Sleep, Belmont, Critters

I slept like a log last night... and, to my consternation, I slept like a log yesterday afternoon, as well. Once I left Brigadoon yesterday, I walked out to the bus stop on the Diagonal; I caught the bus, came home with my over-night bag, and fed and loved the kits. I sat down in my (oh, so comfy!) reading chair to give the kits a few more minutes of attention before going to walk Rosie and Remy. To my chagrin, I awoke a few minutes after 5 p.m., having slept away the entire afternoon (with the kits draped all over me) ... then I slept like a log last night, missed my morning walk, and just snuggled with Lovey and Banichi. - Maybe I needed a vacation? - I've been to the store, fed the kits, cleaned the litter boxes, taken out the trash, let the kits out to roam - and I now have little black mud pawprints across my yellow "Swim with the Ponies" shirt (Thank you, again, Carolyn!!). It's not quite 50 degrees outside, and clouds and fog are obscuring Flagstaff Mountain and the Flatirons. - Last night my heater ran several times!

Not a lot going on in Boulder - grocery store workers are still in talks about their contracts; Boulder Valley teachers agreed to a new contract with the school district, but aren't happy with it; and the Boulder City Council wants another pay raise - same old stuff. ... Belmont Park has now met all of it's safety standards for accreditation by the NTRA. Entries have been announced, post positions drawn, and racing odds announced for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. There are 10 horses entered in the race. Mine That Bird will break from the 7 post, and early odds have him the favorite at 2 to 1; he is facing 5 former opponents that he defeated in both the Derby and/or Preakness: Chocolate Candy (#1, at 10 to 1 odds, with Mike Smith aboard), Dunkirk (#2, at 4 to 1, with Edgar Prado in the irons), Summer Bird ( #4, at 12 to 1 odds, with jockey Kent Desormeaux), Luv Gov (#5, at 20 to 1 odds), and Flying Private (#8, at 12 to 1 odds, with Julien Laparoux in the saddle). The other fours starters are Mr. Hot Stuff, a Canadian born, bred, and based colt, from post position #3, odds of 15 to 1- and he has John Velasquez as his jock (John is known for skimming the hedges of the turf course, like Calvin Borel rides the rail on the dirt); Charitable Man, the 3 to 1 second betting choice from # 6; and two Nick Zito entries #9 Miner's Escape and #10 Brave Victory, both opening at odds of 15 to 1 (and Nick Zito knows how to be a spoiler and how to win the Belmont Stakes). But I'm still sticking with Mine That Bird.

I haven't written about the myriad of wildlife I enjoyed observing while out at Brigadoon - there were lots of birds, raccoons, fox, skunks, scores of young cottontails, and late in the evening the serenade of the coyotes.... Walking to and from the bus stop, I saw numerous prairie dogs, waterbirds around Coot Lake, and meadowlarks. I also found that I still have my old horse magic - I was drawing horses from across pastures and across the road as I walked... Some of the guys, at a farther distance actually trotted or cantered to get close to me for a pat before I passed the end of their pasture fencing. I have to admit that made me feel good!