With the ZydeCoasters!
Joe’s Honer Accordion
and Jake, Dave, Jon and Gerry
They usually are found playing Cajun music in the town of Nederland (You know, the place with TFDG) but today  they had some fun at the Colorado Feed and Grain (CF&G Cookhouse) located on Mulberry EAST of Route 25! Gee, is that still Fort Collins?
It seems like a good music venue. We haven’t had dinner there yet, but I think we will head that way again soon.
Think of the CHILDREN!
Oh, and Budweiser too!
We live just close enough to College Avenue to hear the roar of motorcycles on their way to Loveland on the annual event for “Realities For Children Charities” a 501(c)3 organization that serves the needs of abused and neglected children.
Old Town Biker’s Paradise
“I’ve seen more bikes than that” is what I told some of the vendors while I walked my old 21 speed that sports the RAGBRAI tags of previous bicycle rides. “Huh?” they said. Not impressed.
Some “Style Rides”
We know this ride. I mentioned it here. Some of the bikers invited me to come to a BBQ next week even though I was obviously a “cyclist” and not a “biker”.
That’s this weekend in Old Town Fort Collins
So they will ride from the Harley dealer to Fickle Park – Â Loveland, then Bruce’s in Severance, Sol’s and the Bar SS in LaPorte, then out to the Colorado Feed & Grain before getting back to Old Town. It looks like we are heading out to the Feed and Grain for lunch right now so we might see ‘em coming in. If I see or hear anything interesting I will be sure to report back!
There is this unassuming little sculpture studio:
On 4th Street in Loveland
Where you can buy small table-top sculptures of sporting figures or famous presidents and/or presidents involved in some sort of sporting activity.
Not so small sculpture out back
On the flatbed getting ready for delivery is “Rock ‘n Roll”, the original stands about 36 inches but this one is about 11 feet tall. In the back is another sculpture that is supposed to be Ronald Reagan fly fishing; Didn’t Jimmy Carter do more of that than Reagan?
Detail of the mountain bike
indicates that it is the work of the Loveland sculptor George Lundeen of the famous Lundeen Famly of artists.
“Up for Grabs”
Just another back alley where art was found similar to this situation a few years ago. Â These works of art were first cast here before the finishing touches were applied in back of this gallery.
After a fairly cloudy rainy week we had some good weather:
A good day for dancing and drumming
Dancers in Old Town Fort Collins
Digital Drumming
Drum Circles and painted faces
And Fort Collins’ Premier Samba Band “Bloco Em Foco”!
It’s the Asian/Pacific American Cultural Festival:
舞狮 Lion Dance
Where do they store these great costumes?
Taiko Drums
…and these taiko drums! They take up mucho space and they are heavy!
They also had an Hawaiian Luau which we didn’t attend because we’re upset that we aren’t going to Hawaii in October… at least we think we’re not going. Stay tuned!
It’s the Big Red Castle in Westminster, Colorado:
“If you build it, they will come.”
And in this field of dreams in 1892 they thought it would be a great idea to build the “Princeton of the West” and call it Westminster University. And why not make it an all men’s school so that by 1917 all the men went to war: No school no more.
Note: The Westminster historical website says incorrectly that it was during WWII, but you and I know it was WW I. See, I’m not the only one who won’t take the time to proofread what I write!
It’s still pretty cool and it’s on the National Register
Just like the Red Herring Coffeehouse building in Urbana, Illinois. But I think Manchester U has a more interesting history. By 1920 the building was valued at over $500,000 but it was purchased by Alma White and the Pillars of Fire for a mere $40,000.
Let the good times roll!
Even by the 1920’s the place must have been pretty impressive. Located about 30 miles North-West of Denver, the building stuck out among an area of pretty much nothing. Open Space they call it.
Wow, is this the same car as in the antique picture above it? I don’t know, but it sure looks like it.
Inside by the entrance hall there was singing
and in the kitchen there was cake (I think to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the City of Westminster) and ice cream sandwiches.
In the attic, The Pillar of Fire Church marching band drum
Oh, and some timpani too!
…and Red Comet fire extinguisher grenades.
These babies held about 500 ml of CCl4 (Carbon tetrachloride) . You were supposed to throw them at a fire and run like hell. From the looks of things, I don’t think they were ever used to fight a fire in the building.
A view from the West
At a much earlier time before these trees were planted one can imagine ceremonial fires and peaceful rallies taking place on this yard.
Looking down from the main tower
Antique cars are parked on the South lawn for today’s visitors.
The West view from the tower
and part of what is known as the “City of Westminster” incorporated in 1911 and named in honor of the big university of the same name. Among other things Westminster is known for its Butterfly Pavilion (Roadside Mysteries was there in October, 2009)
Alma White’s legacy
It’s no secret that Alma White (The woman who helped purchase the building in 1920) held close ties to the KKK. Did the Klan hold rallies in the back yard of Manchester U? Yes, they did. Did the Klan burn crosses in the yard? Indeed they did. Don’t bother looking for charred wood or white hoods in the basement; They’re gone (I know, I looked!)
In 1997 the POF church made a statement whereby they “specifically regret mistakes and bad judgement” made by certain church leaders and their brief association with the Ku Klux Klan. By “brief” they mean well over 20 years of promoting ideologies of racial intolerance and a keeping to a fairly long laundry list of stuff they didn’t like!
I sort of reported this a while ago…
During construction on the FRCC Harmony Campus, it looked like someone at the school got a good deal on an observatory dome. Â The dome was laying on the ground for a while and I mentioned where it might go back in September last year.
Anchored Observatory ‘building’
I figured that they would put the dome on top of one of the buildings like the one directly east of its present location. I’m thinking something went wrong. Perhaps zoning laws or insufficient funds kept the school from placing the dome where it would be more effective. Just to the west of the dome is the proposed ‘Harmony & Shields Lifestyle Center‘ that should produce enough ambient light to make any observations to the west ineffective. Then again, at this level it is impossible for anyone in the observatory to peer into our bedroom window!
Phony fish-eye view of the observatory
OK, maybe it’s for astronomy students who are afraid of heights? The FRCC still operates the Stargeezer Observatory down the road and they sometimes use the Little Thompson Observatory in Berthoud. Do they really need three observatories? How many real astronomers get their degrees at a community college anyhow?
At Fossil Ridge High School:
Featuring FRHS Jazz Ensemble
with Surdos and Agogo ??
And special Guest Artist Marcus Santos !
But in the playground it’s Fort Collins’ Premier Samba Band “Bloco Em Foco” !
Bloco Em Foco with Marcus Santos taking a picture break before getting back to another night of learning new Samba moves. Marcus has just started a new project called Grooversity that will include Bloco Em Foco as one of the partners if we are (gulp!) good enough! No, just kidding! You may have seen Marcus on this blog before:  We first met him on April 24, 2009 and learned our first Brazilian rhythms at the Beat Farm on April 28, 2009. We had more instruction outdoors on July 5, 2009 and then even more on this ‘remote’ island paradise on July 11, 2009. We had a gig in Wyoming with Marcus on  April 9, 2010 and there were other times in September 2010 that I had to miss due to this Mediterranean Cruise. Marcus will be back next September so I hope we’ll have our act together by then!
In Civic Center Park
Dancers from the Quetaicoati Aztec Dance Group
And more dancing
and Trios Los Pumas Mariachi
Here they are playing Mother’s day tunes for the crowd. Duncan Madog was there, but later we found out that dogs are not allowed in the park anymore. It seems some kid was bitten by a dog last year; at least that’s what the cop told us. Or perhaps someone from the Bohemian Foundation was bitten by a lawyer.
at some recent drum circles:
Justin on the Didgi
Meghan on the Ashiko
Jimi on Congas with cartwheels in foreground
Jimi on Banjo with more cartwheels in foreground
There were others in the past, like the Catalyst and the 1K drum event. It’s great that there is an active drumming community in town and more circles seem to be springing up. Check out Full Throttle Coffee on Mason on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month and of course we can’t forget the Foothills Drum Circle!
