Varied Photos

This morning's blood moon

Rustic retreat

Cheetah and kit

Sea otter in a kelp bed

VW travel in style

Asthma Attack

I've been reading a book about courier and travel services after the final return and expulsion of Napoleon in Europe.  As I love all kinds of equines, I am always interested in reading about the mounts provided for the couriers, as well as the breeds of horses used to pull various vehicles at different times of the year.  The current book is full of all sorts of fascinating snippets of information.  So when I had an especially vivid dream last night that involved horses and a carriage, I wasn't that surprised.  The carriage was a beautifully detailed cabriolet, and there were two Holsteiners, harnessed in tandem.  The Holsteins each had hind socks and blazes, and were seal bays.  There was a very correct driver, who had a single female passenger.  She looked like a "Gibson Girl" in feature and hairstyle, but was wearing a brilliant teal colored velvet dress, along with a jaunty little hat - that looked quite a bit like a miniature version of Errol Flynn's feathered green cap in "The Adventures of Robin Hood."  This lady had ordered the carriage out, and the coachman was following her orders.  I was completely livid because I loved the horses dearly and they might have been lamed by going out on such a horrible road.    I was reproaching the woman at the top of my lungs, but was trying to keep my voice low - and I started having trouble breathing.  It got to the point that I could barely breathe - I could not breathe in nor could I exhale.  The woman sat there and kept looking at me without twitching an eye…  That infuriated me even more, and then I really felt like I was choking.
   I awoke in the middle of an asthma attack - sitting upright in bed, and gasping, coughing, and sputtering for breath.  I used my inhaler that I keep beside the bed, and was able to breathe freely again in about  twenty minutes.  Because I couldn't go back to sleep immediately, I was able to view the Blood Moon early this morning.  It was beautiful!  -  But the kits were leery of returning to bed with me this morning…  Ah, well….  And now, early in the afternoon, my ribs are sore…  SUch is the price paid for COOPD and asthma.

Blood Moon and Other Things

Tonight, there will be a Blood Moon - the moon will be full, and there will be a total eclipse, causing the moon to look a coppery-red color.  This will be the first of four "Blood Moons" in the next 18 months, which makes the occurrence seem to happen frequently - but before the 1900s, there was a period when no Blood Moons happened for over 300 years.  During the eclipse, people on the earth will see reflections of all the sunrises and sunsets reflected back to our world by the moon - that's why the moon seems to be red in color.   Of course, there are many apocalyptic tales that gather around a Blood Moon - the moon appears to be slowly covered in red blood, which caused many tales of the end of the earth, the end of time, the beginnings of war and epidemics.  It depends on where you live, as to what time to look to see the Blood Moon - here in Colorado, the entire watch will be from midnight until almost 4 a.m.; or, if one just wants a quick peek, the time to look is about 1:20 a.m.
  The service dog next door will be moving, along with his owner, the cat and the parakeet, at the beginning of May.  The owner states that the move is good for her, as she will have more security in her new place, and that the dog will have his own yard - not a communal one.  The service dog still has six more weeks of training before he can be certified - and the owner acknowledges that the dog is not fully trained in obedience, either.  I am working with both of them in training the dog for much better social behavior and in obedience work.
  Yesterday's snow made for a dreary day - the temperature steadily decreased after midnight, and rain began about 3 a.m.  As the temperature continued to drop, the rain mixed with heavy wet snow, and early yesterday morning, it looked like snow cones had been thrown on the ground.  The mix of rain and snow continued throughout the day, but changed to all snow about 6 last night.  The snow ended about 4 this morning, when the temperature was 18 degrees.  Road surfaces are slick with ice, as are sidewalks - and accidents abound on local roads.  Plus, there is a large power outage here in Boulder, and most major intersections are without traffic lights....  I'm glad my power is on.
  The final two Kentucky Derby prep races were held Saturday - the Blue Grass Stakes and the Arkansas Derby.  The Blue Grass was run on the Polytrack surface - neither dirt nor turf - and some horses like it and some don't.  (This is the last year the Blue Grass will be run on Polytrack - the track is changing to a dirt surface after this racing session.)  Dance With Fate won the Blue Grass by almost two lengths over Medal Count, who was three lengths ahead of Pablo Del Monte, and he was more than 5 lengths ahead of Big Bazinga.  The betting favorite of the race was Bobby's Kitten, at 7 to 2 odds.  He finished in twelfth position.
The Arkansas Derby was figured to be a race between unbeaten Bayern, Strong Mandate, Tapiture, Ride On Curlin, and Commissioner.  Joe Bravo and Danza supplied the upset, winning at odds of 41 to 1.  Ride On Curlin finished second, and Bayern was third, with Tapiture in fourth.  So, other than California Chrome, the eligible field for the Kentucky Derby looks to be wide open with possibilities...