Fire and Ice

A large grass fire broke out at Minnequa Lake over the weekend. Thankfully no one or nothing was hurt, and we get a rare glimpse of these two classical elements together.

Blades in a Row

A trip over the the train tracks under the 4th St. bridge gave us a glance of several of these huge blades. Most likely headed for the wind turbine plant here in town. The size looks smaller in the photo but the actual size, according to Wikepedia can be up to 100 meters in diameter.

Motionless

Aside from the tiny flakes of snow falling, this normally bustling area of the City Park was completely silent.

Dustings of Snow

Pueblo woke to a nice Christmas snow yesterday. Just enough to feel like Christmas, but not enough to worsen the roads. Still be careful out there.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

A glimpse of the Electric Critters butterfly garden at the city Park Zoo. Simply magical!

Things that happen when people leave their pets at other people's house for the holidays...

Front Door Friday!

Front door tot he always decked out Union Depot.

Fruitcake, schmoot-cake.

Mom does it best: A tradition passed down from my mom, and her mom, is making homemade potica.
On my wedding day the recipe was given to me on a kitchen recipe card. She named the recipe "My Favorite Potica Cake" The twist? Its actually 2 rolled up poticas layered on top of each other and baked in an angel food pan. Moister, more buttery, perfection. The only potica in my eyes!

In choosing a photo this morning, we were ready to post a nice one at the Union Depot, but, for some reason, with the scent of cinnamon and butter still lingering in the air,  this one got chosen.
Hmm.  The treats of the season. Pueblo certainly has its favorites.

Fruitcake, schmoo-tcake. Foods from diverse backgrounds are part of what make a Pueblo holiday special. We either  gotta make em' or buy em' but either way they are our staples till New Year's. Have you made your potica yet? Have you ordered your tamales? Can you still find cardones? Did you get your sugar cookies? Where's the pizzelle iron!? Better hurry!

What are some foods on your holiday must have list?

The Spirit of Christmas

Santa, Kris Kringle? Spirit of Christmas? He sits at he base of the entry way stairs welcoming you into the Inn. Have quests coming in for the holidays? Treat them to a night here.  It will put them into a relaxed holiday spirit!

On my way out the door from a meeting at the adorable Rusted Poppy Inn - Bed and Breakfast, I realized I  hadn't even snapped one photo of which I knew I'd be asked "What's it look like inside?".  With wonderful woodwork, exposed brick and spectacularly tasteful decor, the spirit of Christmas is definitely alive and thriving throughout the renovated house on Orman Ave. Molly and her mother made us feel welcome and warm. And we just have to say to them "great job". Its great to see such elegant businesses like this in town.

Last Minute Decorations

With exactly one week left till Christmas, we thought we'd show you some easy last minute holiday
decor ideas that you can do cheap, and on the fly.

Have any garden urns that have since lost their flowers? Gather a bunch of clippings from the bushes or trees in your yard, (or ask a neighbor!). Poke in some twigs or pepper berry branches or anything around the yard you can find. Maybe a few faux  poinsettia blooms that have fallen off a larger arrangement or from the Dollar Store. Anything to give it touch of  color.  It will look naturally beautiful.  But and when it snows, like it did on this urn last week, it will look magnificent!

 

The snowman above, sprayed on a glass door with canned snow found at Hobby Lobby and adorned with a Santa hat, adds cheer to the twinkling lights.

The tree in this front yard of this always festive house is adorned with "presents" wrapped in plastic gift wrap to stand up to the weather. Be sure to add rocks to your empty boxes before wrapping so they don't blow away!

This peppermint candle was homemade using a small, found jar, and a wick held in place by a piece of wire, and then filled with olive oil found in the kitchen. Peppermint candies (from Sonic happy hour) were dropped in to get a peppermint smell, but you can use whatever scent you'd like. Just be sure to use olive oil, as it has a more tolerant smoking point than other oils.

Down Below

A touch of serenity is captured along the Arkansas River Trail. Cold, but peaceful, while the world above is rush, rush, rushing.

Free Holiday Wallpaper

There's nothing like the striking red of holiday poinsettias to get you in the Christmas mood. These lovelies cheering up our studio were purchased at the Lowe's black Friday sale!

We created a special holiday desk top wallpaper to say thank you to all our readers. Just drag the image to your desk top or right click to download and set the image as your computer's background. For macs, add the image to your wallpaper folder in your "Photos" folder and select it though your system preferences. Thanks again!

Caught in the Nap

We caught Santa napping outside the Springside Cheese Shop over on 5th Ave. If you haven't yet discovered this hidden gem, we have to tell you, we are as over the moon about their cheese as Santa is.

12/12/2012

On December 12, 2012, this is the part of their world that 2 young boys chose to document. Where if just for a brief moment, each week, a group of over 150 students, teachers and parents,  join hands and are reminded that we are all a part of something bigger than ourselves.

A Swoosh of Nostalgia

Minding our own business (or were we?) on a typical marathon walk, we decided to be brave and duck in un-invited to the Federal Building on Main Street.
Turns out you don't have to be invited. Its open to the public. : )

Anyway, a glance down the halls of the 1st floor entryway swooshed us in nostalgia.  Parts of the old post office are still there! Complete with marble walls and floors, gold lighting fixtures and fine wood work. We encourage you to peek in for a history byte for the young ones or a trip down memory lane for the Generation X-ers and up.  To a time when things were built to last.  We imagine that if post offices still looked like this, maybe waiting in the long lines wouldn't feel so painful.

In many towns, Main Street, and the surrounding areas were once bustling places. What memories do you have? 

Golden Sea Scroll

Or rather just a golden scone hanging in a south side home that we think shines this time of year.

Um, should someone tell them its 14 degress outside?

The snow and freezing weather didn't stop these guys from playing Frisbee golf Sunday morning. Either they are die-hard players, or like a lot us, they were giddy because we finally got a nice healthy snow. It's true, at the time this photo was taken it was only 14 degrees, but bundled up properly it was a refreshing change from the near 70's we've been having for December. How long do you think before we'll be complaining about the cold now?

A Sign of Things to Come

We couldn't help notice Campbell's Florist is gearing up for the demand of Christmas decor that is
sweeping the city. What a wonderful time of the year!

Not So Primitive

These neat little stone etched maps can be seen throughout the city's awesome river trail system.

Rock Lobster: Teddy's Choice

Yes, it is odd to see a lobster wandering around Colorado, so we see why this was of interest
to those young at heart. Though we admit its not that uncommon if you are at the north side Red Lobster.

Poudly Displayed

This colorful wall displayed at Fire House No. 3, is an impressive collection of fireman's badges, past and present.

Fall's Last Hurrah

 

While it is still officially autumn for a few more weeks, Christmas decor is

going up left and right. The photo above, from the artsy Mesa Junction area is an ode

to the beautiful autumn we experienced in 2012.

Ye Ole Antiques

With the unseasonably warm weather, this weekend would be a great opportunity to do some "sale-ing". The kind walking from antique store to antique store downtown that is.

P.S. Happy Birthday T! xoxo

Seal of Approval

We know. Some of you are booing and hissing at the title of this post, but it's true. We approve! This cement sculpture, a childhood memory for many Pueblo-ans has been refurbished and re-displayed at the City Park Zoo. Legend has it (see, now aren't you intrigued?) that this sculpture, originally cement colored, was accidentally buried under the rubble during construction work at what was once the Lion House. It wasn't discovered for years! Once it was found, the sea lions were repaired and painted black. If we re-call, the sculpture was originally in or around a fountain. The memory of water ponds on each side of the doorway going into the Lion House is vivid. But you know, we won't say how many years ago that was. All we know is that it disappeared and is now back again!
We'd sure love to hear from anyone that has more details!
Have a happy day everyone!

Fireworks in November?

What could make a million twinkling lights parade even more awesome? Starting the whole event with a fireworks display! We applaud the Pueblo Parade of Lights co-coordinators for adding that extra exciting touch last Saturday evening. The display had the crowds cheering and in a great mood to start the holiday season.


And now back to last Friday's Trivia question, here is a copy of the final post.....

Pueblo Picture a DayNovember 28, 2012 8:11 AM

Yes! all the answers are correct - however the answer Trivia Marty was looking for was the original business and that was the place we all miss, but can still go to if we lived in Washington state...Shakeys Pizza! 2girlsnana wins a dozen home - baked cookies! Thanks for all who commented and emailed! And yes, we would like eventually to just have "comments" rather than emails- so to comment you do have register. Thats how we hook you in LOL! Thanks so much for participating and joining the fun!

Busy Tuesday

This fence out on the Mesa looks how our skin feels.  Are we gong to get some moisture sometime soon? Not sure we are pulling off the vintage patina look as good as this aged wood is though!

Let the season begin!

This photo, taken from the second floor balcony of the Rawlings Library shows just a tiny part of the millions of twinkle lights on display during the Pueblo Parade of Lights.

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It feels like its been holiday season since the arrival of autumn, and Halloween, but nothing kick starts it like the day after Thanksgiving. Lights, parades and decor have gone up all around us. Pueblo announced Christmas is in the air Saturday, with a glimpse of Santa at the annual Parade of Lights.

New Feature - Pueblo Trivia, now and then

This building located just south of the 4th Street bridge (4th Street and Elmhurst Pl) is currently a Pawn shop. Time to show off your Pueblo knowledge. Can you tell me what it was before?

Happy Thanksgiving

Snazzy Stamp

Ever notice these on a walk? The stamps can be found next to the drainage gates in some of the city's streets, warning us not to dump anything down there so we don't pollute the river.

Groovy Cruiser

Maybe you have see one of these cruise by? There are a few about town. A few in the window in the bike shop on Abriendo. Knitting and crocheting has gone beyond granny blankets and scarves.  Its become a trend to knit around different objects, such as these bikes, trunks of trees etc. adding a touch of charm here and there. Nice.

Tucked Away

If you are an avid fisherman, perhaps you have come across this little gem, but it was a nice surprise to us. Out on a marathon walk we passed this mosaic 1/2 circle bench.  A lot of people wouldn't notice it unless they were fishing near Runyon lake, or out on the bike path. Or, of course visiting the nearby Peace Garden. Recently we have seen some unique images, that I would love have in my yard, this mosaic bench, the obelisk light post and the owl statue, but alas, I still get to enjoy it in my big back yard of Pueblo!

Obelisk of Light

One of our favorite "landmarks" of the city, this historical light post is seen in City Park at the foot of "Monkey Mountain".

Last Leaf Standing

Alright, I was told this wasn't the most interesting photo to use, but I disagree. Look at those leaves up there still holding on for their dear lives! Are they taunting us, telling us not to put our rakes away so fast? Or are they holding steady and waving proudly like the American and Colorado flags nearby? This photo, taken in windy Pueblo West, shows most of our glorious yellow, red and orange trees are gone.  But, a few survivors still cling. Perhaps till a more vigorous snow comes along and knocks them off? What are they waiting for?

Thank You to Our Veterans

While reading names from the Veteran's Bridge, the graphical lines of the walk way from the street caught our eye. Almost like a modern work of art in itself.

"Who, Who"

"Who, Who", can tell us where this wonderful little gem is?  I wish on a fixture on my house!
hint: Isn't he scholarly? Leave us a comment if you know who ( I mean where)!

Still Thriving

We don't know what caught our attention first. More wonderful ironwork tucked around town or this lively rose bush still thriving. We are enjoying every ounce of this autumn!

Reader's View

I spy a cupola, a college, a convention center and a red barn. What do you see?
(photo snapped from the third floor of the Rawlings Library)

Don't forget to VOTE today!

The American and Colorado flag fly outside Fountain International Magnet School on Pueblo's East-side.

Scenes from the Weekend

We imagine this scene may look pretty familiar to a lot of you. Pueblo may be a city of diverse backgrounds but we come together on a lot of things and one of them is our love of the breakfast burrito! Rushing to weekend sports games, taking one to family members for breakfast and coffee or picking one up along the way of running errands, breakfast burrito lines are long on the weekends. Well, and during the week too! Here the Saturday line at Burrito's Betty runs out the door. As it usually does. And those who stop, know the line will be long at any given minute, so we just go with it and join in the conversations going on as we anxiously await our turn. 

Editor's Note:
Though we do admit we have our favorite stops, nothing beats the homemade ones brought to our front door made by deal ol' dad. They are made with whatever whimsical ingredients he has that day, and we even rave that he can knock the top contenders off their throne, but mostly we suspect they are so good  because they are made with love!

Still Enchanting

Remember these? We haven't done a "Front Door Friday" in awhile so we thought this week was the perfect time to reuse a location. Remember the fountain we showed a few posts ago? Well the beauty extends beyond the fountain itself and into the doorway of the plaza where it sits. Still enchanting this time of year.

Did you run into any of these last night?

We hope your Halloween was relatively "bat free". Unless you stopped by the zoo to visit this guy!

Happy Halloween!

These ghostly ghouls are one of SEVERAL blow ups in this yard in the Aberdeen neighborhood.
Beware!