Garden of the Gods in the snow

Pat and I went for a drive through the Garden of the Gods yesterday around twilight.  We've had a lot of snow lately, and the Garden is reliably lovely when it's cloaked in white. Yesterday didn't disappoint.

It's my mom's birthday. Mama, today's pretty picture is for you! Happy birthday!

A delicious interlude

This tasty meal was had courtesy of my friend Jenn, who treated me to lunch at Montague's last week.  And what was inside that delicious-looking pastry?  Tomatoes and brie, mmmmm!  Thanks Jenn!

The natural look

A sculpture in the window of an art gallery on Tejon Street. If you look closely, you can see the photographer :^)

Miam-miam

A sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of Paris Crêpe, where Pat and I had breakfast a couple of weekends ago. 100% yum.

Home on the range

I don't know the name of this ranch east of town, but I'm guessing it has a K in it.  I captured this shot at twilight as we left the Drennan School (see the previous two posts).  It was freezing cold and the sky was full of the lovliest, soft pastel colors.

To see other Skywatch Friday images from bloggers all over the world, visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/2013/02/skywatch-friday-season-6-episode-33.html.

This Old House

This abandoned house sits next to the Drennan School way out in the county (see yesterday's post). I wonder who lived in it and if they were affiliated with the school.  I know it's a fact of life that buildings sometimes get abandoned, but still it makes me sad to see old homes in this condition.

The Drennan School

Pat and I noticed the Drennan School listed on the National Register of Historic Places for El Paso County a couple of weeks ago, and we were very intrigued.  Since neither of us had ever heard of it we decided to take a drive and check it out, even though the weather was forboding.  It got progressively colder and windier the farther we got from Colorado Springs, but we really enjoyed discovering a part of El Paso County's history that we hadn't known of before.  Apparently this little school served much of the rural area outside of Colorado Springs from 1917 to 1955 -- and I think it was kindergarten through 12th grade!  I found the original NRHP registration form online HERE, and it includes a fascinating description of the building.  Apparently it's got three classrooms upstairs, and downstairs there is a bathroom, a kitchen and some bedrooms.  Yes, the teachers lived in the basement!  There was also a "library" upstairs, which according to the description was the size of a closet.  Oh, how schools have changed!

I'm glad this building has been preserved and is still in use.  These days it's a community center.  That part of El Paso County is still sparsely populated, so it's good that there's a gathering place where everyone can get together and socialize, and a historically significant one at that.

And just for fun, here's a picture of the Drennan School in its heyday. It hasn't changed a bit!

A stylish jogger

Pat and I saw this lady jogging on the west side the other day. At first we thought she was wearing some kind of costume, but then we realized that the cotton candy bleached blonde hair, the black running suit and the pink accessories were all part of her distinctly personal look. Hey, whatever floats your boat! Good for her for expressing herself, even when doing something as mundane as going for a run.

Old Colorado City Hall, Part 2

To accompany yesterday's photo, a close-up of the lamp in front of the old City Hall building in Old Colorado City. If you look closely you can see dragons.

The old City Hall of Colorado City

Today I'm going to give you a brief Colorado Springs history lesson :^) The part of town that we refer to as Old Colorado City (and is featured here on my blog very frequently), was once a separate entity from Colorado Springs. Founded in 1859 and originally called Colorado City (the "Old" was added much later), it was a rough and tumble, "Old West" pioneer town -- the kind of place that comes to mind when you think of Gunsmoke, Billy the Kid and Jesse James. Saloons, brothels, gambling, and any other kind of bad behavior were the norm. Its economy was based on the famous Pikes Peak or Bust gold rush, so you can imagine the denizens of this particular little burg! Colorado Springs, just to the east, was far more genteel, and our city founder General Palmer vowed to keep it alcohol free. Thus, according to legend, our local gents would have to sneak to Colorado City for a little slap and tickle or a few drinks. I've been told that there are tunnels running underneath Colorado Avenue, so one could freely move from saloon to brothel and back without being seen. I've also been told that these tunnels still exist. How I'd love to explore them! Oh that would be amazing!

The building in the above photo is the former City Hall of Colorado City. I never knew that. In fact, all these years I thought it had been a fire station! The other day I was perusing the listing on the National Register of Historic Places for El Paso County, and saw that I had been mistaken. You learn something new every day, don't you? Well of course it was City Hall, just look at it! I do remember that back in the 1980s it had been in a sad state, and someone rehabbed it (I daydreamed of living in it). These days it's a popular coffee haunt called Agia Sofia. I've featured it on this blog twice: HERE and HERE.

A final, funny little tidbit about Colorado City's heyday: I'd always been told that it was the original capital city of Colorado. And that's true -- sort of. Apparently, in 1862, Colorado City was named as the Territorial Capital (Colorado wasn't a state yet). But this distinction only lasted for five days! When the second territorial legislature convened there, they found it so lacking in basic comforts that they quickly adjourned and reconvened in Denver, and that's how Denver became the state capital. I can see why the legislature fled. There's a tiny, cramped, dark log cabin in Bancroft Park, the original town square of Colorado City, and that's where these guys met. No wonder they ran away!

December 28, 2017 update: HERE's an interesting, recent article about those famous tunnels, including a picture of one of them. Apparently there are four still in existence. Fascinating!

The Pikes Peak Range Riders

This prominent statue on the southeast corner of Pikes Peak and Cascade in downtown Colorado Springs honors the Pikes Peak Range Riders. What are the Range Riders? They're an institution! They exist, among other things, to promote the annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, held every summer in our city. The rodeo is a big part of our local culture, not to mention a huge source of revenue every year, since people come from all over Colorado and the surrounding states to either participate or spectate. And did you know that the majority of the profits from the rodeo go to charity?

Every June the Range Riders host a street pancake breakfast in the heart of downtown, and everyone's welcome. Right after the breakfast, they hop on their horses and go off on a five day ride. This tradition goes all the way back to the 1940s. I have never participated in the street breakfast, mostly because I'm never up early enough. This is inexcusable, because for five years I worked right smack in the middle of downtown on Tejon and Kiowa (you can read about those days HERE), and yet I still never made it to the street breakfast. Shame on me! My New Year's resolution for 2013 is to become more of a morning person, so maybe this summer I'll finally get to eat some of those pancakes. If I do, I promise to take some pictures for you :^)

Hope you had a nice Valentines Day

I did! here's a picture of the roses Pat got me. Love him.

Mardi Gras, Part 3

One last image from our accidental "participation" in the Mardi Gras street party last weekend in Manitou. (Like yesterday's and Tuesday's photos, this one was shot through my car window as we crawled through traffic at a snail's pace - Pat was driving, not me!) I like those feathered masks. Hmmmmm, in my mind's eye I can see styling an entire fashion shoot on that purple one. Very cool!

Mardi Gras, Part 2

A photo snapped through my car window of Mardi Gras partygoers in Manitou Springs last weekend. Even after living here so many years, I still didn't realize that Manitou had a Mardi Gras street party every year. Shame on me! Next year Pat and I will definitely be part of this crowd -- they look like they're having fun!

Mardi Gras!

Today is Mardi Gras! On Saturday Pat and I drove to Manitou Springs to grab some breakfast at a restaurant we've been eyeing, but we didn't realize that their big Mardi Gras celebration was in full swing. There was no chance of finding a parking spot anywhere near the restaurant, so as we crawled along in the traffic I snapped a few pictures of the revelers instead. This colorful juggler caught my eye right away.

The Mona Lisa

Ah, the Mona Lisa in Manitou Springs. How I love this restaurant! It's nothing but fondue; so simple, yet so delicious! And the wine list is to die for. I have yet to convince Pat to go there with me. Something tells he would love it as much as I do. Hmmmm, maybe for his next birthday...  Now would that be more of a present for him, or for me?  ;^)

The Wheeler Town Clock

I've blogged about this lovely clock before, most recently last September, but this is the best picture I've gotten of it. I captured this shot earlier in the day than my last attempt. The sharp blue winter sky contrasts nicely with the sculpture and brings out all her lovely details.

The Barker House

A photo I took on January 31st of the Barker House in Manitou Springs, which was originally a large resort hotel that grew to over 100 rooms. Built by Charles Barker, over time it evolved into apartments, and I understand it's now a senior citizen housing facility. It's also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (You can read more about the Barker House HERE.) Below is a picture of it taken in 1890 by the famous photographer William Henry Jackson. I had never seen Jackson's photo of the Barker House when I took mine 122+ years later. It's purely coincidence that they were taken from the same angle. To think, we were standing in the very same spot.  That's pretty cool!

Look closely

I spied these two fine vintage automobiles parked outside Cy's Drive In the other day, and had to get a picture! They're of course perfect for the authentic 1950s vibe at Cy's. The one on the left is a Ford Model A, and the one on the right is an International. I've seen the Model A around town here and there. It's kind of hard to miss -- if you look closely you'll see an "arm" and a "leg" hanging out of the trunk ;^)

Costa Rica vacation, Part 5

My final post about Costa Rica. I hope you've enjoyed my pictures! I took this one as we were leaving Playa Hermosa and heading for the airport in San José. There's a bridge spanning a river in Tárcoles, and this is the view if you get out of your car and look down. I think this is funny. If it was in the U.S., there would be all kinds of safety measures and signage put in place lest some hapless incident led to a lawsuit. But in Costa Rica, you're standing on a  busy bridge, shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other tourists on a sidewalk that's about 15" wide as traffic whizzes by at 60 miles an hour, and you're hanging over a guardrail with a huge drop and hungry crocodiles waiting for you at the bottom. Hold on tight!

I think that big one in the middle looks hungry, don't you? ;^)

Costa Rica vacation, Part 4

Sunset on Playa Hermosa on our last day in Costa Rica. I don't think there's much I can add to this picture, so I'll let it speak for itself. I wish I could see this every night.

Tomorrow I'll post my last vacation picture, then back to Colorado Springs.

Costa Rica vacation, Part 3

A golden silk orb-weaver that we came across in Costa Rica while exploring the jungle in Manuel Antonio National Park. According to what I've read, the females of this species are larger than the males. This lovely specimen was about two inches long -- huge! -- so I'm assuming it's a she. Thankfully, she was too absorbed in her meal to notice me snapping her picture.

I'll post another vacation picture tomorrow.

Costa Rica vacation, Part 2

Footprints on the sand at sunset on Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. During our vacation, Pat and I tried to catch the sunset every single day we were there, and each one was spectacular! But don't forget to look down while you're enjoying the view.  Often there are interesting things right under your nose!

Another Costa Rica picture tomorrow.

Costa Rica vacation, Part 1

Pat and I spent all of last week in the lovely country of Costa Rica. We fell in love with its natural beauty, the people, the wonderful food, the indescribably good coffee, the beach... we didn't want to come home! Today's post and the four that follow will feature a few of the pictures I took there. The photo above was taken in Jacó, the little beach town where we spent most of our time. It seemed that everywhere we looked was bright, saturated, tropical color. I loved it. I wish Americans were this adventurous in choosing paint colors for their homes and buildings!

We can't wait to go back to Costa Rica. ¡Pura vida!

February theme day: umbrellas

Ah yes, it's already February! The first of every month is Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers, and this month's theme is umbrellas. Alas, I was under the mistaken impression that the theme was going to be café chairs, so I was not prepared for umbrellas! Rather ironically, we spent all of last week enjoying the wonders of Costa Rica, including spending vast quantities of time on the beach where there are umbrellas galore. But instead of taking pictures of the colorful beach umbrellas, I took pictures of café chairs! I even had the perfect café chairs photo all picked out for theme day -- too bad! Ha ha!

So yesterday Pat and I went in search of umbrellas in Colorado Springs, but it was pretty slim pickings. What I had in mind was THIS little boutique in Manitou, which I featured for Theme Day in August 2010. If you click on the link you'll see that there are four beautiful umbrellas over their storefront. But I was sad to see that the umbrellas weren't there, oh no! So we wandered around Manitou and encountered exactly what I expected to see: empty patios with folded up umbrellas. This time of year is cold, no one wants to dine al fresco, and the umbrellas are all wrapped up for the winter. And as for rain umbrellas, forget it! There's no rain here in January, only snow. And not a lot of rain during the rest of the year either!

I hope you enjoyed this sad picture of folded up umbrellas ;^) To see more Theme Day pictures by CDP bloggers all over the world (hopefully better ones than mine), just click HERE!