Guess where I've been spending my "spare" time?
No parade this year due to 14 inches of snow...
Showing posts with label Denver National Western Stock Show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denver National Western Stock Show. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Pieces
Today is the final day of the 2015 Denver National Western Stock Show and I wish I was present. I love the livestock, the exhibitions, the shows, the vendors, and the food. The only thing I don't appreciate is the crowd... I'm always happy when the Stock Show breaks attendance records, but I hate being in a large crowd. That's why I don't go to football games or concerts any longer. Too many people in one place make me feel like I'm suffocating.
It's beautiful outside today - the sky is a bright blue to the east, the sun is brightly shining, and one can almost see the Indian Peaks to the west (there's cloud cover up there, again). The squirrels and birds are playing, eating, and singing, and my cats are enjoying running in and out through the patio door. We're at 50 degrees already, and should approach 60 this afternoon. When the weathermen started predicting highs in the mid- to upper-60s for Monday and Tuesday, people thought we'd be setting a record high temperature; we won't, though. The high temperature records for Monday and Tuesday are in the mid-70s, so while we'll be 20 degrees above normal, we aren't setting records. Even so, 65 to 68 degrees in January, in Colorado, seems a little strange to me...
I've been working on genealogy for a friend, and finding out how often Ellis Island clerks changed the names of immigrants. In one family, twin brothers, aged seven, got separated from the rest of the family while going through "processing" and were assigned the surname of Cagman, while the rest of the family was given the surname of Cohen. They met up again, outside the walls, and found out they'd been given different surnames. They went back in and tried to get the surnames to be made the same, but it wasn't allowed.... Silly rules. So the youngest two brothers in a family of six children had a different last name than their parents and siblings.
I am enjoying re-reading the Preston & Child Agent Pendergast books again - there are always so many twists and turns that I'm always surprised - good reading, if you don't mind a bit of gore!
It's beautiful outside today - the sky is a bright blue to the east, the sun is brightly shining, and one can almost see the Indian Peaks to the west (there's cloud cover up there, again). The squirrels and birds are playing, eating, and singing, and my cats are enjoying running in and out through the patio door. We're at 50 degrees already, and should approach 60 this afternoon. When the weathermen started predicting highs in the mid- to upper-60s for Monday and Tuesday, people thought we'd be setting a record high temperature; we won't, though. The high temperature records for Monday and Tuesday are in the mid-70s, so while we'll be 20 degrees above normal, we aren't setting records. Even so, 65 to 68 degrees in January, in Colorado, seems a little strange to me...
I've been working on genealogy for a friend, and finding out how often Ellis Island clerks changed the names of immigrants. In one family, twin brothers, aged seven, got separated from the rest of the family while going through "processing" and were assigned the surname of Cagman, while the rest of the family was given the surname of Cohen. They met up again, outside the walls, and found out they'd been given different surnames. They went back in and tried to get the surnames to be made the same, but it wasn't allowed.... Silly rules. So the youngest two brothers in a family of six children had a different last name than their parents and siblings.
I am enjoying re-reading the Preston & Child Agent Pendergast books again - there are always so many twists and turns that I'm always surprised - good reading, if you don't mind a bit of gore!
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Junior Livestock Champions Sold - National Western Stock Show
Last night, the eight top Junior Livestock Champion animals from the 2015 Denver National Western Stock Show were sold at auction, and brought their student-owners $319,000 for scholarship monies. Six of the auctions were televised last night, by KUSA, and it was wonderful to see the youngsters proudly show the championship that they have raised, groomed, and loved.
The Grand Champion Steer, raised and shown by 17-year-old Shilo Schaake, from Westmoreland, Kansas, was purchased for $100,000 by Calcon Constructors, Inc.
The Reserve Grand Champion Steer, raised and shown by 11 -year-old Triniti Scott, from Burlington, Colorado, was sold for $55,000.
The Grand Champion Hog, raised and shown by 11-year-old Garrison Straka, from Yukon, Oklahoma, brought a bid of $36,000 from the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.
The Reserve Grand Champion Hog, raised and shown by 16-year-old Madison Lynch, from Cleveland, Texas, brought in a record-setting price of $34,000 from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
The Grand Champion Lamb, raised and shown by 17-year-old Jenna Frink, of Eaton, Colorado, was sold for an all-time record of $40,000 to Transwest Trucks, Inc. Jenna plans to attend Colorado State University.
The Reserve Grand Champion Lamb, raised and shown by 16-year-old Laura Winn, of Moriarty, New Mexico, also brought an all-time record bid of $23,000 from Colorado Business Bank.
The Grand Champion Goat, raised and shown by 13-year-old Aspen Martin, from Mason, Texas, accrued a winning bid of $16,000 from EKS & H, LLLP.
The Reserve Grand Champion Goat, raised and shown by 18-year-old Brandon Schovanec, from Garber, Oklahoma, received a winning bid of $15,000 from the STEPS Foundation.
My congratulations go to each and every one of these fine young people - future farmers and livestock growers for our country. I would never have been able to do what these youngsters have done - invest time, love, sweat, and companionship with an animal that is either destined for slaughter, or for a breeding program, never to be seen again. I am too soft-hearted and too sentimental. I love to eat meat, but, like my Mom, and Rosie, her pet pig - I wouldn't be able to eat her - not with other food available. I suppose that if I had been raised on a cattle, swine, sheep, or goat farm that routinely slaughtered and ate its' stock, I wouldn't have a problem. But I just can't stomach the thought of eating a pal and friend...
The Grand Champion Steer, raised and shown by 17-year-old Shilo Schaake, from Westmoreland, Kansas, was purchased for $100,000 by Calcon Constructors, Inc.
The Reserve Grand Champion Steer, raised and shown by 11 -year-old Triniti Scott, from Burlington, Colorado, was sold for $55,000.
The Grand Champion Hog, raised and shown by 11-year-old Garrison Straka, from Yukon, Oklahoma, brought a bid of $36,000 from the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.
The Reserve Grand Champion Hog, raised and shown by 16-year-old Madison Lynch, from Cleveland, Texas, brought in a record-setting price of $34,000 from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
The Grand Champion Lamb, raised and shown by 17-year-old Jenna Frink, of Eaton, Colorado, was sold for an all-time record of $40,000 to Transwest Trucks, Inc. Jenna plans to attend Colorado State University.
The Reserve Grand Champion Lamb, raised and shown by 16-year-old Laura Winn, of Moriarty, New Mexico, also brought an all-time record bid of $23,000 from Colorado Business Bank.
The Grand Champion Goat, raised and shown by 13-year-old Aspen Martin, from Mason, Texas, accrued a winning bid of $16,000 from EKS & H, LLLP.
The Reserve Grand Champion Goat, raised and shown by 18-year-old Brandon Schovanec, from Garber, Oklahoma, received a winning bid of $15,000 from the STEPS Foundation.
My congratulations go to each and every one of these fine young people - future farmers and livestock growers for our country. I would never have been able to do what these youngsters have done - invest time, love, sweat, and companionship with an animal that is either destined for slaughter, or for a breeding program, never to be seen again. I am too soft-hearted and too sentimental. I love to eat meat, but, like my Mom, and Rosie, her pet pig - I wouldn't be able to eat her - not with other food available. I suppose that if I had been raised on a cattle, swine, sheep, or goat farm that routinely slaughtered and ate its' stock, I wouldn't have a problem. But I just can't stomach the thought of eating a pal and friend...
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Denver National Western Stock Show 2015 (And Football Playoff Comments)
Well, it's 5 degrees outside, and three inches of fine, light, powdery snow fell yesterday, starting at about 11:30 in the morning. I finally discovered that the reason our heating system works so poorly is because the boiler that provides the heat for our 50+ year old radiators is also the same system that provides our hot water - and the owner is afraid of getting sued for having the water temperature too hot because someone got scalded in the shower or tub. With the overnight temperature at 1, my apartment interior temperature dropped to 55 degrees, even though the thermostat is set at 72... I've started wearing a night-cap to bed, to conserve my body heat. Sheesh. Just knock on every door, talk to each tenant, and give them written notice that the water temperature will be going up. It would diminish their responsibility greatly if someone could devise a system in which the cold water tap had to be turned on first, with one gradually adding the hot to make a comfortable water temperature for shower or bath...
It's that time of year again - the Denver National Western Stock Show will open on Saturday, 10 January, and run through Sunday, the 25th. For more information, please look at http://nationalwestern.com/ ; for information regarding the actual judging and showing of livestock, check out http://nationalwestern.com/2015-schedule/ . The DNWSS will kick-off the event with the annual Parade, from Union Station down 15 blocks of 17th Street. This year's Grand Marshall is Denver basketball legend Chauncey Billups (and his family). The Parade starts at noon, and will be followed by the annual barbecue lunch at the Wells Fargo Building at the corner of 17th Street and Broadway. Denver Mayor John Hancock and Chauncey Billups will address the luncheon crowd.
Besides the usual horse, donkey and mule shows, there are various livestock shows (cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, etc), educational events for children, a Barbecue Cook-off on January 10, rodeos, stock-working dog trials, a huge trade show, team penning, and the Cinch Equicross. The Equicross is a gymkhana style rodeo consisting of four events: Rescue Race, Key Hole Race, Ring Race/Musical Ropes and Flag Racing. The contestants are between 14 and 18 years of age, and they compete for scholarship money. I hope to spend at least one full day at the Stock Show - two or three days would be a wonderful treat.
With the College Playoff game set between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes, I'm cheering for the Buckeyes. Two professional games were played yesterday, and two will be played today. Yesterday, the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers were victorious (and I admit I was happy that Big Ben and the Steelers were defeated). Today, the games are Cincinnati Bengals and theBaltim Indianapolis Colts (the winner of this game will play the Broncos in Denver, next week) and the Detroit Lions against the Dallas Cowboys later in the day. I really don't have a preference between any of these four teams - so I'll just sit back and watch, and do my usual commentary on the defensive players. Thank goodness all my neighbors know that I talk back to the television set during football games!
It's that time of year again - the Denver National Western Stock Show will open on Saturday, 10 January, and run through Sunday, the 25th. For more information, please look at http://nationalwestern.com/ ; for information regarding the actual judging and showing of livestock, check out http://nationalwestern.com/2015-schedule/ . The DNWSS will kick-off the event with the annual Parade, from Union Station down 15 blocks of 17th Street. This year's Grand Marshall is Denver basketball legend Chauncey Billups (and his family). The Parade starts at noon, and will be followed by the annual barbecue lunch at the Wells Fargo Building at the corner of 17th Street and Broadway. Denver Mayor John Hancock and Chauncey Billups will address the luncheon crowd.
Besides the usual horse, donkey and mule shows, there are various livestock shows (cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, etc), educational events for children, a Barbecue Cook-off on January 10, rodeos, stock-working dog trials, a huge trade show, team penning, and the Cinch Equicross. The Equicross is a gymkhana style rodeo consisting of four events: Rescue Race, Key Hole Race, Ring Race/Musical Ropes and Flag Racing. The contestants are between 14 and 18 years of age, and they compete for scholarship money. I hope to spend at least one full day at the Stock Show - two or three days would be a wonderful treat.
With the College Playoff game set between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes, I'm cheering for the Buckeyes. Two professional games were played yesterday, and two will be played today. Yesterday, the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers were victorious (and I admit I was happy that Big Ben and the Steelers were defeated). Today, the games are Cincinnati Bengals and the
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Denver National Western Stock Show Photos
Bareback Bronc riding at the Rodeo
Bull-dogging at the Rodeo
Little Ones' Stick Horse Rodeo
Mutton Bustin'
Longhorn cattle parade down 17th Street in Denver - Union Station is at the center rear of the photo
Sunday, January 12, 2014
National Western Stock Show, Broncos, & Suing Nike
The Denver National Western Stock Show opened to the public yesterday, and had over 44,000 visitors go through the gates. It was the second-largest number of folks to visit on opening day since the Stock Show history began, 107 years ago. There are all kinds of things that can be seen at the stock show - it's an agricultural show, and just about every kind of farm animal possible (from chickens to yaks) have judging contests; there are different types of horse shows, mule shows, donkey shows, and draft horse shows. You can see Grand Prix Show Jumping; the rodeos - Colorado versus the World, Mexican International Rodeo, the MLK African-American Heritage Rodeo, the Wear Pink Rodeo; the Colorado Fiddle Championship; the Coors Western Art Show; Stock Dog trials; and a Wild West Show, to name a few. There are a lot of interactive activities for youngsters, and multiple stock sales - horses, cattle, goats, sheep, llamas and alpacas, swine, yaks and all types of fowl. There is a daily entrance fee, higher on the weekend than on weekdays; the last day the adult entrance fee is $10 per person, but on Tuesday, 21 January, admission is totally free.
Today, Denver is awash with Broncos and San Diego Chargers fans. All week, KUSA, our NBC affiliate, has been passing out "Clingy Thingees" - a clear, self-adhering sticker for windows (car or otherwise) that reads, "Broncos - United in Orange - Time to Ride." Actually, it's the Broncos logo, not the word; "United in Orange" is printed in orange; and "Time to Ride" is printed in blue. I want one. But you must travel into Denver to get one, so I'll have to do without... The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots won their NFL Playoff games yesterday. Now the Broncos need to put Philip Rivers and the Chargers away this afternoon. The game temperatures will be in the mid- to low-30s, and the wind will be swirling, with gusts up to 40 mph. I'll be rooting for the guys in orange and blue!
I laughed myself silly yesterday, reading one news story. A man in Washington state is trying to sue Nike shoes for $100 million - because the company's Jordan Nike shoes do not have a warning label stating that the shoes can be potentially dangerous, if used to beat or kick someone. The man is a pimp, and he beat a john who refused to pay for the use of a prostitute (in his string), with the shoes. The john had a broken nose and facial fractures, and had to have plastic surgery to repair the damage. The pimp also beat one of his "girls" with the shoes, causing her to bleed from the ears. At his trial, the pimp was found guilty of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the shoes), and was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Now he wants to sue Nike because the shoes were not labeled as being "dangerous!"
Today, Denver is awash with Broncos and San Diego Chargers fans. All week, KUSA, our NBC affiliate, has been passing out "Clingy Thingees" - a clear, self-adhering sticker for windows (car or otherwise) that reads, "Broncos - United in Orange - Time to Ride." Actually, it's the Broncos logo, not the word; "United in Orange" is printed in orange; and "Time to Ride" is printed in blue. I want one. But you must travel into Denver to get one, so I'll have to do without... The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots won their NFL Playoff games yesterday. Now the Broncos need to put Philip Rivers and the Chargers away this afternoon. The game temperatures will be in the mid- to low-30s, and the wind will be swirling, with gusts up to 40 mph. I'll be rooting for the guys in orange and blue!
I laughed myself silly yesterday, reading one news story. A man in Washington state is trying to sue Nike shoes for $100 million - because the company's Jordan Nike shoes do not have a warning label stating that the shoes can be potentially dangerous, if used to beat or kick someone. The man is a pimp, and he beat a john who refused to pay for the use of a prostitute (in his string), with the shoes. The john had a broken nose and facial fractures, and had to have plastic surgery to repair the damage. The pimp also beat one of his "girls" with the shoes, causing her to bleed from the ears. At his trial, the pimp was found guilty of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the shoes), and was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Now he wants to sue Nike because the shoes were not labeled as being "dangerous!"
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Bits And Pieces
The National Western Stock Show Parade kicks off the NWSS at noon today in down town Denver. One big surprise for this year is a free general admission day on Tuesday, 21 January. I just might head down there myself, since it's a totally free day - other than buying food, drinks, and souvenirs... and, with my bus pass, the trip down and back is free, also. Neat.
Hopefully, the Antares 9 supply rocket will get off the launch pad at Wallops Island today - the giant solar flare yesterday kept the ISS supply ship in the cradle.
I shouldn't laugh about the death of any person - but I couldn't keep a crow of surprised laughter inside when I read about the man who died in Oklahoma. His step-son is charged with his murder, and both men were drunk at the time of the verbal argument that escalated into a death. The stepson grabbed the elastic back of his step-father's underwear, and pulled it up, over the man's back, and over the man's head; then he released the elastic band under his step-father's chin. The elastic waistband choked his step-father to death. I have to admit the first thought in my mind was , "Wow! What a huge wedgie!" I am sorry that I found this man's death humorous - but now the news is reporting the man's death as coming from "an atomic wedgie."
Even though we have been above 32 degrees for the past several days, there is still a six-inch deep spread of snow with a hard crust out in the back yard. The squirrels skip lightly over it, and if the cats pad softly, they can easily cross it, too. But Nedi got a little exuberant this morning, and he looked very startled when he went crashing through the crust and came out with snowy legs and a snowy belly... It was cute.
And I was very happy to note that for the BCS Championship game, Tim Tebow gave a prediction of the Seminoles winning, with a score of 35 to 31. The final score? 34 to 31, in favor of the 'Noles... Good on you, Timmy!
Hopefully, the Antares 9 supply rocket will get off the launch pad at Wallops Island today - the giant solar flare yesterday kept the ISS supply ship in the cradle.
I shouldn't laugh about the death of any person - but I couldn't keep a crow of surprised laughter inside when I read about the man who died in Oklahoma. His step-son is charged with his murder, and both men were drunk at the time of the verbal argument that escalated into a death. The stepson grabbed the elastic back of his step-father's underwear, and pulled it up, over the man's back, and over the man's head; then he released the elastic band under his step-father's chin. The elastic waistband choked his step-father to death. I have to admit the first thought in my mind was , "Wow! What a huge wedgie!" I am sorry that I found this man's death humorous - but now the news is reporting the man's death as coming from "an atomic wedgie."
Even though we have been above 32 degrees for the past several days, there is still a six-inch deep spread of snow with a hard crust out in the back yard. The squirrels skip lightly over it, and if the cats pad softly, they can easily cross it, too. But Nedi got a little exuberant this morning, and he looked very startled when he went crashing through the crust and came out with snowy legs and a snowy belly... It was cute.
And I was very happy to note that for the BCS Championship game, Tim Tebow gave a prediction of the Seminoles winning, with a score of 35 to 31. The final score? 34 to 31, in favor of the 'Noles... Good on you, Timmy!
Monday, January 6, 2014
Denver National Western Stock Show
It's 2:30 on Monday afternoon - and the sun is shining in a clear blue sky, while it's 18 degrees outside. Nedi is out chasing things, and Lovey is tucked up on my pillow, watching me blog. I am home. I came home last night, fed and loved the kits, and fell into bed, where I slept for 12 hours. I awoke frequently, as Lovey wanted to make sure that I was aware I was in my own bed - everytime I stirred in the slightest, she washed my chin and gave me head bumps. Nedi just snuggled closer to my right leg... It is cold here, but at the moment, we have yet to have the high winds that were forecast for today - and I'm thankful for that. But, on the other hand, a good Chinook would clear half of the snow that's on the ground in about 6 hours... Hmmmm. Guess I'd rather have the wind than piles of dirty snow. Our temperatures are supposed to be returning to their "normal" range for the rest of the week, with highs in the mid-40s. If you are not offended by certain words, I suggest you view a North Dakota Native American weather forecast (done tongue-in-cheek, I'm sure): http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Only one team that I was rooting for won a play-off game this past weekend, even though I watched all four games. Kudos to the New Orleans Saints for being a winning team for me. Saturday night, I caught up on two of the TV shows that I had missed episodes on - saw "The Golem" episode of Sleepy Hollow and caught the last two episodes of The Blacklist. I feel as if I've watched more TV in the past 5 days than I did in all of December. - And then we have the Winter Olympics coming our way in February.... Oh, boy!
Tonight is the final BCS Championship NCAA Football game - the Auburn Tigers against the Florida State Seminoles. I'm rooting for Auburn, because they are SEC members, and because I've always respected FSU (under Bobby Bowden) but I want to defeat them. Tim Tebow made his ESPN announcing debut this morning - and looked very sharp; grey suit, white shirt, and a lavender tie and coat handkerchief. (One of the other announcers called it "fuschia" - but there wasn't enough pink...) Tim did very well - spoke smoothly, answered the questions about being in the BCS Championship Bowl, and threw out at least one word that probably had folks scrambling for their dictionary. I liked his premiere, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.
Right now, I'm gearing up for the National Western Stock Show in Denver. The Show will "kick off" with the annual Parade, which will start at noon on Thursday, 9 January, at the downtown Union Station, and will proceed down 17th Street. Riders, clowns, horse-drawn wagons, and a herd of 100 longhorn steers will participate. If the Parade is too much for you, you can go to the atrium of the Wells Fargo Building at 11:30 that morning, and enjoy the National Western BBQ Lunch (for the cost of $10, which is donated to the 4-H International Youth Group) - and listen to country-western bands and see the latest in western fashions. The Stock Show itself runs from 11 January through 26 January. Much more information can be found at: http://www.nationalwestern.com/
Only one team that I was rooting for won a play-off game this past weekend, even though I watched all four games. Kudos to the New Orleans Saints for being a winning team for me. Saturday night, I caught up on two of the TV shows that I had missed episodes on - saw "The Golem" episode of Sleepy Hollow and caught the last two episodes of The Blacklist. I feel as if I've watched more TV in the past 5 days than I did in all of December. - And then we have the Winter Olympics coming our way in February.... Oh, boy!
Tonight is the final BCS Championship NCAA Football game - the Auburn Tigers against the Florida State Seminoles. I'm rooting for Auburn, because they are SEC members, and because I've always respected FSU (under Bobby Bowden) but I want to defeat them. Tim Tebow made his ESPN announcing debut this morning - and looked very sharp; grey suit, white shirt, and a lavender tie and coat handkerchief. (One of the other announcers called it "fuschia" - but there wasn't enough pink...) Tim did very well - spoke smoothly, answered the questions about being in the BCS Championship Bowl, and threw out at least one word that probably had folks scrambling for their dictionary. I liked his premiere, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.
Right now, I'm gearing up for the National Western Stock Show in Denver. The Show will "kick off" with the annual Parade, which will start at noon on Thursday, 9 January, at the downtown Union Station, and will proceed down 17th Street. Riders, clowns, horse-drawn wagons, and a herd of 100 longhorn steers will participate. If the Parade is too much for you, you can go to the atrium of the Wells Fargo Building at 11:30 that morning, and enjoy the National Western BBQ Lunch (for the cost of $10, which is donated to the 4-H International Youth Group) - and listen to country-western bands and see the latest in western fashions. The Stock Show itself runs from 11 January through 26 January. Much more information can be found at: http://www.nationalwestern.com/
Sunday, January 27, 2013
A Smiling Sunday
I am still all smiles after Friday at the Stock Show. Being around all the creatures was a breath of fresh air for me - even though I laughed a lot at young city kids pinching their noses and placing handkerchiefs over their faces, trying to escape the ammoniac odors of the animals' excretions. Friday, besides being the Draft Horse, Donkey and Mule Show day, was also the last "school kids" day at the show - there were more than 3,000 kids from the fourth grade on down to kindergartners at the show that day. Country kids, who thought everything smelled normal, to inner-city kids who were amazed at the size of the animals and appalled at the odors. I almost had as much fun watching the kids as I did everything else.
My kits are enjoying the sunshine, just as they did yesterday - and just as Aiko and Yoshi and Tugger and Sasquatch have been enjoying the warmth and the light. I've tried to be sure they have all had time out in the sun, just to play, as well as the dogs' scheduled walks. I'm heading up to Nederland to take photos of the Carousel of Happiness in about an hour as per the request of a friend in Wisconsin. I am still coughing and I guess I'll have to call my MD again in the morning to see what, if anything, I should do... Kathy and Jim now have this monster flu, and they believe they caught it from Mike and Erin. Luckily, Sarah and Michael seem to have escaped this affliction so far.
I hope the rest of your weekend is grand, and that this coming work week passes by quickly. Take care, folks!
My kits are enjoying the sunshine, just as they did yesterday - and just as Aiko and Yoshi and Tugger and Sasquatch have been enjoying the warmth and the light. I've tried to be sure they have all had time out in the sun, just to play, as well as the dogs' scheduled walks. I'm heading up to Nederland to take photos of the Carousel of Happiness in about an hour as per the request of a friend in Wisconsin. I am still coughing and I guess I'll have to call my MD again in the morning to see what, if anything, I should do... Kathy and Jim now have this monster flu, and they believe they caught it from Mike and Erin. Luckily, Sarah and Michael seem to have escaped this affliction so far.
I hope the rest of your weekend is grand, and that this coming work week passes by quickly. Take care, folks!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Denver National Western Stock Show
I am exhausted. I felt well enough to go to the Denver National Western Stock Show yesterday, and I was there for 9 hours. I don't regret a single second of being there, but I sure am pooped today. I arrived early, and since I had purchased my ticket at King Soopers, the local grocery store, I didn't have to wait until the box office opened at 9 to be able to enter the show areas. Draft horse Halter classes began at 8 a.m., and I was there. I was able to see about half of the exhibits - and declined trying to ride the mechanical bull. I did, however, have my photo taken sitting on a 17-hand Texas Longhorn steer, and on an 18.5 hand Belgium draft horse. I visited the children's area early, before the petting zoo opened, but I was able to see the critters as they were brought inside. There was also a very nice poultry display and some of the geese, chickens, roosters, doves, and chicks were for sale. I wandered through the Stockyards, originally built in 1886, and was able to see and pet a wide variety of cattle, miniature cattle, Yaks and bison. I had a wonderful chat with some folks who had started showing Longhorns just 5 years earlier - they already had two Grand Champion bulls, and it was a wonder to watch their 8-year-old daughter groom them, loose, in a 30-foot round pen. I was invited to enter and interact with the bulls, and I did so with great pleasure. The cattle dogs were working cattle to whistles and hand signs in the afternoon. That was quite a sight, as well. I wandered through the livestock stabling areas, and visited with goats, sheep and rams, cattle galore, and the draft horses, mules and donkeys. In classes yesterday afternoon, I got to see the log skid, the single horse cart, donkey hunters under saddle, mules under saddle (English and Western), and the double hitches. I was also lucky enough to see some of the "Roman riders" at practice - they were standing on the backs of the last pair of a 6-horse-hitch, and moving at a walk, trot and canter. I wish I had the guts to try that. Their classes are today. I was able to see and pet the Express black Clydesdales in their stalls in the barn area, as well as getting a good look at their harness and wagon - I was glad that I already knew a little bit about them, thanks to RFD-TV's "Gentle Giants" program. I looked at boots and saddles, western furniture, lamps, fencing, gates, horse and stock trailers, tons of ads about stock for sale and breeding availability, custom made boots, signs, and tons of all sorts of other things. As I said, I had a fantastic time, even though I'm tired after a day on my feet... I'll share my photos soon.
Lovey and Nedi have forgiven me for spending only 30 minutes in their company yesterday - they have twined all about me, and I'm covered with their scent. Tugger and Sasquatch are fine and dandy, as are Aiko and Yoshi. It seems that both of the munchkins are 3 to 5 pounds overweight, so we take two long walks and two short ones each day; and their snacks have been cut off. They are not really happy with that, but that's their folks' rules, and I follow them. Nedi has been outside, chasing, and being chased by, the ravens. Lovey has spent most of the time in my lap. I gave them a special treat for breakfast, since I was gone for 24 hours... Spoiled? My kits? Where on earth did you get that idea?
I hope you have a super weekend!
Lovey and Nedi have forgiven me for spending only 30 minutes in their company yesterday - they have twined all about me, and I'm covered with their scent. Tugger and Sasquatch are fine and dandy, as are Aiko and Yoshi. It seems that both of the munchkins are 3 to 5 pounds overweight, so we take two long walks and two short ones each day; and their snacks have been cut off. They are not really happy with that, but that's their folks' rules, and I follow them. Nedi has been outside, chasing, and being chased by, the ravens. Lovey has spent most of the time in my lap. I gave them a special treat for breakfast, since I was gone for 24 hours... Spoiled? My kits? Where on earth did you get that idea?
I hope you have a super weekend!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
A Murder of Crows
I was awakened by a murder of crows this morning - there were more than 28 of them, sitting in the trees and along the top of the fence, asking me to deliver breakfast. So I got dressed, then fed them and the squirrels, and, secondly, fed the cats. That was OK with Nedi, but Lovey was a little perturbed at her lower order of precedence today. She is sitting with her back to me, watching the squirrels perform acrobatics. I must say that the Azithromycin and Tessalon Perles seem to be doing a good job - I feel better already, and am coughing much less; which meant I had a great sleep last night, the first in 3 weeks. My only problem today is that the crown of my head hurts, which is kinda weird...
I had a blast playing Jeopardy last night - of course, I didn't have to ring in before anyone, but I had $40,700 before Final Jeopardy, and I bet half of it,so I ended up with an imaginary $61,050 at the end of the game... Then I watched NCIS and Vegas - and got a full dose of all my favorite actors on Tuesday. I love David McCallum and Mark Harmon, and then an hour later I get to drool over Michael Chiklis and Dennis Quaid. Thursday night I get to watch the men on Person of Interest, and then Friday night I salivate over Gary Sinise, Robert Joy, and Tom Selleck (on CSI: NY and Blue Bloods). I am currently floating along, listening to the '60s Revolution music channel - "Wild Thing" just played, and now "Your Mother Should Know" is on... I'm certainly enjoying all the pre-teen (for me) songs that are playing.
The Denver National Stock Show has been having tremendous attendance so far - they had almost 45,000 visitors on Sunday, one of the days during which they had a rodeo of Coloradoans versus the World... The photos from the NWSS are delightful - a two-year-old boy sitting on the back of a huge Brahma bull; the kids riding pedal-powered tractors in a race around a track stacked with straw bales; the kids in the stick horse rodeo; the rodeo clown demonstrations; the herding dog demonstrations; and all the other activities - wood carving demos, training and riding demos, grooming demos - it's just too much to take in in one day. (I still hope to get there this year, but it will depend on how this illness goes.) This weekend, the Native American Exposition also takes place in Denver, Friday through Sunday - with artists, dancing, singing, and a huge vendor area. I'd love to be there, too. So much going on, so little time and so little money to go and have a good time with.... sigh...
I had a blast playing Jeopardy last night - of course, I didn't have to ring in before anyone, but I had $40,700 before Final Jeopardy, and I bet half of it,so I ended up with an imaginary $61,050 at the end of the game... Then I watched NCIS and Vegas - and got a full dose of all my favorite actors on Tuesday. I love David McCallum and Mark Harmon, and then an hour later I get to drool over Michael Chiklis and Dennis Quaid. Thursday night I get to watch the men on Person of Interest, and then Friday night I salivate over Gary Sinise, Robert Joy, and Tom Selleck (on CSI: NY and Blue Bloods). I am currently floating along, listening to the '60s Revolution music channel - "Wild Thing" just played, and now "Your Mother Should Know" is on... I'm certainly enjoying all the pre-teen (for me) songs that are playing.
The Denver National Stock Show has been having tremendous attendance so far - they had almost 45,000 visitors on Sunday, one of the days during which they had a rodeo of Coloradoans versus the World... The photos from the NWSS are delightful - a two-year-old boy sitting on the back of a huge Brahma bull; the kids riding pedal-powered tractors in a race around a track stacked with straw bales; the kids in the stick horse rodeo; the rodeo clown demonstrations; the herding dog demonstrations; and all the other activities - wood carving demos, training and riding demos, grooming demos - it's just too much to take in in one day. (I still hope to get there this year, but it will depend on how this illness goes.) This weekend, the Native American Exposition also takes place in Denver, Friday through Sunday - with artists, dancing, singing, and a huge vendor area. I'd love to be there, too. So much going on, so little time and so little money to go and have a good time with.... sigh...
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