The Colorado Psychedelic Church

Did you know that we have a church here that espouses the use of psychedelics as a vehicle in your spiritual journey? It's called the Colorado Psychedelic Church -- a bit on the nose, yes, but might as well get straight to the point. Your first reaction might be to laugh but they're serious. And hey, we have about ten zillion other churches here, why not a psychedelic one, right? Their message is quite positive and inclusive, and I can certainly wrap my brain around that. And it's not like there haven't been countless other religious practices over the long history of human existence that have used mind altering drugs as part of their rituals.

I've been aware of its existence for some time but I only recently realized that the Colorado Psychedelic Church is next door to Cameraworks, where I buy a lot of my photography gear! Maybe they just moved into that spot. You'd think I would have noticed before now.

Things Are Looking a Little Better at the Duck Pond

I think the last time I showed you the north duck pond in Monument Valley Park was last November, and it had that barren "we just finished a major improvement project here" kind of air about it. I guess a more polite way to describe it would be that it was bursting with as-yet unrealized potential. Ha! Now that this part of the park has had a whole summer to recover from its facelift, it's finally starting to look a little less grim. I imagine it'll be several years before it regains its former charm. Hopefully it'll be even better than before.

October 2026 Theme Day: Soft

The first day of every month is Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers, and this time the subject is soft. I thought hard about it and figured lots of people would take pictures of their beloved pets, so even though I had our soft (and extremely adorable) feline handy, I decided to go with lamb's ear, or Stachys byzantina. This plant is all over our front garden and has proliferated abundantly there for years -- it really thrives in our sunny, arid climate. And it's very, very soft. It feels like an angora sweater.

For more interpretations of soft by CDP bloggers all over, visit our portal HERE. Enjoy!

Ssserpent

While on a portrait shoot today, my clients and I came across this little western terrestrial garter snake. Do I like snakes? No I do not, they generally give me the creeps. But I was brave enough to take a photo before I vacated the area. Ha. Garter snakes are fairly harmless, I know, but that doesn't mean I want to hang around with one.

Señor Stratton

Early local philanthropist and all-around historic good guy Winfield Scott Stratton looking eastward from his plinth on Pikes Peak and Nevada.

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A detail shot of the large Victorian mansion, known as the Rev. Paul R. Peel House, that's part of the collection of buildings comprising the First Lutheran Church campus on North Cascade Avenue.

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I've photographed this sculpture many times for the blog, but this may be my favorite attempt. Very dramatic.

Griffin + Door

Pardon my bad pun! These twin griffins adorn the front entrance to the Cascade Park Apartments. You walk between them every time you go through the front door.

Sunday Style!

I recently found a few more style photos that I took when we were in London a couple of years ago. I thought I had posted every well dressed person from that trip, but a handful were still lurking in my cell phone and since I took them specifically for the blog, I definitely want to share them! Here's a young woman on the little tourist bus at Kew Gardens. I loved her simple outfit all in subtle shades of white and cream, down to the earrings.

Then and Now: The Downtown Post Office

Behold the US Post Office and Federal Courthouse-Colorado Springs Main, located on the southeast corner of Pikes Peak and Nevada avenues. Construction on this stately Beaux-Arts style building was completed in 1910. The photo above was taken today and the one below was taken in 1915, 111 years ago. I did my best to duplicate the camera angle and cropping of the original. As you can see, not much has changed.

The Sweet Spot

Taken on September 13th on Wood Avenue. We've reached that late summer sweet spot where the days are pleasantly warm and the nights are cool, but the trees haven't quite started to change color yet. I love this time of year but I can't wait for fall to come fully into swing.

Speaking of Orange...

This cheerful mural adorns The Launchpad, a long term housing solution on 19th Street for homeless youth in our city. It was just completed in 2025 and I'm sure it's already changed many lives for the better.

Annoying Orange

Spotted downtown on an annoyingly orange truck a couple of weeks ago. This cracked me up, especially because, A) orange is high on my list of least favorite colors, and B) despite that, I too own an annoying orange vehicle. Ha!

Independence Pass (Part 2)

Here are a few more snapshots from our little day trip last week. As you can see, not a speck of snow anywhere. That's very unusual, but then again we're in a historic drought, and even our high mountain passes aren't immune. Even the picturesque little tarn at the summit was bone dry. Sad face! Hopefully this coming winter will bring tons of needed snow. Fingers crossed.

Independence Pass (Part 1)

Last Wednesday, Pat and I (plus our dog Frodo) headed for the mountains for some stress relief. The destination was Independence Pass, about 130 miles away. It's such a beautiful area -- especially in autumn. The town of Aspen is a few miles beyond the other side of the pass but this time we decided not to go quite that far. On the pass, there are many great spots where you can park your car and admire the breathtaking vistas. Here are some variations of the same gorgeous view. I imagine that when people think of Colorado, this is what they see in their mind's eye. I love living here.

More tomorrow!

Sunday Style!

Pat took this picture at the Hot Rod Rock & Rumble last month. This cool cat was an employee of the racetrack and I noticed him too, although I didn't get a worthy shot of him myself. He looks great in that hat.

Mountain Pass # 2

On Wednesday, Pat and I drove west to Independence Pass just to get away for a few hours. We took our dog Frodo with us for good measure. To get to Independence Pass from here, you first need to go over two other mountain passes: Ute Pass and Wilkerson Pass. We always stop at the summit of Wilkerson Pass because there's a visitors center/gift shop and restrooms, and a little trail where you can take a hike or walk your dog. There's a wonderful view from up there, too. As you can see, the wildfire risk right now is very high in Colorado. Warning signs like the one below are everywhere on public land.

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A few days ago I wandered around my various gardens with a camera in hand and came up with these images. It actually didn't rain that day, I used a spray bottle to give the plants this dewy look. Enjoy! 

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A wee visitor to our front garden the other day. Hummingbirds are beautiful and fascinating little creatures.

2026 Hot Rod Rock & Rumble (Part 9)

Here are the last few shots from the Hot Rod Rock & Rumble. Pat took most of these; the only one I can take credit for is the (mediocre) image of the juggler. Pat told me that he had a short conversation with the guy proudly polishing the black Mustang Fastback. Apparently he and his dad restored it together. Look how gorgeous it is, it's downright enviable! I'm sad that PPIR is closing and the Hot Rod Rock & Rumble is coming to an end. It's always been one of my favorite summertime events. It's the end of an era, truly.