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Another image from our jaunt to Sinton Pond (see yesterday's post).  Even though it's still only April, it looks like the duckweed and other aquatic flora are already thriving. Summer is around the corner!

Will the real Sinton Pond please stand up?

A little over two years ago, I did a blog post about Sinton Pond (read that post HERE). At least I thought it was Sinton Pond, but a few months later I received a comment on the post informing me that I was wrong.  The comment was worded pretty aggressively and made me feel a little stupid, so I didn't publish it because, to quote my favorite band, the Talking Heads, "I hate people when they're not polite."  But a couple of days ago I received another comment on that post (this one was polite!), informing me that the pond I had photographed was not Sinton Pond but Pikeview Reservoir.  I happily published that comment and promised to find the real Sinton Pond and photograph it.

And that is the story of today's picture.  Pat and I went for a bike ride yesterday, and after some minor exploring we located Sinton Pond on the Sinton Trail (duh).  We spent about half an hour there walking around the pond and taking pictures. It's a little scruffy, but it has a very nice view of Pikes Peak, doesn't it?  I will go back there after the trees have greened up and try to get a good shot of it at sunset. I think that would be nice.

Lucky day, no need to pay!

Last Friday, Pat and decided to go to Poor Richards for dinner. It took a minute to find a parking spot -- downtown can be challenging that way -- and since it was before the 6:00pm cutoff time, I naturally went fishing for change for the meter.  But much to my surprise, I had managed to find a free parking spot!  Yes, since November, the City has been randomly choosing two parking spots per day as freebies.  I had heard about this program a while ago, but since I never win anything, I figured I'd never be lucky enough to get one of the free parking spaces. I was wrong!  And I was so happy about that, I did a little happy dance right there on the sidewalk in front of my car :^)

In the red

One day last week was entirely devoted to running errands, and I found myself driving from one end of town to the other.  As I finished my last errand and was finally on the way home, I spied this young man (let's face it, he's pretty hard to miss) loping down Nevada Avenue at a very brisk pace.  I had a mini argument with myself behind the wheel as I pondered whether to chase him down and take his picture for the blog, or go home and put my feet up.  The blog won. I sped around the block and spotted him among a bunch of friends.  When I asked if I could photograph him, he immediately struck a pose for my camera.  Awesome!  I love it when people express themselves so boldly with their personal style!

Feeling the brrrrrr!

Well we have certainly had a cold April! This photo was taken on Tuesday at the Starbucks drive-thru window on Garden of the Gods Road. Cute little snowman, no?  He had been sitting there all day and didn't melt a bit! That's because it didn't get over about 30 degrees on Tuesday -- it was 27 degrees (-3 Celsius) when I took this picture around 4:30pm. Brrrrr!  Trust me, it's usually pretty mild in Colorado Springs this time of year. This is the chilliest, greyest April I can remember. Not that I'm complaining too much.  It's snowed almost every day in the high country this month, which means our snowpack is growing and our reservoirs are reaping the benefits, something we very much need.  All the same, I'm looking forward to the predicted sunny and warm weekend ahead of us!

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A young deer I snapped while driving through the Garden of the Gods a couple of weeks ago,.  You really have to look closely to see him, he blends in so well. I guess that's the point ;^)

The Burns mural

A mural by Kim Polomka memorializing the Burns Theater, which was built in 1912 and demolished in 1973.  I never got to see the Burns, since I moved here in 1979.  This mural is actually painted on the west façade of Kimball's Peak Cinema, another old theater that still stands and still thrives.

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A cheeky little pigeon strutting his stuff for us on the bridge in Monument Valley Park last month.

Sol's Dairy

It was a sad day when Sol's Dairy was torn down, a little over a year ago.  Nestled in the Shooks Run neighborhood, I never paid much attention to the old building. In fact, it barely registers in my memory.  But Bill Vogrin, who writes a wonderful blog for our local paper, documented his dismay over its demolition in THIS article, which also briefly tells the history of the dairy.  It's too bad I never got to photograph the building before it came down.  I think it's great, however, that the façade has been preserved and has found a permanent home across the street from Shooks Run Park, along with a placard to explain its story.  As the granddaughter of a dairy farmer, I can appreciate preserving this kind of history!

On a side note, the photo that is displayed on the placard (see a closer view HERE) was taken in 1953 by the late, great Myron Wood, a wonderful photographer of the f/64 generation who happened to call Colorado Springs his home. His work was equally as wonderful as Edward Weston, Ansel Adams and other well-known greats.  I actually knew him personally, and I'm proud to say I own one of his prints, which I purchased just before he passed away in 1999.

The sound of music

This person enjoyed a sunny spring afternoon in Shooks Run Park, treating everyone in the vicinity to the sounds of mandolin.

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I captured this tree across the street from our house a couple of weeks ago, on an afternoon that was simultaneously sunny and stormy.

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I captured these energetic birds as they swooped and dived around us in Monument Valley Park on March 31st. It must be mating time -- they were putting on quite a vigorous display. It was neat to watch.

For more Skywatch Friday photos from bloggers worldwide, click HERE.

The Colorado Springs Classic Criterium

Pat and I took a walk in Monument Valley Park on Easter Sunday, and while there we couldn't help but notice that the roads were blocked off and a pretty serious bike race was going on.  It turned out to be the Colorado Springs Classic Criterium, I learned after doing a little research.  I'm not a sports photographer but I did the best I could to capture the peloton screaming down Monument Street at full tilt.  Below, a different angle on the action: this guy was too intent on his slacklining technique to pay much attention to the cyclists going by.

Hank the cowboy

This statue at the intersection of Pikes Peak and Tejon depicts Hank, the official trademark of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.  Hank's been in place there since 1997 or so. He makes a great landmark!

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The cheerful lanterns outside Fujiyama Sushi on Tejon Street.

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Another photo from Saturday's bike ride (see yesterday's post). This one was taken by Pat, from the bicycle/footbridge over Cache la Poudre Street in the Shooks Run neighborhood.  It seems we weren't the only people with bicycling on our minds.

A nice day for a ride

Pat and I took our bikes for a spin yesterday afternoon. It was such a pretty day!  Neither of us had been on a bike for years, but you know what they say: it's just like riding a bike! You never forget how to ride a bike! We had so much fun.  I even managed to take this picture of Pat while riding, and I didn't fall off.  I can't wait for our next bicycle excursion :^)

Pueblo, Home of Heroes

Pueblo is known as the Home of Heroes because there are no less than four recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor from there:  William J. Crawford (Army, WWII); Carl L. Sitter (Marines, Korea); Raymond G. “Jerry” Murphy (Marines, Korea); and Drew D. Dix (Army, Vietnam).  Our neighbor to the south is very proud of its military heritage.  I took this photo in front of the Pueblo Convention Center, where four larger than life statues honor Pueblo's hometown Medal of Honor recipients.

More Skinny

The mascot for More-Skinny Used Cars in Pueblo.  This dealership been around for as long as I can remember.  According to their website, the original owner, an Italian, was named Moreschini, and the name was anglicized to make it easier for people to pronounce.  Apparently the owners just went with the visual that naturally pops up in your mind when you hear the two words together. Hey, it works! More than 70 years later they're still out there selling used cars!

To see more Skywatch Friday posts from bloggers all over the world, click HERE.

Lady Liberty

The smaller scale replica of the Statue of Liberty that stands in front of the Pueblo County Courthouse.

The Pueblo County Clubhouse

A view of the Pueblo County Courthouse.  It really is something. I think it's rather magnificent, actually!

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The obelisk honoring all war veterans at Mineral Palace Park in Pueblo.  Pueblo is known for (and very proud of) its war heroes. More on that later!

Getting your ducks in a row

Pat and I took a little drive down to Pueblo yesterday, just for the heck of it.  We stopped by Mineral Palace Park and took a stroll by the pond (officially called Lake Clara, after Clara Latshaw), and the ducks put on a little display for us.  I think they thought we had a snack for them, but alas, all I had was my camera.

And on a side note, happy birthday to my wonderful Pat, the love of my life. I love you so much, honey.

Sharp dressed man

Check out this snappy dresser I captured downtown last week. He looks great, head to toe! Not many men could carry off such a narrow cut suit, brightly colored bow tie and LV messenger bag the way this man does. Looking good!

Cupcakes!

It's springtime! That means the Colorado Springs Cupcake Truck is back in action, making its rounds all over the city.  On Thursday, which was a beautiful day, I caught up with them downtown and indulged in a double chocolate cupcake. So yummy!

I grabbed this snap of these cute girls after they stopped for some cupcakes.  I thought they both looked stylish, so I asked them for a picture.  Love the hot pink purse, and also the black buttoned skirt worn by the girl on the right.

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With a little help from Pat, who waved his arms to purposely startle it, I captured this crow launching itself from the sidewalk in front of our house.

Man at work

On Sunday I captured this guy painting the windows at his place of employment, Yoo Mae Sushi Restaurant on Kiowa Street.  We had a nice Easter, as you can see from the picture.  Just the loveliest, early spring kind of weather.  I'm looking forward to more of the same.

Making lemonade out of lemons

I spied this billboard while stuck in traffic in Denver last week and had to laugh.  With our government gridlocked over the economy, you've got to give 1stBank credit for trying to make a little "lemonade" out of the situation.

Scooter Liquors

The unique sign for Scooter Liquors on Park and Colfax in Denver.  It's been there as long as I can remember, but I've only been inside the store once, when I was in college.  I wonder how they keep that scooter up there on those super-windy Colorado days?

April Theme Day: pedestrians crossing

It's the first of the month, which means Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers!  This month's theme is pedestrians crossing.  I spent all month taking tons of pictures of people crossing the street, and was beginning to despair that I'd never capture anyone who didn't look like they had just rolled out of bed and left the house without even bothering to comb their hair (to read my little rant about that, read THIS post from last week).  Finally, on the last day of the month I spied this lovely miss on Kiowa Street, and now I have photographic evidence proving we aren't all slobs here in Colorado Springs ;^)

To see more pedestrians from CDP bloggers all over the planet, click HERE.