I think you know the answer to that question! This Ghostbusters themed van can usually be found parked outside the Auto Zone on Nevada and Fillmore. Love it.
And now, for your listening pleasure...
Just kidding. I won't curse you with that ear worm. 😉
As you approach Cripple Creek on Highway 67 from the east, you'll pass these odd figures. Most of them are clearly related to the old cartoon The Flintstones, dinosaurs and all, although there is also a Statue of Liberty and what looks maybe Santa Claus. Or possibly a yeti. (?) At any rate, I don't think I've ever bothered to stop my car and take pictures until now, although they've been there for years. They do sit on private property so I had to stand outside the fence to get these shots. To me, the Flintstones figures qualify as folk art I'd love to know who created them -- I've always found them charming!
I took Frodo for a walk this afternoon on the bike path behind the Bon Safeway, and at the opening in the split rail fence that gains you access to the parking lot, there was this book sitting on a small boulder. I took a picture, then looked at the cover. The book was Astrology for Dummies and it looked like it had been sitting on that rock for at least a couple of days, the pages riffling in the breeze. Very odd.
There's a shop in Manitou that has a giant wizard mural on the side of it, and that's about as Manitou as it gets, people. Though it's been there for years, I've never been inside because it basically struck me as a head shop, which isn't really my jam. I did, however, have a certain fondness for the place, because how can you not love it, right? The last time we happened to drive past, a month ago, I noticed that the shop owners must have closed it down and retired. This funny little sign in one of the windows caught my eye, and there's another sign on the farther window that says "Sorry, We're Dead." And alas, a sign on the door that reads "Retired." Now I regret never going in there -- I bet it was a cool place!
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Yes, that is an emu. This lady is named Billie Sue, and her emu is called Dennis. (Dennis! Gaaah! So cute!) They've become minor celebrities of sorts in Manitou. I've had a friend or two post pictures of Dennis on Facebook and I wondered who the big bird belonged to. Now I know! She told me that he's two and-a-half years old and she's had him since he was a chick. I've never met an emu before. He was extremely mellow. And very, very big, with rather prehistoric looking, three toed feet. He likes to be petted in a particular spot on his side. Oh and Dennis is very attached to his human. People, this is why I will not eat an animal. You think birds don't feel love and affection? Think again. Just look at how he hugs her back with his long neck when she hugs him. It's adorable!
The perfect outfit to wear while walking your pet emu on a 90°+ degree day in Manitou Springs. Cute! (Stay tuned for more on this fun lady and her unorthodox pet tomorrow.)
I think Pueblo (35 or so miles south of us) has charm to spare, even though it's kind of known for having the highest murder rate in Colorado. There's so much more to it than that one negative thing. Pueblo gets a bad rap! Great architecture, the River Walk, and offbeat stuff like this makes it a photogenic town as far as I'm concerned. These photos were taken in the same spot where I took the picture of "Elvis" for yesterday's post.
This is really a neat grave, and it looks like people appreciate it. The figure is festooned with beads and has been given a book to read. I wonder when this memorial was put in place. Was it in the 1960s, when Edna passed away? Or the 1940s, when Allen died? It looks more 1940s than 1960s to me. Or perhaps it was put there in the 1920s, when Arla's short life ended. The poor Baileys. Imagine having three children that didn't survive beyond toddlerhood. What a heartbreak. Thankfully, according to THIS site, there were several other children -- Ralph, Edna, Earle, George, Virgil, Elva, Lois, Lloyd and Betty -- who survived into adulthood and lived long lives.
Imagine going on vacation in this bad boy! What fun! There's no blending into the background when you're camping in a zebra striped RV.
I was at the family home of my friend Jennifer last Sunday, helping to celebrate her birthday. This is the house where she grew up so I've been there countless times, yet I've never noticed the "Bronco fan" embedded in a tree next to the driveway. Hilarious! (And maybe just a tiny bit creepy, sorry Jenn.)
I found myself at Hillside Gardens again recently, for a wedding of course. I actually took these three pictures at the wedding rehearsal and not on the big day. I rarely go to rehearsals, but I was glad I went to this one as it gave me a chance to just wander around and snap pictures afterward. For the uninitiated, this wedding venue features found objects like these, mostly all treasures from its previous iteration as a junkyard, and maybe a few other bits and bobs that the owner has picked up here and there over the years.
Another old building on the road to Pueblo on July 4th, and this one's an unsolved mystery. I've often seen it in the distance but this is the first time I've bothered to take a picture of it. Unfortunately I didn't have a long lens with me, so this is the best I could do. I can't tell if this was once a house, or a church, or some sort of community building. Certainly it can't have been a barn or stable with those big arched windows, even though it's in the middle of a field. Your guess is as good as mine! I sent this picture to my friend Caltara, who grew up in Pueblo, and she distributed it among her friends in hopes that someone might know the back story. If I ever get an answer, I'll blog it!
I've blogged about the Watermelon House several times over the years, most recently when we revisited it on Christmas. Pat and I thought it might be fun to show it to his brother, Gene, who's never seen it before. Just out of dumb luck the property owner happened to be standing in the driveway when we arrived! His name is Jim and he was happy to answer all of our questions. For the first time I was able to satisfy my curiosity about the Watermelon House. He told us that it was built 15 or so years ago, and its original purpose was to be a health food store. This would explain the complicated cooling equipment on the right side of the building. According to Jim, the property belongs to his family, and the proprietor of the health food store was essentially leasing the space for the structure. Unfortunately, the little store never achieved liftoff, and so the Watermelon House has just sat here, unoccupied for all this time. It's charming as heck and I love this quirky little building. Jim told me that soon he'll be a full time beekeeper (he already has several hives in the field beyond) and that he'll be selling his homegrown honey from the Watermelon House. You can bet I'll make the drive for that!
Here are a few more pictures I took since Jim kindly allowed us onto the property.
I couldn't think of a clever title for this post, because I've been burning the proverbial candle at both ends and my brain is so very tired. If you can think of a better title than "Untitled" please comment! Anyway, here's a horse fashioned out of stones. (Or at least it resembles a horse. I suppose it could also be a dog or a cow.) It sits a little north of the barn I showed you in yesterday's post, on the same property. It's right on the county line -- walk across the road and you're in Elbert County.
Pat had a truly weird experience last week. He was driving west on Pikes Peak Avenue where it intersects with Chelton Road when he heard a loud screech and saw a GMC Yukon plow into a small white sedan. Car parts flew everywhere. Ever the concerned citizen, Pat pulled over his car to make sure that everyone was all right. A man emerged from the passenger seat of the white car, staggered around for a moment, then suddenly started running straight toward Pat. Of course this was very puzzling for Pat, but puzzlement soon gave way to alarm when two police officers rounded the corner on foot, chasing after the guy! Only a few feet from Pat's car, they tackled the fleeing man in someone's front yard and handcuffed him. Crazy! Pat came home pumped full of adrenaline and told me the whole thing, so naturally we drove back over to the scene of the accident so I could get pictures for the blog. I got a couple of snaps through the car window as we cruised past. It turns out there was a third small car involved and it was just as crushed as the white car (the ginormous Yukon definitely fared the best), but I didn't get a picture of it. It looks like no one was hurt but I'm sure it ruined everyone's day -- especially the guy who's sitting in the pokey right now.
