What's The Deal?

My mother lived in the town of Stuart, Florida for almost 30 years, and so I am very familiar with that area of the country.  My sister and I still own her condo down there, and so I tend to keep up with what is happening there via the internet.  Today I noticed a news story on the Stuart News website (see photograph above) that featured the arrest of a fugitive near the Treasure Coast Mall in Jensen Beach.  I was truly amazed that not only did the police officers allow their photograph to be taken, but that they were actually posing for the camera.  Not only that, but one of the officers in the photograph was actually smiling.  If I ever tried to take a photo of Denver police officers making an arrest, they would have tasered me - or more likely just shot me where I stood.  Is it just me personally, is it a matter of a big city police force versus a small town operation, is it bad karma sent to me by the Photo Fairy, or what?  I honestly don't know the answer, but I do have to say "Keep On Smiling, Jensen Beach Police!"

Coyote Warning!

South Central Denver, where I have lived for the past 25 years, is evidently experiencing a severe coyote problem.  I was walking along the "Historic Buchtel Trail" near my condo yesterday, and ran across the warning sign seen in the above photograph.  Just by coincidence, I had breakfast with my friends Chris and Jim that very morning, where the conversation turned to the subject of coyotes.  Chris mentioned that coyotes often travel in packs, and it is a well known fact that besides pets and small children, packs of coyotes often attack and drag off both the elderly and the unemployed, who save money by walking everywhere and who are often weak from hunger.  This could be the reason why unemployment claims are down so much here in Colorado.  Stay alert people!

Cruising Into Dry Dock

I went to the horse races for the second time in my life this past weekend.  The first time was at the now long gone Centennial Race Track around 1983, a real pit if there ever was one.  This time I went to Arapahoe Park, the Denver metro area's only horse racing facility, a modern and attractive operation located somewhere near the Kansas border. It was a very pleasant afternoon, but everywhere I looked were advertisements for the Dry Dock Brewing Company.  Talk about subliminal advertising.  On the long drive home after the 9th race, I drove right by - you guessed it - the Dry Dock Brewing Company.  In spite of myself, I had to stop and have a couple of pints.  The beer is great, and they have a nice outdoor patio where you can sit at a picnic table and look out at - my God, is that Aurora?  I drunk up and immediately headed home.  Nothing personal, Aurora.  I am just severely allergic to suburbs.  You do have nice breweries, though.

Memorial Day Memories

Yesterday was Memorial Day, and I couldn't help but think back to years ago when my then wife Lisa and I would meet my sister Susan and brother-in-law George up in Estes Park, Colorado for a Memorial Day hike.  We would take one car into Rocky Mountain National Park, find a suitable trail, and start hiking.  Invariably,  we would find ourselves hiking up a snow covered trail through a mist shrouded forest.  The further we went, the deeper the snow and the thicker the mist.  George, a big fan of orienteering, or at least a fan of a book on orienteering, would suggest a number of off-trail possibilities.  By this time, Lisa would be freaking out and insisting that we turn back immediately.  We would then turn around, drive back to Estes Park, find a suitable "bistro," and drink beer. It wasn't until years later that I began to realize that this was my brother-in-law George's plan all along.  Being young and innocent, I didn't suspect a thing.  I never did take any photographs during those hikes - we were focused only on survival.  The photograph above (from left to right) shows me, Lisa, my mother Mary, and George being photographed in the park by my sister Susan, a little later in the summer.  Where is the adventure in that?

The Downtown Denver Arts Festival

I went to the Downtown Denver Arts Festival yesterday afternoon to take a look at the photography on display, as well as take a gander at the other types of art being shown.  I wanted, first of all, to just enjoy looking at the art, and secondly,  to see if there were any new ideas I might be able to emulate (steal).  Unfortunately, neither Joe nor Carol - my former colleagues at the University of Denver Bookstore - were displaying their work there, although I did feel they were there in spirit (see photograph above).  On the bright side, both Joe and Carol will have booths at the Art Students League of Denver's Summer Art Market, taking place June 8th and 9th at 2nd and Grant here in Denver. Great art, reasonable prices, and free beer - what could be better?  I think I've got those details right.

Opening Day At Arapahoe Park

Today was Opening Day at Arapahoe Park, the Denver metro area's only horse racing track, conveniently located - as far as I can tell - very close to the Kansas border.  The park's website stated that no cameras were allowed inside, but fortunately, the paddock was visible from the parking lot, so I was able to take a few photographs anyway.  I am not sure why cameras are banned.  Perhaps management is worried that if people start taking photographs of some of the racetrack regulars, and the photos start to circulate, it will scare off the rest of their customers.  In any case, I bet on five races, basing my wagers on the time honored handicapping tradition of picking the snappiest names, and still did not win any races. Go figure. Could these races be fixed?

Getting Down To The Gritty-Nitty of Bicycling

I had lunch with Darrel and Chris - my former DU Bookstore Accounting Office coworkers - a few days ago at the Pioneer Inn, just down the street from the University of Denver.  After lunch, I walked with Darrel back to his office in DU's Chemistry Department and took the above photograph.  Darrel plans on going back to Iowa this July and taking part in that state's famous RAGBRAI (the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).  Unfortunately, Darrel has been a bit under the weather lately, and won't be able to start training for the ride until June 1st.  No problem!  Chris' husband Jim - a devoted bicyclist - and Bill - the former Operations Coordinator of the DU Bookstore and a former bike racer - intend to whip Darrel into shape no matter what.  As for me, I intend to drive the Team Darrel Support Vehicle.  No thanks are necessary, guys!  My pleasure!