Colorado Winter Is Here

We've been very dry.   A few inches of snow a few times since mid-autumn.  I've always followed the weather and precipitation trends, since both of my parents were always interested in the weather.   Between being a granddaughter of a farmer and a fisherman, and with Dad being in charge of road crews, watching weather and talking about how it affects people has been normal in my house.  Knowing how the weather affects the water table, which affects agriculture - both farming and livestock raising - and fire danger levels, has been a big part of my life.  The only time we had to "be quiet" during any news cycle (as kids) was during the weather segments.
   Real Colorado winter weather finally reached us Sunday night.  It was 63 degrees (F), sunny and breezy Sunday afternoon.  The wind stayed through most of the night, bringing with it a North Pacific blast of snow and cold.  Early Monday we had freezing rain, which turned to snow.  The snow fell for over 24 hours, followed by small flurries for another 24.  Total snow fall was 10 inches.  But it was the temperatures that were the "killer," for me.  It was 10 degrees Monday morning, and we had a high of 12.  Monday night/Tuesday morning, the low was negative 5; we had a high yesterday of 18.  It was minus 2 degrees at 7:30 this morning, when I returned from walking the dogs.  Brrrrrrr!  The sun is shining, however, and it was 24 at noon.  Steam is rising from the pavement and roadways.
   The snow melt will freeze again tonight in single digit weather.  More snow is forecast for tomorrow and Friday - and sunshine with no precipitation is forecast Saturday through Tuesday.  We'll see what happens.
    So, here I am, sitting in a west facing window, wearing jeans and a T-shirt.  But I have on two pairs of wool socks and house slippers on.  My feet are cold and my legs are chilly.  Dirty snow is covering much of the parking lots to both my left and right.  The fir trees to my left are decorated with snow, and the roof of all the building I see are still covered.  Each time I return from being out in the snow, I kick the sides of my boots, and the toes, along the concrete block garage wall; then I scrape the bottoms on the stair steps, and then wipe them off on the mat outside.  Still cleaning up magnesium water spots from the floor....
  And, according to my NWS/NOAA weather site - it's 80 degrees in Vero Beach; 85 degrees in Gainesville, Florida; and 77 at Chincoteague Island.  Unfair!  My toes want to be uncovered - and warm!

Oh Dear, I Upset a New Neighbor

I moved into the last available apartment in my building on 3 July 2015.  I was informed there was one assigned parking spot for each apartment, and mine was number 50.  There are 30 covered parking spaces, where folks park their cars behind an apartment on the first (ground) floor and under a second floor apartment.  I have a second floor apartment, and I thought my parking spot would be one of the four underneath it.  I was wrong.  My spot is uncovered, in the middle of the parking lot, but at least I can see it from my balcony.
  The only trouble is that the architects, or planners, have the parking lot sloping back to the middle of the lot.  That means that all the rain and all the snow melt runs right into those seven spots, including mine.  And during the winter, when we have temperatures and sun enough to melt snow, all the water flows to those parking spots.  And then the temperature drops to the teens and twenties during the night, and all that standing water turns to - you guessed it - ICE.
   Last Sunday, a week ago, we had 8 inches of snow fall on top of freezing rain.  On Monday, one of the neighbors moved out - I helped him load a few things into his truck, and he had a covered parking spot.  Usually, it takes the management company one to two weeks to clean and rehabilitate an empty apartment, so I asked the building manager if I could park in John's old spot until a new tenant moved in.  Andy, the manager, said, Sure! So, starting Monday night, a week ago, I began using the covered parking spot.  I spoke with Andy this past Friday, and he didn't say anything about a new tenant in John's apartment. So I continued to park there...
   Saturday evening, as I left to feed Pip and Squeak, I found an irate note taped to the driver's window of my borrowed car.   The paper itself was about 6 inches square - but clear packing tape had been used to attach it to the window, and the tape covered the window from top to bottom and side to side. - I guess that was the best way for the writer to express his/her outrage. -  The note read: This is my parking spot.  Because you have been parked here, I have had to move in at night parking further away and crossing ice.  Moving in was not a happy experience.  So thank you very much! -  It was written in a magenta marker, and was not signed.  It took quite an effort to remove the frozen tape from the window....
   However, I have parked in my assigned spot ever since.  I also immediately wrote an apology note, which I had planned on placing on the car which next parked in spot 59, John's covered spot.  No car has yet parked in that space...  I am sincerely sorry that I made the new tenant's move harder than necessary - but it bothers me that I haven't been able to apologize, either.  -  There has been a new addition to the parking lot; a burnt orange car with an equipment pod on the top, but it might belong to someone visiting friends....
   In any event, I am sorry, but I wish I could express it to the new tenant...   *** sigh ***

Snow and Cats

Yesterday began with freezing rain, which turned into snow.  About eight inches of it fell over 14 hours - light, dry stuff, so it was easy to sweep off the balcony.  But since it had rained first, there was a coating of ice under all the snow, which made clearing off the car and driving quite interesting.  I drove slow and steady, and watched as other car fish-tailed all over the place.  Had to go out twice yeaterday, taking cae of Pip and Squeak.  The second time out, another four inches of snow had fallen, but since I had cleared the car earlier, it was a cinch to brush off.
   It was 21 degrees when I went out this morning, but no car cleaning was necessary.  Squeak, however, saw a sparrow on the far side of the koi pond as I opened the door, and ran outside.  After proceeding about ten feet, she realized that snow was up to her belly, and she ran back inside.  Pip sat demurely by the open door during her sister's little run.
   Beatrice pulled an extremely soft and bright-colored afghan from her closet yesterday, and made it an offering to the cats.  Lovey claimed it immediately. She's curled up on it right now, sleeping in the living room, instead of curled up on my bed.  Nedi, too, is asleep in the cat tree in the living room.  That's pretty unusual.  Normally, they are both here in my bed, when I'm working on the PC in the morning....
  A light breeze is picking up, and I'm watching the branches of the fir trees dump their burdens of snow, and spring back into an upright position.  Sometimes the dropping snow startles sparrows and finches that have taken refuge near the tree bole, and they come blasting out to see what's happening before going back into cover...
   Day three of the government shut-down.  I think it will take a few days for both sides to agree to something...  We'll see.

Bits and Pieces

It's nearly noon on Wednesday and the parking lot is almost dry after we had 8.2 inches of snow fall in the last 24 hours.  The sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is up to 45 degrees (F).  I had to scrape 2 inches of frozen ice and snow off the windshield this morning to head for the library, bank, and grocery store, but it came off easily.  I am so lucky that Donn loans me his vehicle while he's in California, Texas and/or Mexico.  It's pretty nice to have a 4-year-old SUV - a VW Touareg - to get my stuff done in - and all I have to do is pay for the fuel I use, and, occasionally, replace the wiper blades...  Donn takes care of everything else, and recently he's been gone for stretches of 4 weeks at a time.  Unfortunately, I am getting very used to having the convenience of a car at my disposal.
   Our raven family hadn't visited the dumpsters next door for three or four weeks, and we were getting worried about them.  They returned this morning and had good breakfasts from Chez Thuy...  Beatrice and I went to Sam's Club and stocked up on nuts, so Bertrando and his gang of squirrels won't go hungry.  And the finches and sparrows are having a ball at the tree feeders, along with the small feeder and water bowl on the balcony.
    It's normal Colorado weather, but it seems really strange to have 8 inches of snow on Tuesday, then temperatures in the 60s and 70s Thursday through Saturday.  We're both getting tired of Boulder, so we'll probably take a day trip out and about - either over the Divide, down south to Manitou Springs, or out to the eastern plains - we need a change of scene.  I'd like to go to Grand Junction, Hanging Lake and Steamboat Springs - but right now we'd have to take I-70 west, and I'd rather not do that, which means waiting until June or so.
    Beatrice and I are going to a Town Hall Meeting with Jared Polis, our Representative in the House on Friday evening.  We have to get there 30 minutes before it begins to get through security - but at least it's nearby, on the CU Campus.  I'm not sure whether either of us will speak, but we are attending.  I loved seeing the news headlines this morning that Bannon is off the National Security Council.  That bigot  had no reason to be on the council in the first place - and I laughed hysterically when a source said that he'd been placed there by 45 to "watch over Mike Flynn's dealings."  As if that did any good...
     We ate at the Cheesecake Factory on Monday night - was stuffed to the gills, and brought home enough for two more meals...  Delicious!
    And - if you're in New York, or nearby, please go see a play that will open on Broadway, in the Cort Theatre, on April 18.  The play is titled Indecent - and it's an incredible musical ...   I give it a High Five in voting ranks!!!  Go - see it - you will never regret it!

More Stuff...

In the Kentucky Derby picture, El Areeb is out of contention, coming back from a breeze with a bone chip in his knee.  Always Dreaming won the Florida Derby this past weekend and Girvin won the Louisiana Derby.  Next Saturday will see the Grand National Steeplechase run at Aintree - there are currently about 50 active entries, any of which can be scratched by the trainer up to the start of the race.  No more than 40 horses are allowed to start in the Grand National.
   We've had some rain and a little drought relief this past week.  Forecasters are claiming we'll get snow tonight, again.  There's a big westerly breeze that is drying, but it looks as if it's bringing clouds up to the mountain tops.  We might have rain, or snow...  I'll just wait and see as always.  The Forecasters were very serious when they said we'd have 5 to 8 inches of snow fall Thursday and Friday, but all we had was a light rain.
   Still missing the lady Rose.  My next pet appointment is on the 14th - walking Nicodemus and Emmett, and then again on the 17th.  Seems very odd not to have walking duties daily...  I could accept an offer from a couple in the same neighborhood - they have three Anatolian Shepherds, a Golden Retriever, and a wolf-German Shepherd mix.  The Golden is the smallest, at 60 pounds; the youngest Anatolian is 7 months old and weighs 75 pounds so far.  The others range in weight from 110 to 135 pounds.  - And when I walk two of them together, the sidewalks and pathways clear out - it seems like I'm walking two great white sharks...  But the owners gave me incorrect dates a few years ago, and while the dogs did receive care from me, it wasn't the full-time care the owner expected.  She gave me a date that was 3 days off from the correct date, and when I noticed the family hadn't returned, I continued to feed, water, and walk all of them - but I wasn't staying in the house.  They were not nice about it, even when I produced their original e-mails regarding dates and times....  So I'm not sure I really want to get involved with them again.
   We have placed a rather light-weight bird feeder on top of the coffee table on the balcony, and placed a small water bowl for the birds as well.   The cats can only go out under supervision, so we won't have any calamities.  But they are so cute when there is a flock of finches and sparrows on the balcony, eating and drinking (and occasionally bathing), and the kits are curled up with their noses against the glass and they are making their instinctive chittering sounds...  Love my kits, but love the birds, too!
   The third Chincoteague pony foal born this year - a little boy I named Lost Tide - didn't survive.  He was born on the 27th and died on the 31st of March.  He was originally ignored by his first-time Mom, but then they were placed together in a box stall with a small paddock.  He seemed to be doing well, they were bonding, and he was nursing.  He laid down for a nap Friday afternoon and didn't wake up.  A filly was born on the 27th, also, I call her The Swan - Mom is Little Duckie and Dad is Legacy.  Then Splash of Freckles had a buckskin pinto filly on April Fools' Day - the fourth foal so far for Legacy...  So he's sired three girls and a boy so far this year.  Riptide has only had the one colt (so far this year) who didn't survive.
 

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:

 

Bits and Pieces

A fourth dead humpback whale has washed up on the Virginia shore today - this time on the beach of Assateague Island, on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.  A necropsy team is on the way.  It seems really odd to me that we're having this spate of humpback bodies in a period of less than 35 days.  I hope the scientists can figure out what is causing the deaths of these magnificent creatures.
   Tonight, Cheeto Voldemort will address a joint session of Congress.  I've decided not to watch this live - his almost constant use of incomplete sentences drives me crazy.  But MSNBC is holding a special late-night Hardball episode at midnight on the east coast - 10 pm here - and I'll be watching that.  The comments of Chris Matthews, Rob Reiner, and Bill Maher will be killers, I'm sure.
   Let's see - after the 8 inches of snow last week, some of which is still on the ground, we're expecting more snow this afternoon or evening.  The cats really wanted out on the balcony yesterday - it was bright and sunny - but the lady who lives above us doesn't clear her balcony of snowfall, so there was a constant shower of snow melt out there.  Both Lovey and Nedi went out, but they didn't stay long when they realized their was a cold shower from above.
   I had the weirdest dream the other night:  I was in a large bedroom, and I heard a big thump from the next room.  I looked out into the hall way, and my friend Beatrice came running out of door and into the hall, yelling, "Flitch back board and split green beans!"  I woke up because it was so weird, and the words made no sense.  I actually wrote the words down so I could ask Beatrice about them when we got up.  Of course, they were nonsense to her, also.
   A pigeon just flew past my window with a bunch of dried grasses in its beak.  I guess it's time to start nest-building around here.  There are three eggs in the bald eagles' nest on Assateague Island.  I'm looking forward to watching them hatch and then fledge. (They're on an eagle-cam feed.) Usually two of the three hatchlings will survive, so we will hopefully continue to help regenerate the species.
   I finally had my hair chopped off Sunday.  I had let it grow out for 3 years, since my sister's cancer diagnosis, but my hair is very fine and it seems to tangle instantaneously.  I'd spend 45 minutes getting all the knots out before I went to bed, and then have to do the same thing in the morning when I got up.  I tried putting my hair in one large loose braid, and in two braids, to sleep in, but I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep.  So I donated 15 inches of grey hair to make wigs  for folks with cancer.  And now, my hair is standing up like a cockscomb across the crown of my head...  I just laugh.
   

Moisture!

Wednesday, the high temperature in Boulder was 64 degrees (F); Tuesday, the high was 75 degrees.  It's now 30 degrees and snowing, and today's and tomorrow's high temperatures might be 34 degrees.  The most important thing, however, is the falling snow.  The forecasters have said that we might end up with two inches of snow on the ground.  We need much, much more.  Since the temperatures have been so warm, the snow melted when it first started to fall around 5 o'clock this morning.  The parking lot for my apartment complex is just beginning to show an accumulation of snow, and it has already blanketed roofs and grassy areas.  My morning walk with Rosie has been cancelled, but I'll probably be over at her house for a couple of hours this afternoon.  (The afternoon schedule is a wait-and-see item from her owners.)
   The last few weeks, when I have walked from Rosie care to the bus stop, I've crossed the Peace Lutheran Church's field that is also a playground.  It's been strange to watch the ground shrink and dry up, leaving little plaques of dirt among the dried grasses, and to notice the cracked areas around the plaques getting wider and wider, for lack of moisture.  Then, too, I can see my previous footprints, and watch them settle more deeply into the parched ground.  With the area this dry, I am glad that we have snow coming down.  If it had been rain (which I prefer, being from the South), the ground would have been too dry to be able to absorb the water, and there would have been an over-abundance of run-off, taking the top layer of soil with it.  I know very well that it's silly, but, in a way, I'd love a huge snow storm that would keep everyone at home for a week so that we could replenish the earth's moisture.
    Nedi ran out into the early snow, decided that it was better under the coffee table, and then, when a swirl of snow covered him (even there), he decided to come back in.  I haven't seen our local squirrels, but the smaller birds have been visiting our bird feeder, and the local raven family has just appeared to visit the Vietnamese dumpster.  I think I'll work on family genealogy today....

Snow and Genealogy

I think Mother Nature likes to make me crazy.  It was 60 degrees here on Monday and Tuesday, the last two days of January.  On the first day of February, it was 40 degrees, and then the temperature kept dropping and sleet and freezing drizzle began to fall.  Yesterday, we had a very light fine, dry snow fall all day, and it's still coming down... one or two flakes at a time.  It was 14 degrees when I left this morning to care for the hens and cats on Dellwood; I had asked my nephew if he would shovel the sidewalks at Dellwood if it snowed, as he lives one block away.  He never answered, so I shoveled like mad this morning.  It was still 14 degrees when I returned home, 90 minutes later.  At 11 a.m., it's 19 degrees.  -  But it's supposed to be 58 Saturday, Sunday and Monday....  Is the Lady upstairs having hot flashes?
     In any event, I've hit a couple of walls in my genealogy work - Elizabeth Cox was born on 25 Jun 1675 according to her grave stone, and died on 10 May 1837.  According to Family Search, she was married to Hezekiah Hall on 11 Nov 1784.  But there are no records of her parents that I have been able to find....  The other wall, at the moment is Moses Cleveland's grandfather, Richard Cleveland. The church records of St Nicholas Parish in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, record Moyses Cleveland being baptized on 26 February 1604, and that his father's name is Isack Cleveland.  Church records indicate that Isaac was married to a woman named Alice, and that Isaac was born 1 Jan 1584 and that he died on 3 June 1626.  Church records also indicate that his father (Isack's) was Richard Cleveland, who was baptized in July of 1542 at St Nicholas Parish in Ipswich, Suffolk.
   I need to find Elizabeth Cox's parents, and I need to find Richard Cleveland's parents....   Of course, there are lots of other dead-ends, also.
   I start taking care of Maggie May today - her folks are heading off to Vail for a wedding in the family.  That means we should have a vehicle available for the rest of the weekend.  Then, next weekend, Rosie's parents will be gone and we will again have wheels...  Having a vehicle for use is heavenly.

This 'n' That

We had about three and a half inches of wet snow fall during the first half of Monday - Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  About one in the afternoon, I stepped out onto our balcony and used the dustpan to scoop the wet snow off the railings, and to uncover Penny and Wendell's solar batteries.  Nedi came out, but Lovey decided it was too wet for her little toesies.  This morning there's a think sheet of ice on the balcony floor, but that's all that's left.
   On Saturday, 28 January (my Mom's birthday), the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup will take place at Gulfstream Park in Florida.  Twelve people, or racing entities, each put up $1 million to enter a single horse in the race.  It will cover a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the main dirt track.  The names of the horses running were turned in yesterday.  I'm not sure when the draw for post positions will be held, but NBC is covering the race live from 4:30 until 6 p.m. EST.  The twelve declared runners are:  California Chrome; Shaman Ghost; Keen Ice; War Story; Neolithic; Breaking Lucky; Prayer for Relief; War Envoy; Ralis; Noble Bird; Arrogate; and Eragon.
    Well, as usual, I was tracking backwards on my family tree yesterday.  I had started with a woman named Miriam "Mary" Swett, who was born in 1672 and died in 1734.  As it got later, I was (honestly) hoping that her ancestors would disappear...  However, about 10:30 last night, I came upon one of her (and my) ancestors whose name was William de Braose.  He was known as "Black William" Baron of Abergavenny; he was born around 1204 and he died on 2 May 1230.  I had no problem with that.  However, under cause of death, it stated that he, Black Will, had been hanged inside his own castle, Aber Castle, by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth.  Both of these men are my many-times-great-grandfathers....  I decided to stop investigating for the night.  I had already run into an ancestor, who, along with his son-in-law, were killed in battle at Blore Heath, the first battle in the War of the Roses....   Too much history.  (I'm currently reading an excellent account of the years 1775 & 1776 in and around Boston, Massachusetts, from both the English and American point of views.)
    I start taking care of Roxie and Finney today - as well as walking Rosie.  The first two are Brittany Spaniels, and Finney just returned from 4 weeks of Hunting School.  Not that her owners use her for hunting; she just has a huge drive to hunt and point at prey, so it was decided to use her energy in a non-harmful way.  She used to point at squirrels in the yard, and one had to grab her by the collar and pull her away to get her to break the point.  I'll have to see what we'll be doing while the owners are gone...
    I hope you have a great week!

Nature With Rosie

Rosie and I had a "nature day" this past Friday.  Just a quick reminder that Rosie is an elderly Irish Setter, who, at 14 + years, has out-lived her brother, her parents, and, as of last week, all four of her puppies.  Rosie has problems walking these days - her hind legs have no feeling, thanks to a compressed spinal cord, but once she gets her feet under her, she can keep walking for miles.  But - her left hind paw turns over as she walks, and she scrapes her toes raw, so we avoid walking her on asphalt and concrete surfaces these days.
   Friday, it had gotten a little warmer after snowing, and the roads and sidewalks were snow-packed, so we walked to my sister's instead of driving.  Her toes just slipped on the snow-pack, and didn't abrade, so we footed it.  The amount of small wildlife we saw was amazing.  Several bunnies were along the Garnet spur, and they all went dashing into burrows under a huge juniper bush.  Rosie had to spend a lot of time investigating each and every path.  When we turned onto Topaz, several squirrels chittered at us from one of Bernie's cottonwoods.  As we approached the next home, we were greeted by an eight-point buck and six does.  Rosie whined, but sat quietly and we watched them cross the street in front of us.  We passed lots of small birds singing in the trees, and saw tracks of squirrels, a raccoon, and other dogs in the snow.
   When we reached my sister's home, we went in by the Creek gate, and I took the leash off Rosie's harness.   Her first item of business was following the trail of a single deer that had jumped the gate, and then gone diagonally across the back yard.  The only areas clear of snow were right up against the line of firs trees along the irrigation ditch, so I set my chair up there.  Rosie began playing "safari" - looking for lions and tigers and bears (oh, my!) under the drooping boughs,  She spent about ten minutes doing her reconnaissance mission, and then felt it was safe enough to go wallow in a deep snow drift.  After several back-scratching rolls and wiggles, she heaved a deep sigh, and came back beside me.   She chose a sunny spot on the grass, and stretched out to absorb the sun's rays.
   I sat in the chair and watched the sky, listened to birds, and thought about how nice my life is.  (I was also hoping that it would stay this nice...)  Looking at the sky, I noticed that the lowers clouds were racing from the west to the east, and I watched a jet's contrail get twisted into a double helix before it was totally blown away and apart.  The higher, larger clouds were slowing moving to the northeast, and formed a darker backdrop for the lower, faster clouds.
   I then noticed there were very few birds singing in the back yard, so I started scanning the boles of the firs.  The fifth one I gazed at had a pair of great horned owls, a male and a larger female, near the top branches.  On the other side of the yard, there was the usual gaggle of chickadees, sparrows, juncos, robins, and one rufous-sided towhee.  Then a murder of crows flew over, followed by a few magpies...  All in all, the normal sightings in the Githens Acres neighborhood.
   Rosie and I walked back quietly - she was a little tired, and (I think) starting to get chilly.  I kept on thinking about all of the creatures that I had been allowed to view.  Got Rosie home, and she immediately curled up in her bed, so I threw her coverlet over her.  Then I stepped back out the front door and had a squirrel greet me.  Creatures in life are nice.

Genealogy Verifications

It's nine o'clock on a Sunday morning...  Bertrando, the squirrel, has been on top of his telephone pole twice this morning, eating walnuts that we put out for him - and it's snowing, again.  Before dawn, we had a a combination of rain and sleet fall, as I heard it hitting my window; now it's just snowing.  It started out with tiny flake, and, in the past fifteen minutes, the flakes have gradually increased in size.  I spent 70 minutes putting up the Christmas lights yesterday morning, so they are up and I don't have to think about them again until a few days after New Year; then I'll take them back down.
   I've been working on my family tree again, thanks to my cousin Brian and his interest in the family.  My old PC crashed and I couldn't recover the family tree, so I've been re-examining it and trying to double check what I had put down as fact previously.  I found a sticking point earlier this week, and am just going to work around it for the moment.  I was following my Washburn family line back, and discovered discrepancies that I could not accept, looking at my old records, and preparing to put them in the new ones. My Grandma Grace's grandmother was Lucinda Washburn, daughter of Lewis Washburn and Nancy Moore.  Lewis is the son of Benjamin Bartlett Washburn and Dorcas Hall, and Lewis' first son was also named Benjamin Bartlett Washburn.  I was surprised to read that Nancy Moore's maternal great-grandfather was George Washington's "brother, Col. William Washington."  Wrong.  The man's name was William Washington, but he was a distant cousin (5 generations back) to President George Washington.  I was eventually able to trace the Washington family back to the 1200s in England.
   But Benjamin B. Washburn is another story...  Apparently I fell into the easy theory that a lot of other folks have followed:  That Benjamin was the son of land speculator John Washburn, who was born in Connecticut, and then moved to Culpeper County, Virginia.  John Washburn married Sussanah Suchy, and they had multiple children; some of the children's birth dates are recorded, others aren't.  John and Susannah had a son named Benjamin, who married, and moved to Shelby County, Kentucky.  He was born in 1852.  After much digging, I found that John and Susannah's son Benjamin had the middle name of Austin - not Bartlett.  The birth and death dates did not match, nor did the place of death....  So I'm back seeking the father and mother of Benjamin Bartlett Washburn.        That's one of the joys (and aggravations) of doing genealogy on the web - there are such a great number of sources of information to be found and used.  But do not completely trust someone else's research - I've seen more than 50 people who have my Benjamin B. Washburn listed as the son of parents who do not belong to him...  Keep seeking the truth!

It'a a Little Chilly Out

Thankfully, there wan't any wind to speak of during our snow Tuesday night and Wednesday - and it isn't windy or breezy now - winds are "calm" and it's all of five degrees outside.  The sun is shining, and fog is developing on the roadways.  The big worry out driving today is unseen ice on the road...  I'm not going out, unless there's an emergency for one of my clients.  - I'm sitting here, in my desk chair, wearing slippers, sweatpants and a T-shirt.  And I'm warm enough that I've pulled my hair back into a ponytail so my neck won't sweat...   I'll put my boots on later and go out and sweep the balcony clean.
   Beatrice, my room-mate, just left with Mike.  They spent yesterday afternoon working on a Christmas surprise for Mike's wife Sarah, and they're hoping to get it finished today.  A week ago I introduced Lovey to Bea's new waterbed mattress, one that is "waveless."  Now, every morning at 9:30, Lovey goes and gets on Bea's bed, and follows the sunshine from the window across Bea's king size mattress.  She just luxuriates in the warmth and the sun.  When the sun is not shining, she whines and complains to both of us, as if we can turn the sun on for her...
   Nedi is working apace on his newest art project. He loves boxes.  Smaller ones, and crisp paper, he shreds with his teeth - but he loves to artfully claw and scratch large boxes.  The only large one we have inside is the one that Bea's old waterbed mattress is packed in.  We need to take it down into the basement storage area, but Nedi is having a delightful time clawing and scratching the upperreaches of the box.  He was actually swinging by his front paws, with hind feet and tail off the floor, yesterday morning.  It means we sweep the floor daily, and sometimes thrice; but it keeps the boy happy and he doesn't attack the furniture.
   We're supposed to warm up to 40 degrees tomorrow, so I'll be walking Rosie again.  I spent yesterday with Tessa, Cleo, Lily and Lyra - walked Tessa and Cleo for 45 minutes in the snow at 1 p.m. and then stayed inside as  much as possible.  I turned the dogs loose every 90 minutes to go run and play and use the bathroom in the snow, but I did not join them.  Even Lyra, who longs to escape the house, didn't try to go out...  She's a smart kitty!

It IS Snowing

I stepped outside yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock to take out the recycling and to check the mail.  I was quite surprised to have two teeny-tiny snowflakes land on my glasses lens.  It came down small and fine, almost like powdered sugar, at first - in 3 hours, it was big fluffy flakes falling.  This morning, it's fine light flakes again.  The newspaper says we had 5.1 inches fall overnight - and, of course, it's still coming down.   - Right now, I'm looking at a red-shafted flicker eating mealyworm suet from the feeder in the backyard, at Lynn's house.
   Seeing how light, fluffy, and fine the snow looked, I took the broom downstairs to the Touareg - swept 95% of the snow off in just a couple of minutes.  A neighbor was trying to clear her car with her hands, so I loaned her the broom to get her going.  The car started right up, and, as I had pulled the wipers away from the windows, I had no problems with them being stuck.  Then again, it was so cold, there was no ice melt on the windows to worry about...   Supposed to get up to 20 degrees (F) today, with a low tonight of -3.  I'll be safe at home with my kits, when that occurs.
   I had no problems getting from the apartment to Lynn's house, but I had to laugh when I arrived: the garage door was stuck mid-way up and down.  Christine hadn't waited to be sure the door closed before exiting the driveway.  I had to get out of the car, stoop under the door, and use the re-set button inside to get it to close, and then re-open, so I could drive the Touareg inside.
   Lily met me at the laundry door, which was a surprise - but I guess she knew I was here to feed her. Opened the office door and Lyra, Cleo and Tessa popped out, in that order.  I put Cleo and Tess out while I fed the cats breakfast, and made the dog's breakfast.  "Made the dogs' breakfast" sounds funny, but Tess and Cleo both get assorted supplements added to their food.  After the car crash, Tessa's kidney function test was a bit abnormal, and she's never been a big water drinker, so the vet suggested giving her turkey or chicken broth to drink.  That's now mixed in her food, as well, and, of, course, Cleo has to have some, too.
   Currently, Tessa is asleep in the entryway; Cleo is asleep on the radiant-heat tile floor behind me; Lily is upstairs on the bed; and Lyra is snuggled up in her petal bed in the top of the cat tree, watching the snow fall and the birds visit the three feeders.
   My kits are home and have probably awakened Beatrice by now.  I gave them a treat for their breakfast and they ate almost all of it.  Nedi wanted to go out and play in the snow on the balcony, but I didn't open the door for him.  He was giving me a hugely pleading look, but no mews, when I left to come here....
   Supposed to stop snowing around noon (according to the weather folks) and then just keep getting colder.  We'll see.  I have a book to read, and can do genealogy work while I'm here.  I promised Christine I'd stay until she returned from her planned trip and a stop back in at work.  I won't be bored, with four critters, books, the internet, television, and the outside winter wonderland to keep me engaged!

What Storm?

For the last ten days, Boulder has had warnings about a huge winter storm that was due to arrive yesterday evening.  We were warned to be prepared for several days of snow and Arctic temperatures.  Yesterday's local newspaper shouted that we would have at least four inches of snow on the ground by morning.
  It was very windy yesterday, but the temperatures were up in the low 40s.  I wore my coat, hat and gloves.  We had high winds in the afternoon and early evening with gusts up to 80 miles per hour.  The wind died well before 7 p.m., and all was quiet when I turned out my reading light at midnight.
  The cats let me sleep in until 7 this morning.  I awoke to see bright blue skies and glaring sunshine.  It was only 5 degrees (F) outside, but there was no snow to be seen.  Late last night, the snow warning was changed to start about noon today.  This morning, we're being told the snow will begin this evening, and that we'll have 6 inches on the ground by morning. Uh-huh.    I'll believe it when I see it.
   In the meantime, Bea and I had left-over ham for lunch yesterday and turkey for supper.  We'll probably have ham for lunch again, but we've agreed on having pizza for supper.  While I was out this morning, I purchased a nice, plump baking hen for tomorrow's supper - I think we'll have sweet potatoes and a vegetable medley with it.  And I'll either make gingerbread, or a devil's food cake for us to munch on...
    Hope all of you have a good week!

Snow!

We're having our second snow fall of the fall - it'd been falling steadily here in Boulder since 9 a.m., and is forecast to end about 9 tonight.  Our high temperature for the day was 31 degrees (F), but there is very little accumulation on the ground.  There is about a half-inch on the chairs, table and hot-tub cover here at Rosie's, but the road is clear of snow, though the driveway isn't.  I am staying at Rosie's until Sunday night, when her family returns.
   I, once again, had to laugh and shake my head over a client - both yesterday and today.  She called me up, asking if I could send something to her via overnight express shipping at 5 yesterday evening.  But she wanted to receive it before 5 p.m. today.  I told her I couldn't do it.  So she tracked down several other friends of hers, who, also, could not accommodate her.  She called me back at 9:30 last night, and explained that she'd be staying at Disneyland, and she needed to receive the package before she arrived.  (It's a legal herbal supplement around the world.)  I asked why she couldn't receive it at her Disney hotel?  Oh!   She hadn't thought of that...  So, at 10:30 last night, she texts me the details of where they're staying at Disney - I was in bed.
   This morning, I went to her home and picked up the small plastic tub that weighed 8 ounces.  I took it to FedEx and sent it off to Disneyland.  I could have the package delivered before 10 a.m. tomorrow, before noon tomorrow, or before 10 a.m. Monday.  The client is leaving Monday for Mexico, and she wanted it immediately.  The costs for the three deliveries were:  $119, $74, or $56.  I chose the $74 one with delivery by noon tomorrow (Saturday).  I paid this out of my own pocket, with a reimbursement promised by the client.  Thank goodness I had enough to cover the cost, as I had just paid my rent and all other bills due...
   Tomorrow Beatrice and I plan on hanging our icicle lights from the balcony, and deciding how to put up the colored lights.  She wants to put up the multi-colored rope light over the sliding glass door, but I think we'll need Mike and his trusty electric screwdriver to place the screwed holders into the concrete-board siding.  I had a very hard time driving nails in, and so did Mike, the last time we put things up out there....    And we're expecting an Arctic front Monday night through Wednesday, with highs in the teens and lows in the single digits, with lots of snow!  Got my plants in off the balcony this afternoon, in preparation for that.
   I hope that all of you have a great weekend, where ever you live!

Snow and Books

So after more than fourteen hours of snow fall, the sun is shining, and most of the sky is bright blue.  But it's 23 degrees outside - not the 80 degrees we had two days ago.  There is snow on our balcony, and on top of Bertrando's telephone pole.  The parking lot and street are almost entirely clear of snow.  There is a small amount of snow scattered across the grasses and bushes  in the little area between our apartment and the restaurant next door, but the community building across the creek looks to have two to three inches of snow on their large yard.
   I had to turn the heat on this morning when I got up.  We'd had the air conditioning turned on Wednesday, but my legs were chilly under my blanket when I awoke this morning, so I turned the heat on.  We have eight biscuits left from last night, and a large amount of soup - that's all in the refrigerator at the moment.  And I had two raspberry muffins for breakfast today - yum!  Waiting to hear from various clients as to whether they want their dogs walked today...  I'm very happy to do so, but a few will want their dogs to stay home because of the cold, and a few because of the snow and ice on the ground.  Winter day walks are always a toss-up.
   I finished reading The Rest I Shall Kill, a very good, but incomplete, biography of William Tillman.  It's incomplete because we really have no history of the man before the incident that made him a "Northern hero," and because, like today's 15 minutes of fame, he disappeared into obscurity a month or so later.  It's really a shame that a man can have so little known about him, even after he's been acclaimed a hero of the Civil War.  -  I also just finished reading the new Jack Reacher novel,Night School, by Lee Child.  I also find it funny that Lee Child, an Englishman, is the author of a series of books that introduce and maintain the idea of the iconic American ex-GI....  But I thoroughly enjoy each and every one of them!
    Going back to read a few more Eight Countries books by Elizabeth Moon that I haven't seen before...  Should be a snug reading and sewing weekend.

Cold and Rain

I just added a pound of diced ham to the crock pot of beans simmering away, and I also added another two cups of water to the mix.  The beans have been simmering for two hours, with a good sprinkle of coarsely ground pepper and a dash of lemon zest.  Can't wait for this evening!   I'll have a left-over slice of pizza for lunch, along with a salad.   And I'll be sewing tablecloths today, also.
   The forecast for today was cloudy and cool, with a high of 40 (cold, compared to yesterday's high of 80).  They said the rain and/or possible snow wouldn't arrive until after 4 this evening.  It was 38 when I got up this morning; an hour ago it was 35 and misting rain.  I think our high temperature was at midnight.  The clouds were hovering just on the tops of Bear, Green, and Flagstaff mountains this morning, then dropped down to the tops of the Flatirons.  Now the Flatirons are invisible, and I can see 2 to 3 blocks away from my balcony, but no more.  We're getting socked in.  (And this kind of weather makes me want to curl up and sleep...)
   I've "rescued" the ivy from the balcony, but think I'll let the honeysuckle stay out overnight.  If it continues to be extremely cold, I'll bring that in, also.  Nedi wanted to go out this morning, but didn't stay long.  Now that the balcony is wet, he wants out again.  I was mean and said he couldn't go out. With the weather cold and damp, Rosie's walk was cancelled this morning, which I pretty much expected.  I might not walk her tomorrow, either, depending on the weather and how she feels, but I do have a date with her tomorrow night, so her parents (owners) can go out and relax.
   Originally, I was to pick up some clients from the airport on Saturday, but they've been delayed, and will return on Monday, so I have vehicle access until then.  Which means that Beatrice and I might go up into Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend...  We'll have to see what driving conditions and weather are like.
   I hope your Thursday is great!

Bits and Pieces

I admitted to signing a petition on Facebook: one that fans sign to, hopefully, get the Denver Broncos to bring Tim Tebow back, to try out as the new starting quarterback.   Believe me, I know all of the pro and con arguments regarding Tebow as an NFL quarterback.  I just happen to like the young man, and he's always been extremely polite when we've met.  -  He reminds me a great deal of Steve Spurrier, and I still love the "ol' ball coach," too.  -  Some folks have commented in support, and others have been blatant in their dislike.  Unless someone starts cursing, I'll let all comments stand…  As I said to a friend, if we all had the same opinion about everything, life would be very boring.

    As of this moment, as far as I know, there are six new foals for 2016 on the southern end of Assateague - the ponies that get sold at the Chincoteague Pony Penning and Auction in July.  Of the six, four are definitely boys, one is definitely a girl, and one hasn't presented any body parts to identify. Wild Island Orchid has the filly; Wildest Dream's bay foal is not yet known, but the other four are boys.  I know that the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has a long-term plan for continuing the herds - each year the foals' bloodlines and conformation are examined.  That decides which foals are designated as "Buy Back" ponies and which are sold to new homes on the mainland, and in other countries.
   I admit that I'm a sucker for baby horses.  I love all of them.  I find all of them cute.  Some foals that other people consider plain, or even ugly, always have some type of beauty.  SO far, I'm in love with all six of the CVFC foals.  I think that Wildest Dream's bay is a filly - and I would love to have her for her size and conformation - not to mention how her strip wiggles like a snake's tail.  But I also really love the other five foals.  Tunie's pinto colt is rugged; and I'd  think the guys would want to keep Lady's buckskin as a replacement for Copper Moose; Lyra's Vega's colt and Wild Island Orchid's filly are beautiful chestnuts.  But, for some reason, I have the feeling that out of the foals born so far, Diamond's Jewel's pinto colt by Riptide will bring the most bidders.  Unless another truly magnificently marked foal arrives - which is always a possibility with our ponies!
   And I've been informed that the (so far) single foal up on the Maryland end of Assateague is also a colt - by Yankee, out of Carol's Girl.

    After the 18.3 inches of soggy snow that fell for four days, most has since melted.  The apple tree in Lynn's yard lost a large limb, and a few willow withies came down, but there was no other damage here.  Most of the snow that was pushed up under the bird feeder tree at my apartment has also melted - I put out 3 pounds of sunflower seeds for the birds and a pound of walnuts, almonds and Brazil nuts for the squirrels today.  I had to clear my throat for Bertrando to realize that I was standing two feet away from him while he was stuffing his face at the feeder….  He looked very surprised, so I was glad it was just me.

    Cupid, the betting favorite for the Arkansas Derby (who finished tenth of eleven), has been diagnosed with a "breathing disorder" and will not participate in the Kentucky Derby.  I wonder if he had an entrapped epiglottis?  I believe that the current betting favorite for the Derby is Nyquist.

Heavy Spring Snow; Creator Wins Arkansas Derby

Well, it started out as rain Friday morning; turned to snow Saturday morning, switched back to a snow-sleet-rain mix yesterday afternoon and evening, and became snow, once again.  The folks up the hill at NCAR, NOAA, and NWS say that Boulder has received 17.1 inches of snow as of 7 a.m. this morning.  That's not counting the rain that fell for 18 hours before the snow - and that's not counting the snow that is continuing to fall….  I've been out banging brooms against tree limbs and bushes, trying to keep the limbs from breaking.
   I took Donn's Touareg home to visit the cats this morning - and was very happy I did.  When I returned to Lynn's, I found that a very large tree limb had broken and was lying where the Touareg had been parked.  It would have easily taken out t he windshield, not to mention damaging the hood and motor….  Glad I took the VW home for a couple of hours!   Also, when I returned, the neighbor across the street was shoveling his walkway, and informed me that his power was off, as were two of the other neighbors'.  I have power at Lynn's - but I don't know if it's reserve from the solar power, or if we just weren't affected by the transformer blowing.
   Christine came home last night to shower and change clothes before leaving for her boyfriend's place again.  She asked me if I had the keys to the Lexus, and I told her that I hadn't seen them since I arrived.  she looked around, then went digging in her Mom's coat pockets and found the keys.  So she took the Lexus last night, and left the Prius.  But I'm really happy I took the car out of the drive to go home this morning.

    A grey colt sired by Tapit won the Arkansas Derby yesterday, but it wasn't Cupid, the betting favorite who is trained by Bob Baffert.  Steve Asmussen trained Creator, another grey son of Tapit into the winner's circle yesterday.  Gettysburg, the Pioneer of the Nile colt, blazed  the first mile's fractions.  Creator was last in the field of twelve, at one point almost 16 lengths behind the leaders.  But Creator ran from last up to first place, and won easily.  Suddenbreaking News and Whitmore, the two geldings in the race, finished second and third.  Creator was sent off at 11 to 1 in the betting.  Cupid, who had trailed Gettysburg through the first furious mile, tired and finished tenth in the field.  Eleven of the twelve starters finished, with Luna de Loco pulling up.