Mad As Hell

Fourteen and a half inches of snow fell in Boulder yesterday. Scattered, light, hard-frozen flakes are still falling (it's 27 degrees outside), and the weather folks say we'll get a rain/snow mix this afternoon and evening; then at least another four inches of snow on Wednesday... This is helping with our drought conditions. And even though the snowfall has been heavier up in the mountains, our snow pack is still well below the normal limits... I don't care that it's April! We need this snow and rain for our livestock and crops - not to mention the humans water supply for the summer and fall.

   Nedi and Lovey are disgusted by all the snow on the ground... I'll guess that Lovey has decided that this snow is too wet to safely tunnel in. Nedi, on the other hand, sits at the edge of the patio and tries to play patty-cake with the falling snow flakes. He tends to smack them just as they land, which causes mini-avalanches to cascade upon him. The little nut comes running inside to shake the snow off his coat, then runs back out onto the patio again... I suppose that boys will be boys, no matter what species.

   I am in shock regarding the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the two bombs that killed 3 and injured 176 people. This happened at a sporting event. Participants and spectators both were grievously injured - an 8 year old boy, there to see his father cross the finish line was killed, his sister and mother gravely injured. Two brothers, there to support a friend who is a fire fighter, each lost a leg in the blast, and are in two different hospitals. Carlos Arredondo, a Costa Rican native, was on the scene, handing out American flags to the race finishers; he lost a son in Iraq, and his younger son to suicide. Carlos Arredondo was a life saver yesterday, pinching an artery closed while assisting medics to evacuate a runner who lost a leg.... Boston showed its true American spirit yesterday, dealing with this tragedy. I am so sorry that this occurred.

   Yesterday was Patriot's Day, so designated to celebrate the first battles of the Revolutionary War, which happened on April 19 in the towns of Lexington and Concord. Since 1969, the day has been declared as the third Monday in April in the states of Massachusetts and Maine and is celebrated as a holiday with a three-day weekend. Bostonians also identify it as "Marathon Monday." I believe that whatever group, or whomever the person was,who set off these horrific bombs did so with an eye on dates in April. Yesterday was a day of celebration for our Revolutionary War - even though the actual date was April 19. On April 16, the Virginia Tech University shootings happened; on April 19th, the bombing in Oklahoma City and the Waco, Texas raid happened; on April 20th, the Columbine Massacre occurred.

  Some one, some unannounced group or party, some nation, is squirming with delight that they were able to kill and maim innocent Americans on a holiday. I think they will be surprised by the response of our nation. We are getting mad as hell - and we won't take it any more.