Blood Moon and Other Things

Tonight, there will be a Blood Moon - the moon will be full, and there will be a total eclipse, causing the moon to look a coppery-red color.  This will be the first of four "Blood Moons" in the next 18 months, which makes the occurrence seem to happen frequently - but before the 1900s, there was a period when no Blood Moons happened for over 300 years.  During the eclipse, people on the earth will see reflections of all the sunrises and sunsets reflected back to our world by the moon - that's why the moon seems to be red in color.   Of course, there are many apocalyptic tales that gather around a Blood Moon - the moon appears to be slowly covered in red blood, which caused many tales of the end of the earth, the end of time, the beginnings of war and epidemics.  It depends on where you live, as to what time to look to see the Blood Moon - here in Colorado, the entire watch will be from midnight until almost 4 a.m.; or, if one just wants a quick peek, the time to look is about 1:20 a.m.
  The service dog next door will be moving, along with his owner, the cat and the parakeet, at the beginning of May.  The owner states that the move is good for her, as she will have more security in her new place, and that the dog will have his own yard - not a communal one.  The service dog still has six more weeks of training before he can be certified - and the owner acknowledges that the dog is not fully trained in obedience, either.  I am working with both of them in training the dog for much better social behavior and in obedience work.
  Yesterday's snow made for a dreary day - the temperature steadily decreased after midnight, and rain began about 3 a.m.  As the temperature continued to drop, the rain mixed with heavy wet snow, and early yesterday morning, it looked like snow cones had been thrown on the ground.  The mix of rain and snow continued throughout the day, but changed to all snow about 6 last night.  The snow ended about 4 this morning, when the temperature was 18 degrees.  Road surfaces are slick with ice, as are sidewalks - and accidents abound on local roads.  Plus, there is a large power outage here in Boulder, and most major intersections are without traffic lights....  I'm glad my power is on.
  The final two Kentucky Derby prep races were held Saturday - the Blue Grass Stakes and the Arkansas Derby.  The Blue Grass was run on the Polytrack surface - neither dirt nor turf - and some horses like it and some don't.  (This is the last year the Blue Grass will be run on Polytrack - the track is changing to a dirt surface after this racing session.)  Dance With Fate won the Blue Grass by almost two lengths over Medal Count, who was three lengths ahead of Pablo Del Monte, and he was more than 5 lengths ahead of Big Bazinga.  The betting favorite of the race was Bobby's Kitten, at 7 to 2 odds.  He finished in twelfth position.
The Arkansas Derby was figured to be a race between unbeaten Bayern, Strong Mandate, Tapiture, Ride On Curlin, and Commissioner.  Joe Bravo and Danza supplied the upset, winning at odds of 41 to 1.  Ride On Curlin finished second, and Bayern was third, with Tapiture in fourth.  So, other than California Chrome, the eligible field for the Kentucky Derby looks to be wide open with possibilities...

Spring in Colorado

It looks like we might have a week or so without snow - I think Spring is finally arriving in Boulder.  Rosie and I did encounter four different snow flurries yesterday morning, but the sizes of the flakes and the amount that fell was minuscule.  The squirrels are running amok, and birds are courting and building nests.  My brother-in-law's yard has multiple patches of snowdrops and wild violets blooming, and the green leaves of the crocus and daffodils are growing almost visibly.  Rosie visited the groomer Saturday, and is now a sleek velvet, except for her ears, chest, leg feathers, and the plume of her tail - and the groomer left her top-knot, at the owners request.  She's ready to start diving into the koi pond several times a day now.
   Nedi is still his skinny little self, while Lovey is starting to get a bit of a belly...  They both run and play like mad, but I have to remember that while Nedi just turned four, Lovey will turn nine in August.  She is like Boo and Rosie - they still think they're 6 months old, and not their actual years.  Lovey's only problem is her lack of canines for biting during fights - I've broken up only two fights since Christmas, and Lovey did not appear to be winning either one.  Having lived in the same place for 8 years (as of yesterday), and beginning our ninth year here, she believes that she is the Queen of all she sees.  The truth is, younger cats have a much greater advantage, as they have teeth and claws, both, to use.  In any event, she seems to have settled down a bit, as she matures.
   I sent my "polite letter" of complaint to the apartment management regarding the emotional service dog next door.  The owner was told what the rules are in the complex regarding dogs - they must not be turned loose in the communal back yard; there is a leash law in effect; if your dog poops, then the owner is responsible for picking it up; dogs who bark at neighbors moving inside their apartments are considered a "nuisance."  The young lady insists upon turning her dog loose, leaving the poop wherever the dog leaves it, and letting her dog bark, not only at me, but at anyone in the back yard.  I had just picked up 8 piles of dog poop and was carrying it to the dumpster, when I met the apartment manager - he commented on the nasty odor of the bag I was carrying.  I told him that it wasn't used kitty litter, it was the dog poop from the service dog.  He was appalled.  He arranged to sit on a tenant's second floor balcony overlooking the communal back yard.  After three hours, he had seen and heard enough.  I am one of five tenants who have complained about the dog, according to the apartment manager.  The service dog's owner frequently heard me tell the dog, when it was on my patio, barking at my movements inside,that (a) it was a bad dog to bark at neighbors, and (b) this is my patio and the dog shouldn't be here.  When she paid her rent, she was informed that the apartments were giving her a 45-day notice to move.  So she now blames me completely, has written a very nasty letter to me and delivered it by placing it under my door, and has informed me that I "have disrespected" her, and that she "is no longer my friend and will not look or smile at" me.  I feel sorry that she has been given notice.  I am sad that she blames it all on me.  But - she needs to know that the laws of the county, city, and apartment community apply to her, as they do to all residents.....

Short Post

Well, the service dog barked at me three different times yesterday, while sitting loose on my patio, looking in through the door.  I sent a letter to the apartment manager.  While I feel guilty about it, I also feel that I have the right to move around inside my apartment without having a neighbor's dog (a) sitting on my patio and (b) barking at my movements.  Is that too much to expect?
   I am having a blast taking care of the four hens and two cats on Dellwood.  I'll try to get photos of them all before the end of the week.  And I move in with Boo tomorrow - that'll be interesting.  I will miss sleeping with Lovey and Nedi while Kathy and Jim are off looking at sandhill cranes in Nebraska.  At least I have a good supply of books to read - even though I'm currently waiting for the second book of the Tawney Man series to arrive at my library.  I have about 40 pages left of the first book, and I have a jack Reacher novel to read in between - but I'd rather continue on reading Robin Hobb, even though I  love Lee Child's books.
  And today is Thorsday, so I am greatly looking forward to tonight's episode of Vikings.  And word was released that Vikings has been renewed for a third season.  Yahoo!  Can't wait to see more of Ragnar, Rollo, Floki, Helga, Lagertha, Bjorn and Aslaug...  I really enjoy this series!

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!