Just Stuff...

The Boulder Iron Man 70.3 was won by two athletes who are not from Colorado - which was a slight surprise.  The Iron Man consists of three separate races - a 1.2 mile swim in the Boulder Reservoir, followed by a 56 mile bike race, and then a 13.1 mile foot race.  Yesterday's winners were Callum Millwood, a New Zealand native, in 3 hours 46 minutes and 47 seconds; and Alicia Kaye, from Clermont, Florida, in 4 hours 13 minutes and 10 seconds.  I might be able to swim that distance, I could ride a bike 56 miles, and I could walk/jog 13.1 miles - but do it all in one day and in just over 4 hours ?  In no way is that possible for me....  The folks who entered and finished this competition have my admiration.
   We've had some flooding in Colorado, but nothing like the flooding in the country of Georgia - there were torrential rains in he hills above Tbilisi, the country's capitol.  A small stream that runs through the city over-flowed its banks and flooded the city.  The stream also runs through the Tbilisi Zoo, where it's reported that half of the animals are missing from their flooded and destroyed enclosures.  Reported loose in the streets of the city are lions, tigers, bears, wolves and a crocodile. A loose hippo was tranquilized in one of the main squares; a male lion was killed with a rifle.  Three zoo workers are known to be dead, and emergency workers are searching from house to house; they have already found 8 more dead, all drowned in their homes.  Most of the city is still without power, and residents are being urged to stay inside until the government issues a statement that it's safe to be on the streets again.
   Ba and Bob will return sometime this afternoon, and, if nothing crops up, I'll continue to have the use of Bob's Prius until the 24th of this month.  Ba and Bob will be leaving for California on Wednesday, and I'll be back house-sitting Cyrano and Pounce until their second return.  Having the use of their car is a wonderful gift - I can start moving a lot of my extraneous belongings into storage in preparation for my move.  Lovey just trotted inside and leaped up to the top of the cat tree; Nedi was standing on the back of the chair of the patio watching her.  They tickle my heart...
   California Chrome is set to run in the Price of Wales Stakes at Ascot on Wednesday.  His jockey will be William Buick, who rode Jack Hobbs to a second-place finish in the Epsom Derby.  The owners had hoped to have Frankie Dettori ride CC, but the Italian jockey was committed to ride another entry.  We'll see how last year's  Kentucky Derby winner does in England, racing on grass.  In the meantime, California Chrome's full sister, a two-year-old filly named Hope's Love ran in her first race yesterday.  She stumbled out of the gate, but came flying at the end of the race to finish second by a half-length.  The race was a 4.5 furlong race for maidens.  Love's Hope looks like she might have the drive and kick of her brother...