Niwot Colorado

old firehouse.

Niwot, Colorado is a small town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains about 10 mn. from Boulder.

It is know for its numerous art and music events, including Rhythm on the Rail, a very popular summer concert series.

I was invited to participate in the 1st Friday Art Walk event (see art blog) and had a few minutes to walk around.

The town is named for Chief Niwot, an Arapaho leader, meaning "left hand." His people lived in the front range until the arrival of miners in 1858.

The railroad tracks was an important aspect of this new community, connecting it to markets as far as Denver and Wyoming. The small business district developed on the west side and resident neighborhoods on the east side the the tracks, with trains running through town.

In early 1900s the business disctrict moved to 2nd avenue and evolved into what is now called Niwot Historical District.

Smallest Town

What would be your guess if someone asked you:
"What is the population of the smallest town in the US?"

Mine would have been in the low 100s or so -I've come across a couple of those.

Well, as it turns out, that is way off on this one.

May I present, the Nation's SMALLEST town.

The town consists of ONE house, and ONE gas station / convenient store. Oh, and we met the Mayor -he runs the gas station.

That Urban Bird

This post is dedicated to that very urban bird called The Pigeon.

Yes, ladies and gentlement, the Pigeon...

I know this particular bird species has entered the human consciousness as somewhat of a pain, at least in modern urban circles. After all, who hasn't been the recipient of that much unappreciated gifts from above, compliment of the pigeon?

As it turns out, the pigeon has a rich, far reaching ancient history with human beings, and doing a quick search, I came up on this very interesting site with 21 Amazing Facts You Did Not Know About Pigeons

I'll highlight a few points here:

1. The first images of pigeons found by archeologists were in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), dating back to 3000 BC.
2. Pigeon poo was considered a highly prized fertilizer in the 16th, 17th and 18th century Europe, with armed guardes stationed at pigeon houses to prevent theft.
3. In both world wars, pigeons saved hundreds of thousands of lives by carrying messages across enemy lines.
4. Large scale communication network using pigeons as messengers was established in Syria and Persia about 5th Century BC.
5. In Roman times the pigeon was used to carry results of sporting events such as the Olympic Games and this is why white doves are released at the start of the Olympic Games today.

6. The pigeon is revered in India.
7. In the Christian religion the pigeon is both a symbol of peace and of the Holy Spirit.
8. Pigeons have monocular vision (side mounted) rather than binocular vision (forward facing eyes), and bob their heads for depth perception.
9. In the early 1800's, the Rothschild family used pigeons to carry information between its financial houses. This proved very efficient in staying ahead of the competition and helped the Rothschild family build the fortune which still exist today.
10. One racing pigeon recently sold for a staggering $132,517.00!
11. A champion racing pigeon can be released 400-600 miles away from its home and still return within the day.
12. The peregrine falcon, the pigeon's natural predator and fastest bird on the planet (200 mph dive), is being introduced into towns and cities as a "natural" pigeon control.
13. A pigeon can recognize its own reflection in a mirror and is one of only 6 species -and only non-mammal- that has that ability.
14. The pigeon can recognise all 26 letters of the English language as well as being able to conceptualise. In scientific tests pigeons have been found to be able to differentiate between photographs and even differentiate between two different human beings in a photograph when rewarded with food for doing so.

And there you have it.

Photos taken in Laramie, Wyoming.

Remember to look up !  ;P

Church

I love churches; the architecture, the stained glasses, the old wooden doors.

This is St. Matthew Episcopal Cathedral in Laramie, Wyoming. Unfortunately it was locked.

The Catholic church next to it, however, was open because of the caretaker cleaning and dusting. He was very nice in letting me visit and walk around, and even shared with me a bit of the history of some the stained glasses (newly restored) and paintings (oldest from 1860s). I don't have pictures of that one... it was rather ordinary looking on the outside, though the inside more than made up for it.

He explained that most churches nowdays are locked because of vandalism and theft. Someone took the chalice out of the Catholic church once, and it's been locked ever since. It's a shame really. Churches used to be open to all, providing shelter and refuge, or just a place to sit quietly. No more. Open for service -that's it.

Room With A View

Continuing with the Wyoming trip, we certainly enjoyed a room with a view.



On the menu: hummus, home-sprouted rye crackers, cherry tomatoes, celery, green mix, and corn chips.






This second made it as top banner for this blog.