Old Mountain Cemetery

Looking at fall leaf colors yesterday - a lot of green pines and yellow/gold aspen, but very few red or bronze leaves…  I know they don't normally grow where I was driving, but, still…..   (sigh)   I did take a dirt road that I hadn't followed before, and ended up on a big hill over looking Central City - and there was a huge Catholic Cemetery spread all around us.  I know there are over 538 interments there, as I looked it up on the web last night - but most of the monuments that I found fascinating weren't even listed…  There was a concrete log cabin that was four feet high (not counting the chimney), about four feet wide and three feet deep, with the name WALTER spelled out in branches above the door lintel.  At the foot of the grave was a concrete log, with a scroll draped over it, stating this was the resting place of a beloved son, aged 21 years and 7 months, who had died in 1899.  I have got to return with my camera and document these burials….   There were several cement/concrete cast tree boles scattered throughout the cemetery, and I assumed they were markers for members of the Woodmen of the World - but they were not.  Several, in fact, were markers for women, who were "cut down in their prime."  It was a very interesting place.  Several of the old stones, placed in the 1800s were indecipherable, and while I know it is silly, I was distressed how all the heads of the lambs on children's' graves had been knocked off.  The other odd thing is a large apartment or condominium complex that has been built within the past two years that hovers over the cemetery.  It has been built for the workers in the casinos - but the buildings sure don't blend in with the scenery.
   We saw several crows during the drive, one chipmunk and one squirrel, but plenty of livestock.  Oh.  Beatrice went with me.  She hadn't been in a cemetery since the burial of her parents, so she felt strange wandering through this old, forgotten place.  She wasn't creeped out by walking on graves, trying to read the markers, but there were a few folks who had their campers and all-terrain 4-wheelers outside the cemetery fence, who kept giving her long stares.  I realize that African-Americans are a minority in Colorado - but why do people have to stare?  It's ridiculous.
    I found quite a few of the verses on the gravestones to be rather different from the ones I am used to seeing along the coastal areas.  But the views were stupendous, and the colors glorious in the area.  I fell in love with Quartz Valley Ranch - and their horses and donkeys.
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  Please keep your eyes open for Dreamer's Faith. She's been missing for almost 4 weeks now, and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, the Chincoteague Police Department, and those of us who love the ponies are beginning to worry about her well-being.  Please report any weanling that might be Dreamer's Faith to your local police or Sheriff's offices.  The Chincoteague Police contact number is (757) 336 - 3315.

Varied Photos

Weather vane and super blood moon

Assateague pony in surf

Florida bobcat catches shark near West Palm Beach

A boatload of deer

Whisper of a Legend and Ken

Sleepy squirrel

Strange cloud - What the heck is it? A bat, a kraken, Davy Jones?

Football, Blood Moon Eclipse, Faith Still Missing

Boulder is warm, but a little cloudy this morning.  I'm still a little shell-shocked from this weekend's football - both collegiate and professional, though.  I figured the South Carolina Gamecocks would bounce back and win this week; I did not think that Florida would be able to defeat Tennessee, as they did; and I was amazed by the CU Buffs shutting out Nicholls State.  I was thrilled that the Broncos won in Detroit last night - but the other pro teams I cheer for lost.  And, on the happy and sad list is that Ben Roethlisberger's knee injury will keep him from playing for 4 to 6 weeks; I wanted it to be a career-ending injury.  A multiple rapist shouldn't be a 'worshiped' NFL quarterback, period.
   The full eclipse of the super blood moon was a fantastic sight.  We went up Flagstaff Mountain and parked at one of the eastern overlooks to observe the occurrence.  It was gorgeous!

Dreamer's Faith, and the people who stole her, are still in an unknown, undiscovered place.  Saturday the Chincoteague Pony 4-H Club raised another $634.+ to add to the reward for the stolen filly.  The reward is now over $2,100 for information that leads to the return of the filly, and/or the arrest of the miscreants who stole her.

   Dreamer's Faith is a 5 to 6 month old chestnut paint filly.  She has a freeze brand on her left hip that plainly reads "15" and she has a very easily distinguished coat pattern.  She has a chestnut head and face with a backwards apostrophe white star on her forehead, above and between her eyes.  She has four white stockings - well above her knees and hocks.  On her right side, just behind her withers is a chestnut heart surrounded by white, that extends to her croup.  On her left shoulder and neck is a white marking that can be seen as a dove in flight, or a wind-blown cross.  Her forelock and mane are chestnut until her withers, with the last few inches being white.  Her tail is mainly chestnut, with a small white strip near the base on the left side.  She is stolen property.  She is missed by her owners and fans.  She was removed from Chincoteague Island, Virginia on September 6 or 7, in a white horse trailer pulled by a white Chevy dually truck.  Please keep your eyes open for this much-loved and missing filly. (See previous post on B's Critter Sitter Blog for photos.)

Assateague Life

Sika deer

Eastern screech and barred owls

Fall colors, with many thanks to Deb Iddings Noll

Stingray

Pony and tree

A gut at sunset

Double crested cormorant, with many thanks to Dana Dunne

White Truck & Trailer Sought in Dreamer's Faith Theft

Questioning locals and tourists, the Chincoteague Police Department has determined that a full size white Chevy pick-up truck with dual tires that had a white horse trailer attached was most probably the vehicle tandem used in the theft of Dreamer's Faith.  On the 6th or 7th of September, two men were observed trying to catch a foal at the Main Street Carnival Ground corral.  The white Chevy dually truck and trailer were also seen, as well as a parked electric golf cart.   Late in the afternoon on Labor Day, the 7th, it was noted that the chestnut and white paint filly, named Dreamer's Faith, was no longer with the other ponies in the corral.  Her theft has been covered by television stations, newspapers, on my blog, and on Facebook.   Over 808,000 views have been made on the Facebook site.  I have sent information and photos of the stolen filly to equine veterinarians in Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, and Wyoming.  Faith is easily identifiable by the number 15 freeze brand on her left hip.  These freeze brands are placed only on ponies that are to be kept on Assateague Island in the herds belonging to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
   Please keep spreading the word that Dreamer's Faith is stolen and there is a reward (now $1,500) offered.

Nearby Colorado Views

Estes Park near the Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park near the RMNP

Estes Park near the RMNP

Loveland's Benson Sculpture Park - this is "Prairie Flowers"

Carter Lake nine years ago

Carter Lake this week...  Can you say drought?

Estes Park in the Roosevelt National Forest

September Chincoteague Ponies

Middle three - Dreamer's Faith (stolen - reward!), BlingBling, CLG Surfer's Blue Moon

Fire Star and her September foal

Sunrise Ocean Tide (aka Sunny)

Surfer Princess

Sweet Tea and mother, Too Grand

Butterfly Kisses and (under her neck and head) new September foal

Making faces - from left: Goober's butt, Tidewater Princess'colt, Sweet Tea

Wandering

We had mostly cloudy skies yesterday, but the temperatures were still in the 80s.  Beatrice and I went down to Golden on Monday and had lunch with our friend Carol at Bob's Atomic Burgers on Ford Street.  We were a little early, so we explored the town and saw a few places we hadn't been before - like the campus of the Colorado School of Mines.  The food was pretty good - the best burger I've had in Golden, actually.  We sat under an umbrella on Ford Street and ate and drank and talked for more than three hours.  We had fun, and drew a lot of attention, I'm afraid - just because we were laughing so much.
  Yesterday, we tried out Doug's Day Diner, a new place here in Boulder - they are only open from 6 am until 2 pm, serving breakfast the whole time, as well as burgers, chicken and fries for lunch.  Beatrice was disappointed that they didn't have waffles, so she ordered "Granny's Hotcakes."  I had the "Hillbilly" breakfast - three eggs, biscuit and gravy, home fries and meat (I had the bacon).  We were astounded by the serving sizes.  Bea's coffee was great, and came in an over-sized mug; my diet soda was 30 ounces - both with never-ending refills.  Bea's  two pancakes were larger than a dinner plates, light and fluffy, and with her choices of butter, syrup, and several kinds of jellies and jams (for only $6!)    My Hillbilly breakfast covered a huge platter - big enough to serve a 24-pound turkey on.  We both left with more than half our food in carry-out boxes...  and for only $20!  The waiter was also the manager, and she said she's waiting for two waffle griddles to be delivered - one for regular waffles, the other for gluten-free (we do live in Boulder, after all).
   Then we traveled up Lee Hill Drive and up to Gold Hill.  I took Beatrice to see Carter Lake was was very aghast at how low the water level is.  She had never been there before, and was amazed by the size of the lake, and by the red clay and rocks that, now, ring the lake for 1/8 to 1/4 mile all around, thanks to the drought.  I hadn't been to Carter Lake in eight years, and I was amazed at the receding of the water level.
   Headed over to the Loveland Outlet stores, as Beatrice really wanted to see them - how many and what brands.  We were both disappointed there - more than half of the stores are empty, and several have been converted into churches.  We went into the Levi's store, Dress Barn, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Makers, a kitchen supply store, and a nice arts and crafts shop named "Artsy."  I got a few pages of craft specialty papers there.  I'm not quite sure what the different stores in Loveland thought about the weather, but only Artsy had their air-conditioning turned on.  All the other stores did not have their HVAC systems running at all - and they were extremely warm.  In a way, we were glad that there were so few stores to visit, as we were uncomfortable inside them....
   Oh, well....  Beatrice is back to work today, and I am, also.  Hump day for most worker's but Bea's Monday - and I was last "off"  August.  My next day "off" will be 3 October - and I plan on watching college football!
   No word yet on the stolen Chincoteague filly named Dreamer's Faith.  She has been posted on the NetPosse, a website for stolen horses.  I hope she is found soon.  The latest round of notes and Twitter about her say: Keep the Faith!  -  in her being found and returned; not as an encouragement for the thief.  I'm ready to personally hang him/her (the thief), myself.

Assateague Island Photos

Osprey with meal

Charcoal

Assateague Life Saving Station

REWARD:  Dreamer's Faith (closest to the camera)  Stolen 6 or 7 Sept 2015

Assateague sunrise

Sandpiper

Brown pelican

Updates

First, Dreamer's Faith is still missing from Chincoteague.  Since her theft, the thief has had enough time to have her seen by an equine veterinarian, and to have all of her vaccinations and blood tests (needed for transportation across state lines and national borders) performed, and to get the necessary paperwork.  Of course, Dr Cameron, the veterinarian for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, as already done those things.  Since I live in Colorado, I have sent notifications about the theft of Dreamer's Faith to all the local television stations, as well as to 40 equine veterinary practitioners, and have asked them to spread the news with other vets.  The information includes a description, five photos, and information about whom to contact at the Chincoteague Police Department and/or the CVFC.  Since I have yet to find my dUSB camera cord, I don't know which of three buy-back foals Faith was; the three sold for $6,000, $7,500, and $10,000 each.   -   And I'm still reeling from the chutzpah it took to steal her from the Main Street Carnival Grounds corral. This is the first time it's happened since the Firemen took over the Pony Sale 90 years ago.....
   We've had cooler nights here in Colorado, and the CU Buffs showed they drive and courage by winning the Rocky Mountain Showdown in over-time last night.  The Gators managed to win in an ugly game against Kentucky, and the Georgia Bulldogs devastated the Gamecocks.  The Gators will have to become a much better team to be able to defeat the Dawgs this year.
   I've seen lots of local wildlife in the past few days - a doe with twin fawns is staying nearby, and the numbers of rabbits is amazing.  The squirrels are also feeling very frisky.  I miss our fox population; when the coyotes moved in, the fox were either killed, or they moved on.  *sigh*  I really liked the fox, but I don't much like the coyotes.  Fall birds are starting to appear, too, which is a nice change.  Our robins disappear for only a few months and they are still in residence.
   I hope your Sunday is peaceful and relaxing.

Wild Chincoteague Pony, Dreamer's Faith, Stolen

STOLEN!  That's right… someone, or some people, had the audacity to steal a 6-month-old Chincoteague pony from the Main Street Carnival Ground corral on Chincoteague Island, Virginia.  As you can see, this little girl has very striking and unusual markings.  The last photo (click on it to enlarge it) shows the shaved square on her left hip where she received her freeze brand.  The freeze brand simply reads 15, as that is the year of her birth.  Her name is Dreamer's Faith.  She was stolen on September 6th or 7th. and could have trucked, trailered, or vanned to just about anywhere in the United States, Canada, or Mexico by this point in time.  

   She is a chestnut paint (or red and white pinto, if you prefer) with a small star, shaped like a  backwards comma or apostrophe above her eyes.  She has four white stockings.  On her right side, she has a white blotch from her withers to her croup,  with a "bleed-over" dot of chestnut from her left side.  On Faith's left side, along her neck, withers and shoulder, ia what can be viewed as a cross, or a dove flying;  she also has her 15 freeze brand on her left hip.
    The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company is offering a reward of $1,000.00 for information that leads to the arrest and capture of the thief (or thieves).  The main investigative law enforcement body is the Chincoteague Police Department, and the person to contact is Corporal Tyler Greenly at  (757) 336-3315.  The spokesperson for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company is Roe Terry, who may be contacted at  (757) 336-3138.  With the lapse of time since Dreamer's Faith original disappearance, she may have been trailered, trucked, or vanned  to almost any point in the UnitedPlease keep your eyes open for this pretty little girl.  And call your local authorities if you see her, or anyone trying to sell her, anywhere….
    Also, many thanks to Deb Iddings Noll for the use of her photos to help identify this stolen horse.

Clear Creek County, Colorado

Georgetown Loop Steam Railway