Wet, Cool Tuesday in Boulder

It's 50 degrees and misting outside. They weather folks said we'd have low 70s yesterday, and we got up to 59; they say 60 degrees here at noon today with a high of 65 around 5 p.m. I'll believe it when I see it. We've had an inch and a half of rain since Friday, which might not sound like much, but for this semi-arid climate, has been a very pleasant surprise. And it's been cool as well, with temps in the upper 50s and lower 60s - not the mid-70s that was forecast. - The floor of my apartment is made of square tiles - three different shades of what I call "industrial" brown (light, medium and dark) that is laid in a random pattern. I had the door open for the kids to run in and out last night, as usual, and didn't really think about it.... This morning, I got up in the semi-dark, and as I was walking to the bathroom, stepped on something soft, damp, and round, that *squished* under my foot. Yuck! Banichi apparently brought in several of his dead earthworms last night and left them lying on the darker-colored tiles. I guess I'm going to have to sweep the floor before I go to bed these days...

Calvin Borel exercised Mine That Bird yesterday at Churchill Downs; Rachel Alexandra was also worked, but her owners and trainer have yet to announce their decision about running her in the Belmont. So Borel and the Bird crew are kinda sitting on a bubble.... A young jockey at Arlington Raceway brought his horse over in front of jockey Rene Douglas's mount Friday. Douglas' mount clipped heels with the horse in front of her, and flipped, somersaulting Rene over her head and then falling and rolling on top of him. The horse is reported to be fine, other than shaken up from her fall. Rene Douglas underwent a 7+ hour surgery on his back, and now seems to be paralyzed from the neck down, and may never walk or ride again. The young jockey who caused the accident has been suspended for 30 days for "dangerous riding." ... And the Denver Nuggets have tied the series with the LA Lakers at 2 and 2.

Lovey is having a ball with the dampness. My desk is covered with muddy pawprints, and she delights in coming in, sitting in front of the PC monitor, and shaking like a dog, flinging rain water and mud al over the place. Banichi, of course, is having a great time playing with the earthworms, but otherwise doesn't appreciate the dampness outside. The screens on my window and patio door are provided by the management, of course. They use the new lightweight plastic screen (of course). Yesterday, while I was out cheering for the Bolder Boulder racers, the squirrels had enough waiting for me to come back inside so that they could eat. Luckily I had put the metal child gate inside the window so the kits couldn't escape. It also kept the squirrels out yesterday. When I returned inside, I found a large hole ripped into the screen, and small pieces of screening laying on the patio. There were also two squirrels who looked angry sitting outside the patio door. I guess I'm going to replace the screens with good old-fashioned aluminum screening - hopefully that will keep the squirrels at bay.