Here and There, Bits and Pieces

I am going to try to get back into the habit of blogging daily again.  I have jobs through the end of July, but nothing yet in August, though I'm sure that a few of my regular clients will suddenly remember that they haven't yet scheduled me to cover for their vacations.  I've been busy trying to keep up with all the new foals on the southern end of Assateague, taking care of multiple houses and the attached critters, working on three families genealogy, trying to keep up with the news, and reading for pleasure.
    I stopped in at the pharmacy yesterday to pick up my anxiety/high blood pressure medication, and received quite a surprise.  I normally get a 90 day supply of 90 50mg tablets four times each year.  Yesterday I was given 30 tablets, and was informed that the pharmacy would not have them in stock again until September - and that I needed to contact my MD and ask to try a different medication.  I just checked for shortages of the medication, but could find none.  I will be calling another pharmacy to see if they have the same problem, and, if not, will transfer my prescription to them.  If there is a shortage of this very prevalent beta-blocker, I want to know why it wasn't recognized sooner - and I guess I'll need to call my MD.  But this has me quite upset, which isn't good for my blood pressure, nor my anxiety.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!
   My wonderful 2-year-old Chincoteague filly, Surfer Princess, has apparently settled in with Tornado Legacy's herd.  Legacy is a buckskin pinto, and the Princess is a rich copper color.  I'm hoping she won't have a foal until the summer that she turns four, but I can't control Mother Nature.  Her dam, Surf Queen, has finally settled in Hoppy's herd.  Hoppy is the nickname of Effie's Papa Bear, and he is a 15 hand bay stallion with no markings, not even a brand.  On Monday, June 26, Surf Queen had a half-sister to the Princess - another gorgeous filly, solid bay with three white anklets below her fetlocks and a black right hind.   And I think her legs are longer than the Princess's were...
    At the moment, we're sitting at 60 foals born in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.  There have been, so far, no new births reported since Surf Queen on Monday - but today might bring new sightings - and there have been three deaths.  One of the deaths, perhaps, might have been prevented - the mare White Saddle lost her foal last year to the marsh, and the same thing occurred this this year.  I am going to ask the Pony Committee to, next year, take her and her newborn to one of the farms on Chincoteague, so that White Saddle won't lead her baby where it should not go again.  The other two deaths were due to a massive infection incurred at birth, and to a congenital leg abnormality.  I'll soon start posting photos of all the foals born so far this year, in order of birth.
    Despite the snow melt making our local creeks run a bit higher than normal, our vegetation is very dry.  There was a grass fire that burned 3 acres yesterday because some idiot set off fireworks along the side of a road - in someone's hay field.  We had an adult black bear spend yesterday in a tree at the corner of 16th Street and Spruce Avenue here in Boulder.  It moved back to the open green space to the west of town during the night.  And an adult moose decided to visit the Flatirons Mall - at an 8-lane Interstate intersection the day before yesterday.  Wildlife officials had to tranquilize the moose, after which they trailered it to South Park, where they turned it loose.
   I am upset, and will stay upset, for as long as the Pompous Pricktator is in the White House.  I well remember that it took almost two years for Nixon to resign - and I hope and pray that this Putin-Sucker will not be able to hold out that long.  That oddly-coiffed creature is an abomination on this planet.  I would dance with joy if he and his cronies were suddenly dropped into Hell through a fiery maw that suddenly opened up beneath their feet!  That mass of orange crass is an ass.  Disgusting.
 

Critters, Wild and Tame

It doesn't seem like a week since I sat down in front of a blank blog page...  All sorts of things are going on in the news and wildlife areas.  And I've been taking care of multiple houses full of critters, as people decide to vacation on a whim, without planning for pet care.  I've been running around like crazy.  I think I have two days off, Wednesday and Thursday this week, if nothing else pops up.
   I've started re-reading my Robin Hobb collection, and am currently reading Dragon Haven.  After I read her books, I'll hit my Rafael Sabatini novels, and then my un-edited editions of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.  That should keep me busy for a little while.
  I received my National Geographic DNA information back some time ago - my Haplogroup is J1c4.  But I have recently sent my DNA for processing to both Ancestry and to 23AndMe, also.  I'm waiting to see what is reported by the other two agencies...
   We've recently had moose in North Boulder - a woman was tending her garden on the edge of Wonderland Lake, and said she "suddenly felt a presence looming over" her.  It was a mother moose with twin calves, and the mother decided the woman was threatening her babies.  She was knocked down and walked upon.  Luckily, she only had scrapes and bruises.  And another moose with a single calf was reported at the Justice Center near the end of Boulder Canyon.
   Of course it's now summer, and we're having our usual incursions of coyotes, mountain lions and black bears.  The coyotes have been grabbing small dogs who are off-leash on walking, jogging, and biking paths, as well as cats loose in neighborhoods.  The mountain lions are grabbing the mule deer and fawns.  The bears are smashing bee hives and stealing honey, as well as raiding any bird feeders they can reach.  A friend has a one-inch thick wrought iron post for her feeders, and thought they were safe - this morning the post was bent at a 70 degree angle and the bird feeders were crushed and empty on the ground.  And folks around my sister and brother-in-laws house now have teen-aged bobcats out hunting with their parents, as well.  The fox are staying under cover as much as possible.  The cottontail rabbit birth explosion is feeding most of the smaller predators.
    Tess, one of the dogs I care for, is not doing well at the moment.  She started having seizures last fall.  They began occurring every 4 days a couple of months ago, and she has finally been placed on Potassium Bromide as a daily medication. (Her owner is a very firm believer in holistic medicine and diet taking care of everything.)  The K-Bro medication has increased her appetite amazingly, as well as her thirst.  But the main side effect is ataxia, her hind legs don't support her well...  The vet told the owner that once Tess reaches her optimal medication level, she'll return to normal.  The vet told the owner it would take one month.  I read the information, and it says the optimal level is reached in three to four months...  We'll have to see.  In the meantime, the dog who always bounced and danced on her hind legs is now shuffling with her nose to the ground.  It's pretty sad...
   Still at 59 new foals on the Chincoteague NationalWildlife Refuge - 56 after the three losses.  One foal died from an umbilical infection, one foal got stuck in the marsh mud and couldn't break free, and one had a congenital defect of the forelegs, which could not be healed.  All the others are quite bouncy and bold.  As usual, there are some really stupendous pinto markings, quite a few solids with great conformation, and a few real stand-outs.  I'm happy with the foals so far...
 

A Sampling of Rocky Mountain Wildlife - Photos

Moose and calf

Black bear

Pika

Big horn sheep

Wolf

Elk

Mule deer

Bald eagle

Bison cow and calf  (buffalo)

Marmot

Mountain lion  (catamount, puma)

Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, Boulder County, Colorado - Photos

Brainard Lake, elevation 10,300 feet above sea level

West end of the Crater Lake camping area

Along Beaver Creek Trail

Mountain sunrise

Lake Isabelle view

Moose at Crater Lake

Reflecting pool above Gourd Lake

Various Photos

Moose in Boulder County, Colorado

Looking up at the talons of a great horned owl

Blooms of a horse chestnut

Squirrel

Barn in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

Wiltshire Vintage Art Show  - jump jockey and mount

View from Pole Hill, Larimer County, Colorado

Yesterday's Photos - Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

Please note that all wildlife photos were taken while inside our automobile, we were either stopped in a pullover (or lay-by), or traffic was stopped on the road while wildlife crossed in front of, or beside us.

Observations

I watched two robins attempting to chase a red-tailed hawk away from their nesting area and sighed.  One can fight to protect one's self, and one's family, but nature will run it's course, no matter how much you struggle against it.
    California Chrome, last year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, is headed back to the US - without racing in Europe, or at Royal Ascot.  He did manage to finish second in the Dubai World Cup, but his around the world tour to show off his racing prowess was pretty much a dud, as he only ran in one race...
    I was admiring Kathy and Jim's back yard yesterday - and realized that it was composed, almost equally, of grass, yellow clover, and false strawberries.  It was very peaceful.  One could hear the creek running along one side of the property, birds singing, squirrels chatting, and the buzz of bees.   I also saw rabbits playing in the yard, and watched a variety of birds foraging for food.
   Somewhere, about 10 miles west of Boulder is a cabin.  A couple (and their cats) were visiting the cabin, which belongs to a friend, when they heard a cat hissing.  This is what they video-taped:  https://youtu.be/Vnmxg4h_Mio
    And, early Monday morning, Boulder's Pearl Street Mall had an unusual visitor - a young female moose decided to window shop around 2 a.m.   Police and wildlife officials "herded" her away from the downtown retail area by using bean-bag shotguns....

                               

   We have an ozone warning in place for today, which won't help my COPD any.  I'll spend today moving more of my belongings from the apartment into storage - and hope I get good news from Lumine soon.

Wildlife Babies - Photos

Moose, Cold & Cats In Snow

The temperature in Boulder fell 50 degrees less than 8 hours yesterday.  It was quite a shock to my body, even though I knew it was on the way.  The initial snow began with a few flakes falling about 11 in the morning - small, light, scattered flakes that danced wherever the wind took them.  About noon, the first real fall, with accumulation started - and it snowed for about five hours before stopping for the night.  It began snowing again about 7:30 this morning, and is still coming down nicely.
  Early yesterday morning, a young cow moose decided the Boulder Creek Path would make an excellent stroll, but when local traffic began to buzz by, she was downtown, at Scott Carpenter Park, 2 blocks from my apartment.  She didn't try to cross any streets, but she was clearly upset by the traffic and all of the people walking, jogging, running, riding their bicycles, and walking their dogs near her on the Path.  The Department of Wildlife folks came and tranquilized her, blindfolded her, started her on oxygen in case of shock, then moved her onto a tarp and then a truck.  She was watched for a good recovery and turned loose up in the National Forest.

  When I returned home from my time with Kathy and Jim yesterday, I opened my back door; and the kits did what I expected.  Lovey went out for about ten minutes, then came inside, complaining at the top of her lungs.  She hopped up on my desk, and shook like a dog, scattering snow and mud all over my monitor and keyboard.  Then she washed my face.  Nedi, on the other hand, stayed out for about 45 minutes, and returned looking like a snowman - but with a black face.  He was very disgusted with me when I got a towel out of the cupboard and began rubbing him down...  I think he would have preferred to leave a large wet spot on the (only/my) bed.  I'll try to get photos of them outside today.

   Kathy and Jim are doing well.  Kathy is calling the double mastectomy her "Peter Pan surgery," and is racking up a few laughs with that label.  We have dinners set up for them through Sunday night, so I'll begin working on next week's round-up/coordination tomorrow.  One night next week they'll have salad, garlic bread, and home-made meatballs in home-made marinara sauce over spaghetti from me and the kits.  Daughter Sarah is cooking for them Thursday; son Mike and his wife Erin on Sunday.  Friends and neighbors are bringing supper other days.

Bobcat, Fall Foliage & Moose Photos

 Back yard bobcat in Estes Park

Moose near Kenosha Pass

Durango colors and sky

Kenosha Pass moose

Caribou

Guanella Pass Road