When In Golden, It's Hard To Miss The Coors Brewery

Coors Brewery has been in Golden, Colorado since 1873, and is the largest single-site brewery in the world. And when you are in Golden, it is hard to miss. It starts right beyond Washington Avenue, the town's main drag, as seen in the photograph above, and seems to go on eastward for miles. When I was first married, my then wife Lisa directed the choir at a local church in Golden, and virtually everyone I met back then either worked at Coors or the Colorado School of Mines, also located in Golden. Hard to believe, but at that time Coors had a century-old policy of providing free beer on the job to employees during breaks, lunches, and the half-hour after work, although as far as I know, the Colorado School of Mines did not. That policy ended in 1994 for obvious reasons. These days the company is called Molson Coors and is headquartered in both Chicago and Montreal, with the Coors and Molson families well-represented on the Board of Directors. And yes, you can indeed tour the Coors Brewery up in Golden for $20, after which you get three samples of - wait for it - Molson Coors products. Yum!

Historic El Rancho - Soon To Be Riding Into The Sunset?

El Rancho, seen in the photograph on the left, has been a landmark in Evergreen, Colorado since 1948, when it opened as a cafe and trading post. It quickly became a beloved dining spot, famous for its views of the Colorado mountains. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a frequent guest. In fact, I read somewhere that Eisenhower was friends with the owner, and thanks to a U.S. Post Office opening in the building in 1956, El Rancho was able to get its own exit off Interstate 70. Having your own exit sign off busy Interstate 70 definitely did not hurt El Rancho's business. I remember having Thanksgiving dinner there once with my sister Susan and late brother-in-law George and admiring that wonderful view. I also remember having a drink in their bar area several times, too. The walls were made of logs, a fire was lit in the fireplace, and it was like being in a rustic mountain lodge.

In any case, after changing hands several times, it was purchased out of bankruptcy to save it from demolition, but after a dispute with the celebrity chef about the future direction of the restaurant, the owners sold the building to Quik Trip, who will build a gas station on the site. There has been a proposal to move the building across the street where a new development called The Observatory will be built, and a local bicycle shop called Evergreen Bicycle Outfitters agreed to buy the relocated building and move their shop into part of the space, as well as reinstate the original brewery and upstairs lodgings. However, to offset the high cost of this proposal, local developer Observatory Holdings made a request to the Jefferson County Commissioners to approve a metro district for El Rancho to help finance public infrastructure, such as roads, utilities, sidewalks, etc. However, the application was denied 2-1 by the Board of County Commissioners, citing uncertainty about the financial viability of the district. And so, if that ruling stands, El Rancho is toast. So much for saving one of Jefferson County's landmarks. Is there still a chance the building still might be moved, anyway. Only if someone with deep pockets takes an interest. We'll just have to see.

The View From The Wynkoop

My sister Susan and I stopped into the Wynkoop Brewing Company in Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo) for a beer the other day, where I snapped a photograph of the view out the window, as seen above. During the summer, I love to sit on the outside patio after attending a Rockies game and watch the crowds stroll past on their way home (Coors Field is just two blocks away), but during the winter, it is best to just take a seat in the bar area and avoid pneumonia. The Wynkoop is pretty quiet this time of year, especially on a weeknight, but a great spot to hang out and enjoy its1890s vibe. In any case, just across the street on the left side of the photo is the Icehouse Lofts, which was originally constructed in 1880 or 1903, depending on which website you look at, and was home to Littleton Creamery and Beatrice Foods Cold Storage Warehouse before being converted into lofts back in 1998. Currently there are two units for sale there - a 1-bedroom, 1.5 bath unit on the 2nd floor selling for $550,000, and a 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit on the 6th floor selling for $1.3 million. Both of which seem to me a bit pricey. On the other hand, the Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse is located on the first floor of the building, offering its sampling of a dozen rotisserie-grilled meats for $51.95, easily affordable to someone who can afford to live in that building. Or, if you are on a tight budget due to your 1-million-dollar mortgage, you can always just cross the street and have a $6 happy hour IPA at the Wynkoop. I myself intend to just skip the $1.3 million unit and continue to drive the 20 minutes to the Wynkoop from my current residence. No matter what the price of gas is.

The February Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the February Mutt of the Month the Sunday after New Year's Day on the patio of New Terrain Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado. As you can see, that dog was happy to pose for the photo, no doubt bored out of its mind while its owner and her friends were relaxing and having a couple of beers. And yes, that group, as well as everyone else, was hanging out without jackets at the beginning of January in Colorado. Having occasional warm days during the winter is not unusual here in the Denver area, but this year, except for maybe a day or to, we have not yet had winter weather. Flowers are beginning to bloom, the snowpack is at an historic low, and there is great fear that Colorado will have severe drought conditions and a high risk of wildfires this coming summer if conditions don't change. Which is why everyone is praying for a very snowy March and April, which are traditionally the two snowiest months in Colorado. Pleasant patio weather is all well and good, but not at the cost of endangering the state.

Spring Training Begins At Last!

Pitchers and catchers report to their spring training ballparks in Florida and Arizona this week, with the rest of the team arriving five days later. This is a wonderful time of year for baseball fans. Every team in major league baseball has a chance to win it all, no matter what the experts predict. My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, report to Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona today, anxious to get started with their climb back to respectability. Meanwhile, their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, are having their pitchers and catchers report to Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona tomorrow, no doubt confident they are destined to finish first this year in the NL Central and move on to the playoffs. My adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, are waiting until Thursday for pitchers and catchers to report to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona. As Rockies fans will remember, the pitching staff put up a 6.65 ERA last season, the worst in major league baseball since 1901, and the starting rotation tied a modern-era record with 93 losses. The Rockies missed tying the White Sox for the worst record in the history of baseball by 2 games, finishing with 119 losses. Perhaps management wants to put off seeing that pitching staff back in action as long as they can. Thursday doesn't work? How about next week instead? And yes, the photograph above is still another that I took at the late, great Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach during spring training back in March of 1996. Since I haven't been to a spring training game since then, I have a very limited number of spring training photos to show. Perhaps that's for the best.

Super Bowl Sunday! Time To Finally Take Down That Xmas Tree!

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, the day I finally decided to take down my Christmas tree, seen in all its glory in the photograph on the left. I was originally going to take it down February 2nd, which is day on which the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, also known as Candlemas, is celebrated, since I read on the internet that it was the day many Christians took down their trees, thus giving me an excuse for leaving it up so long. But then February 2nd rolled around, and I thought about having to take the hundreds of framed painting and prints out of my storage locker (all belonging to my sister Susan, I might add) to make room for the box containing that massive tree, and then having to put all those paintings and prints back in front of and on top of that box. And then decided that since I wasn't religious, I would do something more traditional in America - take down the tree while watching the big game. Which used to be the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, but now, I firmly believe, is the Super Bowl. Makes sense, right? And by the way, Americans ate 1.5 billion chicken wings yesterday, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13. Now you know everything.

Goldens In Golden 2026

Yesterday was Goldens in Golden Day, the largest gathering of Golden Retrievers in the world. It takes place in Golden, Colorado and attracts over 10,000 people and 3,500 dogs in celebration of International Golden Retrievers Day. I drove to Golden for this event last year, just as it was ending. The main events, including a group photograph of thousands of owners and their Golden Retrievers taken in front of the Golden Welcome Arch on Washington Avenue, were long over, although there were still a lot of people with their dogs wandering around, as seen in the above photograph. And, of course, there was not a parking space in sight. Golden has made virtually every residential street around the 12th Street Historic District "residents only" parking, leaving very few spaces for visitors, especially 10,000 of them. But what I most remember was the traffic, which was at a standstill for what seemed like hours. Afterwards, I think there were a lot of complaints, and so this year, Golden instituted a shuttle from an off-site parking lot. However, I decided to skip the festivities this year. For one thing, waiting for a shuttle to take you downtown and then waiting to catch one on the way back takes a lot of time. Which, despite being retired, I don't seem to have a lot of these days. Plus, those buses get very crowded, not only with people but with all those dogs, too. And for another, I was not sure I wanted to be in a one-block area with 10,000 people and their 3,500 Golden Retrievers. Does that mean I have turned into an old fuddy-duddy? Don't answer that.

Getting Together With The Leeds United Colorado Supporters At DNVR

My friend Mark (seen in the photograph above) and I got together yesterday afternoon with the Leeds United Colorado supporters at the DNVR Bar here in Denver. And I must say, I was impressed with the turnout. There were over 20 people there at 1:00 P.M. on a Friday afternoon to watch Leeds play Nottingham Forest in a Premier League soccer match. I like this group a lot. They are a friendly bunch and have members that actually come from Yorkshire. Which makes sense, because I really think you need to have a connection to Leeds and Yorkshire to root for this team, since Leeds United is not, as far as I know, a well-known team in the U.S. Mark, of course, has friends in Leeds, visited there a number of times, and has attended soccer matches at Elland Road, Leed's home stadium. The game started at 8:00 P.M. local time and it looked to me like it was pouring down rain the entire time (although I hear February in the UK is usually very lovely). In any case, Leeds came out strong, scoring 2 goals in the first half and 1 in the second to win 3-1, sending all those fans home happy, not only with the win, but also being here in Denver with sunshine and temperatures in the 60s instead of watching the game live in Leeds in the cold, pouring down rain.

The Final Weekend Of The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro's Impressionism

This is the final weekend of the Camille Pissarro retrospective at the Denver Art Museum (The DAM). My sister Susan and I decided to tour the exhibit one more time yesterday afternoon in order to take a closer look at the artwork, since the last time we went was on a Sunday, and the place was packed, making getting close to the artwork and the explanatory labels very difficult.  Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Denver, sunny with a high of 66 degrees, making the walk from the car to the DAM's Hamilton Building, where the exhibit is being held and seen in the photograph on the left, very pleasant. And by the way, this building was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, his first completed building in the U.S. Libeskind said was inspired by the state's craggy mountain peaks when designing the building, but also found Denver and its people very dynamic, and wanted lively architecture to let the public know that new things are going on in this building. Of course, I knew there had to be a reason for why it looks like that, but in any case, the building is indeed a great place to display art.

And happily, the exhibit was indeed a lot less crowded, as seen in the photograph on the right, allowing us to take our time and learn more about Pissarro and his work. I really didn't know anything about him before this show and was surprised to learn he was considered the "dean of the Impressionists," as well as a father figure to them. And I really like his work, especially his paintings of Paris. And so, if you want to see this exhibit, you have only three days left. It is definitely worth seeing. And if you are a DAM member, you and whoever you bring can get in for $5 each, which to me is one hell of a bargain.

Lunch With Stuart At Spanky's

I had a late lunch yesterday afternoon with my friend Stuart, as seen in the photograph above, at Spanky's Roadhouse, located just to the west of the University of Denver campus. And as you can see, being an alumnus, Stuart is proudly wearing his DU sweatshirt. Of course, just to be clear, 1864 is the year DU was founded, not the year Stuart graduated. In any case, we discussed a wide range of topics over lunch, including Donald Trump's latest antics, and a little baseball, too. Stuart was surprised to learn that the Rockies have actually hired a new president of baseball operations and a new general manager who actually know something about baseball, which gives hope to Rockies fans everywhere. Although I have to say, the Fangraphs projected 2026 standings show the Rockies finishing in last place with a 65-97 record. On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs, Stuart's team (he is from the North Side of Chicago) are predicted to finish in first place with an 86-76 record. As for my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, Fangraphs predicts they will once again finish in last place with a 68-94 record, even with the Pope on their side. Still another losing season on the South Side? Say it ain't so, Joe!

Pitchers And Catchers Report Next Week!

Baseball season is almost here! Pitchers and catchers report next week to their spring training ballparks in Florida and Arizona. My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, are heading to Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, the Chicago Cubs to Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, and the Colorado Rockies to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, which is the first professional sports facility built on Indian land and also in Arizona. However, I have to admit that the only spring training game I have ever seen played by one of those teams was back in 1985 when the White Sox still trained at Payne Park in Sarasota, Florida, where I took the photograph above. This was the season after the White Sox traded my favorite player, LaMarr Hoyt - no doubt a distant relative - to the San Diego Padres. He was a great pitcher for the Sox, winning the American League Cy Young Award in 1983 and the first AL Championship game against the Baltimore Orioles the same year, but was traded to San Diego after the 1984 season. And sadly, after living a good, clean, simple life on the South Side of Chicago, was no doubt corrupted by the decadent California lifestyle and wound up being arrested four times on drug charges, which ended his baseball career. I guess it is probably a good thing that most of us can't afford to live in California these days. But as usual, I digress. Looking for a spring training photo for this blog post, I came to the realization that it has been exactly 30 years since I last attended a spring training game. Definitely time to attend another one. And so, when I head back to Florida this spring, I will do just that. And perhaps not even wait another 30 years to go to another one. At this time in life, time to just go crazy, right?

News Flash! An Early Spring In The West, Six More Weeks Of Winter In The East

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday morning, which was, of course, Groundhog Day, and thus predicts six more weeks of winter. And in Boulder, Colorado, Flatiron Freddy, a top-hat wearing, stuffed marmot, did NOT see his shadow, and so predicts an early spring. Besides the fact that people in Boulder believe that a dead, stuffed marmot has the ability to see or not see its shadow, this makes perfect sense. In the Eastern half of the country, they have been experiencing massive snow and cold, while here in the West, we've barely seen any winter weather at all, and so there is no reason to believe things will be changing any time soon. And by the way, I obtained the photograph above of Flatiron Freddy appearing with an "Olympic curling-inspired entrance" at Boulder's Chautauqua Park off the 9NEWS website. They don't call Boulder "25 square miles surrounded by reality" for nothing.

Watching Tottenham Play Manchester City With The Colorado Spurs

My friend Mark (seen in the photograph above) and I went to Esters Pub here in Southeast Denver yesterday morning to watch the Tottenham Hotspurs play Manchester City with the Colorado Spurs supporters group. Since Manchester City is in 2nd place in the English Premier League and Tottenham is currently in 14th and struggling, I didn't expect much of a contest and thought there would not be a large turnout. But when the soccer match started, the room was filled with fans. Tottenham was a bit listless and down 2-0 at the end of the first half, but they came alive in the second half and tied up the game, to the delight of everyone there. There were a number of choruses of "When the Spurs Come Marching In," and the hardcore fans at the bar kept pounding it and shouting out various chants that I did not understand, especially the one where they pound the bar numerous times and shout "Yeats," who as far as I know was a 20th Century Irish Poet with no connection to the Tottenham Hotspurs. Let's face it - English soccer is weird, and English soccer fans are even weirder. I'm just sayin'. And oh yes - the game finished in a 2-2 tie.

Meanwhile, Back In The Sunshine State...

Thanks to an arctic blast moving into the South from God knows where, the State of Florida is experiencing record cold temperatures. Today, the high temperature in Stuart, Florida, where my sister Susan and I own a condo, will be 46 degrees, with a low of 31, compared with a high today here in Denver of 62 degrees and a low of 33. Tomorrow, both cities are forecast to have a high of 57. And so, while Denver is experiencing springlike weather and many people are wearing shorts, although also complaining about a lack of snow, down in Stuart the locals are bundled up in parkas and complaining about the bitter cold. I suspect not even the snowbirds, down there for the season, will be wearing their speedos and bikinis for the next few days, although it would be a great source of amusement for the natives if they did. I am just glad that Susan and I decided to head up to Denver from Stuart for a few months to get out of that cold Florida weather. And by the way, I took the photograph above on Stuart Beach this past December, right before we headed back to Denver. As you can see, it wasn't exactly beach weather back then, either. Even paradise can have cold snaps, although if you go there in August, you stand a good chance of staying warm. Until you head into the grocery store, of course, which they keep at a steady 32 degrees year-round.

ICE Out Protests Hit Colorado

Thousands of Coloradans took part in ICE Out demonstrations yesterday, according to reports in the Denver Post. Crowds in Denver marched past the Colorado State Capitol and through downtown to Denver's La Alma-Lincoln Park, where an afternoon rally drew over a thousand people. Many schools closed for the day, students walked out of schools that didn't close, and many people skipped work or closed their businesses to join the protest against ICE (Immigration Control and Enforcement) and Donald Trump's actions. And will these demonstrations change anything? In my opinion, only if enough people flood the streets of every city in the country to the point that everything - trains, buses, cars, everyday life itself - stops, and then keep it up until Congress finally decides to take action and put a leash - and perhaps a muzzle - on Trump and his policies. And they won't do it unless they feel there is no alternative. Otherwise, we will all have to wait until the next election, or perhaps even the next administration, to start putting all the pieces back together.  And by the way, I took the photograph above in front of the Colorado State Capitol yesterday afternoon, long after the parade passed by. What else is new?

The ICE Out Protest and General Strike Is Today!

Activists have called for nationwide protests and a general strike today to protest ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations in this country. It is still uncertain what the response will be here in Denver. Yesterday, in the Denver Post, the big story about the event was that the ICE Out protests and general strike will close more than a dozen restaurants on January 30th, which seems to sum up what many Denverites are most concerned about. There was no other article in the paper about today's event. However, Westword, a free weekly alternative newspaper, had a listing of various protests taking place around Denver, although most of them are taking place on Saturday instead of today. It did list a protest taking place at the Colorado State Capitol Building, where such protests are usually held, at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, although no permit for this event has been issued. One sign that there could be a big turnout is the fact that in suburban Aurora, the Aurora Public Schools, as well as a school district in nearby Adams County, will be closed today, due to so many teachers calling in sick. Hopefully that means there will indeed be a big turnout. In Minneapolis, tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets last Friday in below zero temperatures to protest ICE, as seen in the photograph above that I took off the internet. The protests there seem to have finally convinced the Trump administration to make some changes to ICE tactics, although how that plays out, we have yet to see. And that is what it will take to really produce meaningful change. Everyone turning out in the streets, so much so that nothing can move in virtually every city in the country. Let's hope that happens.

A Rare Weekend Of Snow

Denver got some much-needed snow this past weekend, but unfortunately, not very much. Denver received between 1 and 2 inches, which combined with the strong winds was enough to play hell with the 2nd half of the Denver Broncos-New England Patriots AFC Championship Game, but not enough to help with the dry conditions here this winter. Colorado's mountains did receive more snow than Denver, with many ski resorts receiving double-digit amounts, but meteorologists say that this is not nearly enough to turn things around. As of Monday, Colorado's snowpack is still only 58% of normal, the lowest level since the 1970s. The next chance of snow isn't expected until February 10th, and the weather forecasters are not sure that will be much of a storm, either. This when everywhere east of the Rockies seems to be buried in snow, with more forecast this weekend. Colorado gets most of its snowfall between February and April, but if that doesn't happen, it will mean high wildfire risk and low water basins this summer. Not a good situation. And by the way, I took the photograph above last Sunday driving through the Ken Caryl Ranch area, which is against the foothills southwest of Denver and a popular area for hikers. And if you are from out of state and decide to head to Colorado for a vacation this summer, better bring your own water with you. Lots of it.

Lunching With Peter At Spanky's

I had lunch yesterday afternoon at Spanky's Roadhouse here in Denver with Peter, my friend and former Tattered Cover Bookstore officemate. Peter is doing well, although being a big Denver Broncos fan, he is still disappointed about the team's 10-7 loss this past Sunday in the AFC Championship game, although I notice he is still proudly wearing his Denver Broncos cap, as seen in the photograph above. Peter was the Accounts Payables person at the Tattered Cover for many years. After that local bookstore chain went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it was decided that the best course of action would be to sell it to Barnes and Noble, which promised everyone the chain would continue as an independent operation. And then after the sale went through, promptly laid off all the back-office people and kept only a single manager and the sales floor personal, much like Follett Higher Education Group did when the University of Denver Bookstore was outsourced to them. The moral of the story: beware corporate takeovers. In any case, Peter and I had a nice lunch, and he caught me up on how everyone we used to work with back when I was the Tattered Cover's bookkeeper is doing these days. Great to get together with you again, Peter! 

The Party's Over At Denver's Empower Field - At Least For This Season

All is now quiet at Denver's Empower Field, except for the geese, of course, as seen in the photograph above. The Denver Bronco's Superbowl hopes vanished this past Sunday afternoon when the New England Patriots beat them by a score of 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game. Just one game away from the Superbowl, too. This was not an unexpected outcome, of course. Last week Denver's quarterback, Bo Nix, broke his ankle just before the end of the Bronco's playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, whom they beat 33-30. His replacement for Sunday's contest, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, had not played in a game for the past two seasons. Although fans kept talking like the Broncos had a good shot at winning, in their hearts they knew it was a longshot. Plus, blizzard-like conditions dominated the second half, which made it impossible to actually see the field, let alone score any points. And so, that is that. Now we will all be subjected to constant Broncos talk for the next 7 months, even during the middle of baseball season, with local television sports broadcasters discussing the playoff loss, draft prospects, free agents, training camp, predictions for the coming season, what the psychics have forecast, and on and on and on. May God help us all.

My Mother's 110th Birthday

Today would have been my mother Mary's 110th birthday if she were alive today. She and my father Nelson moved to Stuart, Florida back in 1976 from Chicago. My mother did not want to move, but said she was doing it for my father, who wanted to retire down there and play golf every day. But after learning to play golf herself and in the process making more friends than at any other time in her life, she began to love it there, as did my father, who passed away in 1983. My mother lived in Stuart for 29 years, and when due to health reasons she moved in with me here in Denver, we still went back to her condo at least three times a year to visit her friends and just enjoy being in Stuart. And so, all in all, she had a very happy life. For which I am grateful. And yes, that is indeed my mother in the above photograph leaving the 9th and final hole at the complex's golf course. No doubt beating me once again. As usual.

Rockies Fest 2026

It is just a little over two weeks until pitchers and catchers report to baseball spring training camps in Florida and Arizona, and yesterday the Colorado Rockies hosted Rockies Fest 2026 at Coors Field here in Denver. This event opened up the non-public areas to visitors and featured autograph sessions with current and former players, question and answer sessions with players and management, and activities for kids. I attended this fest with my friend Mark and sister Susan, and we all enjoyed it very much. The photograph on the left shows the Rockies Clubhouse, which as you can see looks nothing like the baseball clubhouses you see in the movies, with their bare cement floors and wooden benches facing old time metal lockers. 

In addition to the Rockies and visiting team clubhouses, we also toured the broadcast booths and the Press Box. We were able to walk into the KOA radio booth, and I must say, it was a bit claustrophobic. The Press Box was located directly below the broadcast booths, and was much roomier, looking more like what you see in the movies. I took the photograph on the right of the view out the window, and as you can see, they have a pretty nice view, so much so that I am tempted to wear my Chicago Daily News Press Pass, which I made myself, next season and see if they let me in. Hopefully here in Denver they will not know that the Daily News went out of business in 1978. In any case, while looking around the Press Box, I saw that they were televising a question-and-answer session with the new Rockies management team, which was currently taking place somewhere in the ballpark. Walker Monfort, who now oversees baseball and business functions for the club, was introducing Paul DePodesta, the new President of Baseball Operations, Josh Byrnes, the new GM, and Warren Schaeffer, the Rockies' manager. All seemed to know what they were talking about and were optimistic about the team's future.

We also visited the Toyota Clubhouse, which is a museum with Rockies memorabilia, historic photographs, and artifacts celebrating the Rockies, including a 1993 map of Mile High Stadium, where the Rockies played for two seasons before moving to Coors Field, and seen in the photograph on the left. I remember attending Opening Day that year, along with 80,227 other fans, a major league record, and they won 11-4. The exhibit also showed ticket prices for that season, a fraction of what they are today. And most importantly, that was in the days before "dynamic pricing," where the price of a seat changes depending on the game. Back then an Opening Day ticket cost the same as any other game, while today you will pay over $100 for a seat that will cost just $30 the following week. To watch a game at the beginning of April that might be on a day that is below freezing, if not snowing. But I digress. Time to stop whining.

Our final stop was at the PNC Press Box, which is evidently a prime seating area where you will NOT find a ticket for $30, no matter what day it is. And this is where my good friend Dinger, the Rockies mascot and seen in the photograph on the right, was signing autographs and having his photographs taken with fans throughout the day. Rockies Fest was very well attended, and it was a fun experience for all. The Rockies are still popular here in Denver, despite having three hundred loss seasons in a row, and this past season coming within two losses of tying my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, for the worst record in the history of major league baseball. With the hiring of new management that actually knows something about baseball, perhaps they can actually get those losses under 100 this coming season. With the Rockies, you have to keep your expectations modest, at least for the next 5 years or so.

The Final Weekend For Christmas Lights In Denver

It is a tradition here in Denver for Christmas lights to remain up throughout the National Western Stock Show, which is held here every January for 16 days. And so, since the final day of the stock show is this Sunday, the lights will be going away for another year after this weekend. Which means Denver's City and County Building will be going dark, as will Denver's Union Station, seen in the photograph above. It also means I will need to start thinking about taking down the Christmas tree in my living room. Which I am loathe to do, since it weighs roughly 300 pounds and needs to be returned to the storage locker in my building, requiring the removal of 1000 framed painting and posters that sit where the tree needs to go. And then having to put all those paintings and posters on top and in front of the box the tree is in. I guess I shouldn't complain, since it will be no picnic removing all the lights around downtown Denver and Lower Downtown (LoDo), although people will actually get paid to do that. No such financial renumeration like that for me. Perhaps I'll just leave the tree up until February. I have read on the internet that some Christian traditions insist on leaving Christmas decorations up until the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, also known as Candlemas, on February 2nd. I am not a religious person, but I really love traditions, especially that one.

A Final Word On The National Western Stock Show

The National Western Stock Show here in Denver is part-rodeo, part livestock show, part-fair, and features events such as wild west shows, Xtreme dog Shows, draft horse, mule and donkey shows, and even dancing horses. However, the best part for me is to just walk around and look at all the animals, such as the ones in the photograph on the left. Are they alpacas? I think so. We very seldom saw creatures like that running around the South Side of Chicago when I was growing up. The important thing is that they are willing to have their photograph taken, as are most of the animals at the National Western. I suspect they were instructed to do so for the sake of public relations. These guys were in the Itty Bitty Acres area on the first floor of the Hall of Education Building.

I know for a fact that the two animals in the photograph on the right are baby goats. I took their photograph in the Petting Farm, also located in the Itty Bitty Acres area. And in keeping with National Western Stock Show policy, they too were willing to pose for photographs. It was kind of funny when I was there the other day - half the animals were approaching visitors to see if they had food to feed them (sold right at the entrance to the compound) and the other half were just sitting around watching the action, like the two in the photo. No doubt having thousands of young children pet you for 16 days straight can get a little tiring.

I think but am not completely sure that the animal in the foreground of the photograph on the left is a Miniature Zebu, a breed of cattle originating from off the coast of Southern India and also native to Southeast Asia and Africa. Miniature Zebu cattle first appeared in the United States at the Chicago's World Fair of 1893, which was way before my time, but I probably did attend it in a different life. I took this photograph in an area of the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center devoted to this breed, but if it is not really a Miniature Zebu, my bad.

And of course, the photograph on the right is of a sheep and a goat hanging out together back in the Petting Farm. Since there is also a goat in the photo, it cannot technically be called a "sheep shot," but it is damned close. In any case, the stock show runs through this Sunday, and if you have not yet visited it, I strongly recommend you do, despite the cold and snow that is forecast for this weekend. That is called "stock show weather" around here. And if you do go, perhaps you can make a deal to adopt one of those cute goats or Miniature Zebus and take it home to your apartment or condo. However, I would suggest that you wait until after midnight to bring it inside. You know how picky those damn HOAs can be.

A Return Visit To The National Western Stock Show

My friend Mark, sister Susan, and I paid the National Western Stock Show a second visit yesterday afternoon to see some of the things we missed the first time around. When we visited last week, a lot of the participants and their animals had not yet arrived, especially the cattle, and the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center was virtually empty. However, yesterday, the place was filled with people and their animals, and a judging event was taking place at the CoBank Livestock Arena, as seen in the photograph on the left.

Meanwhile, back in the livestock hall (aka the cattle barn), everyone was busy getting their steers ready the show - washing them, vacuuming them, giving them a trim, and God knows what else, as seen in the photograph on the right. As far as I can tell, it takes four people to get a single animal ready to exhibit. Hopefully they don't have to go through all that back on the ranch with their hundreds of heads of cattle. Now THAT could take some time. 

Meanwhile, back on the ground floor of the Hall of Education building, people were working to get their horses ready for competition, too, as seen in the photograph on the left. I am not sure what they have to do to get those horses ready, but it also seems to take three or four people to do it, too. And I must say, they do work hard to keep the floors clean at the National Western, but you still have to watch where you walk to avoid stepping in cow or horse manure. I guess it might be too hard to put diapers on those animals when are inside the building, but perhaps they should try. Just a suggestion.

What I find pretty amazing is walking through the cattle barn and seeing people leading those huge animals down the aisles on a leash, such as in the photograph on the right. I guess if you work with these animals every day, you don't think twice about it. When we first arrived at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center, there was a long line of cattle being led to the shower areas, where the participants would wash their animals. Besides that, I assume many of those people were leading their animals to the arena where the judging events take place. Also, I suppose they could also just be taking them for a walk, just to give them a little exercise, much like you might do with your dachshund or poodle. Although taking a championship steer for a walk around the neighborhood would certainly draw a bit more attention.

Pray For Snow...

While much of the country is buried under snow, Colorado's snowpack is hitting record lows, and the near-term outlook is not good. I took the photograph on the left last week of the free trolly in Breckenridge, Colorado, which simply says "Pray for Snow" on its destination sign. In addition to ski resorts seeing fewer skiers, affecting all kinds of businesses who depend on those winter visitors for their livelihood, everyone in the state is also worried about the water supply, which relies on the snowpack, and about possible drought conditions and the danger of wildfires this coming spring and summer. 

Breckenridge has indeed received some snow, but not nearly enough. The local weather forecasters are all excited about snow this coming Friday and Saturday, with a trace to an inch in Denver, and perhaps 3 to 6 inches in the mountains, which will help, but probably not that much. Everyone is still clinging to the fact that March and April are the biggest snow months here in Colorado, and it is possible the snowpack might finish the season close to normal. That said, Breckenridge is still a great place to hang out, with or without snow, and so I encourage people to visit this charming mountain town and enjoy all it has to offer.

Watching Live Sports From Across The Globe With Mark

I watched Leeds United play Fulham in a Premier League soccer match this past Saturday morning with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph above wearing his Leeds jersey and magically transported to Elland Road Stadium in Leeds thanks to the wonders of Photoshop. I didn't get to Mark's house until the 75-minute mark of the game, but was in time to see Leeds score a goal and beat Fulham 1-0. We then watched the end of the Tottenham soccer match, seeing Tottenham fall to West Ham 2-1. Tottenham is bad this year, but West Ham is worse, currently in the relegation zone, but still able to beat the Hotspurs. Next, we watched Lens beat Auxerre 1-0 in a Ligue 1 soccer match. Ligue 1, by the way, is the top tier of French soccer. And then we watched the end of a cricket match in South Africa between the Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals, which Pretoria handily won. Later in the day, here in Denver, the Denver Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills 33-30 to advance to the AFC championship game, although the celebration in Colorado was tempered by the fact that the Bronco's quarterback, Bo Nix, broke his ankle in the final moments of the game. All of this to say that there is a hell of a lot of live sports that can be watched on television these days from all over the world. And evidently there is a big demand for it. The question is whether or not this demand is fueled by sports betting, which now seems to be very popular across the globe. I myself don't see the attraction, since any baseball team I ever root for always seems to lose, and betting money on them would just add to the pain. And I mean you, Chicago White Sox!

Celebrating Our Birthdays With Camille Pissarro!

Today is my 73rd birthday, and yesterday was my sister Susan's birthday (age withheld by request), and so we decided to celebrate these two earthshaking events by taking in The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro's Impressionism, "the first major U.S. retrospective of Camille Pissarro, "known as the first Impressionist," in 40 years," and currently on display at the Denver Art Museum (The DAM). And yes, that is indeed me posing with Camille in the photograph on the left. Both Susan and I really enjoyed this art exhibit, which features 100 works from 50 museums and private collections from around the world. I was surprised to learn that Pissarro was born in the Danish West Indies to French Jewish parents, moving to Paris in 1855 and becoming not only the "dean of the Impressionist painters," but also a "father figure" not only to the Impressionists but also to the four major Post-Impressionists - Cezanne, Seurat, Gauguin, and van Gogh. 

The DAM did an excellent job in presenting this exhibit, but when we first went into the gallery, it was extremely crowded. And I think this was because each visitor was given an audio guide as they entered, resulting in everyone viewing and listening to a narration about the same painting as everyone else as they went through the gallery. Talk about a major traffic jam. Susan and I did not use the audio guides and so were able to maneuver back and forth among the art works instead of bunched together with the 200 others moving in a tight group from one painting to the other. As we progressed further into the exhibit, things seemed to open up, as seen in the photograph on the right. No doubt after a while many people just decided to say the hell with it, forget the audio guide, and simply looked at the art. This exhibit will be at the DAM through February 8th, and I highly recommend seeing it. I would also highly recommend seeing it on a weekday, unless you love big crowds. Although who doesn't?

My Sister Susan's Birthday!

Today is my sister Susan's birthday. She has now reached the point where she can't believe she is as old as she is, an age which I will not reveal in this blog post, except to say that I myself am much younger. Much younger. Years ago, Susan, her late husband George, and I would go to Santa Fe, New Mexico each year for Thanksgiving. Susan and George would spend the week down there, while I would drive down from Denver on Thanksgiving Day and join them for a turkey dinner at La Casa Sena, which was located in an historic building in a courtyard right across the street from St. Francis Cathedral. The following day we would walk around that historic city, and wind up on a hillside overlooking the area, which is where I took the photograph above of Susan feeling that Santa Fe vibe. And that night, we would walk around Santa Fe Plaza, where luminaries would be set up along all the walkways - a really wonderful experience. In any case, Happy Birthday Susan! And yes! You are indeed that old!

A Big Day For The Denver Broncos

Today the Denver Broncos are hosting their first home playoff game since 2016, the year the Broncos won the Super Bowl. After that win, quarterback Peyton Manning retired, and the Broncos did not return to the playoffs until last year as a wildcard team, losing to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 31-7. And this year, as the AFC's No. 1 seed, they will be playing - get ready for it - the Buffalo Bills. The local news has been all over this story, and everyone in the state seems to be on pins and needles, waiting for the game. People here are obsessed about the Broncos. They talk about them all year long, rehashing the season, discussing possible draft picks, following the training camps, you name it. Even during the middle of baseball season, the Broncos are usually the main story on the local television sports broadcasts. Of course, now the whole town is in the grip of Super Bowl fever. And as you can see in the photograph on the left, Denver's Larimer Square is well into the spirit of things, with Broncos jersey banners for every player hanging over the street and other banners urging the team to "climb higher."

And as the sun begins to set over Empower Field at Mile High this afternoon, will fans here in Denver be celebrating, or will there be "no joy in Mudville"? The Broncos and second year quarterback Bo Nix finished 1st in the AFC West, but I read somewhere that most of the teams they faced this year had key players missing. And Josh Allen, the Bills quarterback, is one of the best in the NFL. I am a baseball fan, and do not follow football all that much, except when the Broncos actually make it to the Super Bowl and everyone in the state is required to watch the game. And so I have no idea if they will win or not. But I do hope they win, because the entire state will go into a major depression if they don't. Which will last until the start of next season. And it is so unnerving to walk into a bar and see everyone, even the bartenders, sobbing uncontrollably, for weeks if not months on end. Go Broncos, for God's sake!

The National Western Stock Show Part II. A Family Affair

Each time I attend the National Western Stock Show here in Denver, I notice that many if not most of the visitors are families. This is especially evident at the Petting Farm, where entire generations seem to be represented, such as in the photograph on the left. And not only are the visitors mainly families, but the participants seem to be mostly families, too. When you go to the Junior Barn, where the youth exhibitors prepare their animals for the various competitions, you always see their families sitting together nearby, offering support. And in the cattle barns, you see whole families sitting in a circle, talking, eating, and just enjoying each other's company, while several poor souls - no doubt as some sort of punishment - are busy vacuuming the cattle. It really makes for great people-watching, seeing two very different ways of life coming together like this.

The Petting Farm is a big draw for the kids, but adults really seem to enjoy it too, such as the women in the photograph on the right. And is that a Sicilian Donkey that they are feeding? Sad to say, but coming from the South Side of Chicago, I am not much of an animal expert. I don't think my late brother-in-law George was much of an animal expert, either, considering that my sister Susan once heard him refer to boy cows and girl cows. And this from someone who spent summers on a farm in Honduras when he was young. I assume he was joking, but you never know.

The little boy in the photograph on the left has a brush in his hand and seems to be deciding whether to start brushing a sleeping pig. Being so young, he probably has never heard the famous old expression "Let sleeping pigs lie." However, after taking that photograph, I moved on to a different part of the compound, and so don't know what happened. But the entire time I was there, I did not hear any screaming, or for that matter any squealing, and so I assume it all worked out.

All in all, it was a relatively good day at the National Western Stock Show. And since it was a free day, I really shouldn't complain, but when I went to the Sue Anschutz-Rogers Livestock Center, the place was almost completely empty. Which makes sense, of course. This show lasts for 16 days, from January 10th through the 25th, and since most of the participants are from family farms and ranches, they probably only show up when their particular event is taking place, instead of staying in Denver the entire length of the show. But no matter. There are still many days left to attend the show again, even if it means paying actual money to attend. And by the way, I am assuming the animals in the front and the one standing in the back in the photo on the right are all some form of goat. Perhaps next year they should have labels attached to them letting us know for sure. Someone definitely needs to drop a note into the suggestion box.

The 2026 National Western Stock Show

The 120th annual National Western Stock Show began this past Saturday here in Denver and will continue through Sunday, January 25th. It is described as part-rodeo, part-livestock show, and part-fair, and is a real big deal, drawing thousands of visitors. The best part of the show by far is seeing all the livestock. A number of years ago I attended one of the rodeos at this event and stuck it out until the bitter end, but would never willingly do so again. As Ed, my friend and former boss at the University of Denver Bookstore once said about rodeos, "once is interesting, twice is a mistake." However, the year before last, my sister Susan insisted on attending a rodeo, too, no doubt influenced by reading all those Joe Pickett novels by Wyoming author C.J. Box, who is a rodeo enthusiast. She managed to stay for 15 minutes before insisting we leave and head over to see the livestock. In any case, Susan and I, along with our friends Mark and "the other Susan" from our building's 10th floor, decided to attend the stock show this past Tuesday, which was a free day and my favorite price point, as regular blog readers know. We started out at the Junior Barn in the basement of the Hall of Education Building, where I took the photograph on the left. And yes, virtually all the goats down there were wearing masks. Are they Covid masks, or simply masks to keep those goats from biting stock show visitors? I have no idea.

I took the photograph on the right of Izzy the steer at the brand-new Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center. In previous years, almost all the animals were housed in the basement of the Hall of Education Building, right next to the Junior Barn, while the petting farm was on the 3rd floor of the same building. Which was very handy if looking at the livestock was the main reason you were there. Now, you have to walk to the other side of the grounds to see the cattle, and there is even a new building to house the horses. Which makes it a bit of a challenge to see all the animals you want if you have a limited amount of time. I think they call that progress.

The positive part of moving most of the animals to different buildings is that the petting farm was moved to the basement and doubled in size from its previous location on the third floor. Each year I would attempt to take photographs in that limited space, but there were always so many kids, animals, parents, pooper scooper-uppers and staff in that small area that it was always a challenge. This year there was actually a lot of space to move around, and I was able to converse with the various animals and get them to pose, such as the sheep in the photograph on the left. Of course, it is not hard to get those animals to pose for you because they all think you have food for them, which is sold in front of the entrance to the compound. Granted, I never have any food for them, but they don't realize this until after I take the photo. Sorry about that, guys, but didn't the photos turn out well?

I took the photo on the right of that sheep in the petting farm, too. And from the expression on its face, I suspect it must have a really dry sense of humor. Not everyone doing people watching is actually a person, after all. I think this guy is perfectly okay getting petted - and more importantly, fed - by thousands of kids for a 16-day period and having all kinds of different people admire you. Beats sitting in some cold damn barn 24/7 in the middle of winter doing nothing but watching Animal Planet on the cable channel, right? All in all, a very fun day at the National Western Stock Show. I am even considering going again and paying actual money to get in. And so you know it must be worth going to.