there to where the bike path ended, at Thorndale Avenue and Sheridan Road. Our ride took us along Monroe Harbor, through the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, and past Oak Street Beach, Belmont Harbor, and other fun sites along the water. I don't see how anyone can take that ride and not believe that Chicago is one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

I took the photograph on the right as we approached Thorndale and Sheridan. At the time, Susan and George were living in an apartment right across from the IC (Illinois Central) station - which is now a brewpub, by the way - in South Suburban Flossmoor. I myself was attending the Illinois Institute of Technology and living with my parents Nelson and Mary in nearby Country Club Hills (which had neither hills, a country club, or for that matter, even trees). And thanks to the magic of the internet, I now realize that this location is the site of "Bob Newhart's Thorndale Beach North Condominium," portrayed as his residence on the Bob Newhart Show, which was on television at the time. It is in the background of the photo right behind Susan. Sadly, Newhart passed away last week at the age of 94. A great show that took place in a great city.

The Pirate's Loft

My sister Susan - seen in the photograph on the left - and I had dinner last night at the Pirate's Loft, a restaurant located at the Pirate's Cove Resort and Marina in Port Salerno, Florida. The patio deck there has a great view of the marina and Manatee Pocket, which leads to the St. Lucie Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. We used to dine there with our mother Mary every time we visited her, and the place has not changed very much at all. However, I was surprised when a band started playing on the dock below. I thought they were playing for the diners up on the patio. They started with Born to be Wild and then moved on to the Beatles' I Saw Her Standing There (in other words, geared to our age group - old), but I later learned there is a Tiki Bar just below us along the dock, and so I assume there was a large crowd grooving to the music down there.  

As I gazed out at the marina, I recognized one of the boats - a deep-sea fishing vessel called Safari I and seen in the photograph on the right. This particular boat was here when we used to visit our mother, which was over 15 years ago. As I recall, there was also a Safari II, but I believe it sank one night during a very wild party. In any case, I have heard that ships can last for over 30 years if well-maintained, and so I am sure it is perfectly safe to head out into the ocean on it and catch a marlin or two, if that is what you want to do. However, dining on a patio deck and looking down at it is quite enough for me, thank you very much. Susan and I both enjoyed our dinners at the Pirate's Loft and are glad to see it is still doing well after all these years. We will definitely be back. 

A Surprise Manatee Sighting

There have been a lot of commercials on local television promoting Manatee Lagoon, which educates the public about endangered manatees and is located in West Palm Beach, Florida, and so I decided to look at their web site to see if I wanted to visit it. That website stated that manatee season is from November 15th through March 31st, and so I decided to put off a visit until the fall. And so, when I was wandering around the Fort Pierce Marina yesterday afternoon, I was surprised to hear a woman shout out that there was a manatee (who no doubt didn't get the memo) in the water next to a cabin cruiser. Of course, I sprang into action and tried to take a photo of it, but by the time I got to the railing I could only see it's backside as it swam away, as seen in the lower left of the photograph on the left.

That manatee was headed in the direction of the Fort Pierce Manatee Observation Center across the harbor, and so I hopped in the car and drove over there, hoping I might spot it again. But no such luck. The only wildlife I saw was the heron in the photograph on the right, which was definitely entertaining that young child, but for me - not so much. Still another lost opportunity to photograph giant creatures in the wild.

As I was walking back to the car, I noticed that there was something called the Seven Gables House Visitor Center right across the parking lot, not to be confused with the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, made famous in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel of the same name. I read the informational sign about the place, and learned that it was built in 1905, and in 1943 became a brothel, which was very popular with the servicemen stationed in Fort Pierce back then. It was restored and moved to the waterfront, where the Chamber of Commerce uses it to promote various attractions in the area. A strange choice to represent the city, but Fort Pierce is a port town after all, and it is Florida, and so I guess it makes sense in a warped kind of way. Kind of like Florida itself.

Lions And Tigers And Bears - Oh My!

Actually, all those lions and tigers and bears are safely tucked away in their compounds at the Palm Beach Zoo. But outside the zoo, there's a lot of wildlife out there here in Florida. Most famous are the alligators, such as the one in the photograph on the left. Although they are alleged to be everywhere, I have not personally seen one in quite a while. I took that particular gator photograph while on a boat tour through the Okefenokee Swamp, near Waycross, Georgia, back in 1975. I think not seeing any gators lately is because I just don't hang out in places that alligators tend to frequent, which I suppose is a good thing for safety reasons, but not so great for wildlife photography.

The best I have done so far is to photograph geckos, such as the one on the right, which I took on the boardwalk along Stuart Beach. I never have had much luck finding more interesting animals in the wild such as those gators, crocodiles, panthers, bears, and everyone's favorite, giant Burmese pythons. I saw on the news not too long ago that up in the northern part of Florida a bear somehow wound up in the ocean, swam to shore, calmly walked past sunbathers on the beach, and then headed back into the wilderness. Now it is just plain dumb luck getting video of something like that, unless of course it was all staged. In fact, I think I will demand an investigation. Probably another example of fake news.

Yacht Or No Yacht? That Is The Question

A few years ago, while we were renting out our condo in Stuart, Florida, I daydreamed about buying a used live-aboard cabin cruiser, mooring it at a marina just down the street. At the time, it cost around $600 to dock it there, and my sister Susan and I and her dog Blackberry, who was still alive then, could live aboard it, keep renting the condo, and I could finally begin channeling my inner Travis McGee. I even looked online at Boat Trader and found a suitable candidate at a price I could afford. I even called the marina and asked them if that cabin cruiser was in good condition and sea-worthy. The answer was "you get what you pay for." Which means of course it either would have sunk with all hands aboard or else required a tow, which I have leaned costs about $750. Can you not just call AAA? I'm a member! In any case, I decided it was best to wait and take back the condo when we could, and just admire the boats from the shore. The photograph above, by the way, shows a little inlet off the St. Lucie River which we pass almost every day on our way to Publix and back. Now THAT is a sight you don't see on your way to the King Soopers grocery store in Denver.

Getting Squirrelly At The Beach

I took the photograph on the left of a squirrel looking for handouts next to our table at Stuart Beach, Florida, where my sister Susan and I were having lunch at the Seaside Cafe. I know I have ranted about how Martin County Parks and Recreation removed or modified all the beach shelters there to make this cafe, but have discovered that one of these shelters has been made into a dining area with tables and high stools that allow you to eat and still look out at the ocean while you do. Plus, since the restaurant is run by the county, you can bring your own food and drink and not have to pay the high prices that the cafe charges, which works great for a confirmed cheapskate like me.

The only problem is that there are only three tables available there. It is easy to snag one of them on a weekday during the summer, but I suspect it might be much harder to get a spot during the season (January through March). Unless, of course, you just stand there with your arms folded waiting for the occupants to leave. But since virtually everyone in Florida seems to carry concealed weapons these days, it might not be advisable. In any case, that squirrel has no such problem. The vegetation grows pretty thick down here, and it has plenty of space to wander around in after some kind diner gives it part of their crispy chicken sandwich. Which sadly we did not do. Definitely not healthful for a squirrel, unlike for us humans.

Returning To The Jolly Sailor

At least that's what I call it. The Jolly Sailor Restaurant was located in downtown Stuart, Florida for 27 years before the couple who owned it decided to retire. That restaurant was famous for having a traditional London Black Cab (a hackney carriage) parked out in front. That couple came out of retirement in 2009 to open Sailors Return, seen in the photograph on the left and located directly on Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage in Stuart. I discovered their outside bar, with a great view of the marina and St. Lucie River, in 2016, when I was down fixing up our condo to rent out. The original sign from the Jolly Sailor was hanging to the right of the bar, and so I have always thought of the place as two separate entities - the Jolly Sailor outside bar and the upscale and pricey Sailors Return restaurant next door. 

I must say, years ago summer was a very quiet time in Stuart - traffic was light, there was no waiting to get a table at a restaurant, and it was a laid-back atmosphere. Not anymore. The Jolly Sailor was hopping when we got there, with a trio playing jazz on the outdoor stage. A lot of people seemed to know each other. I was wearing a Martin County Tigers (the local high school team) polo shirt that I bought years ago at Walmart, and one of those locals visited our table to find out if I had grown up in Stuart. I explained that my parents moved there in 1976, and I have visited often since then. He himself had moved there in 1979 and just loves the place. The photograph on the right shows my sister Susan with a glass of chardonnay, enjoying the ambience. 

This place is great for people watching. There were a lot of locals having fun, and a lot of characters hanging around, too. I can just imagine the two fellows sitting at the table in the photograph on the left having just docked their boat after a long day of charters, fishing, or whatever they do on the high seas. If I see them the next time I am there, perhaps I will ask if I can join the crew.

As we were leaving, I noticed that the Sailors Rest has spaces in front of the restaurant for people to dock their boats or stop and pick up or drop off passengers. And I must say, many of the boats at that marina are huge, no doubt able to head to the Bahamas or points further out with no trouble at all. Back in 2016, I walked along the piers looking at all those boats, and I saw one whose home port was Centennial, Colorado, just a few miles south of my condo in Denver. I am not sure how they are able to travel to a suburb of Denver by water, but I intend to head back to that marina and see if that yacht is still there. If so, I will see if I can find the owner and get the exact route, just in case I need an alternative way to get from Stuart to Denver. No doubt that passageway is a well-kept secret.

Remembering Britannia

My family and my Uncle Bill's family (my mother's brother) used to spend two weeks every July at a resort on the Lake of Bays in Ontario called Britannia. My memory of that resort is not too good, since they went there before I was born. From all accounts, it was a wonderful place for a vacation. My father Nelson and Uncle Bill would play golf there for two weeks, and the rest of the family would hang out at the beach. According to my sister Susan, the place had a wonderful chef, and Susan and her cousin Judy would be waiting at the doors of the dining room when it opened for dinner. They were both very demanding, and no doubt a handful for the waitresses, who no doubt took turns having to wait on them. It was the kind of place where you had to dress for dinner. In the morning, someone would walk the halls ringing a bell and singing "Wakee wakee, rise and shine, breakfast is served at 8:00, not 9:00. Eventually, the owner passed away, and the son inherited the resort. He built a new building and raised prices up the wazoo. After that, the families went to a place called Lumina, also on the Lake of Bays, and then Torpitt Lodge, on Sparrow Lake near Orillia in Ontario, which I do remember. Britannia is long gone, as is Torpitt Lodge, although Lumina is still there. In the photo above, posing in front of the Lake of Bays at Britannia sometime before 1953, are, in the back row from left to right, my Aunt Elsie, Uncle Bill, mother Mary, and father Nelson. In the front row, from left to right, are my cousin Linda, cousin Judy, sister Susan, my maternal Grandmother Louise, and Grandfather Bill Spillard. Fun times in a long-gone era.

Happy Bastille Day!

Today is Bastille Day in France, marking the start of the French Revolution back in 1792, and to celebrate this holiday, I am featuring a photograph that I took of the Eiffel Tower back in 2019. I have watched people celebrating Bastille Day on the PBS television show Rick Steve's Europe, and it truly looks like fun. However, what with the crowds, the additional expense, and the difficulty of finding a hotel room, I think I will skip attending that celebration for the foreseeable future. And I suspect I am not alone. In fact, the same issues will apply to the Olympics being held in Paris starting this month. I saw on the news the other night that Delta, which has the most flights to Paris of any airline, is losing a fortune because everyone who is not attending the games is avoiding the place. No problem - I am sure they can just make it up by putting off other expenses, like maintenance. What could go wrong? 

Seriously? It Costs How Much Per Night?

I walked around downtown Stuart, Florida yesterday afternoon and wound up at Colorado Avenue Park, along the St. Lucie River, right next to what is called the Owl House, as seen in the photograph above. It was built in 1904 and got its name from its four-pointed gable roof that resembles the head of an owl. I have passed by this house many times, but never bothered to check out the place on the internet until now. And I was surprised to learn it was owned by the Old Colorado Inn, a 1920's era pastel-colored hotel. This house is right on the St. Lucie River, has 5 bedrooms, and sleeps 14 people, and the Old Colorado Inn runs it as a "retreat." Evidently, they only rent out the whole house, and to rent it for one night in July - the middle of summer in Florida, no less - costs $599 ($856 with fees, plus tax). Granted, the cost if you got 14 people together to stay there would be about $60 each, but how do you fit 14 people comfortably into 5 bedrooms? I think your money would go much further staying at a seaside luxury Motel 6 Resort Hotel and Spa. Of which there are many. That is what I would do, as a confirmed cheapskate. Let's face it - in your hearts, you know I am right. With apologies to Barry Goldwater.

The Return Of The Prodigal Son

Not exactly, of course. Not even close, actually, but it does make it sound much more dramatic. My sister Susan and I returned to our condo in Stuart, Florida for the first time in 15 years yesterday morning, not counting a few short trips to fix the place up to rent out, and we will finally be able to stay there for as long as we want, whenever we want. And it just feels great. I had to drive all over town yesterday to buy a new television, a new microwave, and groceries at Publix, and it looked and felt like nothing there had changed. Granted, the traffic seems worse than it used to during the summer, and Stuart Beach has undergone significant changes since Susan, my mother Mary, and I used to hang out there years ago, but those are minor issues. And I couldn't be happier to be back. The only fly in the ointment is that due to the huge increase in the cost of property insurance, monthly HOA fees have gone through the roof. Of course, being a curmudgeon and a self-proclaimed cheapskate, it does give me something to complain about. And I can always get a part-time job as a bag boy at Publix if I need to. So no problem. The self-portrait above, by the way, shows me in front of the entrance to our side of the complex, along the St. Lucie River. Our condo, the end unit located on the first floor, can be seen in the background. Paradise Regained!

A Quarter Of A Century Goes By Quickly! Surprise!

I took the photograph above of a sunset over the St. Lucie River down in Stuart, Florida back in August of 1999, and I just realized that next month it will be 25 years - a quarter of a century, no less - since I took that snapshot. My sister Susan and I have been renting out our condo down there, just a short walk from the St. Lucie River, for the past 15 years, but have decided to finally take it back. And no surprise, things have changed dramatically down there since then. But hopefully, that view of the sunset will always stay the same.

The July Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the July Mutt of the Month standing on the doorstep of a shop just off the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. I think he might be the shop owners' dog, and his or her official job is to greet customers on their way in. A very nice touch, I think. And by the way, at every cross street along the mall, there are signs posted saying that dogs are not allowed. But this is Boulder, after all, and so everyone walks their dog on the mall anyway, and nobody hassles them about it. Another reason to love Boulder.  

Thoughts On The Mountain Sun Brewery And Vine Street Pub

I walked past the Mountain Sun Brewery when I was up in Boulder on the 4th of July, and it looked like it was doing a pretty good business. It is located just to the east of the Pearl Street Mall, in what to me is a very prime location. It has been many years since I have been in there, but I used to stop at their sister location on 17th Street in Denver, the Vine Street Pub. I did not frequent it all that much, because like the Mountain Sun, it would only take cash or checks. And I am famous for having no cash. Darrel, my friend and former University of Denver colleague and his wife, Linda, went there once and did not have any cash. However, the Vine Street Pub provided them with an envelope to mail the payment to them, which was a really nice gesture. and seems like something from a different era.

In any case, the Vine Street Pub closed down during the pandemic in 2020 and stayed closed for 4 years. It only reopened, to great fanfare, I might add, last month, with hours from 3 until 9 Wednesday through Sunday. And as you can see from the photograph on the right, it is just as popular as ever. And best of all, they now accept credit cards. Years ago, I went there with my friend Stuart to have dinner. We each ordered a beer, and then realized it was a cash only place. We dug in our pockets to see if we could come up with enough cash to pay for the beers, which we did, and then headed to a place that did take credit cards. Now, after all these years, we can finally return there one of these days and continue with that dinner. At last! 

More On The Cherry Creek Arts Festival

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, my sister Susan and I attended the 2024 Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and we both enjoyed it very much. I myself really enjoyed the photography. There were no less than 22 photographers featuring their work, including travel photographer James McArthur Cole, who works out of Plainfield, Illinois, not too far from Chicago. Many of the photographs he was featuring were black and whites of Cuba and its people, including a woman smoking a cigar, as seen in the photograph on the left. Another photographer I liked was Clifton Henri, whose studio is located in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, not too far from the South Side Brainerd neighborhood where Susan and I grew up. He was displaying black and white photographs featuring people from the South Side of Chicago, as well as photographs of the people and places of Cuba.

I also liked the work of Igor Menaker, who is also from Chicago and does black and white prints of the city, as seen in the photograph on the right. Not all of the photographers were from Chicago, of course. I really liked the work of Michael D. Rieger, who has a gallery in Denver and creates photo etchings (hand printed images transferred to etching plates). I think that would be a fun type of photography to learn, and am tempted to see if it might be taught at the Art Students League of Denver, which will host the annual Summer Art Market on the streets in front of their school later in the summer. It might be fun, but I suspect very messy, too, what with all that ink. And I don't do messy very well. In any case, I really enjoyed this year's Cherry Creek Arts Festival. It was well worth having to put up with the heat to see it.

The 2024 Cherry Creek Arts Festival

My sister Susan and I attended the Cherry Creek Arts Festival here in Denver yesterday afternoon, and I must say we both enjoyed it very much. This festival takes place in the streets of Cherry Creek North and features over 250 juried artists from all over the country. I myself thought the art was especially good this year, although most of the paintings that I thought would look best over my sofa were priced in the six-to-thirteen-thousand-dollar range, which was slightly over my budget.

As usual, it was sunny with temperatures in the 90s, but nobody seemed to mind. Everyone was in a good mood, and Susan tells me she thought the people-watching was actually the best part of the show. A number of people brought their dogs, one of whom wore booties to protect its paws from the hot payment, and one who actually wore shoes. They looked like Bass Weejuns. Do they actually make loafers for dogs these days? Perhaps it is just a Cherry Creek thing.

This is the 33rd year for this event, and it is one of the most prestigious art festivals in the country. It is so prestigious, they don't even have a Giant Turkey Legs booth in the food areas, unlike every other festival in the State of Colorado. Years ago, when the Tattered Cover Bookstore had its main store in the North Cherry Creek neighborhood, attending this festival was a double treat. At that time, the Tattered Cover was one of the largest - if not the largest - bookstore in the country, and once you got done strolling around the art festival, you could head into the Tattered Cover, browse their collection, and enjoy the air conditioning. The TC is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and about to be sold to Barnes and Noble. I had my doubts about how that would work out, but people who still work at the bookstore tell me the chain will allow them to continue with a lot of independence, and they are very positive about the future. As for the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, it was well attended and seems to be going strong. Especially if they keep selling those $13,000 paintings.

Fourth Of July Weekend In Boulder

There was a letter to the editor piece in the Boulder Daily Camera yesterday about the glories of that city's Pearl Street Mall. The writer wanted to express "what a glorious town we live in," and waxed poetically about the mall's very artistic flower beds, shops full of people, busy restaurants, and the many tourists wandering about. She also mentioned that during a mid-day walk, she talked to tourists from New York City, Australia, England, and Spain. I myself took a stroll down the Pearl Street Mall this past Thursday, the 4th of July, and concur with everything she said, although I didn't stop people and ask them where they were from, and what they were doing here. Some people can pull that off, and some people just wind up getting arrested. I took the photograph on the left, by the way, on the 1200 Block of Pearl Street, with a shop called Free People in the background. And no, they aren't involved in the fight against human trafficking, but are an "American bohemian apparel and lifestyle retail company" for women. I never knew such a thing existed, but have to say they definitely chose the right location.

The reason I am so interested in that particular spot (1200 Pearl Street) is not the shop, but the building, which according to the date above the 2nd floor windows was built in 1876. I tried to look up the history of the place, but could find no reference to it on the internet, only for the entire 1200 block. Which is how I discovered the photograph on the right, also taken on the 4th of July, exactly 140 years after I took my photograph. The occasion was a 4th of July parade, and as you can see, the place has not changed a bit since that day. Just amazing.

Discussing Politics More Than Baseball With Stuart At Old Chicago

I had a late lunch with my friend Stuart at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in Lakewood, Colorado this past Tuesday afternoon to celebrate his birthday. This time the baseball talk was short and sweet. My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are currently the worst team in baseball, 31 games out of first with a 25-64 record. And Stuart, who grew up on the North Side of Chicago and is a Cubs fan, does not seem mollified that his team, the Chicago Cubs, is doing much better, still in last place but a mere 12 games out of first, with a 40-48 record. Meanwhile, our adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, the 2nd worst team in baseball, are now 23 games out of first with a 30-57 record. I am still hoping the White Sox start doing a little better and wind up with a better record than the Rockies, who have been predicted to be baseball's worst club this year. Everyone needs a goal, right? In any case, we spent much more time discussing Joe Biden's horrible debate performance. Stuart still thinks Biden should stay in the race and predicts he will win. I myself think he should bow out. I keep thinking about how the Republicans are trying to get hold of the audio of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur concerning his handling of classified documents. Hur referred to Biden as appearing like a "sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man" during the interview, which both Stuart and I agree was unethical. But after Biden's debate performance, one has to wonder if that audio might reinforce the opinions people have formed about Biden after that debate. A far more serious issue than who will be the worst team in baseball this year.