Halloween Picks

A Peacock Pumpkin



Halloween costumes in an English pub...



At a Halloween party in Sweden...



Steiff critters celebrate Halloween...



Claudia says, "Please let this day end soon!"

Happy Halloween!

I've already made all of my outside forays for today. The sun and warmth of yesterday has compacted and melted the snow down to about 3 inches in the backyard; and it's supposed to reach 57 degrees today. I've got the patio door open right now, and the kits are running in and out; Gimpy appeared yesterday afternoon, and he and three other young squirrels went through almost a pound of peanuts. I managed to get another 200 members of Mom's family tree into the database, at which point Lovey would not let me work at the keyboard anymore, so I read to her and Banichi for the rest of the evening. I did pick up a large turnip this morning, and plan on carving it, just to see what it takes. (After all, our pumpkin carving tradition originated with carving a turnip for a lantern...) In next week's Breeders Cup, it seems that Zenyatta (an undefeated mare with a record of 13 straight wins) will probably be running in the BC Classic against the males on Saturday, instead of in the Ladies Classic on Friday. If she runs against the boys, she will be made the betting favorite for the morning line.

The kick-off time for the CU Homecoming game has now been moved to 11 a.m. (we play the Missouri Tigers) - this is the third "new" kick-off time announcement. Between Homecoming and Halloween, the police have planned to have a huge force in place. Not to mention the fact that today is also the annual Naked Pumpkin Run (where both males and females run on Broadway and Pearl Street, wearing nothing except running shoes and a pumpkin on their head), and the idea of having The Mall Crawl return seems to have picked up backers, especially since the police are so against it. Last year, the police sort of enforced the law, and arrested 6 of the Naked Pumpkin runners - they were astounded to learn that since they were running naked in a public street they had to be registered as"Sex Offenders." It seems that the Race is expecting more runners this year, even though, if caught, they will be labeled "Sex Offender" for the rest of their lives. The Mall Crawl is a party that tends to cover the entire Pearl Street Mall, and usually consists of people in their late teens, twenties and thirties; and they get thoroughly drunk, high, and rowdy. The last Mall Crawl ended up with a riot and 57 arrests. Since a couple of guys on Facebook started tossing around the idea of re-starting The Mall Crawl, the two guys have received visits from the police (telling them they'll be held responsible for any trouble, if it occurs). The police have already stated they'll have at least 40 on-duty people on the Mall from this afternoon onwards... It almost seems as if each "side" is egging the other on. And, finally, today is the Gorilla Fun Run in downtown Denver; one runs a race, wearing a gorilla suit/costume in order to raise money for the Mountain Gorilla Foundation. Go 'Rillas!!!!

The Remains of Cousin Sarah's Truck....

End of October Shots

This an older farm house in Delaware - but it certainly looks like the old farm houses along the Eastern Shore, too!



A napping DiMilo.



Teething keys for the baby...



Horse and rider in Arabian costume...

Friday Potpourri

Well, I've already slipped and fallen on the ice twice this morning, so I cancelled walking Rosie and Remy again. I'm kind of stiff, and I cut my right knee, but other than that I'm fine. I'll just spend another day reading and researching. The kits ran out this morning, but they both came right back inside; and Gimpy's nuts are still nicely piled by the door. The snow has compacted down to about 18 inches high, and I'm certain that Lovey will paint me with mud later this afternoon. It's currently grey and foggy/misty/cloudy outside - it's already 32 degrees out, and it's supposed to be 53 and sunny tomorrow (which will make for a very muddy Homecoming football game for CU). I shared a table with a gentleman from Leeds, Yorkshire this morning - I was having hot chocolate, while he had a latte. He's in Boulder to give a sales presentation, and is staying at the Millennium Harvest House. We had a nice conversation about the differences of our languages and the beauty of the Rockies and the dales of Yorkshire.

The first day of Breeders Cup races begins a week from today. All races on the slate for next Friday are for fillies and mares - except the last one. It's the Breeders Cup Marathon, run at a mile and a half on the turf course. There currently are 11 starters, including Cloudy's Knight, the 9 year old son of Lord Avie. I'll be rooting for the big chestnut gelding. .... One of our local folk-bluegrass bands does something different for Halloween: they change their name, put on make-up and costumes, and sing anti-love songs as The Widows Bane. They are a group of 19th century zombies who play the banjo, guitar, fiddle, bass, washboard and accordion. (I have heard them play in a contemporary setting, and I highly recommend them!) If you're interested in this group, please visit: www.dailycamera.com/entertainment/ci_13662744 (even if it's just to see them in costume in a cemetery) .... I haven't been able to decide on a type of music to listen to today - I've been on the Golden Oldies Country station, the smooth jazz station, the classical station, and the Golden Oldies Rock station... guess I need to put on some John Hartford, Marty Robbins, and Mason Williams CDs to keep me happy. But, then again, maybe I'll try the Big Band and Swing station before I break out the CDs. Have a good Friday!

Snowing Still...

The change in weather must be starting... Lovey and Banichi have spent the last 30 minutes running in and out and getting their toes wet and muddy. Lovey has generously shared the mud by shaking her paws onto the monitor, and leaving muddy footprints on the keyboard and my family tree notes. We've shared a pizza, and I'm going to buckle down to the keyboard again. Have a nice night!

Hodge-Podge

A chameleon, up close and personal...



Snow, glorious snow.... Scene through a patio door in March 2003 (Denver)



A "phantom ship" in Crater Lake



Pirate's Beach in the Bahamas National Park

A Silent, White World

According to my metal measuring tape, which I plunged into the snow, there are 26 inches of snow in my backyard. It's still coming down, and the weather folks are saying that before this storm ends, another 4 to 10 inches will accumulate. No sign of Gimpy, the squirrel, in this frigid weather; I don't know if he could make it through the drifts in some areas of the backyard... but I have nuts out and waiting for him. The edges of the patios are damp, but clear, and Lovey and Banichi chased each other a bit this morning. Then they both came in, cleaned their tootsies, and Lovey is now in bed, while Banichi is guarding the hallway door. CU closed at 3 p.m. yesterday, but says classes will go on as scheduled today. Boulder Valley schools were closed both yesterday and today, making kids happy and making parents grind their teeth. I walked to Safeway early yesterday, and then over to Sunflower a little later. Was able to get a quart of strawberries for $2.50, so I've been nibbling on them since noon; when I awoke this morning, the whole apartment smells like strawberries. Mmmmmm!! I'm not sure if I'll cook, order out, or defrost something to eat for supper today. I need to step into the lobby and check my mail, plus put my City ballot into the out-going stuff, sometime. I finished a mystery yesterday, as well as getting more of Mom's family tree put into my database. At least I still have 6 more "new" books to read and a bunch of favorite oldies to fall back on.... Take care!!!

Still Falling...

The snow is still falling - it's taller on the ground than either of the kits, and is almost at my knees... (which is about 15 inches) and it's still coming down. The electricity (and this apartment complex is all electric) went off at 11 this morning and stayed off for two hours... the kits and I got under the covers and read a mystery. It's now 24 degrees outside; our low is supposed to be 21, and our high for tomorrow, 32. We'll see!

Scenic North America

Dolly Sods Wilderness near Dryfork, West Virginia



Canada Geese on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge



Autumn foliage at Long Lake in the Adirondacks of New York



A record snowfall of eighteen feet in Quebec City, Canada

Snow!

There are four inches of snow in my backyard, and it's still coming down. A little to the south and west of my apartment is the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), where they officially have 11 inches of snow. The weather folks are now saying that Boulder will receive 18 to 24 inches of snow by noon Thursday. Banichi poked his head out the back door and then just backed up. Lovey ran outside, sunk to her belly in the snow, and came back inside, while giving me a tongue-lashing. The alley on the north side of the apartments has about two inches of standing water with slush and a light coating of snow over it all. ... The weather folks said, yesterday afternoon and evening, that we'd have rain from about 6 p.m. until midnight, when the rain would change to snow. It rained from 5 to 7 p.m., then changed to snow. Now they say the storm will intensify around noon today, and we'll have snow through Thursday afternoon. ... And I received an e-mail from cousin Sarah in Missouri late last night (as well as a phone call this morning), stating that she was OK, but her truck was totalled in an accident last night. Her "OK" includes bumps and bangs and broken and loose teeth... the teeth troubles are from her airbag. Please send get well thoughts and wishes her way.

A search for Bigfoot is getting underway in the Dolly Sods Wilderness area in the Monongahela National Forest near Elkins, West Virginia. A group of Sasquatch believers are hoping to document the existence of said creature via footprints in the bogs and marshes of Dolly Sods. ... My Mother was born and raised in Accocmack County, Virginia - and I was raised eating lots of meat and chicken, fresh fruit, tons of canned (not fresh) vegetables, and lots of sweet desserts (cakes, pies, fudge, cookies, taffy, puddings, etc). It was without surprise that I read that Accomack County has the most obese people in residence than any other county in the state of Virginia. And there's a lot of problems with diabetes, cholesterol, and cancer, as well. .... I called brother-in-law Jim this morning, and found that the heavy wet snow had cost him the cherry tree in their backyard. He had swept and shaken the branches of the peach and cherry, apple and other "light-weight" trees twice last night, and was dumb-founded to find the cherry tree trunk had broken off at knee-height between midnight and 7 this morning. The TV just reported that Nederland is reporting 13 inches of snow so far, while Rollinsville is at the top of the list with 18 inches. Chain laws are in effect for trucks crossing the Divide, and the Interstates are moving, but very slowly. Traffic is creeping in the 'teens (mph) in downtown Denver, and in the 20s and 30s elsewhere. - And, of course, Trail Ridge Road, the two-lane that crosses the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountain National Park, closed for the season on October 4th. Trail Ridge should open again on Memorial Day 2010, even if there are 10-to-20 foot snow drifts on either side of the plowed roadway. Have a warm day!! (I say that 'cuz it's 29 degrees and falling here...)

Travel

Let's go for a ride!



Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania (home of Vlad Tepes)



Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, Inverness, Scotland



Morning mist over a Vermont corn field

Glorious Sunrise!

The cloud cover is heavier in the east this morning, and the rising sun painted the sky in colors that ranged from light pink and mauve, to neon-like hot pink, purple and royal blue. The red sandstone buildings of the University of Colorado looked as if they were glowing from internal heat, thanks to the early sun and clouds. It was very pretty. - The kits have been pretty much attached to me since I returned home yesterday afternoon. Lovey had to drape herself across my shoulders and hang around my neck for a while, while Banichi just wanted to be loved, petted, scratched and stroked. Then they both told me that they were absolutely starving - they had emptied one bowl of dry food, but there were three others left, two full water bowls, and a couple of treats they had somehow missed from Sunday's visit. After greeting and loving and feeding the kits, I opened the patio door and then put down nuts for Gimpy. Banichi made me laugh, because he walked right up to Gimpy, who kept turning his back to B, so he could protect the nut he was eating. Banichi finally got his head around to the front side of the squirrel, who paused, looked at B carefully, and then grabbed and yanked B's whiskers. Banichi hissed, jumped backward and then snuggled in my lap.

Sunday evening, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Nature on PBS. It showed the third installment of the story of Cloud, a cremello/palomino mustang stallion, who lives in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. It was another excellent installment by the same videographer who had made the previous two shows. - We are back under a Winter Storm Warning beginning at midnight tonight; the weather folks are saying Boulder might get 2 to 8 inches of snow during Wednesday and Thursday. We'll see. - I only have about 50 pages left of my Adirondacks book to read; I need to return the 10 books I've already read, and get some replacements for the snow that's supposedly coming. One of the local shops has an excellent sale on this week: I can get a scanner, copier and printer combo for the PC at 50% off... I'll probably purchase one. - Last night, while lying in bed, I started to name people that I had attended elementary school with; I quit when I got to 50 names ... and I can name all of my instructors except my kindergarten teacher. Is that normal at the age of 53? (At least I can remember the names that go with the faces - or is that a proof of Alzheimer's - since I can remember the past so well???)... Gotta get ready to go walk Rosie and Remy.... Later!

Buddies

Litter mates



Husky litter mates

Slushy Monday?

It's 25 degrees outside, and only a bit nippy, as I ran down the drive to collect the morning paper - after all, Colorado does not have the humidity that I grew up with in Florida and Virginia. The sky is clear, the sun is shining, and we're expecting a high of 53, which will melt the half-inch of snow that's on the ground. Roads and drives are clear in the neighborhood, just because of the warmth of the pavement/gravel/cement. A few of the exit ramps in Denver are icy, but mostly, roads are clear. And we're expecting more snow Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Thursday, too. Both Cloudy and Shady slept with me last night - Shady at my feet and Cloudy next to my head. - And I have Cockatoo hair this morning; apparently I slept hard and heavily, and convinced the hair follicles on my head that I needs must have multiple rooster tails all over the back of my head, as well as a crest on top. (I've wet it and combed it, and it's sprung back into Cockatoo position, anyway.) I'll be going home to my kits today - and I'm looking forward to being walked on and talked to, and being a kitty slave.

Halloween is Saturday. The CU Homecoming football game is Saturday. The annual Naked Pumpkin Race is Saturday. And some folks are trying to get "The Mall Crawl" started up again. The Mall Crawl was, in the 70s and 80s, a big to-do for Halloween on the Pearl Street Mall; it was canceled due to multiple riots, fights, thefts, and general drunkenness. The city, county, and University police have already declared that peace must reign on Saturday night. Me? I'm not going out after 4 p.m. that afternoon. ... Boulder is threatening to shorten the hours the public libraries are open due to the economic crunch. They open at 10 or 11 (noon on Sundays) now, and all branches, other than the main site are only open 6 days a week, as it is. ... I always liked to visit Berlin, Maryland when I was a child; Mom had told me so many stories about Samuel Riddle's farm and the horses she got to meet there, that I could always rebuild the barns and populate the fields with Thoroughbreds. It was where Mom got to meet and touch Man O' War, and sign his visitor's guest book. Berlin is now trying to pass a law keeping "all Farm animals" from being kept within the city limits; and, at the same, time, has tentatively OK'd the demolition of one of the oldest houses in the town. I don't call either decision forward progress. ... I read a second Martha's Vineyard mystery yesterday, and then started another book about the Adirondacks in the late 1890s. I was able to add 36 people to the Danish side of my family tree, and I took a photo of a 10-point buck scratching his antlers on a tree in the backyard. The buck has been around here for at least 3 years - he was hit by a car, and has a useless left hind leg, but he's fat and sassy and can still run and jump like crazy, so the DoW has let him be. ... Please enjoy your week!

Sleety Sunday

For 8 hours yesterday, there were 2 bucks and 6 does sleeping in the backyard. Right now it's sleeting out, and both Cloudy and Shady are inside, chasing each other and their toys. I'll run home to check on Lovey and Banichi in a little while, love them, feed them, check their water, and clean their boxes; then I'll be back here with Alexy's crew. The local weatherman is saying that the sleet will turn to snow by two this afternoon, and that Boulder will have 1 to 6 inches of snow in the morning (I am glad that I brought my snow boots along!). I'll have to see what it's like in the morning before deciding about walking the Rs. I enjoyed all of yesterday's collegiate football games - except for 4 of them; CU, CSU and Air Force, and Mizzou all lost - ouch! Oops! I see snow flakes outside mixed in with the sleet....

I read a Martha's Vineyard mystery yesterday, did three crossword puzzles, and made marinara with meat to place over the cappellini that I cooked up at halftime during the Gators' game. I went over to Connie's a little after the noon hour and clipped Ooch's claws for her - it takes one to hold him and one to cut. Connie had just returned from a protest at the Valmont Coal Power Plant - she had a blast. ... Today, my hat is off to Cloudy's Knight (and his owners and trainers): he's a 9-year-old Thoroughbred, a gelded son of Lord Avie, and he just won the one-and-a-half mile Sycamore (on the turf) at Keeneland. He's still racing because he's a gelding, and because he is continuing to win. - I salute a brave old campaigner!

Cloudy Saturday

I'm looking out on Alexy's backyard.... Cloudy, the female tuxedo cat, is sitting beside a pile of leaves that has blown up against an urn at the end of the paved walk. Cloudy is watching an 8-point buck, who is browsing about 20 feet further away, and two does. Shady, the male black cat, is sitting on the steps to the office door, making up his mind about whether he wants back inside or not. (The cats have two kitty doors, but if either of them see you in a window, or by a door, then the human slave must open a door for the reigning beast.) I packed my alarm clock as the last thing this morning; Lovey and Banichi had both been out for about an hour, taking in the clouds and wind. As soon as I started closing my backpack, both kits came inside, sat down on either side of me and commenced a serenade. I apologized to them and told them I'd promised Alexy to be at her house by 9 a.m. Neither of my kits seemed impressed by that excuse. I'm looking forward to watching the Gators play this evening, and the Vikings play tomorrow. Other than that I have books to read, family members to investigate, and food to cook. I have to admit that I really miss feeding the birds at my apartment - I miss awakening to their songs and whistles, and I miss the "whirrr" of wings as a group flies away... A lot of birds are migrating now, and they remember that I had feeders out - there are always a few birds looking for food on the patio. (But that doesn't make up for the flocks that used to visit!)

Friday's Photo Picks

Blue crab statue in Washington, North Carolina (Hi, Mary!)



Crabs, anyone?



Fresh croaker make good eating!



View of south Denver, looking west to the Rockies

Crabs Loose in Croaker!

I haven't been to Croaker, Virginia in a while, but I have been there. It's a quiet little community on the York River and is of historical and archaeological interest. Near its' outskirts runs Interstate 64 - and early this morning a truck hauling live crabs over-turned on I-64 in the west bound lanes and closed the highway down for more than two hours. That is one "round-up" I wish I'd been there to see! The driver was not seriously injured, thankfully. ... But I would really have enjoyed watching people catching live crabs along a two-mile section of highway! (Somehow, that just doesn't seem natural....) I've got my voice back today, but it's kinda gravelly. It's almost noon and I have the patio door wide open; the kits are lounging in the sun and Gimpy keeps running in and out, as he's hiding his peanuts and not eating them right now. I love to watch his little hands fluff the grass back up after he's hidden his nut.

I've been contemplating what I'll take with me to Alexy's this weekend. A couple of books, clothes changes, my snow boots, family tree stuff I can look up on the internet (looking for gravestones, etc.), and fixings for meat sauce with pasta, and saffron risotto and chicken, not to mention my ever-present Coca-Cola. I think everything will fit into my backpack and a re-usable grocery bag - except maybe the snow boots. We're expecting snow Saturday night or Sunday morning and then again Monday night/Tuesday morning... Life is never dull with either the weather or the critters around here. Craziness has broken out in the surrounding areas the past two days: there was a shooting (murder) of a patron at a Chinese restaurant in Denver yesterday, and further north, a couple of people were shot (one killed) in a "neighbors dispute" about some dogs. The restaurant in Denver, where the shooting took place, is on the 16th Street Mall - a mile-long shopping and pedestrian Mall with a few electric buses that run from one end to the other. It's the first time of heard of violence on the 16th Street Mall since I've been in Colorado. - The other story just shows how easily people lose their tempers and the dumb consequences that follow: two families own 20 acres each, divided by a barbed wire fence. One family has pit bulls. The other has chickens, horses, goats, a cat and a small dog. The pit bulls have, over the past two years, killed 30 chickens and a goat. One time they ran one of the horses into exhaustion. There have been many warning and citations given to the people who own the dogs. The dogs killed a horse this past weekend. The horse's owners went over to the pit bulls' owners home. The visiting (aggrieved horse owners) party was shot at 6 times by the dogs' owners. One man was killed outright, and a teenager is in the hospital. The two pit bulls were handed over to the County Animal Shelter and were put down today. How much misery has been caused by "letting the dogs be dogs?" My only comment is that the dogs were living in a social community - their owner (pack leader) should have known better, after all the warnings. The life of a man, the innocence (?) of a teen-ager, and the lives of several "dumb", but loved, animals have been lost. Non-conformity is OK if you are a human being; but please be sure your pack animal friends conform to the norms and with the law.

Things that Caught My Eye...

Watering a manatee from a dock....



A bison in Yellowstone National Park



"The Enchanted Woods" at Winterthur Gardens (in the Brandywine Valley of Delaware)



Ford Model A Sport Coupe (1928 or '29)

A Manatee in Virginia

The kits kept me warm and well insulated yesterday and last night. This morning, I awoke without a voice and feeling crummy, so I cancelled the red kids' walk. Lovey and Banichi have been running in and out for the last hour, but I've now closed the door and Lovey is burble-ing away trying to convince me to re-open the door. Banichi is curled up on the foot of the bed and is almost asleep again. - The only thing of note today (at least for me) is that an off-duty police officer took a photo of a manatee playing in the James River near Richmond yesterday. Several manatees were reported near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay this past summer, and it appears that one got separated from the rest of the group. Unfortunately, the James River will freeze over this winter, as temperatures drop - so there is a watch out for the manatee, in hopes of capturing it and returning it to warmer waters in the South.

Photos by Sarah Nocks

Sam and DiNozzo Nocks at rest after wreaking havoc in the house - courtesy of Sarah Nocks. This and the following three photos are from my cousin Sarah in Missouri.

A jumping spider - courtesy of Sarah Nocks

One of the last blossoms before the first snow - courtsey of Sarah Nocks

Bee on thistle - courtesy of Sarah Nocks

This is how I feel today. Hope you have a good one!

Weather

Monday morning it was cloudy and humid here; yesterday it was mostly sunny with a few high cirrus clouds and a cool breeze; today a combination of rain and snow is falling (and I've cancelled the morning walk with Rosie and Remy). A couple of hours after returning home yesterday I realized that my my throat was sore and that I was "hacking" from a throat tickle. Immediately I went to the cupboard, got out the tea bags and honey and started dosing myself; plus I had home-made chicken soup for a late lunch and for supper. I made raspberry pancakes for breakfast today. - The kits are pretty bummed out about the weather; they've been running in and out most of the past afternoons and evenings. After a brief excursion out into the precipitation this morning, Lovey walked across my chest with muddy paws and complained loudly about the wetness. Banichi just stuck his head out the patio door and then retired to his closet hidey-hole for a good sleep. (I feel like doing that, myself.)

Still discovering new things about Mom's family - found out a great aunt who had been married twice actually married three times, each time moving further north on the shore. And rootsweb.com, one of my favorite stopping places for possible new info, had a hardware problem yesterday and it caused my PC to shut down three times. Supposedly the problem will be "fixed" by noon today. I've been spending a lot of my time checking out info on familysearch.org, the Church of Latter Day Saints (or Mormon) site - but I'm also double checking the info on Mom's family via the Mears Collection, an assortment of books, manuscripts, and records available on-line through the Eastern Shore Library, as well as checking names and dates in the US Census through Heritage Quest on-line. I'll soon have to visit the public library for free access to ancestry.com .... (and I've got 6 books to return, as well).....

Sam Came Home!!

Yea!!! Sam came home this morning to lots of love and a few scoldings. The two youngsters are still lost....

Tuesday Tweaks

Fall colors in central Massachusetts



A Maine Coon Cat



Buster, a Jack Russell, is a dog who honestly listens



Blooming Rhododendron at Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee

Missing Kitties

The fire yesterday in Estes Park was pretty much contained. It damaged buildings on both sides but when the roof fell in, it was a done deal. Eight different businesses lost everything. I hope they had good insurance coverage. I spent yesterday walking the Rs, reading, and working on Mom's family tree. Then I watched the Broncos beat the Chargers - and curled my upper lip as I said the name "Philip Rivers." (Hint: Jane Eyre) It's currently 35 outside, after being in the 70s yesterday; we hope to reach 60 today, with rain this afternoon and snow tonight. The sunrise this morning painted the sky with rose and lavender clouds - I liked it. Spent a while chatting on the phone last night with my cousin in Missouri. Her two young cats disappeared 10 days ago, and now her adult (neutered) tom has disappeared, as well. Both of us think this is rather ominous; and she'll be out searching her property for any traces of Sam, Frank and Jesse today. I hope she finds them well. Lovey is sitting next to my right elbow, while Banichi is watching Gimpy eat his breakfast just inside the patio door.

I really don't have much else to say - I've been enjoying transcribing my records of Mom's family, finding little gems of information that I had forgotten, and pursuing further info that is now available on-line. I found we have a whole slew of Danish cousins in Utah that we knew nothing about, who trace back to my great-great-grandfather's sister. I'm awaiting a response to my e-mail to the person who posted their family info. And I'm still working on getting more information regarding Uncle Ben - my maternal grandfather's brother. We don't even know what his last name was.... Anderson, Johanesson, Johnson, or Jonason..... Have a good week!

Monday Picks

Elk herd near Estes Park



Mount Meeker and Longs Peak from Estes Park



Sunrise on the waterfront with a heavy fog



Hallstatt's picturesque waterfront (Austria)

Fire in Estes Park Historic Area

Last night the clouds over the Rockies looked like an inverted dollop of whipped cream - only the clouds were orange and purple, not white. This morning there are layers upon layers of clouds in the sky, so it looks very mystical and magical outside. I'm just looking forward to the Broncos football game tonight. All of my teams, except the Titans, won yesterday (... and the Bears lost - Yea!) so I am enjoying myself. A terrible fire is currently in Estes Park, in the historic downtown shopping area; all other local fire departments, including Boulder, have been asked to send more men and equipment - even a local man in Allens Park has been contacted to bring his antique, but still working, fire engine to the scene. The photos look awesome - the fire's smoke is so dark that it looks like it's night time instead of day, and now the winds are picking up. Local schools are keeping children inside to avert any possible respiratory problems.

I spent yesterday doing maternal family research, and putting information into my genealogy program. (Besides having the football games on as a background and diversionary feature.) We reached 80 degrees here yesterday, and I was working in a T-shirt and shorts. We're expecting a cold front in tomorrow, with highs in the 40s and 50s for the rest of the week. I'm about to head out to walk Rosie and Remy, the red kids, and then I plan on returning home and playing with Mom's family tree some more. I began a new book last night - Suspension - by Richard E. Crabbe; it's historical fiction regarding the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Lovey and Banichi basked in the sun yesterday and cuddled with me last night. Banichi is currently in his nest in the closet, while Lovey keeps walking across my chest and onto the keyboard... I'll post photos upon my return...

This 'n' That

Branching path in the woods near Aarhus, Denmark



No mistaking the restroom signs at Legoland, near Aarhus....



Viking helmets rarely had horns on them (Stockholm, Sweden)



A reconstructed 11th-century church at The Viking Museum in Oslo, Norway

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

An absolutely beautiful morning greeted me when I arose and went out walking earlier. The town is, even now, dead quiet, having celebrated loud and long for the CU Buff upset victory over the Kansas Jayhawks last night. The sunrise was gorgeous, and looking to the west, one can easily see snow-capped peaks and ridges just behind the foothills. It's in the 40s and we're expecting a high near 80 this afternoon... The kits are outside in the backyard - I'm sure that they are exploring all the interesting trash left behind by the folks attending the football game last evening. Soon after the Gator game ended yesterday, I heard a squirrel giving something "what for" at the top of it's lungs. What surprised me was that it was inside the house; and the kits know that they are not supposed to touch anything wild inside... It was Gimpy, in the patio doorway, telling off a younger squirrel, who had the temerity to take a couple of Gimpy's almonds.

After writing my blog yesterday, I started thinking about how much I love music; how much I appreciated Dad for introducing us to all kinds of music; and how much I enjoyed being in the chorus at my elementary school and performing in musicals. Those thoughts brought to mind Mister Jack Carter. He became my music teacher at Lake Forest after the term had started when I was in the fourth grade - having just graduated from college, and having no family in the immediate area, my parents adopted Jack into our family - so Jack was a friend away from school, but "Mr. Carter" on the school grounds. Poor Jack used to listen to all my troubles and grumbles and complaints until I was well into my 30s... He always had me look at what was happening from all angles, to try to understand others' points of view. He was the best "big brother" a depressed girl - or anyone - could have. With these thoughts tumbling in my mind, I looked in the White Pages on-line and found Jack. He is still living at his old address, still has cats, and still sounds the same. I called him, you see. It was a marvelous sensation to hear his voice again, to joke about old times, and to talk about family and pets. I ended up smiling all of yesterday, just thinking of our conversation - and remembering times past. Thank you, Jack, for all I know that you did - and for things that I'm sure you did without my knowledge, to help smooth the pathway of my early years!!

Marching Bands

The FAMU Rattlers Marching Band in 2008 on the field



The UF Gator Marching Band, on campus, 2007



Crestview (Florida) High School Marching Band in the 2005 Macy's Parade



This is the University of Colorado Buffaloes Marching Band performing at half-time at Folsom Field (a block from my apartment) here in Boulder