The Colorado Traveling Ducks and their humans wish you a very happy Labor Day holiday. Enjoy this last long week end of the summer.
Month: August 2014
Swing Thai for Dinner
Soapy Smith Duck and I, Zeb the Duck had dinner at Swing Thai.
Great sign
There are 4 locations in Denver; we dined at 845 Colorado Boulevard. These are locally owned restaurants. Our moms went also. First we order a pot of Jasmine tea.
We love Jasmine tea
It was so good. While our dinner was being prepared, we admired this wall.
Tranquil and exotic
Our moms have visited Thailand, before we ducks joined the family. Soapy and I also loved the picture.
Here is our dinner.
We want to try everything
There is Massaman curry with tamarin, coriander, potato, onion and peanuts. The brown rice is added to the curry dish. We have chicken satay with peanut sauce. The chicken spring rolls are rolled in rice paper. Everything was so good. Tasty, but not too spicy. We sat in a booth for dinner, but there is a bar in the front of the restaurant. Soapy and I loved the fish lanterns hanging over the bar.
Great lights for the bar area
The people were so nice here also. If you have dinner at Swing Thai, you will really like it. Check out their website at SwingThai.com
Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed Exhibit
Sunday I, Zeb the Duck and Soapy Smith Duck visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
We can learn about the Maya culture.
Sunday was the last day for the exhibit Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed, and our moms took us to see the exhibit. It was wonderful.
We liked this stela dedicated to the Quirigua’s most important king, K’ah’ Tiliw Chan Yo’at meaning, “Fire burning Celestial Lightning God.
Stela for most important Quirigua king
By holding a jaguar headed throne made at the dawn of the universe, he aligns himself with the creative powers of the Maize God. All the artifacts had signs explaining what we were seeing. Quirigua is a Mayan site in southeast Guatemala.
This is a Mayan altar.
Mayan altar. Used for special occasions
The altars commemorated important occasions and served as the settings for elaborate sacrifices, including human offerings, to the gods.
Another side of altar. Human sacrifices? Not duck sacrifices!
Throughout the exhibit, we watched short videos. They were very interesting.
This artifact was displayed in a case.
Maya King
The accompanying sign explains the importance of this statue. Copan ruins are in western Honduras near the Guatemala border.
About king from Copan
Did you know that the Mayan people invented the bouncing rubber ball? They did. The Spaniards were so impressed with the bouncing ball and the games played that they took a ball team to Spain to perform for Spanish royalty. The ball was made with liquid from the rubber tree.
Collecting latex from rubber tree
To make a bouncing rubber ball, the Maya cooked latex from the rubber trees with juice from the morning glory vine. Experts shaped the elastic mixture into spheres or pulled it into strips that they wound into balls.
This rubber ball is very heavy. It weighs 8 pounds.
8 pound rubber ball
We also saw clothing, cooking utensils, knife blades, tombs and jewelry. The Mayan exhibit has left Denver now and is going to Boston. If this exhibit comes to your area, you would like to see it. This was on the front of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Promo for Maya exhibit
Please go to any exhibit that comes to your town. We see many of them and they are all very interesting. You will enjoy visiting these exhibits.
Museum exhibits are wonderful
Bert the Hippopotamus has a Birthday
I, Zeb the Duck, visited the Denver Zoo Friday.
Back to the Denver Zoo
Bert the hippopotamus celebrated his 58th birthday Thursday, August 21. In the wild, hippos live 30-40 years and in captivity, they live about 10 years longer. Bert is way past that.
First mom and I went to the Pachyderm Habitat.
Bert and other hippos live here
Bert was there, eating.
Happy Birthday Bert
He sure is big. This sign explains much of Bert’s life.
This is Bert’s story
Bert is the oldest hippo in North America and perhaps in the entire world. That is amazing!
Bert is watching me!
Bert has some geriatric problems, including arthritis, stiffness and dental issues.
Bert spends much of his time in the water.
Bert has his own pool
The water helps alleviate the pressure of carrying his 5,000 pounds.
After leaving Bert’s home, we spotted this statue.
Zeb’s first time on a hippo
I think I look good with the hippopotamus.
I hope you visit the Denver Zoo soon. If you visit Denver Zoo this weekend and your name has Bert in it, you get in free. That’s for RoBERTa, RoBERT, and so many more names. If not, visit a zoo near you. Other zoos may not have Bert, but zoos are wonderful places and so much fun. You will have a great day at a zoo.
Bert is eating while watching me watch him
Wheat Ridge Art Festival
An art show with all original paintings. At the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival we followed the signs and went to the art show.
Festivals are fun
This group creates in oil, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil and pen and ink. We liked it all.
Wheat Ridge Art League
This watercolor painting received first place.
First place winner
Such bright colors. This picture received second place.
2nd place winner
These oil paintings of cats made mom smile.
Playful cats
We especially liked the cat painting a lion. An abstract in watercolor received honorable mention.
Honorable mention abstract
Very colorful! Isn’t this watercolor giraffe adorable?
Giraffes are adorable
This lady is great. That is a real white feather on her hat and a real earing.
Just beautiful
Very creative and effective!
Last year’s first place winner created this wolf, labeled “Alpha”
Alpha by Michael Veltkamp
.
Michael also created the lion, named “Watching Over”. Michael uses colored pencils.
Watching Over by Michael Veltkamp
There were a great variety of subjects for the art work.
So much to see and admire
I, Zeb the Duck, was fascinated by and appreciated it all. I hope you visit an art show near you and see work by local artists.
Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival
Wheat Ridge, Colorado held the Carnation Festival last weekend.
Carnation Festival
It was in two locations this year. Saturday morning was the parade. Mom and I went to the festival near the end of the parade. There was music
Music necessary for festivals
and the popular face-painting booth.
Maybe some day for me?
This free bubble fun area was new to this duck.
Bubbles!
Free fun!
I think it was nice for the young humans. Also, humans and ducks, could jump on this hopscotch area.
Zeb’s first hopscotch
In the evening we went to the second festival area at Anderson Park in Wheat Ridge. There was a circus tent, an area for the spaghetti dinner and several other booths. Here the small humans picked a duck with a number on the bottom.
So many of my cousins
The number determined the prize. Kids rode bikes through this cone area.
Practice biking skills
The children also had a play area.
Human kids have so much fun
This girl sits on a chair while others through a ball at the target. If they hit the target, the girl falls in the water.
Dunking boot and she just got dunked
She just got dunked and is now back on the chair—very wet. I, Zeb the Duck, like the kettle corn.
YUM!!
I also like festivals. Next time I will show you original artwork from the Wheat Ridge art exhibition. Don’t miss it!
Woof Fest 2014
Woof Fest 2014 was yesterday, August 17, 2014.
We loved Woof Fest 2014
This event for dogs and humans, and two of the Colorado Traveling Ducks, was held at Denver’s Civic Center Park. I, Zeb the Duck, went with Soapy Smith Duck and our moms. Soapy’s dog, Steve, went also. Bands were performing in the Greek Theater.
Music everywhere
Several dogs were here also. Here are two of them.
Lounging and happy
This is dog is her baby
Steve and Soapy’s mom went shopping here. Steve (she is a girl) got a pink fluffy collar with pearls and another collar with a pink bandana. There is so much stuff for dogs at Woof Fest. This, Joyful Bling Dog Gear, was our favorite store.
Steve shopping at Joyful Bling Dog Gear
The storeowner, Connie, said the store is on Facebook. Check them out! Your dog will love you for it.
Next stop was a tattoo for Steve. She is not sure about this during the process,
What are you doing????
but here she is, very happy with her new heart tattoo.
Steve strutting her stuff!
Woof Fest is a benefit concert for underprivileged pets. Live music was performed on two stages. Here was the merchandise for Woof Fest.
Help PetAid Colorado
Steve has so many things already, so we did not purchase more, but each of the moms gave a donation for pets.
Ducks want to help pets also
Soapy and I were happy they did—we like dogs and all pets.
Steve is in the off leash pet area now.
No leashes here, but many frisbees and tennis balls
We saw this Dalmatian Duck.
Dalmatian Duck
He is so cute, but he already has an owner. We just took this photo. This is a great idea and booth.
Ask the vet and help your pet!
Pet owners can Ask a Veterinarian questions about pets here. There were several dishes with cold water, some with ice, for the dogs.
Several dishes with ice water for dogs at Woof Fest
Ducks were not allowed in the water bowls.
We had great food from this Manna from Heaven Food Truck.
Yum!
One mom had a sandwich and one mom had a wrap. Steve had a little grilled pork and grilled chicken.
Denver’s Civic Center Park is between the Capitol building and the City and County Building. It is very nice. Here are a couple statues.
Bucking horse
Denver’s Civic Center Park
We hope you come to Woof Fest next year. If there is one in your city, visit and you will have a good time. For more information, visit www.wooffest.org
The Bucksnort
I, Zeb the Duck, had lunch at the historic Bucksnort Saloon in Sphinx Park, Colorado.
Connie (left), Barb (right) and Zeb (top)
Mom and her friends took me to Pine, Colorado and then to the Bucksnort. A former stage stop and general store in the 1890’s, now is a very popular summer stop. Let’s go inside.
Entrance to BuckSnort with my friend K-rad
The first room has a pool table and this buffalo.
Buffalo keeps his mouth shut
Also old photos and money are on the walls.
Great old photo
People sign dollars and tape the money to the wall. Proof they were here. And it is fun. Look at this poster. Trying to hire young men to work for Pony Express.
This is not a job for Zeb the Duck
Orphans preferred?? Sounds dangerous to this duck.
Next is the main dining area. Even this elk has signed dollars on him.
Hard to see with money for glasses
And the bar.
Bar with a money backdrop
So many signed dollars everywhere. This is a great place. Mom had the featured Buck Burger. It was real good. Sharon had a taco salad.
So good
There was a lot of eating, drinking and talking here.
People could eat outside.
Nice to eat out here
This saloon is nestled in the forested mountains. Love the rock formation behind the house.
What a view while eating and drinking
The Bucksnort is located on Elk Creek.
Elk Creek
This is popular with everyone, and especially motorcycle riders. This biker came for lunch also and posed for mom to take his picture.
We like this biker
This place is so pretty and everybody is so nice. You will love the Bucksnort Saloon. For more information visit www.thebucksnortsaloon.com Try to go there for lunch this summer. It is about an hour drive southwest of Denver.
Gold Rush Days
I, Zeb the Duck went to Buena Vista, Colorado for Gold Rush Days. It was great! We went Sunday, August 10, 2014. First the burros were blessed. After they started the race, we all went to the Lariat Saloon.
Lariat Saloon established in 1885
A fight started at the bar and soon there was a shooting.
And the fight starts
One man was arrested and hand cuffed.
Caught in the act
The other man was dead on the floor.
Dead on the floor
We all went to the jail for a hanging. At the jail, the sheriff decided not to hang the killer, but gave us a history lesson. Only one hanging occurred in Buena Vista. Usually the guilty were run out of town. Of course, this was all an act and here are the main characters:
Cast in the Buena Vista shootout
The sheriff, the killer, the killed, and the ladies of the evening. Wow! This was great.
While we waited for the winning burros to return, I saw something new. We watched the toilet seat races!! The toilet seats have 3 wheels on the bottom.
Racers toilet seat
Humans kneel, sit or any position, use 2 toilet plungers like ski poles, feet never touching the ground, and race to the finish line. The races are by age groups. Here are young humans ready to race.
Ready to go!
This guy is doing great!
Doing great. Hard to keep balance
The last race was for adults. This is a new racing position.
Large man racing
Remember– feet cannot touch ground. Here I, Zeb the Duck, am with several toilet seats.
I never sat on so many toilet seats
The winner of each race receives a prize. This young lady won a golden plunger.
Girl in pink hat wins golden plunger
Here come the burros.
First two burros to finish race
These two are so close. The winner, on the right wearing a red shirt, is Justin from Conifer, Colorado. His burro is Yukon Jack. The burros have microchips on the halter, so we know the winning time was 1 hour, 35 minutes and 56 seconds. A fraction of second behind was Patrick from California, on the left with a number 4. Patrick was the winner last year. Look at the shoes.
Look at the shoes on the racers
Justin from Conifer has running shoes and Patrick from California wears running sandals!
This was a festival, so we visited vender’s booths, ate funnel cake, and watched kids play. Buena Vista is on the Arkansas River and is a great town.
Love the river
We will visit again and hope you visit here also.
Art in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Steamboat Springs is an old western town, a great ski town, and has many activities on the Yampa River. But, Steamboat Springs has several wonderful art galleries also. You will enjoy the Avenue Gallery.
Avenue Gallery. Very nice
The Steamboat Art Company is another good choice.
Another great establishment
Or, don’t make a choice—visit them all.
Mom and I enjoyed these statues by the benches.
Great statue
I, Zeb the Duck, really like the main street of Steamboat Springs.
Sit down and let’s talk
Mom and I entered the Wild Horse Gallery. We met Shirley Stocks, an owner and one of the artists. She said we could take a few photos. For more information on the Wild Horse Gallery visit http://www.wildhorsegallery.com
Local artists are supported. Name of artist on wall
Love the bronze figures
As we prepare to leave Steamboat Springs, I gaze at these historic buildings, but I also want you to see some new buildings.
New additional to Steamboat Springs
And, I particularly liked this crow guarding the neighborhood.
Crow on watch
When I saw this dinosaur I was a little confused. Mom said many years ago, some Sinclair gas stations had them. Dino was new to this duck, but I like Dino.
Dinosaur from Sinclair service stations
He makes the gas station seem friendly. Visit Steamboat Springs when you can. You will like it here. We did.
Colorado Traveling Ducks 