Horse, Cat, and Neighborhood News

It's once again 25 and sunny outside - the kits are running in and out, and I'll need to close the door soon, as it's getting chilly at my desk.  Nedi got a wild hair about 5:30 this morning, first, running through the apartment and tipping over the water bowl.  He ran several routes, then got Lovey involved in the running, and finally jumped on top of her, so the fur flew, very briefly.  Just as I was about to return to sleep, Nedi sat down by the water bowl, and started tipping it on its' side, sloshing the water everywhere.  When I got up, an hour later, I had to mop the floor because there was a giant lake on the tile.  ...  I'll be moving into Oly, Annie and Bentley's place late this afternoon, as their Mom says she is definitely staying overnight.
  For the first time ever, the 2012 American Youth Horse Council's annual symposium will be in Virginia.  The event is set for March 23-25 in Herndon and three members of the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team will be making their appearance at this national event. On Saturday afternoon, three special workshops and events are held as part of the symposium and one of those events is a special breed demonstration. And the breed that is featured this year, for the first time ever, is the Chincoteague pony.  The three ponies that will be shown include two wild-born ponies that made the swim over from Assateague before being purchased, and a black and white mare that has one blue and one brown eye.  She is a direct descendant of Misty, and her sire was Cezanne.
  Spread the word to all the kitty faithful, Achilles the cat is free. Employees at the Denver Air Center, a ground services provider for private pilots at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, are reporting today that Achilles, the young Bengal cat that this week spent more than a day and half stuck in the business's ceiling, has been safely coaxed out of hiding.  He came in on a private flight, and while his owner was using the restroom, she turned Achilles loose - not realizing that a ceiling tile was missing, due to repair.  Achilles leapt up, and disappeared into the ceiling.  His owner had to leave him behind, due to business.  Food, water, and a litter box were supplied for the youngster, first on the floor, then in the ceiling.  A new plate of tuna was placed out for him, and during the night, he came down and feasted - and decided to stay down.  The owner's relatives have already taken Achilles home, to stay until a return flight to California is arranged.
  And, locally -  An advisory group decided Wednesday night not to recommend a plan to build a bike path along Fourmile Canyon Creek in north Boulder amid concerns from nearby residents that the path would affect the environment and character of the neighborhood.  A measure to move forward the city staff's recommendation for the bike path failed before the Boulder Greenways Advisory Committee. The group suggested the city look into other possibilities in the future, such as paving an existing path nearby that connects Sumac Avenue to Riverside Lane.  The City Council is expected to take up the issue in March.
The recommended path would have connected 19th and 22nd streets between Tamarack Avenue and Riverside Lane, providing a bike route for students of nearby Crest View Elementary, 1897 Sumac Ave.  The board looked at four alternatives for helping connect 19th and 22nd streets. Two involved multi-use paths along the creek -- one concrete and one crushed gravel -- while the other two involved sidewalks along either Tamarack Avenue or Riverside Lane.
The city staff recommended a concrete bike path 10 feet wide for cyclists and pedestrians. They said the creek path would help provide a path for students who live in the area to bike to nearby Crest View Elementary without using the streets. (See:  http://bcove.me/xg4mlkjn )
  Fourmile Creek is the seasonal creek that runs through Githens' Acres, the area where I do  most of my house-sitting and pet-walking.  The traffic is sparse enough that I walk Rosie and Remy in the middle of the streets (there are no streetlights, sidewalks, or bike paths in the residential areas), and only occasionally do I need to "curb them", so a vehicle can pass by.  And the neighborhoods were built piece-meal, with no true over all plan, so that the streets funnel all the wildlife traffic directly through the area that the city wants to make a 10-foot wide cement strip through....   I am so happy that the advisory committee decided not to endorse the City's plan!