Koi

There are five koi in the Rs backyard pond...

Saturday

Today is supposed to be cooler than yesterday, but it sure doesn't feel like it. I've watered the plants and flowers, added water to the koi pond, watered the yard, and walked both pairs of canines, Remy and Rosie, and Danny and Shama. Lovey and Neddy are doing well, and they are playing together a lot more than before. There are new neighbors in Keith's old apartment, two doors down. If Lovey tries to visit Riley there, she's going to meet a very large grey and white patched cat instead - but I don't know it's name. The female of the human couple is named Bridget, and I've already forgotten the guy's name. I wish I was better at remembering the names of people... Me, I'm just pooped, because I decided it would be easier to just move everything out of the apartment for the spraying, and I can't believe I've acquired so much stuff. I'll be sorting it and either tossing, recycling, donating or giving away a lot of things - but I'm keeping my books, by golly!

Chincoteague Ponies

The most famous Chincoteague pony is Misty, seen here

with Clarence (Grandpa) Beebe. Misty has her

forefeet on a step-stool.

Chincoteague ponies are extremely versatile rides...

Golden Promise is a 9-year-old Western trained horse

Practical Magic is a classically trained dressage

mare, aged 5

Chincoteague ponies can do it all!

Numbers

Yesterday's Pony Auction raised $77,225 for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. The highest bid, $8,100 was for a "buyback" foal - one that the Pony Committee wanted to keep on Assateague for a better breeding program. "Buyback" bidders know in advance that the pony will be returned with the wild herds to Assateague; after their purchase, they have photos taken with the foal, and are entitled to naming the pony for the Chincoteague Pony Registry. The black foal with the white heart on its shoulder was sold for $4,300; the new owner plans to make videos of the foal listening to her playing the harp. The highest bid for a foal going to a new home was for a palomino colt, purchased for $5,000. The young lady who now owns him specifically wanted a palomino, and this was the only palomino foal this summer. - The herds will be swimming back to Assateague this morning at slack tide, and will be allowed to disperse naturally across the Virginia end of Assateague Island. ... Speaking of money, Tim Tebow signed his first NFL contract yesterday afternoon and will be at his first training camp as a professional football player today. His contract was signed for 5 years, and if he makes all of the goals, is worth $33 million. Even if he doesn't reach all of the goals, his contract, without incentives, is worth $11.25 million. Go, Broncos!
Enough of us tenants protested about the short notice of spraying that we won a reprieve until Monday at 9 a.m. Lovey and Neddy are doing well, but have been upset because I'm cleaning and not paying enough attention to them when I'm home. They both come at my call, and Neddy is continuing to be almost as vocal as Lovey. Rosie and Remy were upset yesterday when the surveying team was in the yard - I finally pulled all the blinds down, and was shocked that even though the men were clearly audible, the dogs calmed down since they were out of sight. Shama and Danny are quite a pair - Danny is in his own little world, unless he's on the leash, and is definitely an individual. Shama is still a puppy and just wants love, attention and approval. All of the critters I'm currently taking care of are wonderful. Especially my long-suffering kits!

2010 Pony Auction Photos

Members of the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team -

all ponies on this team are Misty descendants
A bay paint colt

The black foal with the white heart on its shoulder

A feisty bay paint filly

2010 Pony Penning Auction

Last year the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department auctioned off 67 foals and yearlings; this year the number was 57. Prices today ranged from $375 to $8,100; last year's high sale was $11,700. I don't yet have a total of the amount raised today. All proceeds go for ambulance and fire equipment and training for the island. - I think the highest bid this year was placed on the black foal with the heart on its shoulder.

Eight Inches of Hail

Yesterday afternoon, we had rain sprinkles and thunder down here in Boulder. Up in Nederland, it was another story:

This couple from Tulsa, Oklahoma were visiting Eldora Ski Resort, and had to shovel the eight inches of hail that fell from around their vehicle. Roads were washed out, and several were closed by rockfalls. Glad I was down here cleaning!

Today's Pony Auction should have begun about 45 minutes ago - I can not currently find any information on what's happening, but I'll have the story and some photos by this evening. ... I am still cleaning my apartment like a mad-woman, but it clearly won't be they way they want it by 11 a.m. Hopefully, they will be able to spray on Monday, when I can guarantee the apartment will be the way they want it...

2010 Pony Swim

All 2010 Pony Penning photos posted today and tomorrow in my blog are used by the courtesy of Bill Diem, photographer for the Salisbury Daily Times newspaper.

Boats in the Assateague Channel before the swim

Ponies arriving near Memorial Park on Chincoteague

Mare and blue-eyed foal

The blue-eyed foal investigates little people

The auctioneer will undoubtly make much of

this black foal with a heart on its shoulder

Salt water cowboys on Beebe Road

on the way to the Carnival grounds -

does that foal have a white cross on its nose?

2010 Pony Penning Photos

Salt water cowboys on Assateague beach, 2010

A herd headed for the Holding Pens on Assateague, 2010

Foals and a mare eating hay in the Holding Pens, 2010

Pony Penning Day 2010

It's a long wait for folks at the Pony Swim this morning. Slack tide, when it's safe for the ponies to swim, will occur between 11:30 and 11:45 today. People started lining up for the best spots to see the swim before daylight, when the Assateague Channel tide was low; they picked their spots and were standing on mud. The water is now chest high, but most folks don't seem to mind. And the heat wave that has been covering the east coast has dissipated, leaving this year's observers a high of about 85 and a cooling ocean breeze. As I've been saying, I wish I were there. Chincoteague's annual Pony Penning has been the goal of my summer for every year of my life that I can remember; in the first 41 years of my life, I missed only 3 round-ups. In the last 13 years, I've seen only 2, but the feeling that I need to be there never lessens.
The local mountain lion caught a young fox late last night; it wasn't a clean kill, and Rosie was extremely interested in the noises that emanated from just outside the back fence. Remy was sound asleep and never woke up. I could see what happened from the upstairs balcony, once I heard the scream and opened the door. It wasn't pretty, but it was nature being it's usual wild self. Lovey and Neddy were surprised to see me so early this morning - I've got to get a move on and start cleaning for tomorrow's exterminator visit.... Take care!

My Kits

Lovey trying to decide where to nap

Neddy sacked out in the chair

Lovey (left) reacting to Neddy's surprise leap

When It Rains....

First, my friend's Mother died just before the family was getting ready to go to Europe. Then my sister's washing machine broke down. The next day, my sister's septic system backed up. Sunday, after returning from his Mom's funeral, my friends washing machine broke down. And Monday, the swamp cooler died. Every one has been the using the washing machine where I was staying. - Thank goodness it has not broken down. - I've been taking care of Yoshi and Aiko for the past week; I began taking care of the Rs last night when the family left for Europe; the Rs family used the washer and dryer all of yesterday prior to their departure; my sister used the washer and dryer until midnight. I just finished using the washer and dryer, and then moving over to the Rs house for the next two weeks. I arrived at my apartment to find a note on the door letting me know that the apartment management and the exterminators would be at my place on Thursday between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. - that the cats need to be moved out for at least 6 hours, and that everything needs to be removed from all cabinets and drawers, bureau drawers need to be placed on the bed, and everything edible needs to be removed from the house, and that nothing should be resting against the walls or up against the baseboards, or be on the floor. Where the heck am I supposed to put all of my stuff?!?!? And I'll need to walk the Rs and the Gs (Danny and Shama) tomorrow, as well as contend with temps in the 90s both days. I guess I'll have to take Lovey and Neddy to the Rs house and lock them in the master suite for the day.... But enough griping...
Lovey and Neddy were ecstatic to see me when I arrived today. Neddy thinks he is a puppy and is chewing on the corner of my desk. Since today is my first full day with them, the Rs keep expecting me to produce treats each time they see me; it will take a couple of days for them to stop expecting jerky or biscuits with each sighting. They slept on either side of me last night. - But tomorrow is Pony Penning Day! If I were on the island, I'd be getting up at 4 a.m. so I could have a good view of the swim - hopefully in my canoe or raft. I envy the kids who will be there for the first time. I'd purchase raffle tickets for King or Queen Neptune (the first foal to finish the swim across the Channel), I'd watch the drive down Main Street, and I'd have lunch at the carnival and ride the Ferris wheel. I'd spend the rest of the day looking at the ponies.

Favorite Places

Historic downtown Main Street,

Chincoteague Island, Virginia

Vero Beach, Florida

A cabin in the mountains near
Granby, Colorado

Thought Remnants

A very nice warm day here in Boulder... the weather folks are saying a high of 97, while it was 60 when I walked the Shih Tzus this morning. Rosie and Remy had a good time on our walk today - we visited the nursing home and the pre-school this morning, which meant lots of time wading in the concrete culvert between the irrigation ditches. (Remy prefers the concrete bottom, while Rosie loves the sand and mud bottom.) The Rs family is leaving for Europe this afternoon, but their washing machine broke last night, so they are over here at Aiko and Yoshi's doing last minute laundry before their trip. I've walked Danny and Shama this morning, also, so I'm tired. Once Joel and the family leave for the airport, and once Mary and her family return home, I'll run over to my place and spend a few evening hours with Lovey and Neddy. They won't be happy that they'll have waited all day, but they will still be excited to see me. It's nice to be greeted with love at your door.
Since it is Pony Penning week, I feel a strong pull (need?) to be on Chincoteague. I also feel a need to be with friends in Florida - in Gainesville, Archer, Micanopy, and Vero Beach. Another part of me wishes I was holed up high in a mountain canyon or valley with just wildlife, my cats, and a few good books for company. My biggest problem is that I get bored so quickly and easily... of course, if I were living by myself in the mountains, I'd have plenty of things I'd have to do to keep staying there, so maybe I wouldn't get bored.... I just don't know.

Critters and Old TV Shows

I confess... I was bored yesterday evening, so I started channel hopping on Direct TV here at Aiko and Yoshi's. My first find was a Mission Impossible episode starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, etc., and with William Windom as the guest star. It was super (even though the technology used is definitely dated today)! Then I found a 1968 episode of Hawaii Five-O - and Mark Lenard was the guest star, playing a Japanese amnesiac in "To Hell With Babe Ruth." Again, it was a super episode, other than the fact that the good guys had to find a karate expert to explain the concept of "ninja" training - only that and the vehicles made the episode appear dated. ... I had a blast watching these shows again. Then the DVR cut in and I saw this season's finale of the new Doctor Who show... again, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Aiko and Yoshi and I had a great walk early this morning; we saw 6 fox, lots of birds and squirrels, and the local mountain lion. Tomorrow I'll be back walking them, the Irish kids, and then Shama and Danny. Then I'll head back for my kits. Lovey and Neddy were marvelous, as usual, today. They were happy to see me, and then happy to eat; afterwards we went out on the patio and I watched while they played and took in some sun. Lovey, for some reason, was Miss Prim and Proper outside today; Neddy was his usual impetuous self - running everywhere, attacking Lovey, attacking my feet, and grabbing anything that dared to move within his vision. It seems as though I can see that he has grown every day between my visits home - I feel like I'm missing an important part of his adolescence. (Talk about a worried Mom! - Sheesh!)
Today the ponies on the southern end of Assateague Island were rounded up, as well as any stragglers that were spotted on the north end. Farriers were busy trimming hooves, and hundreds of visitors were watching the holding pens - some of them planning which foal they want to buy at the auction on Thursday. Today and tomorrow, the folks who take care of the Chincoteague Pony Association Registry will be moving through the herds, identifying sires and dams of this years' foals. This will enable the new owners to take their pony's registration papers with them when they leave the island next weekend. I d0 wish I was there!

Old Pony Penning Photos

Ponies being rounded up on Assateague Island

Arriving on Chincoteague after the swim

Foals beside mommas on Main Street,

on the way to the Carnival Grounds

Rachel A, Zenyatta, and Pony Penning

Rachel Alexandra won the Lady's Secret Stakes this afternoon, but she had to work very hard to do so; and that was not expected as none of her 6 opponents were Stakes winners. She won by 3 lengths under regular jockey Calvin Borel, but she dueled with the leader (and second place finisher) for a quarter mile before she started to gain the lead. The public was treated to an unexpected, but very real, race. Rachel was such an overwhelming favorite that a $2 bet returned only $2.10. ... Zenyatta had a stupendous workout earlier this week at Hollywood Park. Will these two ever meet? ... And today the salt water cowboys, also known as the Pony Committee of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, began placing herds of ponies from the north end of Assateague Island into the holding pens beside Tom's Cove in preparation for this week's annual Pony Penning. Each and every foal, mare, and stallion will be checked by the veterinarian for the anticipated one-eighth mile swim across the Assateague Channel to Chincoteague on Wednesday. All equines will have blood drawn; all immunizations will be made; hooves will be trimmed; and any pony deemed not to be fit enough to swim the Channel will be trailered over to the Carnival Grounds on Chincoteague. During the last 5 Pony Pennings, visitors to Chincoteague have been numbered between 40,000 and 65,000 each year. That's a lot of visitors at one time for an island that's 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide (including the marshy areas).
Neddy and Lovey have been super kits. We have loved and played and cuddled for several hours each day this past week. I miss not being with them all the time. Yesterday evening, Nancy and I took the Rs out for a walk, and ran into Ed, the new neighbor, with Danny and Shama (his Dachshund and Springer Spaniel). Ed let me know that his wife and kids are away on vacation, and asked if I'd walk the dogs in the mornings and let them out for a potty break in the afternoons, as he's working 11-hour days. Of course, I said yes. So today besides walking Yoshi and Aiko at 6, I walked the Rs at 8, and then Danny and Shama at 9:30. Then I went home to spend time with the kits - Lovey ran out to go potty and then spent the next 3 hours in my lap. Neddy ran out twice, then came in and stayed beside me, nursing on my forearms... I do love them!

Grasshopper

Using a Small Notebook...

Gee, this seems really strange - I'm blogging on an Acer Aspire One, thanks to Yoshi and Aiko's family, and this tiny screen, with large keys, is just weird to me. The boys are asleep at my feet; since Keith Olbermann has a guest host tonight, I'm not watching Countdown, but am here in the world wide web. Kathy is due over in a few minutes, and I just received an e-mail from the red kids' Mom asking me to take them in for an hour, as she is having a non-dog person over for company for an hour or so this evening. Joel and Max are in New York for their Mom and Grandmom's funeral, and Nancy is trying to get everything ready for the trip to Europe next week. The kits were very happy to see me this morning - Lovey immediately ran out and caught a three-inch-long grasshopper, which she brought back alive and turned loose on my chest. I'm very glad it didn't get inside my shirt. The grasshopper set Neddy crazy and then he had to hunt and kill it. I really think that Lovey's maternal instinct has kicked in with Neddy, as she brings live things in for him to kill, while she looks on approvingly. Thankfully she seems to remember that I don't like her killing warm-blooded things, as she has, so far anyway, only produced insects for Neddy. They both seemed abashed that I left them only after 4 hours, but I needed to check on other critters. Karen is due back tonight, so I won't have to play chicken with Perle, the rooster, any longer; he chases Karen, but I stand my ground, and he's finally getting the idea that he can't make me do what he wants. Have a good night!

The Doggers

Boo (8), and Suki in the irrigation ditch

Remy

Rosie and her bone in the irrigation ditch

Rain and Hail

Rain, hail, thunder and lightning pretty well sums up yesterday. I'm home visiting my kits, having spent last night with Aiko and Yoshi, and having walked the Irish kids this morning. My friend Joel, who owns the red kids, lost his Mother early this morning - so all of the family's travel plans are up in the air, as they were due to fly to Europe on Monday. I've just told them that I'll be available for whatever they need, whenever they need it. (Thank goodness that Yoshi and Aiko are just next door!) I also took care of Perle, the rooster, his hens, the gerbils, and Twister and Tinkerbell on the next street. I'm pooped already, even though it's only 72 outside (with 55% humidity). I finished reading an Ann Ripley mystery last night, and will start a James Lee Burke today - his is the only book left from my last library excursion, so I'll have to visit the library tomorrow. - If you like The Cheesecake Factory, please note that on Friday, 30 July, any slice, or whole, cheesecake is 50% off that day only. Of course, to me, that is the day that the ponies swim back to Assateague Island. ... Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to race on Saturday at Monmouth Park in the Lady's Secret Stakes. It will be shown live on www.NTRA.com .
The kits are full of themselves - Lovey would like to spend all of her time outside (except when it rains), and is quite vocal about it. But if I let her out, and stay seated at the desk and computer, she has to run back in every 10 to 15 minutes to make sure that we're both OK. Neddy, of course, is just like any little boy and is exploring and playing with anything that he can get hold of. Brandi, the blind dog I care for, is slowing down at an amazing rate. Her owners and I are worried about her. Suki and Boo are just as full of life as ever; even though Suki has slowed a bit, at 12. And Rosie and Remy are both still going full blast - Rosie pulls all the way when heading out on our walks, while Remy pulls on the way back home. They strengthen my back and arm muscles. Have a super last half of the week!

My Kits

Lovey wandering in the Snow back yard

Neddy and the dogs' fox toy

Lovey and Neddy in my back yard

Blah...

At last at home - for one night. Lovey and Neddy are happy to be here, and have sacked out in their favorite spots. I've spoken with my friends, Mary and Kathryn, in Florida, and am gearing up to spend the next three weeks away from home. Today we started out with a heavy overcast, which cleared about noon. By four, we had thunder showers pass over, and now it's mostly cloudy again. Due to the clouds, we only reached 93, instead of the 100 that was predicted yesterday. There's not really a lot going on - Kathy and Jim had some super glider flights out at Salida over the weekend, even though the weather kept them from coming home Sunday night. When Jim arrived home from the airport this afternoon, I reminded him to harvest the oyster mushrooms that were growing on the willow in the backyard - and he got enough for several meals. I let Lovey and Neddy out in the back yard yesterday and this morning, and they had a good time exploring the wide open spaces and climbing a couple of the cottonwoods and the apple tree. - I was disappointed in the offerings at the 33rd Annual Boulder Art Show on the Pearl Street Mall on Saturday. They had a new director, who decided "to change the direction of the show"; I walked through 8 blocks in 2 hours, and saw only 4 exhibits that caught my attention. That's pretty bad. - I hope to blog every day, as I'll be home daily to be with the kits, for the next 3 weeks, but I won't swear that I'll be able to, or will feel like it, on hot afternoons. We'll just have to see... And the Chincoteague Pony Swim for Pony Penning will occur on the 28th of July! I wish I was there!

Twins

Fawns in Alexy's back yard two weeks ago

Hot, Hot, Hot!

One hundred degrees today and 99 yesterday - yes, it's been a trifle warm here. I've been keeping the dogs in between 10 in the morning and 9 at night, and allowing them out at night. At least the irrigation ditch and stream are running at full spate, so the dogs can cool off in the water, as well as get fresh free-flowing ice-melt water to drink. The cats and I stay indoors as much as possible. I walked Rosie and Remy at 8 a.m. these past mornings, walking Suki and Boo at 6:30, after taking Brandi for a short stroll at 6. Luckily I start back with only the Rs to walk on Monday! On Monday, I also start taking care of Twister, Tinkerbell, the gerbils, mouse, 8 hens and Perle the rooster - just stopping by, not living there. On Tuesday, I start staying with Aiko and Yoshi, and the day their people return, I move next door with the Rs. When the Rs' family returns from Europe, I'll move back in with Suki and Boo; and then, finally, back to my own apartment....
Lovey and Neddy are having a blast here at the Sammies' house. They have stairs to run up and down and all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore - and they chase each other, too. Neddy is still crazy about the dogs' fox toy, and drags it everywhere he can. (If the toy were stuffed, and didn't just look like a flat pelt, it would be larger than he is.) Lovey is spending as much time as she can in my lap, or laying on the book or newspaper I'm reading. I think she's jealous of the attention the dogs are getting. Anyway, I should be back at home in my own bed at least for Monday night... We'll see. Have a good Sunday!

Colorado Scenes

The Calypso Cascades in

Rocky Mountain National Park

Marvine Lakes, near Meeker

With many thanks to Carien Schippers,

a view of the 2006 Sombrero Ranch Remuda Round-up

Busy Weekend...

It's another nice warm day here in Colorado. I've walked the dogs, and just awakened from an unplanned nap. The only reason I awoke was because Neddy had attached himself to my hand; he was biting it, with his arms wrapped around my wrist, while his hind feet were kicking my elbow and his tail was twitching under my nose. I decided I needed to arise, wake up, and get to work on the blog. Brandi's owner just called and asked if I could take care of her Friday and Saturday night, and I was happy to tell her that since I'd be across the street at Kathy and Jim's (with Suki, Boo, Lovey and Neddy), it would be no problem. So tomorrow I'll have everything packed up for the weekend, except for the kits, when I go to walk the Rs. Once I've finished Remy and Rosie's walk, Kathy will drive me back home to pick up the kits and their potty box, plus my gear. We'll go back to her house, unpack the kits, put her coolers in the truck, and then she'll drive to Salida, as Jim is flying the glider there.
Abby Toll, the person convicted of animal cruelty, tried to get the serving of her sentence postponed yesterday. The judge just sent her back to jail. (Hooray!) ... Drosselmeyer, the colt who won the Belmont Stakes, has injured his ankle (which one was not specified), and is out of training for an indefinite period of time. ... Macho Again has been retired from racing, and it looks as if he'll be standing stud in Venezuela. ... And the local chief meteorologist, Kathy Sabine, was a rodeo queen in California during her teens and 20s. She still rides daily, and was asked to participate in the annual Sombrero Ranch horse round-up and drive this past spring. The ranch gathers in about 700 head of horses and brings them cross-country, about 63 miles, to be used during the spring, summer, and fall. A video from photo shots has been made and can be seen at: http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=106596247001# More information on the Sombrero Ranch ride may be found at: http://www.sombrero.com/custompages/horse_drive.asp It's something that I would love to do - but I'd have to get back into good riding shape, first!!

Things

View of the Flatirons that I see every time

I step out of my apartment

300 year old live oak tree near Palmyra, Georgia

The Cheltenham Gold Cup
was stolen today

Happy Critters

Eleven in the morning and 92 degrees outside. It's warm. I walked the Irish kids at 8 this morning, and plan to walk them at that time the rest of the week. Even so, we were all panting and I was sweaty when we finished. Rosie had laid down in the irrigation ditch multiple times and taken several drinks, and Remy even waded for a while in the water in between drinks. We spent a few minutes with Suki and Boo, and I delivered the latest issue of Elevations Outdoors to Kathy and Jim. The only thing that caught my eye in the new issue is that the Four Corners Folk Festival is being held in Pagosa Springs - which is on the eastern side of the Rockies (one heck of a long way from Four Corners!). I had forgotten that I'll be at Suki and Boo's this weekend - Kathy and Jim are going to the Flying Festival in Salida, so I'll move the kits over there on Friday. Neddy and Lovey enjoyed being able to stay out in the grass and in the shade for four hours yesterday evening - they came back to the patio frequently for rubs, scratches and other loving - but had a blast not being locked inside. I sat on the patio and read, and drank lots of iced water.
Zenyatta had a nice 6 furlong workout this morning at Hollywood Park. ... At yesterday's Fasig-Tipton Yearling sale, the top bid was $450,00 for a beautiful grey/roan colt by Medaglia d'Oro. Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai purchased him for racing. ... Thirteen year old Dixie Union, a multiple graded stakes winner and successful young stallion (with 34 stakes winners), was put down yesterday. The son of Dixieland Band had a progressive neurological condition that had suddenly worsened. ... And the Cheltenham Gold Cup trophy, one of the best known steeplechase/jump awards, was stolen this morning from a house in Wormington in Gloucestershire. Several other horse racing trophies were also reported to the constabulary as missing.

Stuff

The Savannas Recreation Area in St. Lucie County, Florida

Bellamy Road winning the 2005 Wood Memorial,
a homebred owned by George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stables

Tarryall Creek, immediately south of the Reservoir, near Fairplay, Colorado

Friend Pat with a 40-pound mackinaw lake trout

at Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison, Colorado

Where Am I?

I spoke for quite a while with my long-time friend Carolyn (in Florida) last night. This morning, it's already 83 degrees at 8:30 in the morning. Where am am? Florida or Colorado? Actually, the humidity (at only 53%) answers the question easily; but I've grown accustomed to cooler temperatures so far this summer. - Yep, I'm whining. - The kits are lying in the shade outside , and definitely not soaking up sunshine on the concrete. I hope they acclimate to this weeks heat quickly. Me? I'm drinking lots of water, a glass of Gatorade a day, and eating lots of Jell0 and fresh fruits and veggies. As I don't have air conditioning, I'm using the stove as little as possible. ... Let's see, I'll say "Happy Birthday" today to Patrick Stewart, Harrison Ford, and Cheech Marin. And I guess I'll say a quiet "farewell" to George Steinbrenner - I met him at the Ocala Breeders Sales almost 30 years ago (my friend, Bobby Anderson DVM, introduced us), and Bobby informed us that we both liked the same horses that were for sale. We three had a snack and chatted about horses - and Mr. Steinbrenner was absolutely charming, once it was established that I would not be bidding on any of the yearlings I liked.
Yesterday, while walking the Rs past an abandoned and overgrown home lot, we heard a loud thump and then what sounded like a young fox crying and yipping piteously. We were three houses down from Kathy and Jim's and I could hear still the critter crying when I asked Jim to come help me find it and figure out what was wrong. He agreed, but had to finish a phone call first. By the time we got back to the property there was no sound, and even though we looked around, covering about 90% of the property, we didn't see anything out of the ordinary (other than the skeleton remains of several cats and raccoons). I felt like a fool, but I know that I did not imagine the sounds of pain and fear - Remy and Rosie really wanted to go investigate it, themselves. Oh, well.... I tried.
I realize that if I ignore the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it will not go away. But if I concentrate on it, I want to explode with both anger and frustration. While channel-hopping on the TV, I cannot help seeing video showing gobs of thick, viscous oil in the water, on beaches, covering marine creatures and birds, in marshlands, and pouring out of that blasted oil well - and it makes me very angry. For the past 400 years, my family has been tied to the earth by being a combination of farmers and watermen - farmers in England, Denmark, Maine, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia; watermen in England, Denmark, Sweden, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Currently, we seem to be looking at how this massive oil spill hits the individual and businesses in the US. This oil spill is affecting the entire world - not just the Gulf coast, even though they are bearing the brunt of this first wave of pollution. I wish that more people would see the whole picture, and that we will soon be able to shut down this monster that our own greed has created.

Miscellany

After a swim in Coot Lake...

Boulder Creek, just east of the library

A 9-year-old Mustang

Hot Week Ahead

It's only 63 degrees outside at the moment, but temperatures will flirt with 100 each day this week, according to the weather people. I can't make the bus connections today, but for the rest of the week, I plan on taking the Rs out earlier than usual - for both our sakes. As we are living at a height more than a mile above sea level, the UV rays are that much more intense, and I have enough freckles already. Even though I walk the dogs wearing a large, floppy brimmed sun hat and my sunglasses over my regular glasses, my arms and legs take some punishment, even with SPF 30 sun block applied. Sorry - enough grousing.... at least we don't have the humidity that those of you in coastal areas or near the Great Lakes have to deal with.
Lovey and Neddy are still having a ball running in and out - I'm afraid that Lovey went to visit with Riley last night, as I called her in, but didn't get a response for 40 minutes. Neddy, on the other hand, is usually within 100 feet of the patio door. He has decided that the grass won't try to grab him, and delights in chasing flying and hopping insects - luckily, he has yet to catch anything that retaliates. ... I spent last night day-dreaming about getting a horse, and found several that met my criteria. The one I liked most was a 9-year-old mustang gelding in Waycross, Georgia. He was a super bargain. I want him! (Silly me!!)

Various Things From my Scrapbook

Lovey's first day with me in Lyons - Nov 2005

Mick Kinane aboard George Washington before
the start of the colt's fatal last race



The Hale-Bop Comet over Twin Owls
in Estes Park, CO