Seen at the Sheldon & Cortez corner

It's always a happy moment when you discover that you have before and after shots in the files. In this case, it's a new establishment in that big building on Cortez at Sheldon that housed Harvey Eugene all those years. Herzog's (below) appears to be an operation geared to our economic times, featuring new ladies clothing -- close-outs, odd lots, that sort of cut-rate merchandise. I'll have to give it a whirl, not that I need any more clothes, new or reused. Note however, that bets are coppered -- the new sign merely covers the upside down farewell Harvey Eugene sign.

Three sights that somehow typify the weekly-rates motor lodge on Sheldon near Cortez -- first, the disconcerting sign above. Somehow the idea of manufacturing stone seems all wrong to me! But there it is.

Parked in the alley next to the lodge is ... not a tricycle, but a bright plastic baby quad!

This bumper sticker was on a pickup truck at the lodge. Maybe quad baby's dad, do you think?

As for this crew-cab pick-up, I'm still pondering the meaning of the slogan scrawled across the windows.

With a name like Tantrix, what could be featured other than sensuality? Here's how they put it in the current advert in Pop Rocket: "Fine Art. Romantic Gifts. Lingerie. Body Products."

And a final sight from the Cortez & Sheldon area -- patterns in the tiles atop the Marriott.

Cortez Street -- at work, at leisure

As I walked down Cortez Street today, there were men at work -- and people enjoying their leisure. Most notable was ongoing work nearing completion of the Knights of Pythias building rehab. Specifically, the facade for the new gallery to occupy the ground floor; unfortunately, for-lease signs are the only current occupants of the upper two stories.

This pair of chaps (above, below) appeared to be taking care of minor problems at their shops. While I was about it, I got a good look at the interior of the Big Easy; it's a cool stand-up bar, something one doesn't often see these days. However, I didn't spot where a tatoo artist might be plying his/her trade.

Not everybody was at work or rushing to/from lunch. If I hadn't had a time crunch, I'd like to have joined the folks spending a beautiful day in the sun with interesting reading matter.

City streets

Good question: why would anyone want to stand in the middle of the street, point a camera toward the vanishing point and take not one, but four different pictures of different street views? I suppose the answer is simply because it can be done. And maybe the results might be interesting. Whatever. For the record, the top picture is Goodwin Street looking west (and catching part of Thumb Butte in the process). The image below looks east past the public library; it's difficult to tell where the road ends because of the rise. Time: mid-afternoon, giving very blue skies to the east, and nearly white sunlit skies to the west. Both pictures were taken in front of the downtown post office.

Cortez, on the other hand, is a street with a definite beginning and definite end. Looking north (into a blue sky), it arrives at the old Santa Fe depot and that's it. The view south from the depot winds up in the hills only a few blocks from the Square.

Yes, I am aware that Gurley and Montezuma deserve the same treatment, but I wasn't on the right street corner at the right time and don't know when I will be any time soon. There you have it.