The Mighty, Fantastical Scroll

Saturday, Jan 6th: “Just ahead, over the rolling wheatfields all golden beneath the distant snows of Estes, I’d be seeing old Denver at last. I pictured myself in a Denver bar that night, with all the gang, and in their eyes I would be strange and ragged and like the Prophet who has walked across the land to bring the dark Word, and the only Word I had was ‘Wow!” Read on …

Armed and Dangerous

Friday, Jan 12th: It was a dangerously cold night.The last thing I wanted to do was go out but somehow I found myself at 16th and Arapahoe. Heading down the stairs into the basement of Denver’s historic Daniels and Fisher tower, I entered the uninhibited, funky space of Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. I was there to see Vivienne VaVoom’s Wild West Burlesque show. With all the bronco bustin’, bull ridin’, and steer ropin’ going on at the National Western Stock Show, it was like stepping into a fancy, 1890’s era bar (think Cy Tolliver’s high class joint in the hit TV show Deadwood) to see a burlesque show of whimsical skits ‘designed to delight and satisfy the senses’, as the MC might say. Read on …

Chills. Thrills. Spills.

Jan 11th-14th: Seventeen year old Lucas Magoon and 15 year old Ellery Hollingsworth (top spot for the men and women respectively) took the rail jam while Norwegian Andreas Wiig was top dog in the slopestyle competition—winning $30,000. Some of the highlights of the Session included: Silvia Mittermuller landing a 540, David Benedek pulling a double cork 1260, and Wiig winning the slopestyle on his first run. The slopestyle competition, held at night with a 30 foot flame illuminating riders on the final jump, is the signature event of the Honda Session and the night of Jan 13th was brutally cold with light conditions bordering on the ridiculous. Read on …

The New Guv

Tuesday, Jan 9th: At high noon (or thereabouts) Bill Ritter was sworn in as the 41st governor of Colorado on the west steps of the State Capitol building in Denver. It was the final act in a remarkable political victory for Mr. Ritter, a candidate initially shunned by his own party and given little chance to prevail over two-term Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez. After placing his hand on the Bible and being sworn in by Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, Governor Ritter faced the mountains in the west and spoke to the crowd about his ‘Colorado Promise’, a major focus of his campaign, to make Colorado a leader in education, health care, renewable energy, and responsible government. Read on …

Love

Jan 6-21st: Yessir, it’s that time of year. Time for country folk to get off the ranch and head towards that big, bright city on the horizon, get lost in the crowd, drink a cosmo, and hang out at a gay bar (maybe The Wrangler?). Time for city dwellers to explore their inner cowboy, get some mud and manure on their shoes, drink some Coors Light, and watch some PBR. You’all know what I’m talking about: the National Western Stock Show. Hell….. Read on …