Elsie Palmer

Behold seventeen year-old Elsie, one of General Palmer's three daughters, in a portrait painted by none other than the great John Singer Sargent around 1889 or 1890. At the time, Palmer was here in Colorado Springs while his wife and daughters were on an extended stay in England.

Sargent is one of my favorite portraitists. His works are generally quite large, even life sized, and Elsie's portrait is no exception. It's part of the permanent collection of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and I've always admired it. What you're looking at here is not the actual painting, it's a copy that hangs on the wall in the Palmers' family home, Glen Eyrie Castle, where my mom's birthday celebration was held last weekend.

A Man's Home Is His Castle

The man in question being our city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer, and the home being quite literally a castle. This is where my mom's birthday party took place over the weekend. They do a high tea thing on the weekends. I am a big Colorado Springs history nerd as you know, so naturally a visit to Glen Eyrie Castle is always a treat.

The View from the Top (The Top of the Social Pyramid, That Is)

Saturday was my mom's 90th birthday, and we celebrated this landmark achievement with a tea party at Glen Eyrie Castle attended by many friends and family. Glen Eyrie was built in the early 1870s by our city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer, who was quite the anglophile and fancied a proper English castle for his beloved wife, Queen. (Yes, that was really her name. Okay technically it was Mary, but everyone called her Queen.) If you step out the front door and walk around to the patio, you're treated to quite a lovely view indeed! More to come.

Sunday Style! (And March 2026 Theme Day)

On the first day of every month, City Daily Photo bloggers post with a common theme in mind, and this month the theme is white. Just by chance, I was at Costco the other day when this smartly dressed woman clad all in subtle shades of winter white sped past me with her cart. I managed to sneak a picture of her before she disappeared behind a giant stack of gluten free crackers. I love it when my style shot randomly coincides perfectly with Theme Day!

For more takes on white by City Daily Photo bloggers all over the planet, click HERE. Enjoy!

San Clemente (Part 6)

My last post in this weeklong series from our California trip. The Mennonite children laughing in the surf made my whole day. I hope you've enjoyed my vacation pics! Cheers!

San Clemente (Part 5)

More from the San Clemente pier. The long haired guy was typing poems for tips on an old manual typewriter. I didn't have a single dollar on me (my last buck had just gone into the parking meter) so I sneaked a photo from far away and felt a little bit guilty since I had no way to tip him. I suppose he gets his picture taken a lot, though.

San Clemente (Part 4)

Here are a few things I saw at the San Clemente pier on Friday. The chilly wind did not deter the surfers, who had after all been waiting all week for a sunny day. They're like skiers -- the cold never seems to bother them. More tomorrow.