Swimming & the New Jersey Botanical Gardens on the Last Weekend of Summer 2018

This was the last weekend of the summer. I would say that we were still recovering from our recent trip out west, but more accurate would likely be that I was still recuperating from it. My son seemed to be right back with his normal levels of energy, which is likely how it should be. He is obviously far younger, after all.

We had to read a book in a hurry, because he will have a book project due very quickly into the new school year. We had to finish reading Jack London's "White Fang." We are not quite done during the time of my writing this, although we have less than 20 pages to go, and we need to absolutely get it done, as I understand it, by Thursday, because the project gets assigned on Friday.

Obviously, this took up a huge portion of our free time this weekend. However, it was not the only fun activities that we engaged in. I made sure to take him swimming on Sunday and Monday, when the weather cooperated. 

Yesterday, meanwhile, on his last real day of summer vacation, I decided that it would be nice to go to the Skylands Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, New Jersey. This park has been one of our family favorites since I was a young boy, and it still remains one of the truly greatest places that I know of in the Garden State. We got some fresh air, and enjoyed the beauty and serenity while reading more of "White Fang."

As ideal a way of saying goodbye to a great summer that was, I think! Some great memories that we shared together for the summer, from concerts (Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, Ann Wilson, Jeff Beck, Paul Rodgers, Live, the Counting Crows, and the Smashing Pumpkins), to France winning the World Cup, to an incredible and unforgettable trip out west. 

Now, summer is just about officially over, and for most people, it feels like it is realistically over. However, we both are looking forward to the new academic year, where more memories of a different kind will be made. He is a great kid, and I love him with all of my heart, and wish him the very best for the upcoming year. It still suns me that he will be in the 7th grade. To me, the 7th grade was the first year that felt sort of modern, if you will, where there was a clear divide between the place I had just left (the 6th grade) and a school experience that was much more like high school. My boy is certainly growing up!

Here are some pictures from our Labor Day weekend. I included Tuesday's visit to Skylands, since we both had some time to enjoy it, and it felt like an extension of the weekend:

During the last two days when it was still open, my son and I got to enjoy the swimming pool at my complex:

NFC East Preview for the 2018-19 Season

The Philadelphia Eagles came out of nowhere last season to dominate the NFC during the regular season with a league best record of 13-3. Many figured that this success would not carry over to the postseason, and the Eagles became the first top-seeded team to be underdogs in their divisional round playoff game, despite enjoying home field. But Philly won. Then, many expected the Vikings to make short work of the Eagles in the NFC title game. Instead, Philly won again, and by a blowout. Then, they were underdogs against the Patriots, the dynasty of this era. Most figured that superior experience, and some incredible talent on New England's part, would tip the scales in their favor. But Philly won again, earning their first ever Super Bowl championship, and their first NFL title since 1960 - well over half a century ago. Meanwhile, two other teams in this division - Dallas and the New York Giants - hoped to make the playoffs for a second straight season, but fell short. The Cowboys fell a bit short, but the Giants fell way short, finishing with the second worst record in the league. Washington was in the mix there somewhere, but their 7-9 record meant that they were well out of the playoff hunt, as well. That means that the glaringly obvious favorite in this division would be the Eagles, although if recent trends continue, Dallas's up one season, down the next season tendencies would have them bouncing back this year. Washington may step up, too. And let's face it, the Giants really have nowhere to go but up. One thing that Philadelphia's win secured is that this division becomes the first, and so far only, division in the NFL in which every team has won at least one Super Bowl. And right now, even though these are not the glory days of the early nineties, when this division usually boasted at least three or four teams who could conceivably win it all, it is not unrealistic to think that they have at least two teams who, if everything goes right for them, could wind up playing on Super Bowl Sunday once again. This will be an interesting year for the NFC East, to say the least. 

So, how does the NFC East shape up? Let me take a shot at it:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (projected first place) - The Eagles were one of the few teams in league history to go from a losing season one year (7-9 in 2016) to an astonishing Super Bowl championship the next, finishing 13-3 and taking the title. And they stayed hot after losing their starting quarterback, winning the title with a backup, becoming the first team since the 1990-91 New York Giants to manage that feat. So, how did that happen, anyway? Well, it helped that everything seemed to come together at the same time. The Eagles offense suddenly looked as explosive as many had believed they might become. They scored 20 points or more in all but three regular season games, and one of those was the regular season finale, which meant nothing to them, and where they rested their starters. And on defense, they proved very tough, as well. They held opponents to 10 points or less six times during the regular season, and their explosive offense kept them well ahead in most games. In the playoffs, Philly's offense scored a whopping 94 points, averaging over 31 points per game, which made them obviously tough to beat. The Falcons did not manage it, the Vikings did not even come close, and the mighty Patriots even fell short in the end. So, hail to the champions, but now what? Will last season's championship challenge them to see how good they can truly be? Or will they begin to feel the pressure of having the target on their chests now, or perhaps be overly self-satisfied? I figure that they will likely have a bit of a slowdown, although they looked so good last season, even while man doubted them, that they probably still feel they have something to prove. That does not necessarily mean that they will win another title, although that is not out of the realm of possibility. But I like them to win this division, at the very least.

1. Dallas Cowboys (projected second place) - The Dallas Cowboys have become a difficult team to make predictions for. They finished last season with a 9-7 record, failing to make the playoffs just one year after finishing 13-3, and seemingly being on the verge of having a powerhouse. The season prior to that, they had gone 4-12, but they had finished 12-4 in 2014, and only narrowly missed out on an opportunity to play in the NFC Championship Game with a controversial loss at Green Bay. Yet the year before that, they had gone 8-8, and had not made the playoffs for years prior. Let's face it, the days of dynasties in Dallas appears to be over, at least for now. This, despite the fact that they seem to have strong talent in every major position, from QB to running back to wide receivers, and a strong offensive line to protect them all. Their defense was not an elite unit, yet they are not that bad, either. This is a team that, if all goes well, could not only win this division, but make a serious run in the playoffs, and possibly find themselves in the Super Bowl. Yet, so wildly inconsistent have the Cowboys been in the Jerry Jones years since their last Super Bowl title well over two decades ago, that it would not be surprising if they have yet another disappointing season where they fall short of the playoffs again. There just is no telling where this team will be, or how they wind up. They could be among the very best, or they could be seriously disappointing. But  figure that they have enough talent to at least make the playoffs, and so I will be going with that. 

3. Washington (projected third place) - Washington, like Dallas, is one of those teams where it is difficult to tell just how good, or how bad, they will be. Several times, I have expected them to be bad, and they wind up in the playoffs, or even winning the division. Then, several times, I expected them to be a potentially serious factor, and they sank closer to the bottom of the league. Hard to tell where they will wind up this season, especially after the departure of their starting QB. Washington's offense was middle of the pack last season, while their defense was closer to being one of the worst units in the league. In literally half of their games, they allowed 29 points or more. Without an explosive, elite offense, they were destined to lose the majority of those games, and that was simply too costly. In fact, Washington went 0-8 in those games when they allowed 29 points or more, literally not winning a single of those games. clearly, they need to work on strengthening their defense, to give the offense a chance. But how will the offense respond to a new quarterback situation? There just seems to be far too many questions, and not enough answers, for this franchise, and the only weak team in this division at this moment would be the Giants. Washington cannot rely on wins against either Dallas or Philly, and remember that they went 1-5 in divisional play last season. Hard to see how they can be a factor in the playoffs if they do not significantly improve some of those weaknesses, and right now, I just do not see it. If it were not for the Giants being in this division, I would place this team for a last place finish. 

2. New York Giants (projected last place) - The Giants were terrible - just absolutely horrific - last season. I have been a fan since 1981, and it is telling that they never quite sank to the level of depths that they reached consistently last season. Coming off an impressive 11-5 playoff season in 2016, some had the Giants going not only back to the playoffs, but even to the Super Bowl. Many figured that then coach McAdoo would open up the offense, and have this team as a virtual powerhouse. But the Giants got off to a horrendous 0-5 start, and never recovered. Everything went wrong. The offense sputtered, and despite some enormous talent, with a two time Super Bowl MVP and an elite set of receivers, the Giants never looked like they could get anything going with any consistency on offense. Six times, they were held to 10 points or less, and they were held to 20 points or less 10 times. For a second consecutive season, the Giants failed to score 30 points or more in a single game. Their defense was nowhere near good enough to save them, for that matter, ranking near the bottom of the league, as well. But it was really the offense which highlighted how spectacular a failure last season was, given the talent and the overly high, and frankly unrealistic, expectations placed on them. On top of it, you could see it coming, because they had strong offensive talent for years, but did not have the offensive line to give Manning and the offense time, not to mention protection. That had been the case the previous season. So what did the Giants do? They obtained still another high profile receiver, and largely ignored the glaring problems with the O-line. Sure enough, that came to be their downfall. Personally, I am still not quite sure that they did enough to improve the offensive line, although their draft should improve both the running game, as well as the defense. But this team literally had the second worst record in the league last season. Only the 0-16 Cleveland Browns had a worse record. The Giants entered the regular season finale with a 2-13 mark overall, before winning their one and only game against an NFC opponent. With the level of talent, this team really should be better, but right now, I just do not see them making a miraculous turnaround to get out of the basement. 

Iconic Newspaper The Village Voice Closes Down Operations

Some sad news recently, as a cultural icon, the Village Voice newsletter, ceased operations late last month.

It is sad news, as I always appreciated seeing issues of the Village Voice, from the 1980's onward. I still have a few old copies of some of my favorite ones, including one with a cartoon done in the theme of Curious George, but which had then President George W. Bush on the cover, suggesting that "Furious George" had "Gone to War."

The Village Voice came to be initially in 1955 by three New Yorkers - Dan Wolf, Edwin Fancher, and one f my favorite authors, the late great Norman Mailer. The New York Times article by Tyler Pager and Jaclyn Peiser described how it went from this more idealistic ownership, to the likes of one particularly notorious media mogul:

They assembled a crew of writers who engaged readers with their wit and provoked them with their penchant for argument. Later owners included Rupert Murdoch and the pet-food magnate Leonard Stern.




Village Voice, a New York Icon, Closes by Tyler Pager and Jaclyn Peiser August 31, 2018:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/business/media/the-village-voice-closes.html

AFC South Preview for the 2018-19 Season

Okay, so it's that time again! 

I went a long time without really writing any previews for the upcoming season, but since the opening game is now just a few days away, it seems like the proper time. Usually, I start these previews with the division of the Super Bowl winner, but something got me onto the AFC South, and I got that done way before any other division. So, for no particular reason, here is the predictions for the AFC South:


The AFC South had been one of the weakest, if not arguably the weakest, division in the league for a few years running. But then last season, it sent two teams to the playoffs, and each team on at least on game once there. The Jaguars were on the verge of qualifying for the Super Bowl, although ultimately, they fell just short. Now, the Jaguars have to be seen as a serious contender, and Tennessee appears to still be a team that is on the rise. The Colts could be good again, although my suspicion is that they will fall short of that again. And the Texans looked miserable last season, and I would be hard pressed to find a reason why they will be much better this season.

Let's take a closer look at the AFC South for this upcoming season:

1. Tennessee Titans (projected division winners) - So, the Titans are a strange and unpredictable team. Yet, I suspect that this year, they will come out on top in this division, which very well may still be the weakest division in the league. Last year, however, it mproved stronger than I had given it credit for. The Titans qualified for the playoffs, and then upset the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs on the road once there, before ultimately getting blown out by New England in the divisional round. Still, Marcus Mariota is getting better and developing with each passing season. He should be better still this season, and provide strong leadership. Neither the offense nor the defense particularly stood out last season, although they showed spurts of improvement. They scored 33 points or more three times during a five game span in the first half of the season. And while the defense had some major lapses, allowing 57 points in one game and 40 in another, they tightened p at other times, allowing no more than 16 points in seven total games. It is hard for me to predict anyone else coming out with the divisional title in the AFC South except for the Titans, because it seems to me that they have been steadily working towards that for several seasons by this point. If they are to continue getting better, now is the time for the division championship as the natural step forward. Anything less, frankly, would be a disappointment. Speaking of disappointments, aren't major changes in uniforms supposed to improve a team's looks? Not a big fan of the new helmets or uniforms, and think that the Titans could have done better, and appeared a whole lot more original, by not giving into the temptation of going for dark blue helmets and jerseys. There are only two teams out there in the NFL with reddish helmets, and one of them is more maroon than red. The Titans could have looked a lot more distinctive with red helmets, I believe. Instead, they look pretty much like every other team that gives itself a supposedly exciting new look. I remember the days when exactly two teams - Pittsburgh and Chicago - had very dark helmets and jerseys, with the Steelers outright black, and the Bears version of navy blue seeming to border on black often times. Now, these helmets and uniforms are a dime a dozen, with the Titans now joining those two teams, as well as the likes of Atlanta, Baltimore, the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle, Jacksonville, Denver, and Houston. Yawn. Still, let's see if new uniforms yield new results, specifically with a division title and another playoff run. I predict that Tennessee will in fact go back to the playoffs, and will win this division, to boot. They just will not look particularly good doing it.

2. Houston Texans (projected second place) - The Houston Texans were atrocious last season. They had a strangely inconsistent offense, although their defense was only too consistent. Consistently horrendous. This team allowed more points than any other team in the league last season, and that will obviously have to change if the Texas hope to contend for the playoffs this year. Houston allowed 29 points or more seven times last season, which was one game shy of half of their entire season. There were only three games where this team allowed less than 20 points last season and only once did they allow 10 points or less (9 points, against Cincinnati). And there were absolutely no games where they allowed less than 20 points following their bye week, which means that when they really had to hunker down later in the season, they instead allowed a ton of points, and were thus never a factor in the playoffs. Not surprisingly, they won only one of those games. On offense, the Texans had one streak of five straight games where they were positively explosive, and scored no less than 33 points in each of those games. Tellingly, it was a sign of just how weak their defense was that while scoring at least 33 points during that five game stretch, they will wound up with a 2-3 record during that stretch. Unfortunately for Houston, the offense completely seemed to run out of gas towards the end of the season, and failed to score more than 16 points in any of their last six games. Clearly, they need to do better if they want to contend. Yet, I suspect that they will, because J.J. Watts will come back, and they have worked all off-season on these issues. Their offense clearly has talent, although they need to find better consistency. Still, I like the Texans to remain competitive enough to finish second, and at least contend for a playoff spot. 

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (projected third place team) - Jacksonville has an amazing season last year. They ranked fifth on offense in the league, and yet, their defense ranked even better. Defensively, this team ranked second, and that was part of the reason that they enjoyed easily their most successful overall season since 1999. Jacksonville only finished 10-6, although they probably could have been a lot better, given how well they played both offensively and defensively. But in the playoffs, they really came alive, knocking off the Bills in the Wildcard, and then stunning the Steelers in Pittsburgh to move to the AFC Championship. There, they tested the Patriots in New England, but ultimately bowed to them. Still, the Jaguars have plenty of reasons to feel great going into this coming season. However, I suspect that they took some opponents by surprise last season, which is a luxury they most certainly will not have this coming season. They could either feed off of the tremendous promise and success that they enjoyed last season, and really test just how good they can be, or they could fall flat, based on the high expectations that they set for themselves. I admit to expecting them to have a tough time adjusting and, ultimately, and see them struggling a bit. My predictions is that this team will finish in third place, and out of the playoffs. But there again, I expected them to be a solid pick for last place last year, and they clearly had other ideas. Maybe they will prove me wrong again. 

1. Indianapolis Colts (projected division winners) - The Colts make me feel a bit delusional, sometimes. They should have been way better than what they have shown in recent seasons, but they have not built upon their run to the AFC Championship Game a few years back. You might remember the "Deflategate" game for 2014-15, when they got absolutely blown away by the Patriots. Ever since then, the Colts have gone nowhere. Last year, it reached the pits for this franchise, as they ranked among the worst teams on both offense and defense, and bottomed out with a 4-12 record. Of course, they did not have Andrew Luck, who was injured, and that accounts for some of it. Luck will be returning this season, however, and that is why I am predicting them to finish in second place this season. That does not necessarily mean that they will be a legitimate playoff contender, but only that they should improve upon last season's dismal results. The Colts defense allowed 25 points or more a whopping seven times, and the offense cracked 30 points or more only once. Expect that to change with Luck in charge, at least. I see the Colts offense being potentially a whole lot better this coming season, although that defense might still prevent them from being too competitive. Ultimately, this division went from almost the joke of the league, to being filled with pretty decent teams, and that will make it difficult for the Colts to field a competitive team. But even if that comes true, and Indy is a non-factor, at least they did not change their uniforms to be as boring and predictable as humanly possible, like their division rivals, the Titans, went ahead and did, right?

Remembering the Reason Behind Labor Day

Okay, yes, summer is basically over now. I know officially, it is not over, and there still remains a good couple of weeks or so before it officially becomes autumn. But for all intents and purposes, Labor Day marks the de facto end of summer. Vacation season is over, school is about to begin again, the days are growing shorter, and the weather is getting cooler (at least in the northern hemisphere, it is).

There is one thing that I wanted to acknowledge about this particular holiday weekend, however, and that is that Labor Day should be honored and remembered, every bit as much as the various holidays honoring military veterans. We see reminders for the sacrifices of members of the military, particularly for those who fought in wars, and that is fine.

But unions have been demonized for entirely too long in the United States. Republicans, including current presidential hopeful Scott Walker, among others, are well known for their opposition to unions, and their union busting methods. Many Americans dismiss unions as virtual criminal organizations, and blast them on charges of corruption (although funnily enough, they do not seem to be nearly as bothered when politicians that they themselves support show evidence of being guilty of corruption). Walmart has closed stores almost as soon as employees at certain Walmart locations managed to achieve unions, and if that is not a prime example of corporate intimidation, then I do not know what is.

Let us remember our history, and let us open our eyes to certain realities that still exist in the world today.  Not long ago in many now advanced, industrialized nations that enjoy a high standard of living today, there were no labor laws. Work days were much, much longer, anywhere from 10 hours a day to 12 hours a day. Pay was low, benefits nonexistent, and there were no weekends. No safety regulations, either. No health benefits, and no laws preventing children from working.

Look at us now. Whatever the problems that each industrialized nation is now facing, children receive an education, first and foremost. Most of these countries have some sort of minimum wage (although the minimum wage in the United States is widely discredited as not qualifying as a living wage), and all have laws preventing child labor. Each country has laws to provide certain benefits to citizens, including social security and pensions and medical benefits and vacation time. The United States has a 40-hour work week, as do many other countries, and some have even shorter weeks. Also, most people have weekends off.

That, I believe, strongly qualifies as progress. That does not mean that we should be lulled to sleep, and to take things for granted. As Jefferson said, each generation needs to stir things up, in order to keep things fresh, and keep on their toes to fight the inevitable encroachments of these freedoms and liberties that powers that be will inevitably attack and go after.

Still, that said, I think we should take time to think about all that we have gained, and to be thankful for it. To recognize it for what it is: a victory. We do not live in the same, extremely difficult circumstances and poor working conditions as our ancestors did generations ago. That, in large part, is because of unions that worked tirelessly against very powerful and greedy forces working to undermine them every step of the way. This was a fight that did not come easily, or without sacrifice, but it was a necessary fight. We are enjoying the fruits of that victory today, although it is constantly under attack, especially in the United States.

Let us recognize the necessity of unions today, and recognize the bona fide successes that unions managed to give us. It is the reason that we were able to enjoy a three day weekend, and the reason that we are able to enjoy as much free time on the weekends in general as we do. We may take that for granted these days, but we do not have to look back too far on the past to see that this was not always the case. Nor do we have to travel very far in this ever shrinking world to see that these same rights and benefits do not extend to everyone. There are plenty of third world countries out there where exploitation and child labor and working for virtual slave wages with absolutely no benefits are the norm, and we would do well to keep that in mind, as an example of the alternative that awaits us, if we take these hard won gains for granted.

So today, the day after Labor Day, I take a moment to recognize the real meaning behind Labor Day, and why we should celebrate this holiday beyond the back yard barbecues and shopping sales. It means something much, much more than all of that, and we should take a moment to reflect and remember that.

Good Luck to My Brother on His Move to the Adirondacks

Today, there really is only one subject that I will be touching upon, and so I will be interrupting the posts on the recent trip out West which my son and I recently got back from, in order to post on something entirely different. 

My brother is going to be moving from northern New Jersey, where he has lived for the vast majority of his life, to northern New York, where to my knowledge, no one in our family has ever lived. Nor, to my knowledge, does he go there really knowing anyone else.

That makes this a move that takes courage.

Yes, he will be moving to Port Henry, which is right by Lake Champlain,which divides New York from Vermont. So, he will be close to both states, and will also not be far from Plattsburgh, New York. 

For that matter, he will be relatively close to the Canadian border, which I suspect is no small part of the reason why he chose this area to begin with. After all, my family is French, and Canada (particularly the French speaking province of Quebec) has long been an attractive draw, and our closest and most convenient link to Francophone culture.

I think that the pressures and annoyances of life in New Jersey, not to mention how unaffordable it is, was a major factor in his moving so far away. Port Henry is approximately a four hour drive, give or take.

Going to the countryside, far away from New Jersey, where the levels of stress tend to be high for many people, is an understandable move, if and when it can be done. Plus, being close to picturesque mountains, as well as relatively close to a French speaking land (my brother can make the trip easily for a weekend, and even fairly easily for a day trip) is not bad. Certainly, it is not worse than New Jersey. He will not have to deal with massive traffic jams, and the relentlessness of overpriced housing and overcrowding, all of which are clearly prevalent in New Jersey. Good for him if he succeeds in managing to distance himself from all of that. 

So, I wish him all the best on his move up there, and truly hope everything works out there to his liking!

Good luck, brother!

Ghostly Reflections in Stanley Hotel's Mirrors?

So, yesterday, I abruptly stopped writing my usual blog entry, which was focused on the recent trip to the Rockies that my son and I took. After seeing something that I could not really explain, and which may - with the emphasis on may - be evidence of some strange occurrence in a mirror there, I decided to focus on it today, and perhaps organize my own thoughts on the matter in the process.

There are three pictures that I took of the mirror, and it should be noted that I had heard that strange things had been seen in pictures after the fact, at least in this particular hotel, which is supposed to be haunted. Now, it also should be noted that I felt nothing while actually visiting the hotel. Yes, I am a Stephen King fan, and I was there to see the hotel that served as the inspiration for his famous novel, "The Shining." Stanley Kubrick made a very famous, even iconic, movie that is fairly loosely based on the book, although King himself was not a fan of the movie, feeling that it focused too much on the man (Jack Nicholson's character, Jack Torrence, who he says clearly seems insane), and not enough on the hotel itself, which King stresses is where the real evil in the story can be found. Ultimately, a television miniseries was aired in 1997, more than a decade and a half after the famous first film came out, and it was more to King's liking. It was filmed right at the Stanley Hotel.

Now, King probably got some sense that there was something strange about the Stanley Hotel, which he stayed at before writing "The Shining," and which clearly served as the inspiration. But that did not mean that I, personally, expected to feel anything. And, let's face it, I didn't. It was interesting, and suppose perhaps even might be spooky at night. But during the daytime, it felt like any grand old house or building. Yes, it can have an eerie feel to it, but that could be said of almost any place, quite literally. Make a claim that ghosts were spotted, or that strange and inexplicable occurrences keep happening somewhere, and you will likely get a whole bunch of people who will visit and claim that they felt something.

That said, I took the tour, and only noticed how strange this particular photo (the third one within this group of pictures, although it might have been the first photo that I took - will have to double-check) actually was. Here's the deal: there are three pictures of a mirror taken from the same angle. Two of them appear normal, with the mirror revealing nothing unusual. But one picture shows something blurry within it. So let's first take a look at the two normal pictures, if you will:

Okay, so one thing that I noticed in the second picture is that there is what appears to be a dress in the lower right corner. She must have been walking toward the lobby, and looking to her right, but not towards me or the camera. That explains why she would have come out blurry, I imagine. The more that I look at the figure, the more it seems to me that it is a person, with their head turned to the right, towards the front desk, but not back and to the right, towards the camera, and me. 

So, while it was exciting and incredibly intriguing for a little while, I do believe that this is the explanation for this. It took me by surprise, and definitely caught my attention. I showed it to a few people, and they, also, were intrigued. But when I decided to take a much closer look at all of the pictures, it was inescapable to me that the dress is clearly revealed in the second picture.

Also, it seems that a face can kind of be made out, albeit distorted by the movement, towards the bottom of the picture, near the staircase. It is not clear, to be sure, and I had assumed that my cell camera was a bit better quality than this. But when I stopped focusing exclusively on what seemed, at first glance and with the initial excitement, to be an apparition, I noticed that the design on the walls appeared a bit blurry, as well, which is not the case in the other pictures.

All of this would suggest that this case is closed, and that there really is no huge mystery to be solved here.

Still, this intrigued me enough to review all of the photos taken at the Stanley Hotel on this trip more thoroughly, and to investigate and scrutinize them a bit more closely. It might take some time, but I will post them all here, even though some are repetitive, like this one of this mirror by the stairway near the lobby.