Snow, books, kits, horses...

The inch or so of snow on the ground had melted by one yesterday afternoon - it rained again late last night, and again turned to snow. So there is about an inch of snow on the grass again - and, again, it is under laid by a nice slick coating of ice. I wore my Yak Trax again when I walked this morning. It's 21 outside, and I have the patio door open so the kits can check out the lie of the land. Small birds and squirrels are still visiting several times a day - and there is a little bit of seed left on the patio... Yesterday I was treated to the sound of about 30 sparrows and finches in full throat while they were visiting the seed on the pavement. The weather folks are saying that we might have a few more snow showers today - but currently the sun is shining in an almost cloudless sky. Our next precipitation is predicted to be rain Wednesday evening... we'll see.


I am now reading a book on the history of North Wales - looking at the marriage of Llewelyn ap Iowerth ap Owain Fawr and the illegitimate daughter of King John. The history begins when Henry II is King, and continues on through all the crazy politics and double-crosses of the time. Next, I'll start reading a new (to me) series by James Rollins, a DVM from the University of Missouri - thanks for the tip, cousin Sarah! Lovey and Banichi have been attached to me all weekend, other than a few forays out into the mud, after which they come and love me all over again. Banichi brought me his favorite shoe string while I was in bed last night; Lovey has become a permanent growth on my legs when I'm in bed.

Yesterday the three-year-old colt, Pioneerof the Nile, won the Santa Anita Derby under the ride of Garret Gomez. I Want Revenge, ridden by Joe Talamo, won the Wood Memorial, and Musket Man, carrying Eibar Coa, won the Illinois Derby (having won the Tampa Bay Derby last month). The push to the Kentucky Derby is on its way - next Saturday, April 11, the Arkansas Derby will be run; then it's only three weeks until the big day at Churchill Downs... who will be America's Sweetheart horse? If any of the jockey's names above sound familiar, Gomez and Talamo were covered in the Animal Planet series Jockeys! and Coa was mentioned several times. And, yes, the two seemingly separate words "Pioneer" and "of" are run together in the Santa Anita Derby winner's name - it has to do with the allowed number of letters,numbers and spaces in the names of all registered thoroughbreds. - Have a good Sunday!