Attending Stuart Florida's 25th Annual Christmas On Main Street

My sister Susan and I attended the 25th Annual Christmas on Main Street (aka The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony) in downtown Stuart, Florida last night, and I must say, it looked like the entire town was in attendance. We headed down Osceola Street, the main drag, as seen in the photograph on the left, and the closer we got to Riverwalk Plaza, where the tree lighting would take place, the more crowded it got. It got so hectic on the sidewalk that a person next to us decided to grab hold of the front of Susan's walker and guide her through the maze to the plaza. 

Once we got there, I took the photograph of Susan on the right, next to a group of weirdly dressed people having their photo taken. I am not sure if those were supposed to be Christmas outfits or not, but what's the difference? As long as everyone is having fun, no problem. The parking lot next to the plaza was filled with various booths featuring arts and crafts, face painting, food and beverages, and other assorted things, but since there were so many people, we decided to just move toward the back, near the river, and wait for the tree to be lighted. 

We wound up sitting right behind Rick and Alli, who provided holiday music during the evening. As you can see from the photo, they were performing right in front of the St. Lucie River. There was a breeze coming off the water that Susan felt was pretty chilly. Amazingly - barely 2 weeks in Florida - she gets chilly in 70-degree temperatures. Go figure. Happily, Susan brought along her sweater and toughed it out. And as usual, they stretched out the lighting of the tree as long as they could, finally turning on the lights around 6:30. 

And of course, since the highlight of the evening was the lighting of the tree, I needed to get a photograph of it and was able to get the snapshot on the right of Santa and Mrs. Claus posing in front of the tree. There was a line a mile long to see Santa and have a photograph taken with him, and so I was damn lucky to get just the two of them, no doubt down in Stuart for the weekend from the North Pole. After the tree lighting, nobody appeared to be leaving, and so once again we fought the crowds to get back to the car. One of the festival people saw us fighting our way upstream and ran interference for us. And I must say, everyone here is very friendly and helpful. We both had a great time and are planning on attending the Christmas parade this coming Friday and the Christmas Boat Parade a week later. Time to start celebrating the holidays Florida style.

Biking Past Benihana of Stuart

I went for a bike ride to Stuart Beach a few days ago, and I decided to stop on the way back and take a photograph of the Benihana Japanese Restaurant as I was passing by. This restaurant is located on the banks of the St. Lucie River, with a beautiful garden along the water, and has a great view of the river from the dining room, especially nice when the sun is setting over the river. I dined there only once, back in the late 70s or early 80s, with my mother Mary and father Nelson. My mother had coupons for the place, which is why we decided to go, since that restaurant is usually quite pricey. Everyone sits at communal hibachi grill tables, and the chef puts on quite a show. As I recall, it was quite a fun experience. It reminds me of a story I read in the Stuart News about the place. A guard at Witham Field, the local airport in Stuart, was at this post early one evening and saw a driverless Cadillac pass by the entrance onto the field. He chased after it in his car and pulled it over, finding 4 elderly ladies, who explained that they had coupons for Benihana and were trying to find the place. And so, he personally led them there in his car, getting them off the runway. It made me laugh at the time, but these days, when driving around in strange locations, especially after dark, I now realize I would be quite capable of doing the same thing.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone out there has a wonderful time getting together with friends and family on this special day. My sister Susan and I are spending the holidays here in Stuart, Florida, and so, unfortunately, will miss the Mile High United Way Turkey Trot at Washington Park up in Denver this year. Not that either of us has actually participated in that event, but I do like to take photographs of large numbers of people running around dressed up as turkeys. Who wouldn't? Of course, it will be 30 degrees in Denver about the time those turkeys start to trot, while in Stuart we are expecting sunny skies and a high of 82, but I guess I'll just have to deal with that. In any case, in honor of Thanksgiving, I am featuring a photograph that I took years ago of my late mother Mary, late brother-in-law George, and sister Susan preparing dinner at Susan and George's townhouse up in Fort Collins, Colorado. And from their expressions, it looks like it was serious business. Granted, it probably wasn't taken on Thanksgiving, but it was still a family get-together, and that's what counts, right? Enjoy the holiday, everyone, wherever you are. 

Stuart By Bike

I have been doing a lot of biking down here in Stuart, Florida lately. It is a really compact city, very bike friendly, and wherever you go, there is water. And it is all about the water here. The St. Lucie and Indian Rivers crisscross the area, and along the ocean, the beaches are free of high-rises and have lots of public access. Plus, there are boardwalks along the St. Lucie River in the downtown area of Stuart that take full advantage of the riverfront, such as the one in Shepard Park, as seen in the photograph on the left. And being a 10- or 15-minute bike ride from downtown, I definitely make sure I visit those boardwalks often.

And virtually everywhere you go, there are boats of all kinds, moored in the river, docked in marinas like Sunset Bay Marina, as seen in the photograph on the right, or even berthed at private docks behind people's houses. Being on a bike makes it easy to stop wherever you want and admire the view. The other day at Sunset Bay I walked past slips where huge yachts were moored, as well as more modest vessels, too, such a well-worn houseboat that made me think of Travis McGee and the Busted Flush.

Stuart was first settled in the late 19th century and incorporated as a town in 1914, and there are still a lot of homes from that era located along the water near the downtown area. Many of them are still homes, while some have been turned into B&Bs or small businesses. And behind those houses there is always a view of the water. No wonder USA Today named Stuart the best coastal small town in America.

I took the photograph on the right of Krueger Creek as I was crossing the bridge on East Ocean Avenue that connects one waterfront neighborhood to another. I am always jealous when I see people who have private boat docks behind their homes, which is a pretty common thing in Stuart. Away from the downtown area, I have noticed that along the waterfront, the homes tend to be fairly new mansions, while their neighbors' homes, away from the water, are older and more modest. After all, why not splurge, buy an older house on the water, and tear it down if you are going to put up a multi-million-dollar mansion? Speaking of which, I saw in the Stuart News yesterday that the Palm City waterfront home of the late billionaire Wayne Huizenga is for sale for a mere 45 million dollars. It sits on 17 acres, with 800 feet of St. Lucie River frontage, which seems just up my alley. Palm City is located right across the bridge from my sister Susan and my condo, but when I looked at the map, that estate seems to be located in a remote part of that city, and so I will take a pass on making an offer. Plus, it would be a long bike ride from there to downtown Stuart, and so forget it. Location, location, location, right?

Meanwhile, Back At Dear Old DU...

Although I am currently in Stuart, Florida, I still keep up with what is happening back in Denver, and there was an article in the Denver Post yesterday about the University of Denver's budget problems. I worked almost 30 years at the DU Bookstore before the university outsourced it, and I still care about the place. And evidently the university is in crisis. They have an 11-million-dollar deficit and are currently laying off staff and cutting back expenses trying to deal with it. Plus, they have raised tuition to $61,434, compared with the national average tuition cost of $47,999.  The chancellor blames the crisis on the decline in the number of college age students, as well as recent questions about the value of a college education. When told that the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, unlike DU, are experiencing an increase in enrollment, the chancellor says that isolation during Covid has made students prefer larger rather than smaller schools like DU these days.

As you can imagine, faculty and students are not happy about the situation and have issued a statement of no confidence in the administration. They feel that solving the problem by raising prices and cutting services is not a great idea.  Which is kind of what they did when they outsourced the DU Bookstore to Follett Higher Education Group back in 2012. Faculty, staff, and students were asked whether the bookstore should be outsourced back then, and overwhelmingly said no. But the university did it anyway. As far as I am concerned, there is only one solution. Bring back Dan Ritchie as chancellor. Ritchie served as chancellor of the University of Denver from 1989 to 2005, saved it from a major financial crisis, and started a major building program through donations from himself and many of his wealthy friends. He made DU into a thriving institution once again. Plus, he thought the bookstore should be there to serve the students, faculty, and staff, not just be a profit center, and refused to outsource the store. Although he is now 92 years old, I have complete confidence he can turn things around. Sign him up now!

 

Rock'n Riverwalk Sundays

Sundays are a busy time in downtown Stuart. The "Market on Main" takes place in Flagler Park, along the St. Lucie River, from 9:00 until 2:00, and Rock'n Riverwalk, a weekly concert series, takes place from 1:00 until 4:00. The Market on Main features fresh produce, like most farmer's markets, but also has a lot of arts and crafts, and is a great place to both browse and people-watch. Rock'n Riverwalk takes place nearby at a stage on the river, with seating rising from the stage up to the plaza above, as seen in the photograph on the left. I rode my bike from my sister Susan and my condo to downtown Stuart around 4:00, but the band was still playing and there was a good crowd filling the seats. There were also a lot of people hanging out on the restaurant patios, enjoying the late afternoon weather. 

There were a lot of people standing behind the seating area, but I was able to squeeze in and take the photograph on the right of The Brass Evolution performing for the crowd, who seemed to be really into the music. And no - I have never heard of The Brass Evolution, but they sounded pretty good, and did not seem like they were about to end the concert even though it was well past 4:00 P.M. Perhaps they were getting paid by the hour. In any case, it is nice to see downtown Stuart is so popular these days. I did notice that a lot of people were actually wearing jackets as it was getting close to sunset, even though it felt perfectly pleasant to me. A lot of thin blood down here these days. Goes with the territory, I guess.

Brightline Update! The Future Is BRIGHT!

The last blog post I wrote about a Brightline Railway Station being built in Stuart, newly elected anti-growth city commissioners had voted to rescind the agreement they made with that company (which operates a high-speed train between Miami and the Orlando airport), throwing the project into doubt. However, Martin County commissioners recently unanimously voted to go forward with that station, committing $15 million of the $45 million needed to build it at the same spot in downtown Stuart as originally planned, a site owned by the county. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? In my opinion, neither. And will it even really happen? If the train stops in Stuart, people will use it, but not in any great numbers. It won't be like Manhattan whenever it arrives or departs. I doubt people will even notice any increase in traffic. And if no station is built, people will get here the same way they always have. The main issue will still be the same - keeping people from trying to beat the train at railroad crossings. Brightline trains travel at 80 miles per hour between Miami and West Palm Beach and can go up to 125 miles per hour further north. And many people do not seem to realize just how fast that is, with fatal consequences. In any case, the station will be built in Stuart, Fort Pierce, or Vero Beach no matter what, and so it is not the area's most dramatic news story of all time. That one is certainly what happened to all those peacocks that used to wander around Rio and Jensen Beach. What really did happen to them, anyway? If they do still exist, hopefully they will stay away from those damn railroad tracks.

Make Stuart Florida Great Again!

This past week the Make America Great Again Bus was parked in downtown Stuart, Florida, just across the street from Maria's Cafe. And what was it doing there? The election is over, Trump won, what more is there to do? Perhaps those MAGAs were so enthralled with the breakfasts at Maria's that they decided to hang out here in Stuart all week - breakfast in the morning, Stuart Beach in the afternoon, dinner and cocktails at Hutchinson Shores in the evening. Or perhaps they were inviting people into the bus to look at displays describing what Trump will be doing over the next 4 years, from rounding up 20 million illegal immigrants to jailing Trump's political enemies, including, but not limited to, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama and Adam Schiff. Revenge for their stealing of the 2020 election and belonging to a cult that abuses children and drinks their blood. The mind boggles at the possibilities. It will definitely be an interesting four years. As the ancient Chinese curse goes, "May you live in interesting times."

Wild Boars! Are They Taking Over Port St. Lucie, Florida?

I saw a disturbing report on the local television news that wild boars are becoming a problem in Port St. Lucie, Florida. People in the Tradition neighborhood of that city are reporting wild boars weighing up to 200 pounds are hanging out in their backyards and acting in a menacing way when approached. Port St. Lucie is the 6th largest city in Florida, which is really an amazing thing. Port St Lucie has no downtown, and consists entirely of suburban style subdivisions, which stretch from the north fork of the St. Lucie River all the way into the desolate Central Florida wilderness. It is hard to believe, but West Palm Beach, with its downtown, high-rise condos, and office towers is a much smaller city. The Port St. Lucie neighborhood farthest to the west is Tradition, the town square of which can be seen in the photograph on the left, and from which 70 wild boars have been removed over the past two years.

Tradition is a master-planned community with a small-town feel, and I must say, it is a very impressive community. It has 500 acres of lakes and 300 acres of parks and nature areas, which makes for a beautiful community. But just to west are wetlands, lakes, and swamps, home to wild boars, alligators and giant pythons. Like bears occasionally following streams down from the mountains into the Denver metropolitan area, these wild animals often wander into Port St. Lucie. After all, they were there first. Children in Tradition are afraid to go out into their backyards these days, and I can't say I blame them. Florida Fish and Wildlife has warned that it is mating season for wild boars, and that can make them particularly aggressive if you happen to cross paths with them.

Port St. Lucie has grown into such a large urban area because, for many years, it was very affordable for people either moving to Florida or relocating within the state. Homes with large backyards for growing families, as well as apartments or condos for seniors on a fixed income, were within reach. Of course, with the cost of housing exploding since the pandemic, it has gone from affordable to "more affordable," according to the city manager. Personally, I think much of Port St. Lucie is pretty ugly, but it does have its nice areas, such as the older neighborhoods close to Stuart and, of course, Tradition, which has a really nice town square that is the location for various community events, including 4th of July fireworks, a Thanksgiving turkey trot, as well as many other types of festivals. Although if you are there after nightfall, I suggest you keep an eye out for those damn boars.

Tiger Tiger, Burning Bright, On the Fairways Of The Night

Yesterday I drove past Blowing Rocks Preserve, located on the south end of Jupiter Island, Florida, and decided to stop and take the path through a mangrove forest to the beach, where those famous rock formations begin, as seen in the photograph above. It was an impulsive visit, and so not the best time for photos. This park is famous for its limestone shoreline, the largest along the Atlantic. At high tide, during rough seas, the waves crash against those rocks, producing plumes of saltwater 50 feet up in the air. This, unfortunately, was not such a day, and so I walked back to the car, and realized I was just a few miles south of world-famous golfer Tiger Woods mansion. And I thought it would be nice to stop there on the way home, and see how he is doing these days, after suffering injuries in a bad car wreck several years ago. Tiger lives at 462 South Beach Road on Jupiter Island, Florida, but when I drove past, that address was not there, almost as if Tiger did not want drop-in visitors. How disappointing. After doing some research on the internet when I got home, I learned that the property also includes 466 South Beach Road, as well as 467 South Beach Road (which is along the ocean). I am almost sure I saw 466 South Beach when I drove by yesterday, and so I will definitely stop by and say "Hey" the next time I am down that way (perhaps during a storm when Blowing Rocks is at its most dramatic and beautiful).  What could possibly go wrong?

Another Sign Of Aging?

This past summer when my sister Susan and I were down at our condo in Stuart, Florida (love that summer humidity!), I read in the Stuart News that the most popular waterfront bar on the Treasure Coast (made up of Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin Counties) was Square Grouper Tiki Bar in Fort Pierce. Just for fun, I decided to check the place out, and even though I found it on a map, I could not locate it while driving through Fort Pierce until the day before I left. It turns out it is actually located in Jetty Park, and you have to drive into the park to find it. It took me 7 weeks to figure that out. I still haven't gone into the place, although I did take the photograph on the left of the entrance to it a few days ago.

Another place I could not find at all last summer was Villa Del Sol, a condominium complex along the ocean in Jensen Beach - just to the north of Stuart - that was in the news a lot back then. There is a new law in Florida that requires all buildings over 30 years old and 3 stories or higher to be inspected for structural defects, and have those problems resolved in a timely manner. This was adopted after the collapse of a high-rise condo building in Sunset, Florida, which killed close to 100 people. After an inspection at Villa Del Sol, three of the complex's building were deemed unsafe due to cracks in the foundation and disintegrating rebar, and the tenants were forced to evacuate. The cost to repair the problem is around 6 million, spread among 73 residences, or about $83,000 per unit. I wanted to look at the complex to figure out exactly where it was, but could never find it, even though I drove past the location dozens of times. When we got back to Stuart this month, the first time I drove past Villa Del Sol I saw the sign and the driveway and took the photograph on the right. What is the deal with that? Is it old age finally setting in, early Alzheimer's (although not really that early), or just plain stupidity. In any case, if I was an owner there, I would be pretty damn mad. For me, it would mean having to take out a mortgage and start making monthly payments, which I assume most of those owners will have to do, which is not good if you are on a fixed income. And I would definitely hate to be a member of that condo complex's HOA. Talk about stressful meetings.

Lunch At Shucker's

My sister Susan, seen in the photograph above, and I had lunch at Shucker's on the Beach, my favorite restaurant along the ocean here in the Stuart, Florida area. I have been coming to this restaurant for many years. It is in a beautiful location, right on the beach, has a great outdoor patio, good food, and is very reasonably priced. A hamburger with fries or chicken sandwich is $12.95, compared to an average price of $17 back in Denver. And even then, in Denver, the only view you usually get is of a street like East Evans Avenue, which is not quite as wonderful as a view of the beach and the ocean (sorry Denver). In any case, back in 2004 there were two Category 3 hurricanes, the eyes of which both passed directly over Stuart. There was a lot of damage, especially along the ocean, and Shucker's was severely damaged. It took several years for it to reopen, but reopen it did, and today it is better than ever. I definitely recommend it the next time you are in Stuart, or even relatively close (less than 2,000 miles). Just do it, as the Nike commercials always say.

One Hell Of A Deal. I Think

I noticed when my sister Susan and I came down to Stuart, Florida this past summer after renting our condo out for 15 years that groceries were more expensive here. The go-to grocery store in Stuart has always been Publix, and that's where we did our shopping. Back in Denver, it is King Soopers, which is part of Kroger, a national chain. Publix, on the other hand, is more of a regional operation. Which means more buying power and a lot more store brands for Kroger, which probably explains the higher prices. But I am having to revise my opinion after buying a 11.6-pound Thanksgiving turkey yesterday from Publix for $5.68.  Yes! That is not a typo. It cost $5.68. I have never in my life paid that little for a turkey. I am not sure how to explain it. Of course, it is frozen and still wrapped in plastic, waiting to be defrosted before the holiday, and so I suppose it could turn out to be a roadkill, still covered in feathers. That would be sad, since I would have to make Susan pull out all those feathers, which would make her very surly, but that would still not change the fact that it is a tremendous bargain. Good going Publix!

Even if Publix is more expensive than Kroger, I still have a warm feeling for the store. Every time I would come down to Stuart to visit my mother Mary, we would head to Publix every day for one thing or another. Mostly it would be to the downtown Publix, located just a mile away, where I took the photograph on the right of my mother back in 2007. We would run into her neighbors there, and she would talk with employees who had been working there for years. And at Christmas, Publix would have, and probably still has, heartwarming ads wishing everyone Happy Holidays, such as the one with the doves, which you can see by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1foZ_szc3hI. After watching that commercial, how can you not love Publix, even if it is owned by a big Trump supporter and donor.

Dodging A Bullet. For Now...

Three days ago, Tropical Storm Sara was expected to become a major hurricane, and after brushing past Honduras, Belize, and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, turn to the northeast and cross Central Florida, duplicating the path of Hurricane Wilma back in 2005. That hurricane caused massive damage in Florida, including some damage to my mother Mary's condo, which my sister Susan and I inherited and are currently living in part of the year. However, thankfully, instead of skirting the coast, Sara came much closer to the shore and made landfall yesterday along the Honduras/Costa Rican border, and after crossing the Yucatan Peninsula, is expected to dissipate. The remnants will still hit Central Florida, but it will only be thunderstorms by then, which is great news for Florida, although sadly, Honduras is currently experiencing catastrophic flooding. And that is the problem with Florida and so many other places in similar circumstances - during hurricane season, from June 1st through November 30th, the threat of a major hurricane is always there, and due to climate change, they are getting stronger every year. That has convinced me we need to get hurricane shutters for the condo this coming spring. It is expensive, but even a dedicated cheapskate like me knows it is well past time. I took the photograph above, by the way, yesterday afternoon along the beach in Jupiter, Florida, which is located to the south of Stuart. As you can see, the surf is pretty strong, and there are warnings about dangerous rip currents, but as long as you stay out of the water, you are okay. Not that there aren't a lot of people who will ignore those warnings, of course. After all, over half the country voted for Trump. What does that tell you?

Meanwhile, Up In Ocala...

On the drive down to Stuart, Florida from Denver, my sister Susan and I had dinner with our friends Ana Silvia and Joe at Southern Pig and Cattle in Ocala, Florida, where they moved to from Denver in 2016.  Ana Silvia and Joe owned two condos in Denver, living in one and renting out the other, but wanted to buy a house, which in Denver they could not afford. Ana Silvia had a friend in Ocala, and eventually they decided to buy a home there. I last visited them there back in 2016 when I was down in Stuart working on our condo, which was the year Trump was first elected president, and now, 8 years later, on my next visit, Trump has been elected again. I really can't blame them for this political disaster, of course, but it does seem like quite a coincidence. In any case, the photograph above shows Ana Silvia and Joe on the left and Susan on the right at Southern Pig and Cattle, which has locations only in Ocala and Stuart, Florida. Still another coincidence. Hmm.

Biking In Stuart Florida Once Again!

I went biking along the St. Lucie River here in Stuart, Florida yesterday afternoon for the first time in over 20 years, and it was just wonderful. When my mother Mary lived in Stuart, I bought a bike from Walmart, kept it out on her porch, and would ride it around town whenever I visited. When she came to live with me up in Denver and we decided to rent the condo out for the season each year, I had to get rid of it (people who rent for the season and pay a premium for it are notoriously picky). And so, it was a special treat to be able to bring my bicycle down from Denver and be able to once again enjoy riding along the water in such pleasant weather. I took the self-portrait on the left at the Colorado Avenue Mini-Park, one of my favorite spots right in the heart of downtown Stuart.

I biked from our condo to downtown Stuart and then past the homes (many of them mansions) along the water, and then pedaled up to the top of the first of two bridges leading to Stuart Beach (one across the St. Lucie and the other across the Indian River). And then, running out of time, I biked back downtown and then home along river on the west side of town, past homes from the early 20th Century, many of them very modest cottages, no doubt selling for very immodest prices. And I could not resist biking past the Sunset Bay Marina, seen in the photograph on the right, along the way. I have always been fascinated by the many yachts docked there.

While we were renting out our condo for the past 15 years before taking it back, I fantasized about buying a used cabin cruiser, docking it at a marina just across the street from that condo, and living aboard, embracing the Travis McGee lifestyle (and if you don't know who Travis McGee is, author John D. McDonald's tarnished knight in shining armor who lived on his houseboat at slip F-18, Bahia Mar Marina, Fort Lauderdale, and pursued a life of adventure, definitely google him). In any case, I even when so far as to call about a used cabin cruiser for sale at a very good price and asked if it was seaworthy. The guy on the phone told me that you get what you pay for. In other words, it would probably sink within months, or a hurricane would come along and blow it to pieces. So much for that idea. The dock space at the time would have been about $600 a month, which I could have afforded if I rented out the condo. But evidently, a lot of boat owners moor their boats out on the river, at a much cheaper cost, and shuttle out there on a motorized rubber raft, as seen in the photo on the left, or even just row themselves out there. No doubt a popular choice for cheapskate millionaires.

Happy Hour At The Jolly Sailor Pub

My sister Susan, seen in the photograph above, and I stopped by the Jolly Sailor Pub (aka Sailors Return) yesterday afternoon at Stuart Florida's Sunset Bay Marina for happy hour. Walking along the pier to that outdoor bar, I noticed that many of the larger yachts were still flying their Trump flags, no doubt still celebrating his victory and looking forward to all those tax cuts Trump has promised them. Perhaps they will be able to afford a second yacht and keep it on the French Riviera. One can always hope. In any case, it was a very pleasant afternoon to sit and look out at the boats and the St. Lucie River and have a Jai Alai IPA. That beer, by the way, is made by Cigar City Brewing in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa. The Jolly Sailor Pub was actually a restaurant located in downtown Stuart years ago. The owners decided to close the place and retire before coming out of retirement to open the Sailors Return Restaurant. And they hung the old Jolly Sailor Pub sign next to the bar, which is why I will always call it that. It fits. So there.

Returning To Stuart!

My sister Susan and I arrived back in Stuart, Florida late yesterday evening, refugees from days of snow back in Colorado. We had planned to start out for Florida this past Saturday, but the Eastern Plains had received over 3 feet of snow the previous day, and so I-70, the interstate highway we needed to take, was closed in both directions. We therefore decided to head out on Sunday, instead. Once we got past Denver, a sign said I-70 was closed 9 miles ahead, but the road was bone dry, and traffic seemed normal, and so we just assumed that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) just forgot to turn that sign off. And we were right. That day and the next went smoothly, with stays at luxury Motel 6 Resort Hotels and Spas in Columbia, Missouri and East Ridge, Tennessee, but on the final leg of the journey, speeding down the Florida turnpike toward Stuart, a message board said that all lanes were closed 16 miles ahead and to find an alternative route. A sign just before the Yeehaw Junction exit (Yes! Yeehaw Junction!) said that the next exit was 41 miles away (with all lanes closed in just 16), and so we took that exit and drove 35 miles east through rain and mist and road construction to I-95 in Vero Beach, barely able to see out the windshield. And so next time, we will fly. Does Spirit Airlines (known to Susan as Evil Spirit Airlines) still exist? And yes, that is indeed the House of Refuge in Stuart, Florida, built in 1876 and now a museum in the photograph above. A place well worth visiting.

Remembering The Griffins...

I drove down Race Street south of the University of Denver campus the other day and passed the apartment building that my sister Susan and brother-in-law George lived in after they moved to Denver from Chicago. That was back in 1982. They first stayed with George's cousin Richard and his Aunt Frances, but after a while that got old, and so I drove Susan around in my free time looking for an apartment for them. She finally settled on the apartment building on the left in the above photograph, and she and George moved into an apartment on the third floor, with their bedroom window looking out on the roof of the apartment building next door. Which was named The Griffin. And being half a block south of the DU campus, it was filled with DU students who liked to party on that roof and shoot off firecrackers and fireworks every weekend, or even during the week if the mood struck them. Susan referred to them as "The Griffins," and they held a special place in her heart for as long as Susan and George were there, before moving to Fort Collins when George was transferred to that Northern Colorado city. Both buildings are still there and looking good. Looking for an apartment in Denver? Definitely start there. You'll probably get a good rate.

Slim Pickings For Wildlife Photos

I always like to post photographs of the wildlife I run across, although lately I have not had much success. And to be honest, the only wildlife I seem to see are deer, elk, and buffalo (whose herds are actually managed by the City of Denver). And after a while, that gets kind of boring. I am told the Colorado mountains are filled with bears, moose and mountain lions, but after over 42 years in Colorado, I have yet to see a single one. Might as well be looking for unicorns - I would have just as much luck. Which explains why today this blog post features a photograph of a squirrel, which I recently took at the Denver Zoo (but not caged, and so technically still wildlife). Best I could do. So sue me.

It's Snowing! A Lot! Time To Head To Florida!

It has been snowing for days here in Denver, and so I am beginning to think about Florida once again. It is 81 and sunny these days in Stuart, where my sister Susan and I own a condo, and so once the snow stops and the roads are clear, it might be time to head back there. Not that I mind snow and cold and frigid wind, but a little bit goes a long way. I took the photograph above, by the way, back in August, 1995 of my sister Susan and mother Mary at Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty, directly across the St. Lucie River from Stuart, Florida. Don't plan on making reservations there, though. Stuart was hit by three Category 3 hurricanes back in 2004-2005, and Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty, and the marina behind it, were destroyed. For years, it was a vacant lot, but now the City of Rio (the one in Florida, not Brazil) is turning that lot and adjacent areas into a new downtown. Now THAT is a good idea. But don't forget the marina!

The November Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the November Mutt of the Month at the Fall Arts Invitational at Denver's Cheesman Park last month. I had no idea this art festival was going on until I drove past it and saw all the tents set up. In fact, they had 120 Colorado and nationally touring artists there, and so it was actually a very large art show. There was a lot of good art on display, including photography, and not surprisingly, a fair number of people walking around with their dogs, including the one above. And what was his or her take on the festival? I asked, but that particular mutt wasn't talking. But it looked happy.

The November Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I perused the November issue of Chicago Magazine yesterday afternoon as the snow fell here in Denver, and although I was disappointed that this month's issue did not contain a nostalgia piece about a neighborhood or subject that I was familiar with back when I lived in Chicago, I did learn a few things from this issue. One is that there is a television program called The Bear, and Mr. Beef, located in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, is the restaurant on which the one in the series is based. Evidently, this series has made Chicago's Italian Beef sandwich a very popular item nationwide and is the cover story for this month's issue. Italian Beef a magazine cover story. That's a new one. Go figure. I also learned that one of the things the Illinois legislature is going to discuss when they meet November 12th is Chicago's $1 billion budget deficit, which I assume is the reason for Chicago's sky-high property taxes these days. As Illinois senator Everett Dirksen once said, a billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you are talking real money. Finally, I learned that Chicago Public Media bought the Chicago Sun-Times back in 2022 and merged it with National Public Radio affiliate WBEZ. The Chicago Sun-Times is now a non-profit operation. This is the newspaper where legendary columnist Mike Royko worked until it was sold by Marshall Field to Rupert Murdoch. Royko and five-dozen editorial employees left the paper, refusing to work for the Antichrist, as he was known in Chicago back then.  Amazing how many things you don't know about Chicago when you no longer live there. Perhaps I should look into buying a pied-a-terre at the 101-story Residences at the St. Regis Chicago, located on the Chicago River. But those damn property taxes. Perhaps not.

Denver's First Snowfall! In Other News, Trump Wins The Election

Yesterday, Denver received its first snowfall of the season. The official total, at Denver International Airport, located near the Colorado-Kansas border, was 5.5 inches, but a lot of places received much more, especially in the foothills and mountains west of Denver. The photograph on the left shows a snowy Coors Field in the background, which I took while driving around town in the snow for 2 hours, until the pest control people said it was safe to re-enter my condo after all the units in my building were treated for roaches.

Speaking of roaches, Donald Trump was elected president once again this past Tuesday in a victory over Kamala Harris. Since the polls showed the contest was too close to call, I was not surprised at the outcome, although I guess Trump did much better than expected in the swing states, and actually won the popular vote. Go figure. The general consensus is that it was the economy that motivated most voters, and they voted for the candidate who they thought would do the most to improve it, no matter the threat to democracy. I think the same line of thinking led to Hitler becoming chancellor of Germany in 1933. Just sayin'. In any case, I imagine talk will soon be revived about putting Trump's face on Mount Rushmore, just like during his first term. South Dakota governor Kristi Noem was all excited about the idea when Trump was in office last time, and so maybe once Trump becomes president for life, it will happen. And, by the way, someone posted the photograph on the right on the internet a while back, showing what it would look like. Pretty scary, if I say so myself.

A Golden Fall - Until It Wasn't

It has been cool, but sunny and pleasant here in Denver up until now, as we experience our first snow of the season, and lately my sister Susan and I have been doing a lot of driving around the area, admiring the fall foliage.  We visited Golden, to the west of Denver and up against the foothills, the other day where I took the photograph above of Cleer Creek, a very popular spot for tubers in the summer months, although not so much these days. There was not a single tuber in sight. Clear Creek is also the water source for Coors beer. And if anyone is worried, I am pretty sure the water goes through some sort of process to take the tuber taste out of the product, although I could be wrong on that point. In any case, what with all the students back at the Colorado School of Mines and the many weekend visitors, Golden, whose moto is "Where the West Lives," has been pretty lively lately. Definitely a fun place to hang out.

Election Day 2024!

Today is election day, the day we have been fearing for almost 4 years. Will Donald Trump return to the White House and begin rounding up 20 million illegal immigrants, jailing his political enemies, and dismissing civil service workers, replacing them with Trump loyalists, or will Kamala Harris manage to pull off the win, resulting in claims of massive vote fraud and armed MAGA mobs rioting in the streets? Can you imagine something like this happening before Donald Trump appeared on the political scene, claiming Barack Obama was born in Kenya?  How did it come to this, anyway? What a long strange trip it's been. You can quote me on that, by the way. In any case, I did my part and dropped off four or five thousand ballots at the drop off box across the street from my condo here in Denver, as seen in the photograph above. Hope it's enough.

Coffee With Stuart At Starbucks

I had coffee yesterday afternoon with my friend Stuart at the Starbucks near the University of Denver. Both Stuart and I are alumni of DU, and I worked at the DU Bookstore for almost 30 years before it was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group. And as you can see in the photograph above, Stuart is proudly wearing his DU jacket. Since Tuesday is election day, our conversation centered around Trump and Harris, and what their chances are of being elected president. Stuart feels that Harris will win, and that the polls showing them in a dead heat are wrong. I myself hope he is right, but I am convinced it will be a nailbiter, and if Trump does win, it will be a scary 4 years. One hopes that when push comes to shove, common sense will prevail at the ballot box, but it appears that half the country lacks that particular trait. We shall see what happens tomorrow. Or later in the week. Or perhaps many weeks? Stay tuned.

Watching Leeds Beat Plymouth With The Leeds United Colorado Fan Club

I went to the DNVR Bar here in Denver with my friend Mark yesterday morning to watch a soccer match between Leeds United and Plymouth Argyle with the Leeds United Colorado Fan Club. There were between 40 and 50 fans in attendance, quite a respectable turnout, and Leeds did not disappoint, scoring 3 goals in the first half and beating Plymouth 3-0. The game took place at Elland Road Stadium in Leeds, and the victory was the 8th in a row that Leeds either won or tied. They are currently in second place in the Championship League, and if they keep up this pace, they will return to the Premier League next year, England's top soccer association. It was a fun game, and everyone was very enthusiastic. The Leeds United Colorado Fan Club has 187 members, and that makes me wonder why so many people in Colorado are Leeds fans? They can't all be ex-pats, can they? In any case, I took the photograph above of Mark at the DNVR Bar during half-time. Mark has lots of friends in Leeds, and has visited there a number of times, and so I know why he is a Leeds fan. As for the others? Beats me.

The Day Of The Dead Meets First Friday

I went to the First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe Drive here in Denver yesterday evening for the first time in quite a while. My first stop was at the Museo De Las Americas, which was holding its annual Dia De Muertos. I was hoping to see the Community Procession, but unfortunately, it ended before I got there. I also wanted to see the Catrina Costume Contest, which features an adult, youth, and child category, but was far too early (it began at 8:00, long past my bedtime). Fortunately, I ran into the couple in the photograph on the left out on the street, who graciously let me take their photograph, and so I was at least able to capture a bit of the Dia de los Muertos atmosphere. 

I did take a photograph at the entrance of the Museo De Las Americas, featuring a Dia de los Muertos exhibit, as seen in the photograph on the right.  Since it was at the entrance, everyone entering and exiting the building was walking right past it, making getting a good photo of it pretty tricky. There was finally a break in the action after about an hour or two, and so I was able to snap the photograph on the right. 

And, of course, the rest of the galleries on Santa Fe Drive were exhibiting non-Day-of-the-Dead art, including quite a few photographs, including at Gallery 6, a new Colorado photographic art collective that opened since the last time I was at First Friday. I also noticed that Spark, one of the major galleries on Santa Fe Drive, which has been in business for 45 years, has been replaced by D'art Gallery Denver, as seen in the photograph on the left. Evidently, Spark is planning to open in a new location soon. And I must say, a lot of the art and photographs on display at D'art were pretty damn good. Not that I was actually tempted to buy anything. As a confirmed cheapskate, I know that nothing is that good.

All Saints' Day (AKA All Hallows' Day)

Today is All Saint's Day (aka All Hallows' Day), a day that, depending on the religion, celebrates all the saints of the church or is a general commemoration of the dead. In Mexico and among people of Mexican heritage, November 1st and 2nd are celebrated as Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), where family and friends gather to pay respects and remember friends and family who have died. In honor of this day, I decided to use the photograph above of Columbia Cemetery up in Boulder. Biennially in even numbered years, Historic Boulder Inc. presents Meet the Spirits there, where volunteers dressed in period costumes portray departed permanent residents of the cemetery. This year's event took place Sunday, October 6th, and the Legendary Ladies (a women's performance group), Buffalo Soldiers, and the Denver Hearse Association made appearances, while Psychic Horizons! did psychic readings. Not only that, but the Sweet Cow Moo Mobile was there as well. This event has been going on since 1986, and somehow, I have missed them all. And it will be two years before I get another chance to attend. I just wonder if the Sweet Cow Moo Mobile will be back in 2026.