A Nice Day for a Bike Ride

On March 16th I stopped by the north duck pond in Monument Valley Park to see if there has been any progress on the improvement project. I couldn't tell if much has been done lately to the pond itself, but I did notice that a fence has been erected above it to keep people on the trail. This is probably a good idea, because as you can see, there's quite an incline from where the bike riders are down to the pond. On the other side of them, there's far more of a drop, down to a trail below and Monument Creek.

Soccer Practice

I caught this young woman practicing her kicking skills on Sunday afternoon in Monument Valley Park. She's got a leg, as they say. 

Man in Blue

Today I stopped by Adventures in Mini Golf just to see if there was anything worth photographing. To my surprise they were open, though now that I've had a chance to look at their site, it does mention that their winter hours are based on a "play it by ear" system depending on the weather. Temperatures were in the mid fifties with a chilly breeze, which didn't deter the two patrons that I spied putting away on the other side of the fence. As for me, I stayed in the parking lot and grabbed a shot of good old Paul Bunyan. I couldn't resist -- he's so photogenic.

Practice Makes Perfect

I took Frodo for a walk in Monument Valley Park on Sunday, and as we passed Boddington Field I noticed a few people practicing their soccer skills, including these two guys. The one one on the right was clearly honing his goalie reflexes while the one on the left coached him.

Dedicated to Excellence

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I had a senior portrait session that took me to Ute Valley Park, but we actually started at the Ent Center for the Arts since it's such a cool and photogenic structure. I found this sculpture around the back of the building while my client was in the restroom changing into a different outfit. This is near the baseball diamond, and I suspect this artwork and the utilitarian outbuilding behind it have been there much longer than the Ent Center has. The baseball diamond has been there for some time if memory serves, but the Ent Center was only erected between 2015 and 2018 (I went to both the soft opening in November of 2017 and the grand opening in February of 2018 featuring the art of Floyd Tunson). Anyway, this piece is called Dedicated to Excellence and the artist is Denny Haskew.

Olympic Stuff

I'm obsessed with the Olympics, as usual. It's starting to interfere with my productivity. Ha! Whenever there's an Olympics on, I stay glued to the TV for the duration, but I know I'm not the only one. Especially here in Colorado Springs, a.k.a. Olympic City. I did find time to drop by the Olympic Training Center yesterday morning to grab some snaps of their cool sculpture garden. This one's pretty impressive, don't you think? So are their six pack abs. More tomorrow!

Pickle Mania

Have you gotten sucked in to the pickleball craze? I have not, although I have friends who've become pickleball addicts. It seems like almost every municipal tennis court around here, like this one in Monument Valley Park, has been converted for pickleball usage. This makes me feel a little sorry for the local tennis enthusiasts, since pickleball courts seem to outnumber tennis courts at this point. I will say this: these courts get used! There always seems to be a game on. I've heard that pickleball is fun because it's easier to play than tennis, and gentler on your joints. I guess I'll try it for myself one of these days. I used to like playing tennis but it's been years since I've picked up a racquet. 

May 2024 Theme Day: Cyclists

It's already Theme Day again for City Daily Photo bloggers! This month the theme is cyclists. We certainly have plenty of those around here, but I opted to take a picture of this mural on Fillmore Street rather than the real thing.

For more interpretations of cyclists by CDP bloggers the world over, click HERE. Enjoy!

April 2024 Theme Day: Medicine

Happy April Fool's Day! Since it's the first of the month, it's also Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers, and this month the theme is medicine. I spent most of the last month sick, so trust me when I say I'm tuned into the theme! I was pretty much drugged up on both over the counter and prescription meds the entire time, and I only left the house once, to go to the urgent care facility. I know that the medications are meant to make you feel better, but in a way they make you feel worse: logy, exhausted, dull. And since they stay in your system for a while, it's hard to shake that inertia off. Being stuck indoors certainly did not help my mental state, either. After a while, I got a terrible case of cabin fever and I can't tell you how good it felt when I was finally able to venture out into the world again, even when it was just to run a couple of errands! I snapped this photo on March 23rd, when I was still feeling crummy but just good enough to have lunch with my friend JB at the Patty Jewett golf course. The view from there is wonderful and it lifted my spirits. So did the beautiful weather. I think that friends, fresh air, sunshine and exercise are the best form of medicine, don't you agree?

For more takes on medicine by CDP bloggers everywhere, click HERE. Enjoy!

Destination Vertical

I noticed this sporty looking young woman and her friend crossing Bijou the other day and couldn't figure out why she was carrying a length of rope over her shoulder. It wasn't until I got home that I realized she was probably headed to the climbing gym up the street. I've never tried rock climbing, have you? I understand it's pretty safe in a controlled environment at least, but I'm afraid of heights. That sport definitely isn't for me!

Cycling Weather

A senior portrait shoot took me to Monument Valley Park today, where I snapped this picture on the fly. The weather continues to hold up nicely though I hear it's finally going to start getting noticeably chilly in a few days. Until then, cyclists like this guy are taking advantage of these pleasant fall days.

Late Summer

On September 3rd the weather was so gloriously perfect that I took Frodo for a nice long walk around Boulder Park, near our house. These friends in the midst of a softball game looked like they were having a blast, so much so that we paused so I could snap a picture. Look at that beautiful blue sky! The last few days have been chilly, but I think things are going to warm back up again over the weekend. I'm looking forward to the last days of summer and a gentle slide into fall.

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Some serious volleyballers in Bonforte Park (also affectionately known as Bonnie Park) on Saturday.

Sledding With a View

There a scenic pull over spot just on the other side of Hagerman Pass, which gives you the view I shared in yesterday's post. This shot is facing 180° in the other direction. The only other people there yesterday sharing the vista with us with were these three, who chose what must be one of the most scenic sledding hills in Colorado. Imagine cruising down this slope with the majestic, snow covered Collegiate Peaks right in front of you!

Obelisk

There's a pair of obelisks in America the Beautiful Park that light up at night, but they're impressive by day as well. I've never seen the park as deserted as it was on Sunday even though the weather was gorgeous. The Superbowl was only 90 minutes from starting when I took this, so I guess everyone was already hunkered down in front of a TV. Does the grass in your part of the world get this dead looking in winter? Everything here looks like this right now, and it will until late May. But on the other hand, the mountain is at its most gorgeous in winter.

AMF Bowling

The AMF Bowling Alley on North Circle has such a cool paint color scheme! I've been wanting to photograph it for a while and managed to get a snap from the passenger seat of Pat's car over the weekend. This picture doesn't really do it justice. In keeping with when it was built, it's got a great mid-mod vibe. I'll have to go back another day to get more details.

Weidner Field

I finally had a chance to get a snap of Weidner Field (well, the outside of it anyway). This is our new professional soccer field downtown. I've yet to attend a Switchbacks game there, but it's on my list. I do like this eye catching giant-silver-ball-slash-ring thing but the pragmatic side of me wonders what it'll look like after we get one of our epic hailstorms!

Bounding into the New Year

On January 2nd, the day after bitter cold temperatures and the first measurable snow of the season kept us cooped up indoors, the sun came out and I spotted several runners out doing their thing. These two were making their way through Monument Valley Park behind the CC campus.

An Enthusiastic and Sporty Parade

Last Saturday I had just finished with a senior portrait shoot downtown when I heard a lot of chanting and shouting behind me, and turned around to see this little procession. I just happened to have a camera with a very long lens in my hands so I quickly snapped off a few shots. It turns out they were parading around in support of the Switchbacks, our pro soccer team. There's a shiny new soccer stadium downtown and I've been dying to go see the Switchbacks play. Thanks for the reminder, guys!

Fearless

Lots of climbers take advantage of the vertical wall faces at Red Rock Canyon, like this guy who blithely scaled a huge rock formation last Saturday without a second thought. I have a dread fear of heights. This sport is definitely not for me.