MyShadowProductions

The shIT is out there, we just have to find IT and step in IT to “smell” IT! In this blog IT equals life, beauty, hardship, serenity, friendship, love, etc. This blog is NOT intended to be awesome, epic, amazing, best of, all inclusive, etc. This blog IS intended to be authentic, humble, interesting, informational, etc. and hopefully “Wet Your Whistle” to enjoy life. NOTE: If viewing this on a PHONE, please scroll down and click on VIEW WEB VERSION to see FOLLOW BY EMAIL :)

Saturday, January 30, 2021

MyShadowProductions- TEST

Just a test to see change I made in email notification of new post.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

MyShadowProductions #28 - Day Trip #8 - Ski Copper Mountain & Walk Frisco

Hi everyone!!

Yesterday, January 27, 2021, I took a trip via Bustang from Denver Union Station to the Frisco Transit Center, about a 2 hr bus ride. From the Transit Center there are free shuttle buses, the Summit Stage, that run every half hour to Downtown Frisco, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Silverthorne (about a 20 minute trip for each).

I chose Copper Mountain for skiing and I had some time left in the afternoon for some walking in and around Frisco (which is near Lake Dillon, the lake was frozen and is more of a spring and summer attraction).

I am grateful that I didn’t let the early morning temperature (9 in Denver and -2 in Copper Mountain) make me cancel the trip, it turned into a beautiful sunny day, I think they call it a “bluebird day”??

I learned one thing (maybe?) walking through Frisco. I have always spelled the Indian tents, Teepees, but this sign says Tipi??

For display only? A little too breezy this way without the outer shell??

One frustration I want to share before the usual movie/videos. The vast majority of the photos I take are in “landscape” and when I use Google photos to create the “movie” I select the landscape option but for some time, something has changed in their application and the “movies” are in portrait, so some of my photos look “cropped” :( I have sent a comment to Google Community about it and it looks like many others have too, but no action yet.

Anyway, here is a short movie/video of Skiing at Copper. I don’t like messing with my phone while skiing but this gives a little idea what I enjoyed.

Back on the spelling lesson, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “Is Kim your real name or is it short for something? My response is usually “It is short for Kimosabi”(you know, Tonto’s name for the LoneRanger), I spelled it in my mind with I’s without researching it and it fits my story better :) Anyway, I saw this restaurant door with this message for me, and maybe it is spelled this way??

The next movie/video is in Downtown Frisco and at times a few blocks off (kind of like me, a few blocks off :))

Did you notice the message in the snow? I was going to write HELLO, but in true Colorado fashion, I shortened it to HI (Obviously I am not a great SnowWriter, I will leave that Blog/challenge to someone else. :) Please, no yellow snow jokes......

Also, I wish they would rent out those log cabins like an apartment, always thought that would be cool!

Might be worth a trip back on Bustang to ski or explore Breckenridge and not sure about Silverthorne??

One thing I noticed at Copper Mountain that I didn’t get any photos of is they have a “Roller Coaster” of sorts winding down the mountain and weaving through the trees. I will have to explore that, looks interesting but maybe too fast for my comfort???

I took photos of a verse on the side of a restaurant in Frisco that I had to copy and paste to get the full effect because my original photos were of each half individually. That explanation doesn’t make sense but I do like the message!

Have a good day or night!!!! :)

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

MyShadowProductions #27 - Sound Totems in Denver

Hello again!

I know you were probably losing sleep wondering what that little door was in the tree shown in my last post :) Well, with the help of Google, I found out:

“This project hosts a series of miniature, solar-powered, public music venues. Each space is custom built and into an accessible public space featuring different local musicians. The various totems can be located across Denver and are meant to be found by surprise. However, if you have made your way to this website you are welcome to locate totems specifically, just visit the Sound Totem Website (http://www.soundtotem.com/). (Not working :(. )

The original prototype totem is installed in the Uptown neighborhood on the northwest corner of 17th and Washington, a high-traffic pedestrian area and restaurant row. (2011?)

It is installed directly into a Catalpa Tree (otherwise the Catawba Tree), a local deciduous tree that grows naturally in Colorado. The word Catawba originates from the Catawba Native American tribe, Sioux speaking peoples, and translates to Totem. The tree has a companion, the Catawba Caterpillar or worm that feeds on leaves of the tree. The wood has historically been used as tone wood specifically in creating guitars. The featured musicians are a group of local bratty rockers, The Babysitters (http://www.sparkythedog.com/babysitters. htm). Their lead wrote this original piece, Gigantic Sunglasses.” Click here for the original article for this quote and opening video.

The Sound Totem I found by surprise was the highlighted one and the photo is below:

Additional photo with door open and the solar panels in the tree:

This Sound Totem is located at the northwest corner of 17th and Washington in the Uptown neighborhood of Denver.

The music was not working the day I opened the door.

Click here for a YouTube video taken by kurlygirl47 when the music was playing.

According to this article, there are at least three other Sound Totems in the Denver Metro area.

Found the Sound Totem at J. Langston Boyd Park, the door was missing and Sound Totem not working :(

J. Langston Boyd Park is located in the Skyland neighborhood in northeast Denver.

Walked through most of the very large City Park on January 7, 2021 but did not spot a Sound Totem??? :(

I returned to City Park on January 13, 2021 with the following photo copied from the Sound Totem artist’s, Nikki Pike, article listed above:

I do not know the date of the previous photo, but I took the following photo on January 13, 2021 in City Park, along York Street, and I am confident that it is the same location and tree. Unfortunately, the Sound Totem is no longer there.

January 12, 2021, I found the Sound Totems at McDonough Park and Huston Lake Park :)

McDonough Park is in the Berkeley/Harkness Heights neighborhood in northwest Denver:

This Sound Totem was not working, “needed a rest”, according to the sign!

Huston Lake Park is in the Athmar Park neighborhood in southwest Denver:

The music worked at this Sound Totem!! :)

This is a short movie/video taken by MyShadow:

The following map shows the Sound Totem locations in the Denver area that I am aware of:

This was/is a very cool and ambitious idea/creation by Nikki Pike and it has been fun finding the Sound Totems that I am aware of, I will definitely keep my ears and eyes open for others :)

One other thing I learned, it is nearly impossible to walk in Denver Parks, on the sidewalks/paths or not, without getting Goose shIT on your shoes!!

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

MyShadowProductions #26 - RTD-Denver - Art-n-Transit #4

Sanity and serenity, two very elusive states of mind, pray for better days!

The weather in Denver has been beautiful to start the New Year! Taking advantage of that, I completed my RTD Art-n-Transit tour with the N Line. (See previous Blogs # 21, 22 and 23 for other RTD light rail line Art Installations).

The N Line goes north from Union Station through Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton, about a 30 minute trip from start to finish with 6 Station stops.

The N Line opened on September 21, 2020 after breaking ground in March 2014.

A few of the Art Installations; #s 60, 65 and 66 have not been installed for some reason. Possibly funding, scheduling, COVID-19, artist delays, I don’t know?????

Click here for a link to the list and description of all the Art Installations.

The following movie/video includes the available Art Installations from # 59 to 73:

At the Thornton - 104th Station there are quite a few prairie dogs along the walking paths to nearby apartments :)

The next movie/video is random “Street Art” that I have collected over the past three months, the last photo in this movie/video may lead to a future Blog Post! :)

This is the last photo from the previous movie/video:

???? I am going to try to find out :)

Friday, January 1, 2021

MyShadowProductions #25 - Custom Paint By Number Activity

Welcome the NEW year 2021 from MyShadow in ski pants, grateful for health to ski on Christmas Day at Vail!

I decided to order a Custom Paint By Number kit to help take advantage of time during the coming winter months. (Note: I didn’t procrastinate as long as I thought I would:)) Also, ordered a customized kit for each granddaughter for a Christmas gift, I hope their mothers will still talk to me after their young artists’ adventures :)

Last year at this time I was in Mexico for a two week trip, totally unaware of what 2020 had in store!!

This is the photo I sent for my kit:

PLAYA AZUL, January 2, 2020, Manzanillo, Mexico