Itty-Bitties

Baby bunny

Baby goat on a skateboard

Baby turtle getting a shell brushing

Baby flying squirrel in snow

Blah

As I was getting ready to leave to visit my therapist this morning, I realized that Lovey was missing.  Nedi was chasing leaves in the back yard, but Lovey was nowhere in sight.  I stepped out into the grass, and called for her - north, south, and east.  I got no response.  Nedi, meanwhile, decided I was calling him, so he plopped next to my foot and waited to be picked up.  I picked him up , and carried him inside, closing the door behind me.  Then I made certain that my keys were in my pocket, and I stepped out into the hall, and around the corner to the front entrance of the building.  "Lovey? Lovey!," I called. She immediately popped out from Mollie Cat's patio and ran to me.  I disgusted her by carrying her back inside and putting her in the apartment - but at least I had an idea of where she was camped out.
Had an interesting talk with my therapist - she's worried about me because it's the end of the football season, and it's winter and grey and cloudy, and because I'm isolating myself again.  Heck, that's normal for me in the winter....  I'll be better once we get better weather.  I didn't feel well yesterday afternoon, nor do I fell quite right today - I think I'm coming down with a cold.  Yuck.  I am currently typing with a large, fuzzy black body between me and the keyboard and monitor....  Nedi wants love and attention, now.  OK, Nedi's gone back outside, joining Lovey on the patio (which I need to sweep).
It's in the news that Prince William and his Duchess Kate have adopted a Cocker Spaniel.  Prince Charles and his wife recently adopted a Jack Russell; and, of  course, the Queen loves her Corgis.  I'll be very happy to see Rosie and Remy again tomorrow, even if it does snow.

Add a New Family Member - Ziva

And cousin Sarah had a new family member appear yesterday afternoon - within two hours of the appearance, her husband had purchased the pink collar, kitty bowls and kitten toys.  The other three adult male cats are miffed, to say the least. She believes she runs the house already...

Breezy Day After a Breesy Play

It started out sunny and breezy this morning; now it's cloudy and breezy.  Had a very good walk with Remy and Rosie - we varied our route a good deal from the norm, and both of them seemed to get a kick out of the new places and scents.  We also stopped by and had 10 minutes of play time in the Snow back yard with Boo and Mona....  and Boo gave me a fat lip, hitting me in the mouth with her head.  I always have some kind of boo-boo that is critter related. The kits are running in and out - this is their second play time of the day.  And I visited the library on the way back from the Rs, returning several, and picking up four new books to read.
I had a blast watching the Pro Bowl yesterday - it was so good to see the guys go out and have fun - all those lateral passes off interceptions, and seeing Drew Brees try to drop kick an extra point was a hoot.  I especially enjoyed being able to see the defense players being able to play and joke around.  Brandon Marshall seemed to be the only player really trying to work hard - with four touchdowns.  - But it was a nice, relaxing game to lazily enjoy.

Kits

"No, I'm exactly where I want to be..."

A Chessie kitten

I usually hate photos of cats and dogs "dressed up" - but for some reason, I love this one...

Kits

Thinking about a "normal" breakfast this morning didn't make me feel hungry, so I had a very good turkey, ham, and cheese sandwich on whole wheat.  Of course, the kits wanted pieces of the meat and cheese as I made the sandwich, so I gave it to them.  They are now sunning on the patio; there's another good breeze blowing, but it's from the west, so the kits are sheltered.  Sergeant Rutledge is showing again on the Encore Western channel, so I'm looking at the familiar rocks of Monument Valley.  (I still like Woody Strode!)  I'm still double-checking the second half of the Snow family tree; soon I'll start on the Sanborn maternal side.  Not much else is happening....  but my thoughts do go out to all of those folks involved in the multi-vehicle pile-ups on I-75 outside of Gainesville this morning.  It sounds like an awful mess - and to have it caused by fog and smoke from a marsh fire on Paynes Prairie makes it seem even worse.

Chilly Out...

We got about an inch of snow yesterday - it's already gone from the roads and most of the grassy areas, even though it's only 25 degrees out this morning.  Our back yard is another story, and the snow still covers about 90% of the ground.  The forecasters say we'll have another snow like yesterday's on Wednesday.  My kits have been running in and out, and are now curled up on the afghan for a nap.  ...  Suki has been buried in the Snow family garden, next to Banichi, Paddle and Lily.  She will be missed.  The only times I ever saw her in a "bad mood" were when Boo, her daughter, was either dragging her around by her collar, or when Boo would not let go of her tail.  She was a very happy dog, and willing to try anything new - food or exercise.  She loved the water, and she loved to pull either a sled or a person on skis.

Black Caviar, the undefeated Australian mare, won her 17th race in a row.  It's reported that she might be running in Canada next month.  ....  What caused me to raise my eyebrows was that Rachel Alexandra and her new colt, born January 22, were taken to the Rood and Riddle Equine Clinic "as a precautionary measure" because RA still seems to be suffering from the pains of her delivery.  I've been around multiple horses before, during, and after delivery, and the only one I know that experienced any trouble ended up having to be put down with an incurable illness.  So my question is, what is really happening with Rachel A?  In the one photo released of her and her colt, she doesn't look like a happy mother....

Today is my Mother's birthday.  She would have been 91, if she was still with us.  I will celebrate her birth; she raised two separate families - her own younger brother and sister, and Kathy and me.  She grew up working hard, hunting and fishing, gardening, clamming, crabbing and oystering.  Her Mom taught her how to can fruits and vegetables, and her Dad taught her to make and bottle beer and root beer.  She loved a good laugh, loved to tease, loved to read, loved a good party (it had to include music, dancing and drinking) and loved a good cigar.  Rest in peace, Mom.

Snow?!?

This morning there was a beautiful sunrise, and I walked to the store under gorgeous skies.  At that time, a few low clouds were sitting on top of Flagstaff Mountain and the Flatirons.  Less than 90 minutes later, we are totally socked in by low grey clouds.  It's 32 degrees outside, and we're not expected to get any warmer during the day; there might be snow this afternoon and/or evening.  (The dusk-to-dawn lights at the hotel behind me turned off for all of 35 minutes, before automatically turning back on...)  And the weather person just said that we'll have a high of 48 tomorrow and 60 on Sunday.... hmmmmm.  Isn't it still January?  Is this what global warming is doing to us?  Or is it just La Nina?

Nedi just came running inside and hid under the bed.  I looked out to see what was going on, and discovered that a group of people were hooting and hollering over in the hotel parking lot.... because it is now snowing.  There are large flakes floating down; actually, they aren't floating.  These are heavy wet  flakes that are falling - not the light-weight icy crystals that dance in the wind.  Since we're just expecting a very light snow, I'll be heading out to grab Remy and Rosie for their walk in a bit.  Yesterday, we walked over to Wonderland Lake, and made a new friend.  We met Tundra, a half German Shepherd half Huskie, who was very happy to make new friends.  (We shared a lamb, sweet potato and pea treat.)  Then we met a new Lab-mix, and behaved well at that point, too. 

I had a good time examining a branch of the Snow family tree last night - one of the ladies lost her husband just after 13 years of marriage.  She lived to be 101, owned her own cloth factory business, had her sons join in the business, added a bank and opera house to the businesses, built several schools for girls, and opened a retirement home for older ladies (at the age of 93!).  She was born in 1790, and passed away in 1891.  She had quite a life, starting out as the youngest daughter of 12 children, with her parents hard-scrabble farmers on a rocky piece of high property in New Hampshire.  She died a multi-millionaire, and was making business decisions with her sons up until a week before her death.  She certainly saw a lot of change....  If you're interested in her story, you can read it in the Hebron Historical Society newsletter, starting on page 3 of the .pdf document (you will need an Adobe Reader, a free down load, to read this article):  http://www.hebronhistsoc.org/HHS_Gaz_6-1.pdf 

Cezanne Photos (from Misty's Heaven)

Cezanne Is Gone, Too

Knowing I'll be saying goodbye to Suki this morning, it was a surprise to read that Kevin McBride's Chincoteague Pony stallion, Cezanne, had passed away.  I took multiple photos of Cezanne during the summer of 1989; he was a very splashy chestnut and white foal.  His markings were intriguing, but not overpowering.  I took a lot of photos of him standing by the water of ponds or ditches; it seemed he was always looking at his reflection, if he wasn't playing (at full speed) with the other foals.  He grew up to be a magnificent stallion, was trained to ride and drive, and was the sire of quite a few foals - including several at the Chincoteague Pony Farm, which owns and shows ponies that are related to Misty.  Kevin stated that he was particularly touched by the fact that Maureen Beebe called him as soon as she heard of Cezanne's passing, and shared her memories of him as a foal.   (Maureen may avoid publicity, may be very shy, but she has a lot of class!)  Cezanne was one handsome Chincoteague Pony!

The kits are currently out playing in the sun, before I get them inside to go walk the red kids.  It's supposed to get cloudy this afternoon, with a possibility of overnight or morning snow.  It's already in the low 40s - but the Chinook is blowing again.  Thank goodness the Chinook is supposed to die down this afternoon!  Otherwise, we'd have a blizzard, if it snowed.  ....  We've had several avalanches lately, and the possibility of more is extremely high.  That's why I'm staying out of the high country.  While I might hike up into the foothills, or along the Flatirons, there's no way you can get me into the back country right now.  And, of course, with all the snow, we've also had several deaths - from folks buried in avalanches to people skiing or snowboarding into trees.  It's sad, really.  But, then again, if the people who died died happy, then good on them.  (I've been told multiple times that I should never attempt to ride a horse, pony, or steer again - but I keep getting back on, because I enjoy it.  I'd rather die doing something I love, than just sit and watch others have all the fun!)  I'm definitely one of the people who intend to enjoy their own life (as long as I don't endanger others)!!!

Suki and Family

Suki

Boo, Suki's daughter

Suki's grandson Kohlby (as a puppy)

Goodbye, Princess Suki

We will say good-bye to Champion Starquest Princess Suki tomorrow.  She is 14 years and 6 months old.  She has outlived her parents, all of her litter mates, half of her own puppies, and several grandpups and great-grand pups.  Jim reached the difficult decision to have her put down this morning; her vet appointment is at 3 tomorrow afternoon.  It's come to the point that her quality of life is not good.  She began to decline a little over a year ago.  Now she suffers from arthritis; her heart isn't pumping well, and all of her legs and feet are swollen; she lost her sight three weeks ago.  She can no longer step up or down, or go through the doggie door.  Her feet and legs have a tendency to spread-eagle on her without warning.  She cannot find her way out of a corner that she has walked into.  Anytime any of these things happen, she cries pitifully.  It's time to let her "cross the rainbow bridge" in peace and comfort.  She will be missed by her extended human family, and I have no idea what Boo will do without her Mom.  Boo had Suki have only been separated for short lengths of time - at the most, a week for a major dog show.  Luckily, Boo has Mona at the house to play and rough-house with.

My kits are outside in the sun.  I've already walked Rosie and Remy, and just as I was coming back into the apartment complex, the wind began to blow (again).  I'm glad I got the red kids out before the wind started up.  With his visits to the acupuncturist and the chiropractor, Remy seems to be doing very well.  I'm very happy about that.  Both dogs nearly knocked me down this morning when I appeared for their walk - they jump and dance and wiggle so much that I'm always afraid they'll slip on the hardwood floor and hurt themselves during the frenzy of our greetings.  The snow that fell yesterday morning was just enough to coat the ground and parked vehicles with what looked like a sprinkle of confectionery sugar; it melted within 2 hours.  The weather guys say that it will be sunny again tomorrow, but we'll get more snow Friday afternoon.  We'll see.  At least the mountain resorts are getting much-needed snow; some had sent half of their employees home by January 1.

Horses at Play

Light Snow

It's snowing, lightly, outside.  The kits have been out and Nedi has had quite a time trying to catch snowflakes.  Both Lovey and Nedi are now curled up on the afghan on the bed, and, as it's Tuesday, I have a day off from dog-walking.  I have the movie "Sergeant Rutledge" on, and am cheering for Woody Strode - it's a great movie.
Just planning on taking it easy and doing research on the PC today....  Hope everyone else has a pleasant day, wherever they are.

Dogs at Play

It's a Boy!

Well, my football choices won and lost.  Now I want the Giants to beat the Patriots in the Superbowl.  It's just above freezing outside, the wind is not blowing, and it's sunny.  The kits have been running in and out for the past hour.  I don't know what looked in the window from the patio chair last night, but Lovey suddenly hissed and growled and struck the window. As I moved to look out, I heard the leaves rustle, but I was too slow to see anything.  I think it was either a raccoon or another cat.  In any event, it took an hour or so for Lovey to calm down, so I was playing ball with her and getting her catnip, and tussling with Nedi before we went to bed.

Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year, had her first foal this past weekend.  It was a colt, marked with a star, and weighed in at 125 pounds.  The sire was Curlin.  She is booked to visit Bernardini this year.  (It will be several months until Zenyatta has her Bernardini foal, as she slipped her first breeding.)

I'm getting ready to go on out to walk Remy and Rosie.  I hope that some of the 6- and 7-foot-tall privacy fencing that was blown down last week (the posts were broken off at ground level) have been either picked up, or cleared off the sidewalks...  It's a pain having to check each step of the dogs and me for nails - especially when whole sections are down, intact,laying for 50 to 100 foot sections across the paved sidewalks.  In some cases there isn't room to walk anywhere except on top of the fallen fences.  I'm trying to work out a good, long walk that will avoid most of the wind-created messes.

Kits at Play

Grey and Yuckky

Snow flurries were forecast for this morning - but it's in the low 40s, even though there is a heavy cloud bank over us.  Resorts to the west have received from 7 to 28 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, so they are happy.  The wind has calmed a bit here, but the eastern plains and west Kansas are now under a high wind warning, with gusts up to 80 mph possible.  We've already reached our high temperature for the day...  I've been to the grocery store, and got meat for meatballs, crunchies for the kitties, a Denver Post, and a package of baked white cheddar Cheetos.  The kits have been out for over an hour, and both were back inside, so I put out peanuts for the squirrels and closed the patio door.  It's supposed to be 50 tomorrow, and we'll have snow on Tuesday.

It was scary for me to awaken this morning and find that Newt Gingrich had won the Republican Primary in South Carolina.  That man is a liar, a cheat, and has been sanctioned by the Ethics Committee in DC - when will people learn?  Once a lying, low-down lizard, always a lying, low-down lizard....

I'll be rooting for the Baltimore Ravens and for the New York Giants today.  I hope that doesn't mean that the teams will be jinxed.  Tim Tebow showed up at a Brad Paisley concert in Denver last night, and was asked to join in a song - apparently, he did very well.  Later in the show Paisley "Tebowed."  Fans around here are happy that Tebow likes country music - Rascal Flatts showed up before one of the Broncos games, sang a song, and went around, greeting fans.  ....  Not much else going on - working away on the family tree dates -  and loving and playing with Lovey and Nedi.  Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Rawhide Men

Eric Fleming played trail boss Gil Favor

Clint Eastwood played ramrod Rowdy Yates

Singer and actor Sheb Wooley played scout Pete Nolan

Still Windy

Walking Remy and Rosie yesterday began at a non-windy time; within the first 15 minutes, however, the Chinook started blowing again.  After exercising the red kids for an hour, I came home, took an anti-vertigo pill and my migraine medicine, and went to bed.  I got up 15 minutes before Kathy was due to pick me up for the movie.  The Descendants was a good movie.  (I was appalled at the amount of cursing that occurred, but, in riding the bus, I heave heard much worse and from younger people.) I laughed out loud several times, and I cried a couple of times.  It's s very good story about love and family.  Having taken my meds, I was fine after the movie was over, so we toddled back to the Snow residence and picked up Jim, in order to meet with Michael, Sarah and Mike at Radda.  The food was fantastic!  (Their current menu may be found at  http://www.raddatrattoria.com/menus.php  )  I had thought that I'd only be able to order their steak; but I ended up ordering the radda salad, the risotto con zucca (butternut squash), and the cavolfiore.  A meatless meal - but more than filling and extremely satisfying!  I was so full that I turned down dessert - even just a spoonful of the Radda Tiramisu...
At the moment, the wind is quiet again, but it is expected to continue to blow this afternoon, tonight, and tomorrow.  I'm glad that I do not have to go out, unless I want to.  I figure I'll spend today doing laundry, reading, and working on the Snow family tree...  I awoke from a dream this morning that a huge spider with very tickley, long legs was crawling on my left hand and wrist.  It's a good thing that Lovey has extremely fast reflexes, for I swatted the "spider," without being fully awake - and just missed Lovey's head.  The "tickley legs" were Lovey's whiskers.  Boy did I feel foolish!
It's in the mid-30s this morning, and the kits have been outside for a while.  They decided to return when a wood chipper started up in the Millennium parking lot - they apparently decided to get rid of the downed branches while there was a break in the wind.  The Rawhide episode that's on has James Drury, Martin Milner, and William Schallert as guest stars...  and Clint Eastwood and Drury have already been jawing at each other over who's the fastest draw....

I Missed It!

Yesterday was National Popcorn Day in North America.  I had no idea.  And, yesterday, National Geographic released a news item that states that the Native Americans in coastal Peru were popping corn on the cob 6,700 years ago.  They have found many different varieties of corn that was used for popping....   How cool!

Stock Show, 2012

A Case antique tractor

A 7-year-old tries Mutton Bustin' at the Stock Show

A trick rider remounts at a full gallop during the New Wild West Show

Wheeeee!

We had a wind gust of 104 mph here yesterday morning.  It knocked down quite a few trees, but there has been surprisingly little damage done.  I walked the red kids at noon yesterday; we met 6 new dogs, and the Rs were acting perfectly.  And I remember at least 6 people going by and yelling, "Handsome dogs!"  Of course, there is something about a full-coated Irish Setter, with that rich red coat gleaming in the sun, that makes it look stunning...  After walking the kids and picking up my prescriptions, I returned home, had a bowl of soup, and headed off to Bonfils Blood Center, where I donated a special O- pack for babies.  (They called me just before I left to walk the Rs.)  Last night I thoroughly enjoyed watching Person of Interest while Lovey laid stretched out across my lap.  The kits are currently outside, playing in the sun and the light wind. - The Chinook blew off and on all night, but this morning, the gusts are few and far between; I'll walk the Rs at 11 today.
Kathy and I will see the movie The Descendants this afternoon, then we are due to have dinner at Radda's, and old-fashioned Italian restaurant.  I've looked at the menu and already seen the one thing that I can eat, so I know what I'll be ordering.  Yesterday, while walking the dogs, I had the theme from "Rawhide" running through my head; I hope it's something different today.
Still working on double-checking the Snow family information - have found 3 parental mistakes so far, and am trying to find the real names of the parents that were reported incorrectly.   I've been able to track down two sets of parents, but haven't been able to trace the third set.  They have been reported incorrectly in both the LDS and Rootsweb databases, and the man is not listed in any Census until he is 34 years old.  No one with that surname, those Christian names, nor that birth date are anywhere in the previous Census records.  I'm about to let this guy slide until my next checking trip....

Critters

Charlie (left) and Einstein are best buddies; Charlie is 29 inches high, while Eisnstein is 20 inches at the withers.

Sarani, a 1-year-old snow leopard, enjoys her first snowfall this year

Fred (left) and Ned are brothers.  Between them, they have 56 toes; Fred has 28, and Ned has 26.

Chinook Continues

We had a wind gust of 93 mph last night - I was afraid my sliding glass door would be sucked out of its' tracks and blown away.  It was so windy that both kits slept in the walk-in closet, rather than with me.  I kept waking up to the roar of the wind, so it wasn't a restful night.  We also had several gusts recorded that topped 80 mph, and more than 5 that topped 70 mph...  so it has been windy.  The wind is supposed to die down by noon, so I'll be walking Rosie and Remy around midday.  -  There were 6 industrial-weight sheets of plastic blown onto my patio before I arose this morning.  I also removed 8 newspaper sections, 7 paper grocery bags, 15 plastic grocery bags, 12 pages of 8x11 paper, and a lot of small miscellaneous trash that had been blown away.  I already have more trash on the patio, but I'll clean that up this afternoon.  At least the temperature is 50 already, and we don't have to deal with freezing temps today!
Police in California found two hands and two feet within a 50 yard radius of the severed head that was found by dog walkers.  They are pretty sure the death occurred elsewhere, and that the walking trail by the Hollywood sign is just a dumping ground.
Today is my sister's 62nd birthday.  She informed me the other day that she wants my Chincoteague Island information trove when I die. (She seems pretty sure I'll die before her, but she is 6 years and 6 months older than me.... Hmmmm.)  Oh, well.  I got copies of the books she drooled over the most and am giving them to her for her birthday, plus taking her and Jim out to see The Descendants at the cinema tomorrow.  Her kids, Sarah and Mike, will take us out to supper tomorrow night.  As I usually end up with a migraine after a movie in a theatre, we'll have to see whether I'm in shape to attend or not.  I might have to take meds and crawl into bed after the movie.
I hope that all of you have a great day!

A Dose of "ICanHasCheezburger"

Walk Dogs, Find Human Head

I have goofy mishaps frequently, which are generally caused by my not paying attention to a certain something.  All I can say is that I'm very happy I wasn't the dog walker below the famous Hollywood sign in California yesterday; she had nine dogs walking off leash, and they found a bag, which they played with.  Then the contents came out - a severed human head.  I'm afraid that my immediate response would have been, "Leave it!", followed by a closer exam, which probably would have left me saying, "How cool!"  Now, I am definitely sorry that someone, a male, has died, and that his head was removed from his body....  but I love mysteries.  And I was on a Grand Jury for 6 months that had to look into all murder and attempted murder cases, so I guess I have a gruesome turn of mind.  In any event, I'm just glad that the dogs and I were not the ones to find the head in the bag.
Along the interstate highway in Tennessee, a U-Haul truck was stopped by the highway patrol - a routine traffic stop, checking for illegal drugs.  When the rear of the U-Haul was opened, the officers found 128 living dogs, 1 living cat, and 1 dead dog locked inside.  All creatures were in open wire mesh cages, stacked on top of each other.  There was no food or water available; there was no ventilation; critters on the top of the pile relieved themselves upon those below them....  The driver of the truck and her companion were arrested on 128 animal cruelty charges.  The driver is the founder of an Animal Rescue foundation called Hearts For Hounds; their website shows they are moving from California to Virginia. One would think that someone who works in animal rescue would have better sense.  I think the ladies should both be charged with 130 counts of animal cruelty - what about the one cat and the poor, dead dog?  This is unconscionable, and I am so thankful the Tennessee troopers made this particular traffic stop!!
It's still less than 32 degrees outside, and today we have a High Wind Alert, as there are gusts blowing up to 95 mph outside.  Once again, I'm not walking the Irish kids.  I did have the patio door open, and the kits ran in and out quite a bit; but then the wind picked up again, and the curtains were being sucked out and then blown back into the apartment, and the kits were not comfortable.  So I closed the door, and cut the wind off. 
News came today that Tim Tebow played the second half of the last Broncos' games with a rib separated from his breastbone, with a bruised lung, and with fluid building up in his lung space....  That usually takes 6 to 8 weeks to recover from, so I'm happy it is the end of the season. 
I'll continue to work on the family tree today, but I'm not sure how much I can get done with so many websites being "dark" today due to the protest....

Snowy Colorado

Pikes Peak under snow

A mountain lion in falling snow

The second Flatiron, west of Boulder

Cold!

When I stepped out the back door this morning, the cold took my breath away.  It was 9 degrees outside, and with the wind blowing, our wind chill was -10.  I very quickly put out nuts for the squirrels and came back inside.  The kits had run outside with me, but they both went back in almost immediately.  Then I walked to the bakery; even though I was wearing my Yak Trax, I slipped and slid all over the place (due to the ice under the snow), and I decided then that I wasn't going to try to walk Rosie and Remy since the footing was so treacherous.  It started snowing about 5 yesterday evening, and the snow ended by midnight; we got about 2 1/2 inches altogether.
Remy and Rosie were rarin' to go yesterday, and we had a really good walk.  We met several new dogs, and the red kids sat and watched the strangers pass by without a growl.  I was very proud of them.  We did cut the walk short by about 5 minutes; Remy's walking motion changed, and I decided to get him home before he actually became lame.  Rosie usually roams back and forth on my right side, but yesterday she insisted on going to the left and crowding Remy all the time.  So for a short while, we were working on heeling and obedience, and then when I released the kids, Rosie stayed over on her side.  It's nice when she actually understands the object of the lesson - earlier yesterday, each time I corrected her, she'd just give me this very hurt and "but I don't understand" look.  The two blocks of heeling got her back into shape.
The sun is shining brightly, which is wonderful, considering how cold it is outside.  Lovey and Nedi are both soaking up rays in the cat tree.  I had half a bagel with cream cheese and an apple for breakfast; so I guess it's time I jumped back into Snow family tree....   Have a great day!

Last Football Photos Until Fall

Bronco Quinton Carter returns an interception Saturday

Bronco Lance Ball runs with the ball, while Patriot (# 55) Brandon Spikes is blocked.  Spikes and Broncos' QB Tim Tebow were room mates at UF.

I always think that Packer Clay Matthews looks like a Viking...

Walking, Chasing, and Research

Expecting about an inch of snow this evening; right now, it's 20 degrees outside, with 86% humidity, so there is a definite nip in the air.  The sun is shining, and Nedi is out chasing squirrels, while Lovey is sitting on the corner of  my desk.   - Now, when I say Nedi is chasing squirrels, I must qualify it with the fact that he only moves at about half-speed, and acts more like a cattle horse going nose-to-nose with a heifer.  The squirrels can easily out-distance him, and usually run up a tree, fence, or wall, and then chatter at him.  Sometimes they get tired of running away, and charge at him.  Then Nedi will come inside and leave them alone for a while.  
I am getting ready to go walk Rosie and Remy, even though it's a holiday.  I just called the owners, and they are going to be very busy, running about today, so a walk for the red kids is welcome.  Kathy, my sister, has decided she'd like me to take her to see The Descendants for her birthday.  She wants to go Thursday night, and I told her anytime but Thursday night, (which we had discussed in detail for 30 minutes the day before) so it looks like a Friday matinee is in the offing....
I'll be watching the Super Bowl, but only for the commercials - it might be interesting if the Ravens play, but that's the only team I like that's left in the Playoffs.  And I'll be watching the ads to see if my nephews' Doritos ad was chosen to be shown.  Yesterday afternoon I started looking into the Nevins family branch on the Snow family tree - a Snow lady married a Nevins man, and they had 10 kids, but no one had ever followed up on the kids.  The first three have yielded 115 new relatives - I wonder how many more will turn up?

More 2012 Stock Show Photos

Trail Class competition for Quarter Horses

A Golden Polish rooster

Wes Wahlert makes an involuntary dismount during Bull Riding competition

OUCH

Both teams I rooted for yesterday lost.  The Saints got caught by the 49ers with 9 seconds left; the Broncos were completely overpowered by the Patriots.  Maybe one of my picks for today will win - the Ravens or the Packers.  (I can only hope at this point!)

Have a Great Weekend!

It's a sunny warm day, and my kits are outside playing in the grass and the snow.  We're already at 46 degrees, and are expected to reach the upper 50s; it will be a beautiful day.  I do need to put some peanuts out for the squirrels, but I've swept the patio and gone grocery shopping so far.  Last night I made myself a chicken pot pie, and ate half of it for supper.  I'll be working on the McNaught section of the Snow family today, doing deeper research for the family tree.  Everything will stop at 5:45 (MST) so I can watch the Broncos game.  I'd really like for Denver to win, but it is just a game....  And I'll watch all four play-off games this weekend....
Have a super three-day weekend!

Scandalous!

The local ABC station is having a "Special Broncos Sports Hour" tonight - NO Jeopardy!  Oh, my God!

Seen In Denver Today...

Cold and Windy

Early this morning I wondered into my GP's office - after about 45 minutes (!) of her attention, the nurse drew 5 tubes of blood, and then gave me 4 shots.  I returned home, ate breakfast, checked my e-mail and then went out to walk Rosie and Remy.  I returned from that at 1:15 this afternoon, and took a nap.  Then I turned on the local NBC station, KUSA, and found the entertainment reporter wearing a huge bright orange fright wig, and orange face paint with a blue lightning bolt on his forehead and a star on his cheek.  He was giving tips on the best Sports Bars to visit tomorrow for the Broncos' game.  Thanks, but I'll watch from the comfort of my own home....

It wasn't that cold today, but the wind kept blowing from 20 to 35 mph all day, and that made it feel much colder.  My kits were happy to have me home last night, Lovey laid in my lap while I watched Person of Interest, while Nedi was stretched out beside us.  The kits had a good romp while I was eating breakfast, and then again this afternoon.  With the cold temperatures at night, and the wind, there was plenty of  ice and snow pack left, and both the Irish kids and I slid everywhere.  My biggest complaint is that all four vaccinations were put in my left shoulder, and, now, it hurts like a .....    On the bright side, I received a package from Mary, and was delighted to discover a re-release of an old Marty Robbins record (now a CD) - and it has 8 recordings on it that I hadn't heard before!  It's a treasure!!  And I also received a new set of history books from Arcadia Publishing, so I am very happy with my listening and reading choices for this weekend.

The Denver Mayor proclaimed today was Broncos' Orange Day, and there was a giant pep rally in front of the City and County Building for over 2 hours today.  Folks were encouraged to wear orange, where ever they worked.  And I had to laugh - the weather today gave a very quick look at Denver and the surrounding area; the majority of the weather forecast was focused on Foxborough, Massachusetts for 8 p.m. EST Saturday night.  Hmmmm.  I think I'm not the only one who is backing the Broncos.  (I have to admit that I am afraid of what the final score may be...)  But I'll be cheering for the orange and blue!

2012 National Western Stock Show Photos

Darrell Petry competes in  Steer Wrestling

A piaffe being performed during the "Mexican Rodeo Show"

This photo is copyrighted by Seldom Scene; all rights reserved.  It shows a member of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association riding at a gallop in a pattern and shooting balloons tied on top of poles.

Longmont Teens Get Away With It...

The three boys involved in the herding of geese into a street, where they were run over with an SUV, were caught.  One of the youngsters was evidently old enough to have a drivers license, and, therefore, should be able to distinguish right from wrong.  What happened to the kids?
" Police on Monday ticketed two Longmont High School students on suspicion of four counts of felony aggravated animal abuse and a third student was referred to restorative justice in the deaths of four geese police believe the teenagers intentionally ran down with an SUV on Jan. 1.
According to police, witnesses say a white SUV stopped near 12th Avenue and Sumner Street, and a boy got out, herded geese out of a yard and into the roadway. Then the driver of the truck accelerated into the geese, killing three of them. A fourth died later.
Witnesses reported recognizing the SUV as one frequently parked at Longmont High School, which allowed police to identify the students.
Longmont Police Commander Jeff Satur said on Tuesday that the 17-year-old driver and the 16-year-old boy who herded the geese into the road were ticketed, while the third teen, also 16, who waited in the SUV was referred to the restorative justice program.
Catherine Olguin, spokeswoman for the Boulder District Attorney's Office, said the teens have been scheduled to appear in Boulder juvenile court Feb. 1 for formal filing of charges.
Officials have not released the teens' names because the charges filed are not classified high enough to require the public release of juvenile names."
The way I read this report, other than possibly paying a fine, and/or performing community service, the young men will not be punished.  Killing a defenseless animal for fun shows that a person has no soul.  I still feel they need to be charged with felony cruelty, even if they are 16 and 17 years old!  Don't just rap their knuckles and tell them they have been bad boys....

Snow, Snow, Go Away...

It was 57 degrees yesterday.  Our high today might reach 23.  The weather folks forecast one to two inches of snow for Boulder - it's past four inches now, and it's still falling.  It's pretty, but I need to be out doing things, which I can't do in the snow.  Rats!  Tomorrow we're supposed to be back in the upper 40s, with 50s on Friday....   That's Colorado!

Finn

Finn