The 2025 CTA Historical Calendar Is Here!

Yes! It's true! And right on time! The 2025 Chicago Transit Authority Historical Calendar has been released and is now available online for anyone to download onto their computer. This is an annual calendar that features historic photographs of both Chicago and the various forms of public transit the CTA has used over the years. This year's edition features many photographs from days gone by, including one of the Argyle 'L' Station back in 1910, when it was still located at ground level. Looking at these photographs, I am still amazed that years ago, automobile manufacturers bought up many transit systems throughout the country and closed them down, in order to increase car sales. And now, many cities have had to put them all back again. Here in Denver, when the RTD West Light Rail Line first opened, it was reported that it was built on the path of a previous rail line that was closed down years ago. Talk about the short-term thinking. In any case, be sure to download your copy of the 2025 CTA Historical Calendar today at https://www.transitchicago.com/historicalcalendar/. And not only can you download this year's edition, but you can also download all the past calendars, too. For those like me who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, I recommend checking out the photographs in the 2007 calendar. I especially like the one of the streetcar on the 111th Street hill near the Beverly neighborhood, taken back in June of 1948. Happily, except for the streetcar, the neighborhood looks exactly the same. It just needs for the CTA to put that streetcar back in service. Do it now, CTA!

A New Year's Day Stroll In Washington Park!

I went for a New Year's Day stroll in Denver's Washington Park yesterday afternoon. It was 45 degrees, but sunny, and so it was actually a very pleasant walk. But the first thing I noticed when I got there was the large number of geese, some of whom can be seen in the photograph on the left. Once those geese arrive in Denver, they never seem to leave, and their numbers keep growing every year, just like all those damn Californians. Denver city officials have taken to culling them when they reach overwhelming numbers (the geese, not the Californians), and so if those geese were wise, they would go back to flying south for the winter, and during the summer spread out over the city instead of just hanging out at Wash Park. But do they listen? No!

There were a lot of people taking a stroll around the park, too. It takes me about 45 minutes to make one complete loop, which a lot of people do. This is probably the most popular park in Denver, with walkers, bikers, volleyball leagues, paddleboaters, and picnickers all sharing its 165 acres. It is also the home of the annual furry scurry, featuring hundreds of dogs and their owners making a circuit of the park, as well as the Mile High United Way Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving morning. There is nothing better than being able to take photographs of up to 9,000 people running or walking through the park dressed as turkeys. But just taking a pleasant stroll on a brisk sunny day is plenty fun, too.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! Time for "out with the old, in with the new," although after the results of the last election I shudder to think what that might entail. But we must all try to be positive, right? And so, I am featuring a photograph of myself back when I was at my peak level of positivity, sometime around 1985. That was when I was married to my then wife Lisa and living at the Woodwinds Apartments, which was located two doors down from the building I currently live in and is now the location of the University of Denver Light Rail stop. I can't help but notice that the bookcases I am posing in front of are the same ones I have in the living room of my condo today, and as far as I can tell, the books are in the exact same order now as they were back then. I'm not sure what that means, but believe it is better not to think about it and just hope we all have a happy 2025.