all shook up || National Western Stock Show video
all shook up || National Western Stock Show video from anya semenoff on Vimeo.
As promised! A Stock Show video! (Delayed by about a week, but you know.) One more exclamation point for good measure!
lovin’ on Colorado
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avoiding clowns || National Western Stock Show roundup
“There are clowns heading this way.”
Insert frantic searching of the crowded walkway here.
“Mayday! Mayday! Begin evasive maneuvers!”
Emily and I went to the National Western Stock Show this weekend and very narrowly avoided a run-in with some clowns. There were three or four of them. About yea high with big, artificial hair and painted faces.
Nothing, dear friends, is scarier than a clown.
Except, perhaps, three or four clowns.
While the Stock Show doesn’t exactly have the same flavor as London or Paris, the two of us very much enjoyed our annual trip to this Colorado tradition. The rodeos, the maze-like complex, the cows and chickens and fried food.
I took far fewer photos this year, and instead focused on shooting video footage, which I am in the process of stitching together. Hopefully that will be ready by week’s end.
Until then, tell me of your weekends!
Were they merry and clown-free?
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Do you smell that? || National Western Stock Show
Do you smell that? That scent of promise, excitement, anticipation, joy, cows.
Cows?
Yes! Cows!
This weekend marks the beginning of the 106th National Western Stock Show!
Yeehaw!
I fear the exclamation point key on my keyboard would give out if I used it as many times as necessary to adequately express my excitement.
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And thus, it was December || Colorado weather
Welcome, to the twelfth month.
(And on a related note, have you ever noticed how difficult it is to say and spell “twelfth” when you think about it too much? I’m here to ask the tough questions.)
In other news, Colorado welcomed December today with a good dose of the cold, wet, frozen water from above. It seems my coworker’s daily word desk calendar was in on this plan as showcased in that photo up there. What are the odds? If I was a mathematician, I’d be clever and tell you exactly what the odds are, but alas, I am not.
Fun fact (care of the same little, daily desk calendar):
“Researchers know when “blizzard” first appeared in print, but no one knows for sure how or where the word originated. Frontiersman Davy Crockett used it to refer to a sudden blast of bullets (and later an analogously furious burst of words) back in the 1830s, but his writings gave no clue about where he learned the word (or whether he coined it). The first time “blizzard” was used to refer to a large snowstorm was on April 23, 1870, in a newspaper in the town of Estherville, Iowa. “Blizzard” gained national attention after a huge snowstorm hit the east coast of North America in March of 1888, and big, snowy winter storms have been blizzards ever since.”
And there you have it.
December 1st, blizzards, desk calendars, Davy Crockett, Iowa, and a little etymology lesson.
All in a day’s work.
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153 || Denver City’s Birthday
I found out yesterday afternoon that Nov. 22 was the 153rd anniversary of Denver’s founding.
Happy Birthday Denver!
As an ardent Denver lover, I couldn’t very well let this occasion go by unnoticed. So I present to you my top ten reasons to fall in love with Denver:
- This city is one mile above sea level – thus the Mile High City – and as such, you get bragging rights whenever you visit lower altitudes. (However, bear in mind that if this lower altitude destination is near an ocean, there’s really no competing with that. Trust me, I’ve tried.)
- Denver has both small town charm and
bigOK medium city perks. You can walk across the city in 30 minutes, but you can also see world class theatre productions, enjoy spectacular dining options, and see the Rocky Mountains from the city. - And speaking of dining, the restaurant industry is on the rise here despite the not so great economy. How’s that for western persistence?
- Are you a skier? You can get from Denver to the closest mountain resort in just 50 minutes.
- Like the sun? Three-hundred plus days of sunshine around these parts. Yeah, buddy! (Today for instance – Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving – it’s 68 degrees out there! Colorado weather for the win!)
- Though our professional sports teams haven’t had much sustained success in recent years, we do still have professional hockey (Go Avs!), football, baseball, soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. A little something for everyone. ADDED: Emily just alerted me to the fact that we also have a rugby team. And a rugby-specific stadium. Who knew?
- In how many other major cities can you view a parade that consists of herding a group of longhorn cattle down a main street? Or celebrate the head cow in the lobby of one of the fanciest and most renowned hotels in the city?
- On a related note, it is in no way surprising to see someone moseying along wearing cowboy boots and hat. Such attire is still a staple around here. In fact, I once walked into a favored dining establishment and witnessed a booth crowded with old fellas wearing 10-gallon hats. No gimmick, no party, that’s just how they roll.
- Our choice in public artwork is, granted, a little strange – check out this collection of images to see what I mean – but no one can say we don’t have character and spunk.
- Denver is one of the most walkable cities around. Probably because the heart of downtown is only about 20 blocks across. But still. You stay fit and trim commuting by foot here.
- BONUS REASON: I grew up here. My heart will always be here. And so, though I’m admittedly pretty biased, there’s a lot to love about this city. Come and visit. You probably won’t want to leave. But that’s OK. We’re a pretty friendly group of people.
- Ooh – we’ll call that reason #12. Extra, extra bonus reason!
Happy almost-Thanksgiving everyone! Be safe in your travels.