The Sobriety Dance (Or Not?)

This guy can almost always be found in the median at the intersection of Uintah and Cascade, dancing while holding up a sign. I've noticed him there many times over the last few months (he's kind of hard to miss). Although it doesn't look like it in this photo, that's actually a busy intersection with queues of cars perpetually waiting for the light to change color, so I just assumed the sign had something to do with panhandling. But while getting this photo ready to post, I could see that it actually reads "Dancing to make you smile while you wait awhile - 4 years sober." Hm. Part of me says, "Good for you, buddy!" And the cynic in me thanks fat chance, he just takes the handouts he receives and gets loaded. Who knows? At any rate, he's one of the more eccentric characters to land downtown lately.

Silver Birds, Grey Skies

Artist Kent Ullberg's iconic whooping cranes looked so fetching the other day, I had to stop for a picture even though I've featured this artwork here on the blog many times before (here, for instance). Behind it sits the Cascade Park Apartments, looking very spiffy in summer. Do you notice how grey and horrible the sky looks? Multiple forest fires out of state and in Canada have been casting a smoky pall over a huge swath of the United States lately, and it's been sitting over Colorado Springs and Denver for the last three or four days. The situation in Denver was so bad yesterday, I heard on the news that it was literally the worst air quality in the entire world. And we are just south of Denver, so you can imagine how bad it's been here, too. Unfortunately when this happens, it has a very undesirable effect: my right eye will swell up and weep nonstop, and it feels like I have grit stuck in my eye that won't budge. It's pretty awful. For two and a half days, all I could do was keep dumping Visine into one or both eyes, although it didn't much help. Thank goodness the cloak of gloom finally (mostly) shifted away from us late this afternoon.

2024 Garden Tour (Part 3)

A few days have elapsed since my last post, but I'm back now! Here are the rest of my images from the annual city garden tour in June. Even though I mentioned last week that I was planning on going, I missed out on the Ivywild garden tour last weekend because I got a Covid booster shot on Friday, and it knocked me flat on my back for a couple of days. I'm feeling much better now. Anyway, enjoy these and I'll move on to new subject matter tomorrow.

Not a garden, but a peek into someone's garden shed.

Micro gardens!

2024 Garden Tour (Part 2)

More inspiration from the garden tour! I'm also going to the Ivywild garden tour on Saturday. I can't wait to see more good stuff like this.

2024 Garden Tour (Part 1)

I made it to the garden tour last month with a couple of friends, and took a few pictures although I'm only just now getting a chance to share them. This year the tour was in Patty Jewett/Bonny Park/Venetian Village, and there was not as many stops as last year. Still, lots of inspiration and pretty things to see! More tomorrow.

The Other Duck Pond

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the south duck pond in Monument Valley Park had finally been restored, then I failed to follow up with the good news that the north duck pond appears to be in the process of getting restored as well! Here it is (this was taken on June 20th).This pond has always been one of my favorite places in Colorado Springs hands down, it deserves a little TLC. Can't wait to see it finished!

The Long Hot Summer

Pardon my French, but it's been hot as f*ck here the last few days. Almost 100° every day since Friday -- for us that's unbearable. Today the weather is supposed to finally cool down, thank goodness. Heads up to those on the east coast: this horrible heat wave is heading straight for you. Here are some pictures of much colder days, to remind us that this is only temporary. The one above was taken on February 1, 2016. The three below were taken on April 4, 2017, February 11, 2018 and December 13, 2015, respectively. Stay cool out there, people!

And now, for your listening pleasure...