My friend, the Gentle Author, did a book “The Cries of London”, which featured vintage depictions of street vendors.     We don’t have enough pedestrian traffic here to have street sellers, but we do have plenty of people who stand around on street corners twirling signs at the passing traffic.   So I guess that the “cries” here are mostly silent, but here are a few of the people that I see when I am driving around.

Of course our state is famous for legalizing marijuana.   But, there are some restrictions.   In Pueblo and Manitou Springs you can just walk into any pot shop and buy as much weed as you like (or can afford), as it is a cash only business.   To buy it here in town, you need to have a medical marijuana card from a doctor that says you need it for a medical condition (and plenty of cash).   I would think that this product would sell itself, but this guy was out standing on the street corner to draw business to this shop.   From the great number of these pot shops you might think that we have an enormous number of sick people living here.

Right down the street from that guy I spotted this young lady.   I yelled “Hey Penguin” and she turned so I could take her picture.   She was advertising a vacancy at an apartment complex.

This place is quite near my house, so I often see these guys out.   Whenever business is slow, they make the employees get out to drum up business, in the best tradition of street sellers.  Some days this spot is given over to the barber shop flogging cheap haircuts, and on Valentines Day I saw someone from the shop that sells naughty knickers.

This pirate was advertising for a chiropractor.    Perhaps the treatment included keelhauling or plank walking as well.

These people can be seen all over town at this time of year.   No they are not dressed as the statue of liberty to tax your freedom, they are trying to get you to use their service for having your taxes prepared.   This guy was done with his shift of sign waving and was headed to the office to collect his money.

This distant shot shows one of the many beggars that are out soliciting money.   For this task one needs a hand lettered cardboard sign.  Even if they are out there in the same spot every day, there are no professional looking signs.   Popular slogans are:  anything helps, God bless, homeless veteran, travelling through, etc.

Well it started out as a saint’s day, that meant if you went to mass on that day they might mention him.   Or if you went to St. Patrick’s school, like my brothers, you would get the day off.   But because he is the Irish saint, the day has become a secular holiday, with plenty of drinking (just say “no” to green beer) and the eating of the corned beef and cabbage.   And like many other holidays, his day has become movable instead of fixed,  for instance our fair city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on the Saturday before.   But, I was downtown on the real St. Patrick’s Day for the monthly photo event, and these were a few of the photos I shot.

This homeless guy had trained his little dog to ride on his shoulders.   Some kind person was buying them lunch and they were waiting on it. The local soup kitchen is about three blocks away, but there were plenty of street people out working the lunchtime crowds.

The theme for the day was “the photoing o’ the green”, and I loved this bike going by.

H. Dumpty (not a very Irish name) had on a lovely green outfit, so he fit the theme.

Out enjoying the sunshine before today’s snow, this fellow was sharing an Irish joke with passing folks.

Just a bit of street art, covering up a functional utility box in a pretty way.

I just liked the reflections when I took this picture, and if you look closely, why there’s a photographer caught in the picture.

I’m not sure what St. Patrick would think of the kitsch sold in his honor, or what the day has become.   I’m sure he would like to be known for his saintly deeds in converting the heathens, but at least he is remembered.

On today’s walk, Miss P and I took some time to explore an enormous Christian ministry that is not a church.

Focus on the Family moved to town in 1993 from California (expensive and full of heathens), joining the numerous Christian organizations that are located here.  Focus has four buildings with 526,070 square feet of space that sit on 47 acres of landscaping and parking lots.   This organization was founded by a psychologist, James Dobson, and he started out with just a radio show.   He ran the organization until 2003, then he was a figurehead, and he has totally left the organization now.

Again, it’s hard to show in pictures just how enormous this campus is.

Not shown is the gigantic dish for broadcasting their daily message.   It’s sort of hidden in the back.

There is a visitor center for tourists, they even have a sign out on the motorway (this is very unusual for a private organization, much less one with a religious affiliation).   And they have a bookstore with lots of conservative Christian books, dvd’s, etc. etc.

There are a few bits of art on the grounds.

But overall, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the gorgeous setting, the amazing views of the mountain.

At the height of the organization’s influence they had about 1400 employees.   Now they are down to just over 600, which is still an impressive workforce.    And they still generate controversy, but not as much as they used to.