These 2 David Bowie shirts each tell a story. The dark shirt on the left is a shirt my Dad got when he attended Bowie’s American Tour in 1978. The white shirt on the right is the shirt I got the night I saw David Bowie perform live on his 2004 Reality Tour, 20 years ago on this very day, 25th April 2004 (thank you so much Laurie for this shirt)!
That night, I had the honour of wearing my Dad’s 1978 shirt. Anyone who knows me well knows my deep love for Bowie, courtesy of father, Robert Campbell. That Reality Tour performance at Loveland’s Budweiser Events Center was my first and only time I saw Bowie live–for a girl who grew up listening to Bowie from practically the womb, this performance meant the world to me. My birthday was just over a week before, and getting tickets to see a David Bowie concert was by far the best gift–thank you Dad! It was only natural that a girl who grew up watching Bowie music videos would eventually see the man in concert.
3-4 year old me watching the VHS tape of Bowie’s 1987 Glass Spider Tour; also note the tennis racquet as a guitar, haha!
That night 20 years ago, Bowie more than delivered with a long set of both classic and new songs. My dad, his brother Iain and his wife Laurie, and I were all utterly spellbound by the man who brought the world Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Fame, the Thin White Duke, Let’s Dance, etc. For me, that night was utter magic, and yet bittersweet, especially for my Dad, as it would mark the 10th and last time he would see Bowie in concert.
We didn’t get home till about 1-2 AM in the morning, but I immediately set upon recording the experience in a journal entry. And the next day at school, I proudly wore my Reality Tour shirt. This day lives forever in my memory, and I can’t thank my Dad enough for providing me the opportunity to see our hero. As Bowie would say, love on ya!
Desert Bloom is Grand Junction’s first established hydroponics center. Hydroponics is a simple yet very effective method of growing plants with a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. Benefits include healthier plant growth, improved produce taste, and the ability to grow plants year-round.
Visit Desert Bloom at 445 Pitkin Ave to view their incredible assortment of plants, pots, soils, and products from local vendors. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb growing tiger tail mushrooms or a gardening beginner who’s interested in succulents, Nikki and Isaiah are highly knowledgeable about all things gardening and can help you!
Live interview with Brittney Bade, Founder of The Gift Of Love INC.
The Gift Of Love is a 501(c)e nonprofit organization that provides care packages for places such as Latimer House, Karis Teen Shelter (The House) and several retirement communities. Founded in 2018, Brittney has created and donated thousands of care packages throughout the years, for people of all ages, from children to seniors.
Hi everyone, here is today’s live interview with Erika Rose Brown, owner of Posh Salon and Boutique. Voted #1 Salon in Grand Junction, Posh Salon offers hair, nails, and bridal services so you can be your best, most beautiful self. Their salon is a soothing atmosphere where you can unwind and get your dream look.
The mission of Support Local GJ Initiative is all about helping local businesses thrive and succeed. Our story begins in 2020, when many businesses were struggling due to the pandemic. For many small businesses especially, it was the first time they heavily relied on digital marketing and sales, to keep their businesses alive. During that time, we launched a “Support Local Business” Facebook page for our hometown of Grand Junction, CO. We provided an informative platform for businesses to promote themselves, by interviewing dozens of local businesses, and creating an online community so that businesses could share products, services, and updates.
Three years later, as the group only continues to grow in size, as well as in interest in the initiative, we’ve expanded in other areas. Just as before, we’re still here to help local businesses not just survive but thrive. So we’ve moved the platform to our website to best serve the community, by offering live interviews and sponsorships to promote your business. For more information, visit the Support Local Business webpage.
Support Local Business Grand Junction Facebook Page
Businesses local to Grand Junction are encouraged to promote themselves on this page, as well as to help the group with whatever relevant content they have for the benefit of other local businesses and business owners. There are a lot of those sort of groups. What will make this one different is that we plan to have regular posts/ education/ help/ interviews from local business owners.
Support Local Business Grand Junction Newsletter
The Support Local Business Grand Junction newsletter is a source that promotes local businesses and the Grand Valley Community via live interviews, local happenings, fun facts about GJ, and more. Our is audience is you, the local community. And this newsletter is truly a celebration of this community, of the things that make Grand Junction unique, namely the people and businesses who make the “West Slope, Best Slope.”
Contact Third Loft Marketing: Your Local Marketing Company
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.” –Official announcement of the British Sovereign’s death, 8th September 2022
Anyone who knows me well is aware of my love for my British heritage, as my paternal grandparents are from London, and their son (my father) was born there. In particular, I love British royal history, and as a child, I especially loved the first Queen Elizabeth I. So naturally, I loved her descendent, Queen Elizabeth II (as these 2002 journal entries from 9-year-old me show).
So, I am quite sad with today’s news of the Queen’s passing at the age of 96. She reigned 70 years, the longest of any UK monarch. Just as I am fascinated with the Tudor Elizabethan age, I am honored to say that I lived in a second Elizabethan age. RECQUISCAT EN PACE ELIZABETH REGINA. A monarch who embodied British stoicism, duty, honor, and integrity: a class act. So the world loses another of the greatest generation… :’(
Did you know that Western Colorado has its own version of Balanced Rock?
Like the famous Balanced Rock of the Front Range (located in Garden of the Gods), Miracle Rock, aka Potato Rock, is another large boulder with an incredibly small pedestal. However, unlike Balanced Rock, Miracle Rock is far less well known, far more remote, and is even taller.
L: Miracle Rock, near Glade Park (my photo.) R: Balanced Rock in Garden of the Gods (photo from Uncover Colorado.com)
Located southwest of Grand Junction, outside the tiny community of Glade Park, Miracle Rock is tucked away from civilization. The area is a popular local spot for field trips and picnics.
Located just a mile off 9.8 Road, the Miracle Rock Trailhead consists of a dirt lot, several picnic benches, and a vault toilet. The hike up to the rock is short, about 1-mile roundtrip. The route is initially hard to distinguish, as there is no signage. During my visit, I made my way down the middle between the picnic tables and past pinyon and juniper trees for a few yards. The trail then becomes easily visible and continues up a short but steep slope.
The so-called “potato” is perched on a ridge with a commanding view of the Little Dolores River Valley. While not as vivid a red as Balanced Rock, Miracle Rock is twice as tall as its Front Range cousin, rising 85 feet above its base. Weighing 12,000 tons, the rock is truly a miracle, perched on a sandstone base only 1 ft. wide. To make the situation more precarious, a solid crack runs the entire length of the pedestal. There is even a gap where you can see all the way through.
Miracle Rock appears ready to topple at any moment. However, as my fingers traced the many inscriptions on the rock, the monolith didn’t budge a bit.
Graffito or inscriptions? The oldest I found dated from 1928.
Just a few yards southeast of the boulder the ridgeline further continues. Located along the cliffside are beautiful alcoves.
Returning to Miracle Rock, I sat near the edge of the ridge and soaked in the solitude. The peaceful atmosphere up there is a great place to read a book, sketch, paint, or photograph the natural surroundings. As I visited later in the day, I watched the sun set as I returned to the trailhead.
I was the only individual up there my entire visit. Can’t say the same of Balanced Rock, which is a tourist attraction. If you’re looking for a short, quiet trek, visit Miracle Rock! I highly suggest going up there to watch the sunset, as I did. For more adventure, Little Dolores Falls is just 1.3 miles further down the road. Featuring natural swimming pools or “potholes,” this is a popular local spot to cool off in the summer. Caution: avoid the water during the spring or during thunderstorms as several fatalities have occurred due to strong currents. The next time I visit the area, I’ll visit Potholes and blog about it. 🙂
Map from Exploring Grand Junction: A Recreational Guide to West-Central Colorado by Glen D. Weaver
Getting There: To get to Miracle Rock Trailhead, drive up to Glade Park, which is located 16 miles southwest from Grand Junction. Glade Park can be reached by taking either Little Park Road, or Colorado National Monument’s Rim Rock Drive via the park’s east entrance. From Glade Park Store continue west on DS Road for 8 miles, then turn left onto 9.8 road. Continue for 1 mile and park at the trailhead.
Looking for a hike that’s easily accessible and with incredible desert scenery? Lower Monument Canyon-Wedding Canyon Loop is just such a trek.
Located within Colorado National Monument just south of Grand Junction, Monument Canyon is home to Independence Monument, a tall monolith located at the end of Monument Canyon and Wedding Canyon.
Unlike other Colorado National Monument Trails that are accessible via Rim Rock Drive, you can access Lower Monument Trail and Wedding Canyon without being charged the park fee. Situated at the base of CNM, the Lower Monument Canyon Trail and Wedding Canyon trailhead is just off Broadway (HWY 340) and consists of a dirt parking lot, with two porta potties.
For my trek, I began with Lower Monument Canyon trail. The route begins in desert scrubland, winding up and past a Redlands subdivision, following the “buffalo fence.” Back in 1925, bison were introduced to the park, hence the fence. Bison are non-native to the high desert, so the National Park Service continuously provided hay and water for the creatures for the next six decades. In 1983, the remaining herd was finally relocated to Badlands National Park.
At .7 miles, the trail turns southward, revealing Monument Canyon and Independence Monument itself. You’ll come across a park register in a metal box, with hikers sporadically signing in.
Hewn into the red rock, the trail is well-marked and easy to follow as it gradually ascends. The canyon wall soars up immediately to your right. In several areas, there are stone steps carefully placed, but no real scrambling or path finding is involved.
As you hike, keep an eye out for desert bighorn. The area possesses several herds, and it’s a common sight to see several or more bighorn keeping a wary eye on adventurers from the cliff walls above.
The entire trek presents spectacular views, with sheer cliff faces and spires surrounding the trail. Turning around to face the mouth of the canyon, you’re rewarded with views of Grand Mesa (the world’s largest flat-topped mountain) in the east, while the town of Grand Junction sits in the Grand Valley below. Framed by the cliffs, this sight is a unique juxtaposition of nature and civilization.
As you further ascend the trail, Independence Monument grows in size, appearing taller than its actual 450 ft. height. The reason for this is the monolith itself is perched on a red dirt hill. Several unofficial trails thread around the base of the rock.
A unique fact about Independence Monument is every 4th of July rock climbers scale the monolith and place a US flag at the top. John Otto, founder of CNM, was the first person to climb the rock, and built many of CNM’s trails himself, including Monument Canyon.
At this point, after soaking in the beauty and solitude of the area, you have several options: you can turn around to make for an out and back trek, hike Upper Monument trail all the way up to Rim Rock Drive, or continue into Wedding Canyon.
Upper Monument Canyon Trail skirts south along the base of spires and cliffs, offering different perspectives on Independence Monument and surroundings rock formations, such as Pipe Organ and Coke Ovens. I have yet to hike the rest of this portion, but have heard it’s a beautiful, steep route. Note: The route of Lower and Upper Monument Canyon trail is about 6 miles; roundtrip is 12 miles. If you want to hike the one-way route of 6 miles, arrange to have a car to shuttle you back to wherever you start. Locals recommend starting at Upper Monument and hiking down into Lower Monument.
Regarding Wedding Canyon, this trail branches off north from Monument Trail, at the base of the monolith. Descending into Wedding Canyon, this trail is so named as John Otto married Beatrice Farnham here in 1911.
Hiking with friends is the best!Your Read Run Writer second from left. 🙂Photo courtesy of Andrew K.
Unlike the grippy rock surfaces of Lower Independence Monument trail, the upper portion of Wedding Canyon Trail is “unimproved,” per the trailhead sign. This means the trail is mostly dirt and sand, and steeper. Even with my Salomon Speed Cross trail shoes with their prominent tread, I still felt some slippage underfoot. This is why it is usually recommended that if you’re hiking Lower Monument Canyon-Wedding Canyon loop, you start by ascending Wedding Canyon first. However, should you hike the route vice-versa, as I have several times, trekking poles are especially helpful in descending Wedding Canyon. While the trail may be slick underfoot, the route is well marked throughout, with no trail finding involved.
The trail winds down and rounds the canyon’s edge before you return to the flatter base of CNM. There’s a few short hills on the way back as the trail meanders back to the Lower Monument Canyon trailhead.
Easy to get to with spectacular views, I highly recommend Lower Monument and Wedding Canyon trails. Popular with locals, this route is rarely crowded, even when the parking lot is full. Spring, fall, and winter are the best times to hike this loop. If you choose to hike during the summer, do so in the morning or evening, and bring plenty of water. Soak in the surroundings, and marvel at this corner of Colorado’s canyon country. With just enough imagination, you may be able to picture the bison that once roamed along the desert sands. 🙂
~LMC
Courtesy ofColorado National Monument Facebook page
Bootsie “Boots” the Bratty Cat: October 15, 2003–August 21, 2021
Happy BOOTSday, Bootsie! Remembering Da Brat, Bratty, Brat Cat, Boots: missing you lots today on your first birthday without you. I’ve known you for practically your entire life: from when you were a two-month-old kitten, to the sassy senior kitty just two months shy of 18. We quite literally grew up together, as I was in 6th grade when Dad brought you home for Christmas. I remember the endless energy you had as a kitten, as I dragged around boxes with you in tow, and the time you surprised Mom by clawing your way up along her overalls as she washed dishes, a Spiderman kitty, haha!
You had a definite personality as we all knew what you loved: warm laundry, sunbathing, time spent in the backyard, your domain as Wild Mountain Boots! You claimed my favorite stuffed animal, Baldy the Bald Eagle, as yours, and loved playing with the catnip mouse I sewed just for you. You had by far the softest, cleanest fur of any cat, or animal, I’ve ever known. You loved to cuddle (on your terms), but you were always there for me.
During quarantine last year, you were super clingy and cuddly, a feline pillow. I’ll forever miss you coming into my room for afternoon cuddles in the sun. Dad: Thank you so much for bringing Boots into our lives, I really did experience the whole lifecycle of a cat! Boots the kitten was FUN. 🙂 Mom: we all know who Bootsie’s real Mom is. You doted on her, and she loved you somuch in return.
Rest easy, Boots. Don’t be too bratty in Heaven, hehe. Tell Sabre and Flash I say hi. Love on ya!
40 years ago today—19 January 1981—a young woman, a talented American photographer, died. She was just 22 years old.
Self portrait.
Francesca Woodman was her name. In her short life, she had produced a collection of more than 800 photographs, each one individually unique, yet collectively they bear a distinctive, unifying aesthetic:
Self-deceit, Rome, Italy, 1978.House #3 Providence, Rhode Island (1976).Untitled, New York, 1979-80.
Dreamlike, whimsical, dark, just out of reach: Woodman’s photographs display a sense of self, as often she herself stood in as the subject, citing the “convenience” of having herself be the model. Her work is ethereal, as objects blur and move due to long exposure, while the lighting is soft and subtle. The daughter of artist parents, Francesca’s father gave his daughter her first camera, a 2.25-inch-by-2.25-inch Yashica, that she would use for most of her career. Taking her first self portrait at 13, it marked the beginning of a unique, and painful, journey.
Untitled, Rome, 1977-78.
I first came across Woodman’s work on Instagram last summer. I was immediately intrigued by the black and white images, undeniably creative in the poses, subjects, and expressions captured. They are such a stark contrast to the aesthetic offered on “Insta,” of near neon colored images with impossibly perfect subjects, with no flaws—or soul for that matter—to be found. Clearly, Woodman’s photographs were taken and developed before the digital age.
Rare color self portrait, circa 1979.
Accompanied with the images was this self portrait (above) of the very photographer, Francesca Woodman. Judging from the clothes, hair and type of camera pictured, I assumed Woodman was a photographer from the 1950s. Her aesthetic was yester-decade, not at all contemporary, but in a cool and natural way. When I came across this other self portrait, however, I had a sudden sense of foreboding.
Self portrait, circa 1977.
She looks so…melancholy. Without having to look right away, I felt that her career—and life—had been short. I was already surprised that the majority of her work was taken in the 1970s, not the 50s; her aesthetic was already “retro” during the disco age. But I noted that the dates of the images I saw, never went any further. It was if the photographs—and the artist—simply stopped. I did some more research, and my forebodings were confirmed: Francesca committed suicide that January day, 40 years ago.
From Angel series, Rome, Italy, 1977.
Knowing this, it’s all the more tempting to truly dive into her work, looking for clues that explain the why of what she did. For example, many of the photographs display the female form, nude, but not in a sexual or graphic way; many proponents claim Woodman’s art as feminist, as a “taking back” of the female form as when captured on film by a woman. However, Woodman herself never explicitly identified herself, or her work, as feminist. Many other images consist of the subject, usually Woodman, with her face and/ or body partially or completely obscured. Here, it’s easy to conclude that such images refer to a loss of identity.
Space 2, 1976.
Ask an art critic of what they make of Woodman’s images, and I’m sure you’ll get in-depth analyses. I’m still new to Woodman’s work, but regardless there’s a mastery in the creative genius the girl had. Its clear she had a passion for photography, yes, but more so for the aesthetic she captured on film. Her dedication to her craft was clearly there. So why did she end her life?
Untitled, 1980.
Like me, Francesca was born and raised in Colorado. She spent her formative years primarily in Boulder, where her parents worked as professors at CU. She spent summers in Florence, Italy, a place where her artistic aspirations thrived, as she was surrounded by museums. She took photography while at boarding school in Massachusetts, and in 1975 began attending Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), quite confident in her artistic abilities. As she further added to her portfolio, she remained determined to make her mark, specifically in becoming a fashion photographer. She thrived in school, but by the time she graduated, photography was not in vogue.
Moving to New York City, Francesca worked tirelessly in promoting her work and skills as a photographer, but met little success. Colleagues describe her as being needy and intense in nature, utterly dedicated to her craft but just as fragile in emotion. Acquaintances also cite Francesca’s desire to outshine the art accomplishments of her parents. Despite sending her portfolio to numerous companies and agencies, nothing came to fruition; others cited her work as too avant-garde. The first break came fall 1980, when Francesca attempted suicide for the first time. Family and friends did their best to monitor her, but her depression remained.
Eel Series, 1977-78.
When Francesca learned that her application for funding from the National Endowment of Arts was rejected, it appears that this was the final straw. Already dealing with the aftermath of a failed relationship, Francesca was in crisis. She made her final journal entry, then made her way to a nearby building in New York’s Lower East Side, and jumped from a window.
Untitled, 1979-80.
At her death, Francesca’s work was unknown. However, in the years and decades following, her work has, finally, garnered much attention and critical praise. Since 1985, there have been several solo exhibitions of her work, the latest having been 2019-2020’s Francesca Woodman: Portrait of a Reputation held at Denver’s Museum of Modern Contemporary Art (how I wish I’d attended)! There are also several books showcasing her photographs and notebooks, as well as a full length documentary, The Woodmans, released on the 30th anniversary of her death, in January 2011.
Book by Drew Sawyer and Nora Abrams, 2019.
I can’t help but wonder what Francesca, had she lived, would have made of social media, especially Instagram. Would she scoff at the “selfies” made by Milennials and Zoomers, citing them as uninspired, due to how easy it is to snap pics with a SmartPhone? How would she perceive SmartPhones as a device for taking photos? Are such devices blasphemous to photography? Or would she embrace all these changes, and perhaps envy Instagram, silently cursing for it not having existed when she was young, as it would’ve provided her with a more concrete platform for her work? Just as it so tempting, and easy, to analyze Francesca’s photography via the lens of her tragic death, so it is with asking these hypothetical questions. But one thing remains constant: Francesca’s conviction of her role as an artist, as she wrote, “I was (am?) not unique but special. This is why I was an artist…I was inventing a language for people to see the everyday things that I also see…and show them something different.” And that “something different” is what draws people to her photographs, as they “contrast to the cool slickness of the digital,” while embracing “tactility and decay in a very sensual and seductive way,” remarks Corey Keller, a curator of photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I couldn’t agree more. Francesca took photographs the old fashioned way, and combined with her artistic vision, made her images forever timeless—and forever haunting.
~LMC
*Note: All images are by Francesca Woodman unless where otherwise noted.
The white shirt on the right is the shirt I got the night I saw David Bowie perform live on his 2004 Reality Tour, 20 years ago on this very day, 25th April 2004 (thank you so much Laurie for this shirt)!
