Rain and Miscellany

We had almost 24 hours of light rain yesterday - it was marvelous and badly needed.  It barely gave the ground a thorough wetting, but I'm still thankful for it.  While we got only rain, I can look out my window and see snow on top of Green Mountain, just behind the Flatirons, that wasn't there yesterday evening.  And we're supposed to get rain and/or snow this weekend, too.  Good.  I will not complain.  We need the moisture.  Period.
   I'm still getting over the death of Charlie, the white laying hen.  Her owners left Saturday morning to go hiking and take photos in Utah.  I went over mid-afternoon Saturday - quite a few hours early, but to give the cats and five hens some good loving and petting.  Carter and Xuxa were sound asleep in the living room, so I stepped out onto the deck and headed for the back gate into the side garden that contains the fish pond and chicken coop.  First I saw a couple of white feathers on the walk way.  Then I saw what didn't - at first - make any sense....   a long red and black stick was poking out through the fence...  It took a couple of horrified seconds to realize that the stick was Charlie's neck and that there was no head, and that something had tried to pull her body through the fence...  I went inside to check on the other girls, and they were crowded into a group at the far end of the garden.  I filed a bowl with sunflower seeds, showed it to them, and got them into the coop.  They literally ran past Charlie's body.  Then I had to disentangle Charlie's remains from the fence, bag her, and place her body in the trash.  I cried like a baby.  Charlie liked to sit in my lap and be petted.  Charlie was the leader of the flock, and, as soon as she heard a human voice near the back gate, she'd cackle and lead all the girls to the gate to greet me.  She was a sweet hen and we'll all miss her, and her tan eggs.
   Suede had a colt, sired by Riptide, on Monday.  Being a first-time Mom, and, having gone away by herself to foal, she apparently was at a loss.  She licked him dry and let him nurse.  When he laid back down, she walked away - and kept on walking, right back to Riptide's herd, and leaving the baby behind.  Pony watchers called the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and a small round-up commenced.  The little colt was taken to the corral, and Riptide's herd was brought in.  Suede was moved into the trailer with her baby, and they were taken to Chincoteague, while Riptide's herd was released.  The new mom and baby are being kept at the Leonard pony farm and are now bonding nicely, in a box stall and small paddock.
   Little Duckie had a little girl on Monday, too.  She is a very pale tan and white pinto, with Legacy as the Dad.  Only two photos of her so far and a very short video clip.
  As is usual, I've been naming the foals - not that any of the names I give them will stay - but it's for my own identification purposes.  The first foal, a red and white filly, by Legacy and out of Anne Bonny, I call March Hare.   The second foal, a buckskin pinto colt, by Legacy and out of Sweetheart, was born just before an ice storm, and I call him Storm Warning.  Suede and Riptide's sorrel colt looked so lost and alone after his mom left him; I call him Lost Tide.  Little Duckie's filly by Legacy I call "The Swan."   -  Silly me....  but I enjoy it!

Critter Sitting

I met two new cuties that I'll be caring for in a few days - a pair of black sister litter-mates, Pip and Squeak.  They are very sweet.  As usual, I had a little giggle because the cats came out to meet me, after their owner assured me that they were both sound asleep, and wouldn't be stirring for several hours.  I heard a quiet "Mmm-row?" and told her that one of the cats was awake - and she looked very startled and told me I must have heard something from outside, or that the cleaning team had made something squeak.  Less than 30 seconds later, Squeak was doing the snaky figure-8 around my ankles.  It gave the owner quite a surprise.  Less than a minute later, Pip also joined us, and I was able to see the differences between the sisters.

   I was also able to walk Rosie today...  She is such a sweet girl.  The owners' son had been home from college and just left yesterday, so I didn't walk Rosie on Thursday and Friday; instead Max spent time with her.  And she loves Max so dearly - she'll try to do anything he asks, no matter what.  And since she's fourteen and a half years old, we never know if the day will be her last.  She still enjoys life greatly - she absolutely loves Chicken McNuggets and usually eats 17 to 20 of them when I take care of her in the evenings.  She doesn't have much of an appetite for her prescribed dog food, and usually gets rotisserie chicken and meatballs from a local market, plus fresh-frozen duck.   Spoiled?   Not my Rosie!  Today she chased a mule deer in my sister's back yard, and I think that made her feel powerful and young again.  There are usually squirrels and rabbits galore for her to see, and chase, if she decides to do so.  Today, the fir trees were full of chickadees and that was almost all you could hear - and Rosie had a good time "playing Safari" under the low branches of the trees, looking for lions and tigers and bears.  The only thing we haven't found there is a tiger, so far...

   Both of my cats are curled up on, or next to, my bed - Nedi has made himself a little nest in my dirty laundry basket and is out like a light.  Lovey is at the foot of the bed, but I can tell from her ears that she's listening to the keyboard.  I have been lucky to have had the use of Donn's VW Touareg since two days past Christmas; while he's away, I pick up his mail, and get to use his vehicle, just replacing the fuel that I've used.  He returns tomorrow afternoon, and after almost 30 days straight with a car available, it'll feel strange to go back to busing and walking...  but that's what happens tomorrow.

   Luckily the job that I begin on Wednesday (actually two jobs start at once) is within a block of a bus stop; I'll have to walk two more blocks to see Pip and Squeak.  I'm just hoping that we'll continue to have mild weather and little snow until both families return.  Also back a Dellwood on Wednesday - chickens, cats and fish to care for.  At least, if there is a heavy snow, the way is short from the house to the chicken coop, and the girls will be able to stay in the covered run.  They also have a heat lamp and heated water bowls, so there's no worry there.  I'll just have to try and keep the cats inside, if there is a heavy snow; Carter would rather be inside where it's warm, but Xuxa wants to go out and burrow in the snow, silly girl!

Christmas Eve in Colorado

It was dark and cold - 18 degrees (F) - when I got up and started my daily rounds this morning.  My kits were not happy that the alarm went off earlier than usual, and while I was preparing to leave, Nedi was winding up into his loudest rendition of the feline Hallelujah chorus.  Giving him a "special treat" for breakfast convinced him to be much more quiet, but I understand that he gave Beatrice a rousing vocal at 7 o'clock.
   Victor and Xena were happy to see a little earlier than usual, and scampered out into the back yard like the big kids they are...  It was still not yet full day, and the chickens decided not to leave the coop, so I had to go in and count nebs.  I had put out fresh, warm water for them, and given them cracked corn and some fresh garbanzo beans.  Then I gave the dogs their morning treats, and headed over to the Jack Russells'.
   Nicodemus is a smaller, tri-color Jack, who recently lost an eye to an infection we couldn't get rid of.  He was almost completely blind with cataracts at the age of 2, and he had surgery to remove those.  He was fine for 5 years, but something scratched the lens of his eye while out playing at Coot Lake, and it just would not clear up, or heal up.  The vet finally removed the eye two months ago.  Emmitt is a larger, almost all white, Jack with a few tan spots on his ear.  He's a rescue dog, having been kept in a cage in a basement for the first 5 years of his life.  He didn't know what grass was, and it took several years for him to get used to all the sights and sounds he encounters in the house and outdoors.  He's an extremely vigilant house protector, and barks at anything that moves in the yard or on the street.  Thank goodness they live on a small cu-de-sac!
   This evening I'll go visit Seek, a Spangled Bengal cat, and give her supper, love, and some playtime and grooming.  Her Mom will return late Sunday night, so I'll make three visits, in all, to see her.  She has a beautiful copper-colored coat with black swirls and dots - and huge green eyes...  She's a sweetheart.
   And, of course, I'll spend cuddle time with Lovey and Nedi today, too. - I've finished my Christmas shopping, and just picked up a gift from Rosie's parents/owners from Mike's Camera.  I couldn't believe how wonderful and generous these folks are - They bought me a complete package of the Canon Rebel EOS T6, with the regular and the zoom lens, care and protective items, and $300 worth of coupons for free photos, classes, and all sorts of things...  
    For all of you who are my friends, I am very blessed to know all of you...
  May Christmas bring you peace, joy, and great happiness!

Fall Is Here

It's been chilly the past few mornings, but when I looked outside this morning before heading off to the chickens, I decided to bundle up.  The forecast had said a low of 24 degrees, but it looked colder out the window.   Jeans, ragg wool socks, a T-shirt, sneakers, my quilted jacket, and a red and green striped pointed hat with elf ears sewn on and a big jingle bell on the end.  A lot of people driving down the roads did a double-take, and then waved at me this morning.  I smiled and waved back to everyone.  Bounced up the steps onto the bus and jingled all the way - made the bus driver laugh.  It was 17 degrees (F) when I left the house, and 27 when I returned an hour later.
   The hens were ready to come out, but their water bowl was almost dry, so I had to rinse and refill it.  I scattered some scratch and beans for them to snack on today.  Carter, the tom cat, definitely wanted to come outside and wander, but Xuxa, the girl, decided to stay inside where it was much warmer.  I'll get everyone back inside again at dusk.
   The bobcat is still around in my usual house-sitting neighborhood.  My brother-in-law was sitting at the dining room table, doing paper work, when he saw a movement on the patio.  He looked out, and the bobcat was investigating the sliding glass door and the picnic table, then it nosed around the woodpile, where the mink lives.  Jim got up to get his camera, and the bobcat went across the yard to one of the big cottonwood trees, and Jim said that it bounded up into the foliage in the blink of an eye - two leaps and it had disappeared.  Since the bobcat has been in the neighborhood for 2 weeks now, I sent out a reminder to folks to keep an eye on their smalls dogs and cats.  I'm pretty sure the bobcat is feeding well off the huge number of rabbits in the area, but so are the fox pair.
   I am not going to any shopping center or retail store today, Black Friday.  I've already read headlines about shootings and stampedes with injuries - so, as usual, I'm staying away from all that madness.

Deafness and Death

I read with great interest the small news item from the Journal of Neuroscience stating that if a person is immersed, or concentrating, on something visual, they may experience "inattentional deafness" and ignore someone speaking to them.  Just about everyone in my family suffers from this "inattentional deafness" - especially when reading, writing, or creating art.  I thought that most people suffered from it.  The distracting items that they tested people with were books, music, and video games.  I don't play video games, but I do read and listen to music and become deaf to other things in the world around me.
   Both of my parents became deaf when reading, and Dad did it when listening to operas, too.  Both I and my sister become lost in books we're reading, and we cannot listen to music with headphones or earbuds and operate machinery (for instance, driving a car).  We become a part of the story and/or a part of the music - and the rest of the world ceases to exist.  We become deaf and dumb and totally non-responsive, unless we are touched.  Being touched by someone, or something (a cat or dog tongue) will break the spell of immersion.  In a way, it's wonderful - one can escape from the world.  However, being able to escape so easily sometimes makes one avoid responsibilities.  I try to never do that, although I once did....
   I blogged about the death of Gladys, the Rhode Island Red hen the other week.  The owners of the hens and cats returned home Monday afternoon.  Tuesday evening, as it grew dark, Jan was puttering around the back of the garden, with the hens in close proximity - they were on the look-out for treats.  As it became quite dark, Jan led the hens back to the coop at the front of the garden.  Usually the hens are happy to hop inside once it's dark, but they didn't want to go in last night.  Jan closed the front door, which had been open all day, and picked the hens up and placed them, one by one, inside the main nesting box.   When she went out this morning and opened the front door, she expected the usual parade of clucking hens to appear.  She found, instead, Dagma, dead and covered in blood at the front threshold.  She opened the lower side door, and a huge raccoon ran past her, hissing.  She opened the top door and saw that all of the hens were dead.  She's going to give up chickens for a while....    And I can't blame her.....

This and That

Well, at least I've calmed down a bit from the craziness in California.  I was so upset that I ground my teeth together so hard that I dislocated my right jaw for the second time, but other than that, I'm OK.  After my diatribe the other evening, please let me make one thing clear:  I am not in favor of total gun control.  I believe that we Americans should be able to own hand guns and rifles.  If I lived by myself in a rural area, I would, personally, want to own both.  My problem is allowing the regular population to own assault-style weapons.  One doesn't need an automatic machine gun for hunting game, or scaring varmints away from the house or farm.  I believe that assault-type weapons should only be in the hands of SWAT teams and members of the Armed Forces of the United States.  I don't think there is any reason for a member of the general public or population to have an assault-style weapon.
   The coop seems lonely without Gladys.  Alcy, Io and Copper are not as friendly or gregarious as Gladys was.  Gladys and Vega were quite a pair - but Vega decided to wander away from the house one day and didn't return.  Gladys, thankfully, was a "home body."
   There is still snow on the ground, and it was 25 degrees when I left home at 7:15 this morning.  The street in front of Rosie's house is still heavily iced, as are parts of Emerald Road.  Some sidewalks are still under a coating of compacted snow, but the majority are clear.  Beatrice and I are going to take the grocery basket out and do our heavy-duty shopping today.  Kitty litter, canned cat food, toilet tissue, cereal, oatmeal, soup, crackers, nuts, juice, soda, and our Christmas turkey are all on the list to buy. She'll continue on into work, and I'll bring the groceries home and put them away.
   I just scheduled my annual check-up for the 16th - my medications will run out on the 20th, so I was lucky to get an appointment.  Have to go in fasting, for the blood draw, but other than that, it's no problem.  My  Medicare will pay for the annual visit and most of the lab-work.
 

Mali, Snow and a Space Heater

One week after the attacks in Paris, an attack in Mali.  I am so sad that the Islamic extremists believe that they must write their history in the blood of innocents.  I wish peace and understanding for every single being on this world.  Since last Friday, each time I see a news report, my mind suddenly starts playing the song "Eve of Destruction" in the background of my thoughts.
  It was bright, with a few clouds out early this morning.  I got the cats and chickens out over at Dellwood a little before 7 this morning, so hopefully, they'll have a little bit of good weather.  In the last twenty minutes, the sky has gone grey and it's begun to rain.  We're supposed to have snow this afternoon and evening, and a low temperature of 14 degrees.  We'll just have to wait and see if the forecasters get today's weather right...  And they are calling for more snow on Thursday, which is our (America's) Thanksgiving Day.
   Beatrice and I went out seeking a space heater for the living room yesterday.  Our apartment is on the second floor, and under our place is covered, but open, parking.  There is an apartment above us.  But the HVAC vents are all placed just below the ceiling in every room, so, since heat rises, we really don't get a lot of heat down where we are, even when the heater is running.  Our solution? A space heater.  We found a very nice one at Home Depot for $99.  We considered getting one with a remote control, but it cost $80 more - just for the remote feature, and then the batteries were not included.  We decided we'd rather get up and down from our seating rather than spend an extra $80.  It's an infra-red heater, but looks like a cast-iron gas-log fireplace/stove.  It has all kinds of safety features, and it puts out a great amount of heat, even when it's on the lowest warmth setting.  We're quite happy with it.
  Well, the sun is out again, in the east, but I can see clouds and mist forming along the tops of the farthest mountains in the west.  We'll have to see what develops.

Odds and Ends

If you watch the Broncos versus Kansas City Chiefs on television today, you'll see beautiful blue skies and probably hear that the temperature is in the 60s (F).  It is a totally gorgeous Colorado fall day - it was 25 degrees when I got up at 6, and, now, at 8:30, it's 45 degrees.  No clouds are visible, but snow from Wednesday morning is visible in shadowed places along the Front Range.  Heck, there's snow in our parking lot, and in Lynn's back yard...
   Our forecast calls for rain and snow starting late tomorrow afternoon - but the computer programs vary greatly in the forecast.  One says a little rain, followed by "a trace amount to four inches" of snow.  One says a half-inch of rain followed by twenty-two inches of snow.  We'll just have to wait and see what happens.  Since Boulder is in a valley in a curve in the mountains Front Range, snow amounts are always a guessing game.
   I'm invited to join the Grand Jury members, District Attorneys, lawyers, police witnesses, and various agents for supper at the Cork restaurant on Tuesday night.  That's where we get to chat with the DA's office and tell them what we liked about our Grand Jury experience, and what we think could make things better for future juries.  We were offered pizza almost every night we met for Jury duty, so filet mignon or prime rib will be a treat...  And I'm going to ask #6 if his name is John Drake...  (I know it isn't, but I want to see if he understands my question.)
  There's a tummy bug going around Boulder, and I had a light case of it earlier this week.  Beatrice had to stay home from work for two days, but luckily has today and tomorrow off.  She's feeling much better...
  We did get her curtain rods and thermal curtains up in her room on Thursday.  I thought that Mike was going to put up the curtain rods above the sliding glass doors on the balcony at the same time, but he didn't.  That means I'll have to do it.  And I special-ordered 95-inch long drapes on Tuesday, and paid extra for two day shipping.  I was told they would arrive on Friday, but haven't seen them at all.  I've contacted the company, asking where they are, but haven't yet received a response.
  Wednesday I begin a three-week pet-sitting job - cats, chickens and fish, not to mention mail gathering and snow-shoveling, as needed.  I'll need to let the hens out about 8 every morning, and get them back into their coop before dark...  Feed them, gather eggs, check their feet and grease them, if needed.  The fish are actually hibernating, so I just need to make sure the pump is running in their pond.  The cats will be fed and loved, played with, and I'll clean their potty boxes.  The weather will decide whether I allow them out out not - I have no worries about Carter - he has a thick coat and plenty of body heat, but Zuza is tiny, with a thin, silky coat.  It'll be a judgement call...

Critter Thoughts and Weather

It's an absolutely gorgeous day out - the sun is shining, the sky is a brilliant blue with no clouds to be seen, but it's a bit chilly - 34 degrees (F).  I'm guessing the trash was picked up late last night at Chez Thuy, as I can see their dumpster is empty, and there are no ravens around to keep Lovey and Nedi on watch. A single squirrel is eating nuts at the place Beatrice has chosen as their feeding spot, and he is busy eating peanuts.
    After this final reference (for several months, anyway) to my bronchitis, I'll stop commenting on it.  It was very strange last night, lying in bed.  I was propped up with pillows so I could breathe easily, and I fell asleep quickly.  I woke up, suddenly, just a few minutes after I turned out the light, and tried to figure out what odd noise had awakened me.  Then I realized that both Lyra and Lily were sitting on either side of me, staring at my neck.  So I began breathing normally again, and then had to laugh, which made me cough, because I identified the "noise" that had awakened me...  Myself.  Thanks to the congestion in my lungs, sinuses, and throat, I was producing a very strange cacophony of sounds - whistles, squeaks, hisses, gurgles, bubblings, and a few other odd noises I can't even describe.  I decided I was making a symphony for myself and let myself fall back asleep, hoping I had identified all of the strange sounds and cataloging them in my mind, so they wouldn't awaken me again.  And it worked.  I slept well and deeply, even though I know I was producing weird sound effects....
  The deer in our neighborhood are learning that Rosie's sight is getting bad, and I swear they have a way of spreading the news.  I always click my tongue at the deer when I pass them, and, unless they make a sudden leap away, Rosie doesn't see them.  That isn't the case with Tessa, though.  I don't know if the deer tell them apart by their color or shape, but they try to "freeze" in both cases, when I click at them.  Tessa, though, scents and sees them well, and I try to distract her.  We still have a large contingent of cotton-tails in the neighborhood, and squirrels are making a come back.  With the drainage ditches being full of water, we also have several families of ducks who have moved in.  Only one coyote has been spotted recently, and we have no reports of missing cats or chickens.
  Speaking of chickens, I'll begin three weeks of hen care on the 18th of this month.  Alycyonia is currently laying five times a week, but the other ladies are about to moult, and will soon stop laying.  And Beatrice wants to get a bird feeder to hang in the small tree below her window - the tree is located on the small strip of land between our apartment buildings and Chez Thuy.  I think we should get a cheap bird feeder to begin with, and see if it stays in place, before investing in an expensive one.  People walk through the area hundreds of times each day, and I don't want to buy a nice, long-lasting feeder if it's going to be (a) stolen, (b) trashed, or (c) get complaints.....

Progress?

It was a little strange to walk through the extremely familiar neighborhood of Githens Acres today.   I had to do a classic double-take while walking by property well-known to me.  I was a pet- and house-sitter for the previous owner for several years; I loved the lay-out of the one-story house, that had a huge English-park-like back yard, with multiple bedrooms and baths and a large art studio.  A new person purchased the property for $1.25 million (most of the cost was in the land itself), and had rented the property to friends for more than a year.  I hadn't walked by and looked at that property since I left on my vacation.  I was amazed to see an ugly chain link fence around the front of the property that had an inner facing of green plastic.  I had to step to a corner and climb up on the stump of what had been a beautiful tree to be able to see the yard.  The entire house and garage have been removed.  The garden shed and less than half of the trees have been left standing.  As I was staring at the scene of devastation, a truck pulled onsite that had a drill bit that was wider than I am tall on it's bed.  What the heck are they going to drill for?  The water table is only 3.5 feet under the surface at that property!    And, the thing I miss most of all, there was a blue spruce that was over 100 years old at the corner of the house.  The previous owner and I had both watched the birth of countless deer over the years underneath the boughs of that tree.  Deer that were born there came back to give birth to their young at the same place - and a big buck that had been born there made that spruce his winter bedding area every year.  And now it's gone - in, seemingly, the blink of an eye.   So, so sad.
   Later, while catching some sun with Rosie in the park near Crest View, We made friends with three dogs, and a visiting 18-month-old child and her parents.  The family was visiting Boulder from Minnesota, and they came out for an early excursion, so Hazel could enjoy the park.  The first two dogs had moved on, with their owner, and Rosie and I were both sitting in the sun, absorbing its warmth.  Then we heard a squeal of delight, as baby Hazel had seen the "dob" - Rosie.  Her parents checked with me first, then allowed Hazel to come pat Rosie.  Rosie laid very still and allowed the little girl to pat her all over, and then Rosie licked her hand.  Hazel, her parents, and, I think, Rosie, too, were happy with the outcome.  Hazel squealed and danced, yelling, "Dob! Dob!"
   Walking back from the park, we passed the house on Redwood that raises Silky chickens (in three colors).  As we were almost past, I heard what I thought was the word, "Me."  Rosie and I both stopped to look for the speaker.  I couldn't see any people out and about.  There were no signs of the Silkies, either; and while I've heard chickens make all kinds of sounds, I haven't yet heard one say, "Me."    We started to walk on, and heard, "Meeeee,"  So we both started doing an inventory of the Silkies' property.  We saw nothing, so we took another step.  "Meeeeeeeeeeeee!"  We stopped short, again, and looked again.  Finally a young goat, almost  a pure cream color, parted the bushes and stepped into our view.  I scratched its head vigorously, while Rosie investigated its mouth and lips.  After about five minutes, we started walking back home, and had to hear plaintive "Meeeee"s for most of the block.  It's a sweet kid, but lonely.
 

Boxing Day

My cats always love the day after Christmas - traditionally called Boxing Day in Great Britain and Canada - because they have a multitude of boxes to play in, attack each other from, and, in Nedi's case, chew and rip apart.  I have leftovers from yesterday's big meal, but am running around to three different houses, taking care of critters, today.  I've already fed and walked the Chandler dogs, and fed the cats and chickens on Dellwood.  After noon, I'll add Tugger to the mix until New Year's Eve.
   The Dellwood clients hope to get back to Denver from Guatemala this afternoon, as scheduled.  But it's doubtful they'll make to Boulder from Denver tonight, as their car is parked in a garage in a downtown alley that doesn't get plowed.  The hope to be home by mid-morning tomorrow.  At least Jim is recovering from his ruptured appendix, but Jan fell and sprained both her hand and foot yesterday, so neither of them will be very spry upon their return.
  I spent the majority of yesterday at Kathy and Jim's house.  We had our "traditional Swedish" Christmas breakfast, and giggled, yet again, about Pop-pop choosing an easy breakfast for Christmas morning, following Mom-mom's passing - sausage links, scrambled eggs and pumpkin pie.  Then I did the dishes and we sat around and chatted until their son Mike and his wife Erin arrived.  Then we got into two technical discussions - what Kathy was supposed to do last night and this morning before starting her chemo-therapy, and how best to cut off her glorious hair..  We got everything straightened out, and written down,and I put dinner in the oven.  Then Jim rebraided Kathy's hair and cut off the braid.  Withe her new, short bob, Kathy really looks like Mom again...  Then we ate, and after doing the dishes again, Kathy and I looked at photos of eight generations of our family - it was amazing, and fun.
  It started snowing a little after noon yesterday, and, as it had been warm, the snow melted almost as quickly as it hit.  It still snowing, at this moment.  Boulder officially had 9.7 inches fall up until 7 a.m. this morning.  The weather folks say we'll have another inch or so fall today and this evening; then it will stop until Monday.  Supposedly we'll highs in the low and mid-30s Saturday and Sunday, but a high of 11 on Monday and a high of 6 degrees on Tuesday.  Looks like I'll be staying bundled up for the next week or so. I add another house of critters to my care list on Saturday, SUnday and Monday... Before New Year's Eve, I'll be taking care of 6 houses full of cats, bees, dogs, fish, and (outside in their coops) chickens each day.  I'll be extremely happy when January 4 arrives, and I'm back to just my regular dog-walking for a week!
  I hope that you had a good time with friends and family yesterday, today, and through the weekend.  Peace and joy are my wishes for you for the rest of this year.

Christmas Meal?

Poor Broncos fans - we watched in disbelief last night as the Cincinnati Bengals picked the defense apart and totally confused and read Peyton Manning's offense.  It wasn't fun to watch, but watch I did, to the very end.  Not a great Monday night...
  It started to snow about 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon and fell until 4:30 - I was certain the hens would be inside their coop, avoiding the weather, but I was wrong.  Xuxa and Carter were eagerly awaiting my arrival on the front porch; but the hens were having a party out in the snow.  I re-filled their water, got their evening feed ready, gave them a cooked sweet potato as an enticement, and still had to herd them up and into the coop.  I have a pound of wheat berries for the girls' treat today.
  I spoke to Kathy on Sunday afternoon and asked if she and Jim had any plans for Christmas.  Usually, everything is planned for the day about two weeks in advance; but not this year.  Sarah, Michael and Evie will be in Santa Fe this week, and Mike and Erin will spend the day with her parents.  When I asked Kathy, she had absolutely no plans whatsoever - so I told her that I would be happy to come and cook a meal at her house, or have a meal delivered for them, and/o just stay away and give them a last, peaceful, "normal" day together (since Kathy begins chemotherapy on Friday).  She was very vague and said she'd think about it.  With Kathy beginning chemo on Friday, everyone in the family and all close friends have been warned that her immune system will be shot - and not to visit, if  they have any illness.  My friend Beatrice has a bad cold, so she's avoiding me.
  I figured that I would just stay at home and make myself a big pot of meatballs and marinara sauce for Thursday.  Kathy called and left a message for me last night, stating that she and Jim would love it if I came over and cooked for them.  The only problem is that I currently have a sore throat and runny nose.  It might just be the change in temperature and my allergies - but it might be the beginnings of a cold, as I have to keep clearing my throat....  I'll talk to them today and see what they want to do.  I have to go out and about, travelling to two different houses on Christmas Day, taking care of family pets, anyway - but I really do not want to endanger my sister's health.
  And it seems that Jim's ruptured appendix has healed enough for him to be released from the hospital in Antigua.  He and Jan should be back home on Friday evening, as originally planned - that takes a tremendous load off my shoulders, as I can just go on with my usual schedule, and not have to keep them added to it.

Critters and Adjustments

I had to keep dosing myself with meclazine yesterday, as my vertigo decided to make a big come-back.  Thank goodness you can now get it over-the-counter instead of needing an MD's prescription  - I'd much rather pay $4.99 for 24 than have to pay $36 for 20, after a visit to the doctor's office.  My left inner ear has gone fuzzy again, but it usually clears up in a few days.  No pain, no hearing loss, just loss of equilibrium; made it difficult to check the hens' laying boxes yesterday.  Carter and Xuxa were having a wild and crazy morning when I appeared to give them breakfast this morning - the throw rugs were everywhere except where they normally rest, and they were having a blast chasing one another upstairs and downstairs.  The hens were happy to get out this morning, and something had tried to get inside the coop last night.  The blue tarp that lies over the brown thermal blanket had been moved about quite a bit on the west end of the coop, but no damage was done.  It was probably one of the local raccoons looking for food and a warm spot to hunker down.
  The kits are curled up on the end of my bed this morning, and I'm waiting for the CSU Rams to appear in their Bowl Game at 1:30 this afternoon.  I have to admit I'll probably switch over to the Redskins game, once they kick off.    We had blue skies yesterday afternoon, with nice sunshine, and I hope that happens again today; but the mountain areas to our west are supposed to get 1 to 2 feet of snow by tomorrow night - great for the skiers and snowboarders.  The forecasters still can't say whether Boulder will have a white Christmas, or not; but it looks like we'll have snow just about every evening beginning Monday.  For Christmas Day itself, some computer models show a trace of snow that night, while others show 10 inches falling throughout the day.  We'll see.  We need the liquid - in any form; rain, sleet, or snow.  I just don't want to have to travel too far by foot in it - ice on the sidewalks is treacherous here.
  Carter, Xuxa, and the hens' owners were due back from their vacation on Friday evening (Boxing Day), but with Jim in the hospital in Antigua following a ruptured appendix, I'm not sure when they will return.  That has added some quirks into my schedule from Christmas to New Years...  I don't want them to rush home due to me - I want Jim to recover before he flies back home - but my schedule was made with me thinking that I wouldn't be stopping by their place 3 and 4 times a day after Friday...  Now I'll just have to wait and see.  I can squeeze them into my bookings, but it will make for rushed visits to multiple places.  -   That's just me complaining, people...  I have to grouse a little every now and then.  -   I just want Jim and Jan to return to the States in good health, and able to continue their normal lives.
   I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

It's Been A Busy Week

I've been running around taking care of four houses - three within a half-mile radius, and one 2 miles out.  Then, of course, I've also made time to be home with my kits for a couple of hours each day - all using my feet and public transportation...  I've found a lack of east-west buses, while there are plenty of north-south buses...  Sunday and Thursday were the hardest days for transportation - buses only ran once an hour, which is a huge PITA.   Oh, well.  As of midnight, three families have returned, and I only have the ABCs to look after (plus Lovey and Nedi, of course).
   Let's see....   Kathy had her PET scan on Monday, and received the results on Wednesday.  On Wednesday, a Samoyed named Tulo joined Kathy and Jim's family for five days, while his people are away for Thanksgiving.   The Snow clan met and had Thanksgiving dinner at the Grange in Niwot, but I didn't have time to do so.  I did bake a fat hen, and a pumpkin pie.  And I had mashed potatoes, peas, and gravy to go along with them.
   I had to laugh at Tipsi, one of the cats I'm caring for.  Last night, just before dark, and just before I closed the pet door, Tipsi brought in a large vole.  He wouldn't let me approach him closely, but the vole looked extremely limp, so I figured it was dead.  Ten minutes later, it ran across my foot, with Tipsi walking along behind it...  Am I, somehow, causing cats to alter their behavior?  I can understand my kits bringing in live prey, because I yell a lot if they kill anything.  But why is Tipsi suddenly bringing in live mice/voles (like Nedi), and just following them around - not pouncing and attacking, but as if the vole is something to study?
   I also had my annual check-up with my physician.  My fasting blood sugar was 68; and my A1c level had dropped .2 since last year.  Blood pressure was 123/70; and I weighed 2 ponds less than last year.  Her only comment was that she thought I's feel even better if I dropped 10 pounds.  I agreed.  So I'm just waiting on my liver panel and cholesterol tests...  Everything else is A-OK.

Critters and a "Problem" Service Dog

It was definitely brisk out this morning - 27 degrees when I went to the store for my bagel and 29 when I left to go taken care of the chix and kits on Dellwood.  The four hens are each a different breed - and look very different; they are named Io, Vega, Dagma and Gladys.  The two cats are named Carter and Xuxa - Carter is a square-built grey tabby and Xuxa is a dark charcoal grey with a white fillip on her chest.  In the three days that the owners have been gone, I have managed to convince all four hens into my lap, where they let me stroke them and mantle their wings a bit.  Both cats are now lap-sitters and mark me vigorously with their chins and paws when I'm there.  Jan told me that only one hen was laying, but in three days, I've been given seven eggs - and they are from at least three different hens.  I have three large brown eggs, two turquoise eggs, and two cream colored eggs.  The last brown egg had purple flecks of color in the shell... it is beautiful.
  I'm trying to frame a politely-worded letter of complaint about my neighbor Britt's service dog.  I think it's wonderful that, since Britta has had the dog, she hasn't screamed, like she used to, multiple times each day and during the night.  But she now turns the dog loose in the shared communal back yard that every ground floor apartment shares. My complaints regarding this are as follows:  (1) the service dog chases all the birds in the yard while barking;  (2) the service dog chases all the squirrels in the yard while barking;  (3) the service dog chases all of the neighborhood cats, sometimes barking, sometimes silently; (4) the service dog eats both bird seed and nuts placed out to feed the birds and squirrels; (5) the service dog comes into my apartment, shouldering the patio door open wide enough for it to enter, and then eats all of my cats' food;  (6) if the patio door is closed, the service dog barks at me and my cats when we move inside our own apartment, while sitting on my patio, or lying in my patio chairs;  (7) there is a leash law for dogs (but not for cats) within the city, and the owner of the service dog allows the dog to run loose and unsupervised multiple times each day, sometimes wearing only a collar and tags, sometimes wearing a harness and dragging a leash; (8) and, finally, the service dog poops in the back yard without the owner picking up after her dog.  I have picked up 10 piles of dog crap in the last 4 days, all within 15 feet of my patio edge.  There is a city and county law that states that owners (or other dog walkers) must pick up their dogs' own poop.  I get paid to do this when I'm walking and caring for other dogs.  I shouldn't have to pick up poop from my neighbor's unwatched loose dog.  And once summer begins, none of the neighbors will appreciate having smelly piles of dog poop lying out in the baking sun outside their doors and windows....
    So, how can I phrase all of the above nicely?  I thought service dogs were "on" service for their owners at all times - this dog is turned loose for anywhere from 10 minutes to 5 hours... and it really bugs me that the leash is left attached - God only knows what it can/could get tangled up in, or around, what with patio furniture and both wooden privacy fencing and chain-link fencing around the property....   Grrrrrrrr....  I know, I know...  The problem is not in the service dog - it's the owner's fault!

?!? Snow !?!

Returned home last night just before it was completely dark out...  Luckily the dog next door was either not at home, or locked inside, and the kits got to play outside for a couple of hours.  I let them out for an hour this morning, and then gathered them before going to Dellwood and Riverside.  I had to laugh - our weather forecasters have been almost perfect in the last week.  Last night, they said that we'd have a high of 47 today, with partly cloudy skies in the morning, and sunny skies in the afternoon.  That when the sun came out, the wind would pick up and the temperature would then drop.  It's completely overcast this morning, and the clouds were hugging both Baseline and Green Mountains...  I looked at that and shook my head. The temperature dropped 5 degrees before I left this morning.  It started to snow while I was turning out the chickens - and we're continuing to have flurries.  Rosie's back was covered multiple times while we walked this morning; then her limp became more pronounced, so I took her home a little early.  I think the cold and damp was making her arthritic ankle and foot ache...  Got home and opened the door for the kits to go out, and they were chased back inside by Britta's service dog....  Then it proceeded to eat all the nuts I had placed out for the squirrels - he climbs into the chairs and gobbles them down.  I just purchased two small but heavy-duty colanders that I will hang today with the squirrels' nuts in them.  Maybe then the dog won't eat the squirrels food!
  And I'm looking forward to seeing James Spader tonight in The Blacklist!

Critters Near and Far

What a few days for domesticated and wild critters! In Delmar, Maryland during this past weekend, a young man in a drunken stupor stumbled onto a poultry-raising farm. The young man doesn't remember anything - how he got there, what happened, etc. - until he awoke in the local jail. He somehow got into the shed with all of the power controls, and, apparently (we're guessing here...), tried to turn on what appeared to be a light switch. What he turned OFF was the ventilation system and cooling fans for 70,000 chickens that were due at the market a day later. Without the ventilation and cooling systems on, the birds began to die from heat prostration within a period of 15 minutes. Less than 300 chickens survived from the 70,000 affected. (Demon rum wins again! ... Sorry, I just had to type that line! Rotten, wicked, little me.)

     Near College Station, Texas, a family feeds their cats outside on a porch that is beside the kitchen. For the last several weeks, a skunk has been happily eating its' fill each night. Finally, the wife had enough, and said she was tired of spending money on food for the cats that a skunk was eating. She has a license for a concealed weapon, and when the skunk made its nightly appearance, she went to another room to get her .45 pistol. She exited the house through a side door, and crept up on the skunk. She then shot it - but she somehow missed. The skunk sprayed her as it hurriedly left, and her shot ricocheted off the porch, through the kitchen door, and ended up in her husband's abdomen. Luckily, since the bullet was pretty spent, it did not penetrate deeply into the husband. Both the husband and wife were stinky, bloody messes when they arrived at the local hospital.

     The Department of Wildlife officials here in Boulder killed a mountain lion last night, and scared off another. Both were sighted by the DoW, and identified as adolescent cats - just old enough to be out on their own, and acquiring their own territories after leaving the family den. The youngster who ran was first spotted laying on the top of a hot tub cover, six blocks from my apartment. The one that was killed was spotted one block further east. The hot tub cat, when he spotted people, ran. DoW will try to trap and tag him, hoping to ensure he doesn't become a nuisance. The young male that was killed was in an apartment area back yard, and had killed and eaten a domestic house cat. When DoW arrived to look at this youngster, he allowed people to approach him within a distance of 6 feet, before he crept back. Since he was allowing such a close approach, it was decided that he was too desensitized to humans to trap and relocate. (I hate it when this happens!) So he was shot and killed on the spot. I live in, essentially, downtown Boulder. The mountain lion that was killed was in the back yard of an apartment complex, and next to the Dairy Center for Performing Arts - it is a heavily trafficked area, and there are a great many children, both in the complex and visiting the Center. I understand the need to make sure the area is safe, but I don't like the loss of the mountain lion.

    Boulder is so terribly proud of all of the green spaces, and open areas, and wide creek and bike paths - however, folks need to realize that they are an open invitation to wild wildlife. I don't mind looking out into my back yard and seeing raccoons, chipmunks, squirrels, birds, foxes and the occasional deer. I wouldn't mind seeing bears or mountain lions either. But we need to find a way of living together equitably!!

Baby Critters

Calf

Chickens

Goats and adult rabbits

A Mish-Mash

When I walked Remy and Rosie Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m., it was 21 degrees - but the sun was shining and there was no wind.  Yesterday, when I walked the kids at 10 a.m., it was 23 degrees out, but cloudy, and with a north wind.  The wind chill yesterday was 2 degrees.  It got up to 39 degrees yesterday, and will hopefully reach that today.  But we are expecting more snow tonight, tomorrow and Sunday.  Not a big dump, but light snow for quite a while.  I was asked earlier this week to stay overnight with the Anatolian Shepherds tonight, and next Thursday and Friday nights.  This morning, I was asked to just feed and love the dogs for several hours this evening, and to come back again tomorrow to spend most of the day...  At least I'll be able to make brownies tomorrow, so I can deliver them to my bus drivers on Monday.
  Let's see...  animal news.  On the east side of Boulder, the Open Space Rangers shot and killed two coyotes that had followed and bitten joggers on a well-used trail.  ...  Kyle Dyer was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon, and is expected to return to work in 4 to 6 weeks, once her reconstructive surgery heals and the scars fade a bit.  ...  My kits have been going out three or four times a day.  There is still a good 8 to 10 inches of snow on the ground in the back yard, but they are both running through the snow, half-heartedly chasing the squirrels and birds.  Most of the time they spend on the patio, just soaking up the sun.  ...  The horses are gearing up for the Triple Crown, and in-field entertainment at the Preakness has already been arranged. 
  Did you know that most commercially-raised poultry (not the organic type) is fed  an additive to "help cut down infections and get rid of internal parasites" that contains arsenic?  A representative from Maryland is trying to get all additives that include arsenic banned from use by commercial producers.  Delegate Tom Hucker, D-Montgomery, told a panel of his colleagues Wednesday that even though Pfizer Inc. has voluntarily suspended the sale of roxarsone, a chemical often put in chicken feed to help the birds grow and fight parasites, he wants the chemical banned here.
  Hucker said the chemical and other additives that contain arsenic contaminate chicken meat and waste, polluting soil and the Chesapeake Bay.  "We should look for alternatives, but without a ban, there will be far less market pressure to spend money on research for alternatives," he said.  Pfizer stopped selling the drug in July after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration study found higher levels of inorganic arsenic in chicken treated with roxarsone than in those that were not fed the chemical. -  I'm definitely for banning the use of roxarsone and any other additive in poultry feed that contains arsenic!

Cool Morning, Hot Day

I was looking at MeyToch's bottom this morning, and forgot to be on the lookout for Charlie.  So I now have a hole in the heel of my thumb to match the one on my ring finger.  All of the critters in my care are doing well, with the exception of Charlie's temper, but since he's like this with everyone, I won't take offense.  Little Miss Sunbeam ran out of the pen area and I had just enough time to grab her before Victor showed up.  Victor is part cattle dog, so he wants to herd, but he also loves to lunge at Charlie, even through the fence, so I don't really trust him.  Anyway, I was able to grab Sunbeam and get her back inside the pen before Victor showed up, with Xena hot on his tail.  Victor is out-going, extremely confidant, and a little too aggressive when it comes to other dogs in his yard.  Xena just wants love and affection, and is so cringingly eager to please that I wonder about her puppy-home before she was taken to the Humane Society.  But they are generally very good young dogs - and they love being taken for a walk!  I also walked Rosie and Remy early this morning - the temperature was 58 outside, and I have to admit my legs were a little cool this morning.  My kits seem to be doing well - they have declared a truce with Mocha, and she avoids them as much as possible.  Both Nedi and Lovey are outside right now, and both have come running back in multiple times his morning, talking to me from the patio until the get in my lap.  They are wonderful kits.

Aidan's North Boulder Wildcat team plays their first game in the Little League (12 year olds) Regional Championships at 8:30 tonight, down in Waco, Texas.  They are then scheduled to play at 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.  If they win and keep on winning, they can go to the World Championships.  Aidan is hoping for that, mainly so he can miss school - he likes learning, but currently enjoys playing baseball more.  ....  We're less than a week away from the Broncos first game for this season.  The big buzz has been about the quarterback position - will Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow be named the starter?  Right now, it looks like Kyle Orton, as he has gotten all of the snaps from the "A" team during practice this week.  ....  We had a couple of rain showers last night, and about 15 minutes of booming thunder yesterday evening - but Remy didn't react to it.   I did laugh this morning - on my way back from the Chandlers',  our local 10- and 12-point bucks bounced out from a yard about 200 feet away from me, trotted down the road and neatly jumped the post and rail fence.  I heard what sounded like a jogger coming up behind me, and I turned, to warn the person about the deer, and realized the sound was Jonathan, our 6-point buck, trotting up behind me.  Jonathan was struck by a car last year, and both of his hind legs are weak, so he rarely moves faster than a trot.  But he passed right by me, grazing me with his shoulder as he passed, to join the other bucks.  It's weird (but nice) to have the local wildlife  almost ignore your presence.  ....  We got back up to 90 yesterday, and are expecting another long string of days of 90s temperatures.   -  TGIF!