Stuff ... and Meteors

Walt and Sophie are extremely "laid back" dogs. Yesterday and this morning they both flushed birds and rabbits galore, but were always within visual contact with me; and we had very good, relaxing walks. When Sophie starts slowing down due to her arthritis, I know it's time to start heading for home. Yesterday we encountered only one vehicle while walking, and we saw none this morning - so I felt safe in letting Walt run free. Today is trash day out here, so I took out the recyclables and garbage - and the recycling truck is just now picking up its' load. I made blueberry waffles with fresh berries for breakfast this morning, and both dogs enjoyed a small waffle apiece. The kits and I were happy to see each other yesterday - I fed them and let them run outside, and then they both came to me for love and cuddling. Before leaving I made sure they had plenty of fresh water, cleaned their litter boxes, and gave them a treat. They would love this house and it's setting, but I'm afraid that they would be-devil the dogs unmercifully...

A yearling colt, sired by Storm Bird, and out of a Mr. Prospector mare, brought in $2.8 million at the Select Sale at Saratoga yesterday. The highest bid in the regular sale was $1.2 million for a filly. ... On the Isle of Man in Great Britain, archaeologists have found the remains of a 9,000 year-old house. The house has a hearth and stone tools were found in abundance - as well as large piles of burnt hazelnut shells outside. The filberts were native, and apparently grew well, as there is the remains the remains of a second house 942 feet from the first, which is also surrounded by piles of burnt filbert shells. According to the scientists, this house was built 4,000 years before Stonehenge was built on the Salisbury Plain. ... Black bears are plentiful around Vail this year - in 4 days (from Thursday through Sunday) the police responded to more than 26 calls regarding bears in that town. In one instance, a young bear wandered into a luggage and furrier shop, ambling through the aisles and up into the window displays for about 20 minutes before it walked out the front door and down a side street. ... The Department of Wildlife killed a bear here on the eastern slope this weekend - it was feeding on the remains of a 74-year-old woman. The woman had been warned many times not to feed the bears - but was well known in the area for feeding them through a wire fence that was wrapped around her porch. Apparently a bear caught and killed her on her way between her house and open garage. DoW does not know if the bear they shot was actually the one who killed the woman. ... I will be out again at 2 this morning, looking to the northeast to see the Perseid meteor shower. This morning, the meteors were "shooting" everywhere. (If it weren't for the mosquitoes, I'd have stayed out until dawn!) Tonight/tomorrow morning, it is estimated that 2 shooting stars per minute will be visible. (Does that mean all my wishes will be granted?)