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.

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.

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)

Music Tree

The music tree, found of Washington Ave. doesn't look half bad with sparkles from CD's that have been strategically placed throughout it's branches to ward off garden predators.

The gentleman that tends to this garden calls this his "Music Tree". He has come up with a brilliant  idea of discreetly hanging CD's on a string from the branches of his fruit trees. Not only do the CD's gently spin, their motion scarring off birds looking for a snack, they cast a reflection on the ground as well that makes it look as if another predatory critter is hiding under the plants.  We are told he has done this for years, and that it really works at keeping his fruit trees and garden protected from birds and squirrels alike!

Walk on By

We had never noticed till recently,  that these sun imprinted bricks make up part of the sidewalk in front of a building near Broadway and Adams Streets.

View From Below

Can your eyes quite make out what today's picture is? Its the view from below the fireman's pole at the now closed, yet historical Hose Co. No. 3 on Broadway Ave.  When we heard this fire station turned museum was going to be open to the public for a day, we knew we had to stop by.

Thinking we were going to get to finally see inside the fire station that as kids, we used peek into on our way from Grandma's house to Broadway Pharmacy, we had no idea the amount of history we would soon discover. The station opened in 1885, and the last fire alarm sounded in spring of 1979, when it was closed down.

Later turned into a museum, you can still see original horse drawn equipment, old fireman hats and uniforms, spectacular photos of Pueblo's past, most memorable fires (that we CANNOT wait to share with you!), and an extremely interesting history and photo wall of all of the fire chiefs that served in the building.  Mr. Pickerel and his crew have done a wonderful job sharing with us the history of Hose Co. No. 3, and he enthusiastically answered any questions we had. He also said to let him know if we ever had a group of us that wanted to come back and take another tour.

Another exciting tidbit? Its yet another building here in town that is supposedly HAUNTED! And was even featured on the SyFy's "Haunted Collector" series in 2011. Of course, we were too immersed in all the history to notice any paranormal activity, but we did stand where a mysterious hand print shows up on a window, and then again in a spot in the upstairs sleeping quarters that is always several degrees cooler than the rest of the building. A couple of our photographers here at PPAD think we need to conduct our own "Fact or Faked" episode. Field trip anyone?

Paws for PassKey

The Paws for Life RV parked curbside at Pass Key this weekend in the Junction

Yeah, we'd all "pause" for a Pass Key I bet. But, it was PassKey who "paused" their weekend for one of our favorite causes. The Paws for Life Animal Shelter. The restaurant opened its doors on a usually closed Sunday, and offered a limited menu with proceeds going to the Paws for Life Shelter.
Paws for Life is a private, non-profit, no-kill shelter. If you ever get the chance to help these folks out, do so. Its for a good cause. As much as we could do a Pueblo photo a day, we could probably do a dog a day too. This town LOVES their dogs, so all you dog lovers need to check out the shelter's other fundraisers. The Strut Your Mutt Race on June 23rd and  the 2013 Calendar. Send in a picture and a $10 donation to get your dog or cat added to the new calendar. For more info click here.

Sneak Peek

A peek inside the window at a Pueblo institution: Campbell's Flowers at 927 Claremont Ave. in the Mesa Junction

Doesn't a peek inside a window like this make you smile? Especially since it's Campbell's Flowers and we happen to know this weekend is their annual clearance sale. Buy one get one free on annuals, 30% off rose bushes. See you there!


I also couldn't resist another photo since we are sharing happy flowers. Things have blossomed over at Earl's house as well. Here is a photo of the inside of his greenhouse this week...