Toronto Transit shot

Not sure if I’ve posted before about this website but it’s someone who posts a photo a day of Toronto shots. This transit shot is fantastic!

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Art at the Denver County Fair

The 2nd Annual Denver County Fair was held this month and I attended again. It seemed a little less exciting this year, perhaps this is because the newness last year gave it that extra something, perhaps it was the Devo show last year, I don’t know.  Anyway, this year was so so.

It’s held mostly indoors at the National Western Complex (where the stock show is held) and it’s broken up into “pavilions.” You know, one pavilion is for crafts (speed knitting contest and booths), one is for kitchen (pie eating contest and other demonstrations), one is for the holistic pavilion (think crystals and psychic readings). You get the idea.  True to county fair style, it did have animals – chickens, llamas, ducks, rabbits, goats, etc. Here’s a sample of these guys:

The Fair was full of contests. In addition to pie eating and speed knitting, there was a spelling bee and a chicken dance contest and lots of other opportunities to win blue ribbons (!). I enjoyed the art though. In the crochet contest there was this green thing and a hat:

I believe this next one (a blue ribbon winner) is a needle point entry:

There were some interesting and hip quilts too, here’s an example (not a blue ribbon winner):

Here are some other pieces I enjoyed:

We passed one of the 4H tables on the way out and saw these two masterpieces (does that first one say “fail”??):

All in all it took about two hours to experience the fair with mostly passing glances. I think I’d go again sometime so this is a quasi-endorsement of the event. Go. See for yourself next year.

sugar + rosemary = yum

After perusing the herb garden on one of those 100 degree days in July, I began to search the interwebs for fresh herb cocktails. I found an amazing one – the rosemary lime cocktail! The key ingredient is a rosemary simple syrup, which is super easy to make:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Combine all three ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and allow the sugar to dissolve.  Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.  Remove the sprigs of rosemary and allow to cool.  Store in an airtight jar in the fridge.

This is a photo from a triple batch we made:

This was just a portion of the final product:

Now here’s what you do with this amazing nectar:

vodka

lime wedges

ice cubes

rosemary syrup

sparkling water

Fill a glass with ice cubes.  Squeeze some lime in!  Pour in a few tablespoons of rosemary syrup. Pour in a few more tablespoons of vodka.  Top with sparkling water.  Stir.  Drink. Repeat

Do it – you know you want to!

wha haaapened?

Where the hell did July go? I was at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival one day, then I was scribbling 7-31-12 on my work notepad the next. And jesus a lot has happened this month.

Like I said, I was at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival the weekend after July 4th (which fell on a Wednesday!). This year didn’t yield as many interests as the festival last year did but it was still a worthwhile engagement. In fact, I saw plenty of things I liked but the artists are getting a bit bristly about having their art photographed. One stall actually had a little sign that called out iPhone users specifically, of course I took a photo of it…

The week after Independence Day was the Outward Bound week, which I already covered.

After Outward Bound, I came back, enjoyed some wine and cheese, then started moving to Platt Park the very next day. What can I say about the move…I actually enjoy the opportunity to go through my stuff, pare down and reorganize. Otherwise, I lived in Capitol Hill happily for the past 13 years and do miss it. I had a 15 minute walk to work and could get some Pablo’s coffee at City o’ City on the way. I was a mere 3 blocks from the Whole Foods and 1.5 blocks from the Argonaut. What more could a girl ask for?

Well, a girl could ask for an amazing man as it turns out. Makes the whole thing worth it. And Platt Park is actually a pretty cute neighborhood. So what it’s south of I-25? I like the bus and it’s a nice distance to ride the bike too. I can dig it.

What else happened in July besides Outward Bound and moving, you ask? Besides the July 4th cook out and hiking Fancy Pass again, I visited the Botanic Gardens, attended a Denver New Rail~Volutionaries happy hour, got allergy shots, connected with a friend I made at the Portland Rail~Volution conference in 2010, enjoyed several brunches, sat through a Mixed Taste or two, had dinner and drinks with Lisa, reconnected with the Ladies of Tykusaurus, hit the annual Pink Party, attended a WTS Colorado reception, and got my toenails done for the first time in 18 months.

August isn’t promising to give me much quiet time but I’m ok with that. I’m trying to enjoy the good moments. This is one of those.

Until next time…