Snow!

The young man accused of abducting and the murder of Jessica Ridgeway is just that - a young man. He is currently in the Jefferson County Courthouse, being charged for these crimes and another attempted kidnapping, in the Juvenile Court system. His defender has called him, "this child," in front of the judge. The young man is 17 years old; he is a student at a Community College; he is, surely, of an age and an intelligence to be tried as an adult. - I honestly don't know exactly how the law works here; in Florida I was on a Grand Jury that had to decide whether to try a 13-year-old as a juvenile or as an adult. Since this young man gave himself up into police custody, will there be a Grand Jury hearing? Or, since he did surrender, does he automatically go to the Juvenile system? While I was still feeling befuddled by the fact that a 17-year-old was arrested for Jessica's murder, I then read that two teens were charged in the death of the 12-year-old New Jersey girl whose body was found in a recycling bin. I know that I am repeating the question that each generation before has asked, but... "What is going on with the youth of today? Are they so inured in computer, TV and movie violence that they have no real sense of living things, or of guilt?"

   Five inches of snow fell overnight here in Boulder. Hopefully, that amount, or more, fell onto the Fern Lake fire up in RMNP. There was a little rain, but no snow in the area of the Wetmore fire, which is still raging out of control to the west of Pueblo. Aiko and Yoshi had to potty so badly that they didn't want to wait for me to get a snow shovel out this morning - they went plowing out into snow that was up to their chins to relieve themselves. I grabbed a snow shovel and was able to clear off the deck, the front walk, and several square feet of grass for the boys for later - even though we're expecting another four inches this afternoon and evening. Nedi has been out, bounding and leaping in the snow. Lovey walked out, looked at the snow, and sauntered back to the litter box.

   I'm going slightly crazy without the web at Aiko and Yoshi's house. I'd like to be able to look things up as they occur to me, and to take my time to reply to letters, but that's not going to happen until Saturday night or Sunday. So, if I owe you a reply to a letter or note, you will get one, just not quite right away....