Wednesday, the high temperature in Boulder was 64 degrees (F); Tuesday, the high was 75 degrees. It's now 30 degrees and snowing, and today's and tomorrow's high temperatures might be 34 degrees. The most important thing, however, is the falling snow. The forecasters have said that we might end up with two inches of snow on the ground. We need much, much more. Since the temperatures have been so warm, the snow melted when it first started to fall around 5 o'clock this morning. The parking lot for my apartment complex is just beginning to show an accumulation of snow, and it has already blanketed roofs and grassy areas. My morning walk with Rosie has been cancelled, but I'll probably be over at her house for a couple of hours this afternoon. (The afternoon schedule is a wait-and-see item from her owners.)
The last few weeks, when I have walked from Rosie care to the bus stop, I've crossed the Peace Lutheran Church's field that is also a playground. It's been strange to watch the ground shrink and dry up, leaving little plaques of dirt among the dried grasses, and to notice the cracked areas around the plaques getting wider and wider, for lack of moisture. Then, too, I can see my previous footprints, and watch them settle more deeply into the parched ground. With the area this dry, I am glad that we have snow coming down. If it had been rain (which I prefer, being from the South), the ground would have been too dry to be able to absorb the water, and there would have been an over-abundance of run-off, taking the top layer of soil with it. I know very well that it's silly, but, in a way, I'd love a huge snow storm that would keep everyone at home for a week so that we could replenish the earth's moisture.
Nedi ran out into the early snow, decided that it was better under the coffee table, and then, when a swirl of snow covered him (even there), he decided to come back in. I haven't seen our local squirrels, but the smaller birds have been visiting our bird feeder, and the local raven family has just appeared to visit the Vietnamese dumpster. I think I'll work on family genealogy today....
Showing posts with label Boulder Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boulder Colorado. Show all posts
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Monday, October 17, 2016
A Few Short Notes
We've been much warmer than usual for the month of October - it was breezy yesterday afternoon with highs in the 80s; today it was in the mid-70s, but it was downright windy (with gusts up to 63 mph). The bat decorations broke loose this morning, but we caught them before they flew away. Have had to fold up and place all other balcony items inside - but the poor honeysuckle vine has had almost all of its leaves blown off and away... Due to be cooler the next three days, 60s and 50s, and then return to the 70s for the weekend. Not true Indian Summer, not a true fall experience, either.
The thought of Donald Trump as President of the United States scares me. While the state of Colorado is largely Republican in the rural areas, most of the cities are Democrat. I was quite surprised yesterday when the local newspaper announced that Donald Trump , Jr was holding a campaign stop/rally on University Hill in Boulder, at a restaurant named The Sink. It's a pizza parlor and tavern combination - and President Obama stopped there and ate and drank and chatted with the students a few years ago. The City of Boulder consists of less than an 8% Republican membership. Why would Trump, Jr decide to stop here? Well, the owners of The Sink were not told before the announcement of the intended stop. This morning, Trump, Jr and the campaign office were told that the owner of The Sink did not want to be visited. This afternoon, Trump, Jr appeared in a venue on Pearl Street - a mile or more away from his chosen spot.
Today Melania Trump appeared in an interview with Anderson Cooper and declared that Billy Bush had egged her husband on in making his egregious comments about his sexual predatory behavior. She stated that it was just "boy's locker room talk" and that, while she found his words on the tape offensive, it wasn't "the real man," and that he had been led into making all of those remarks in 2005. I was OK, hearing that statement, but then an announcer stated that Melania Trump was a "very private and shy person." The Diet Coca-Cola I had just sipped shot out of my nose in astonishment. This woman, who has exposed every part of her body to photographers, is private and shy?!? Her photos could be a spread for Slut of the Year, and no one would blink an eye. (And yet Michelle Obama received abuse for daring to wear a sleeveless dress?!?) Talk about double standards...
My other comment is about Trump's complaint that the election process is rigged. Was it rigged for Nixon? Was it rigged for Reagan? Was it rigged for Gore? I think NOT. In the first Presidential debate, Trump said he would accept the voting of the American electorate. Since then, he has whined that the election is rigged, almost every single day. Pence, Trump's running mate, says they will accept the vote of the American public. Paul Ryan, the head of the Republican party, says that the election process is clean and proven. Trump says the voting is rigged - a month before the election. Between 2000 and 2014, over 3 billion votes have been cast in thousands of elections. During that time, only 31 cases of voter fraud have been found - with searches made on all levels of the voting and accounting hierarchy. I think Trump just doesn't want to accept the fact that he will probably lose on 8 November
The thought of Donald Trump as President of the United States scares me. While the state of Colorado is largely Republican in the rural areas, most of the cities are Democrat. I was quite surprised yesterday when the local newspaper announced that Donald Trump , Jr was holding a campaign stop/rally on University Hill in Boulder, at a restaurant named The Sink. It's a pizza parlor and tavern combination - and President Obama stopped there and ate and drank and chatted with the students a few years ago. The City of Boulder consists of less than an 8% Republican membership. Why would Trump, Jr decide to stop here? Well, the owners of The Sink were not told before the announcement of the intended stop. This morning, Trump, Jr and the campaign office were told that the owner of The Sink did not want to be visited. This afternoon, Trump, Jr appeared in a venue on Pearl Street - a mile or more away from his chosen spot.
Today Melania Trump appeared in an interview with Anderson Cooper and declared that Billy Bush had egged her husband on in making his egregious comments about his sexual predatory behavior. She stated that it was just "boy's locker room talk" and that, while she found his words on the tape offensive, it wasn't "the real man," and that he had been led into making all of those remarks in 2005. I was OK, hearing that statement, but then an announcer stated that Melania Trump was a "very private and shy person." The Diet Coca-Cola I had just sipped shot out of my nose in astonishment. This woman, who has exposed every part of her body to photographers, is private and shy?!? Her photos could be a spread for Slut of the Year, and no one would blink an eye. (And yet Michelle Obama received abuse for daring to wear a sleeveless dress?!?) Talk about double standards...
My other comment is about Trump's complaint that the election process is rigged. Was it rigged for Nixon? Was it rigged for Reagan? Was it rigged for Gore? I think NOT. In the first Presidential debate, Trump said he would accept the voting of the American electorate. Since then, he has whined that the election is rigged, almost every single day. Pence, Trump's running mate, says they will accept the vote of the American public. Paul Ryan, the head of the Republican party, says that the election process is clean and proven. Trump says the voting is rigged - a month before the election. Between 2000 and 2014, over 3 billion votes have been cast in thousands of elections. During that time, only 31 cases of voter fraud have been found - with searches made on all levels of the voting and accounting hierarchy. I think Trump just doesn't want to accept the fact that he will probably lose on 8 November
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory
We visited Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory Saturday - all their different kinds of tea leaves are kept in one room; all peppermint leaves in another, and all spearmint leaves in a third; Talk about heady fragrances! They were milling lemon grass when we went through - nice lemony scent.
Monday, June 27, 2016
At the Leanin' Tree Museum of Western Art
Beatrice and I visited this museum Sunday afternoon (yesterday) - only saw about 15 other visitors during our 3 hour stay - and we still did not see everything!
Monday, August 17, 2015
Back in Boulder
I'm almost amazed.... After arriving home at 9 last night, I realized that I have 2 full weeks to stay at home with my kits and get my belongings arranged in the new apartment. I need to put together my two new bookcases, and then I can unload my boxes of books. I'm going to try to weed out at least one-third of the books; luckily the used bookstore is only 1.5 blocks away now. A few of my older and rarer books will be in special storage, but the majority will be here where I can put my mitts on them.
Walked Rosie this morning, and stopped by Lynn's house. Was amazed that one potted flower that I watered daily, until water ran from the bottom of the pot, looked scorched to death. Everything else looked good - but the bleeding heart looks like it bled to death in a single day. I hope it can recover. I've never claimed to have a green thumb, but I do follow care instructions left by owners. The only things I've had good luck with were some asparagus ferns and pepperomia in Florida , but after taking great care of them, and nurturing and feeding them for three years, someone stole all my plants off my balcony while I was working night shift at the hospital. I think that Beatrice and I will try to set up a rectangular planter and put in some honeysuckle for hummingbirds for next year. Or should I just put in a trumpet vine? I'll have to ask Connie, who's a Colorado master gardener, which would be best.
Usually the mountains are clear and crisp in the morning air - but today there seems to be a large amount of haze. I know we're getting a visit from cooler Canadian air trough for the next few days, but I wonder if this haze is from an inversion, or from all the wildfires in California...
In any event, it will be grand to be able to relax at home, and spend time with Lovey and Nedi - and find that dratted dUSB cord for my camera, so I can download the rest of my vacation photos. Right now, Nedi is asleep under the bed, and Lovey is asleep in her chair. I am yawning like I haven't slept in days.... Maybe I'll take a nap.
Walked Rosie this morning, and stopped by Lynn's house. Was amazed that one potted flower that I watered daily, until water ran from the bottom of the pot, looked scorched to death. Everything else looked good - but the bleeding heart looks like it bled to death in a single day. I hope it can recover. I've never claimed to have a green thumb, but I do follow care instructions left by owners. The only things I've had good luck with were some asparagus ferns and pepperomia in Florida , but after taking great care of them, and nurturing and feeding them for three years, someone stole all my plants off my balcony while I was working night shift at the hospital. I think that Beatrice and I will try to set up a rectangular planter and put in some honeysuckle for hummingbirds for next year. Or should I just put in a trumpet vine? I'll have to ask Connie, who's a Colorado master gardener, which would be best.
Usually the mountains are clear and crisp in the morning air - but today there seems to be a large amount of haze. I know we're getting a visit from cooler Canadian air trough for the next few days, but I wonder if this haze is from an inversion, or from all the wildfires in California...
In any event, it will be grand to be able to relax at home, and spend time with Lovey and Nedi - and find that dratted dUSB cord for my camera, so I can download the rest of my vacation photos. Right now, Nedi is asleep under the bed, and Lovey is asleep in her chair. I am yawning like I haven't slept in days.... Maybe I'll take a nap.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Avalanche Danger (in May!?!?)
With all the rain down here at the base of the mountains, causing flooding out in the plains, and down in Texas, it seems surreal to realize that, on 28 May, there are Avalanche Warnings posted throughout the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. While us folks below 6,000 feet have gotten rain, higher up, it's fallen as snow. Arapahoe Basin, a ski resort, is staying open through 14 June, thanks to all the May snow. And warnings are everywhere about the High Avalanche Danger. Loose, wet snow rolls, and takes hillsides with it in late spring. It just seems strange to a kid raised mostly on the East coast of the United States...
Nedi made his first catch of the day before 6 a.m. - he caught a young wren and brought it into the bath tub, to play with. Of course, it kept flying out of the tub, and he'd catch it and take it back. I caught it, and it fit easily inside of my left hand. I took it out into the back yard, and examined it - nothing broken, no tooth piercings, just scared - so I turned it loose. Both Nedi and Lovey had been watching me closely - and it was the first time I've seen Lovey scale the six-and-a half foot high privacy fence. She was up on the top in two bounds... but the little bird had already flown. (Thank goodness!)
While returning the rental car yesterday morning, I drove by two new apartment buildings on 28th Street (US 36) - and I realized that they had "Open" advertising banners on them. I stopped by, and was very surprised when the construction crew chief walked me through both the one and two-bedroom sites. I then called the company, and found out that it's at a price that I can afford, sharing the apartment with Beatrice. Actually, the cost is less for both of us, it's closer to where Bea works, it's closer to the houses I care for, it includes a washer and dryer inside the unit, and once tenants, we'll get a free bus pass. I've got all the paperwork for applying, and will be turning it in on Monday. I really hope we get this apartment - it's in Boulder, it's inexpensive, I can have the cats, it's two blocks away from shopping, a block from bus stops and the balconies look over the Goose Creek Greenway. I want this place! Cross your fingers for our application to be approved!
Nedi made his first catch of the day before 6 a.m. - he caught a young wren and brought it into the bath tub, to play with. Of course, it kept flying out of the tub, and he'd catch it and take it back. I caught it, and it fit easily inside of my left hand. I took it out into the back yard, and examined it - nothing broken, no tooth piercings, just scared - so I turned it loose. Both Nedi and Lovey had been watching me closely - and it was the first time I've seen Lovey scale the six-and-a half foot high privacy fence. She was up on the top in two bounds... but the little bird had already flown. (Thank goodness!)
While returning the rental car yesterday morning, I drove by two new apartment buildings on 28th Street (US 36) - and I realized that they had "Open" advertising banners on them. I stopped by, and was very surprised when the construction crew chief walked me through both the one and two-bedroom sites. I then called the company, and found out that it's at a price that I can afford, sharing the apartment with Beatrice. Actually, the cost is less for both of us, it's closer to where Bea works, it's closer to the houses I care for, it includes a washer and dryer inside the unit, and once tenants, we'll get a free bus pass. I've got all the paperwork for applying, and will be turning it in on Monday. I really hope we get this apartment - it's in Boulder, it's inexpensive, I can have the cats, it's two blocks away from shopping, a block from bus stops and the balconies look over the Goose Creek Greenway. I want this place! Cross your fingers for our application to be approved!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Amazing - It's Snowing In Colorado
We got about fives inches of snow yesterday, and the forecasters say we'll get another five inches today. The weather folks are saying our high today might be 8 degrees - it's currently 3 degrees and the wind chill is listed as -8. A thin layer of ice is underneath all the snow, so the roads and sidewalks are very slippery. I decided that I needed to step out, having stayed inside all of yesterday, so I stepped onto the patio and put out more high-fat nuts for the squirrels and birds, and placed the large bowl of wild bird seed mix at the snow line on the concrete. The bowl has a light covering of snow already, but the birds are also coming in and getting some food in the constantly falling snow. The snow itself is very light and dry - not enough moisture to make a good snow man, snow cat, or any type of snow sculpture - and it crunches when stepped on. The weather folks say our low tonight will be about 10 degrees below 0.
I also bundled up - undies, winter leggings, sweatpants, jeans, T-shirt, turtleneck, cotton sweater, and winter coat - and walked the block to the bakery and grocery store. My glasses fogged immediately when I stepped out the door - and even though I had my scarf firmly wrapped about my nose, mouth, chin and neck, they stayed fogged until I wiped them off inside the shop. I got myself a nice, warm blueberry whole wheat bagel, a bag of treats for the kits, a pouch of special treat food for the kits, and a can of chicken noodle soup.
Nedi is disappointed because I won't let him go out and play for more than 5 minutes at a time in this weather. Lovey will run out and step into the snow, but then she wants right back inside. Nedi wants to hunker down beside a wall and see if he can catch anything that might happen to pass by. Thankfully, the mice and voles are staying in their holes and tunnels - but I did check the inside of my snow boots very carefully this morning, before I stuck my feet in. (When Nedi's upset with me, he goes and gets into one of his three "hidey-holes" in the closet, where I can't find him easily. Lovey just curls up on the bed and ignores me.) We'll warm up a bit next week.... I hope.
I also bundled up - undies, winter leggings, sweatpants, jeans, T-shirt, turtleneck, cotton sweater, and winter coat - and walked the block to the bakery and grocery store. My glasses fogged immediately when I stepped out the door - and even though I had my scarf firmly wrapped about my nose, mouth, chin and neck, they stayed fogged until I wiped them off inside the shop. I got myself a nice, warm blueberry whole wheat bagel, a bag of treats for the kits, a pouch of special treat food for the kits, and a can of chicken noodle soup.
Nedi is disappointed because I won't let him go out and play for more than 5 minutes at a time in this weather. Lovey will run out and step into the snow, but then she wants right back inside. Nedi wants to hunker down beside a wall and see if he can catch anything that might happen to pass by. Thankfully, the mice and voles are staying in their holes and tunnels - but I did check the inside of my snow boots very carefully this morning, before I stuck my feet in. (When Nedi's upset with me, he goes and gets into one of his three "hidey-holes" in the closet, where I can't find him easily. Lovey just curls up on the bed and ignores me.) We'll warm up a bit next week.... I hope.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Voting, Horses, Ebola
We are expecting rain today and tomorrow, so it will be up to the weather gods as to how much money I make today. Of the three dogs I walk, none of them like to walk in the rain, and all of the owners have stated that if it's raining, walking is not necessary - just let the dogs use their doggie doors to the yard.... Having been registered as a voter here in Boulder for 9 and 3/4 years, I have actually received a Jury Summons. While living in Gainesville, I served as jury foreman in a civil case, and then as the secretary of the Alachua County Grand Jury for six months. I was still serving on the County Grand Jury when I received a summons for the State Grand Jury, so I was able to decline that last invitation. So I'll appear at the Boulder County Court House on November 7....
I watched from the rail as Cigar won the Breeders Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park under Jerry Bailey, as dusk fell. The great race horse was retired to stud, but was found to be sterile, so he was retired with daily exercise at the farm. For the past six months, he had had osteoarthritis in his neck, which resulted in pressure on his spinal cord. Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital has been treating the champion throughout his ordeal. It ended last night, when Cigar was euthanized after complications developed following a surgical procedure to relieve the pressure on his spinal cord. He was 24 years old.
Unfortunately, the poor man from Liberia has died from ebola in Dallas, Texas. Folks in the Dallas area are panicking, and stores are reporting sales of emergency medical supplies and kits are having a sharp increase since the news of the man's hospitalization was made known. And now five international airports in the US are implementing a new health screening check for passengers arriving from West Africa.
I have lived in the City of Boulder for the past 8-plus years. I received our county mail-out about the four state amendments that we are to vote upon, on 4 November, as well as the voting on retention of County judges. I thought that was all that was going to be on the ballot, along with our elected state officers - Governor, Senators, Congressmen, and other state officials. Not so. There are two County amendments, and three City amendments - which I found out about from my sister. I had to look these measures up, on my computer, to see the terms of these items we'll be voting on. Several are small tax increases lasting for two to five years, to help pay for all of the needed county and city repairs, following last years flood - and for continued assistance to those who lost everything due to the flood.
The things that have put my back up are the requests that the City Council be allowed to run "private executive" meetings regarding the set-up of the municipalization of the power plant, and that they be allowed to set up their own company to provide direct internet service to anyone within the city limits. I had voted against the muni power plant, but the measure was passed, and the City is proceeding to make a hostile take over of the local Excel Energy offices. Being inside the City, I must use City power, so I'm cringing about what the new rates will be. If we allow the City to set up their own internet supply company, I'm afraid that we will also be mandated to use the City's provided service, rather than being able to "shop around" for the best-suiting service..... Grrrrrr.
I watched from the rail as Cigar won the Breeders Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park under Jerry Bailey, as dusk fell. The great race horse was retired to stud, but was found to be sterile, so he was retired with daily exercise at the farm. For the past six months, he had had osteoarthritis in his neck, which resulted in pressure on his spinal cord. Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital has been treating the champion throughout his ordeal. It ended last night, when Cigar was euthanized after complications developed following a surgical procedure to relieve the pressure on his spinal cord. He was 24 years old.
Unfortunately, the poor man from Liberia has died from ebola in Dallas, Texas. Folks in the Dallas area are panicking, and stores are reporting sales of emergency medical supplies and kits are having a sharp increase since the news of the man's hospitalization was made known. And now five international airports in the US are implementing a new health screening check for passengers arriving from West Africa.
I have lived in the City of Boulder for the past 8-plus years. I received our county mail-out about the four state amendments that we are to vote upon, on 4 November, as well as the voting on retention of County judges. I thought that was all that was going to be on the ballot, along with our elected state officers - Governor, Senators, Congressmen, and other state officials. Not so. There are two County amendments, and three City amendments - which I found out about from my sister. I had to look these measures up, on my computer, to see the terms of these items we'll be voting on. Several are small tax increases lasting for two to five years, to help pay for all of the needed county and city repairs, following last years flood - and for continued assistance to those who lost everything due to the flood.
The things that have put my back up are the requests that the City Council be allowed to run "private executive" meetings regarding the set-up of the municipalization of the power plant, and that they be allowed to set up their own company to provide direct internet service to anyone within the city limits. I had voted against the muni power plant, but the measure was passed, and the City is proceeding to make a hostile take over of the local Excel Energy offices. Being inside the City, I must use City power, so I'm cringing about what the new rates will be. If we allow the City to set up their own internet supply company, I'm afraid that we will also be mandated to use the City's provided service, rather than being able to "shop around" for the best-suiting service..... Grrrrrr.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
A House For Sale in Boulder, Weather, & World Events
Today we have an overcast sky, and it's still a bit chill out - 32 degrees. The weather folks say that we'll have a high temperature in the mid-50s, but we're supposed to get 3 to 6 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow morning... We'll see. The dusk-to-dawn lights are still alight at the Millennium Motel, the squirrels have consumed 3/4 pound of walnuts, and Nedi and Lovey are curled up in my bed. I sent my polite letter of complaint to the apartments manager, about the "service" dog living next door, last week. I was informed the next day that my complaint had been noted and acted upon. That poor dog is still being turned out multiple times each day wearing its harness and dragging a leash... It ran out yesterday evening, looked me in the eye, and pooped directly in front of my patio. I was standing still at my closed patio door. Then the dog ran up to the door and barked at me. I called the apartments manager, and he said he'd talk to the owner, again, today. If the dog was actually trained, and the owner was taking good care of him, I wouldn't have a single complaint - but the dog isn't trained, and the owner is not taking decent care of him.
So... What's going on in the world? There's still tons of unrest in the Middle East; war seems to be brewing in the Balkans, as usual; there was the horrible mudslide in Washington state that buried multiple houses and killed people; there was the 8.2 earthquake off Chile's north coast last night, and the resulting tsunami; there's an Ebola outbreak in Africa; and, after almost 4 weeks, no one still has any true idea of what happened to Malaysia flight 370, that disappeared on 8 March, with 239 people on board... Will we ever find any evidence of that flight, or will it just be another mystery, like Flight 19? My Father was one of the searchers for Flight 19, back in December 1945 - he was, at that time, stationed at NAS Vero Beach, and spent many hours in search of the five TBM Avengers and 14 crew members who just... disappeared. They were on a routine navigation and combat training exercise and became lost to the world.
Kathy and Jim had a wonderful time in Nebraska over the past weekend, visiting the sand hill cranes. And Janet and Jim thoroughly enjoyed their time at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. I glad they all enjoyed their time away from Boulder.
And I was just informed that one of my friends has decided to sell her home of 30 years in Githens Acres, here in Boulder. It will actually go on the market on 12 April, and her Realtor is Paul Dart of ReMax, whose cell phone number is: (303) 931-5197. Here is a beautiful video that my friend made of her home and the wildlife that visit her: http://youtu.be/rnBWcJV9cVc The property consists of a little over an acre of land (I believe); a single-story ranch house with two bedrooms, two baths, a mother-in-law-apartment, and an open airy art studio, with attached double garage; a yard shed; several gardening areas, two covered patios; and the end of one of the lateral lines of the Silver Lake Irrigation ditch. The property is in the county, but is part of a neighborhood encircled by the City of Boulder. The property has it's own water well and septic tank; as well as a pump house for use of the irrigation water. The neighborhood consists of about 45 houses on 57 acres, and has no through traffic, other than pedestrians and bicyclists; there are no street lights, no sidewalks, no bike paths. But there is plenty of wildlife - the Four Mile Canyon Creek runs through the neighborhood, and one frequently sees black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, mule deer, fox, an occasional otter, and a multitude of birds, including great blue herons and great horned owls, in various yards.
So... What's going on in the world? There's still tons of unrest in the Middle East; war seems to be brewing in the Balkans, as usual; there was the horrible mudslide in Washington state that buried multiple houses and killed people; there was the 8.2 earthquake off Chile's north coast last night, and the resulting tsunami; there's an Ebola outbreak in Africa; and, after almost 4 weeks, no one still has any true idea of what happened to Malaysia flight 370, that disappeared on 8 March, with 239 people on board... Will we ever find any evidence of that flight, or will it just be another mystery, like Flight 19? My Father was one of the searchers for Flight 19, back in December 1945 - he was, at that time, stationed at NAS Vero Beach, and spent many hours in search of the five TBM Avengers and 14 crew members who just... disappeared. They were on a routine navigation and combat training exercise and became lost to the world.
Kathy and Jim had a wonderful time in Nebraska over the past weekend, visiting the sand hill cranes. And Janet and Jim thoroughly enjoyed their time at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. I glad they all enjoyed their time away from Boulder.
And I was just informed that one of my friends has decided to sell her home of 30 years in Githens Acres, here in Boulder. It will actually go on the market on 12 April, and her Realtor is Paul Dart of ReMax, whose cell phone number is: (303) 931-5197. Here is a beautiful video that my friend made of her home and the wildlife that visit her: http://youtu.be/rnBWcJV9cVc The property consists of a little over an acre of land (I believe); a single-story ranch house with two bedrooms, two baths, a mother-in-law-apartment, and an open airy art studio, with attached double garage; a yard shed; several gardening areas, two covered patios; and the end of one of the lateral lines of the Silver Lake Irrigation ditch. The property is in the county, but is part of a neighborhood encircled by the City of Boulder. The property has it's own water well and septic tank; as well as a pump house for use of the irrigation water. The neighborhood consists of about 45 houses on 57 acres, and has no through traffic, other than pedestrians and bicyclists; there are no street lights, no sidewalks, no bike paths. But there is plenty of wildlife - the Four Mile Canyon Creek runs through the neighborhood, and one frequently sees black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, mule deer, fox, an occasional otter, and a multitude of birds, including great blue herons and great horned owls, in various yards.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Report on City of Boulder (Colorado) Spring Flood Preparedness Meeting
Please feel free to pass this on to whomever.
Last night, there was a public flood briefing at City Council from Mike Chard of Boulder Office of Emergency Management and Jeff Arthur, Boulder Public Works director. The City Manager and 2 county Commissioners were there, as well as many folks from neighborhoods in Boulder. No questions from the public were taken. **Note that 4MiCaCr stands for Four Mile Canyon Creek, which runs through north Boulder**
Mike gave his presentation which was comprehensive, sobering, and much the same as I have reported in the previous email I sent you all about the meeting with Gary Sanfacon last week. You can see the slides from his presentation at this link, which will give you a good summary. https://www-static.
•43 Bank Stabilization
•94 Debris Removal
•3 Berm Construction
•18 Restore Conveyance
•2 Stream Design/Realignment
•28 Culvert Assessment
•17 Significant Home Damage(excludes homes totally destroyed)
After council asked some questions, Jeff Arthur then gave his presentation, which was short on facts, action plans, or commitments as to what Public Works would accomplish and by when. It was long on all the things that individuals should do to protect themselves from spring flooding, such as checking sump pumps; reconfiguring downspouts, window wells, and French drains; installing sewer backup prevention valves; buying flood insurance and sewer spill insurance; having an evacuation plan and 3 days’ worth of supplies on hand to get through another emergency; using InquireBoulder to report problems and 911 to report emergencies. This was not at all reassuring. Jeff did not know the answers to many of Council’s questions, and had to defer to staff to answer them. I was not impressed with his grasp of the situation, his command of his department, or his leadership in the 10 minutes in which he was talking. Maybe it was a bad day. Here are some highlights of what I learned:
1. Whereas the County has set a completion date of May 1 for their target, the City has NO target date to complete the work necessary for spring run-off by. Sediment removal on 4MiCaCr is going really well, but debris removal on Boulder Creek is in shambles. The first contractor bowed out, the second was a space case and never got to work, and now they are contacting a third and 4th to try get someone going on it. Work on Gregory Creek is supposed to start next week. Apparently Urban Drainage is paying for some work on 4MiCaCr up at the mouth of the canyon, next to Lee Hill, where it spilled to the north. They are shutting off the northern channel to keep the creek in the south channel for the spring. There has been or will be a little work in Open Space on 4MiCaCr where it spilled to the north through the storage lockers and Namaste, to shore up that bank as well.
2. Whereas the County has identified 205 sites and committed to working on all of them, Jeff Arthur from the City would not come up with a number for places that needed to be fixed before run-off begins. The City has been having a hard time finding contractors and those contractors are much more expensive than anticipated. Sediment and debris removal are the City’s main focus right now. They will work on repairing drop structures and other things later. After that, there will be a long term plan for even more work on creeks, but funding and resources are not identified for this work yet. Here is the list of sites in the City, according to Mike Chard, that have been identified as places that need attention. There are 724 if them. Look at the Map in the pdf referenced above to get a sense of where these places are. Also check out https://bouldercolorado.gov/
a. •174 Bank Stabilization
b. •159 Debris Removal
c. •3 Berm Construction
d. •261 Sediment Removal
e. •1 Stream Design/Realignment
f. •10 Culvert Damage
g. •55 Drop Structures
h. •23 Flood Walls
i. •38 Significant Homes Damage(excludes homes totally destroyed)
3. Whereas the County is committing to work on private property which needs mitigation if they can get the landowner’s permission, the City is not doing any work on private property, nor are they contacting landowners. Their reasoning seems to be that they would only be cleaning things up to a 5 year flood level and would leave much debris and mess on someone’s property, which would not be acceptable to most residents. Jeff encouraged private property owners along creeks to get contractors to clean up their own reaches of creek so they would not get flooded. All City work will be restricted to City owned land or City easements. Private Property owners along creeks do not need permits to get debris/sediment removed and to get the creek back to its pre-flood banks. They DO need a permit though if they are going to change the configuration of the channel.
4. The City will be holding 2 emergency preparedness Community meetings, one March 31st in the Municipal Building, and one April 2 at Casey Middle School. Check City website for details.https://bouldercolorado.gov/
5. The Stream gauges on Boulder Creek are active and working well. They will be able to report imminent flood threats. The stream gauge on 4MiCaCr is lost, as are many on Left Hand creek and St Vrain. The Lefthand and St Vrain ones will take quite a while to be replaced, because of channel changes. Since the channel has moved, the gauges will have to be put in new places, and they aren’t sure where those places will be yet. 4MiCaCr gauge may be reinstalled some time sooner. Emergency warnings on these creeks will be determined from weather information only, and not from stream levels.
6. The City will be sending out letters offering annexation to specific County enclaves within the City in the next week or so. This includes the neighborhoods of Githens Acres, Old Tale Road, and Cherryvale/Baseline. I think they are hoping that the flood will give some of these folks incentive to annex. They feel that they will be offering some special deals and incentives in terms of fees to try to entice folks to annex.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Beating a Raccoon to Death....
This is from today's edition of The Boulder Daily Camera, our local newspaper:
"The Boulder City Attorney's Office has filed municipal charges against the University of Colorado student accused of killing a raccoon with a baseball bat last year so he could "take its' hide." Jace Robert Griffiths, aged 20, was charged with subjecting animals to unnecessary suffering, killing prohibited wild animals, and littering, Boulder city prosecutor Janet Michaels said this morning. (Littering is one of the municipal violations for which the Boulder City Council is currently considering reinstating jail time.)
Griffiths originally was charged in the Boulder District Court with one count of felony aggravated animal cruelty, but the Boulder District Attorney's Office later dismissed the charges, saying Colorado law allows the killing of "fur-bearers" - including raccoons - during certain seasons for people with a proper license. At the time, District Attorney Stan Garrett said he planned to turn the case over to the city attorney for consideration of municipal violations. Griffiths could not immediately be reached for comment this morning.
According to a police report, officers were called to Griffiths' home in the 2800 block of Springdale Lane on 6 November 2013 on a report of a person killing raccoons. When officers arrived, they found a baseball bat covered in blodd on the front porch of the house, along with a raccoon skin covered in salt. The porch was covered in what appeared to be dried blood, according to the report.
In a written statement, Griffiths said the raccoon came out of a trash dumpster and was walking toward him and a friend. "We could have walked away, but I decided to go up and kill it, so that I could take its' hide," Griffiths wrote in the statement. "I immediately regretted hitting it, but, rather than throwing it out, I took the hide and threw the remains in the bottom Dumpster." " ~~~~
I still cannot understand the reasoning behind this attack and killing. Why would a person want a single raccoon hide? Raccoon coats were all the rage 90 years ago - but a single pelt won't make much more than a cap. Did he want a "coonskin cap?" I know a lot of folks who collect raccoon tails - but what would a city boy do with a single hide from a raccoon?
"The Boulder City Attorney's Office has filed municipal charges against the University of Colorado student accused of killing a raccoon with a baseball bat last year so he could "take its' hide." Jace Robert Griffiths, aged 20, was charged with subjecting animals to unnecessary suffering, killing prohibited wild animals, and littering, Boulder city prosecutor Janet Michaels said this morning. (Littering is one of the municipal violations for which the Boulder City Council is currently considering reinstating jail time.)
Griffiths originally was charged in the Boulder District Court with one count of felony aggravated animal cruelty, but the Boulder District Attorney's Office later dismissed the charges, saying Colorado law allows the killing of "fur-bearers" - including raccoons - during certain seasons for people with a proper license. At the time, District Attorney Stan Garrett said he planned to turn the case over to the city attorney for consideration of municipal violations. Griffiths could not immediately be reached for comment this morning.
According to a police report, officers were called to Griffiths' home in the 2800 block of Springdale Lane on 6 November 2013 on a report of a person killing raccoons. When officers arrived, they found a baseball bat covered in blodd on the front porch of the house, along with a raccoon skin covered in salt. The porch was covered in what appeared to be dried blood, according to the report.
In a written statement, Griffiths said the raccoon came out of a trash dumpster and was walking toward him and a friend. "We could have walked away, but I decided to go up and kill it, so that I could take its' hide," Griffiths wrote in the statement. "I immediately regretted hitting it, but, rather than throwing it out, I took the hide and threw the remains in the bottom Dumpster." " ~~~~
I still cannot understand the reasoning behind this attack and killing. Why would a person want a single raccoon hide? Raccoon coats were all the rage 90 years ago - but a single pelt won't make much more than a cap. Did he want a "coonskin cap?" I know a lot of folks who collect raccoon tails - but what would a city boy do with a single hide from a raccoon?
Saturday, December 7, 2013
December Views
Chincoteague Island, Virginia; the Misty statue on Main Street. Photo by Denise Bowden.
Key West, Florida; the Christmas Lights Boat Parade
Rainbow over Iguasu Falls, Argentina
The Boulder (Colorado) Christmas Star on Flagstaff Mountain; photo copyright by Boulder Photos, 2010
Horse-drawn sleigh at Ross Farm Museum, Nova Scotia, Canada
Uluru, Australia
A sun pillar in Ostersund, Sweden; photo by Goran Strand, 2012
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Breeders Cup & Thoroughbred News
It was forecast that we would have between 1/2 and 2 inches of snow last night and/or this morning. It's 32 degrees outside, but there is no sign of the white stuff. All I need to do today is walk Lucy Lu around noon... Slow days can be fun. Especially when I've worked my buns off to get my apartment clean for the threatened "sanitary" inspection. There is a little bit of kitty fur on the drapes, but everything else is spotless - with many thanks to Nancy J and Beatrice B. - I have my annual check-up next Wednesday, and the only thing I have left to do this month (besides my scheduled jobs) is to get an appointment with my psychiatrist and therapist, so I can get my medications renewed.
Other than Secret Compass, all of the horses who ran in the Breeders Cup Championship races are fine. The jockeys are all A-OK, with the exception of John Velasquez, who is still recovering in the hospital from the removal of his spleen on Saturday. After winning three races in the two-day meet, jockey Mike Smith won the coveted Bill Shoemaker Award for the second year in a row. Three cheers for Mike!
Of the colts who won this year's Triple Crown races, only Palace Malice, who won the Belmont, is still in training. He raced Saturday in the Breeders Cup Classic, and finished just out of the money in sixth place. Kentucky Derby winner Orb will be standing at stud at Claiborne Farms beginning next year, and Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow will be covering mares at Taylor Made Farms.
The November Fasig-Tipton sale was amazing yesterday. Mizdirection, who won the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday, was sold as either a racing or broodmare prospect for the price of $2,700,000. Love and Pride, a broodmare in foal to Distorted Humor, was sold for $4,900,000. And Betterbetterbetter, a broodmare in foal to War Front, was sold for $5,200,000. Wow. The upper end of the thoroughbred sales doesn't seem to be feeling our troubled economy.
Also, as a last note, fourteen-year-old stallion Harlan's Holiday, a very good juvenile sire was euthanized last week in Argentina. The stallion had a normal day, and, in the afternoon, had covered a mare with no problems. The stallion's hindquarters collapsed as he returned to his stall, and his intestines prolapsed. Even though there were veterinarians present within 2 minutes of his collapse, the horse was put down, as they could not get him back on his feet, nor could they reverse the prolapse. So very, very sad....
Other than Secret Compass, all of the horses who ran in the Breeders Cup Championship races are fine. The jockeys are all A-OK, with the exception of John Velasquez, who is still recovering in the hospital from the removal of his spleen on Saturday. After winning three races in the two-day meet, jockey Mike Smith won the coveted Bill Shoemaker Award for the second year in a row. Three cheers for Mike!
Of the colts who won this year's Triple Crown races, only Palace Malice, who won the Belmont, is still in training. He raced Saturday in the Breeders Cup Classic, and finished just out of the money in sixth place. Kentucky Derby winner Orb will be standing at stud at Claiborne Farms beginning next year, and Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow will be covering mares at Taylor Made Farms.
The November Fasig-Tipton sale was amazing yesterday. Mizdirection, who won the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday, was sold as either a racing or broodmare prospect for the price of $2,700,000. Love and Pride, a broodmare in foal to Distorted Humor, was sold for $4,900,000. And Betterbetterbetter, a broodmare in foal to War Front, was sold for $5,200,000. Wow. The upper end of the thoroughbred sales doesn't seem to be feeling our troubled economy.
Also, as a last note, fourteen-year-old stallion Harlan's Holiday, a very good juvenile sire was euthanized last week in Argentina. The stallion had a normal day, and, in the afternoon, had covered a mare with no problems. The stallion's hindquarters collapsed as he returned to his stall, and his intestines prolapsed. Even though there were veterinarians present within 2 minutes of his collapse, the horse was put down, as they could not get him back on his feet, nor could they reverse the prolapse. So very, very sad....
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Thor's Visit
I was sound asleep this morning, with Lovey on my left shoulder and Nedi on my stomach. My sleeping companions awoke me by literally "digging out" at a dead run to hide under the bed. I have no idea what gave them the warning, but, as I awakened, there was a tremendous flash of bright white light and a simultaneous crashing roar. I thought that either (a) a building had exploded, or (b) a meteor had crashed in Carpenter Park. I was amazed at the silence that followed - one person in my apartment building yelled in surprise, but I was waiting for sirens to immediately begin. Dead silence. After a few minutes, the cats came creeping back into the bed. I kept lying there, staring at the window. I had grabbed my alarm clock and looked at the time when the first blast had frightened me - it was 1:06 a.m. Six minutes later there was another bright flash, but there was a slight pause before the booming noise. Both kits again went under the bed. I got up and peeked out the window - snow was falling, and there was a third flash of lightning followed by a more distant boom of thunder. Thunder snow! The front was moving very fast over the area, and within ten minutes, one could only faintly hear the thunder rumbling out to the east. It was amazing. I certainly felt that we poor mortals had been visited by Thor, and that I had heard and seen the lightning and thunder of his great hammer, Mjolnir...
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Gamecocks Football; Points Offthebench
A beautiful sunrise here in Boulder this morning - the sun painted the snow on the mountain peaks in shades of pink and purple - it was magnificent. Last night was CU's Homecoming game, with kick-off at 6 p.m. My kits were a little cranky because they wanted to go out and prowl, but I kept them inside until this morning. The apartment is a block and a half away from the CU football stadium, and the building owner charges for people to park in the unoccupied spaces - therefore, during home games, we have a lot of traffic and strangers in and around the building, and I'd rather be safe than sorry - especially with Halloween just a few days away.
But the poor Buffs - I was watching the South Carolina Gamecocks play at Missouri on TV, but could hear the crowd in the stadium. The Buffs had a 3 and 3 record going into the game - the best record they've had in many years - but they were playing Arizona. I could hear the crowd roaring and lots of noise through half-time,but after the third quarter kick-off, the stadium got more and more quiet. At halftime, Arizona was up by only 7 points (20 to 27), but the Buffs were not able to score again. The final score was 44 to 20. Ouch.
In the meantime, I was watching a heck of a game on the telly. Conner Shaw, the Gamecocks starting quarterback, was injured last week. He was cleared to play last night, but was favoring the sore leg. So Dylan Thompson was the designated quarterback. At the end of the third quarter, the Gamecocks were scoreless, while the Tigers had 17 points. (Last week I rooted for Mizzou over my Gators, but I wanted "the ol' ball coach," Steve Spurrier, to win last night.) Steve was seen speaking to Connor just before the end of the third quarter, and Shaw came out onto the field at the beginning of the fourth. At the end of 15 minutes, the score was tied at 17. At the end of the first Overtime, the score was tied at 24. In the second Overtime period, the Gamecocks could only get a field goal on the scoreboard. The Tigers sputtered toward the goal line, and on their last play, had to make a field goal to tie, and go into a third Overtime period. The poor young man who kicked the ball for the Tigers hit the lacings, and the ball bounced off the outside of the goalpost upright. SC won, 27 to 24. And it spoiled an unbeaten season for Mizzou.
The Gators didn't play yesterday, but I also saw the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the Ohio State Buckeyes win their games. Overall, it was a good football Saturday.
Today, the Denver Broncos play the Washington Redskins at Mile High Stadium - Mike Shanahan is back in the town that fired him. I like Mike. I like RGIII. I like John Fox. I like Peyton and his receiving corps. I have an awful feeling that I'll be rooting for both teams today...
******
Yesterday, one of the horses exercising for the Breeders Cup Championship races suffered a condylar fracture of his right fore fetlock. Points Offthebench was galloping under jockey Mike Smith, when the colt took a misstep and went down. Mike Smith fell easily and was unhurt. But the big grandson of Alydar was deemed to have an irreparable break, and was euthanized. Points Offthebench was scheduled to run in the Breeders Cup Sprint on 2 November.
But the poor Buffs - I was watching the South Carolina Gamecocks play at Missouri on TV, but could hear the crowd in the stadium. The Buffs had a 3 and 3 record going into the game - the best record they've had in many years - but they were playing Arizona. I could hear the crowd roaring and lots of noise through half-time,but after the third quarter kick-off, the stadium got more and more quiet. At halftime, Arizona was up by only 7 points (20 to 27), but the Buffs were not able to score again. The final score was 44 to 20. Ouch.
In the meantime, I was watching a heck of a game on the telly. Conner Shaw, the Gamecocks starting quarterback, was injured last week. He was cleared to play last night, but was favoring the sore leg. So Dylan Thompson was the designated quarterback. At the end of the third quarter, the Gamecocks were scoreless, while the Tigers had 17 points. (Last week I rooted for Mizzou over my Gators, but I wanted "the ol' ball coach," Steve Spurrier, to win last night.) Steve was seen speaking to Connor just before the end of the third quarter, and Shaw came out onto the field at the beginning of the fourth. At the end of 15 minutes, the score was tied at 17. At the end of the first Overtime, the score was tied at 24. In the second Overtime period, the Gamecocks could only get a field goal on the scoreboard. The Tigers sputtered toward the goal line, and on their last play, had to make a field goal to tie, and go into a third Overtime period. The poor young man who kicked the ball for the Tigers hit the lacings, and the ball bounced off the outside of the goalpost upright. SC won, 27 to 24. And it spoiled an unbeaten season for Mizzou.
The Gators didn't play yesterday, but I also saw the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the Ohio State Buckeyes win their games. Overall, it was a good football Saturday.
Today, the Denver Broncos play the Washington Redskins at Mile High Stadium - Mike Shanahan is back in the town that fired him. I like Mike. I like RGIII. I like John Fox. I like Peyton and his receiving corps. I have an awful feeling that I'll be rooting for both teams today...
******
Yesterday, one of the horses exercising for the Breeders Cup Championship races suffered a condylar fracture of his right fore fetlock. Points Offthebench was galloping under jockey Mike Smith, when the colt took a misstep and went down. Mike Smith fell easily and was unhurt. But the big grandson of Alydar was deemed to have an irreparable break, and was euthanized. Points Offthebench was scheduled to run in the Breeders Cup Sprint on 2 November.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Back in Boulder
If it hadn't been for my cats, I could have stayed in Oklahoma forever. I met two kinds of people there - people who dearly love the state and their heritage, and those who just want to move out. I can't really understand those who want to leave... Oklahoma City has multiple areas, or distinct districts; they have a great road system; they have a large number of museums, with all kinds of information available; the bus system seems adequate (but I've been spoiled by Boulder's RTD system); they offer a wide variety of sports, and the University of Oklahoma is near-by, with their tertiary care hospital in downtown OKC; and they have a wide variety of plays, musicals, and entertainment venues scattered throughout the city; the downtown public library is fantastic; there are lakes, a river, a canal, and multiple beautiful parks. I just missed an international horse show (rats!), but got to meet some of the folks involved with it. I thoroughly enjoyed my entire stay and all of the places I was able to visit.
My kits were very excited to see me, and Lovey wouldn't get off my chest for an hour after I entered the door. Nedi, on the other hand, ran outside for the first 20 minutes I was home, and then wanted to be loved. Lovey slept with her head on my shoulder all night long, while Nedi curled up next to my ribs for the whole night. I couldn't, though, figure out why it was so dark when my alarm went off this morning... Then I realized that I hadn't set it to local Mountain time, as I had my watch. Once I was up and stirring, I just stayed up. I have the Sooners versus the Longhorns on TV at the moment, and this installment of the Red River Rivalry is being played in Norman.
I have some more cleaning up to do in the apartment, but I'll do it tomorrow - since I'm counting today as my sixth vacation day. I returned to find multiple requests for pet- and house-sitting, and was happy to find that I could accept all the jobs that I was requested for. After having temperatures in the low 80s this past week in Oklahoma, it was a small shock to wake up and find it was 40 degrees outside this morning. At the moment I have my window and patio door slightly open, but I think I'm going to get Nedi back inside and close the door. (My toes are getting chilly.)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
My kits were very excited to see me, and Lovey wouldn't get off my chest for an hour after I entered the door. Nedi, on the other hand, ran outside for the first 20 minutes I was home, and then wanted to be loved. Lovey slept with her head on my shoulder all night long, while Nedi curled up next to my ribs for the whole night. I couldn't, though, figure out why it was so dark when my alarm went off this morning... Then I realized that I hadn't set it to local Mountain time, as I had my watch. Once I was up and stirring, I just stayed up. I have the Sooners versus the Longhorns on TV at the moment, and this installment of the Red River Rivalry is being played in Norman.
I have some more cleaning up to do in the apartment, but I'll do it tomorrow - since I'm counting today as my sixth vacation day. I returned to find multiple requests for pet- and house-sitting, and was happy to find that I could accept all the jobs that I was requested for. After having temperatures in the low 80s this past week in Oklahoma, it was a small shock to wake up and find it was 40 degrees outside this morning. At the moment I have my window and patio door slightly open, but I think I'm going to get Nedi back inside and close the door. (My toes are getting chilly.)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Shut Down, Trip, and Weather
I spent yesterday running around, getting my gear ready for my trip - all I have to do now is a few pieces of laundry and then pack. I have a cell phone for emergencies, and have my most needed numbers already in it. I was able to purchase a new Samsung TracFone for $6.99 - which included the phone, an AC charger, a car charger, headset, battery, SIM card and a life-time of doubled purchased minutes. And I'm getting more and more excited about my trip to Oklahoma City.
It's sunny but cool here today, even though we're supposed to be in the upper 70s. Both kits are curled up and asleep inside; I let them out at 6 this morning, and they came in by themselves at 7, so I could easily leave to walk Rosie. I'm not real happy with our weather forecast - we have a nasty cold front coming in on Thursday night, and, at the moment, the weather folks say we'll have a high of 44 degrees, with a combination of rain, sleet and snow, and with a low below freezing Friday night. Yuck. It's the beginning of October - we need a good, hot Indian Summer to dry out from last month's flood. I've got my sweaters out, but I guess I'll need to break out my coat for Friday...
I'm very disappointed in our elected officials in Washington, D. C. None of us need a government shut down. - And this is excellent beach weather (81 degrees) for Chincoteague - but Assateague Island is totally closed down. You can visit Chincoteague, and you can take boat tours, but you cannot go onto Assateague Island to view any of the wildlife or birds, and you can't go to the beach. This shut-down affects a whole lot of people all over the country who depend upon tourism - with National Parks and Wildlife Refuges closed, and government workers on furlough - the whole country is losing. The House Republicans need to take another look at all the grief they are causing, and vote to continue our normal government.
It's sunny but cool here today, even though we're supposed to be in the upper 70s. Both kits are curled up and asleep inside; I let them out at 6 this morning, and they came in by themselves at 7, so I could easily leave to walk Rosie. I'm not real happy with our weather forecast - we have a nasty cold front coming in on Thursday night, and, at the moment, the weather folks say we'll have a high of 44 degrees, with a combination of rain, sleet and snow, and with a low below freezing Friday night. Yuck. It's the beginning of October - we need a good, hot Indian Summer to dry out from last month's flood. I've got my sweaters out, but I guess I'll need to break out my coat for Friday...
I'm very disappointed in our elected officials in Washington, D. C. None of us need a government shut down. - And this is excellent beach weather (81 degrees) for Chincoteague - but Assateague Island is totally closed down. You can visit Chincoteague, and you can take boat tours, but you cannot go onto Assateague Island to view any of the wildlife or birds, and you can't go to the beach. This shut-down affects a whole lot of people all over the country who depend upon tourism - with National Parks and Wildlife Refuges closed, and government workers on furlough - the whole country is losing. The House Republicans need to take another look at all the grief they are causing, and vote to continue our normal government.
Friday, September 27, 2013
More Rain; Flood Repair
Normally, I love rain and snow. Colorado has a semi-arid climate and seems to always need rain. But we don't need rain again today, after the 100-year flood that happened two weeks ago. It is, however, raining - a light rain, little heavier than a heavy mist, or a "nice soft day" in Scotland... but enough to make the roads slick, and dampen the mud, and make outside activities seem unappealing. The last weather forecast I heard said it would be cloudy this morning, but that the rain wouldn't arrive until late this afternoon; so I traveled over to Rosie's with my umbrella, but I returned home without walking her. It was too wet and cold. But I was able to deliver a large set of "flood photos" to Jim this morning - the majority of shots are of his yard, Four Mile Creek, and his immediate neighborhood. He was able to see the Boulder Greenways display of flood maps yesterday, and was greatly surprised at what the water did, and did not, do. Reconstruction work is going apace on Topaz Drive - I think the exposed natural gas pipeline that was 5 to 6 feet below the road surface (originally) had a lot to do with the Topaz work getting such a big jump-start.
With the nasty weather, Nedi is curled up on the afghan on my bed, and Lovey is in my dirty clothes basket. I have my rear window about half open, and can see the rain slanting down in front of the wooden fence. I did fall down again yesterday - tripped over the roots of a cottonwood in Kathy and Jim's backyard. I have walked over and through those roots a million times without tripping - I guess Wednesday and Thursday were my Fall days.... When I fell, I again landed on my left knee, which puffed up enormously, as well as onto my chest, knocking all of my breath out. Rosie and Boo wanted to implement mouth-to-mouth, but I insisted that I was OK, so they finally sat down and wagged their tails at me as I climbed s-l-o-w-l-y to my feet. Then they were off, chasing rubber bones and bouncing balls...
I'm getting excited about my trip to Oklahoma City... there is such a wide variety of things to do and see that I haven't been able to decide where I want to spend my extra time. The Stockyards is a definite yes, but there are also so many other extremely diverse areas to explore. I'll probably end up deciding on the spur of the moment, once I arrive.
With the nasty weather, Nedi is curled up on the afghan on my bed, and Lovey is in my dirty clothes basket. I have my rear window about half open, and can see the rain slanting down in front of the wooden fence. I did fall down again yesterday - tripped over the roots of a cottonwood in Kathy and Jim's backyard. I have walked over and through those roots a million times without tripping - I guess Wednesday and Thursday were my Fall days.... When I fell, I again landed on my left knee, which puffed up enormously, as well as onto my chest, knocking all of my breath out. Rosie and Boo wanted to implement mouth-to-mouth, but I insisted that I was OK, so they finally sat down and wagged their tails at me as I climbed s-l-o-w-l-y to my feet. Then they were off, chasing rubber bones and bouncing balls...
I'm getting excited about my trip to Oklahoma City... there is such a wide variety of things to do and see that I haven't been able to decide where I want to spend my extra time. The Stockyards is a definite yes, but there are also so many other extremely diverse areas to explore. I'll probably end up deciding on the spur of the moment, once I arrive.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Beautiful Morning in Boulder
It was cool again this morning, but the morning has been truly gorgeous, weather-wise. No clouds and lots of sunshine - with an expected high of 75 degrees. I've walked Rosie, and checked all my usual web pages. Nedi is curled up in the afghan on my bed, while Lovey keeps trotting in and out; at least Lovey isn't terrorizing Baby, the black cat next door, this morning. I took a bunch of photos before and during my walk with Rosie today, and I'll append a few at the bottom of this epistle.
I am a klutz - or, I am clumsy, in other words. On the way back to Rosie's house this morning, I stopped and spoke with the man who owns and runs "Mobile Screening", in which he goes to people's houses and replaces screening. John and I were joking about watching "watching our steps" and falling down. I left him with a big smile on my face. Rosie and I crossed 19th Street, and approached the first entrance drive for Lucky's Market - and I tripped on a piece of uneven sidewalk. Not only did I trip, but I fell, with great panache - beside 3 vehicles that were waiting to pull out of the parking lot. I stubbed my left toe of my sneaker against the cement block, and I felt myself loose my balance. I let go of Rosie, so I wouldn't jerk her and hurt her neck. (She's been with me enough to know that when I drop her leash and start wind-milling my arms, she need to stop, sit and stay.) I took two steps forward, but ended up falling onto my right breast and my left knee and thigh. I saved my face by throwing both hands in front of me. Thank goodness, I didn't break anything. I took some skin off the palms of my hands, and I heard a very loud crack sound as I hit the ground. I thought I had broken my new glasses, but then realized I could still see perfectly. I started pushing myself up, when the three drivers of the three vehicles arrived and they all started asking questions at once - All you OK? Do I need to call 911? Do I need to call an ambulance? Can you breathe? Can you talk? What about your dog? While still lying on my belly, I told them, "I'm going to lie here and get my breath back. Then I'll get up, grab Rosie, and walk on home. I'm fine, thank you - other than being terribly embarrassed."
As time has passed, I have found that my right breast is now red and purple. My left knee, thigh, and shin are grossly bruised and very sore. It hurts when I breathe deeply. My neck is getting stiff, and my wrists hurt, too. I took Alleve as soon as I got home, took a warm shower, and had a scrambled egg (to top off the pills).... I think I might take it easy this afternoon....
Here are the photos from walking by Wonderland Lake this morning:
I am a klutz - or, I am clumsy, in other words. On the way back to Rosie's house this morning, I stopped and spoke with the man who owns and runs "Mobile Screening", in which he goes to people's houses and replaces screening. John and I were joking about watching "watching our steps" and falling down. I left him with a big smile on my face. Rosie and I crossed 19th Street, and approached the first entrance drive for Lucky's Market - and I tripped on a piece of uneven sidewalk. Not only did I trip, but I fell, with great panache - beside 3 vehicles that were waiting to pull out of the parking lot. I stubbed my left toe of my sneaker against the cement block, and I felt myself loose my balance. I let go of Rosie, so I wouldn't jerk her and hurt her neck. (She's been with me enough to know that when I drop her leash and start wind-milling my arms, she need to stop, sit and stay.) I took two steps forward, but ended up falling onto my right breast and my left knee and thigh. I saved my face by throwing both hands in front of me. Thank goodness, I didn't break anything. I took some skin off the palms of my hands, and I heard a very loud crack sound as I hit the ground. I thought I had broken my new glasses, but then realized I could still see perfectly. I started pushing myself up, when the three drivers of the three vehicles arrived and they all started asking questions at once - All you OK? Do I need to call 911? Do I need to call an ambulance? Can you breathe? Can you talk? What about your dog? While still lying on my belly, I told them, "I'm going to lie here and get my breath back. Then I'll get up, grab Rosie, and walk on home. I'm fine, thank you - other than being terribly embarrassed."
As time has passed, I have found that my right breast is now red and purple. My left knee, thigh, and shin are grossly bruised and very sore. It hurts when I breathe deeply. My neck is getting stiff, and my wrists hurt, too. I took Alleve as soon as I got home, took a warm shower, and had a scrambled egg (to top off the pills).... I think I might take it easy this afternoon....
Here are the photos from walking by Wonderland Lake this morning:
By the way, the loud crack I heard was the crunch of my camera's battery door opening and ejecting batteries into my kangaroo pouch of my sweatshirt...
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sump Pumps Running Again
It rained overnight here in Boulder - I haven't been able to find an accurate amount listed, but it was a little too much. I did not enjoy walking through the neighborhoods this morning listening to sump pump motors growling in basements and having to avoid bursts of water from their hoses. I seemed like a nasty kidney punch from Mother Nature. But at least we didn't get the snow that fell overnight on the Continental Divide and areas along the Western Slope... The forecast called for more rain this morning, and we had a furious wind blowing from the west - not quite a Chinook wind, but a growl-y, lashing one. An oak leaf hit my face so hard that my nose was cut open by the leaf's edge. That kind of wind...
Rosie was very eager for her walk this morning, and we stopped by the Snow house to see if Jim had started putting up the new fence. No new fence, but he had Mona on a leash in the back yard.... Erin and Mike left yesterday for Ireland (for a belated honeymoon) and so, Mona is staying with Boo. Rosie will only play with Boo for a few minutes, so Boo is greatly excited to have a dog that will play with her all the time. We'll have to see what happens when Boo gets tired and wants to rest, and Mona doesn't. We wandered up Topaz and then south on 26th Street, took the red walk along Norwood and past Centennial Middle School, then back along 19th to Riverside. They started stripping the interior of the Waldorf Pre-School yesterday, and it seemed pathetic to see a row of ten toilets completely covered in mud, sitting in a row outside the building. Seeing the sofas and chairs and muddy cribs was even worse. I hope they had flood insurance!
I'm having a blast exploring all the things I can do in Oklahoma City - too bad I'll be there for such a short time... I want to explore the Stockyards area, which is, luckily, close enough for me to walk to. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum looks like it would take a full five days to see most of their exhibits. The Myriad Botanical Gardens and the City Zoo look interesting. I'd also love to go to the Oklahoma History Center, the Red Earth Museum, and the Harn Homestead and 1889er Museum. I guess I'll have to make another trip there and see all the things I miss the first time. There's also the American Banjo Museum, the Museum of Osteology, the Orr Family Farm, the International Photography Museum, and the Science Museum. Not to mention trolleys, water taxis around Bricktown, and plain old shopping. Can you tell I'm looking forward to the trip?
Rosie was very eager for her walk this morning, and we stopped by the Snow house to see if Jim had started putting up the new fence. No new fence, but he had Mona on a leash in the back yard.... Erin and Mike left yesterday for Ireland (for a belated honeymoon) and so, Mona is staying with Boo. Rosie will only play with Boo for a few minutes, so Boo is greatly excited to have a dog that will play with her all the time. We'll have to see what happens when Boo gets tired and wants to rest, and Mona doesn't. We wandered up Topaz and then south on 26th Street, took the red walk along Norwood and past Centennial Middle School, then back along 19th to Riverside. They started stripping the interior of the Waldorf Pre-School yesterday, and it seemed pathetic to see a row of ten toilets completely covered in mud, sitting in a row outside the building. Seeing the sofas and chairs and muddy cribs was even worse. I hope they had flood insurance!
I'm having a blast exploring all the things I can do in Oklahoma City - too bad I'll be there for such a short time... I want to explore the Stockyards area, which is, luckily, close enough for me to walk to. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum looks like it would take a full five days to see most of their exhibits. The Myriad Botanical Gardens and the City Zoo look interesting. I'd also love to go to the Oklahoma History Center, the Red Earth Museum, and the Harn Homestead and 1889er Museum. I guess I'll have to make another trip there and see all the things I miss the first time. There's also the American Banjo Museum, the Museum of Osteology, the Orr Family Farm, the International Photography Museum, and the Science Museum. Not to mention trolleys, water taxis around Bricktown, and plain old shopping. Can you tell I'm looking forward to the trip?
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