big william's world

Home again after an excellent trip - little William is here searching for snow to ski on - Eldora resort about a 40 minute drive is todays choice. I may go to Vail with him tomorrow - they had new snow there last night.
The Day of the Dead - is a kind of Haloween celebration in Mexico - they don't do scary things though - they celebrate their loved ones who have died and give offerings of the food they liked when they were alive.
This is a paper mache model of Frida Kahlo (a Mexican painter featured in an excellent film called Frida and Friday is played by Selma Hayak) and her Husband Diego Rivera - another painter/muralist
Some of Diego's murals
Produce at a market with Headlocks - mushroom/fungus infected corn cobs much loved by Mexican foodies and called "Mexican truffles" by some. I had some in ravioli which were very good. The mouldy corn is black when cooked and served. I like it but it does not have anywhere near the flavor of truffles.
The food in Mexico City was easily the best Mexican food I ever had - no really hot chili flavors like in USA but really intriguing flavours from their huge variety of chili peppers and herbs.

Near Trotsky s house

In the garden of Leon Trotsky's house/fortress. He lived in Mexico City before he was assasinated - in his house with and ice-axe.

Pronounced something like "totywoccan"

Near Mexico City

Mexico pyr

Take a closer look! you have to to East of Boulder to get a good view to the west towards the real Rocky Mountains.
Snow on the Continental Divide west of Boulder - don't worry little William - there's more in the forecast.

Dinner was lamb chops with thyme, asparagus clock and Greek potatoes (roasted with lemon juice, chicken stock, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper. Is that butter in the middle of the asparagus? cue for a lecture on cholesterol!
Off to the land of lard tomorrow - Mexico City

Y'all have a great thanksgiving y'hear?

Yes believe it that is M!! and there is no car within a mile or so!

The weather is still very mild - 60's Fahrenheit.

Getting ready for the ascent to Mexico City (7,000+ feet) for a few days on Tuesday

For dinner Wiener Schnitzel mit Spaetzle und Zwiebel (spell check suggests I may mean "wobble" it's actually German for onions). I await spelling corrections from the Danes.

Off to the poetry blog now!

Unlike most Millard Blogs! - here is our first smattering of snow! - pretty puny but there are 6 ski resorts open William will be pleased to hear. - He is coming next week!

The new wing of the Denver Art Museum - one of the few good things Denver has to offer.
There are no vertical walls or horizontal ceilings or 90 degree angles inside or out.

Lots of lovely colored rods
and dots
Oh! and three baguettes I just made!

Also went to the "Tattered Cover" bookstore and found some poetry for you - maybe tomorrow

First attempt at a video blog - courtesy of Denver Art Museum

Look for the shadow of my hands holding the camera

The sunny autumn continues into November! with snow still only in the distance.
Very unusual brown tulips! can't wait for spring for mine to flower again

Deep-pile rustling carpet

As highlighted below - the definition of culture seems to cover BMW motorcycles quite well. They are based on a design of simple perfection especially the elimination of primary imbalance in an engine full of reciprocating masses. There is always an accelerating mass moving in the opposite direction at the same speed as every other accelerating mass.
There was an exhibition called "the art of the motorcycle" which occupied the whole of the Guggenheim museum in NYC and then it travelled the country. The bikes were exhibited purely for their aesthetic appeal - with shapes reminiscent of periods of time, human forms and colors, metal finishes etc evoking wealth and sophistication.

cul·ture
n.
1.
a. The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.
b. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population: Edwardian culture; Japanese culture; the culture of poverty.
c. These patterns, traits, and products considered with respect to a particular category, such as a field, subject, or mode of expression: religious culture in the Middle Ages; musical culture; oral culture.
d. The predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the functioning of a group or organization.
2. Intellectual and artistic activity and the works produced by it.
3.
a. Development of the intellect through training or education.
b. Enlightenment resulting from such training or education.
4. A high degree of taste and refinement formed by aesthetic and intellectual training.

Things to note about this beemer combination! - Earles forks (on the front) with leading link swinging arms - this gives much more rigidity to the steering, which in a motorcycle and sidecar combination is about the most asymmetrical, unstable arrangement you can imagine. Turning left is an entirely different experience from turning right.
On the rear there is plunger suspension - the predecessor to swinging arm suspension - one step ahead of just having springs under the seat.
Where is the culture? I hear you ask well BMW's are about as cultured a motorcycle as you can get.
Well as I was just eating macaroni and cheese (please enlighten me about the cholesterol content thereof) and listening to Richard Strauss' "Four Last Songs"
Because? well I just read Philip Roth's latest book "Exit Ghost" - which I think is my favorite of all the ones I have read - which include, Goodbye Columbus, Everyman, The Human Stain and American Pastoral.
In Exit Ghost he is a recluse writer who falls in love with a much younger woman writer, much to his surprise since he is old and impotent. They exchange houses for a short time - she moves to his recluse place in upstate New York and he moves back to Manhattan. They have in common a love of music and in particular these "Four Last Songs" with which I was not familiar but from their excellent descriptions of them I knew I would love them and I do.
They were the four last things Strauss wrote and he finished them in 1948 the year I was born. They were first performed in 1950 in the Albert Hall.
Strauss was an exact contemporary of Mahler and this music has the wonderful soprano parts one hears in Mahler. Strauss's wife Pauline was a soprano.
The peacefulness of the piece reminded me of Mahler's 10 symphony - which depicts his own slow, very peaceful death.
(I just wrote all this out of my head but I will be delighted if any pedants want to correct me on anything.)
Please try to listen to these slices of serenity - which seem all the more serene when eating cheese!

Actually with no significant snow and many warm sunny days it was much better than last year
The pansies are still happy only another six months of winter to go.
I have been waiting a long time to post Thomas Hood's poem so don't forget to go to http://awheywithwords.blogspot.com and read it. I hope, once again, that j is catalyzed and will outshine my poem too.

Taken very seriously here - everybody parading themselves and their children around pearl street in wild costumes.
Trick or Treat from door to door - we were left with a lot of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (mainly because I went out!) I can't think what to do with them? I wouldn't dream of eating them after the last dietary confession.