magnolias

 The magnolias are in bloom. image

To preserve the memory of these ephemeral blooms, you could get crafty.

Or you could just go with the perfume.

Blogger deleted my earlier writing. Anyone else having problems?

ouray

As I mentioned, one of the places I wanted to explore on this trip was the home of Thomas Walsh and his family. Where they went from this, image

to this, image and ref

thanks to this, the Camp Bird Mine.

The most enduring base of operations for these fellow nomads was Ouray, Colorado, or Switzerland of America in this tiny box canyon. The town was unofficially started as a prospecting camp in 1875 and incorporated in 1884. Denver & Rio Grande Railway arrived in Ouray on December 21, 1887. However if you wanted to continue onto Silverton, you had to take the now-called Million Dollar Highway by coach. Believe me scary in a car, very scary as one could imagine by stagecoach. So here are a few snapshots from around town. ref

dishracks

Do you use dishracks? I've started using my juicer a lot lately and picked up a basic bamboo rack, similar to below, from Ikea. Not the prettiest thing in the world but so practical for all those hand washed juicer parts. Thoughts? Counter-clutter or space-saver?

Source: idoidontdesign.wordpress.com via Ann on Pinterest

redstone castle

Despite having skied in Colorado many times before, my husband says that even from a young age he's wanted to explore some of the old towns and sites around Aspen. We finally got to do that on this trip. Colorado is just a beautiful state and Redstone Castle is just one of the interesting places we visited.

Redstone, Colorado was created as a working village in industrial paternalism, much like the Ford Motor Company had established in Detroit. It was founded in 19th century industrialist John Cleveland Osgood as a coal mining town. He constructed 84 cottages and a 40-room inn, all with modern amenities, for his coal miners and cokers. The houses are very similar to craftsman houses with swiss styling.

The most prominent house in this tiny town is the Tudor-style Cleveholm Manor, also known as "Redstone Castle" which consists of 42-rooms. Osgood built the house for his second wife, Swedish Countess Alma Regina Shelgrem. If memory serves, Osgood founded Colorado Fuel Company which was later bought out by the Rockefeller family-owned Colorado Coal and Iron Company to form the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company.
A few exterior details.

Images from here, here, here, and luckily here as the current owners are gracious enough to share photos from the property, soon to be hotel/spa.

aspen, part two of two

My favorite architecture in Aspen is of the domestic variety. There are plenty of modern structures but the old houses that have been lovingly restored still dot the streets. Here are some favorites.

And I believe this one is new to look old rather than remuddled and then restored. ref

aspen, part one of two

Since I do like Victorian architecture, I really like the mining town architecture in Colorado. I think the brick work and ornamentation are just beautiful. While we were there for the last week of skiing, I went a little snap-happy taking picture of buildings. Starting with some civic architecture, the Pitkin County Courthouse built in 1890 by William Quayle.

The Methodist Church of Aspen, or the Aspen Community Church, built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style in 1891 by Frederick Albert Hale.

And the various shops, all of which have lovely detailing in their facades. Starting of course with the Hotel Jerome.

This building is the original Wheeler Opera House, constructed in 1889 by Willoughby J. Edbrooke.

Entry of the Ute City Building. Things change all the time, this was remembered to be a restaurant before Burberry. Who can keep up?

The Elks Building of 1891., built during the heyday of the silver boom. Supposedly this only took one year to construct of pressed brick and Peachblow sandstone. ref







These are quite common in Colorado and they're fun to spot. They are brick supports.

Some lovely public spaces and sculptures

image and photos by me. Please credit if you want to share but share away!