Halloween In The Tropics

There are two beautiful tunnels of Banyon trees that my sister Susan and I often drive through down here in South Florida. One is in Stuart on a road leading to nearby Port Salerno, and the other marks the northern gateway to Jupiter Island, 16 miles to the south. Each time we drive through either one, Susan remarks that it would be a good place to visit on Halloween. I myself have never seen anything sinister or Halloweeny in those canopies of trees, although Susan evidently has. But just a few days ago, as we were driving under the canopy of Banyons on the way to Port Salerno, I held my camera out the window and took a photograph. And when I looked at it in my digital camera later in the day, I saw the above image. Which I imagine is just a play of light. Nothing to worry about there. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Great News! Dave Barry Is Once Again Writing A Weekly Humor Column!

I recently discovered that humorist Dave Barry, seen in the photograph above that I took at a book signing event at Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore back in 2017, is once again writing a weekly column. Barry wrote a syndicated weekly humor column for the Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005, when he decided to take an indefinite leave of absence to spend more time with his family. And then decided not to come back at all. He still writes his annual Christmas gift guide and year-in-review columns, and occasional articles on special events such as the Republican and Democratic National Conventions and the Winter and Summer Olympics but otherwise has spent his time writing humor books and comic novels. But now he is writing a once-a-week column on Substack, an online platform for journalists and writers, among other things which are too complex for me to think about right now. But the main thing is that you can now read his laugh-out-loud humor columns every week - and for free - which during these difficult times is a truly wonderful thing. Be sure to check them out at https://davebarry.substack.com/archive?sort=new.

Bay Tree Lodge on Sewall's Point - What A Company Benefit!

I drove past the Bay Tree Lodge Estate on Sewall's Point, located between the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers just to the east of Stuart, Florida, yesterday afternoon, and took the photograph on the left of one of the cottages. There were private property signs at the entrance, and so I was hesitant to walk onto the property itself to photograph the actual lodge and risk winding up doing hard time here in Florida. I suspect that would not be good. In any case, the Bay Tree Lodge was built in 1909, sitting on land above the St. Lucie River, and was purchased by Willard Kiplinger in 1952. Kiplinger was the founder of Kiplinger Washington Letters, which most famously produces The Kiplinger Letter, a weekly known for its business forecasts and personal financial advice. Kiplinger was originally going to purchase the estate as a private winter residence, but his accountant convinced him to have his company buy it and make it a vacation retreat for the employees and retirees of the company (and also, make it a tax-deductible business expense). And this meant all the employees, not just top executives and journalists.

Those employees and retirees were able to make reservations and stay at the Bay Tree Inn for two weeks every year, divided up however they wanted. When Willard Kiplinger died, his son Austin and his siblings inherited the company and the estate and kept Bay Tree Lodge as a year-round vacation retreat for Kiplinger employees and retirees. Knight Kiplinger, the son of Austin, wrote about his first visit to Bay Tree back in 1954 when he was six years old, and it seems to have made quite the impression on him. Kiplinger still lives at Bay Tree Lodge and is involved in developing a major mixed-use development with "traditional neighborhood design" called Newfield, in nearby Palm City. Kiplinger Washington Letters, by the way, was sold to Dennis Publishing in 2019, and since then only former employees with 20 years at the company are still able to stay at Bay Tree. But what a wonderful benefit while it lasted. If only the University of Denver Bookstore had purchased a vacation retreat while I worked there and offered the same type of benefit - perhaps a villa in the South of France. I wonder if the university would have noticed if we had done that? I did the books, after all. Just another miscellaneous expense, right?

Walking The Palm Beach Atlantic Campus

I have driven past the Palm Beach Atlantic University campus several times over the past year, and I am very impressed with the buildings and the location. It is just a few blocks from CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Florida, and only a mile away from the beach. And so yesterday, I decided to park the car and walk around the campus a bit. I had it in my mind that it was a party school. After all, being so close to a hipster hangout like CityPlace and only a mile from the beach, I thought the student body must be there for 4 years of fun. And so, I was surprised to see a banner on the wall of the student center proclaiming "Over 55 Years Of Developing Christian Leaders." That was a surprise. And so I looked the place up on the internet when I got home.

I learned on Wikipedia that the school is a private nondenominational Christian university with nine colleges and a focus on liberal arts and some professional studies. The school has 4,100 students and has "experienced unprecedented growth" over the past few years. PBA is currently building a new business school (they offer an MBA, by the way) and is planning to build a new performing arts center, welcome center, and a new health sciences complex. As far as being a party school, I see that students are required to attended Chapel 24 times a year. They also must participate in Workship, PBA's community service program, which includes mission trips to places around the world during the summer and spring breaks. Sounds to me like those students are a pretty serious bunch. It is nice to know there are still young people who want to make a positive difference with their careers, although I did notice that Chapel takes place four times a week at the Desantis Family Chapel, which I assume refers to Governor Ron Desantis, who made sure Florida students are taught the positive aspects of slavery ("learning useful skills") and is gleefully helping to deport every last undocumented immigrant in the country. These are certainly interesting times.

The Lady Abundance Story

The photograph on the left shows the statue of Lady Abundance, which sits in Haney Circle in downtown Stuart, Florida. I took that photo this past March during the Stuart Art and Craft Festival. This statue was sent by France to be displayed at the New York World's Fair in 1939. It was purchased by the Stuart Women's Club in 1949 for $1,800 and sold to the City of Stuart for $1 so it could be placed in Haney Circle to honor Cynthia Burnett Haney, a prohibitionist, suffragist, and advocate for social justice. But when the community saw it, they noticed that Lady Abundance was naked. That, combined with the grapes (which are associated with wine and a no-no for honoring a prohibitionist), resulted in the statue, along with a fountain, being placed on the courthouse lawn instead. Where it stayed until 1991, when it was moved to Haney Circle as part of the "revitalization" of Stuart.

And just two years later, in August of 1993, my sister Susan decided to wade into the fountain, climb up next to Lady Abundance in a show of solidarity with her, and pose for a photograph, with my mother Mary standing at its base. I am not sure if that was legal or not, but just to be sure, I remember pretending I didn't know either of them until we walked back to the sidewalk. At least one of us had to stay out of prison, right? In any case, this past Saturday when we were downtown, I suggested to Susan that she climb up next to that statue one more time so I could feature "then and now" photographs on this blog post. And got a quick no. Granted, Susan was a young girl of 51 back when that photograph was taken, and these days she is no longer as spry as she used to be, but you would think she would have at least given it a try, right? But no. What can you do?

Hobgoblins On Main Street

I attended the 26th annual Hobgoblins on Main Street in downtown Stuart, Florida yesterday afternoon, and it was a fun, very family-oriented event. It was also very nostalgic, because it reminded me very much of Halloween back in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago when I was a kid. The downtown area of Brainerd was a block long, with shops and restaurants on both sides of the street, just like the main part of downtown Stuart. And every year, at least in the lower grades, we would dress up in costumes on Halloween and walk from Fort Dearborn Grammar School to downtown Brainerd, where we would walk past the stores where the merchants would be standing out in front handing out candy. Which is what all the kids, led by their parents, were doing as we walked to the Stuart Promenade, where the Hobgoblins on Main Street event was being held. Nice to know some places still do those things.

On the Riverwalk Stage, they were having a costume contest, evidently divided into categories, but there were so many people there it was impossible to get a photograph. In the parking lot next to the promenade, booths were set up by local businesses and organizations, as seen in the photograph on the right. One booth featured face painting and tattoos, although personally, I don't think parents should let their children under 5 to get a tattoo. They might regret it by the time they get out of college and start looking for a job.

One of the merchants with a booth was Aycock Funeral Home, which also had a hearse decorated with cobwebs and an assortment of skeletons and demons on display, as well as a table touting their services. Which to me was a little creepy. Halloween is supposed to be all about fun, and seeing a hearse as part of a display seems like kind of a downer. It reminded me that Aycock was the funeral home my mother Mary choose when my father Nelson passed away at 74. But on the other hand, if the kids get a kick out of it, what the hell.

Another organization at the event were the Ghostbusters, who had their car, Ecto-1, on display. I have seen other Ghostbuster cars in Denver, and so I assume this is now a franchise, and there are Ghostbusters all over the country, working to get especially troublesome ghosts out of haunted houses, or wherever they might be. There is an apartment building near downtown Stuart called The France on Frazier Creek that was built in the 1920s, and many residents say that it is haunted. But this particular ghost appears to be a neat-freak and helpful ghost, tidying the place up and putting things back where it thinks their proper place should be. Now that is the kind of ghost I would like to haunt my place. I wonder if the Ghostbusters team also has the ability to deliver a ghost like that to me. I have a porch that desperately needs to be painted.

Returning To Stuart Beach

I stopped by Stuart Beach yesterday afternoon just to make sure it was still there, and - get ready for it - it was. The last time I was here, during the summer, there were rip tide warnings and the red flag was flying over the lifeguard station, indicating dangerous conditions. And yesterday, there were rip tide warnings and the red flag was flying over the lifeguard station. Same old same old. But one thing that was different were the tables at the Seaside Cafe. They were new, and where once the three high-topped tables and chairs at the far side of the seating area were located, allowing a person to sit and look out at the ocean, there was now a single large table with 8 chairs and no view of the ocean at all.

And in point of fact, it took me a long time to get used to the Seaside Cafe and all those tables in the first place. Back when I used to visit my mother Mary down in Stuart, we would go to the beach and there were a series of covered shelters, connected by a boardwalk, with benches that allowed you to sit, read a newspaper, and look out at the sea. You didn't have to hold your breath and hope that one of those three tables was still available when you arrived. And, of course, it is all about money. Martin County Parks and Recreation needed another revenue source. They decided not to renew the lease for the cafe next to the parking lot and instead built the Seaside Cafe right on the boardwalk where those shelters with the benches used to be. Welcome to our new improved world. In any case, the photograph on the right shows my mother posing in front of one of those benches back in the good old days. But, on the bright side, at least the sand is still there at Stuart Beach. At least for now.

A Downtown For Port St. Lucie? What A Concept!

Yesterday was the official groundbreaking for The Grove at The Port District, which will be an entertainment district for Port St. Lucie, Florida and located along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, seen in the photograph on the left. Port St. Lucie is the 6th largest city in Florida, and despite being incorporated in 1961, has never had a downtown. It consists of housing development after housing development, stretching west from US 1, near the ocean, into the scrublands of Florida. Parents in the Tradition neighborhood of Port St. Lucie need to keep an eye out when their kids are in the backyard to make sure feral hogs or alligators don't carry off their kids. 

In any case, when completed, The Grove will have seven restaurants, a park, preserve, boardwalk, and botanical garden, and will function as the city's downtown. Which is a good thing for the residents - they have needed a central place to gather, dine, and play since 1961. And this area along the river is very pretty, much of it preserved in its natural state. The two photographs on this blog were taken a few blocks north of the site of The Grove but show what the area looks like. As for me, someone who doesn't live in Port St. Lucie, I am not interested in driving 30 to 45 minutes through endless suburbia just to have dinner. Of course, if there was a possibility I could get some photographs of feral hogs and alligators, now THAT would be different.

Back To Florida!

Lately, it has been getting colder at night in Denver, and because of the fact that the heat has not yet been turned on in my condo building, getting much colder inside my bedroom/den, which has a glass outside wall. And so, since we have a condo in Stuart, Florida after taking it back from our renters after 15 years, my sister Susan and I decided it was time to head back down there. We flew into West Palm Beach, with a stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I was amazed to find that both flights were completely filled, not to mention the large crowds at the airports themselves. And yesterday, I was further amazed at the rush hour traffic these days in Stuart. I have to keep remembering that Stuart is not the sleepy town it was years ago, and that Florida itself grew by leaps and bounds during the pandemic and is still growing. In fact, Stuart's neighbor to the north, Port St. Lucie, is now the 6th largest city in Florida, and Florida itself is the 3rd most populous state in the union, after California and Texas. Even Donald Trump has begun making trips down to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach once again, but Susan and I decided to head back to Florida anyway. We can always cross the street if we happen to run into him.

The Cherry Cricket - Still Popular After All These Years

I went to the Cherry Cricket in Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood Saturday night with my sister Susan and with another Susan, who lives in our condo building. I was surprised to find that there was a line out the door to get a table when we arrived. Evidently, the place is still very popular. It has been called "Denver's Favorite Burger Joint since 1945," and the place was packed with families, couples, and sports fans watching college football games. And I can see why - the prices are reasonable; there is no music blasting from the speakers, allowing everyone to talk and actually hear each other, and the staff is very friendly. And since it has been around since 1945, it is very un-Cherry Creek like. In other words, a laid-back neighborhood gathering place. If you haven't been there, I strongly recommend going.

Fall At The University of Denver. Homecoming Is Coming Soon!

It was pretty mellow on the University of Denver campus yesterday afternoon, with only a few students wandering beneath the colorful trees on their way to classes, the library, or the student center. That will soon change when homecoming weekend takes place from Thursday, October 30th through Saturday, November 1st. Since DU does not have a football team, the big event will be the hockey game between DU and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, November 1st. And before that game, the Homecoming Tailgate will take place for alumni, their families, and friends. I actually attended that tailgate party last year, although I did not actually attend the hockey game (that costs serious money). Amazingly enough, after working almost 30 years at the DU Bookstore and getting an MBA there at the same time, I did not recognize a single person. I did discover Melvin IPA, since I bought a ticket in advance that was good for two beers, and drank them while wandering around the tailgate grounds. And was it the festive Crimson and Gold atmosphere promised by the university? Only after those two Melvin IPAs.

Watching Tottenham Play Aston Villa With Mark

My friend Mark - seen in the photograph above - and I teleported ourselves to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium through the magic of Photoshop yesterday morning to watch Tottenham play Aston Villa in a Premier League Soccer match. Sadly, Tottenham lost to Aston Villa 2 to 1 and are having their poorest home start since the 2008/09 season. This is the same stadium where the Denver Broncos beat the winless New York Jets 13-11 in an ugly victory the previous Sunday. I guess the Denver offense played like they had jet lag and were very lucky to pull off a win. And just yesterday, still suffering from jet lag, they were down 19-0 to the New York Giants at the start of the 4th quarter at Denver's Empower Field before finally waking up and setting two NFL records in coming back to beat the Giants 33-32. Perhaps Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has a curse on it. Maybe the Spurs should only play away games for the rest of the season. Worth a try, right Tottenham fans?

Golden Is Truly Golden This Time Of Year

The City of Golden, founded in 1859 and Colorado's first Territorial Capitol, is indeed golden these days, what with all the fall colors around town. I took the photograph on the left while driving through the campus of the Colorado School of Mines, a highly respected university offering degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics. The only thing I really know about Mines is about their football team, the Orediggers, who played in back-to-back NCAA Division II championship games in 2022 and 2023. And who won yesterday's game against Adams State by a score of 72-14. Probably inspired by all those fall colors.

The colors were also evident in the city's 12th Street Historic District, as seen in the photograph on the right, with Table Mesa in the background. Table Mesa separates Golden from the rest of the Denver metropolitan area, giving it a small-town feel. The city's motto is "Where the West Lives," reflecting its history as a mining town during the gold rush. And with its location along Cleer Creek, with biking and hiking trails on each side, leading into those mountains where the gold was mined, the town attracts tourists year-round.

Speaking of Clear Creek, it appears that the tubing and kayaking season is finally over. The cooler fall water temperatures have finally driven the most ardent enthusiasts away. However, during the summer, the creek is filled with tubers and kayakers, especially on weekends, so much so that the city implemented restrictions on tube rentals and sales at stores within the city limits. In the spring there was even talk of requiring reservations to access the creek, but I don't think that was ever implemented. After all, how could that possibly work? One trip down the creek and you're done? Having to make multiple reservations to be able to continue accessing the creek? I guess it will be back to the drawing board on that one. Hopefully it will give the city council something to think about during the winter months.

Enjoying Fall At The Denver Zoo

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I went to the Denver Zoo Wednesday morning to take photographs of the 4 new lion cubs. After my first visit to what the zoo calls Pahali Ya Mwana (place of the young), I walked around the zoo and took photographs of some of the other animals out and about. Fall is the best time to take those photos, since it is cooler, and the animals tend to sit in the sun, as opposed to the summer, when they hide in the shade and spend the day sleeping. I took the photograph on the left of one of the female lions, who was kind enough to pose for a portrait at Predator Ridge, the lion compound at the Denver Zoo.

I usually go to the zoo in the afternoons, but since this time I went in the morning to make sure I got to see the lion cubs (they were supposed to be outside only until 11:30), I was able to watch a couple of what the zoo calls "Animal Demonstrations," including the one showing the elephant in the photo on the right doing a series of tricks for the crowd. It was kind of fun to see, but right before the show began, that elephant took a large dump right where the demonstration took place. It was hard not to keep your eye on that mess to see whether that elephant would step in it as he did his set of tricks. And surprise! He didn't!

In addition to the four new lion cubs, there are a number of other babies at the zoo, including the giraffe in the photograph on the left. Named Thorn, no doubt after the hero in James W. Hall's series of adventure novels, he is now a little over 7-month-old but growing fast. The thing about zoo babies is that they are very curious about everything, and so tend to stare right into the camera when I take their photograph, no doubt wondering what the hell I am doing.

Another baby at the zoo is Siska, who is now two years old. Its mother, Eirina, seems to be very protective of her, as seen in the photograph on the right. Perhaps too protective. She did not let go of that poor little orangutan the entire time I was there. I predict in future years Siska will be spending a lot of time with the zoo psychologist. And yes, Eirina is indeed wearing a blanket on her head, and has been doing that every time I see her at the zoo. I think the zoo psychologist might want to have a chat with her, too.

The mandrill in the photograph on the left might or might not be Kesi, born in 2019, which would make her 6 years old. What is not in question is that Kesi is full of energy, climbs all over the place, and is constantly in motion. It will probably not surprise you that the object of most of her adventures these days is finding food to eat. That seems to be the favorite pastime of most of the animals at the Denver Zoo. In any case, it was a fun day at the zoo and surprisingly packed for a weekday. Young, old, families, you name it. And the best part of the zoo, besides the animals, is that it is like a park, meticulously landscaped, making for a very pleasant day. Be sure to stop by and enjoy the fall weather there while you can. 

Visiting The Four New Lion Cubs At The Denver Zoo

This past Wednesday I drove to the Denver Zoo to see the four new lion cubs that were born exactly 9 weeks earlier. It was announced last week that they would be introduced to the public starting that Thursday and be on display from 9:30 until 11:30 A.M. each day. As I was getting closer to the zoo, I was behind a long line of cars and had a sinking feeling that they were all headed the same place I was, which turned out to be true. As soon as I entered the zoo, I saw the longest line I have ever seen at the zoo. It was like they were giving away money. In any case, I joined the queue and spent 1 1/2 hours in line. Many of us who arrived around 10:00 wondered what would happen once 11:30 rolled around, but we soon found out the cubs would now be outside until 5:00 P.M. each day, and so no problem. At least if knew about that in advance. When I finally got to see the cubs, they were all sleeping, along with their mother. But while I was there, one of the cubs happily woke up and posed for a portrait. Thanks guy!

After seeing the cubs, I went around the rest of the zoo, and when I returned to Predator Ridge, the lion compound, the line was actually pretty short, and so I queued up once again. This time they were all awake and being fed, but the light was not good, and I really struggled to get a decent photo. I imagine it would have been best to wait until a cloudy day when there would be no glare from the sun, but as Ansel Adams used to say, "the hell with it." I fixed the photograph on the right as best I could in photoshop. And yes - the mother, Araali, is indeed staring at me very intently in that photograph. I don't know if that is because she recognized me from previous visits and is happy to see me again, or if she thinks I am a threat to her cubs - pointing a strange object at them - and wants to rip me apart. Probably best not to climb into the main lion compound when the cubs join the rest of the pride and find out.

One of the lion cubs did walk over to the front of the window and lay down while I was there, which allowed me to take the photograph on the left. The cubs are definitely very cute, and it is definitely worth heading to the Denver Zoo to see them. Just don't wait too long. They grow up quickly and before you know it you can no longer tell them from the other lions. That was the case with Tatoo, a lion cub that was also born at the Denver Zoo years ago. Once he became a teenager, I could no longer identify him. And, I have to admit, he was no longer cute.

An Anniversary From the Mists Of Time

I got married on this day back around the dawn of time and divorced around 5 years later. Lisa directed the choir at a Methodist church up in Golden, Colorado, but was Catholic, and so we were married by both the minister of that church and Father Bob, a priest who was the choral director at St. Thomas Seminary here in Denver, and a good friend of ours. Another priest from St. Thomas took the wedding photographs, which Lisa kept. But somehow, I wound up with the one above, which was one of my favorites. You can read a lot into that photograph, can't you? But that's just my opinion. And by the way, Father Bob eventually left the priesthood and married a parishioner name Linda. They moved to Arizona, and we lost touch with them. I think Bob wanted to break away from his old life. But years later, I believe he wound up as a music program director and teacher in - get ready for it - Golden, Colorado. Probably fell in love with the place the same day we got married.

Denver's Downtown Development Authority Is Buying The Denver Pavilions

The Denver Pavilions, a multi-level open air mall on 16th Street, is going to be purchased by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) for $37 million. Which is a deal, considering the property was valued at $140 million 10 years ago, before five years of COVID and the renovation of the 16th Street Mall, now called just 16th Street, took place. Gart Properties, which is selling the property, had a $85 million loan to pay off on it this past July, and so is evidently taking a bath on the sale. Now that the 16th Street renovation is finished, the DDA plans to hire an "international retail specialist" to revive the mall, which currently has a 41% vacancy rate. For years, the Denver Pavilions was quite the success, and the iconic "Denver" sign, part of which can be seen in the photograph above, was often used in tourist brochures to lure visitors to Denver, including my friend Ana Silvia, who learned about the Pavilions when she was living in Honduras. I myself like that outdoor shopping center, which has a nice first level filled with flowers and lots of room for outdoor patios and bars. I really think it will return to its former glory over time. And if not, the DDA can unload it to someone else, for, say, $5 million. I think that's what they call high finance.

A Packard On Pearl - Anyone Interested In Buying A Classic Car?

When having lunch with my friend Peter at Park Burger, located on Denver's Pearl Street, a while back, I noticed the Packard in the photograph above in the parking lot of a car repair shop directly across the street. Packard was a luxury car brand that existed from 1899 to 1958. Throughout the years, many of the models were quite luxurious and impressive looking, but after World War II the company struggled to compete with the Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) and after merging with Studebaker in 1953, the brand was phased out. The car in that photograph might or might not be a 1941 Packard sedan, one of which I found for sale on the internet for $20,000. I myself am not a car person, and personally, I am not fond of that particular model, but someone with a bit of car repair experience could probably buy that car for a song, put in a little elbow grease, and sell it for a big profit. Anyone interested? I remember one of my cousin's in-laws had a model similar to the one in the photo, which was in excellent condition, although still ugly. He and one of my cousins, who also collected old cars, would sometimes bring them to family gatherings. My cousin used his classic Cadillac for special family events and weddings and left it in the garage the rest of the time. I sure hope he paid a lot less than 20K for it.

Columbus Day Or Indigenous People's Day? Still A Holiday Either Way...

Today is Columbus Day, a federal holiday since 1934. But these days it is much more complicated than that. Here in Colorado, Columbus Day is no longer a state holiday. But in Denver, the city celebrates Indigenous People's Day, and so all the schools are closed. Back in Illinois, my native state, they do recognize Columbus Day as a state holiday, but Chicago, where I grew up, also celebrates it as Indigenous People's Day, and the schools are closed there, too. And this makes me think back to when I went to Fort Dearborn Grammer School in Chicago's South Side Brainerd neighborhood. I hated school, and any day off was like a gift from the Gods. And to be honest, I wouldn't have cared if we were celebrating Columbus Day, Indigenous People's Day, or Alfred E. Newman Day. A day off was a day off. And in honor of this holiday, whichever one you are celebrating, I am featuring the photograph above, taken by me years ago, of Mrs. McCormick's classroom at Fort Dearborn back in the early 1960s. I think I got caught taking that photo, but happily, she did not confiscate the camera. And so perhaps this is the only photograph ever taken of a Fort Dearborn classroom from the early 1960s actually in session. Probably worth a fortune. Perhaps ChatGPT will know for sure.

Wait Till Next Year Cubs Fans!

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,

     The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

        And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,

       But there is no joy in Chi-Town - the mighty Cubs have struck out.

                                    - with apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer

And that's all you need to know. The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 yesterday evening with a trio of 2-out solo home runs by William Contreras, Andrew Vaughn, and Brice Turang to win Game 5 of the National League Division Series and move on to the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs had a good season but were just not good enough. And so, as so often happens with the Cubs, the refrain is once again "wait till next year." But in fairness, the Brewers had the best record in baseball this year, and so it was a tough team to beat. It will be interesting to see how they match up against the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. And by the way, Andrew Vaughn, seen in the photograph above celebrating with his teammates, had a major part in winning the NLDS Series for Milwaukee. In addition to the home run in Game 5, he hit a three-run home run in Game 2. And no other than my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, traded him to the Brewers this past June when he was batting .189. Once he left the White Sox and joined the Brewers, he batted .308 with 9 homeruns and 46 RBIs over 64 games. It figures. It just figures.

Fall Comes To Breckenridge

I drove up to Breckenridge from Denver with my sister Susan this past Thursday afternoon via a roundabout route, taking US 285 over Kenosha Pass to Fairplay, and then north from there to Breckenridge. Most of the leaves on the aspens were gone at the higher altitudes, including on Kenosha Pass and also, as I looked up on the way into Breckenridge, along Boreas Pass Road. However, the trees were still very colorful in Breckenridge, as seen in the photograph above. Being a weekday afternoon, it was pretty quiet on Main Street, although there were still some tourists wandering around town. After all that driving, it was definitely time for a beer, and so Susan and I headed into the Blue Stag Saloon, which is popular with the locals and has been around since 2013. It's predecessor, the Whale's Tale, featuring a nautical theme, had been around for 40 years before the current owner bought the place, changed the name, and gave it a Victorian era theme, more in line with the late 1800s look of the town itself. I have been at this bar and restaurant several times in the past but am damned if I can remember if it was the Blue Stag or the Whale's Tale back then. In any case, it was a cozy spot to have a drink - there were a mix of visitors and locals, and the Yankees-Blue Jays playoff game was on the television. And no music, thank God. The off-season in Breck, as the hipsters call it, is definitely worth the drive up from Denver, no matter what route you take.

Dreaming of Eataly

When I was in Stuart, Florida this past summer, I drove a number of times down to West Palm Beach and through the CityPlace neighborhood, which has been described as a "New Urbanist mixed-use development architecturally composed of Mediterranean and Venetian elements." This complex has been heralded as reviving West Palm Beach and turning it into a very dynamic city. The developers saved a number of historic buildings at the complex, including the Harriet Himmel Theater, a former Methodist Church built in 1926 and seen in the photograph above. When Related Companies, the owners, started a major renovation of that building, many West Palm Beach residents were up in arms about it, but the company assured everyone it would bring the building back to its former glory. However, driving past it last summer, a sign announced that it was the future home of Eataly, a chain of upscale Italian food halls consisting of restaurants, food and beverage counters, bakeries, retail, and a cooking school. Their website says it is planning a fall opening. It will be interesting to see how Eataly is received by the public. Not as tacky as turning the Olinger Mortuary and Crematorium in Denver into a restaurant called Linger, but pretty close.

Watching The Cubs Come Back From The Brink With Stuart At Old Chicago

My friend Stuart - seen in the photograph above - and I had a late lunch yesterday afternoon at the Old Chicago in Lakewood, that ugly suburb just to the west of Denver, where we watched the Chicago Cubs, facing elimination in the National League Division Series, come out like gangbusters in the first inning and score 4 runs, holding on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3. Stuart, who grew up on the North Side of Chicago and is, of course, a Cubs fan, went from very pessimistic to declaring that momentum is now on the side of the Cubs, convinced they will take the next 2 games and move on to the NL Championship Series. Spoken like a true Cubs fan. And will they actually do that? As I have said many times before, they are, after all, the Cubs. As for my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, they finished the season 60-102, bad but not historically bad like last year, when they lost 121 games. And it was, after all, a rebuilding year, with a team made up of very promising rookies. As for our adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, they finished with a 43-119 record and avoided tying the White Sox's historic loss record by 2 games, which seemed to be their main goal this past season. And what does their future look like? They fired their general manager, which everyone knew needed to happen, but the question remains whether they will hire a new GM who actually knows something about baseball, which the team owner has always avoided doing up till now. Time will tell.

The October Mutts Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the October Mutts of the Month at the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street, just a short distance from my condo across the street from the University of Denver. These two dogs were full of energy, and whenever other people with dogs would enter the beer garden and pass by, it was mutt madness. This is a real neighborhood hangout, with old and young, families with kids, and DU students all enjoying the pleasant fall afternoons. And so many have dogs with them, it is almost as if dogs are required for entry. However, unlike at the New Terrain Brewing Company up in Golden, I have yet to see any baby goats wandering around, and so perhaps I will put a note in their suggestion box. They do have one, right?

A Perfect Day For Hiking? In Boulder, Evidently Yes...

The temperature never got above 50 degrees yesterday, and it was threatening rain most of the day, but up in Boulder, there were a fair number of cars in the parking lot at Chautauqua Park, and I had to assume they were all hiking up in the Flatirons, seen in the photograph above. Years ago, I remember hiking into that kind of mist at Rocky Mountain National Park with my then wife Lisa, sister Susan, and late brother-in-law George, and it was indeed kind of exciting, the mist getting thicker and thicker and the visibility decreasing the higher we went. But that was in the spring, when the remaining snow got deeper and deeper the higher we went. Which would ultimately make us turn around and head for the local brewpub. Yesterday, there was no chance of encountering snow, and so I assume if dressed properly, it might have made for a nice hike. But not for me. These days I prefer warm and sunny, unlike all those young whippersnappers up in Boulder. And do people still use the word "whippersnapper" these days? I thought not.

The 16th Street Grand Reopening

This past Saturday Denver celebrated the reopening of the 16th Street Mall (now officially called simply 16th Street) after a three-and-a-half-year renovation. Restaurants, bars, and shops on 16th Street have had a hard time over the past 5 years, first with Covid restrictions and the rise of work from home emptying out office buildings, and then the long period when the mall was basically a construction zone. Many went out of business, and there are still many vacancies. However, I did see two new restaurants filled with customers when I walked 16th on Saturday, and so perhaps the street will indeed return to its former glory. And by the way, I believe that is the Denver-based band Flobots in the photograph on the left.

The reopening event included speeches, live music, aerial dancing, belly dancing, DJs, and even free pork belly tacos. There was also a marching band parading down the street, as seen in the photograph on the right. I moved to Denver back in 1981 when the 16th Street Mall was still being built. It opened the following year, and back then it was home to no fewer than 4 department stores: The Denver, May D&F, Joslins, and Neusteter's. And when their long-term leases ended, those stores closed one by one, and the 16th Street Mall became more of an entertainment and tourist destination, which it still is today.

I took the photograph on the left of what I assume is 16th Street's new mascot. All the sports teams have mascots, of course. The Colorado Rockies have Dinger the dinosaur, called the worst mascot in sports by a Denver Post columnist, the Colorado Avalanche has Bernie the St. Bernard, the Denver Broncos Miles the horse, and the Denver Nuggets have Rocky, the supermascot, so why not a mascot for 16th Street? I do have to wonder what this mascot will be called. To be honest, it looks more like it was designed to scare people off than welcome them to 16th Street, but what do I know? Personally, if I were you, I would run away if you saw it coming toward you. Which, I have to add, has always been my policy with Dinger.

The Children Of Eve

I just finished reading The Children of Eve, John Connelly's latest Charlie Parker thriller. Parker is a private detective living in Portland, Maine, whose cases always involve the supernatural. His first wife and young daughter were murdered years ago, but the ghost of his daughter still occasionally appears both to him and her older stepsister to warn of danger. In this story, Parker is hired by an up-and-coming Maine artist whose boyfriend, Wyatt Riggins, has gone missing, leaving only a cell phone with the message "RUN" on it. Parker finds out that Riggins, an ex-soldier, was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of four children from Mexico, belonging to a cartel boss named Blas Urrea, although Urrea's children are all well and accounted for. Which begs the question: whose children are they? Urrea has hired a ruthless agent, accompanied by a scary, unknown woman, to get the four children back and deal mercilessly with everyone involved in taking them. What follows is danger for everyone involved, including Parker. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who likes a good private eye novel, combined with supernatural overtones. Pick a copy up at your local library today.

Hockey Night Lights 2025

Hockey Night Lights, one of the weirdest events at the University of Denver, took place last night on the north lawn of DU's Ritchie Center. This is a hockey tradition where students camp out all night in the hope of receiving a "golden ticket," which lets the student attend every DU Pioneers hockey game for free. To keep students entertained, there are lawn games and free food, student ice skating in Magness Arena, and what every resident in my building, located right across the street from this event and seen in the photograph on the left, loves to hear: "Live music by a notable D.J." I remember years ago this was very annoying, but after I assume were numerous complaints, the music no longer reaches our building. Either that or I am losing my hearing.

The evening was scheduled to conclude with a movie on the lawn, The Lego Batman Movie, starting at 12:00 midnight. And after that a wakeup call and free donuts at 7:30 A.M., with the ticket office opening up at 8:00. Sounds like an evening out of hell to me. But then again, I am an old curmudgeon. In any case, it says on the DU website that a limited number of tickets would be available. What I'd like to know is how limited is limited? If I camped out all night long, having to watch, or even having to listen to The Lego Batman Movie while trying to get to sleep, then stand in line starting at 7:30 A.M. and finding out that all the tickets were gone by the time I reached the ticket office window, I would be a bit perturbed, to say the least. The students do have to register online for this event, so hopefully DU will make sure everyone who did register gets tickets. Especially when they are paying $62,390 a year on tuition, which is another thing I would be perturbed about if I was a student. Very perturbed.

The October Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I perused the October issue of Chicago Magazine the other day, and there were some interesting articles this month. The cover story, Best of Fall, features nine events "to put on your calendar, " with a special emphasis on "an epic new album" by Jeffy Tweedy. I'm afraid I've never heard of Jeff Tweedy, and really don't care about his existential crisis, although perhaps I should. More interesting was reading about Barry Pearce. the "modern day Algren," who grew up near Midway Airport and has a new book coming out called The Plan of Chicago. Also, Kevin Shaw is premiering One Golden Summer at the Chicago International Film Festival, a documentary about an all-Black Jackie Robinson West team from Chicago's South Side Morgan Park neighborhood who won the Little League World Series in 2014, only to have it taken away the following year. There is also an article about the last Republican mayor of Chicago, Big Bill Thompson, a pal of Al Capone, who a 1993 survey of historians ranked the worst big-city mayor in American history. In "The 312" section, there is a story about a house in Evanston, built in 1889 and designed by Joseph Lyman Silsbee - Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor and first employer - which evidently had an influence on Wright's work. It is a huge place, 7,500 square feet, and now on the market for $3 million, with a view of Lake Michigan. Most eye-opening is a review of a new upscale steakhouse called The Alston, which occupies an entire city block in Chicago's River North neighborhood and is described as a three-ring circus designed for the New Gilded Age. The reviewer was critical of many of the dishes and unhappy with the level of service, but says the place is a lot of fun and he will be heading back soon, despite dinner for two costing an average of $350. Unless you go for happy hour caviar, where you can get an ounce of Russian roe with waffles for a mere $65. Count me in! Can I get an Old Style with that?

A Trip To the Garden Of The Gods

I drove down to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs yesterday afternoon and was surprised to find so many people there on a weekday, although unlike on the weekend, there were actually a few parking spots available. The park is almost exactly a one-hour drive from my condo in Denver, and so a great destination for a day trip on a warm and sunny fall day. The land this park is located on was originally purchased by Charles Elliott Perkins, a friend of General William Jackson Palmer, who founded Colorado Springs in 1871. Perkins originally was going to build a summer home on the property, but decided instead to leave it in its natural state and open it to the public. In 1909, after Perkins died, his children conveyed the 480 acres to the City of Colorado Springs.

The family gave the property to the city on the condition it "shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park." Which is why there is no admission fee and never will be to enter the park, and why the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center is located across the street from the park entrance. As for no intoxicating beverages, I have yet to stopped at the entrance and have the car searched, although there is always a first time.

As I walked through the Central Garden, the most popular part of the park, I noticed a wide variety of visitors. There were, of course, seniors like me, but also young couples, families, and groups wearing the same shirts, which nevertheless did not identify who they were. There were also several groups of what I believe were Japanese tourists, one of which was enthusiastically posing for a photo, as seen in the photograph on the left. I was originally going to take that photograph when they had finished taking theirs, but they kept taking photo after photo and gave no indication that they were going to stop. Ever. And so, I finally said the hell with it and included them in mine. So there. You're in the blog. Happy? All in all, a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.