What Lives On Assateague Island? - The Mammals

Lots and lots of creatures live on Assateague Island, and/or in and on the surrounding waters. Despite the often harsh conditions that occur in a coastal environment, a wide variety of animal species have managed to find a niche on, or around, Assateague, which stretches from southern Maryland to northern Virginia in the Atlantic Ocean.  Each of the island's different ecological zones provide habitat for a multitude of animals; these include birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.  Today, I'll write about the mammals - those air-breathing, warm-blooded creatures like us, who walk upon the ground or swim in the ocean.
   More than twenty-five types of mammals live in or around the island of Assateague; the most well-known are the wild ponies.  They are descendants of feral horses and ponies; the first-known being the blinded Spanish pit ponies that were ship-wrecked on the island from the galleon La Galga, and were noted in a report to Spain by the Spanish ambassador.  The people of coastal Maryland and Virginia were taxed upon ownership of livestock, and they allowed their stock to run free on Assateague to avoid payment of said taxes, and, so, the "wild ponies" of Assateague came about.  The 80-plus ponies living on the Maryland end of Virginia receive only contraceptive darts for care; the ponies in Virginia belong to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and are kept on Assateague via a contract with the US government.  The ponies feed primarily on salt-marsh cord grass, but also consume beach grass, greenbriar, bayberry, poison ivy, and many other types of vegetation that are not in the usual horse's diet.
   Other large mammals also roam the parks (the Assateague National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge) grazing and browsing on low-lying vegetation.  They are the indigenous Virginia White-tailed deer, and the non-native Sika deer, a miniature type of Asian elk, who were introduced to Assateague in the 1920s.  On-going research is evaluating the ecological effects of Sika deer on both native vegetation communities and their effect upon other wildlife, including the native white-tailed deer.
   The other other mammals range in size from small rodents, to bats, to furry critters, to large marine mammals - including the bottlenose dolphin and several species of whale that feed in the island's offshore waters.  Besides the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin, and the common dolphin are frequently seen around the island - in the ocean and in the channels and bays.
Whale sightings include the fin whale, humpback whale, pilot whale, sperm whale and right whale. Seals are occasionally seen resting on Assateague Island, also; usually sighted are the harp seal, harbor seal, and, rarely, the hooded seal.
   Red foxes build dens in sand dunes and roam the island hunting for mice, birds, insects, and berries. Opossums  and raccoons provide the important environmental service of waste removal, feeding on the island's carrion, as well as insects, larvae, berries and small rodents.  The only marsupial in North America, the opossum give birth to premature young which complete their development in a pouch on the outside of the mother's body.
   Rodents such as the meadow jumping mouse and meadow vole live in grasses bordering both salt- and freshwater wetlands.  They feed on seeds, wetland plants, and in the case of the jumping mouse, insects.  Though seldom seen, both river otters and muskrat make their home in the island's marshes and adjacent waterways.
 A listing of mammals on and around Assateague Island:
Chincoteague/Assateague ponies
Red fox
Whales - fin, humpback, pilot, right, and sperm
White-tailed deer
Bats - little brown, red, and silver-haired
Delmarva fox squirrel
Raccoon
Eastern cottontail rabbit
Dolphins - Atlantic bottlenose, Atlantic white-sided, and common
Sika deer (miniature Asian elk)
Mice - house, meadow jumping, and white-footed
River otter
Rats - Norway and rice
Least shrew
Muskrat
Virginia opossum
Meadow jumping vole
Seals - harbor, harp, and hooded

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!
 

Bits and Pieces

We have flocks of birds visiting the feeders, and Bertrando, the squirrel, is sprawled flat across the top of the telephone pole, soaking up the sun.  The skies are blue, with a few high clouds, but the view of the Flatirons, less than 1.5 miles away, is already hazy.  I changed my hair color yesterday - it is now a deep burgundy, with purple highlights.  I'll keep it this color through the summer, and then go back to being a grey, almost totally white, haired old lady again.
   It looks like a very interesting field building up for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday - Patch, the one-eyed horse; Tapwrit, Lookin At Lee, Epicharis, Irish War Cry, Hollywood Handsome, J Boys Echo, Senior Investment, and, possibly, Gormley.  The post position draw will be held Wednesday.
    One of my client's said she'd be staying at home this summer - she told me that in mid-May.  I dropped her off at the airport the third week of May, and picked her up the last week of May; then she flew out on 1 June, and back yesterday.  I'll take her to the airport on Friday, and she says she thinks she'll be back around the 24th of June...  Of course, it isn't "really" summer until June 21 - but I always think of summer as June, July, and August...  I'll have to see what happens in later months.  The client's gentleman friend, who is also a client, left on 31 May and returns 7 June, only to leave again on 9 June, with his lady friend.  I know he has to be in California in late June - but don't know when he'll return from the 9 June trip.  Gotta say that this job is always interesting, and never the same any day!  The first client's daughter, who is currently living with her Mom, will be going to a wedding the last weekend of June - and I have been asked to care for the family house and critters for that weekend - but the Mom said she'd be back then - but that's the weekend the gentleman leaves for California - I'll just have to wait and see what happens....
    Beatrice, my roommate, is African-American.  Her maternal grandmother was a Louisiana Creole named Annie DeClouette.  I'm working on her family tree, since we've received her DNA results from 23andMe.  I've been able to trace her DeClouette line back the Governor of Bienvienido, Cuba in the 1700s.  Her paternal line I have been able to trace back to a slave named Priest Trickles, who was born in South Carolina in 1820.  We're heading down to the African-American History Library in Denver today to do more research...
    Foals are popping out all over the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island.  Although we have lost two of the babies, 51 have been born so far (as of yesterday evening, anyway).  The latest was a chestnut pinto sired by Hoppy, and out of Carol's Little Freedom.  Thetis and Wild Thing's bay pinto colt (born May 14) is as bold as brass - and bugles challenges to the tour boats full of tourists.  He certainly give pony lovers' their money's worth!  I also double-checked with the intrepid photography couple, Steve and Darcy Cole, who told me that my buy-back filly, Surfer Princess, has apparently settled into Tornado Legacy's herd.  Her previous best buddy, Badabing, is now content with Ajax.
    My heart goes out to the people of England - first the vehicular attack outside of Parliament, then the suicide bombing outside the concert in Manchester two weeks ago, and now the vehicular attack on London Bridge with three men then going on a stabbing rampage.  Most of my ancestors were from England, and I love that small strong country dearly.  London is one of my favorite cities to visit and explore.  As the old World War signs stated, "Keep calm and carry on," is the country's mantra - and it's perfect in these times of escalating terrorism.
    And, again, the current President of the United States is a complete and total asshole.

Squirrels Around the World - Photos

Local Wildlife

Since I've been out early and late for the past week, I've been surprised at the amount of early morning wildlife I've encountered.  It's been in the teens and single digits for temperatures overnight, so I really didn't expect to see a lot of critters out and about before sunrise.  The number of birds, squirrels, rabbits and mule deer out and about was mind-boggling.  
   This morning, I was driving down a residential street - two driving lanes, and parking lanes on both sides - when I met a herd of mule deer does (no buck) who were strolling, shoulder to shoulder, lined up almost evenly, from curb to curb.  I had to stop and wait for them to part and walk around the car before I could drive on.
   The other morning, just as the first rays of light were spreading in the east, I stepped out of the car, closed the door, and heard the hoot of an owl.  Looking around, I saw the pair of great horned owls that are usually in the neighborhood during the winter.  Then I heard the "neeep, neeep" of several nut hatches, followed by the calls of chickadees.  Then a flock of more than 20 magpies flew over, making comments.  At the next house, I encountered several rufous-sided towhees, and a huge flock of sparrows.
    The cottontail rabbits are still greatly in evidence. My brother-in-law was amazed to see the local bobcat stalk, attack, kill, and eat a rabbit in his back yard garden.  The few times I've seen the foxes this fall and winter, they, too, have been chowing down on the surplus rabbits.  The mink is spotted about once a week around the neighborhood, too.
    One of our previous neighbors, who moved away, contacted me yesterday and told me that a friend of hers had purchased a home on Tamarack recently, and was very surprised to see the bobcat cross her yard two nights ago.  Risa told Tracey about my Wildlife Watch newsletter, and Tracey wanted to be signed up.   I contacted her last night, and added her to the e-mail group this morning.  I hope she appreciates the area's natural wildlife as much as I do!
 

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.

This 'N' That

Sitting at my desk, looking out the window, and watching Bertrando, our favorite squirrel sunning himself on top of the telephone pole between Lumine and Chez Thuy.  Another squirrel has ascended the pole, and now they're playing chase, twining up and down the pole.  The ravens feasted well yesterday, but I haven't yet seen them today.  They are probably visiting the Outback Grill and Saloon which shares a dumpster with Pizza Hut.  My cats are curled up in my bed.
   I had one of my crazy dreams this morning - I was a pre-teen, at home with my folks, and my eyes were tested at school.  I was told I needed glasses and the school would "take care of it."  A week or so later, a package arrived at the house, addressed to me, and I was very excited!  I opened it up, and became quite still.  There was a pair of thick glasses, in the old cats-eye shape, in heavy plastic frames that were swirled pink and white colors.  I burst into tears.  My parents reached further inside the box, and found a bill for $13,668.00....   We were all astounded.  Then the image faded away and I awoke.   Why $13,668?  And Mom and Dad discovered I couldn't see things at a distance and I went to a Navy optometrist, and got my new first pair of glasses when I was eleven.  They were black rimmed ovals....    Weird.
    Mike came over and put up the 18-foot-long rope of multi-colored lights yesterday - it outlines our sliding glass door on the balcony.  I need to put up the blue and white icicle lights and the bright twinklers today, before we get more snow.  I think we'll buy our Christmas tree between today and Monday...  and we hope to go see the Blossoms of Light Festival at the Denver Botanic Gardens either Sunday or Monday night.  I'll spend this evening with Rosie, the Irish Setter, as her owners are going out for dinner tonight.
    Thunder, the mascot of the Denver Broncos, a grey Arabian, has been named the Grand Marshall for the Great National Western Stock Show parade next month.  That's a hoot! - A horse as Grand Marshall....
   And my distant cousin Patti Martin, who lives in Idaho, just sent me one of the most fantastic presents I could ever receive - a hand-made cap and gloves in the orange and blue colors of both the Florida Gators (my university) and the Denver Broncos....   I will wear them to the Blossom of Lights Festival!
   We're expecting a high of almost 50 degrees today, after a high Thursday of 10....  Snow is in the forecast for five days of the next week.  As always, we'll see what actually happens...

Cold Colorado and Critters

I know that I have a strange brain, and that my thoughts leap from flash-point to flash-point, seemingly with no coherent reason.  This morning, I took Rosie out for her potty break after sleeping the night away, as usual.  The temperature was below freezing, and Rosie had to empty her bladder.  It's pretty stupid, but I was amazed to watch the steam rise...   I guess I'm still keeping my brain trained to remember winter in Florida and northern Virginia.  I actually laughed aloud, which was very childish.  Anyway, it's just more proof that my mind doesn't work normally.
   It's 27 degrees outside at nearly 9 a.m., but the sun is shining brightly.  The raven family has been visiting the restaurant dumpster, and are having a good time ripping the plastic bags open and getting large pieces of food out.  Beatrice put out nuts for the squirrels last night, and Bertrando has been sunning on top of the telephone pole, while munching away on his breakfast.  So far, it doesn't look like any birds have been attracted to the suet and seed feeder, and the Niger seed (thistle) also looks like it hasn't been touched.  But the birds and the squirrels seem to be enjoying our offering of nuts, dried berries and hulled sunflower seeds in the large feeder.  Perhaps when the forecast arctic blast arrives Monday night, the critters will feel the need for suet - we try to fulfill all the critters' needs.
   I pulled the ivy and the honeysuckle inside on Thursday - the ivy seems happy whether it's inside or out, but the honeysuckle leaves had gone quite limp.  They are now filled out and standing proudly from the stems again; I guess they're both in for the season now.  And thank goodness I placed the honeysuckle pot on a wheeled base!  We seem to move it around several times each day, and it weighs about 70 pounds...
   We are finishing up our big grocery shopping spree today and tomorrow, and putting up our outside Christmas lights.  We'll probably get a tree between the tenth and fourteenth, which means a trip to the basement to get the Christmas decorations out.  But, then too, we need to take Nedi's scratching box down, so we'll have room to set up the tree...  It all works out in the end!

Puppy Attention

I'm watching Cleo and Tess play in the back yard while I write this.  There are also a lot of birds at the feeders, and a few squirrels who dare to make runs under the dogs noses.  The two cats are inside, and I'm surprised the gardener is not yet here.  Martin usually arrives between 8:30 and 9 on Saturday mornings.  Lily has been begging for love and affection since I arrived yesterday, and Lyra has been, also.  Of course, Cleo, the puppy thinks that she should be the center of attention, and then there's Tess...  It's hard to keep everyone happy when two sets of adults are away.
     The sky is a beautiful clear blue, with no visible clouds.  The temperature was 31 degrees (F) when I arose this morning, but  has warmed up to 53 so far; the forecast high is 68.  It's also eerily quiet outside today, other than the bird song and rustling of leaves.  For once, it seems there are no baseball, soccer, or football games being played on the school grounds today - and there are no children screaming as they run around outside, either.  Seems like the quiet before the storm, almost.
   I want to get immersed in my family tree research, but I can't until Christina returns to take care of her critters again.  Actually, I could, but I focus on my research so intently that I don't listen  to the dogs, or think about their needs - which one cannot do with a young puppy in the house.  I simply can't crate her for hours on end, and my other alternative is to allow her only in a tiled room with her toys and bed.  That doesn't work too well, either.  So I'm hoping that Christina will return tonight, or early tomorrow.  It will depend on  how much she misses Cleo, and whether or not she's having a good time with her friends from high school.
   If I didn't have to worry about the puppy, I'd be totally involved in research right now, instead of blogging...

Critters and Rosie

I wish I could take a really good photo of the new moon and evening star hanging over Mount Sanitas right now...  The sky is shades of blue with the black silhouette of the mountain below it, and a few small puffy grey clouds just above the ridge.  It's gorgeous.
   Our temperature got up to 78 degrees this afternoon, but a slight breeze that began at 11 this morning turned into a good wind this afternoon.  It blew all of our balcony furniture over, and one of the glass pendants on one of the wind chimes was broken while beating against the balcony railing.  It was so gusty outside that Nedi went outside, but stayed for less than 60 seconds before heading back in.  The weather this morning was fantastic - wore shorts and a T shirt while out walking Rosie  - and was extremely comfortable.  The cottontail rabbits were chasing each other in weaving patterns from one side of the street to the other, and back again.  I saw more than two dozen of the little critters this morning on my way to Rosie's house from the bus stop.
  Once Rosie and I arrived in my sister's acre-sized back yard we saw even more rabbits, and frightened a young buck away from the apple tree closest to the patio.  There were a few butterflies in the yard, and lots of small birds and squirrels darting about.  Abruptly all the small birds fell silent, as a jay started a warning call.  The squirrels flattened against the tree trunks.  Suddenly there was a great deal of crashing sounds in the top of one of the cottonwoods - I looked up to see a pair of red tailed hawks "playing" in the tree tops and over the back yard.  It was such fun to watch!  One hawk landed on the smallest, top-most branch of one of the fir trees.  The hawk was so large, and the twig so small, that the hawk had to keep adjusting its wings to the bobbing motion of the branch.  And, it seemed to me, that as that bird was concentrating on keeping its balance, the second one deliberately flew into it, chest to chest.  The bird on the branch fell backwards and had to do a loop-the-loop to get securely upright in the air.  It seemed as if I was watching two brother fledglings trying to out-perform the other.  After a 30 minute acrobatic air performance, they left the area, as a flock of magpies came in, screeching and clucking.  The magpies "talked" in low murmurs most of the time, and the other small birds returned to the area.  A few minutes later, the squirrels were all out, chattering to each other...  It seemed magical.  By that time, Rosie was ready to go have her brunch, so we headed back to her house for her meatballs and chicken breast.

Rosie and Critters

Hopefully I can get back into the habit of blogging every day...  This past three-day weekend was very relaxing, and the cats let me sleep in on both Saturday and Sunday.  Yesterday I walked one dog and stopped by my sister's house to drop off photos from my vacation, and we ended up sitting and chatting for more than 3 hours.  It was wonderful.  Today we have heavily overcast skies, but there is a slight bit of sunshine to the east.  Bertrando is on top of his telephone pole, with a slice of apple, trying to pull in some warmth.  The raven family hasn't visited the restaurant dumpster next door yet, which is pretty unusual for them.  They are usually here eating and partying from sun up until 9 or so.  Lovey is curled up in my bed, and Nedi is asleep in the living room cat tree.
    I feel so much for Rosie and her family.  Rosie is an Irish Setter, and is well over 14 years old now.  She eats well, is very alert when not sleeping, and is doing well physically, except for her hind-end. Her vision and hearing are not what they were, but her nose misses nothing. The vet says she has no feeling at all in her right hind leg, and has only partial feeling in the left hind.  Her hind legs have lost their muscle tone.  She can get up from sitting or lying with a little effort.  And she has no problem walking, trotting, or even making short runs on the ground or floors.  Stairs and steps are her downfalls - literally.  Her rear end collapses and she slides, with her back legs knocking her front legs out from under her.  Then she looks extremely embarrassed and woeful, as only an older dog can...  Rosie gets acupuncture every two weeks, as well as laser joint treatments.  She has developed a thyroid problem, and takes one pill a day for it.  And she's gotten very finicky as she age progresses.  At the moment, her favorite edibles are meatballs from Lucky's Market...  She'll do almost anything for a Lucky's meatball.....   Rosie's young man just had his 21st birthday, and he was reluctant to go back to his senior year of college.  We all are really hoping that she'll be here when he returns for winter break.  She is such a good and loving dog.  I dread the day she will cross the Rainbow Bridge.
    I start taking care of  Charlie, Tinkerbell, and 7 hens today.  Charlie is part pug and gosh-only-knows what else... she is bouncy and full of energy.  Tinkerbell is the very aloof cat; so aloof the housekeeper didn't know she was living in the house, and was very frightened by her appearance one day.  And the hens are out in the rear third of the acre back yard.  I just hope that Blanca will want to come inside the next few evenings!

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.

Chincoteague Pony Spring Round-Up Begins Friday

The following statement was released by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company yesterday, 27 March 2016:  " The spring roundup will start Friday, April 1st at 4:30 pm for the south herd. We will sweep the south end from the lighthouse to the south corral. Hopefully we should have the herd in the corral within a couple hours. It just depends on how well they cooperate. The north herd will b rounded up starting Saturday morning. We will start as close to 8 am as we can. (Weather and personnel permitting). We will also be performing the vet checks at the same time on the south herd. The buybacks at the carnival grounds will be released on the south end Saturday morning as time permits."
  I honestly wish I could be there.  When I lived on Chincoteague Island, I was always scheduled for work during the Spring and Fall Round-Ups, so I never had a chance to see one in person.  I enjoy my round-ups vicariously through the photos of Deb Iddings Noll, Darcy and Steve Cole, and Cindi H Herman.  They are fantastic people who share their photos on Facebook, and on the DSC Photography website.  I couldn't get through Spring and Fall without them, and the other folks who post their photos.  
   ...  I have enjoyed watching the squirrel family and raven family from my desk window this morning.  It was 26 degrees at 7 a.m., when I returned home.  (I slept with Tessa, Lyra and Lily last night - and tonight, also.) The squirrels have been enjoying the almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts that we put out for them; and yesterday I added another 2.5 pounds of unshelled sunflower seeds into the bird feeder.  The ravens help themselves from the trash dumpster at Chez Thuy, the Vietnamese restaurant that is our immediate neighbor to the south.  
   Yesterday, for Easter, I baked a lemon pound cake; and we had ham steak, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots for our supper.  It was a nice, quiet day.
   I hope your week goes well!

New Foal and Wildlife

I'm starting to get my horse and pony motors revved up again.  We're 8 weeks away from the running of the 2016 Kentucky Derby, and, last weekend, the first Chincoteague pony foal born on the Virginia end of Assateague Island.  The mare is Tunie, and she has a bay pinto baby.  Darcy Cole is the photographer who tracked them down....  She states the sire is "Hoppy," a bay.  I don't know if she's referring to Little Dolphin, or Effie's Papa Bear….   Darcy calls Effie's Papa Bear "Hoppy."

There are three expectant mares on the Maryland (Northern) end of the island.  Apparently these three did not lose their estrus cycles when darted with their annual birth control medication...

   The birds and other critters are getting the feeling that it's really Spring here in Boulder.  The mating displays can be breath-taking, even when I'm just sitting in the back yard.  Flights, plumage displays, and dancing are very common; and the squirrels are running in patterns only they can see up, down, and around tree trunks.  I stopped the car at 6:10 this morning on a normally busy street to watch three bucks, twelve does, and eight yearlings slowly walk across traffic.  

   I feel so lucky to be able to observe nature - one is not going to see a herd of mule deer crossing the street in any large city.  And, even though I frequently see elk, I am still surprised by their size and majesty.  Buffalo, or bison, are just amazing.  And I'm used to handling large horses, including draft horses and draft crosses - I guess it's because they are wild creatures.

Today, I'm a Grouch

I hate being plugged-in and turned-on.  With my computer, I can easily turn it on and off, and can switch web sites and I always try to keep the "Chat" turned off - when I'm on my PC, I'm concentrating on doing specific things, and hate being constantly interrupted by obtuse conversations.  I like straight e-mail, or speaking with a person face-to-face.  I dislike telephones, whether it's my land-line or emergency cell phone - but some people can't seem to grasp that fact.
  I was up at 5 this morning, and was on my way to work before 7:30.  I had several stops to make, and three sets of dogs to walk, which meant I walked about 15 miles all total today.  I usually take a 90 minute nap in the afternoon, so I can get up and go again in the afternoon and evening.  Today, my landline phone rang six times while I was trying to nap; and my cell rang twice.  Both of my numbers are posted on the National Do Not Call list, and were listed the day I received them, so I shouldn't be getting many stupid phone calls.  I looked at the caller identification for all calls - I was awake, because of the ring, after all.  I did not recognize a single number, name, or place that any of the calls were made from.  And that angers me.  I purchased the telephone itself, and I pay for the use of the wires and voice mail on the land line, and for the use of air-time on my cell.  Complete strangers call me and ask me who I am.  It's none of their business.  Why do I keep getting off-the-wall calls when I'm on the No Call List?
   I guess seeing the dead raccoon with it's head sticking out of the driveway culvert put me in a bad mood this morning.  I know that a lot of people don't like raccoons, but they were put on the earth (or evolved here) for a reason...  I told the guy who owned the house that he had a dead raccoon in his driveway, and his response was, "Good riddance!"  I told him the body was stuck in the culvert pipe of his driveway, and he started cursing.  Why blame the poor dead critter for dying in an inconvenient spot?  The man owns three dogs that are allowed the run of the neighborhood, and I thought he'd be happy to remove the carcass before his dogs decided to make a meal of it.   Oh, well....
   I was able to watch  a bunch of cottontail rabbits playing, and several male flickers trying to romance their ladies.  Saw several hawks flying and a group of about 100 Canada geese were flying northwest very early this morning.  he squirrels are beginning to chase each other like crazy in the trees, so mating season is upon us...  Just be careful about interrupting skunks - they spray like mad and have party orgies in the early hours.
   Be safe!

Spring?

Hoping to get back to daily postings, as my penance seems to be over...  We had four inches of snow fall early yesterday morning, and while a couple of inches are still on the ground in shaded and north-facing areas, most of it has melted.  I got up early yesterday to be ready in case the lady wanted to walk the King Charles Cavalier spaniels despite the snow.  It was still spinning down in the parking lot lights in my apartment area, and at the restaurant next door.  I had told the house-sitter that I would call at 6:05 a.m. to be certain she wanted to walk, and that all I needed was a yes or no answer from her, as I would need the next 10 minutes to put on my boots, snow coat, hats, scarf and gloves and get a block down the street, and across it, to the bus stop..    When she picked up the telephone, she sounded amazed that I was calling her (maybe she forgot?) and asked why.  I told her it was snowing at my place, and asked if she wanted to walk the dogs, as planned.  She said it wasn't snowing at the house - how could it be snowing at my residence?  I said, "We're two miles apart.  It can happen."  But she had to put on her coat and go out and look.  The only thing is, she didn't have her boots on, so she had to take her coat off, put her boots on, put her coat on again, and then search for her hat...  Needless to say, I missed the first bus.  I arrived there at 7;15 instead of 7:00 and she was upset with me.  I had a major headache by the time I finished walking the dogs under her directions.  I came home and took medication and went to bed.  Thank goodness it was the last day I had to be in her company....  I might have lost my temper and unloaded on her, and she would have no idea why I was upset.  She's just that ditsy.
  The sun came out nicely yesterday afternoon, and a lot of the morning snow melted.  I relaxed last night by getting out my Tiffany Glass coloring book and applying colors to a wooden sailing ship on the high seas.  I am so happy that I can purchase adult coloring books these days, and don't have to print line drawings off the internet anymore.
   Even though it's only February 24, we've had a week of temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s, and our plants and wildlife are starting to believe that it's already Spring.  There were a pair of great horned owls in the pines in my sister's back yard this morning, and Rosie and I watched a male red-shafted flicker sing and dance and spread his feathers for his lady.  And another flicker was having the time of his life hammering away at a metal fireplace exhaust a few houses down.  The cottontails were out enjoying themselves in the sun, and sparrows were gathering twigs for nests.  I'm still not used to seeing blue jays in Boulder, but there were a foursome flying around the neighborhood this morning - it almost sounded like I was back on the east coast.  Bertie, one of the three identifiable squirrels that we feed, spent the majority of the afternoon sunning on top of the telephone pole between our apartment and Chez Thuy...  And a couple of the ravens are becoming accustomed to my presence - after I placed out some soft fruit for them this morning, two came and sat on the balcony and looked in the window while I was working at my desk.  Pretty soon I'll start placing food for them by the window - and I'll make certain that my cats are not on the balcony at that time.
 

Groan and Moan

Sitting at my desk in a red Piper T-shirt and jeans; the sky to the west is a series of clouds with strips of blue skies in between; Lovey is trying to decide on a way to get closer to me than just sitting on me - it's like she wants to be  inside my skin, and not just on me.  Nedi is asleep in the love seat and Beatrice just left to go to work.  Rosie has acupuncture and laser therapy this morning.  I'll walk Tessa first and then take Rosie out for a short neighborhood stroll.
  We were told to expect snow on Saturday, but it never arrived, although the breeze was chilly.  Now the forecast is for rain and snow on Friday, Saturday, and Monday.  I'll be with Finn for most of the weekend, so there will be tons of puppy kisses - even though he weighs 50 pounds these days.
  I miss the islands.  I miss having a football coach in the college ranks to cheer for.  I miss having an active professional football player to cheer for.  I make no bones about it.  When Steve Spurrier resigned from coaching the South Carolina Gamecocks football team, the joy went out of college ball for me.  With Tim Tebow chucked by the wayside by the Philadelphia Eagles, that left me with only Peyton Manning to follow in pro football.  Now Peyton is out, indefinitely, with his bad foot, and Brock Osweiler has stepped in - quite capably, too.  But it's not the same as watching the master...  Of course I felt the same with the retirements of Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw, and Joe Montana - right now, I'm slightly interested in Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.   Basketball and baseball don't excite me.  Hockey is OK, occasionally.  Gripe, complain, and gripe.....    Sorry.
  The next big thing in Denver is the National Western Stock Show next month.  My sister is still "under the weather" and not seeing or speaking to me, so I'll miss Christmas and New Years with the family, just as I missed Thanksgiving.  If I knew I could find a reasonable rent on the island for a year-round place to stay, I'd put my name on a waiting list - but this current lease doesn't end until 30 June, and finding a place on the island in summer is simply a laugh.
   I broke my right thumb and the small wrist bone next to it, again.  At the same time, I dislocated my jaw on the right side.  I was not a happy person when I went into the Urgent Care Center and had to instruct them how to pop my jaw back into place.  And And this is the third break along the same lines as previous ones in my right hand - they'll probably want to test me for osteoporosis my next trip to the doctor's office,
   Other than my usual groans and moans, everything is normal here.  The cats are fat and sassy, and are waited upon, foot and paw.  Our squirrels enjoy banquets of nuts and stale biscotti.  The birds are enjoying their feeder of shelled sunflower seeds.  (I'm the only one who is down in the dumps.)
 

Red Dawn and the Broncos

The sunrise this morning can only be described as screaming scarlet.  Being a Navy brat, and having 350 years of waterman's blood in my veins, my first thought was, "Uh-oh.  Red sky at morning, sailors take warning."  Of course, the forecast is for rain and snow this afternoon, evening, tonight, and tomorrow morning - but it's odd how the old familiar phrases just roll into your mind...  And, as I was coming into the apartment, I had a single large drop of precipitation land on my thumb - and half of the drop was ice.  Cloudiness levels have risen and fallen since dawn, but at the moment, I can't see a single spot of blue anywhere.
  I was amazed that the Broncos - Coach Gary Kubiak, Manager John Elway, the whole schmear - allowed Peyton Manning to play at all yesterday.  Especially since it seemed that they played him only to break a record.  Manning was injured and in pain well before the game - both foot and ribs - and he was played until he surpassed Bret Favre's record, and then was benched for the rest of the game.  That was totally stupid.  If the player is injured, you don't play him, period.  To play him only long enough to break a record, and then bench him, is extremely crass and tasteless.  My regards for the Broncos, as a team, have dropped to an all-time low.  Why not wait until Peyton could play a whole game, and play well?  Why send him out just to break a record and then bench him because he was injured to start with?  It makes absolutely no sense to me....
  Since we started feeding the squirrels and birds a couple of weeks ago, we have one plump little fellow (a squirrel) that I really enjoy.  He's a dark grey/brown, but the edges of his tail are almost orange in color.  Every morning after eating his fill of nuts, berries and seeds, he climbs to the top of a wood utility pole, and spends several hours basking in the sun.  He only stayed up there for about 30 minutes this morning, and has moved over to the nut pile again.  I'm sure he can sense the change in weather that's coming.
 
 

Critter Thoughts and Weather

It's an absolutely gorgeous day out - the sun is shining, the sky is a brilliant blue with no clouds to be seen, but it's a bit chilly - 34 degrees (F).  I'm guessing the trash was picked up late last night at Chez Thuy, as I can see their dumpster is empty, and there are no ravens around to keep Lovey and Nedi on watch. A single squirrel is eating nuts at the place Beatrice has chosen as their feeding spot, and he is busy eating peanuts.
    After this final reference (for several months, anyway) to my bronchitis, I'll stop commenting on it.  It was very strange last night, lying in bed.  I was propped up with pillows so I could breathe easily, and I fell asleep quickly.  I woke up, suddenly, just a few minutes after I turned out the light, and tried to figure out what odd noise had awakened me.  Then I realized that both Lyra and Lily were sitting on either side of me, staring at my neck.  So I began breathing normally again, and then had to laugh, which made me cough, because I identified the "noise" that had awakened me...  Myself.  Thanks to the congestion in my lungs, sinuses, and throat, I was producing a very strange cacophony of sounds - whistles, squeaks, hisses, gurgles, bubblings, and a few other odd noises I can't even describe.  I decided I was making a symphony for myself and let myself fall back asleep, hoping I had identified all of the strange sounds and cataloging them in my mind, so they wouldn't awaken me again.  And it worked.  I slept well and deeply, even though I know I was producing weird sound effects....
  The deer in our neighborhood are learning that Rosie's sight is getting bad, and I swear they have a way of spreading the news.  I always click my tongue at the deer when I pass them, and, unless they make a sudden leap away, Rosie doesn't see them.  That isn't the case with Tessa, though.  I don't know if the deer tell them apart by their color or shape, but they try to "freeze" in both cases, when I click at them.  Tessa, though, scents and sees them well, and I try to distract her.  We still have a large contingent of cotton-tails in the neighborhood, and squirrels are making a come back.  With the drainage ditches being full of water, we also have several families of ducks who have moved in.  Only one coyote has been spotted recently, and we have no reports of missing cats or chickens.
  Speaking of chickens, I'll begin three weeks of hen care on the 18th of this month.  Alycyonia is currently laying five times a week, but the other ladies are about to moult, and will soon stop laying.  And Beatrice wants to get a bird feeder to hang in the small tree below her window - the tree is located on the small strip of land between our apartment buildings and Chez Thuy.  I think we should get a cheap bird feeder to begin with, and see if it stays in place, before investing in an expensive one.  People walk through the area hundreds of times each day, and I don't want to buy a nice, long-lasting feeder if it's going to be (a) stolen, (b) trashed, or (c) get complaints.....

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Assateague sunrise

Black and red squirrels

2015 Chincoteague Firemans Carnival poster

Cape Charles, Virginia storybook cottage

Bicycle flowers on Chincoteague Island

An egret on Assateague Island

The new poster supporting American Pharaoh in his bid for the Triple Crown