Wednesday, April 30, 2014

April 2014 Scavenger Hunt: Central City and Black Hawk


Hey Everyone!
Goodbye April ~ Hello May!

This month friends of ours 
visited from San Diego,
and we were off to the mountains
to visit the historic gold-mining towns
of Black Hawk and Central City.
These towns are a wonderful place
to explore with a camera,
and explore I did!


Looking Down Main Street
Toward Eureka Street
Central City, Colorado, U.S.A.




 Looking Down Main Street
Toward Eureka Street
Central City, Colorado, U.S.A.

Source:  wikimedia ~ 
by Kilburn, B. W. (Benjamin West), 1827-1909



For several shots I had to 
dip into my photo library.

I hope you have had fun
with April's Scavenger Hunt too.



April's List


1.  A is for Art

One of the fun things to do
at the Ameristar in Black Hawk
is to look at its displays
of historic photographs and
Western paintings.

The Ameristar's Star Club has a wonderful collection of Old West paintings. 


Jon Prud'homme is the artist,
and his paintings and murals
can be found on display
throughout the United States.




Whenever I look at paintings such as these
I try to imagine what it was like 
to live in Colorado so long ago.



2.   11 a.m.
 In the Eleventh Hour


At that time, 
I was standing outside Annie Oakley's
and trying to imagine what it would be like
to walk inside and make a legal purchase.

Annie Oakley's, Central City



3. Smooth
Ameristar Suite


It's always wonderful 
to slip between the smooth sheets
on a bed in the Ameristar,
especially after a soak in the jacuzzi.


4.   Scale
Each Scale on This Dragon is Colorful!


This category was tough!
I had to dip into my Chinese New Year's Photos.

And look what I found
after a lot of hunting
in the "archives."



 
Scale 


An antique scale for measuring gold in a photograph I took in the "old"
Gilpin County Court House.



5. Tile
Chandelier and Tin Ceiling Tiles



6.   Logo

The Bonanza is a fun place 
to play blackjack in Central Central. 


7.   Scrap
A Steam Shovel Tears into Scrap Metal

Black Hawk has a new hotel under construction,
and it began with removing the old 
to replace it with the new.



8.   Match

The Top Windows on This Historic Building 
Are a Perfect Match.

Central City Mayor John C. Jenkins, 
elected in 1896, 
owned this hardware store with partners 
D. J. McKay and David Henderson.
They carried hardware, roofing materials,
plumbing, and gas-fitting supplies.
Source:  Portrait and Biographical Record of Denver and Vicinity,  p. 1263




9.   Path
Rough Path Along Hillside 

If you climb the stairs 
in the Opera Garden between
the Teller House 
and the Central City Opera House,
you will find a rough path along a hillside
leading to great views of the surrounding area,
including St. Mary of the Assumption Church.   


10.   Layers
Black Hawk, Colorado

The adventurous can climb stairs
up the layers of the city of Black Hawk ~
elevation 8,537 feet or 2,602 meters. 



11.   Carry

This Steel Carries
the Load of the
New Extension to the
Mardi Gras.

















This little burro carries a young Bob Farrell
outside the Central City Opera House in 1932.


12.  Truck
This truck symbol means a very steep hill
on the way into Central City ~
so much fun when it's icy.



Trucks go up and down the switchbacks
in and out of Black Hawk all day long ~
something to watch from the windows 
while walking/running on a treadmill
at the Ameristar Fitness Center. 


May's List
L is for ? ~ Not M ????? 
7 p.m.,  Left,  Gadget,  Puzzle,  Letter,  Reflection,  Fresh,  Tiny,  Hidden,  Demolition,  Antique

Thanks to Jill and her Made with Love blog for setting up the hunt.


Hunt:  http://suzzie43.blogspot.com/p/scaerngera.html



Bonus Match
Two Good Buds Having Fun
in Matching Blues ~
the Ever-Patient Terry and Jon

Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday Morning Music Break ~ A Little Wang Dang Doodle with My Koko Koffee Break!


There's just something about the blues!
It's raw.
It's real.

But the blues is not always blue.
Sometimes it's downright fun and funny.

Some mornings I just have to get up and play
Koko Taylor's recording of Wang Dang Doodle.
It gets me hopping and happy.




Source:  You Tube ~ ThomShelford 




And what is a Wang Dang Doodle?

About.com/Blues defines it as
"An African-American slang term for a party."

But I think Urban Dictionary 
captures the essence of the term best:

"To a pitch a wang dang doodle 
is to have a good old fashioned Saturday night 
filled with drunken revelry, 
which may include but is not limited 
to fighting, dancing, singing and the like."

Sounds like some Saturday nights I enjoyed
in Westport, White Bay, Newfoundland!  




Source:  Amazon ~ Koko Taylor




Koko Taylor was known as the Queen of the Blues.

Daughter of a Tennessee sharecropper,
Koko arrived in Chicago 
with her truck-driving husband in 1952.
A few years later Koko began singing in Chicago blues clubs.

Willie Dixon discovered her in 1962. 
This led to her signing with Chess Records in 1965,
where she recorded Dixon's song Wang Dang Doodle.
It became a hit on the R&B and pop charts.
Her career was off and running!
Source:  Wikipedia





I discovered Koko Taylor
while watching Blues Brothers 2000.

Koko performed 
with B. B. King,
Eric Clapton, 
Clarence Clemons,
and other blues greats
in the supergroup
Louisiana Gator Boys
(created for the movie).
Source:  wikipedia




Blues Brothers 2000 
has a ridiculous plot,
but I found it 
irresistibly funny,
and the music was awesome!

And it introduced me
to Koko Taylor!
Source:  Wikipedia  








The lyrics in Wang Dang Doodle 
are colorful and authentic.
I would have shared them 
in a writing lesson with my third graders
had they been age-appropriate.
Here's a brief sample:

"Tell automatic Slim
Tell razor totin' Jim
Tell butcher knife toting Nanny 
Tell fast talking Fanny 
We're gonna pitch a ball 
Down to the union hall 
We're gonna romp and trump till midnight 
We're gonna fuss and fight till daylight 
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long"
~ Willie Dixon


If you have time
(I'm making time!)
for a second cup of Koko Koffee,
here's a short clip 
from the Blues Brother 2000 movie.

It features the Louisiana Gator Boys 
and the Blues Brothers
performing New Orleans
in an infectious Battle of the Bands.

Koko is on the left in a red and white dress.
The music begins at 2:21 minutes.  



Source:  You Tube ~ sotirisgorgogetas


I double dare you 
to sit through the blues jam
without moving a muscle!

I'm going for a third cup this Monday morning!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Reunited and It Feels So Good!


"Reunited and it feels so good!"

That song has been stuck in my head
since yesterday afternoon
when the Ever-Patient Terry 
met me at our favorite bar
and told me my FedEx package had arrived.



FedEx to the Rescue!
Source:  wikimedia

Finally!
Thank God!

I had been sitting at Parkway
nursing a glass of merlot 
and kicking myself
for locking myself 
out of the house
four hours earlier.



 Source:  Google ~ cheezburger


One can only kill time for so long

~ wandering up and down the aisles 
of Walmart and Sam's Club 
while trying to remember
what was on the grocery list 
locked in the house ~

before consoling oneself
with a little red.



Source:  Google ~ jokideo



Do you lose things?
Misplace things?
Forget things?

I could blame my predicament
on increasing age,
but honestly,
I've had a talent for this 
all of my life:

~ Lost my car keys in Halifax's Victoria General Hospital.
~ Locked myself out of my car in the hot Nevada desert.
~ Left my purse on a plane in Newark, New Jersey.
~ Locked myself out of the house at 40 below in Sioux Lookout.
~ Left my wallet in a Las Vegas hotel safety deposit box.  

Oh the joys of being distractible and forgetful!
I could go on, but you get the idea.



 Source:  Google ~ crlncxn-quirkyworks


So, Monday I left my computer in a restaurant
an hour's drive from home.
Along with my 
house keys,
car keys,
camera computer cord,
backup external hard drive
(with tens of thousands of photos),
iPod shuffle,
and earbuds.
I don't recommend this.

It's been a rough week 
of reliving that moment
of walking away from the restaurant table
without picking up my briefcase.

"I was a fool to ever leave your side.
Me minus you is such a lonely ride."

I never realized 
how attached I was to my technology!


Source:  Google 


I've been coping.
And I've remembered not to 
automatically lock the door
behind me when leaving the house.
Until I didn't.

Oops!  No cell phone either!



Source:  Google ~ cheezburger



A nice man at Parkway lent me his cell 
so I could call the Ever-Patient 
as soon as he got home.

The E-P came to my rescue
and told me my computer et al. 
had arrived via FedEx ~
finally.

And then he bought me dinner and a second glass of wine.

I may have issues with distractibility and forgetfulness, 
but I sure know how to pick a one-of-a-kind husband!

Back to the blogging world tomorrow ~
unless I discover
another iteration of screwing up!  LOL!

Warning!
Play this video only 
if you want to share my brainworm!


Reunited Performed by Peaches and Herb
Source:  You Tube ~ mafiacorinthiana

Note:  Quoted lyrics are from the song Reunited cowritten by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perren.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Yikes ~ Missing My Computer!


Usually my computer and I are at loggerheads
over its refusal to do what I want it to do.





But this time my frustrations 
are entirely my own fault!

Source:  Google ~ Google ~ jokephotos


No I didn't lose my power switch.
I lost my computer!

Actually, I left it behind on a chair 
in the Fireside Kitchen at the Ameristar.
Arrggghhhh!!!!!

And realized it as we pulled into the driveway
after an hour long drive.
Arrggghhhh!!!!!

Fortunately, Ameristar Security has it,
and is Fed Ex-ing it back to me
the slow way.
I didn't really want to spend $150 
to have it delivered overnight.

 Source:  Google

It took Security some time to search in their warehouse
to find a box that fit, but finally Security did!




Source:  Google


In the interim,
I've managed to get my old Mac up and running
with its way behind operating system.

And of course, my backup external drive,
along with my car keys and house keys,
are in the briefcase with my computer.
Arrggghhhh!!!!!

That means no photos either ~
or at least none newer than 16 months ago.
Arrggghhhh!!!!!

I never do anything half way!

I've got to go overboard!
That's what the Ever-Patient calls me:
Overboard Louise!

Just letting you know,
in case you happen to notice
I'm behind on visiting, commenting, and posting.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Peace Be with You!



Happy Easter to all of my blogging friends
who celebrate this most important 
of Christian holy days.




To me Easter has always meant joy, hope, and renewal.
I look around, and I see 
my world bursting with new life.
I feel renewed, and I experience great joy and hope.










I remember that many religions celebrate spring 
and honor the Spirit of the Creator.
It is a season of celebrating the renewal of Spiritual promises. 


 






On this special day,
my hope is that humankind
will honor our similarities as human beings
and respect our differences 
with understanding and compassion.








I am fortunate to walk in a prairie world
where I feel connected to the land and its living things.
I feel the presence of the native people
who lived in this area before me.
I respect their reverence for the Earth and all its inhabitants.





At this Easter time I hope people around the world
will strive for peace and understanding
and care for our beautiful planet
which we share with so many amazing living things. 





I took these photographs several weeks ago,
but I saved them for Easter morning.

To Native Americans, a white deer is a symbol of spirit
and its presence is to remind us of our spirituality.





This Easter morning I am thinking 
of a favorite quote of mine 
attributed to Chief Seattle of the Suquamish tribe
in the western state of Washington.

The controversy over 
the historical accuracy of these words
does not diminish their meaning: 
Sources:  suquamish.nsn  and  barefootsworld  

Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
~ Chief Seattle, 1854 ~
Source:  unahi.org





We are all bound together.

As we renew ourselves in this spiritual season
according to our faiths and traditions,
I hope we also remember and honor
our common humanity
and our connection to the Earth
and its living web. 









Peace be with you!