Sleep and Flooding

I feel such love for my two furry kids - Last night was the first time in three weeks that I was able to sleep all night in my own bed, with Lovey and Nedi.  It was chilly, grey and rainy yesterday, and my clients drove me home after their return, so I spent most of yesterday afternoon doing laundry and straightening up.  (Beatrice was working.)  I also watched several college football games.  The CU Buffs and Oregon Ducks game was scheduled to kick-off at 8 p.m., but we were having a lot of lightning, so it was delayed.  I turned out my reading light around 11, hoping to get a good sleep.  Lovey and Nedi generally awaken me between 5 and 6 every morning, so I didn't really think that I'd be able to "sleep in."  I had nothing to do this morning, so I was really hoping to be able to sleep in, but I figured the kits would want me to get up and feed them before 6:30, as usual.  I woke up several times, noted it was grey and depressing outside, and went back to sleep.  When I finally looked at my clock, it was a few minutes after 9...  and I was amazed.
   Still no word about the fate of Dreamer's Faith, the stolen Chincoteague weanling filly.  This is entering the fifth week since she was removed from the Main Street Carnival grounds on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. She has a very nice 15 freeze brand on her left hip - unless it's been over-branded -and her coat pattern is very distinctive.  Please keep your eyes open for this gorgeous filly - she is greatly missed!
   Speaking of Chincoteague, with the flooding rains being pulled in from Hurricane Joaquin, along with the fall neap tides, full moon and eclipse, parts of the Chincoteague Causeway and some low-lying streets on Chincoteague are under water.  The beach at Assateague is closed to traffic and swimming due to a strong rip tide and dangerous currents.
   On the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, all gates in the fences have been blocked open, so that if there is flooding, the stallions can take the mares and foals up onto higher ground for safety.  There are quite a few hilly places on Assateague that were once tall sand dunes on the eastern shore of the island, but are now located in the center and on the western side of the island, thanks to natural build-up and erosion of a barrier island.  The stallions will takes their herds to higher ground to save their lives and health.  Once this flooding danger is over, the herds will be taken back to their usual compartments, and the gates will again be closed behind them.
   And I feel for South Carolina and their record flooding.  Back in September 2013, Boulder had a "500 year flood," and is still working on recovery.  I do not wish the same for any community or area.

Beautiful Saturday!

I got back to sleep a little after 3 this morning, and was heavily asleep when Lovey sat on my face, waking me up, at 7:30.  I've been up since then.  I've renewed my prescriptions, taken out the trash (after cleaning out the refrigerator), cleaned the litter boxes, fed and watered the cats and the squirrels, and taken out the recycling.  Both Lovey and Nedi have wanted a lot of attention this morning, and I don't blame them in the least.  Lovey slept on top of me all night, except my one hour date with the computer this morning, while Nedi slept with his "arms" wrapped around my right upper arm. Currently the sky here is a bright, cloudless blue, and we're expecting highs in the mid-80s.  The weather folks are calling for afternoon thunderstorms for the up-coming weekdays.
   I'm going out for a late brunch at Turley's Kitchens with Beatrice today.  Then I plan on kicking back until my 5 o'clock football game - Missouri Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks.  No Gator game today, and no Broncos game tomorrow...
   I have to admit that I've enjoyed the beginning of the "new season" on television so far this fall.  I've watched the first new episodes of my favorite TV show, and have been impressed.  They have all had interesting openings - I've seen The Good Wife, Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist, NCIS, Person of Interest, and Blue Bloods.  I have been happily surprised by the three new shows I've seen - Gotham is extremely interesting, NCIS: New Orleans was quirky, and How To Get Away With Murder really sparked my imagination.  And, of course, I'm waiting for the spring arrival of the third season of Vikings.
  And, to answer the question of "pansx" - Shagwa Lake is one of the Red Feather Lakes to the west of Fort Collins.  There is a link with the GPS coordinates in the comments section under your question.  Thanks for asking!

Sleep

Wow.  I really crashed today.  Arrived home from Rosie's at 11 last night - loved and fed the kits, and went to bed.  Bounced out this morning, went and walked Rosie, and returned home.  Caught up on e-mail, and, having a head ache, I put an ice-pack over my eyes. (This was around 11 a.m.)  I just woke up...   Slept the day away....  Oh, well, I guess I needed to sleep.
  Earlier this week, a woman was walking her dogs in Peaceful Valley, here on the front range in Boulder County.  She had removed the dogs leashes, which was unlawful.  Going around a turn in the trail, they encountered a mother moose and her two calves.  The dogs, of course, ran at the babies, barking.  The mother moose stood still.  The silly woman decided it was safe to walk right past the mother moose, to try to collect her dogs.  Momma moose then attacked the woman.  She escaped with a broken leg - but, of course, had to telephone for help, and was removed by EMS crews to an ambulance.  When will people learn that wild creatures are wild? They are protective of their young, just like most  human mothers....
  Besides the black bear in the Githens Acres neighborhood, this morning a young coyote has started prowling about the area.  The wildlife sightings don't bother me, as we are near several GreenWays trails and a huge area of Open Space, both protected from development.  But I can't figure out the folks who want to "live with nature" and then get so upset and excited when a wild creature wanders through their yard.  - They don't mind the mule deer, raccoons, squirrels, and multiple birds - but the predators seem to scare them.  As I said in the above paragraph, wildlife is wild...

Back Home, a Short Post

Something must have been going on that I didn't (and still don't) know about last night.  After making sure that Maggie's house was in the same shape as when I moved in, I called the local Yellow Cab service.  I was on hold for 12 1/2 minutes before giving my pick-up address and name; then there was a 25 minute wait before the cab arrived....  There were no big events occurring in the area, so I'm still puzzled.
   Lovey decided that since I had been gone for several nights, she was going to talk to me all night long.  She did, and I didn't get much sleep.  Nedi was sprawled on the back of the love seat, with his body and tail stretched out along the top, legs hanging on either side, and his face looking directly at me.  If Lovey was't talking to me, Nedi was.  It was a noisy night.
  This morning, we had breakfast, then I took the bus and cared for Tinkerbell, and then walked Rosie.  The kits and I have been reconciling ever since.  I do love my kits.

Vacation

I went to bed last night after the Saints won their game - and I slept for almost 12 hours. It was wonderful not to have to get up at a certain time. Of course, Nedi wanted me up at 5:30, and Lovey thought 7 was the ideal time to arise, but I didn't get up until 8:20 this morning. Comfort! It's in the low 60s right now, and Nedi and Lovey are travelling in and out the back door, playing outside and then coming back in to check up on me. Lovey has spent quite a bit of time just crouched down in the sun - I hope the sun will help her continue to heal well and quickly. Nedi is observing and chasing the birds and insects and squirrels, as usual. I had a late breakfast and took my meds, and could easily curl up again and go back to sleep - but, I do need to do a few things around the house: take out the recycling and clean out the 'fridge... Then again, I can always do that tomorrow!

   Jessica Ridgewy is still missing - this makes it over 72 hours sine she disappeared on her walk to school Friday. Yesterday afternoon, her backpack was found in a residential neighborhood 6.2 miles from her home; police and bloodhounds are searching that area now. Poor kid. If she's still alive her hair may have been cut and/or dyed another color, so please look carefully at her features, the gap between her front teeth, the fact that her ears are pierced, and that she is supposed to wear glasses (I always squint without mine):

I hope she is found safe, and alive, soon.