‘2012 Journey’ Category
» posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Golden Arches
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – The minute I stepped inside I felt the golden glow. There was no outside light filtering in, but there was warmth and color in every direction. Does it represent the discovery of gold near Denver in 1858? Or is it intended to remind visitors of the abundant golden sunshine Colorado is so proud of? The shapes are pleasing too — curving archways to walk through; an oval opening in the main floor to peer downward, a shiny golden railing at the edge. And just above each architecturally pleasing turn is a stripe of red, yes, I remember, Colorado literally means “color red.” Move on to the grand staircase in the rotunda; “grand” is not an overstating word, it’s gorgeous with more impressive curves and golden shine; above my head is the dazzling dome. Murals in warm and earthy tones curve around this central room; the walls below are a reddish marble like I’ve never seen before. Too much to comprehend, I head for the Visitor’s Desk to get a brochure; it’s time to get some facts. » read more
» posted on Tuesday, October 9th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Where You Can Bloom
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – “Bloom where you are planted” is a phrase we’ve all heard before. Today’s trends are busily reversing that age-old axiom to “Plant yourself where you can bloom.” Maybe it’s the high price of gas and the worry over fossil fuels. Maybe it’s the wear and tear of the daily commute, which can put you on a diet of Prilosec. Maybe it’s the longing for an Opie life, whistling as you walk to the fishing hole. Or maybe you’re a fast-tracker with an impatient soul, who wants things to happen now. Would you rather be doing 
than driving? According to a report by The Worldwatch Institute, 2007, for the first time in this country’s history the majority of our population lives in cities. The Baby Boomers (b 1946-1964) and the Millennials (b 1981-2000) are leading the charge; these are the two fastest growing demographics. The Millennials want a work-life balance in compact communities; 88% choose to live in an urban area. And the Baby Boomers have retirement in mind; they are thinking about having time to do things they’ve put off for years, so being close to those things is important. Denver is planning for all of that. » read more
» posted on Sunday, October 7th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Scaffolding, and Squirrels
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – Port-a-potties behind a chain-link fence were my first glimpse of the Colorado state capitol this afternoon, not a pretty sight. Snow and cold gone, warm blue skies lured me downtown; I turned right off Colfax and parked on Grant Street behind the capitol. Straight in front of me in the paved circular walkway was a statue of a Native American standing over a dying bison, surrounded by prairie grasses, it seemed. The dome of the capitol was encased in scaffolding, the lower part further sheathed in a blanket of white. On the left more scaffolding stretched from the ground to the top of the building, cordoned off by that chain-link fence. I’d heard about the renovation needs; the rusting iron and falling building chunks that had resulted in “hair-netting” the dome since 2007. So now it’s underway, a three-year, $17 million project. Camera in hand, I began to walk around the block, hoping to get a clearer picture of exactly what was going on. Scaffolding, and squirrels, were what I found. » read more
» posted on Friday, October 5th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Snow on the Rose
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – “I want fall!” said the young woman in the waiting room. “We always get short-changed.” All of us were in temporary warm-clothes, grabbed hastily due to a 40-degree temperature drop that blew in like the Big Bad Wolf Wednesday night, huffing and puffing. It was 83 degrees when the DebateFest began at 3 PM on the University of Denver campus; DU students were sprawled on the lawn in short sleeved shirts. At 5:30 the wind began to blow, and within minutes the outdoor newscasters covering the Obama-Romney debate were covering themselves, wrapping neckscarves in a double fold and hanging on to their mikes. Those TV images were a signal to me that it was time to get the flu shot, so Thursday morning I headed for the clinic. That’s where the young woman sat, complaining about the weather. A tall and tan and ruggedly handsome man walked in and sat down near us; a folded bandana tied around his head; manly boots on his feet; a mountain-man image come to life (we later learned he fought fires in the summer and plowed snow in the winter). “I had snow at my house this morning,” he announced. “It was 26 degrees.” I asked him what the elevation was; he answered “8,700 feet.” Snow? I certainly wasn’t prepared for that. But hey, he’s at 8,700 feet; that won’t happen in town. Or so I thought. This morning, the red rose outside my window was layered with white. Snow, on October 5. Snow, on the rose! » read more
» posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Just Take Them One At A Time
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – Charles Kuralt, in his book Charles Kuralt’s America, referred to New York City as “a large city composed of tiny, personal neighborhoods.” After I read that, I stopped being intimidated by big cities and learned to enjoy them as a lot of “small towns” that happen to be sitting side by side; its residents distinct, and perhaps competitive, like the small-town football rivalries I grew up with. So I intend to explore Denver neighborhood by neighborhood, with the help of a great publication I picked up at the Colorado Welcome Center. It’s the 2012 Visitor’s Guide, and it devotes twelve pages to the various neighborhoods of Denver, with the all-important highly detailed MAPS. And nicknames! There is LoDo (Lower Downtown, I get it); and RiNo (couldn’t figure that one out, it is River North); and even LoHi, which is a commercial area on the lower side of the Highlands. The Guide even has a section on the “trendiest” neighborhoods, which I’d suppose is a subjective opinion; nevertheless I find myself eagerly reading about all of them. Take “Cool-fax.” What in the world is Cool-fax? » read more
» posted on Monday, October 1st, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
It’s Debatable
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – Everybody is talking about the traffic. Big city news teams always devote a lot of time to talking about traffic congestion, road closures, alternate routes, and commute times. It soothes, or creates, commuter anxiety – how long will it take me to get to work? Or more importantly, how long will it take me to get home? It’s usually the weather that causes kinks in the routine, but this week in Denver the Secret Service is the slammer-jammer that gets the blame. It has called for the shutdown of a portion of the freeway (Interstate 25!) on Wednesday between 5-10 PM, which is causing some employers 
to excuse employees early, IF they will be impacted by that closure. What is all the hullabaloo? A Presidential Debate at the University of Denver, the first of the scheduled debates between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney. And just as it happens when a city hosts the Olympics, or some other highly significant event, people are alternately grousing about the hassle, and preening at the national attention. Is it worth it? » read more
» posted on Saturday, September 29th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Art At Heart
Linda Burton posting from Denver, Colorado – I’m in Denver now, just a hundred miles south of Cheyenne, and the cats and I are settled in, ready for new discoveries. I’ve left the Cowboy State for the Colorful State, according to the Welcome signs, although I saw nothing but brown hills where I-25 brings you in. I left a hotel with roofers hammering madly overhead and endless trains across the street for a hotel with an inner brick courtyard and roses blooming by my window. Freeway traffic got heavy as I approached big-city life; I traded wind and trains for roses and traffic, I chuckled to myself. The highlight of my day was a stop about halfway between Cheyenne and Denver, in a town with the lovely name of Loveland. Also called “The Sweetheart City,” one of Loveland’s claims to fame revolves around the little Cupid guy that flies in sometime in February; that would be Valentines Day. Want to mail a Valentine to someone special with a hand-stamped message of love on the front and a postmark of “Loveland”? Loveland has been re-mailing Valentine cards and love letters for more than 66 years now; they come in from all 50 states and more than 100 countries around the world. It’s the largest program of its kind in the nation, and here’s how it works. » read more
» posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Pioneering Trees
Linda Burton posting from Cheyenne, Wyoming – Nannie Steele arrived in Cheyenne in the midst of a sandstorm in September of 1876. A strong woman who rode with the cowboys and was acquainted with Buffalo Bill, she made this observation in a letter — “there are only twelve trees in this town.” The next year however, things began to change. John Talbot, often referred to as Major, was an early settler in Cheyenne, claiming 160 acres and opening the Talbot House at 16th and Thomas, one of the first hotels. He built a large house on the corner of 27th and Snyder, with a third-floor ballroom, and eventually, lavishly landscaped grounds. It is recorded that in 1877 he ordered 20,000 young trees and willow cuttings from Nebraska, his former home, for planting in Cheyenne. Early pioneers planted and hand-watered those first trees along the streets and in the parks of Cheyenne; by the early 1900’s Cheyenne was known as “The City of Trees.” » read more
» posted on Monday, September 24th, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
Sentinels in Bronze
Linda Burton posting from Cheyenne, Wyoming – Esther Hobart Morris and Shoshone Chief Washakie have several things in common. Bronze statues of the two flank the entry to the Wyoming State Capitol, that’s the first thing; and replicas of those statues represent the state in National Statuary Hall in Washington, DC. The stories told about them have elevated them to the status of legends; larger-than-life icons that changed the world in a flash. But these two were simply orphans who were dealt some hard knocks, and who faced them in the best way they could. I find no record that their paths ever crossed, but they shared the same space in time, living through most of the turbulent 1800’s, and they shared minority status as the law and the social climate related to them. A woman, and an American Indian; exactly what did these two people face, and how did they respond? » read more
» posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 by Linda Lou Burton
It’s A Fine Fall Day
Linda Burton posting from Cheyenne, Wyoming – Fish and ducks and geese didn’t scurry, and there was no fringe on our top; but a Trolley ride on the first day of fall is a mighty fine way to spend a day. Autumn began in Cheyenne at precisely 8:49 AM this morning and I was ready for the Farmers Market at Depot Plaza just about that time. Pumpkins and apples on display; mums in pots; pies and peppers and fresh-baked zucchini bread; the mood was set, framed by the two things that define Cheyenne – trains, as depicted in the arch overhead, and ranchwear, for sale across the street. With a slice of that zucchini bread in hand, I headed for the Trolley, parked right outside the gate. The Trolley Passport in my hand promised a “fully narrated historic tour that captures the lively character of days gone by.” I’m ready for the ride. » read more