What a Year!

It has been an incredible year on all fronts...  In 2013 we have had record fires, floods, and typhoons. A host of heroes have passed away, sports records have been broken, and there have been more multiple killings than I really want to contemplate.
   The big news in Boulder was what folks are now calling "The 1,000 Year Flood" in September.  Luckily, both my apartment and my sister's home (where I was staying) weathered the rain and flooding without damage -and, in both cases, it was plain old luck that helped me escape.   I am here, safe and sound, via the love and blessings of friends, family, and my two cats, Leofgifu Glyndwr (Lovey) and Zephraim Cenedi (Nedi).  Without their love and forbearance, I wouldn't be around.
   Over this past week end, the big racing news was from Australia - again, about troubled BC3 Thoroughbreds.  Jimmy, the registered, but un-named, half brother of Champion Mare Black Caviar, was put down due to chronic pain from laminitis.  The colt was purchased as a yearling by BC3 Thoroughbreds for a record $5 million from Inglis Bloodstock.  Inglis has never received payment for the colt.  Quite a few people have stepped forward with papers, claiming a share of Jimmy, and/or his insurance.  However, it seems that Bill Vlahos never filed the ownership papers, and, seemingly, just pocketed the money that the "co-owners" had given him.  ** I am very happy that Jimmy is no longer suffering the intense pain of laminitis, and have no problem with him being put down to stop his suffering. ** But I do feel sorry for the people who have been taken in by BC3 Thoroughbreds and all it's shell company connections.  It's a very sad comment on the state of our society, and on the nature of Bill Vlahos.  Vlahos did not appear at a court hearing last week, stating that he was destitute, bankrupt, and could not afford to travel from his home to Melbourne for the law proceedings.
   At least the Mayo Clinic was able to say that brother-in-law Kent has a type of small cell carcinoma that generally reacts well to radiation therapy.  Kent is home from the hospital in Rapid City, and will have his third radiation treatment this week, on an out-patient basis.  "There's no man like a Snow man!"
   And, today, the last day of 2013, brings beautiful blue skies to Boulder, with an anticipated high of 55 degrees.  At 8 a.m. today, it was 30 degrees in Boulder, and 0 degrees in Gunnison.  And our forecasters say that we will probably get "a shot" of snow on New Year's Day morning, between 5 and 7 a.m.  We'll see.  I plan on staying in and reading tonight.  Tomorrow I want to watch the Rose Bowl Parade on HGTV without commercial interruption, and then I plan on seeing the South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Wisconsin Badgers on ABC.  (Sigh, no Gator bowl game this year...)  But - Tim Tebow has been hired as a NCAA football analyst by ESPN, for this years BCS Championship game, and then to follow up with the new SEC Network in August!  Yippee!!  (But I'd much rather see Tim play!)

Northern Herd Babies, Photos Taken Yesterday

I know this bay mare doesn't look to be in good condition; but if you consider the fact that she is 29 years old, and this is between her 20th and 25th foal, I think you'll agree that she looks fantastic.  She is half mustang, and I've always called her "Beebe", short for Big Bay.  Whomever purchases this foal will get a large, intelligent, willing riding horse.

Family in the Bolder Boulder

The Bolder Boulder was run Monday, on Memorial Day, and, for the first time since 2006, there were less than 50,000 entrants.  The BB is a 5 kilometer (6 + miles) race along the hilly streets of Boulder.  This year, there were 48,741 runners.  One hundred and twenty-five of those runners were treated by EMTs, either along the way, or at the finish line - most for heat related illness.  One man had chest pain and was taken to the hospital, where he was "resting comfortably" in the afternoon.
  I am very proud to say that my 69-year-old brother-in-law finished 3rd in his age group, defeating 77 other men of his age.  And my sister, Kathy, was 7th in the 63-year-old category, besting 22 other women.  I am amazed that Kathy ran at all in this year's race, because she took a bad fall on pavement Sunday night.  She ran with scraped hands, road rash on her knees, a bad wrist, and huge bruises on her legs.  I have to admit that I would not have participated, had it happened to me.
  So, here's my shout out, since I wasn't at my usual spot:  "Way to go, Snow! Go, go, go!"