Miscellany

The past several days have been a television viewing pleasure - Clint Watts has been interviewed multiple times, as has Malcolm Nance and Naveed Jamali.  Several appearances by Richard Painter, and some of my favorite Congressmen and Congresswomen have also sweetened the view.  I did not watch the State of the Union address last night, but I did watch Joe Kennedy's Democratic rebuttal.  And I loved Joe Biden's tweet about Joe's speech.  I also laughed myself silly when Sarah Suckabee Sanders said that polls show that "no one" in America is interested in the Russia investigation....  What a hoot!
   Anyway, we've had warm weather and wind the past few days, but there is still snow and ice in the parking lot here.  It was 62 degrees yesterday, but then 26 last night...  Today, clouds are clinging to the tops of the Flatirons, while there are mostly clear skies to the north and east.  Besides our filled bird feeders, Bea tossed out raw almonds for the birds and squirrels this morning.  The usual ravens and blue jays were here, and then a flock of about 100 starlings appeared, but they left after ten minutes.  Tipsi, the white tail-tipped squirrel, has been much in evidence the past few days; and our usual sparrows, finches and chickadees are abundant.
  Tonight is the really wild and crazy lunar event - there's a "super" moon, a "blue" moon, a "blood" moon, and a total lunar eclipse.  My brother-in-law and his neighbor are planning out the best place to be, at the best time, to take photos of the event...  I plan on sleeping.  I'll see all sorts of wonderful photos via the internet tomorrow.
   I finished reading Emergence, the latest C. J. Cherryh Foreigner series book.  - And I want another new one, immediately, as usual.  Last night I finished reading the latest Pendergast novel, City of Endless Night, by Preston and Child - and I want another new book in that series, too.  I'm starting to re-read all the Pendergast novels, in order, again.
   And - just to be silly -  Enlighten yourself!  Go read a new book!
 

Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight

If you're in an area without clouds, late tonight (in some places early tomorrow morning) a complete eclipse of the moon will occur. You can see it without any aids (unless you wear glasses, like me), but it will also be a super view if you use binoculars (field glasses) or a small telescope. Much more information (and the local times) can be found at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40740568/ns/technology_and_science-space/
Having fed and watered the Chandler chickens and rooster this morning, I have named the rooster "Topgallant Charley." Now I need to figure out the hens' names - two white, three black, and three red. Rosie and Remy were very happy to see me this a.m., and we went outside to harness up before leaving. Mona, my nephew's part pit-bull, is staying at the Snow house for a few days. She is not adapting well to having other dogs in the house. She has attacked Boo twice while inside, and now Boo runs when she sees Mona. The red kids met Mona through the fence this morning - Mona being in the west end kennel area, with Suki, Boo, Rosie and Remy in the back yard. Mona's hackles were up from the base of her nose to the tip of her tail. She is not a happy camper, poor thing. She's gorgeous - a rich red chestnut with black brindling all over her body - but she does not play well with other canines.
It's a little after noon, and 54 degrees outside. The kits are running in and out. The weather folks say that the wind will be picking up this afternoon, and that the night will be cloudy with possible snow showers after midnight. As the full lunar eclipse begins at 12:41 a.m. (MST), my chances of seeing the eclipse are very low. I'll be headed back to north Boulder this afternoon to put the chickens back in their coop for the night. Tomorrow afternoon, I pick up my rental car, and I add taking care of the Clark kits tomorrow evening, plus staying with Brandi tomorrow night. I'll be busy during the next week!

Mosby, Neddy, and Shoes

Neddy just erased an entire blog when he walked across the keyboard and sat on the mouse. Oh, well. He has discovered the yard, but feels safer on the patio. He and Lovey have started to play chase, so they are interacting a little more; and they both slept on the same side of me last night, but not touching one another. I'm currently reading a very good biography of John Singleton Mosby, written by James A. Ramage. As some of my husband's ancestral relatives (cousins) rode with the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy, and since I'm pretty familiar with the area where Mosby operated, I find the book fascinating.
There will be a partial eclipse of the moon on Saturday, June 26, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. That's the weekend I'll be spending with Brandi, and the day we'll visit the Midsummer Scandinavian Festival up in Estes Park. My summer shoes from Lands End arrived yesterday, and I'm very happy with them. They fit (finding 6 1/2 wides that do fit are unusual), they are light weight and breathable, and they are even (partially) made from recycled plastic bottles. I purchased a pair of ballerina flats and Mary Jane Trekkers; I wore both for long walks yesterday, and I am very much satisfied. I highly recommend them! (Especially as they cost less than $20 per pair!) I've worn my last pair of Lands End shoes for over 5 years, and am still happy with the old ones, too.