Assorted Photos

Tim Tebow, jogging bases after hitting 3-run homer

Steve Spurrier will be coaching again

2011 Spring Round-up of Chincoteague ponies - photo by Bonnie Gruenberg

The Thinker - an olive tree in Puglia, Italy

On Churchill Downs' opening day, 17 May 1875, Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old 

African-American native Kentuckian, rode Aristides, a chestnut colt trained

by a former slave, to a record-setting victory in the first Kentucky Derby.

At that time, and until 1896, the Kentucky Derby distance was 1 and 1//2 miles.

The fastest Kentucky Derby ever run was in 1973, when thegreat

Secretariat covered the 1 and 1/4 miles in 1:59.4.

The slowest 1 and 1/4 mile Derby was won by Stone Street in

1908; he took 2:15.2.

This and That

I was greatly cheered to learn that the Mets baseball team had sent Tim Tebow to their AA minor team, the Rumble Ponies, in Binghamton, New York.  On his at bat, on the first throw, he hit a three-run homer....  Way to go, Tim Tebow!  I've always loved the man and he is following his dream.  Good on him!
   The new American Spring League Football season will start the week after the 2019 Super Bowl.  There will be 8 teams the first year and the league has been set up by ex-professional football players. The announcement of the first city to host a team and the first announced head coach for that team made me sit up and smile - Orlando Florida and Steve Spurrier.  Hoping to see some great things - take me back to the Tampa Bay Bandits!
  At the moment the weather forecast for the Spring Round-up on Assateague Island at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is fantastic for mid-April.  I hope everything goes well this Friday and Saturday and that the long-unseen will turn up alive and well...
  I found a name yesterday in the 1900 US Census yesterday that I really liked - Tilelka - and then I just rolled laughing because another name hit me just smack dab on the funny-bone: a man named Rolla A. Hole....
  We're a little over 3 weeks away from the first Saturday in May - which always, for me, means the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.  This year will be the 144th Run For the Roses, and will be broadcast live on NBC television.  The race is scheduled to begin at 6:50 pm (EDT), and there will probably be the full number of entries, limited to 20, and based on points earned in other graded races...
1.   Good Magic  (134)
2.   Audible   (110)
      Noble Indy   (110)
3.   Vino Rosso   (107)
4.   Bolt d'Oro   (104)
5.   Enticed   (103)
6.   Mendelssohn   (100)
      Justify   (100)
7.   Flameaway  (70)
8.   Bravazo   (54)
9.   Promises Fulfilled   (52)
10.  Magnum Moon   (50)
       Runaway Ghost   (50)
       Quip   (50)
11.  Free Drop Billy   (44)
12.  Lone Sailor   (42)
13.  Hofburg   (40)
14.  Firenze Fire   (39)
15.  Solomini   (38)
16.  My Boy Jack   (32)
17.  Instilled Regard   (29)
18.  Snapper Sinclair   (22)
       Combatant   (22)
       Blended Citizen   (22)
19.  Reride   (20)
       Dream Baby Dream   (20)
       Restoring Hope   (20)
       Old Time Revival   (20)

Assorted Photos - Assateague, Italy & People

Charmed finally had her baby - it's a girl!  

Actors on the set of  Vikings

Fall at the foot of the Dolomites

Tim Tebow's first day as a New York Mets player

Bits and Pieces

I admitted to signing a petition on Facebook: one that fans sign to, hopefully, get the Denver Broncos to bring Tim Tebow back, to try out as the new starting quarterback.   Believe me, I know all of the pro and con arguments regarding Tebow as an NFL quarterback.  I just happen to like the young man, and he's always been extremely polite when we've met.  -  He reminds me a great deal of Steve Spurrier, and I still love the "ol' ball coach," too.  -  Some folks have commented in support, and others have been blatant in their dislike.  Unless someone starts cursing, I'll let all comments stand…  As I said to a friend, if we all had the same opinion about everything, life would be very boring.

    As of this moment, as far as I know, there are six new foals for 2016 on the southern end of Assateague - the ponies that get sold at the Chincoteague Pony Penning and Auction in July.  Of the six, four are definitely boys, one is definitely a girl, and one hasn't presented any body parts to identify. Wild Island Orchid has the filly; Wildest Dream's bay foal is not yet known, but the other four are boys.  I know that the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has a long-term plan for continuing the herds - each year the foals' bloodlines and conformation are examined.  That decides which foals are designated as "Buy Back" ponies and which are sold to new homes on the mainland, and in other countries.
   I admit that I'm a sucker for baby horses.  I love all of them.  I find all of them cute.  Some foals that other people consider plain, or even ugly, always have some type of beauty.  SO far, I'm in love with all six of the CVFC foals.  I think that Wildest Dream's bay is a filly - and I would love to have her for her size and conformation - not to mention how her strip wiggles like a snake's tail.  But I also really love the other five foals.  Tunie's pinto colt is rugged; and I'd  think the guys would want to keep Lady's buckskin as a replacement for Copper Moose; Lyra's Vega's colt and Wild Island Orchid's filly are beautiful chestnuts.  But, for some reason, I have the feeling that out of the foals born so far, Diamond's Jewel's pinto colt by Riptide will bring the most bidders.  Unless another truly magnificently marked foal arrives - which is always a possibility with our ponies!
   And I've been informed that the (so far) single foal up on the Maryland end of Assateague is also a colt - by Yankee, out of Carol's Girl.

    After the 18.3 inches of soggy snow that fell for four days, most has since melted.  The apple tree in Lynn's yard lost a large limb, and a few willow withies came down, but there was no other damage here.  Most of the snow that was pushed up under the bird feeder tree at my apartment has also melted - I put out 3 pounds of sunflower seeds for the birds and a pound of walnuts, almonds and Brazil nuts for the squirrels today.  I had to clear my throat for Bertrando to realize that I was standing two feet away from him while he was stuffing his face at the feeder….  He looked very surprised, so I was glad it was just me.

    Cupid, the betting favorite for the Arkansas Derby (who finished tenth of eleven), has been diagnosed with a "breathing disorder" and will not participate in the Kentucky Derby.  I wonder if he had an entrapped epiglottis?  I believe that the current betting favorite for the Derby is Nyquist.

This and That

Zephraim Cenedi Devine has decided that his Auntie Beatrice, who shares the two bedroom apartment with me, is almost as good as I am.  The only things Auntie Bea does not allow Nedi to do are (a) go out on the balcony at night and (b) knead her arm while he suckles.  I do allow him to do both of those things, but he has apparently decided that Auntie Bea gives him the best petting and love rubs.  Lovey, on the other hand, will meow at Beatrice, and will sit beside her on the sofa, but doesn't want to snuggle and be held, like she wants me to do.  At least I can happily acknowledge that my kits are a little odd.
  I walked Rosie this morning, and we visited Tess, then went over to the Elks' Park.  We got to play with three small children (their parents, too) and four dogs.  Rosie loves to socialize and she seems happier now that we go to a children's play area every morning.  Lynn heard Lyra responding to my voice yesterday, and enjoyed the fact that Lyra "talks back to me" with meows, if I say her name in a sentence or a question.  Jim and Jan are back home, so the hens, fish, and cats on Dellwood are off my hands for a few weeks.
  Not much going on here - drove up to the Gross Reservoir last weekend, and will post photos whenever I find that dratted dUSB cable for my camera.  I still haven't downloaded my vacation photos, so it had better turn up soon!  I hadn't realized how stressed and uptight I was until I got up on the top of the mountain and was looking down into El Dorado Canyon.  While I was listening to the rushing water of South Boulder Creek and gazing down the steep ravine covered with trees, it felt as if a big knot around my chest and back relaxed...  Poor Beatrice - after that I kept humming "Don't Fence Me In" for the next six hours - until she got me started on Brooks and Dunn singing, "Maria."  I think she soon regretted that one, too.  Oh, well....
  I am very sorry that the Philadelphia Eagles cut Tim Tebow from their roster - but it means that he'll have a lot more camera time on the SEC Network.  And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

Goodbye, Bear.... and Football

I hate to report this, but the young black bear that I met pretty much face-to-face last Friday is dead.  She kept hanging around the neighborhood and several families to the west of our subdivision were frightened by her.  The Department of Wildlife came out and shot her with a tranquilizer dart - but she reacted energetically and broke through the circle of observers.  They lost track of her.  Thirty minutes later, she was found, dead, in a drainage ditch.  The tranquilizer had kicked in and she had gone to sleep - in the bottom of a drainage ditch with four inches of water in it.  She went to sleep, her head fell under the water, and she drowned.  The necropsy showed that she was about two years old, weighed 115 pounds, and had not yet had any cubs.  At least her accidental death did not mean the starvation of cubs, also.  It just goes to show that sometimes, even with good intentions, bad things can happen.  If the tranquilization and capture had gone as planned, she would have been released in the middle of a National Forest, with no human habitations within 10 miles of her.  It's sad.

Once I finish my blog entries for today, I am going to open all my move-in boxes and find my dUSB cord for my camera.  I still haven't looked at the photos I took while in Virginia and Maryland.  I've been busy, but not that busy, and I'm kind of disgusted with myself for letting it go for so long.  

   At least my college football season got off to a good start yesterday.  Even though it wasn't a "pretty" win, the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels, to get me and Coach Spurrier on a winning streak.  Following that game, both the Broncos and the Eagles lost their final pre-season games.  It looks as if I'll be following two pro teams this year - the local Denver Broncos, and, since it looks like Tim Tebow will be on the Eagles' roster, I'll have to tune in for their games, as well.  And, today, the Eagles traded the other quarterback that was battling with Tebow for a spot on the team.  I very rarely positively like a professional quarterback - but I'm all for both Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning.

Assorted Photos

Juncos in the snow this past Friday

Pixie Dust (left), Surfer's Riptide (right); photo by Deb Iddings Noll

White-fronted bee eaters

Tim Tebow

The Bank of Painter (original) - Painter, Virginia

Sand hill crane on Assateague Island

The Garden of the Gods, Denver, Colorado; photo by Lars Leber

Tim Tebow Signs Contract

The past few days have been interesting; a mix of rain, sleet, snow, and brief periods of sunshine.  It was 29 degrees this morning, and a small shower of snow had fallen just before I got up.  I can't see any blue in the sky to the east, only clouds.  And a light rain has been falling for the past hour.  My keyboard, monitor, and note paper can easily attest to that, as both Nedi and Lovey have decided the best place to shed rain and mud is in the space between me and the PC pieces.
  And I awoke to wonderful news this morning - Tim Tebow has signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.  He  will be one of five quarterbacks on the Eagles roster and will have to prove himself to play.  This young man deserves credit for still following his dream - to be a winning quarterback in the National Football League.  He has been on the sidelines for three years - has begun a very impressive announcing career - has a full slate of speaking engagements - has a fantastic Foundation that aids people with disabilities - and has his own hospital in the Philippines, where he was born.  If only others with wealth equivalent to his would give as much to society as he does, then this world would be a much better place.
   Believe me, I understand that Tebow  is a polarizing person - just like Steve Spurrier, the first Florida Gator to win the Heisman Trophy.  A person loves him, or hates him, or is just completely oblivious to him.  I think that Tebow's religious views are what makes a lot of people dislike him.  He is the son of a missionary, and he was raised to speak about his own personal belief in God.  In this day and age, most people find that off-putting, silly, or down-right disgusting.  As a player, he thanks God for his wins, and blames himself for his losses.  As a part of his own personal creed, he thanks God for his abilities and beliefs.  He makes these statements calmly.  He does not preach to his audience, he does not try to overtly convince you to join his faith, he doesn't ask for donations to a specific church.  He is a Christian man, who is unafraid to proclaim his faith.  Yes, he leads prayer meetings with other players, but he does not coerce anyone to join in.  He lives a model life, and is always under a microscope, and has been, since he became the youngest person to win the Heisman.  He lives in a glass house, and, as far as I can see, and as reporters can find out, he practices what he speaks of.
   I sincerely hope this contract works out well for Tim Tebow and the Eagles.  I hope that Tim can become, actually earn, the right to be the team's starting quarterback.  I think that he has the drive and desire to do so.  I'm glad that the Eagles decided to give him a chance.  If he stays with the team, they will have another new fan - me.  Believe it or not, Tim Tebow is an extremely complex person.  He has the same dreams and desires and drives that most people on this earth have. He was extremely lucky to get into the University of Florida, and to soar under the tutelage of Urban Meyer.  Since college, every team that has hired, or used him, has tried to change his throwing, his body mechanics, his thought processes.  Let the man be himself.  Let him prove himself, or fail.  But please don't judge him by press releases or other peoples' comments - including mine.   Let the man get on with his life.  Please.

February First

The Super Bowl will take place tomorrow and the Winter Olympics will begin in Sochi, Russia on Thursday. It began snowing here about 6 yesterday evening, and it's still coming down; the NWS said we had 4.5 inches yesterday and should expect another 2 to 4 inches today...  This is fine weather  for reading and research, but all the insistent loving of Lovey makes doing either difficult.  She is currently sitting as close to the keyboard as she possibly can, blocking both  the keyboard and the monitor from my view.  When this doesn't break my concentration, she tries to remove my glasses with her chin, jaw, nose, ears and tail... And no matter how many times I pick her up and set her down, well away from my desk, she beats me back to it.
  On 22 October, I blogged that the "Goblin Valley Destruction was Juvenile."  I still feel that way.  The National Park Service and the state of Utah pressed charges against the two Mormon church and Boy Scout leaders yesterday.  Glenn Taylor, who did the actual physical work in breaking down the Jurassic-era rock formation, was charged with one count of felony criminal mischief.  His buddy, David Hall, who recorded their laughing destruction of a national monument, was charged with one count of felony aiding and assisting in criminal mischief.  The men face up to five years in prison, up to $5,000 in fines, and monetary restitution for damages to natural resources of the state of Utah. For destroying a protected monument in a state park, I think these guys should get the maximum penalty - they ruined something that nature took eons (170 million years) to sculpt in 14 seconds.  The men go to court on 18 March to face the charges.
  I had the most wonderful supper last night - Beatrice and I took a cab to The Cheesecake Factory.  I was craving a good steak, and I had one.  I ended up with a salad, sweet potato fries, the Coulotte steak, and a slice of pineapple-upside-down cheesecake.  Had I died last night, it would have been a an extremely satisfied epicurean delight within me.
   Here are a progression of snow photos in my back yard:

Squirrel sitting on fence Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Friday morning at 8 a.m.

Nedi at tree trunk Friday at noon

My satellite dish Saturday morning at 8

Same tree from the second photo at 8 a.m. today

And, if you like Tim Tebow, and have not yet seen his two commercials for T-Mobile that will air during the Super Bowl tomorrow, check the out...  They are hilarious!  He pokes fun at himself for not having a contract....     http://youtu.be/xTaH-OtUv94

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!

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?v=x8hGIF9FljM
  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/
 

Add Another Colorado Wildfire

Five of the wildfires burning in Colorado are 100% contained - they will not spread any farther, unless we have some really crazy weather.  One wildfire is 95% contained, and another is 90 % contained.  The bad news is that 14 are still burning with zero containment.  At last report, the West Fork Complex fire had burned 79,182 acres, and the East Peak fire has consumed 13,491.  The we get to add the new Ox Cart fire, which is at 1200 acres.  It's amazing to me to realize how much land has been consumed by fire - just adding those three numbers comes to the equivalent of 146.68 square miles - and that is only five of the twenty-one large, noted fires burning.....
   Well, having spilled my vitriol about Custer yesterday, I feel much more light-hearted.  - And one must remember, the  only reason Custer's name continues to be remembered today, is because Libbie, his widow, lived for another 57 years after his death; and she spent every waking moment trying to convince people that her husband was a hero.....
   The New England Patriots are known for keeping their players "under wraps" with the media, so I was prepared for a summer without word of Tim Tebow.  Instead, I'm hearing and reading and seeing that Aaron Hernandez, one of the team's star running backs, has been released from his team contract after being arrested.  The charges have yet to be announced, but they are in connection with a murder, and are, possibly, just "obstruction of justice" charges - but we don't know yet.  I'd much rather be reading about Tebow's work-outs and his charitable efforts, in all honesty.
   The other "big" story is the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin in Florida.  I find it interesting that six women are sitting on the jury, and that 5 of them are Caucasian.  Mr. Zimmerman is Hispanic and is accused of killing an unarmed African-American teen... Mr. Zimmerman called in the young man as being "suspicious" as a part of his Neighborhood Watch duties; he then followed the young man, even though he he told by police not to follow Mr. Martin.  Mr. Zimmerman claims to have shot the young man in self defense.  The young man was unarmed and was carrying a can of tea and a package of Skittles; but he was shot through the heart at a close enough range to leave gun powder burns on his sweatshirt.... Somehow that just doesn't make sense to me....

Still Burning: Five Colorado Wildfires

It seems grey and cloudy outside in Boulder; a cloud can be seen hugging the top of Mount Sanitas.  Our humidity is currently 85%, which is a blessing - but we also have a very poor air quality due to the smoke.  As of 11 a.m. local time, we will be under a Red Flag warning again - which means extremely high fire danger.  I have a scratchy throat, and it seems that I can "taste" the smoke on the back of my tongue.  Air quality warnings are out, telling those folks with asthma, COPD, allergies, and other breathing problems to stay inside, and, if possible, be in an air-conditioned building.  If you don't have air conditioning, use a humidifier on the High setting, and drink lots of fluids.  For more news and updates, check the KUSA website at  http://www.9news.com/
   The Black Forest wildfire is the largest fire burning, and is near Colorado Springs.  It has destroyed at least 92 homes, and is between 11,000 and 12,000 acres - that's 18.75 square miles. More than 9,000 people are under evacuation orders...  This fire has no containment.
   The Royal Gorge wildfire has burned an estimated 3,000 acres.  The Royal Gorge Bridge has reportedly suffered some structural damage, but all the animals at the Royal Gorge zoo are safe.  This fire is 20% contained.
   The Big Elk Meadows wildfire on the western slope of the Rocky Mountain National Park has spread to 600 acres.  High wind conditions are expected there today, and will, most probably, increase the size of the burn to a much higher number.  This fire has no containment.
   The La Veta-Klikus wildfire is staying at 60 acres, and is currently 75% contained.
   The Fern Creek wildfire in the Rampart Range is also burning freely, due to it's remote location.  I have yet to receive an update on this fire's size.
***************************
Tim Tebow has signed a 2-year contract with the New England Patriots, and is listed as their third-string quarterback.  Tebow has been working with Chris Wienke, up until his signing.  ....  If I could be in Virginia right now, I'd be at Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore.  The Tall Ships are there for a three day weekend; for more information see http://www.tallshipscapecharles.com/

Horse Riding in Rocky Mountain National Park

It was 95 here in Boulder yesterday, and 97 in Denver, tying the day's high temperature records.They think we'll reach between 95 and 100 today.  I know it was 72 degrees at 6:45 this morning - and I never turned my fan off last night.  Looks like I'll be turning on the second fan today...  Considering the heat, Lovey and Nedi have been very snuggly, which is fine with me - when they get hot, they leave, or just move over a bit.  With the heat, Rosie and I have been starting our walks before 8 a.m., so I'm finished doing my daily work and am back at home by 9:30 - seems odd, right now.  But, in another week, it'll seem totally normal again.
  I had a wonderful time with my sister on Sunday.  First we drove up to Estes Park and wandered through a Hand Made arts and crafts fair, and made a couple of purchases, while admiring a lot of things.  Then we snagged a quick lunch at McDonald's, where I introduced Kathy to the mango-pineapple smoothie, which she really liked.  Driving in to Rocky Mountain National Park, we found that she qualified to buy her Life Time Park Pass for $10 - as opposed to paying $20 each time.  She'll never have to pay to enter a national park again; now, that's grand!  And we drove on up to Moraine Park and Hi Country Stables...
  Signing in there, we found that while 13 folks were there for the 2 hour ride, only Kathy and I were signed up for the 4-hour ride.  Our guide/wrangler was a girl from Blacksburg, Virginia, who is a junior at Virginia Tech, and is studying Equine Science (she'll be a vet).  Kelly, the guide, was riding Smokey, a black quarter horse.  Kathy and I were riding brother and sister horses - both were half-Belgian (the draft horse).  Kathy got Pinkerton (aka Pinkey), the pinto gelding, while I got Pal, the palomino mare.  We rode for over 4 hours, and only ran into four groups of hikers (all going in the opposite direction) - so it was just the countryside, the wildlife, the three of us Virginia girls and three horses.  It was sheer bliss - no phones, no radio, no music, no vehicular traffic - just the sound of horse shoe on occasional rock, birds, water flowing in the creeks we crossed, and the breeze in the trees.  I would love to spend every day of the rest of my life like that!
  Upon returning to Boulder, Kathy, Jim, Bea and I had supper at Turley's and laughed ourselves silly - or, rather. sillier than we already were!  We had a great meal, and enjoyed wonderful companionship.
  The only thing that "went wrong" was that Kathy lost her glasses.  She thought she'd had them on during the first quarter of the ride, and that they'd come off their neck strap while we were riding quite a ways out.  When we returned to the stables, I heard a crunch under my boot, and looked down to see I was standing on Kathy's eyes...  Don't know if I broke them, or just popped the lens out of the frame - a horse might already have walked over them - it was right where everyone mounts and dismounts...  But she had an appointment to get her eyes tested this Wednesday, and she had a spare pair, so it wasn't a truly awful thing.
More about the ride later this week...
**********
The New England Patriots have signed Tim Tebow on as their third-string quarterback.  It's a two year contract, with the payment unspecified.  Josh McDaniel, who drafted Tebow as the Broncos' head coach, is now the Offensive Coordinator at the Patriots.  Tim showed up for mini-camp today.

Bits and Pieces

I am very happy to be back at home, with kitty tails waving in my face as I type.  Actually, that was Nedi's tail and he has just trotted out the back door; Lovey is asleep in the cat tree.  It's 70 degrees outside, and we've had temperatures in the 70s since Thursday; the weather folks say that our high tomorrow will be 62 and that on Wednesday, May 1st, we will have rain and snow, with a high temperature of 36.  We still need the precipitation, and with the heat from these past few days, snow will melt quickly.  A foot of snow on Wednesday would be fine with me, but they say we'll get 2 to 6 inches....
  It's warm enough inside that I have the back window and back door wide open; I'm wearing shorts and a T-shirt; and I have the large fan running in the hall, blowing cool air into the main living area.  I took Lucy and Sadie on three walks each day for the past four days, and we walked about 15 miles each day.  I know that Remy won't get better, his problem is old age - but on days that it's Rosie and I, I can now feel good about taking her for a long walk without having an asthma attack, or without just being short of breath.  I can walk at top speed for two hours now.  It's a lot better than I was during my bronchitis, pneumonia, and whooping cough bouts this past winter.
   Trainer Bob Baffert has announced that he will not be running any horses in his care at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.  ....  The New York Jets released Quarterback Tim Tebow from his NFL contract this morning before the day's practice began.  Tebow  has shown up for the past two weeks' practice, and is 12 pounds lighter than he was last season.  I hope that some team with sense will sign him to a contract and then actually use his skills!  ....  Last night, History Channel aired the last of this season's episodes of Vikings - and I understand that a lot of women fans are upset because Ragnar has become enamoured  with Aslaug.  In the sagas, Ragnar was married three times; Lagertha, Aslaug, and Thora Town-Hart.  He has at least three sons with Aslaug - Hafdan and Udda Ragnarsson and Ivar the Boneless.  This series is based on the old Norse sagas, and men were not faithful, even in the 10th and 11th centuries...  I'm looking forward to the next 10 episodes, which haven't even begun filming.  However, I must admit that I shall miss the presence of Leif (played by Diarmard Murtaugh) - he offered himself to the Gods in episode 8, and I always find myself looking for him in background  scenes.

Richard III and Football

Today is the first day of February, so my first question, upon awakening, was when will the DNA test results be announced regarding the skeleton thought to be King Richard III? This is something I want to know! Is the skeleton, found under a city parking lot in Leicester, in the area thought to be the choir stall of Grey Friars' Abbey, actually that of the King? The skeleton shows scoliosis, there is an iron arrowhead embedded between his vertebrae, and there was a broken skull, as from a sword stroke from behind; these point to it being the King. Hopefully the DNA extracted from the skeleton was not too degraded to prove whether or not this is Richard's remains. The folks who loved and served the Duke of York (later King Richard III) could not grasp the idea of him having killed the Princes in the Tower. Having read a good deal about him, neither can I. When will the announcement be made, from where, and what are the results? This will plague me until the announcement is made...
  It's a beautiful day here in Boulder - a few clouds in a bright blue sky, a faint breeze, and temperatures that should rise into the 40s. The crows, ravens, and squirrels have been having a ball eating my gifts to them. Lovey and Nedi are running in and out, as usual. Lovey has suddenly focused on my Tessalon Perles medication bottle... She wants to have the bottle within her grasp, and mark it with her scent. I finally put it inside my desk drawer this morning, having had to retrieve it more than 30 times from her. All I can guess is the medicine has some sort of catnip-type aroma...
   The big event this weekend, is, of course, the Super Bowl - the Baltimore Ravens playing the San Francisco Forty-Niners in New Orleans to decide who is the best American football team. This year, I have a problem - I hope for a good clean game, without injuries; but I like both teams. I like Baltimore just because they are the closest team to Chincoteague Island; and I like Colin Kaepernick, the young, long, lanky quarterback of the 49ers... I just hope that it's not an all-offense game. I like to see the defense get big, hard hits. Speaking of quarterbacks, Tim Tebow is currently working with the British track team in Phoenix, Arizona. His presence has made barely a ripple, and most folks don't know he's in town. The British coach says that Tebow has an amazing capacity for absorbing and implementing instructions and information that is given him. The coach says that he has greatly improved his speed from the starting blocks, and has asked intelligent questions regarding the mechanics of his running form. The coach says Tebow has improved greatly, but will never be a sprint champion. And some of the talking heads on the sports channels say that they don't think Tebow will ever be a starting quarterback in the NFL again, but that he might be able to fit into a full back, half back or tight end position...

*Sigh* The Broncos...

Three degrees outside right now; even with my wool socks on, my feet are chilly. I have decided to not root for any particular football team for the rest of the professional season, because each team I want to win loses. Yesterday, I geared myself up and watched the Broncos - Ravens game. It was a long game; more than 4 hours long. I watched the first three quarters from my sofa, then watched the fourth quarter and the over time periods from my bed, with all the covers pulled up and both cats cuddling. The game was exciting; the score kept being tied, which led to the first over time, and then the second. Peyton Manning made a bad throw and the Ravens were able to get a field goal. They won. The Broncos are out of the championship playoffs. Multiple Broncos players claimed the blame for their loss. For me, it was a team effort, and a team loss. - Of course, I'm still a Tim Tebow fan, and I just had to say, out loud, at the end of the game, that at least with Tebow as quarterback, we (the Broncos) had won one playoff game last year - this year, with the much vaunted Peyton Manning, we did not win any playoff games. I know. That's sour grapes talking...
   Still coughing like mad, whether I talk out loud or not. This bronchitis/flu is the pits. I fell asleep after the Broncos game, woke up, read a bit, and slept some more. I'm about ready to go back to bed again - even though I've only been up for two and a half hours. The ravens and crows made fast work of the Nutter Butter cookies this morning, and the squirrels have been fed twice... With the temperature forecast for -8 degrees tonight, I keep putting out more nuts, so the little guys can generate body heat.
   Let's see - more bits and pieces: Jockey Gary Stevens rode his third mount in his return to racing yesterday, and won his first return race. He's got four mounts today. .... There have been 4 fatal breakdowns on the Aqueduct inner dirt track in the last 6 weeks. Necropsies have been ordered on all four horses. .... Trainer Ron McAnally is recovering from a knee replacement; he hopes to watch his wife's mare win this edition of the Paseana Stakes. .... The Jacksonville Jaguars, who expressed an interest in hiring Tim Tebow last year, have said that they are not interested in him this year. .... In the tiny town of Bloxom, in Accomack County, Virginia, a hunt is underway for a man wanted for breaking and entering and robbery. He made the mistake of entering an occupied house; he fired a hand gun at the woman who confronted him, and she shot back, twice. There were no reports of injury. (Bloxom is like Chincoteague, you just don't expect anything to happen there!) .... Oh. And I was surprised yesterday when I was looking in the Google Image files: I typed in "Assateague Island Virginia" and was looking at landscapes, sunrises and sunsets. I was very surprised to find a photo of an entirely naked man drinking a beer in the photos. They are "tagged" Assateague Island, Virginia; as there are a whole bunch of photos from a party at the old Nude Beach on Assateague a few years ago, I guess it's OK. I just wasn't expecting a naked man under the Assateague Island search!

New Year's Eve 2012

It's still chilly outside - flurries have been falling in Denver, but I have yet to see any in Boulder. Nedi is out chasing squirrels and the raven family, while Lovey keeps talking in a very demanding voice, and wants me to ignore the PC and spend all my attention on her. The weather folks say we'll have light snow through 3 this afternoon, then clear for the night and tomorrow. My cold has developed into a nasty cough and I woke myself up several times during the night because my wheezing was so squeaky. Rosie and Remy had a good night, and thoroughly enjoyed their breakfast. I was a trifle surprised when I closed the door between the den and the dining room (we feed the dogs in separate rooms), and the knob assembly came off in my hand, with the other knob on the other side of the door also making a ker-plonk sound. At first, I couldn't get the rod of the assembly back in the door - and I was afraid I'd have to walk around the house in my nightgown and socks so I could use the key and get back inside the front door. I pulled up my big girl panties, got dressed, and went back to the door to try fixing it again. Bingo! I managed to fit the rod assembly back in the door just right, so I could open it; then I replaced the other door knob, and breathed a huge sigh of relief (my boots and house shoes were beside the front door, and I really didn't want to travel around the house in the snow and ice with only one pair of woolen socks on my feet).
  In horse racing, Corey Nakatani took a bad fall yesterday and is not riding today. No breaks, concussion, or contusions, but the horse he was riding fell over another mare that had broken down directly in front of them. Corey has a very sore body, but hopes to work the soreness out today and be back in the saddle tomorrow. .... Lord Avie, the oldest Eclipse award winner, passed away at the age of 34 in his paddock a few days ago. He won the Eclipse as the best 2-year-old in 1980. He tore a suspensory ligament before the '81 Triple Crown races, and missed them. He returned to the races in late summer and won a couple before re-injuring the ligament, and being retired to stud.
  The Broncos won handily yesterday, and have a first week bye in the Divisional playoffs. ... Coach Ryan of the New York Jets allowed Tim Tebow to touch the ball one time during the Jets last game of the season - and it was a simple hand-off. The Jets team, as a whole. disgusted me this season: why did they sign Tim Tebow to a nice contract, say they would tailor special play packages to use his strengths, and then keep him on his butt all season? Did they put him under contract so they would not have to play against him? I really don't understand the workings of their brains. It's very plain that Coach Ryan doesn't want Tebow to touch the ball - why not? I am just frustrated by this turn of events, and I can only imagine how Tebow must feel. ... It was great to see the Redskins defeat the Cowboys last night, also. Go, RGIII! Go, Morris! What a tremendous pairing of rookies! Good for Mike Shanahan! .... Tomorrow afternoon (after the Rose Parade) I get to see the South Carolina Gamecocks play; then Wednesday night it's time for the Gators to do their thing! .... Nice endings for most of the teams I cheer for.
  Since this is New Year's Eve, please do not drink and drive. Have and use a designated, non-imbibing driver. If you don't have enough respect for your own life, that's too bad - think of all the other folks out on the road and being careful tonight. Don't spoil the beginning of a nice New Year!

Another Cold Cloudy Day

Woke to to see a temperature of 1 degree outside the kitchen window this morning. It's slightly chilly out. I've fed and walked Rosie and Remy, and called in one of their twice-daily well-being reports. At home at the moment - it's now 15 degrees outside, the sun is shining, and we hope to hit 35. The patio door is open about 6 inches, as Lovey and Nedi are running in and out - Nedi is teasing the raven family and they are being raucous. Lovey runs outside and then down the edges of every one's patio, avoiding the edges of the snow that is still 4 inches thick on the ground...  Rats.  The sun just went behind a bank of clouds.
  I'm not quite sure how I feel today - my throat is more sore today than yesterday, I keep coughing and having to clear my throat, my nose is running, and I have a low-grade fever. I guess I have a cold. The question is: Do I go to the family gathering and possibly contaminate everyone, or do I stay at home (actually at Rosie and Remy's) and send my stuff over with Kathy and Jim? I'll see how I feel at 11 a.m., and then decide. The gathering is scheduled to start around 2 this afternoon in Dave and Tracey's home in Niwot. Then, if Grandma Anne feels like it, we are supposed to go see The Hobbit at 7 tonight. As I said, I'll have to evaluate how I feel before noon, and make my decision. Right now, I'd say "No."
  Well, Tim Tebow got slapped in the face by Coach Ryan of the NY Jets yet again. McElroy, the third string quarterback who was chosen before Tebow (number two) to start last weeks game, has a concussion, that he has been hiding from the coaching, training and medical staff, even though other team members knew about it. Since McElroy is still having symptoms of the concussion, Ryan has decided to go back to Mark Sanchez, again totally skipping over Tebow. Ryan says his reason is that Sanchez has more experience - yeah, he does. He has the highest rate of losing fumbles in the entire league, and has the lowest passing rate, behind Tebow. The reason Tebow has such a crappy record is because he has only been allowed 40 touches as quarterback this season, most of them hand-offs or runs; and, yes, most of his passes have not been caught. But he hasn't been given a chance to actually play the game - he's been put in for one play, at most two in a row, and then pulled out. As any athlete knows, it's impossible to warm up, get in the groove and do well in any sport, if you're only "playing" every 10 to 20 minutes for a few seconds.
  Enough of my carping. I am now looking forward to seeing the Outback Bowl on January 1, in hopes of seeing the Gamecocks beat Michigan; and then the Sugar Bowl on the 2nd, where I hope the Gators defeat the Louisville Cardinals. And, of course, the Broncos play tomorrow...

Snow (Finally) ... And Tim Tebow

I hadn't planned on going out at all today - but when I got up and saw less than an inch of snow on the ground, I went on ahead and walked over to the bakery for a fresh, warm blueberry whole wheat bagel. It's 18 degrees outside; the humidity is at 86%. Earlier, when I first went out, the snow was falling as very fine powder - you couldn't see individual flakes, but the wind blew them behind my glasses, so I could feel them. Snow is now falling in large flakes, so that I can sit at my desk and see it coming down at a 45-degree slant from the north. At the beginning of the late news cast last night, reporters said the streets in Boulder were wet, and that would cause ice under the snow this morning... I went out and looked, and my patio and Folsom Street and the front parking lot were as dry as a desert bone. I awoke around 3:30, and the edge of my patio was beginning to look damp. At 6, as I wrote before, there was less than an inch on the ground. There are about two inches out there right now, and the fall has intensified. Yeah!!! We're finally getting real snow! The ski resorts have gotten more than 12 inches of white stuff since yesterday afternoon...
  Lovey and Nedi have both been outside; Lovey has wandered out twice, but Nedi played in the falling snow, and came back inside with a wet coat. I already had a towel waiting for him, and was able to give him a quick wrap and dry. Lovey is curled up on top of my snow hat and scarf, while Nedi is curled up in the cat tree, looking at the falling snow. I've placed a pile of pecans in one chair and a pile of peanuts in the other, just in case any of the squirrels decide to forage this morning. The patio door is not open. As soon as I finish this, I'll start up the Crock Pot and let the beans, ham, pepper and spices simmer all day.
  As a fan of Tim Tebow, both as a football player and as a human being, I am frustrated with his position with the New York Jets. Tebow was on the Injured Reserve list with broken ribs the weekend that Sanchez was benched and McElroy was named as the starter. After Monday night's game, which the Jets lost, 10 - 14, and after Sanchez had committed his 50th lost fumble, Coach Ryan decided yesterday to bench Sanchez again. The player listed as the number two quarterback on the depth list is Tim Tebow. Whom did Ryan name as the starter? McElroy. What a tremendous slap in the face! When Tebow was "up for grabs" after John Elway signed Peyton Manning last spring, the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to hire him. Or, should I say, the Jags owner really wanted to sign Tebow, but the coaching staff was luke-warm to the idea. The Jets and Coach Ryan, however, seemed to want Tebow to come and play and be a contributing member of the team. Tebow decided that the Jets would be the best pick. After that awful expose in the Jets' locker room, where teammates called Tebow "terrible", but wouldn't allow their names to be used, I was ticked off. I have watched each and every Jets game this season, just in the hopes of seeing Tebow play. This past Monday night, he was sent on field in the quarterback position twice - he threw an incomplete pass, and was sacked the second time for a two-yard loss. That's all he was allowed to play... I do realize that professional football is a business. I realize that just because a player gets a contract, it doesn't mean that he is automatically a starter. But you need to allow your players to prove themselves before you just write them off. Coach Ryan's decision stinks.