Vote! - Pets - Wildfire - Horse Racing

Today you'll receive a deluge of bits and pieces: little things that I haven't included in the past few weeks. Today is my last day of vacation, and I'm going to watch the Redskins game, followed by the Jets game, and then I have to do laundry. I'll walk Rosie and Remy tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon, I move in with Aiko and Yoshi. I sent a note to the boys' owner, asking her to have the boys' coats available, as the weather folks are calling for rain and snow Thursday and snow on Friday. The boys had a short clip last month, and I don't want them to catch cold while in my care. Our high yesterday was 78; they say the high Friday might be 35...

   Frankel is being retired, having raced 14 times and being undefeated (including 10 Grade I races), at the age of 4. His last start was Saturday, and he was left standing in the gate, but was in fourth position by the half-mile. He left a great and lasting impression at Ascot. Meanwhile, Camelot, the previously undefeated hopeful for the British Triple Crown, placed seventh in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and had colic surgery that night. Camelot's return to racing is questionable.

   With temperatures being warmer, and with the wind cropping up, the Fern Lake wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park is producing a lot of smoke and haze along the Front Range. The fire is 30% contained, but is now at about 700 acres; sleet and rain last week had helped the fire die down. Today is the 13th day of the fire, and certain hiking trails and roads are closed because of it. One can easily see and smell the smoke here in Boulder. Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide, was closed last week due to snow blocking the road.

   I put my Presidential ballot in the out-going mail box this morning. I used to dread voting day because I hated standing in line and slowly inching forward... I have never missed casting my vote in any election, but I hated the waiting in line. With the mail-in ballots we have in Colorado, I'm very happy. You don't have to stand in line; you don't have to worry about the weather while you're standing in line; you can take your own sweet time in marking your ballot; you can verify that the Clerk of Court's office has received your ballot; and, somehow, I usually ended up having a nasty headache, verging on a migraine, on voting days - no worry about that now. ... And, now that I have actually voted, I wish the Presidential debate tomorrow night was over, and that all of the negative campaign ads (against every single candidate) were gone from TV, and no longer something that I have to watch through November 6th. I have to admit that I turn the volume off during all political ads right now, and make up my own very silly, and, sometimes, downright rude commentary.

   Lovey has been very vocal the last few days, while Nedi has not wanted to come back inside when I want him to. He used to come at a run when I called him, but I think that the fall air, the leaves, and the birds and squirrels have enchanted him. Once we have a couple of days of snow, he'll not want to go out, except to confirm that the white stuff is cold and wet... And I thoroughly enjoyed my two college games yesterday - the Gators did me proud!