Archive for August, 2011

More of the Discovery…

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

First reported here and now here’s the second part:

Taking a tour in June of this year, looking north toward the Poudre River

I believe we are on the top of the main roof of the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center; Yes, I think that’s what they are calling it. Whatever, I know it’s going to be fantastic!

Looking down from the roof

We are looking at these curved cement structures. I’m thinking that they are for the tiered landscaping that will 1) Look really nice and 2) ward off the water when the Pouder River floods.

What’s inside on this north facing wall

It will have these three exhibits: “Live Animals”, Wildlands and Wildlife” and “First Peoples”.  A concave regional bio-diversity wall reflects back to a double sided anthropological/archaeological display. There will be live animals of some sort, but for now it’s a secret what they will be.  I’ll be back for a closer look when the interior walls are completed sometime this Fall.

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Yet another circus

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

Rather, Another Perfect Circus

Gary, Chris, Brian and Mark

and Niki (not pictured) as I figure out how to take pictures in low lighting conditions with my new camera (remember, the old Minolta got trashed on Ragbrai)

Left-Hand Bass

Knocking out blues and soul at the CF&G the other night. A great music venue and a great road-house band.

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Fun @ The Farm

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

at the Downs On The Farm in Berthoud:

Kids on drums

This little boy was fascinated with the Surdo drums.  He was here attending a BBQ party given by “Downs on the Farm“, a 501c3 non-profit focused on doing both animal rescue as well as offering animal therapy for kids with special needs.

Kids find needles in a stack of Hay? Hey?

Kids toss eggs at each other?

Kids and adults beat Ace Hardware pails with sticks

Kids eating pies quickly

Kids shooting arrows at targets. Does that say “Alcatraz Penitentiary” on that kid’s shirt?

Adults holding favorite pet chicken.

Lots other fun stuff too, like a petting zoo, horseback rides and sack races.

and Fort Collins premier samba band, Bloco Em Foco.

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Back 2 School

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Oh man, is Summer over already??? It’s time to wrap up a few things before I get ready for school:

Finnders and Youngberg

We remembered this group at the last FoCoMX.  We made sure we caught their act at the New West Fest this year. Here they are playing at the library stage.

Duncan Madog is alive and well

despite being removed from his very own Facebook page because he’s a dog, Duncan still gets out and does his thing. The other day we found him goofing around on a shopping cart near the abandoned lumber yard.

Duncan @ Swettsville Zoo

Not too long ago this fishing sculpture was up to his elbows! The Poudre river has now gone down to normal levels and it’s now safe to have fun again.

An event at the Larimer County Fair

With the usual number of tractors and animal acts and carnival rides including the ever popular Bear Affair.

Finally, we made it to the Niwot Left-Handers Day but it was a bust. Apparently the organizers were sick and couldn’t get their act together or maybe their dog ate the program. Who knows? We expected to see banners hung from the light poles that welcomed us left-handed people, but it just wasn’t happening.

Oh well, maybe next year? We did get to eat some pizza at Lefty’s in Niwot, but heard from a local who knew what she was talking about that the place to go is Proto’s Pizza located at 600 S. Airport road in Longmont.  SO, the next time we are in Longmont, expect to see a review of Proto’s.

Posted in Performing Arts | Comments Off on Back 2 School

Spooky Fort Collins, Part Second

Friday, August 12th, 2011

For the first part of this series, click HERE.

Lori in someone’s basement

Somewhere near the old Calaboose jail house, perhaps in the basement some prisoners were kept in what was called solitary confinement cells.

Below the Happy Lucky’s Tea House of all places

is where a not so happy/lucky prisoner by the name of Jack Cassidy died presumably of anxiety ?

This  looks like the basement of my old house in Indiana!

when you turn off the lights, it’s really dark and SPOOKY!

Yet another basement photo (un-retouched to reveal actual digital psychic phenomena)

And here is the location of the jail-house morgue!

Glad to see the dead have been keeping it tidy after all these years.

The old morgue is under the “Jilly Bean”

Note the picture of Jimi above left of the bar. He’s dead.

This picture of a tree at the Jilly Bean

It has been noted that this picture tends to move; perhaps by a ‘prankster spirit’. This particular spirit has issues that it needs to address: maybe some earth linked emotions need releasing? Any ghost whisperers out there that can help Jilly Bean?

Posted in Entertainment, The Dead | 1 Comment »

The 2011 Ragbrai Banjo

Monday, August 8th, 2011

OK, this has got to be the last Ragbrai post:

For 2011: Not overly decorated but still the official banjo

This year it  was signed by Mr. Pork Chop

Then here are some people who were trying to figure out how to play a left-handed instrument:

OK, the Ragbrai is now over! On to the next bit.

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Team Ragbrai

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Not all buses:

Team Schortz and their modest bike trailer

Team Dennis’ converted school bus

Easy soccer mom van; after a good car wash it’s back to normal

Harold’s converted school bus

No time to paint a team name on this one?

Team “Life’s a Beach” really cool ride

The “Baboon Butts”. Of course for baboons, the redness is NOT a sign of irritation.

And Team LLama since ’09

Team Drag-On from Emmetsburg

Team “Zippy” officially sanctioned by cartoonist Bill Griffith

Another lizard team

The classic bus of the Molasses Asses

The Alcohawks?

I don’t know what this teams likes to do

This is not the only all female team

Named after a brand of schnapps why not?

Easily modified “school” bus

Team Party Patrol; We had one of their club members camp with us because the TPP kept her up all night!

Team Fish hangs out in the Miller Lite line

Team Mule, of course.

The SpokeEasy from Chicago.  The bus was parked right across from us in Boone, Iowa. They look for members (per their website) with the following qualifications:

  1. BulletDrinking more than your liver was ever intended to handle and all the while biking your ass off and sweating out the booze you consumed over the next 10 miles.BulletStripping buck naked and jumping down a beer slide.

    BulletGetting in a drunken fight with your best friend or significant other then forgetting it ever happened the next day.

Team “Trust Me”. We were at the same hotel in Altoona, Iowa.

And the Barking Spiders!

The actual barking spider (Selenocosmia crassipes) is a tarantula native to Queensland, Australia.

And here are the team busses reported from previous Ragbrai rides. Some teams still exist from what I have seen:

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Obligatory Photos

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

In Carroll, Iowa:

At one of the information booths near the campgrounds

I had mentioned that the town of Carroll created this sort of Casino atmosphere when there really was no casino or racetrack anywhere near the town. I found out that the Carroll Ragbrai organizers were looking for some kind of theme for the big event. One of the local companies had a casino oriented benefit party the previous year and they still had tons of decorations in storage. There you have it!

At Shane and Alisa Olson’s farm east of Churdan, Iowa:

Me with Mr. Paul Berhard, AKA “Mr. Pork Chop”

Well, that’s what the Ragbrai is all about, don’t you know? And the Olson’s party was a big hit with many of the riders as the official Ragbrai blog declares.

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Bike Ride Across Iowa

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Last Thursday in Iowa someplace:

Posted in Music, RAGBRAI | Comments Off on Bike Ride Across Iowa

The Register’s Annual

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Hey, it’s John Condon of the Buck Hollow Band and he is showing off his new guitar:

There’s Left-Handed Banjo Playing somewhere in the above video.

Sadly my camera broke on the first day of Ragbrai. I bought a new one and there should be some new pictures soon. Anyhow, take a look at this video that John posted on the You Tuber already!

Posted in Music, RAGBRAI | Comments Off on The Register’s Annual