Imbolc Black Mountain Moon
Forecasts of 16-20 inches didn’t stop me from driving 45 minutes into Denver to play sheepshead. We had vigorous snow showers in the mid-afternoon, then nothing. No snow on the way in though there was heavy snow in southern Denver and in the close burbs coming back at 10:00 pm.
Cards were better for me last night. We had 7 players and 5 handed is the preferred form of the game. We had enough all evening to play it. The dealer and the person to their right sitting out didn’t seem as disruptive last night, partly because we had a round table.
We played for $.10 a point, the first time I’ve played sheepshead for money. When I left at 10 pm, I picked up my dime in winnings and left it on the table as a tip for the waitress. (whom I had tipped when I checked out, too.) That sounds like I didn’t do too well, but the only other player in the plus column was Terry, the Wittenberg, Wisconsin retired dairy farmer. He had 40 points when I left. Everyone one else sat in negative numbers, the best -5. So not too bad.
The drive from Conifer to the Village Inn goes on 4-lane Highway 285 north until Sheridan Avenue, then 285 continues as Hampden Street. It’s also four-lane most of the time, sometimes six, but has stop-lights. I actually enjoy the drive through the metro area, seeing the changing neighborhoods, the different retail and residential configurations.
Once I turn north on Colorado Avenue, the drive gets even more interesting. There is a stretch with several Mediterranean spots: The Marrakech, the Shawirma Palace, The Beirut. Just beyond them are some Asian restaurants including a couple of sushi joints. Colorado is a main street running from Hampden all the way into the northern neighborhoods of Denver.