2 East Columbia Street

Last weekend I went to an estate sale with a friend. It was a spontaneous outing -- we'd gone for a walk and it was in the neighborhood. This is one of the many homes in the Old North End that I've always been curious about, so it was neat to get a peek at the interior. I have a great book called Exploring the Old North End Neighborhood of Colorado Springs (Jennifer Wendler Lovell and Robert D Loevy), and it tells me that 2 East Columbia was built in 1900 for J. Arthur Connell, the first president of the Colorado Title & Trust Company. It's just wonderful inside. There were some 1980s to 1990s-ish decorating decisions here and there, but the kitchen had lovely old cabinets and featured an enormous mint green stove that I fell madly in love with. It may be a mansion, but it was someone's home and it felt like that: comfortable and homey, despite the many antiques.

We wandered around a bit, and in the end we bought a couple of odds and ends. I wasn't able to take many pictures of the interior (that would have been rude), just a couple of cell phone snaps, but I did get some nice shots of the exterior.

There were some old photos of the house hanging in the stairwell. It looks much the same as it did back then. I tried to recreate this image in the photo above this one.

Here's the cool old stove. Wouldn't you love to have it? I would!

Shorts weather?

Not quite yet! I took this picture on Boulder Street last Sunday. The weather was mild that day but the rest of the week has been a little bit rainy and even snowy. I don't think it's quite time yet to put away the winter duds. I hope we get much more snow and rain in the next few weeks. We really need it.

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A cheerful mural underneath the Uintah Street bridge, just east of the interstate.

Project update

Remember THIS post from a couple of weeks ago? I still don't know what they're up to here, but as you can see, a lot of progress has been made. I hope they do something like this for the entire stretch of Monument Creek that runs parallel to downtown. It's just so sad, neglected, junky and eroded. There's huge potential for that bit of "waterfront" to be quite nice and something we can all enjoy, but instead it's just an eyesore and a perpetual stormwater nightmare. This project seems to be a good start. I'm curious enough now to call the City and find out what they're doing. It would be great if this turns out to be a long term project!

Husted House

Built in 1884, Husted House sits on the corner of 30th and Kiowa, deep on the west side. I first fell in love with this wonderful old home when I was in college and my best friend Janet lived a couple of blocks away. I didn't know then that it was a particularly historic home or that it had a name, I just thought it was one of the most beautiful houses in town, and I still do.

A couple of years ago, Pat gave me a book that I'd been pining for:  Historic Homes of Colorado Springs and Vicinity by Helen M. Anderson (yes I'm that big of a local history nerd), and it has a chapter on Husted House. From it I learned that Calvin Husted was an influential resident of Colorado City (now called Old Colorado City, after being incorporated into Colorado Springs in 1917). He made his fortune in lumber and became quite an important local citizen over time, serving as a county commissioner for a decade. Many of the homes in that part of town were built with lumber purchased from Mr. Husted. The book also tells me that the mantelpieces in Husted House were hand carved by none other than Winfield Scott Stratton, who was a carpenter before he struck it rich in a Cripple Creek mine and became a respected and beloved local philanthropist (more about Mr. Stratton in THIS post). Fascinating!

Husted House has changed hands a few times over the years. For a while it was a bed and breakfast. I believe it was pale yellow when I was in college, then someone painted it pink (yikes). Now it's half canary yellow and half pink. I think it's been in a bit of a holding pattern like this for a while now, with the paint job partially finished and scaffolding parked in front. I don't know if someone's painting it yellow again or what color they're going for. I do hope that whenever they finish, the house will be as beautiful as ever. It deserves lots of love. I always dreamed of living in it. Whoever owns it now had better take good care of it! That's my dream Victorian!

Here be LARPers

I was in Palmer Park on Saturday afternoon for some family portraits, and while I waited for my clients I sneaked a couple of pictures of a group of LARPers who were out there doing their thing. I've seen them there before and they always look like they're having a ton of fun. I managed to get a decent shot of just this one guy. They were quite a distance away and, since my timing is impeccable, the moment I got my camera out was the moment they decided that they were finished with their activities and started walking back to their cars. Drat! Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

Sunday Style!

Another great outfit from the Women's Resource Agency, modeled by intern Mashayla. This fantastic organization exists to help women and girls achieve financial independence. One of the means they do this is by providing career wear. All of the clothes are donated, and my friend Paula, who volunteers as a stylist at WRA, helps clients put together outfits. She's got a real knack for creating flattering, fashionable looks.

Next Sunday I'll make another Sunday Style post with a WRA outfit styled by Paula. Meanwhile, you can learn more about this great organization in last week's post.

Student art

The concrete buttresses under the pedestrian bridge over Cache la Poudre Street are painted with murals by students from nearby North Middle School, with help from local artist Steve Wood. Very cheerful!

F is for Friday

This was a loooong week. It feels like Monday was years ago. But hooray, the weekend's here, and the first weekend of spring to boot! It's supposed to be sunny and windy again tomorrow. In fact it's been very windy for days and I think it's starting to drive us a little crazy here in Colorado Springs. We're all on edge because the fire danger is very high whenever the wind kicks up and it's so dry out there. Cross your fingers we don't have any fires while the wind is so intense.

I haven't done a Skywatch Friday post in a while, so I took this picture precisely for that reason (for the curious, this is the "F" in Safeway -- there's a store right behind my studio). For more Skywatch Friday images from bloggers everywhere, click HERE. Have a super weekend!

Blue Lady

This beautiful old Victorian home sits at the convergence of Ramona Avenue, Tejon Street, and Cheyenne Boulevard where it converts from Cascade Avenue, a very busy (and no doubt confusing for some) intersection. It's at the edge of Ivywild which, as you know, is a neighborhood that I'm quite fond of. About five years ago my dear friend Rhonda was renting it, and once she let me have the run of the place for a photo shoot. It's quite beautiful on the inside as well. All the old woodwork is intact. Rhonda told me that long ago it was a whorehouse. I don't know if that's true, but I can tell you that the bedrooms have doorbells! Hmmmm! My nosy internet sleuthing tells me that it was built in 1889, and as you can see, even though it's a rental property on a very busy corner, the owner takes good care of it. For me it's a landmark home; it's always been there for as long as I can remember, and I hope it lives on forever.

Bumper sticker du jour

Spotted this funny one on the back window of a Subaru station wagon. It may not be fast, but it'll get you there eventually.

Miramont Castle

I was in Manitou over the weekend, and while I was there I took a spin by Miramont Castle just for fun. I haven't been there in years. Miramont Castle has an interesting back story:  it was built in 1895-96 by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Jean Baptiste Francolon, as a private residence. It incorporates an odd assortment of architectural styles. Francolon lived in it, along with his mother, for about three years, selling the property to the Sisters of Mercy in 1899. (Why would you build such a huge and impressive home, only to leave after three short years?) The Sisters operated a sanitarium in the castle from 1904 to 1928. In the 1940s, the place was sold and converted into apartments; after that, over time, as you can imagine, it became more and more run down and neglected. Finally, in the mid-1970s it was purchased by the Manitou Historical Society and was restored to its former glory.

It's been a long time since I've been inside (it was closed when I stopped by there late Saturday afternoon), but I have photographed a couple of weddings at Miramont Castle in the past and it I recall it as being pleasantly creepy. This shouldn't surprise anyone, since: 1) it's Victorian, and 2) it was a sanitarium run and inhabited by nuns -- the imagination runs wild! It has a reputation for being haunted. Is it? I suppose you'll have to go there some day and find out for yourself. But haunted or not, Miramont Castle a local treasure, and I think it's interesting and beautiful. Visit their website HERE for more info.

The placard that sits in front of the castle explains its history.

The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

I have lived here practically my entire life, and I've never been to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. This is a disgrace. Thankfully I had a chance to remedy that situation on Saturday, when some clients asked me to do engagement portraits there. I was very excited about this! Unfortunately, when we got to the Shrine, there was an attendant on hand who forbade me from taking any kind of portraits or professional photos, so my clients and I had to put our heads together and come up with another location -- but not before I grabbed a few snapshots for the blog!

Five stories high and completed in 1937, the Will Rogers Shrine was built by Spencer Penrose. Not only did he build it, he's actually entombed there with his wife Julie, along with two other close friends. So it's not just a shrine, it's a mausoleum. I didn't know that. I also didn't know that it contains a chapel, several pieces of renaissance art and furnishings, and a handful of historic murals depicting the history of the city and region. And of course a large part of the Shrine is dedicated to the life history of Will Rogers, who died during the construction of it. His sudden demise inspired Penrose, a close friend, to christen the tower in his memory.

Anyway, since I was on duty and had important pictures to take elsewhere, I couldn't hang around and check it out; we were only there for a few minutes. I'll have to go back to the Will Rogers Shrine another day and take my time exploring it. Meanwhile, you can find more history about it on the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo website HERE.

Mr. Penrose himself. He's the man who built the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Broadmoor, among other notable things in our city.

Here's a look at it from the zoo parking lot. By the way, the view of the city from the Shrine is stupendous.

Sunday Style!

Today and the next couple of Sundays I'll be posting fashions from the Women's Resource Agency, whose mission is "to empower women and girls to attain and maintain self-sufficiency and economic independence. At WRA, women and teen girls find the support, training and resources they need to seek employment and to become economically self-sufficient." It's a wonderful organization! My best friend's sister, Paula, volunteers for WRA as an image consultant (you may remember Paula from THIS Sunday Style post). It's her job to assist in putting together professional looking outfits to help launch or further their clients' careers. After being referred by another agency and attending an orientation class about job searching, WRA clients receive a free outfit for job interviews and, once they get a job, they are entitled to four more outfits at no cost over the course of a year. All of the clothes and accessories are donated, and Paula has a wonderful gift for creating great ensembles out of disparate pieces. Consider this business casual look modeled by Mashayla, a grad student who is interning at WRA. I love the cropped jacket and red pumps! And that necklace is vintage. Everything you see here was donated, and their stock changes constantly.

Stay tuned for another WRA Sunday Style post next week! And if you're interested in volunteering or you have some gently used clothing that you'd like to donate, please contact these wonderful people via their website HERE.

Stairway to...

There are two or three short flights of stone stairs like this in Palmer Park. I've always been intrigued by them. They must be quite old and they seem to lead to nowhere, just brush and undergrowth. I wonder what their history is.

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Another photo from Biedleman. This was strictly a location scouting kind of shot, I wasn't intending to use it on the blog. But since I didn't really get outside today, I didn't get a picture for you, so this is what you get!

Circles within circles

I was doing some location scouting at Biedleman Environmental Center this afternoon when it started to rain. It wasn't much, but it was enough to discourage me from hanging around (I hate getting wet). On my way out, I was taken by the pattern that the raindrops made on the surface of the creek, so I paused on the footbridge for a picture before scurrying back to my car.

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The bright red Peak Bowl letters juxtaposed against a blue, blue sky and fluffy clouds, at a little before 6:00pm on Monday. I know that people like to complain about the "spring forward" part of Daylight Savings, but you have to admit that it's nice to have sunshine at dinnertime. I'm looking forward to spring!

An artifact

In the spot where the King's Chef's second location is now, at the corner of Bijou and Nevada, there used to be a business called Norton Office Supplies. It was there well into the 1990s or even the early '00s -- I can't remember exactly when it closed. When I worked at the camera store downtown, I used to volunteer to be the one who walked over to Norton's whenever office supplies were needed. In turn, the Norton folks shopped at our store too, whenever they needed film or photofinishing. The Norton family were well known and loved, old school Colorado Springs. I remember that they had an adult daughter with Down's syndrome. I'd estimate that she was in her forties. She'd occasionally come to the camera store, which never failed to brighten our day. Eventually, after many, many years in business, the Nortons retired and closed up shop. I'm sure the prevalence of big box office supply stores didn't help.

Downtown is very different now from the way it was then. I do miss Norton Office Supply and the other small businesses that have closed down in the last 15 or 20 odd years. I was pleased to notice last weekend that in the alley behind their old building, an artifact of their tenure lives on.

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Getting this post in just under the wire -- I'd forgotten about the Daylight Savings Time shift! Here's a snap I took over the weekend in a downtown alley. I've never noticed this mural before.

Sunday Style!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I went for a walk with my friend Marie last weekend in Monument Valley Park. On the final stretch back to our cars this guy sauntered past us. There were lots of people about, most of them (like us) wearing exercise clothes, but he was out there strolling in a jaunty plaid fedora and matching scarf. Love it!

A project is afoot

A project is afoot on Monument Creek, and I'm dying to know what it is! I was walking with my friend Marie last weekend and I noticed this just north of the Uintah Street bridge. Hmmmm! What can it be? I know that this stretch of the creek (or for that matter practically anywhere in Colorado Springs) is a stormwater nightmare. Maybe the powers that be are trying to mitigate things in this spot. They'd better hurry up and finish. Spring is around the corner, and March is usually a heavy precipitation month!

Old Willies

I spotted this beautiful old Jeep Willies last weekend in Monument Valley Park. At first I thought it was the vehicle from THIS post a year ago, but this one was more orange than red, and the tailgate was painted. It's always cool to see a Willies, especially one that's been so lovingly restored. They are getting more and more rare.

Guerrilla art

I came across this bit of guerrilla art last weekend while out walking with a friend near Colorado College. I will now attempt a lame interpretation: we are the proverbial Christians, and your TV and mass media are the lions. Better watch your back. And turn off the TV 😏

No blurting!

The Colorado gubernatorial election caucus was last night, and our precinct convened at a nearby elementary school, in the gym. I enjoy the odd chance of hanging out in grade schools with their tiny, adorable chairs. And remember the smell? All grade schools smell the same! Like lunch, Elmer's Glue and construction paper. Anyway, I thought this handwritten sign was especially cute (and full of good advice!) so I grabbed a cell phone picture on the way out. "No blurting" is a darn good rule of thumb for us all, don't you agree?

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The Pikes Peak Range Riders statue on February 4th, a misty and snowy day.

Just one more

Just one more shot of the little boutique I wrote about yesterday, Safron. I thought I'd post a picture of their storefront to contrast with the one I shared in 2010 at their old location. As you can see, the cheerful parasols are back!

Sunday Style!

Pat and I were out and about in Old Colorado City yesterday, and I was excited to find that one of a favorite boutique that had closed about three years ago has reopened in a new location. It's called Safron, and I featured its cute storefront in Manitou Springs on the blog way back in 2010 (HERE). I was sad when I heard that the proprietor had to close after the Manitou floods in 2013. I'd heard recently that she'd reopened, I just didn't know where -- hence my excitement. Anyway, the lovely Erica works at Safron and she cheerfully agreed to let me snap of picture of her. I love the skirt and that red tunic sweater, it looks great on her! Cool boots, too!

Below, a few pictures of some of Safron's eclectic, chic inventory. All of their winter stock is 50% off right now, so get while the getting's good. I bought a dress. I physically couldn't leave without snatching it up -- it's such a cool frock and I can't wait to wear it. If you are craving different, interesting clothes and accessories, this is the place. (These were all taken with my cell phone, apologies for the poor quality.)

A fish out of water

Seen this afternoon on Platte Avenue, parked next to the Palmer High School football field. Since we're a thousand miles or so to the Pacific Ocean, this is certainly something you don't see in Colorado Springs very often. Or ever.

On a completely unrelated note, US News has ranked all 50 states from best to worst using a range of 75 metrics, and Colorado ranked tenth. Where does your state fall on the list?