Thundering Thursday

Rosie and Remy have gotten so used to me that they tried to knock me out of bed last night. When I was ready to climb into bed, I found Remy stretched out in my spot and Rosie gracefully draped across the bottom of the bed. I patted Remy and finally poked him a couple of times, but he had decided to play dead; so I grabbed his legs and rolled him over to clear a space that I could lay down on. Just before I turned out the light, I was on the receiving end of a very reproachful stare. Around three this morning, the red kids were lying beside me - and both stretched out their legs at the same time and almost pushed me off the bed. Then, as I came out of the bathroom, I found that one of the Rs had pulled all of Joel's work-out clothes out of the hamper and made a nest at some time during the night... Those red kids - they are always up to something!

Lovey and Banichi were ecstatic to see me this morning - and the minute I opened the patio door, Gimpy bounded inside to eat. Right now the kids are out playing in the grass - yes, we actually have a lawn in the back yard now - thanks to plenty of grass seed and our recent abundant rain. I know that Lovey likes having the grass, but am not sure about Banichi - he liked to roll in the dirt, chase bugs and play with dead leaves these two past years. It was 55 outside when I walked the red kids earlier, and it's warmed up to 60 so far... The National Weather Service has compiled all their data on the tornado near Elizabeth (first photo two days ago) and has rated it as an EF2 - it left a trail of destruction 4 miles long and up to one-quarter mile wide in Elbert County.

Soar-sies.... I just can't ignore them right now. Remember Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner trained by Michael Matz? His two-year-old full brother, Nicanor, is now in Matz's racing stable. Nicanor has run in 5 races so far - not doing well in his first three outings. He has won his last two races, on the turf, the first by over 15 lengths, and this weekend he won at Delaware Park. - Sailor's Cap, a handsome bay colt, won the Grade III Poker Stakes on Sunday at Belmont Park. Tuesday morning he suddenly had a temperature and collapsed and died in his stall. There will be a necropsy. - And Proud Accolade, a 7-year-old stallion standing at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, was put down when he "displayed symptoms of a neurological disorder." Proud Accolade's first crop of foals are now two-year-olds in training... My questions are: What type of neurological disorder? Is it genetic? Do we want to keep his get in the TB gene pool? ....