Trawler sunset
Spiked Sika
1884 "Nicknames of the States" map
American egret
US Ancestry map from 2000
Bandit mouse
Tiny Spring Azure butterfly
Thursday, March 30, 2017
President 45 Is A Joke
The man living in the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in Washington, the District of Columbia, is the world's biggest joke. He acts like a petulant two-year-old child. Nothing is ever his fault - he always blames someone else for anything other than an excellent outcome. He expects praise for doing the logical, socially correct thing. He demands praise and exultation when he claims the fruits of someone else's work and planning. He blatantly lies and makes conflicting statements and expects the entire population of our country to believe his lies. He libels other people. He pouts and rants and raves if his feelings are "hurt" because someone else tells the truth and produces evidence. The child-man is dangerous to our country, or freedom, and our way of life. He needs to be impeached and imprisoned - and sent to work in a chain gang for either a railroad bed, or a new road bed. He should not be allowed to stay in a highly comfortable prison with scheduled meals, scheduled outings, television, telephones, computers, etc. He should have no rights, except to be fed and clothed. He needs to be forced to do manual labor, and be allowed to read books and write letters only. The man is a monster. He is not my President. - In my opinion.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Assateague Island Photos
Opossum
Squirrel
Assateague Lighthouse
Sunrise
Yankee and Sweet Tea
January sunset
On the marsh
Rain and Miscellany
We had almost 24 hours of light rain yesterday - it was marvelous and badly needed. It barely gave the ground a thorough wetting, but I'm still thankful for it. While we got only rain, I can look out my window and see snow on top of Green Mountain, just behind the Flatirons, that wasn't there yesterday evening. And we're supposed to get rain and/or snow this weekend, too. Good. I will not complain. We need the moisture. Period.
I'm still getting over the death of Charlie, the white laying hen. Her owners left Saturday morning to go hiking and take photos in Utah. I went over mid-afternoon Saturday - quite a few hours early, but to give the cats and five hens some good loving and petting. Carter and Xuxa were sound asleep in the living room, so I stepped out onto the deck and headed for the back gate into the side garden that contains the fish pond and chicken coop. First I saw a couple of white feathers on the walk way. Then I saw what didn't - at first - make any sense.... a long red and black stick was poking out through the fence... It took a couple of horrified seconds to realize that the stick was Charlie's neck and that there was no head, and that something had tried to pull her body through the fence... I went inside to check on the other girls, and they were crowded into a group at the far end of the garden. I filed a bowl with sunflower seeds, showed it to them, and got them into the coop. They literally ran past Charlie's body. Then I had to disentangle Charlie's remains from the fence, bag her, and place her body in the trash. I cried like a baby. Charlie liked to sit in my lap and be petted. Charlie was the leader of the flock, and, as soon as she heard a human voice near the back gate, she'd cackle and lead all the girls to the gate to greet me. She was a sweet hen and we'll all miss her, and her tan eggs.
Suede had a colt, sired by Riptide, on Monday. Being a first-time Mom, and, having gone away by herself to foal, she apparently was at a loss. She licked him dry and let him nurse. When he laid back down, she walked away - and kept on walking, right back to Riptide's herd, and leaving the baby behind. Pony watchers called the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and a small round-up commenced. The little colt was taken to the corral, and Riptide's herd was brought in. Suede was moved into the trailer with her baby, and they were taken to Chincoteague, while Riptide's herd was released. The new mom and baby are being kept at the Leonard pony farm and are now bonding nicely, in a box stall and small paddock.
Little Duckie had a little girl on Monday, too. She is a very pale tan and white pinto, with Legacy as the Dad. Only two photos of her so far and a very short video clip.
As is usual, I've been naming the foals - not that any of the names I give them will stay - but it's for my own identification purposes. The first foal, a red and white filly, by Legacy and out of Anne Bonny, I call March Hare. The second foal, a buckskin pinto colt, by Legacy and out of Sweetheart, was born just before an ice storm, and I call him Storm Warning. Suede and Riptide's sorrel colt looked so lost and alone after his mom left him; I call him Lost Tide. Little Duckie's filly by Legacy I call "The Swan." - Silly me.... but I enjoy it!
I'm still getting over the death of Charlie, the white laying hen. Her owners left Saturday morning to go hiking and take photos in Utah. I went over mid-afternoon Saturday - quite a few hours early, but to give the cats and five hens some good loving and petting. Carter and Xuxa were sound asleep in the living room, so I stepped out onto the deck and headed for the back gate into the side garden that contains the fish pond and chicken coop. First I saw a couple of white feathers on the walk way. Then I saw what didn't - at first - make any sense.... a long red and black stick was poking out through the fence... It took a couple of horrified seconds to realize that the stick was Charlie's neck and that there was no head, and that something had tried to pull her body through the fence... I went inside to check on the other girls, and they were crowded into a group at the far end of the garden. I filed a bowl with sunflower seeds, showed it to them, and got them into the coop. They literally ran past Charlie's body. Then I had to disentangle Charlie's remains from the fence, bag her, and place her body in the trash. I cried like a baby. Charlie liked to sit in my lap and be petted. Charlie was the leader of the flock, and, as soon as she heard a human voice near the back gate, she'd cackle and lead all the girls to the gate to greet me. She was a sweet hen and we'll all miss her, and her tan eggs.
Suede had a colt, sired by Riptide, on Monday. Being a first-time Mom, and, having gone away by herself to foal, she apparently was at a loss. She licked him dry and let him nurse. When he laid back down, she walked away - and kept on walking, right back to Riptide's herd, and leaving the baby behind. Pony watchers called the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and a small round-up commenced. The little colt was taken to the corral, and Riptide's herd was brought in. Suede was moved into the trailer with her baby, and they were taken to Chincoteague, while Riptide's herd was released. The new mom and baby are being kept at the Leonard pony farm and are now bonding nicely, in a box stall and small paddock.
Little Duckie had a little girl on Monday, too. She is a very pale tan and white pinto, with Legacy as the Dad. Only two photos of her so far and a very short video clip.
As is usual, I've been naming the foals - not that any of the names I give them will stay - but it's for my own identification purposes. The first foal, a red and white filly, by Legacy and out of Anne Bonny, I call March Hare. The second foal, a buckskin pinto colt, by Legacy and out of Sweetheart, was born just before an ice storm, and I call him Storm Warning. Suede and Riptide's sorrel colt looked so lost and alone after his mom left him; I call him Lost Tide. Little Duckie's filly by Legacy I call "The Swan." - Silly me.... but I enjoy it!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Chincoteague Ponies - Older & New - Photos
These photos are shared with many thanks from several people - and
two special business entities:
DSC Photography of Greenbackville, Virginia
and
JMS Photography of Chincoteague, Virginia
(You can purchase un-marked photos from them, at great prices!
Check out their web sites!)
Badabing and Surfer Princess (2015 buy-backs)
Riptide's herd (Riptide at right)
Five of the 2016 buy-backs
First foal of 2017 -
Mom is Anne Bonny, the filly, and Dad is Legacy
Second foal - a colt by Legacy out of Sweetheart
Newborn third foal - filly out of Little Duckie, sired by Legacy
Fourth foal - a colt, by Riptide, out of first-time Mom Suede.
Suede left the foal after the first nursing; Suede and foal were
re-united in a box stall after a mini-round-up, and will be kept
together for a few days to insure bonding.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Old Wichita, Kansas Photos
Old photos from the Wichita Historic Society:
The steam launch "Lake Side" on the Arkansas River 1900
Entrance to Riverside Park 1900
Wichita railroad work crews 1887
Dr Henry Owens driving buggy, and his family, at their
home at 209 South Emporia Street 1887
The Deluge Company of the Wichita Volunteer Fire Company 1887
Center, in the distance, the Wichita Watch Factory 1895
1925 - the Wichita Eagle Bathing Beauty Contest finalists
Creek Bodies, the President, & Foals
The body found along Coal Creek trail the other day has been identified - a 42-year-old woman committed suicide with a hand gun beside the public pathway. ...And I just observed a man and a woman change their clothing while standing (partially) behind a pine tree beside a Goose Creek Pathway, which is less than 50 yards away from my window.... Interesting. They have packed up their backpacks and roll-along over-night suitcases and are proceeding southeast on foot...
It appears that "45's" Art of the Deal came back to bite him in the rear. He promised the first thing he would do was "repeal Obamacare" and he said he'd do it on day one of his administration. Yesterday was day 64, and they had to call off the vote to repeal Obamacare because they could not get enough Republicans to vote yes to pass it - his own party! That just tickles me.
Last Monday, it was announced in an Open Congressional hearing that Obama did NOT order any wire-tapping or surveillance of the new administration, no matter what 45 claims. I really believe that 45 and his cronies have completely forgotten that President Obama was/is a Constitutional lawyer, taught Constitutional law, and knows very well what he was, and is, doing.
And all of 45's cronies just seem to sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand quagmire of Russian ties, Russian money payments, Russian collusion, and the Bank of Cyprus' and the Deutsche Bank's money laundering of Russian rubles. Then there are the huge monetary ties that 45, his companies and his family, have with the Bank of China. Do we have an American President? Or do we have a Sino-Russ President?
We still have only two foals born so far on Assateague - Anne Bonny had a red and white pinto girl, and Sweetheart had a buckskin and white pinto boy; the father of both is Legacy, who is a buckskin pinto. Captain Debbie Ritter caused a stir the other day by posting a photo of Ace and Mayli near Black Duck Drain - and there was a small, dark creature near Mayli, the mare. She titled the photo, "New Foal?" which sent some pony-watchers into fits. They believed they had spent three hours watching the mare and stallion and had never seen the "foal." As soon as I looked at the photo I laughed aloud - the "foal" is a Sika deer, or miniature Japanese elk - I could tell by the nose, immediately. But, people see what they want to see.....
It appears that "45's" Art of the Deal came back to bite him in the rear. He promised the first thing he would do was "repeal Obamacare" and he said he'd do it on day one of his administration. Yesterday was day 64, and they had to call off the vote to repeal Obamacare because they could not get enough Republicans to vote yes to pass it - his own party! That just tickles me.
Last Monday, it was announced in an Open Congressional hearing that Obama did NOT order any wire-tapping or surveillance of the new administration, no matter what 45 claims. I really believe that 45 and his cronies have completely forgotten that President Obama was/is a Constitutional lawyer, taught Constitutional law, and knows very well what he was, and is, doing.
And all of 45's cronies just seem to sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand quagmire of Russian ties, Russian money payments, Russian collusion, and the Bank of Cyprus' and the Deutsche Bank's money laundering of Russian rubles. Then there are the huge monetary ties that 45, his companies and his family, have with the Bank of China. Do we have an American President? Or do we have a Sino-Russ President?
We still have only two foals born so far on Assateague - Anne Bonny had a red and white pinto girl, and Sweetheart had a buckskin and white pinto boy; the father of both is Legacy, who is a buckskin pinto. Captain Debbie Ritter caused a stir the other day by posting a photo of Ace and Mayli near Black Duck Drain - and there was a small, dark creature near Mayli, the mare. She titled the photo, "New Foal?" which sent some pony-watchers into fits. They believed they had spent three hours watching the mare and stallion and had never seen the "foal." As soon as I looked at the photo I laughed aloud - the "foal" is a Sika deer, or miniature Japanese elk - I could tell by the nose, immediately. But, people see what they want to see.....
Friday, March 24, 2017
Historic Photos of Kansas
Thinking of how my father's family starting moving into, and around,
the state of Kansas after the Civil War ended last night, and
found these wonderful photos in various Historical
Society archives - state, county, and city...
The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City in 1873
(somehow it doesn't look like Miss Kitty's Long Branch in Gunsmoke)
Main Street in Wichita - 1875
Douglas Avenue in Wichita - 1887
Millinery Store of Mary Klentz in 1888; Main Street, Wichita
Fourth of July Parade, Hill City, Graham County - about 1905
The founders of Nicodemus, Graham County - the first all
African-American town in Kansas
Threshing wheat in 1887 outside of Wichita
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Bits and Pieces
If you want, or need, a good laugh - and can stand to read a lot of incomplete sentences that were uttered by the current President - please read (and guffaw, as I did) the following new article, or interview, from Time magazine: http://time.com/4710456/donald-trump-time-interview-truth-falsehood/
There were six late additions to the Triple Crown nominations list, so the current list of contenders now registered is 425. A horse must have a certain number of qualifying points to run in the Kentucky Derby, which is capped at 20 entries. Other horses that are nominated, but do not have the points, may race in the Preakness Stakes and/or the Belmont Stakes. The newest nominees are: Thunder Snow, Hollywood Handsome, More Than Words, Parlor, Rapid Dial, and Stretch's Stone.
The wind is picking up again, here in Boulder - it's from the west and is expected to bring a rain-snow mix overnight and into Friday morning. We really need the rain, snow, sleet - whatever precipitation we can get. I just hope there's no hail - gardens are blooming and trees are budding and putting out fresh delicate leaves right now. I'll pull our potted plants back in from the balcony this afternoon.
It has been judged that the Sunshine Canyon fire was started by an illegal campfire by people trespassing on private property. The fire investigators state that the camp appeared to have been used by "transients."
And Joe Pelle (our Sheriff) announced that a body has been found on one of the local hiking trails... currently, no further information is available.
I am still grieving the loss of Rosie, the Irish Setter, whom I cared for over a period of more than ten years. We lost Remy, her brother four years ago... And I'm preparing to say good-bye to a beautiful cat who has bone cancer in her jaw. She seems to be in quite a bit of pain and is no longer eating - but she will drink... so I've suggested that her owner give her chicken bone broth for some nutritional value.
My two kitties are doing well. Lovey is curled up in her little nest beside my bed, and Nedi has burrowed under the afghan on my reading chair. Lovey is napping - Nedi is keeping an eye on the birds visiting the feeder and water bowl on the balcony...
I hope you have a great day, wherever you are - and whenever you read this!
There were six late additions to the Triple Crown nominations list, so the current list of contenders now registered is 425. A horse must have a certain number of qualifying points to run in the Kentucky Derby, which is capped at 20 entries. Other horses that are nominated, but do not have the points, may race in the Preakness Stakes and/or the Belmont Stakes. The newest nominees are: Thunder Snow, Hollywood Handsome, More Than Words, Parlor, Rapid Dial, and Stretch's Stone.
The wind is picking up again, here in Boulder - it's from the west and is expected to bring a rain-snow mix overnight and into Friday morning. We really need the rain, snow, sleet - whatever precipitation we can get. I just hope there's no hail - gardens are blooming and trees are budding and putting out fresh delicate leaves right now. I'll pull our potted plants back in from the balcony this afternoon.
It has been judged that the Sunshine Canyon fire was started by an illegal campfire by people trespassing on private property. The fire investigators state that the camp appeared to have been used by "transients."
And Joe Pelle (our Sheriff) announced that a body has been found on one of the local hiking trails... currently, no further information is available.
I am still grieving the loss of Rosie, the Irish Setter, whom I cared for over a period of more than ten years. We lost Remy, her brother four years ago... And I'm preparing to say good-bye to a beautiful cat who has bone cancer in her jaw. She seems to be in quite a bit of pain and is no longer eating - but she will drink... so I've suggested that her owner give her chicken bone broth for some nutritional value.
My two kitties are doing well. Lovey is curled up in her little nest beside my bed, and Nedi has burrowed under the afghan on my reading chair. Lovey is napping - Nedi is keeping an eye on the birds visiting the feeder and water bowl on the balcony...
I hope you have a great day, wherever you are - and whenever you read this!
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Ponies at Maryland-Virginia Line on Assateague - Photos
** Please note that Beached Paws takes fantastic photos, year 'round,
on Assateague. Her photos are truly incredible. Check out her
website and her Facebook page - and buy a gorgeous photo! **
These photos are from Beached Paws Photography, Berlin, Maryland
on Assateague. Her photos are truly incredible. Check out her
website and her Facebook page - and buy a gorgeous photo! **
These photos are from Beached Paws Photography, Berlin, Maryland
and were taken last summer:
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...
This and That...
Our local wildfire, in Sunshine Canyon, is completely contained, and evacuation orders have been lifted. No loss of pets or people, no loss of homes - but I'm afraid that nests, burrows, and wildlife were lost... And there was a fiery public bus crash yesterday in Boulder yesterday; one of our friends has been charged with "careless driving." We wish Rich the best outcome possible.
Seek, the Spangled Bengal, with bone cancer in her jaw, is doing a little better. I'll go spend time with her tonight and Thursday while her Mom is teaching art classes. Seek eats well for me, and likes to be a lap cat while I'm visiting. Then I take clients to Denver International at 4 Wednesday morning; Seek again Thursday evening; a quick visit with Pip and Squeak's people on Friday morning; and care of the chickens and cats on Dellwood begins Saturday afternoon... But no Rosie (sigh) - I know she's in a better place where all parts of her work, but I miss our daily outings.
In the Kentucky Derby picture, things are getting more cloudy as time goes by and the race gets nearer. Mastery would probably be the betting favorite today - but he's out of the picture for any spring or summer racing. The colt won the San Jacinto Stakes by almost 7 lengths, under a hand ride by Mike Smith; 10 strides past the finish line, Mike felt the colt change his movement, and pulled him up. The colt had suffered a condylar fracture of his left fore cannon. He's had surgery and is back in his stall in Bob Baffert's barn. At the moment, Gunnevera has the most points earned for the Kentucky Derby; but a lot of folks are talking about Malagacy's win this weekend in the Rebel Stakes. Here's the list of the horses with the most points: (1) Gunnevera, (2) Mastery - out with broken leg, (3) Tapwrit, (4) J Boys Echo, (5) Malagacy, (6) Epicharis, (7) Girvin, (8) Mont Saint Legame, (9) Practical Joke, (10) Untapped, (11) Classic Empire, (12) El Areeb, (13) Gormley, (14) State of Honor, (15) McCraken, (16) Iliad, (17) Sonneteer, (18) Adirato, (19) Cloud Computing, (20) Wild Shot, (21) Caucus, (22) Guest Suite, (23) Petrov, (24) Lookin At Lee, (25) Term of Art, and (26) Uncontested. Many more colts have ten points or less; Gunnevera, the leader, has 64; and only 20 colts will start in the Derby on 6 May.
Spent part of yesterday listening to the House Intelligence Committee asking FBI Director Comey about the current administration and Russia... Things are getting very interesting.
Seek, the Spangled Bengal, with bone cancer in her jaw, is doing a little better. I'll go spend time with her tonight and Thursday while her Mom is teaching art classes. Seek eats well for me, and likes to be a lap cat while I'm visiting. Then I take clients to Denver International at 4 Wednesday morning; Seek again Thursday evening; a quick visit with Pip and Squeak's people on Friday morning; and care of the chickens and cats on Dellwood begins Saturday afternoon... But no Rosie (sigh) - I know she's in a better place where all parts of her work, but I miss our daily outings.
In the Kentucky Derby picture, things are getting more cloudy as time goes by and the race gets nearer. Mastery would probably be the betting favorite today - but he's out of the picture for any spring or summer racing. The colt won the San Jacinto Stakes by almost 7 lengths, under a hand ride by Mike Smith; 10 strides past the finish line, Mike felt the colt change his movement, and pulled him up. The colt had suffered a condylar fracture of his left fore cannon. He's had surgery and is back in his stall in Bob Baffert's barn. At the moment, Gunnevera has the most points earned for the Kentucky Derby; but a lot of folks are talking about Malagacy's win this weekend in the Rebel Stakes. Here's the list of the horses with the most points: (1) Gunnevera, (2) Mastery - out with broken leg, (3) Tapwrit, (4) J Boys Echo, (5) Malagacy, (6) Epicharis, (7) Girvin, (8) Mont Saint Legame, (9) Practical Joke, (10) Untapped, (11) Classic Empire, (12) El Areeb, (13) Gormley, (14) State of Honor, (15) McCraken, (16) Iliad, (17) Sonneteer, (18) Adirato, (19) Cloud Computing, (20) Wild Shot, (21) Caucus, (22) Guest Suite, (23) Petrov, (24) Lookin At Lee, (25) Term of Art, and (26) Uncontested. Many more colts have ten points or less; Gunnevera, the leader, has 64; and only 20 colts will start in the Derby on 6 May.
Spent part of yesterday listening to the House Intelligence Committee asking FBI Director Comey about the current administration and Russia... Things are getting very interesting.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Boulder Wildfire in Sunshine Canyon
Boulder has been extremely dry - no rain, no snow. The drought caught up with us this morning. A man who had to visit the bathroom at 1:40 this morning, glanced out his window and saw flames on the wall of Sunshine Canyon, to the west of town. He called 911, the emergency number, and reported it. Thanks to his call, reverse 911 calls started going out, and over 1,000 house were evacuated. People and small pets can go to the East Boulder Community Center, and large animals have been evacuated to the County Fairgrounds.
Beatrice and I awoke to heavy smoke and the smell of burning this morning. We thought that someone had set a trash dumpster on fire - but could look out the window and see smoke billowing up directly to the west of our building. So we immediately turned on the local news and found out about the Sunshine Canyon fire. It's a block to the south, and then 1.5 miles to the west of us. At this time, 12 hours after the original call, the fire is 20 % contained, and has burned 70 acres... Luckily, no homes or buildings have caught fire. Besides fire fighters on the ground, both helicopters and planes have been dropping water and slurry to deter the spread of the flames. I hope it gets contained completely soon...
Usually March is one of the snowiest months of the year in, and around, Boulder. So far this month, we have had 1/8 inch of precipitation - a 6-hour drizzle. Our usual high temperatures in March are in the upper 40s and low 50s; yesterday we reached 82 degrees, and the regular high temperatures have been in the 60s and 70s. Today we have a high wind watch, typical of March.
I picked up a client from the Denver Airport last night at 8:30, and he asked me if I thought it would snow again this year, because he was thinking about taking his snow tires off his car. I laughed. I told it was going to snow at the end of this month, in April, and probably the last snowfall would be the second week of May. He was aghast - and wanted to know if I'd read that in the Farmer's Almanac. I told him, "Nope. I feel it in my bones."
Beatrice and I awoke to heavy smoke and the smell of burning this morning. We thought that someone had set a trash dumpster on fire - but could look out the window and see smoke billowing up directly to the west of our building. So we immediately turned on the local news and found out about the Sunshine Canyon fire. It's a block to the south, and then 1.5 miles to the west of us. At this time, 12 hours after the original call, the fire is 20 % contained, and has burned 70 acres... Luckily, no homes or buildings have caught fire. Besides fire fighters on the ground, both helicopters and planes have been dropping water and slurry to deter the spread of the flames. I hope it gets contained completely soon...
Usually March is one of the snowiest months of the year in, and around, Boulder. So far this month, we have had 1/8 inch of precipitation - a 6-hour drizzle. Our usual high temperatures in March are in the upper 40s and low 50s; yesterday we reached 82 degrees, and the regular high temperatures have been in the 60s and 70s. Today we have a high wind watch, typical of March.
I picked up a client from the Denver Airport last night at 8:30, and he asked me if I thought it would snow again this year, because he was thinking about taking his snow tires off his car. I laughed. I told it was going to snow at the end of this month, in April, and probably the last snowfall would be the second week of May. He was aghast - and wanted to know if I'd read that in the Farmer's Almanac. I told him, "Nope. I feel it in my bones."
Photos of the Sunshine Canyon fire:
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Sheep - Photos
I do not raise sheep, so I was flabberghasted to find out there were so many breeds of sheep, and that quite a few are "specialized" for specific purposes: meat, wool, and hair to name the main types... Anyway, here are a few sheep breeds that caught my eye....
Wallachian sheep
Swaledale sheep
Booroola merino sheep
Valais black nosed lamb
Afghanistan fat-tailed sheep
Jacob sheep
Leicester long-wool sheep
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