Are we having fun yet?

Who doesn't love a cowboy in pajamas? The 3 ton, 20 foot tall sculpture at 1725 Champa Street has admirers and detractors.  That's abstract art for you, and art that sparks conversations.  This, western-inspired,  painted bronze sculpture was created by Sean O'Meallie.  Its placement near the Renaissance Hotel harks back to when there was an annual pajama fundraiser held there.  Perhaps now someone will start a photo collection of pajama-clad people posing with the sculpture.  We could feature that on Wacky Denver!

I love the varied sounds of a city.  These wacky samples are from RTD buses.  The first two are announcements from onboard.  The automated announcer turns Wynkoop street into a hiccup and Stout sounds like a question being asked with a slight inflection.

Not to be outdone, you can now hear a science-fictiony sound loop emanating from the front of the electric buses on the 16th Street mall.  Here's what it sounds like:

Although it's been disputed by other towns and cities, Louis Ballast trademarked the name "cheeseburger" in 1935.  His restaurant, the Humpty Dumpty Drive In, is alas no more.  But if you go to the Key Bank at 2776 N. Speer Boulevard, you'll find a small marble monument heralding him and his restaurant.  You'll have to look closely for the marker, it's barely three feet tall.  To properly toast one for Louis and his "curb girls" who delivered the cheeseburgers, the nearest spots are Park Burger and Highland Tap and Grill on 32nd Avenue, north of the marker.  A little further away, but at a lower price point, you'll find Burger King on Federal Boulevard and another on 38th Avenue.

Out on the plains of Colorado, a short drive from urban Denver in the heart of the surrounding farmland, you'll find lions and tigers and bears. For real.

The 720 acrea Wild Animal Sanctuary is a work-in-progress of massive fenced areas and agricultural pavilions connected by a suspended walkway that allows visitors to tour the animal enclosures safely from the sky.

In addition to learning a little about large predators and other rescue animals, the facility itself is an head scratching collection of industrial constructions and contraptions that make the security of guests and animals possible. The 1.51 mile elevated footbridge is Guiness Book of World Records certified as the longest.

And they have a snack bar serving pizza, just to round out the experience.

The "I Made It" community woodshop is a makerspace with a welcoming old school vibe.  The wood is locally sourced, the pricing is by project and folks are ready to help you bring your wood creation to life.  To top it off, you can book parties including their house beer and wine while they teach you how to make...drink coasters of course.  More serious woodwrights can make one of kind pieces of furniture.  This is where your DIY project can become a masterpiece.

The RINO neighborhood of Denver certainly has plenty of murals to see, but only one transforms as you walk, ride or drive by it.  The artist, Jeremy Burns, took advantage of the louvres or some might say fins of the building on Larimer just north of 27th Street.  He titles it "Larimer Boy and Girl".  Here's a video of the effect:

In what hopefully be an ongoing festival/project, kids from the Five Points area of Denver have recorded poems and stories.  When you walk by a tree with a kite and streamers in it a motion activated recording is played.  Walk along the east side of 2600 Champa street to hear their authentic, imaginative work.

It sounds like the perfect alibi: "That couldn't have been me, I was at Grandma's house" or "You know nothing bad ever happens at Grandma's house".  Besides indulging in alibis and irony you can drink beer, play games and join with others in activities such as foul-mouthed cross stitching on Sundays all while surrounded by all the decorations you would find at your grandmothers.