Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

A huge conflagration began Monday around scaffolding where renovations were being done to repair the ancient cathedral of Our Lady of Paris on the roof around the spire.  A team of architects, firemen, and others will be exploring the ruins at first light and checking on structural integrity as well as fire and water damage.
 French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday night that the cathedral will be re-built.  He said that a national fundraiser to restore the capital's iconic landmark will begin Tuesday, and that he is calling on the world's "greatest talents" to help restore the church.
   The building of the current cathedral actually began in 1163, but it was built over a previous Christian basilica, which was built over what might have been a Gallo-Roman temple built for Jupiter.  The original Roman hypocaust system is/was viewable in the ancient crypt and museum beneath the cathedral before the fire.
  The clearing of the old basilica began in 1160.  The building of the new cathedral commenced in 1163.  The apse and choir was completed in early 1182, and the high altar was consecrated in May 1182 by the Papal Legate and the Bishop of Paris. In 1225, the Western facade was completed, and in 1250, the Western towers and the North rose window were finished. And in the 14th century the flying buttresses were added, with the gargoyle rain spouts.
   In the mid 16th century the Huguenots destroyed several statues in and around the cathedral, considering them to be idolatrous. The original spire on the cathedral was removed in 1786 due to damage from wind and weather.  Then came the French Revolution in 1793, and many statues of Saints and Biblical personages were destroyed by the mob, who believed they represented French Kings.  The cathedral became the center for the Cult of Reason, and finally, just a large warehouse for the Republic.
  Napoleon Bonaparte then became ruler of France in 1801, and in 1802 he returned the cathedral to the Catholic Church.  In 1831, Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame in English publishing houses) was released, and great interest was declared in restoring the cathedral to it's former glory.  In 1844, King Louis Philippe ordered the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.
  The commission for the restoration was won by two architects, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.  They supervised a large team of artisans, who remade, or added new elements, to the interior and exterior decorations in the spirit of the original, if they had no designs to follow.  They also made a taller and more ornate reconstruction of the original spire, using old oak covered with lead, and added statues of the twelve apostles around the spire. The spire itself weighed 750 tons.  The rooster at the summit of the spire contained three relics: a tiny piece of the Crown of Thorns, located in the treasury of the cathedral; and relics of Saint Denis and Saint Genevieve,the patron saints of Paris.  They were placed there in 1935 by the Archbishop Jean Verdier, to protect the congregation from lightning or other harm.  The restoration lasted 25 years.
  During the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, the cathedral suffered damage from stray gunfire.  Some of the medieval glass was damaged and was replaced by glass with modern abstract designs.  Generals Charles De Gaulle and Philippe Leclerc were present for the special Mass held on 26 August to celebrate the liberation of the city from Nazi Germany.
   To mark the 800th anniversary of the Cathedral in 1963, Culture Minister André Malraux began cleaning the facade of the building, removing centuries of grime and soot build-up, and restoring the stones to their original off-white color.  Stones damaged by air pollution were replaced, and a discreet system designed to keep pigeons from soiling the roof was placed.  Another major cleaning initiative began in 1991.
    Usually artwork, relics and other antiquities stored at the cathedral include the supposed Crown of Thorns which Jesus wore prior to his crucifixion and a piece of the cross on which he was crucified, a 13th century organ, stained glass windows, the bronze statues of the twelve apostles and many more carved and chiseled statuary items.  Most of the artwork and treasures were removed from the cathedral during this bout of restoration work.
    The current renovations are causing  huge disagreements between the Archdiocese of Paris and the French government.  The French government owns the land and the building, but placed it in the care of the Archdiocese of Paris.  They both say the other should pay for the repairs and restoration - or they said, before the fire.  The French Ministry of Culture has given $2.28 million for the restoration, but the estimated cost is/was $6.8 million.  The Archdiocese is claiming that that wouldn't have repaired the spire, let alone all the other needed work.  They have stated that gargoyles have fallen off the buttresses and plastic pipes are being used to take rain water from the roof; that the flying buttresses themselves are rotten and falling, that there are huge cracks in the wall facades; and that the entire cathedral could fall in any large storm.
   There is currently no argument that the restoration efforts from 1845 to  1870, while producing a beautiful look, used inferior materials, and have caused further deterioration of the whole fabric of the building.  It has been stated that the original stonework is sound, but any repairs since 15 are not.  And a large part of all of the deterioration of the building is due to air pollution - the chemicals in our air today are softening and destroying stone that has lasted for centuries.
   The Cathedral of Notre Dame usually has 30,000 to 50,000 visitors each day.

Boulder Wildfire in Sunshine Canyon

Boulder has been extremely dry - no rain, no snow.  The drought caught up with us this morning.  A man who had to visit the bathroom at 1:40 this morning, glanced out his window and saw flames on the wall of Sunshine Canyon, to the west of town.  He called 911, the emergency number, and reported it.  Thanks to his call, reverse 911 calls started going out, and over 1,000 house were evacuated.  People and small pets can go to the East Boulder Community Center, and large animals have been evacuated to the County Fairgrounds.
   Beatrice and I awoke to heavy smoke and the smell of burning this morning.  We thought that someone had set a trash dumpster on fire - but could look out the window and see smoke billowing up directly to the west of our building.  So we immediately turned on the local news and found out about the Sunshine Canyon fire.  It's a block to the south, and then 1.5 miles to the west of us.  At this time, 12 hours after the original call, the fire is 20 % contained, and has burned 70 acres...  Luckily, no homes or buildings have caught fire.  Besides fire fighters on the ground, both helicopters and planes have been dropping water and slurry to deter the spread of the flames.  I hope it gets contained completely soon...
   Usually March is one of the snowiest months of the year in, and around, Boulder.  So far this month, we have had 1/8 inch of precipitation - a 6-hour drizzle.  Our usual high temperatures in March are in the upper 40s and low 50s; yesterday we reached 82 degrees, and the regular high temperatures have been in the 60s and 70s.  Today we have a high wind watch, typical of March.
   I picked up a client from the Denver Airport last night at 8:30, and he asked me if I thought it would snow again this year, because he was thinking about taking his snow tires off his car.  I laughed.  I told it was going to snow at the end of this month, in April, and probably the last snowfall would be the second week of May.  He was aghast - and wanted to know if I'd read that in the Farmer's Almanac.  I told him, "Nope.  I feel it in my bones."

Photos of the Sunshine Canyon fire:

 

Tuesday, Tuesday

It's only 84 at them moment, with 6% humidity and a nice breeze (with gusts up to 40 mph). The Flatirons have been hazy all day due to the smoke from the Arizona and New Mexico fires - but I can still see snow on top of Niwot Ridge and on the Indian Peaks. The local weather folks say that those of us who live along Boulder Creek can expect "high water" within the next week. At least we are lucky and had all that rain in May, so things are green and growing; not dry and sere, as things are in Arizona and New Mexico. - I spoke with my friend Kathryn, in Gainesville, FL, last night, and found that over 20 wildfires are burning in St. John's County alone. Yowch! And I just saw that the high temperature in Minneapolis, MN today was 102 degrees. Can you say global warming and climate change?
Mocha has decided that she loves sprawling out on the love seat - the kits are all hissing at one another, but that's the extent of their conflicts. Lovey slept next to my head last night - I wonder if she was guarding me from a Mocha attack? Nedi has been a lot more demonstrative, and always wants a cuddle. They all get lots of love. I think I'm spending more time loving the kits than I spend doing anything else... but that's OK with me.
Two bats found flitting around in the early morning hours have tested positive for rabies, so we have that alert out now, too. - And Darcie, who lives in Githens Acres, saw the coyote trot by her front door at 6:15 this morning. She chased it, shaking pennies in a tin can. It ran.

Smoky Haze

It's a very hazy day here - 92 degrees, winds from the south at 7 mph, and 7% humidity. The kits are on the patio, except Mocha, who is prowling the apartment. My kits slept on either side of me last night, almost as if they were guarding me from an imminent attack from Mocha - it was cute, but warm. This past Friday, Nancy said to take the red kids over to Kathy and Jim's - since Rosie was getting steroids, the possible pollen allergy should be OK. Both Rosie and Remy were very itchy all Friday and most of Saturday, so today we walked over to the Elks Club and chased squirrels in their ball park. We returned to the house 55 minutes later, and Remy was starting to drag his right hind a bit. I'll have to see what the report and requests are in the morning. Lynn left me a message regarding 5 sets of dates that she wants me to care for the house and Tessa and the kits... I need to check previous commitments before I can tell her yea or nay.
The reason it's so hazy here is that we (Colorado) have a few small wildfires burning again, plus the smoke from the 5 big fires in Arizona. The Wallow fire has burned and is burning over 365 square miles, and is 0% contained. Another fire, farther south, has burnt 156 square miles and is 5% contained. There is an uncontrolled fire near Lake George in Park County, CO that is helping the haze. The Colorado Department of Health has warned that those people with heart problems, respiratory problems, and the very old and very young should not spend more that 5 minutes out doors due to the smoke particulates. - On the other hand, the Elk, Colorado, Big Thompson, and Cache le Poudre Rivers are flooding their banks. The Elk and Colorado are on the other side of the Divide, but the Poudre and Big Thompson are located to the north of Boulder County....
Versus and NBC have announced their schedules for racing coverage from Belmont for this Friday and Saturday. Versus will show "Classic Belmont Wins" from 4 to 5 p.m. EDT, and two live races, the Grade 3 Poker Handicap and the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap, from 5 to 6 p.m. on Friday. Saturday, Versus will start the coverage with undercard races from 3 to 5 p.m. EDT; NBC will take over live coverage from 5 to 7 p.m. EDT; and then the Belmont Follow-up coverage will be on Versus from 7 to 7:30 p.m. EDT. - Multiple races were named that will be covered live, but no mention was made of the Acorn Stakes for the fillies that will be run on Saturday.

Yikes!

Once again, it's in the low 60s already. There is a 150-acre wildfire in Park County, the Snyder Creek fire, and while we don't have much wind at the moment, we will have a lot this afternoon. We're under a Red Flag warning for high fire danger until 8 p.m. Currently, the humidity is at 12%. I'm in shorts and a T-shirt; the kits are playing on the patio. Four days ago, I walked back home from the east, and saw that the Front Range was really starting to green up; the Back Range (the Indian Peaks) were still completely covered with a gleaming mantle of snow. After 4 days with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, you can see brown, rocky ridge striations in the Indian Peaks, along with the snow.
Besides the fire danger, the big concern now is flooding. - I know, they should be at opposite extremes, but in Colorado in the springtime, they go together. - The high country got over 48 feet of snow this season; and most places have over 100 inches of snow still in place. With the big warm-up of the past few days, the concerns are for avalanches, quick snow melts, and mudslides in areas that had fire within the last year. Boulder is one of the quickest flood spots in Colorado - we're in a little valley, and several creeks and ditches flow into this constricted area. The most notable is Boulder Creek, which flows past the south end of my apartment building. Boulder Creek has been known to rise 100 feet in less than 12 hours - so I'm always listening for any flood alert warnings. I was awakened this morning at six a.m. by a siren and a female voice saying something incomprehensible over a speaker - turns out it was a moving traffic violation, and the driver was still rolling along after a 4 mile drive with flashing lights behind them.... But I certainly woke up fast! - And immediately turned on the local TV station, and checked the computer for Boulder Creek water levels... but found nothing. Ah, well.... Such is life.

A Chinook That Makes Me Happy - But Spreads a Fire

What a difference a day makes! Last night, the temperatures continued to rise; it's now 46 degrees outside and we have a 20-mph Chinook wind blowing from the west. If this continues for the next few days, I just might be able to see some grass in my back yard! Chinook is claimed by popular mythology to mean "eater" or "snow eater" but it is really the name of the people in the region where the usage was first derived. The reference to a wind or weather system, simply "a Chinook", originally meaning a warming wind from the ocean into the interior regions of the Pacific Northwest. A strong Chinook can make snow one foot deep almost vanish in one day. The snow partly melts and partly evaporates in the dry wind. The Chinook are a Native American tribe, who originally lived along the banks of the Columbia River near the coast of Oregon. - And we had three fire departments respond to a wildfire this morning. Thanks to the Chinook, the fire spread from treetop to treetop, and covered about an acre, before the Nederland, Sugarloaf, and FourMile Canyon firefighters got it under control. It started in a pile of slash and brush at the edge of the Peewink Mountain fire, close to the edge of the FourMile Canyon fire. Luckily, no homes were nearby, and no evacuations occurred.
Rosie, Remy and I had a super walk yesterday, and had a good time playing with Suki and Boo. Mona stayed in the house and barked at us. I also walked Lucy and Tessa, and spent several hours with Ooch. He sat on my tummy with his front legs reaching toward my face; occasionally he would gently pat my cheek with his paw, and I, in turn, would scratch his chin and jaw line. We had a very nice quiet time. My kits ran in and out yesterday evening. They wanted to be outside, but with the snow still so deep, they also wanted to be inside where it was warmer. Warmer finally won out.
Mr. Livingston, a very nice stallion, who had been standing stud at Bridlewood Farm, was recently moved to a farm in Louisiana. On January 9, he died in a paddock accident. ... Awesome Feather, last year's winner of the Breeder's Cup 2-year-old Fillies race (and winner of all 6 of her races), was sold in November to Frank Stronach's racing stable for $2.3 million. She has now developed "a tendon issue" and it is not known when she will resume training. ... TVG network will cover the January 17 Eclipse Awards dinner and presentation from Miami, Florida.

Steampunk

The Boulder Dome Fire is almost completely contained; almost 200 acres have burned, but there was no loss of life nor were any structures destroyed. All evacuees have returned home.
I just had to smile, as Tim Tebow made a touchdown for the Broncos in Wembley Stadium in London, putting Denver ahead of the 49ers. Go orange and blue! Gators and Broncos!

I was looking at costumes on-line yesterday, and was intrigued by the Steampunk section. I actually had to look the term "Steampunk" up, and was not greatly surprised by the results, having taken a good look at the costumes. "Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" for such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage's Analytical engine." I think my brother-in-law, niece and nephew would look fantastic in Steampunk costumes - I'm not sure about Kathy and I - we're almost too buxom for the look.
And some of the costumes make me think of the Borg in Victorian and/or Edwardian dress - it's really very interesting....

The kits and I were awakened by the barking of a dog in the apartment above us this morning - that was a surprise. It's cool out, with sun and high cirrus clouds, and I spent a good part of the morning out in the back yard with the kits. Since it is Halloween, they are not going out of my sight today or tonight. Since the kits have been inside and asleep for the past two hours, I closed the patio door, and I think I'll take a nap after this game is over. I was to have a follow-up visit with Dr. Zishka yesterday or today, but she called me yesterday afternoon and asked me to see her Tuesday morning instead. That's OK by me, as it is the last day of my vacation. On Wednesday, I begin taking care of all the other critters once more... Have a Happy Halloween! May all your treats be tasty, and I hope you don't receive any (or many) tricks!

Boulder Wildfire & Current Evacuations

Life is never dull in the city of Boulder, the county of Boulder, and along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We have another wildfire burning to the west of the city... The fire folks are having a live press conference as I blog, and they say there are over 25 acres involved in the two fires and that over 1600 residences and businesses are under a mandatory evacuation order. It's very close to the western city limits, and evacuations are in effect up to 7th Street on the east. (I live on Folsom, which is actually 26th St., and am one block south of Canyon Blvd., where the fire originated.) The fire started about 8 this morning at Elephant Buttress, which is near mile marker 40 in Boulder Canyon (about 4 miles from the city limits), and is being called the "Boulder Dome fire." Wind has curtailed air drops, as it's blowing at a pretty steady 20 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. There is a large slurry air-tanker on it's way from Grand Junction, and a small fixed wing plane has made several drops of water. The wind is blowing to the north and northeast, right into Boulder. The road up Boulder Canyon toward Nederland is closed at 7th Street here in town. The Boulder Humane Society has opened its doors to all displaced small animals, and the Boulder County Fairgrounds are again open for all displaced livestock - horses, cattle, goats, llamas, etc. In the city of Boulder, the mandatory evacuation area is: Canyon Blvd on the south, North Street on the north, and 7th Street on the east. The western boundary is mile marker 40. - This means that Finn, the Golden Doodle, and Skippy, the Maine Coon cat, (clients of mine) are now evacuees.....

Fire in Estes Park Historic Area

Last night the clouds over the Rockies looked like an inverted dollop of whipped cream - only the clouds were orange and purple, not white. This morning there are layers upon layers of clouds in the sky, so it looks very mystical and magical outside. I'm just looking forward to the Broncos football game tonight. All of my teams, except the Titans, won yesterday (... and the Bears lost - Yea!) so I am enjoying myself. A terrible fire is currently in Estes Park, in the historic downtown shopping area; all other local fire departments, including Boulder, have been asked to send more men and equipment - even a local man in Allens Park has been contacted to bring his antique, but still working, fire engine to the scene. The photos look awesome - the fire's smoke is so dark that it looks like it's night time instead of day, and now the winds are picking up. Local schools are keeping children inside to avert any possible respiratory problems.

I spent yesterday doing maternal family research, and putting information into my genealogy program. (Besides having the football games on as a background and diversionary feature.) We reached 80 degrees here yesterday, and I was working in a T-shirt and shorts. We're expecting a cold front in tomorrow, with highs in the 40s and 50s for the rest of the week. I'm about to head out to walk Rosie and Remy, the red kids, and then I plan on returning home and playing with Mom's family tree some more. I began a new book last night - Suspension - by Richard E. Crabbe; it's historical fiction regarding the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Lovey and Banichi basked in the sun yesterday and cuddled with me last night. Banichi is currently in his nest in the closet, while Lovey keeps walking across my chest and onto the keyboard... I'll post photos upon my return...