Memorial Park

Here in Manitou Springs, there is a beautiful park by the name of Memorial Park. It is located on El Paso Blvd. -- right off of Manitou Ave. On one corner of Manitou and El Paso, there is an old train engine that was used on Pikes Peak. On another corner, you will find City Hall, which is a large white building with flowers and a weeping willow out front. This is the only picture I could find of City Hall . . . it sucks, sorry.

There is a nice little trail that lets you walk along Fountain Creek, some great sculptures and some really cool wood carvings. Last and anything but least, my favorite mineral spring, Seven-Minute Spring, is located in this park.



One of the best things to do is pack a picnic lunch and take it to Memorial Park. Sit under one of the trees for shade while you eat. After lunch, you'll likely be a little bit thirsty, so take a short walk to Seven-Minute Spring. To get there, look uphill for a gazebo with a stone amphitheater. Walk toward it, and you will spot the fountain.

If anyone loves this park as much as I do, don't forget to comment!

The Campers

Where I live, there is a campground right next to my backyard. A short stone wall acts as a dividing line. To make the wall higher, someone had the 'brilliant' idea of erecting an ugly yellow fence atop the stones. I do have to give this person credit, however, because the fence conceals me while I spy on the campers.

The little campsites are basically giant litterboxes. In fact, the neighbor cats really take advantage of them. The campground is in a valley, right next to Fountain Creek. An advantage? Not necessarily ... The wind is horrendous and often prunes the trees of all their heaviest branches right on top of the tents. Sometimes, the creek smells like sewer.

A couple days ago, a camper set up a tent that was bigger than one of the rooms in our house. This tent had a large porch as well. I haven't seen them since they set up the tent. Presumeably, they are still within it.

Spying has become boring, so I inspect my tulip.

FYI: Thanks for the beautiful picture of my tulip, Jeff!

Tourists in Summer

Here in Manitou Springs...wait. Let me start over. Anyplace tourists can be found is always a delightful place to people-watch. Here, great swarms of Harley Davidson's and SUV's cover the town. Out pop these families that smell like cotton candy and sunscreen, wearing jeans and 'COLORADO' t-shirts. Strolling in their little sandals and pulling incongruous amounts of money and candy wrappers out of their fanny packs. Too busy looking at an old building to watch where they are going, ending up falling on their faces.

You've gotta love 'em. In fact, I have heard numerous stories of fellow Manitoids (that is what we're called)having a little bit of fun with the camera-wielders. Some like to trip the tourists, some like to give phony directions, some like to give them tastes of Iron Springs just to watch them spit and gag.

Hope this stuff doesn't turn all you tourists off out there. The majority of locals will actually help you out if you need it. Tourism is our main business. It is what gives us the money to actually survive the rest of the year.

If you are a tourist, but want to fit in, here is my advice:
Get yourself some nice dreadlocks. Find an old, dirty, tie-dye shirt with holes in it and a pair of too-big, dirty pants with holes in the knees. Put these on. Grow your fingernails long and let dirt collect underneath. Find yourself some old, worn-in, worn-out pair of All-Star sneakers. Wear them.

Or you could do what I do: dress weird in any which way. No matter what, if you dress weird, you will probably fit in OK.

Bridges in Manitou

The bridges in Manitou Springs are infamous. They were built in the early 1900's, and have withstood floods and all sorts of fun things. They are crafted beautifully of large rocks and make the town what it is. They have inspired lots of artists, including me.

Manitou Springs is a little town in the grand Rocky Mountains, at the foot of Pikes Peak. It can be pretty touristy during summer months, just like any place else. The buildings are almost all really old, many are reported to be haunted. An example is Miramont Castle up Ruxton Avenue - many employees and guests have 'seen ghosts'.

Underneath Manitou runs mineral springs, which you can drink from in a few places throughout town. Each mineral spring has a different name. For example: Iron Springs has an abundance of iron (so much that it has completely rusted out the fountain and makes your mouth taste like blood). My favorite spring is called Seven-Minute Spring. This spring is located in Memorial Park on the east side of Manitou, behind City Hall. The water tastes like carbonated soda water, slightly sweet. It really quenches your thirst on a hot day.

Although town has all these beautiful sights, walking across one of the Manitou bridges across Fountain Creek captures all your senses...
You can smell the flowering trees on each side, drink some cold spring water as you bend over the edge to watch the water rush under you. You feel the old stones beneath your hands as you run them along the bridge, hear children laughing and birds chirping...ah! Beauty.

Maybe I'm just dramatic because...spring has sprung, happiness is here and the grass is green (finally!)

Light and Dreams

Light...
All is made of light,
Although it could not 'be'
If not for dark.

What, however would be,
If light and dark,
You and me,
Were not apart?

What are we,
If we are just thought
Made up and false
Just somebody's daydream.

What if someone,
In comatose existence,
Created us and we are but
Just an imaginary storytale?

Can we change this dream,
We have infected it,
We have mutilated it,
Or was that the dreamer?

Can we change it for the better,
Make the sick healthy,
Feed the starving,
Change the cruel?

But if we are only one,
I am sick,
I am starving,
I am cruel.

But if we are only one,
I am healthy,
I am fed,
I am kind.

Is there a God,
Or perhaps a Goddess,
Manipulating all,
Unknowing and comatose?

How do we awake,
From this dream,
Horrid and yet beautiful,
And see the truth?

Perhaps soon,
We shall awaken,
Integrate all our separate selves,
And become one again.

Light...
Dark...
Soon shall be one,
Instead we shall be Lark and Dight

My first post...

Welcome one and all! On this blog, I will write about just about everything I find interesting. If you have anything you want me to write about (Warning: I am often opinionated.), please write a comment.

I may write a new post everyday for a while and then suddenly stop for maybe a week or two. That said, have a glance around, offer suggestions and comments, etc.