Bits and Pieces

We are cleaning the apartment for the impending visit of Beatrice's oldest sister, along with her two daughters, from California.  Bea spent the day dusting and scrubbing and doing laundry.  I spent the day taking care of other peoples' critters: hens, goldfish, cats, and dogs.  Our vacuum has decided not to work again, so I borrowed a Hoover from the house I'm now at.  Boy, that thing picks everything up!  We might have to purchase one of those....

The big wildfires in California that sprang up after the Fourth of July have calmed down a bit.  The fires here in Colorado are still raging.  It's supposed to reach 100 degrees (F) here today - I'll be bringing the plants inside mid-morning, after watering them generously at dawn.  The balcony and silvery-grey coloring of our building reflects the heat and the plants scorch on really hot days.

On 4 July, the RV Explorer crew identified a recently discovered wreck.  The wreckage of the D/S Octavian has been positively identified and confirmed through the recovery of the engine and boilers builders' plaque.  This was further confirmed by Jorgan Johannassan of the Maritime Museum in Oslo, Norway.  The wreck is 70 miles from Cape May in 227 feet of water.  The Octavian was owned by A/S Rederiet Julian, and was a 250-foot freighter carrying sulfur and wood resin.
  The Octavian  left Galveston, Texas on 9 January 1942 bound for St. John, New Brunswick, Canada.  The freighter never arrived, and all crew members along with the ship vanished without a trace. There were sixteen Norwegians and one Canadian aboard the Octavian.
  It is now believed, with this wreckage discovery, that the Octavian was sunk by the German U-Boat 123.  The deck logs of U-123 indicate that Commander Hardegen (on his 7th war patrol) sunk an unidentified freighter in the location of the now-identified Octavian on 17 January 1942.  The ship sank in a plume of black smoke in less than a minute after being hit with a stern torpedo.
  The U-123 is also credited with sinking the Cyclops, Norness, and Coimbra prior to the Octavian.  After watching the Octavian sink, the U-Boat traveled at full speed toward Cape Hatteras,North Carolina, where she is recorded as having sunk four more ships and damaging a fifth.
  Credit for this project and research go to the RV Explorer team: Rustin Cassway, Brian Sullivan, Michael Dudas, and Tom Packer.  Others who helped were: Gary Gentile, Hildrun Sommer, Evie Dudas, Richie Kohler,Adam Crouthamel, Bob Cope, Bob Duckenfield, Sean Manni, and the Maritime Museum in Oslo, Norway.

No new foals on the southern end of Assateague Island since 30 June, but there are several mares that have yet to produce their babies.  Unfortunately, we have lost a third foal this summer; Poco's Starry Night's black filly has not been seen since 1 July.  We are assuming that she has succumbed to nature.

And the 45th President nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the new open position on our Supreme Court.  Judge Arthur Kennedy resigned, which leaves a seat open.  Now, when Barack Obama was President, Congress hemmed and hawed and wouldn't even agree to have an appointment hearing for Obama's nominee.  I bet they try to push a hearing through for Kavanaugh before the mid-term elections in October.   And I really want the Congress to grow a spine and reject this man out of hand, without any long thinking about it.

A Smoky, Hazy Day in Boulder

I opened my bedroom window at 11:30 last night  and immediately smelled smoke.  I didn't worry because I know the wildfires are miles away, but the smell persisted all night.  The haze from the smoke has increased greatly in the two and a half hours since I arose this morning; it's amazing to me. I'm used to the haze from heat and humidity on the islands in Virginia, and down in Florida.  I have yet to become accustomed to haze from wildfires.
   The closest fires are several counties - and miles - away.  There is a fire called the Sugarloaf fire burning in pine beetle-infested trees in the Williams Fork area of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Grand County, but spreading toward Summit County.  It is 0 % contained.  When first spotted, it was reported at less than one-tenth acre yesterday afternoon; it's now burned more than 900 acres.  Also burning in Grand County, near the town of Grand Lake, is a fire that began on the local golf course - it has burned more than 20 acres, and more than 350 homes have been evacuated.  A fire near Weston Pass in Park County has burned nearly 50 acres.
  The other large, new, wildfire (Spring Creek) was first spotted nines miles east of Fort Garland in Costilla County yesterday, and with high winds, has burned over 14,000 acres and looks to go across the county line into Huerfano County.  The 416 Wildfire is still burning merrily in La Plata County, near Durango, and has consumed 41,617 acres so far.  And the Burro Wildfire in Montezuma County has seared almost 4,000 acres.
   To the south, there are two nearby fires in New Mexico, the Sardinas Canyon and the San Antonio, that have burned over 1,000.  There are many more wildfires burning south of Colorado. To our north, in Albany County, Wyoming, the Badger Creek fire is 80 % contained, but has burned 20,357 acres.
   There are 54 wildfires currently burning west of the Mississippi, with quite a few burning in Alaska.  If you want check up on wildfire activity, I like two websites:  InciWeb  at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ ; and the Active Fire Mapping Program at the USDA Forest Service site at  https://fsapps.nwcg.gov/

  We, the state of Colorado, is once again bone dry, thanks to the heat and our low humidity.  It was 102 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday with 10% humidity; today our high is forecast for 95 with about the same level of humidity...  And, as a series of low pressure fronts sweep up from the southwest tonight, we have been told to except gusty winds - up to 80 miles per hour - ahead of the (hopefully) rain-bearing system tomorrow.  Just think - bone dry conditions and 80 mile an hour wind gusts... a pyromaniac's wet dream...
  And the thing I really cannot understand is people getting angry about the no open fires and no  - oh, my God! - fireworks orders in effect because of the usual drought.  Campfires and fireworks and cigarettes - other than Mother Nature's lightning bolts - are the main causes of wildfires.  Why can't most people understand and accept that fact?

Wildfires in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, & Colorado

Since the beginning of March, it seems as if there has been a "Huge Sale" on wildfires.  There's a relatively small wildfire that began on 4 March in Mississippi; named the Missala, it's 90% contained and has burned 500 acres.  Florida has four wildfires burning: the Badcock Grub Road fire is 75% contained and has burned 400 acres; the Hickory Tree fire is also 75% contained, but has burned only 110 acres. The Trail fire, southwest of Miami-Dade, has burned 1,065 acres and is 75 % contained.  The big fire in Florida is the Lee Williams Road fire that has burned 6,500 acres and is only 15% contained.
  Our two major wildfires in Colorado have almost burned out, and are 100% contained.  The Wellington fire in Larimer County burned 2,000 acres.  The Logan and Phillips County fire burned homes, more than 200 cattle, and burned 32,550 acres.
   The other fires in three other states are all still total wildfires - except one small fire near Amarillo, Texas that is 100% contained.  The total amounts of areas burned in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas are staggering: more than 861 square miles have burned in Kansas; more than 700 square miles have burned in Texas: and in Oklahoma, more than 1,406 square miles are charcoal.   Livestock and wildlife have lost their lives, but, most importantly, seven people have died from smoke inhalation and/or burns.  I mourn all of them.
    Since 4 March, twenty-three counties in Kansas have had wildfires, and more than 1,000 square miles have burned.  In Reno County, more than 6,000 acres have burned, and that fire is 70% contained.  In Comanche County, more than 236 square miles are charcoal, and the fire is approaching the Kiowa County line to the north.  West of Comanche County is Clark County, and 85% of the county, or 625 square miles, has burned.  That fire is out of control.
    In the state of Texas, the small fire near Amarillo is contained, as stated previously, but there are two other large fires burning in the panhandle. The first, near the Oklahoma state line, has burned 492 square miles, and killed 3 people.  The second fire, a few miles south of the larger one, has burned 210 square miles.
     Oklahoma has suffered the largest area burned, with over 1,406 square miles. they have three separate wildfires alight.  The Starbuck fire began in Beaver County, Oklahoma and has crossed over into Kansas.  The 283 fire is burning in Harper County; and the Selman fire is burning in both Woodward and Harper Counties.All three of these wildfires are only 10% contained.
    Wow.  I just totaled the amounts of land burned so far in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and found that 3,021 square miles are scorched earth.....  We need rain and/or snow!
    Most of these fires have destroyed, or will continue to destroy, agricultural land.  These areas are farming country - livestock, mostly cattle; and grain and vegetable farms.  The food meant for our tables is being burned before it was able to produce a harvest.  Look for the cost of eating staples to rise.....
 

Lips and Fires

I looked really weird yesterday...  The inside of my lips and cheeks were swollen.  Very swollen.  so swollen that my lips were curled up, out, and back.  My upper lip was brushing the bottom of my nose, almost blocking the nostrils; my bottom lip was on my chin.  The interior of my lips were the size of a bratwurst sausage, and the color of fresh liver.  It was unbelievable...  And very ugly, too.  I finally went to an urgent care office. After six hours of icing and ten antihistamine shots, my lips were pretty much back to normal.  Neither I, nor the doctors or nurses, have any idea what started it off.  I have not eaten or drunk anything that I normally don't.  (I do have food allergies, and I'm very picky about what I eat, and whether or not I'll try something, just because I do have alarming reactions at times.)  Today, my lips are almost back to normal, but they are still producing a tingling feeling.
   We've had several more wildfires take off this morning - plus one on Rabbit Mountain near Lyons last night.  At last count, four buildings were lost.  The winds are horrendous today.  They started up around 2 this morning - pretty constant between 20 and 35 mph, with gusts expected up to 75 mph - and we've already had an 89 mph gust in Boulder this morning.  I had to take our welcome wreath off the front door at 3 this morning, and we saw our balcony foot mat out in the middle of the parking lot when we got up.  I haven't yet felt the building sway - that takes a gust of 90+ - but it will probably happen.  The winds are Chinook winds, and they dry everything out; the high temperature expected today is 73 degrees.  I really hope that we don't have any more fires break out!

Rabbit Mountain last night

Weld County yesterday afternoon

Wildfires in Our Area

At almost 3 in the afternoon, there are currently three wildfires burning within 30 miles of Boulder.  The temperature is now 61 degrees, the humidity is at 19%, and the wind is from the west-southwest, blowing at 19 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.  Other than overnight frost, we have not had rain or snow in 35 days.  We are dry and dessicated at the moment, and are under a "Red Flag Watch" which means extreme fire danger.  No wonder there are three fires burning...
   One is a grass fire between Denver and Golden; one is a grass fire on a farm's pasture; and one is a grass-brush fire near Longmont that has made some house evacuations necessary.  It is thought that the first two fires were caused by cigarettes flung from car windows.  The one near Longmont hasn't had a cause determined yet...   According to the long-range forecast, after highs in the 70s tomorrow and mid 60s Wednesday (with high winds, of course), we're supposed to have some snow on Thursday, and possibly Friday morning...  I won't hold my breath, though.
    With the weather being so warm, the plants and animals are thinking that it's spring...  Birds are beginning to nest; squirrels are providing acrobatic displays in their search for mates; skunks are having their orgies and spraying everywhere during their breeding.  There's an area, almost one and a half miles wide, near the Denver International Airport, that reeks to high heaven of skunk scent...  It's incredible!
   I'll also ask that you send a few warm thoughts to my "adopted nephew" Connor Evans today, as he has to appear before a Judge at Standing Rock, North Dakota.  Connor is facing charges of "inciting a riot" at the Dakota Pipeline building site on the Standing Rock Reservation.  Connor, who is friendly with the Lakota, had wandered up to the front line of the protest, and was standing next to Chase Iron Eyes.  Connor had wanted to get a first-person eyes-on perspective of what the oil company's men, and the law officers, were doing.  Connor, Chase, and 74 other people, who were standing silently, and watching, were arrested for "inciting a riot."  That is not Connor in any way, shape or form.  If he is found guilty at this hearing, I'm sure he can handle the 10 days in jail sentence.  But I also know that he won't willingly leave Standing Rock - and, the state is changing their laws - if he gets arrested a second time, he can be charged with a felony - and that has me worried.   (Thanks for reading/listening, by the way.) The following photo is Connor at Standing Rock...

This and That

At first I couldn't figure out why I had awoken this morning - then I realized that the apartment building was swaying, thanks to heavy winds.  There were several huge gusts, and then I saw all the lights go out (I keep my blinds/curtains open at night).  I got up and turned my computer off, even though it's power light was on (this was at 2:05).  The recycling fan was still on in the bathroom, too.  I went back to sleep and awoke at 4:10, with more building movement in the high winds, and realizing that the apartment had absolutely no sounds.  Surprisingly, my landline telephone was working, so I called in the power outage and was told that a wire had come down at 2:10.  They thought power would be restored at 6.  The phone went dead as I was thanking the company representative.   The power was restored, including the phone, internet and television at 6:50.  The power went off again at 7:45.  This time I called the power company using my cell phone, and was told a transformer had just blown - power should be back on around 11.  I had toasted waffles when I first got up.  Beatrice hadn't yet made coffee, nor fixed her breakfast, when the power went out again.  She headed down the street in search of an open restaurant, where she finally got breakfast.
  In the meantime, I wrote out postcards to send to the White House and to a Colorado congressman whom I dislike.  I don't write anything that is threatening, but I admit that some of it is mean-spirited. My cards to the White House say "Attn: President" on the front, but on the back read: "To:  bannon/putin/trump"   One to the circus peanut states that I understand he is upset about leaks from his office - has he had his pump-up erector set checked for nano-transmitters?  I send two postcards a day, and have about 30 written so far, as well as stamped....
   The high winds I spoke of earlier are gusting between 40 and 103 mph.  The winds at 2 and 4 this morning were measured at 93 mph.  They are not helping, in any way, a huge grass fire to our north, where hundreds of people have been evacuated since the early morning hours.  The land there is broken and irregular, with a combination of agricultural fields, pastureland for cattle, horses and llamas, and many creeks and arroyos at the foot of the Rockies.  So far, according to reports, no lives have been lost, and livestock is being sheltered at the County Fairgrounds.  There are two fires burning, and each has covered hundreds of acres.  The winds are supposed to die down tonight, and rain is also forecast for tonight.  Let it be soon, for all the critters!
   I rejoiced last night when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 3 to 0 in favor of keeping the circus peanut's executive order against immigration and travel stopped.  I laughed when the orange idiot tweeted; "See you in court..." in all capital letters.  I had an even bigger laugh when it was announced that the tangerine tyrant had had Cory Louie, his cyber security chief, escorted from the White House...  because that happened several days ago!  The itinerant idjit has been without a chief of cyber security for almost a week!  And he was always screaming about HC's use of her personal computer - his telephone, or whatever he tweets from, is totally insecure...   Sad.  So sad.

Camping Idiots

Wildfires everywhere!  As I look out my window, I see smoke rising from behind the foothills - Mount Sanitas, to be specific.  It's been in the sky since yesterday afternoon, when it was listed as a 100-acre fire.  Now it's over 600 acres in size, has burned down three homes, and has more than 2,000 families evacuated.  One of the three homes belonged to a first-responder.  Property, personal possessions, and wildlife are being destroyed because of two idiots who went camping.  They had a campfire burning for more than 48 hours, and when they left, they dumped a half-bucket of sand and rocks on top of the fire and left.  They were sure that the fire was totally extinguished, with that half-pound of sand and gravel.  It was not, and with the normal mountain breezes, the fire soon erupted and spread.  One would think that two "good-ole boys" from Alabama would have more sense; but they sure as heck didn't.  They were found at an evacuation center in Nederland.  They have been arrested.  Thanks to these guys, we have more heat, more pollution, the loss of habitat for many creatures, and multiple "Scenic Byways" are closed because of the fire.  It will take a long time for this area to become "scenic" again! This fire is still totally uncontained because of swirling mountain winds.
   Not only do we have the Cold Springs fire to the west of us, there's also the Beaver Creek fire in Routt County that is over 15,000 acres in size, and is growing.
   Over by Golden and Morrison, west-bound Interstate 70 (near C-470) was closed down due to fire, and the Rooney Valley Soccer Complex and a local hazardous materials plant were evacuated.
   Near Coaldale, the Hayden Path fire has caused a campground evacuation in Fremont County.
   Not to mention the fire inside a scrap metal yard in Denver....
 It reached 101 degrees (F) here this afternoon.  We are in a continuing drought situation.  The smoke and particles in the air do not help with my COPD.  I just about choked to death walking the six blocks to the grocery store this morning....
   Please be careful regarding fire danger anywhere in the world.  Be safe.  Don't be sorry.  - That is all. -

Public Stuff

This was the first morning that I awoke to a clear sky, with no visible smoke, haze, or pollution.  I'm sad to say that the smoke haze has returned this evening.  The west coast is still ablaze, but I haven't heard any recent reports of new wildfires - and, for that, I'm thankful.
   A bear was back in the Githens Acres neighborhood Sunday night, and it tore a large branch from a mature plum tree.  I don't know if it was the same bear I had my encounter with on Friday evening, or if it's another bear.  I did find out that Joel was walking Rosie at the end of Lynn's driveway when the bear climbed over the garden gate and went into the front yard.  Joel decided it was time to take Rosie back home, even though it cut their walk short.
  And, after all the paper-work sent back and forth, and all the money I put down as a deposit for this apartment, I was shocked to receive an e-mail today stating that I was almost $500 in arrears in my payments to them.  I called and asked for an explanation, as they stated in the letter that it was "past due from June" and we signed the lease and moved in on 2 July.  The woman stated that that was a typo on her part, and that I hadn't been charged the $400 pet deposit upon moving in, and that my pet rent hadn't been included in the July rent, either.  So now I have to make up that difference in the next three months, but it was their mistake to begin with.  Am I missing something here?  They were the folks who told me how much I had to pay, up front, deposits and rent, to move in.  I just don't know why I'm now held responsible for their error.
   It amazes me what one overhears in public these days.  Apparently people aren't ashamed or abashed by any of their own actions.  Sitting four rows behind a pair of men talking on the bus, I heard one state that he had stolen over $6,000 in cash from the homes of his neighbors when he was 15 years old.  He stated that the prosecution wanted to "put" him "away" for 6 years, but all he had to do was serve 3 months of probation, since he was a juvenile.  I guess that he was bragging to his older friend that he, too, was a felon...  And I overheard a one-sided conversation, on a cell phone, that sounded conciliatory at the beginning, but, over a period of 5 minutes and 7 calls, became extremely mean nasty.  It started out with, "Hey, hon.  I wanted to explain why I..." and ended up with the phone being thrown onto the sidewalk as the man yelled, "F--- you, b----!  That's why I broke up with you last night!"  Why do psople insist on "sharing" their lives with total strangers?  It makes me dislike crowds, strangers, odd conversations, and cell phones.  -   But then, maybe I'm the odd one out.  (I do not think so, though!)

Seventy-two Uncontained Wildfires Burning

According to the latest reports, there are 72 uncontained large wildfires burning in five western states (California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington) and southern Canada.  Two large wildfires have been contained.  Containment consists of "a control line that has been completed around the fire, and any associated fire spots, which can reasonably be expected to stop the fire's spread."  Over 2,500 square miles of the United States are burning, or have been burnt, in the past month.   That is a piece of land larger than the entire state of Delaware.
   The mountains and Flatirons are again covered by haze here in Boulder.  We are under a particulate advisory - meaning there is much more than just smoke in the air, there's ash and residue from the fires floating around.  I have COPD, so after I fed, watered and medicated Lynn's critters today, I took Tess on a short walk and then returned home.  The only problem is that it's a Sunday, so the buses only run once an hour.  I could stand and wait for 55 minutes for the bus, or I could walk home in 20 minutes.  I decided to walk.  Luckily, one of the Githens Acres neighbors stopped and picked me up, and dropped me off at my new apartment.  -  And asked me to join in a Poker tournament next weekend, too. (I just might do it.)
   Today I scrubbed down the bathrooms, shook out the rugs, and swept and mopped the floors.  I purchased a new toilet brush, and had to admit that I laughed out loud when I saw a "Customer Service/ Questions and Instructions" toll-free number listed on the tag.  Ummmm...  What kind of instructions are needed for a toilet brush?  (Other than don't scrub vigorously with your mouth open?)
   Nedi practiced tight-rope walking this morning - around and around the edge of the balcony.  My biggest fear was that he'd try to play "owl" - he sits up on his hind end, with his fore feet held against his belly, and he tries to make a 360-degree circle with his head.  Of course, his neck won't do that, and so, at some point, he over-balances and falls down.  I'm afraid he's going to do it while sitting on the edge of the balcony railing and fall 18 feet to the asphalt parking lot below us.  I know cats are resilient, and have an uncanny ability to land on their feet, but - 18 feet onto asphalt could break bones...  (Worry, worry, worry.  It's all mother's ever do.)
 

Wildfires, Cats, A Crazy Dream

The New Mexico wildfire has burned almost 20 square miles on the Navajo reservation, and is still burning freely.  Navajo families and livestock have been evacuated from nearby areas, but the heat and high winds are making fire fighting and containment a difficult process.  The wildfire was started by lightning.
  The California wildfire near Bakersfield has burned 3.4 square miles, and three houses.  Two of the homes were reported as being abandoned.  There is containment in this wildfire, with ditches dug and back-fires set.  The fire service states that the fire is running out of fuel, and they hope to have it completely under control within the next two days.
    While Boulder, in and of itself, is not really worried about wildfires currently - we have a 198% snow pack that is melting and is keeping the ground damp in our area - we have had high temperatures and low humidity recently.  Most of the state on the western side of the Continental Divide is under a Red Flag warning, thanks to the heat and dryness.  For some reason, I have the feeling that we'll have a wildfire start on, or around, Saturday, the first day of Summer.  It could have something to do with the forecast high of 94 degrees for that day, and it might have to do with the fact that so many outdoor activities are planned throughout the state.....
   Erwin has settled in well, having been a guest for a week at my place.  Bob is more talkative than Lovey, and he has a very rumbling, loud burble and deep voice when he cries.  I'm getting less sleep at night, as Bob serenades the family about every 90 minutes throughout the night - and, even after a week, I'm not used to it.  Thankfully, he and Erwin will go to their new apartment with their owner within the next 7 days.

  Please feel free to laugh - I have a new ambition - to win the lottery, buy the skipjack  Ada Fears, and purchase Great-Aunt Cilli's house that has a 70 foot deep water dock on the Intercoastal Waterway at Chincoteague.  I'd have the skipjack completely re-fitted, learn how to sail her, and have a blat travelling with my cats.   (What a crazy dream!)

Fires, Flooding, Mudslides and Stormy Weather

As a small child, I could never understand how weather conditions could be so different across our country. Around Christmas, we'd call the scattered Aunts and Uncles - we'd be in Florida, usually wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and relatives would say it was snowing, or there was a thunderstorm taking place.  I'd look outside the windows and just couldn't grasp that they were so far away that their weather would be different...
   This past weekend is a case in point - a huge fire in Alaska, a large fire in Arizona, flooding from rain in Texas and Louisiana, a mudslide here in Colorado, and stormy weather across the mid-west and into the east.  Having driven my car from Washington, DC out to Boulder, Colorado, I can (now) appreciate the number of miles and the different terrains, that help cause such widely divergent types of weather.
  The Alaska wildfire has burned 250 square miles so far - the fire is now 30% contained and firefighters hope that rain forecast for this week will help to calm the burn.  This is a wind-driven fire  that is burning in the 1.9 million acre Kenai Wildlife Refuge.  The Arizona fire, near Sedona, is now 10% contained - and has burned over 13,500 acres.  Due to winds carrying smoke and fire-related particulates, Sedona has declared that the air conditions are dangerous to anyone with a compromised breathing system - asthma, COPD, etc.
   Most of Texas is under flash flood watches, as well as western Louisiana.  Here in Colorado, the Cache la Poudre River is above flood stage - streets and roads are under water, with fish swimming above the asphalt.  A 14-year-old boy went out on a family outing to fish and picnic along the Cache la Poudre yesterday - the boy slipped off the bank and into the river and was immediately buffeted downstream; his Uncle dived into the river to save the boy.  The boy's body was recovered downstream; while Rescue teams went after the Uncle - who passed away in the hospital last night.
  In western Colorado, in Mesa County, about 26 miles from Grand Junction, a farmer noticed that his irrigation ditch wasn't flowing.  He, his son, and a friend went up into the hills to see if they could discover the cause of the water flow interruption.  All of the men were Volunteer Firefighters and trained in Rescue operations.  They and their two vehicles are missing.  There was a big mudslide, which first blocked the irrigation ditches.  Apparently, while the men were investigating, the gigantic mudslide happened.  Why do I call it gigantic?  The mudslide started out about a mile wide, widened to two miles (at one point) and then narrowed down to a good half-mile wide at the end.  The mudslide is four miles long.  The mudslide is more than 250 feet deep in some places.  The upper area of the slide is still moving, parts of the mountain ridge are still breaking away.  The men disappeared early Sunday afternoon.  A news conference just declared the search-and-rescue operation is now a search-and-recovery operation.
   In the east, chilly showers put a damper on things, and a lot of folks ended up heading home Monday morning, instead of waiting until the last minute to drive home at dark.  We had thunderstorms Friday, Saturday ans Sunday afternoon, but no rain yesterday.  53,000 people participated in the Bolder Boulder and I saw a lot of sunburned faces and arms when I came home yesterday.

California in the News & a Boulder Mountain Lion

California Chrome, the handsome chestnut colt with a white blaze and four white socks, is not the only item from, or in, California that is making news.  While Colorado had snow and rain over the past weekend (6.7 inches of snow here in Boulder), and is continuing having daily rain showers, California is having extremely high temperatures and gusty winds.  Today, the forecast for San Diego County, California, is calling for highs of 98 to 110 degrees, with very gusty high winds.  There are currently nine different wildfires burning in San Diego County - they have burned an estimated 9,100 acres.  Camp Pendleton, the largest US Marine base, is being threatened by one of the fires; university classes and even graduation ceremonies have been cancelled because of the flames.  The winds were calm last night, and the temperatures lowered, giving the firefighters a short time to relax and regroup.  Hopefully, the firefighters will have more success in stopping the fires today.
  Also in California, a crude oil pipeline burst in Los Angeles early this morning, spouting a fountain of crude 20-feet high that poured down onto a stripper's club.  The spill was originally estimated at 1 million gallons, but has been revised down to 50,000 gallons.  At the moment, it's confined to several streets, and, in some places, the crude is knee-deep on a tall man.  According to city plans, the pipeline that runs through that area belongs to Plains All American Pipeline, L. C.  That company has its headquarters in Houston, Texas; local news stations have been trying to contact the business office in Los Angeles, but have not been able to contact a spokesman for the company.
  I'm afraid that I snorted when I read a news release from the Denver CBS television station; a woman living on the outskirts of Boulder is upset because she heard odd noises in her back yard, and when she went to investigate, she saw a mountain lion eating from a mule deer carcass.  It was just getting dark, and she called 911 - Wildlife officers removed the deer, which, according to the officers, had been there for several days, and warned the woman that the lion would probably return in a few days to finish eating the deer.  The woman states that she will keep her children inside for the next week, to keep them safe.  What really tickled me was the quote from the woman, "... it was looking at me with two eyes..." - Does she think that a mountain lion has only one eye, or more than two?  What a silly thing to say!  (I know, I know... She was distraught, scared for herself and her kids, and should be given a break....  But, really!)

Adopt a Cat - And Fires & Flooding

Cats continue to be available for free adoption at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley though the end of August.  Any cat, aged 6 months or older, is available for adoption at no charge from HSBV - they currently have 80 cats in residence.  These kitties have been spayed or neutered, have all their vaccinations, have been checked out by a licensed veterinarian, and are micro-chipped for identification.  All you have to do is add a loving home with plenty of fresh water and food.  Believe me, the felines will love you forever for saving them.  Not only does HSBV have a surfeit of cats, the Pikes Peak Region of the Human Society has 50 cats that were saved from a hoarder two months ago, that are also ready for adoption.  If you have the money, time, space, and love available, please give one of these cats a good, new, loving, for ever home.  The cats available for adoption at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley may be seen on-line at: http://www.boulderhumane.org/animals/adoption/adopt_cats   The 127 cats available from the Pikes Peak Region may be viewed at: http://www.hsppr.org/cats   I have adopted cats and kittens of all ages throughout my life, and I have to say that they have all given me much more than I have ever given them.

We just can't seem to escape from fires and flooding out here in the West.  In nine western states, there are 95 wildfires burning - and that doesn't include Texas.  California is leading in today's number game, with 20 active wildfires; Idaho comes in second, with 19; and Colorado and Arizona are tied for third with a dozen each.  Utah and Montana each have seven wildfires burning, while Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming each have six fires raging.  It's amazing we don't go up in smoke.  According to the InciWeb, at noon today, there were 893,390 acres ablaze in these nine states - that equals 1,395.92 square miles....  That's more than the size of the state of Rhode Island (1,214 square miles), and a little over half of the size of the state of Delaware (2,490 square miles).  It's kind of frightening.
   And, now, of course, Colorado is getting the summer monsoon rains - which we really need, don't get me wrong.  But they seem to be falling over areas that have been burned by wildfires over the past 24 months; not long, light rain showers, but real possum pounders that consist of large, heavy rain drops that strike the ground like strafing bullets from a Fokker airplane.  The grass and small undergrowth is just starting to take hold and send their roots deep - this rain drills down into the soil and lifts everything out.  And I do mean everything - young plants, trees, ashes from previous burns, mud, soil, clay, downed limbs, any detritus that can float - it's amazing.  I'm sure you've seen the videos of the mudslides and flash floods in Manitou Springs - that's a heavily traveled area, and, as such, people are there to document the cars sliding away in rivers of mud.  It's just plain old amazing....

Extremes

Yesterday ended up being cloudy here in Boulder, while this morning, the skies are cloudless, but we have higher than normal humidity (for Colorado).  At least we're not suffering from tornadoes and flooding or from wildfires at the moment.  In California and New Mexico, however, the continuing drought is taking it's toll.  The Powerhouse fire, near Lake Hughes in California, has burned over 25,000 acres and is about 40% contained.  More than 1,000 homes are in danger, and more than 2,400 people have been evacuated.  And the territory burning in California hasn't seen a fire  since 1929.  There are two fires burning in New Mexico, with the largest being the Pecos fire, that has already destroyed 7,476 acres of Ponderosa pine.
  Europe, in the meantime, has flooding problems due to heavy rains.  A meteorologist in Austria stated they had more rain fall in two days than usually falls in two years.  Austria, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic have all undergone flooding so far.  Slovakia and Hungary are preparing themselves for the onslaught of the water.  So far, the flooding has caused six known deaths, and eight other people are missing.
  And, if fires, floods, and twisters aren't enough for you in the US, go to Moody, Texas.  Over the weekend, a 62-year-old man was stung to death by an estimated 40,000 Africanized "killer" bees.  He was on his tractor, clearing some property, and hit a woodpile that bumped into an old chicken coop.  The bee expert who removed the swarm estimated the number of bees as at least 40,000.  Regular bees and honeybees protect their nests by stinging, but only 10% of their population will attack an intruder.  In a hybrid, Africanized hive, every bee except the queen will attack.
   Finally, looking at Saturday's Belmont Stakes:  It has been decided that Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner, is working well enough to be entered in the third leg of the Triple Crown.  Two other definite contenders will be Will Take Charge and Oxbow, the winner of the Preakness.  Gary Stevens has been in Oxbow's saddle for the previous two races, and will be again on Saturday.  But this past Saturday, Gary's mount broke down under him during a race, and he suffered a fall, which caused him not to ride his mounts on Sunday.  He Tweeted trainer D. Wayne Lukas, reminding him that he fell a week before he and Winning Colors won the Derby, too.  Keep on riding, Gary!!

Rain, and Bears

Yesterday was grey and cloudy, as is today.  Last night we had several rumbles of thunder, but only enough rain to dampen the grass.  Our weather folks say we'll probably get about 3 inches of rain within the next 24 hours, which will be good for farmers and folks raising livestock, and will be fantastic for our water tables.  However, this rain will create flooding problems for the land-owners who have experienced a wildfire burn over in the past 18 months.  Not enough rain or snow - too much rain or snow.  I feel as if I can't be satisfied by Mother Nature any longer.  Thanks to the snow up in the mountains, the "seasonal" creek that runs along my brother-in-law's property line, has a pretty good flow and is about a foot deep; and the Silver Lake Irrigation Ditch has a little bit of run-off in it....  According to the weather people, we'll have rain today and tomorrow, and then skies will clear, temperatures will rise, and we'll have clear and sunny skies from Friday through Monday - with highs in the upper 60s on Saturday, in the 70s on Mother's Day, and in the low 80s on Monday.  It will be nice.
   Since Boulder had 4 feet of snow last month, and almost a foot on May 1, the bears are coming out of hibernation only now.  Monday, there was a sow with two cubs in a tree and wandering around the campus of the University Corporation's Atmospheric Research area, to the southwest of the city.  Police tape ("Do Not Cross This Line") was put up to keep curious people from interfering with the bears, and they eventually wandered back up into the Foothills.

Mother bear visiting UCAR Monday, 6 May.

 

Screaming Cats

Apparently my neighbor Chris and his lady haven't been home before when Lovey has a screaming fit at the Harlequin. It happened last night, again - but the patio door was open and Nedi was outside. Lovey started to scream, and I went over to the door; the Harlequin was standing about three feet from the door jamb, and Lovey jumped up onto the cat tree when I walked by her and onto the porch. At that time, Chris came out, looking very spiffy (going out to dinner),and asked what was going on... so I had to explain and apologize. The Harlequin walked over to Chris and got petted and scratched, and while he was occupied, I called Nedi, who came running and slipped inside the apartment like a shadow. - I feel bad for the the Harlequin; he's a very friendly cat who wants love and attention (and Neel has said the cat lives in B building, to our south), but Lovey has become more and more territorial lately...

  Today I'll arrive to walk Rosie at 10:15, so our walk will coincide with Remy's acupuncture appointment. Then I'll head over to Finn's house, and get reacquainted with him and Skippy. I just grabbed 5 books from the public library, so I should have enough to read for the next few days - plus I'll have access to the huge TVs and the computer while I'm there. I'll miss sleeping with Lovey and Nedi, but I can take naps with them in the afternoon...

  There was a brush fire in Parksley, Virginia earlier this week that is being examined to see if it's yet another in the long string of fires caused by the Accomack arsonist. That person needs to be apprehended and/or caught in the act. .... The Galena Wildfire, near Fort Collins, is completely contained, after burning 1500 acres. Investigators are still looking into the cause of that blaze. .... Two houses that I care for (house- and pet-sit) have been sold recently, both for over $1 million, so the neighborhood is going through some changes. And I'll be calling folks on my waiting list to see if they are still interested in my services. At least in Boulder, I never have to worry about finding employers!

Drought; Cats and Dogs

We almost reached 60 degrees yesterday, but the wind made it feel much cooler - just like today. Partly sunny skies, nice in the sun, but when the wind picks up, you feel as if your ears will freeze and fall off.It's supposed to slowly get cooler over the next two days, with snow arriving for the weekend, and below freezing temperatures through Monday. Just give me rain or snow or sleet, please! I live in the Lower Platte River water area, and at this moment we are at 68% of the usual snow norm - and already having wild fires in March. We really need another 8 to 10 feet of snow up in the mountains, and a good 3 feet of snow to cover the east side of the Continental Divide. We began the fire season like this in 2002 - and we had the worst wildfire season on record that year. I want rain, snow, or sleet! I don't care if it slows traffic or closes businesses for a day or two. Our drought is continuing just too long to be comfortable!

   Poor Remy - he wants to walk with Rosie and I so badly, but his body just can't do it. Today, he walked to the Snow yard with no problem, and then spent most of the time there wandering around, instead of sitting or lying in the sun. Now, please don't misunderstand me - I'm very happy that Remy felt like wandering and that he did so - but that made it very difficult on the way home, because he could only take 20 steps or so before his hind legs would just give out and spill him onto the ground. The vets that see him say that he feels no pain, and he doesn't pant or breathe any harder - the nerves in his hind legs just no longer connect well with his brain. He knows something is not right, and he looks you in the eyes with an apologetic, wrinkled brow... It is just so worrisome.

   Lovey and Nedi are doing well. I think I upset Nedi just a bit last night - he had wanted out very badly, so I opened the patio door. I hadn't seen him for about an hour, so I stuck my head out onto the patio and called him. He replied right next to my ear - he was curled up, sound asleep on the top of the cat tree, and I hadn't even seen him. Once I had woken him up, however, he had to make a last trip out before being shut in for the night. Lovey didn't care - she was already curled up in the afghan on my bed.

Surprise Sunday

I arrived home from making three last pet-sitting stops, loved and fed Nedi and Lovey, then listened to my voice mails. I left Tessa, Dhisana and Lily unfed because their real people were due home at 5:30 yesterday evening. At 7 p.m., I'm listening to my voice mail, and hear their owner say, "Guess what? I have wonderful news! We were able to change our return tickets, so we won't be back until 9 p.m. on Tuesday." Luckily, Camilla (who rents the basement apartment) was willing to feed and care for the critters last night. I slept in my own bed, and spent today with T,D and L. My kits were wild to get out when I arrived home a few minutes ago - Camilla is caring for the critters again tonight; but I'll be back over there in the morning... The Gators and Gamecocks won yesterday, and the Broncos won today - the Saints are playing now, and the Packers play later.

  There was a wildfire near Carter Lake, a little to the north of us on Friday; and with the dry spell and the winds we've been having, the Fern Lake wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park has flared up again. It's producing a good amount of smoke now, and has burned over 1.8 square miles of forest and brush. ... The National Western Stock Show had been making noises about leaving Denver and moving to new facilities in Aurora, but Denver and the Stock Show folks have agreed to another 10-year lease of the Stock Show grounds. ... Shackleford, the 4-year-old chestnut colt who won last year's Preakness, finished his racing career with a win in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. He led from the gate to the wire, winning the 1 mile and 1/8 race by a length. He'll stand at Darby Dan Farm for $20,000 beginning in January. .... In a battle between Triple Crown winners, Gentildonna became the first 3-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup (Jpn-I) when she took on favored Orfevre in a furious stretch duel and edged the older colt by a nose Nov. 25 at Tokyo Racecourse. Gentildonna was coming off a successful Japanese filly triple crown series this year, while Orfevre won the Japanese Triple Crown in 2011 and is the reigning Horse of the Year in that country. The stretch run was not without controversy. Gentildonna had to squeeze through on the rail inside of Tosen Jordan and then angle outside of leader Beat Black. In maneuvering the filly around those two tiring horses, jockey Yasunari Iwata, using a left-handed whip, caused Gentildonna to make contact with Orfevre, who was racing to the filly's outside. The incident prompted an inquiry lasting about 15 minutes, and the stewards ultimately let the order of finish stand. However, they suspended Iwata two days for careless riding. The jockey will have to serve them Dec. 1-2, keeping him out of the Dec. 2 Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-I).

  My sister and brother-in-law are expecting the excavation team to arrive tomorrow; they have to replace their septic system (it's been in use since 1955). So, since I'm five doors down the street, I've told them to feel free to visit me through Tuesday evening - and to bring Mona and Boo over to run in the back yard. That's where I'll take Rosie and Remy for the next two days (making sure I don't let Lily or Dhisana outside), and Tessa loves to have someone to play with. Both Mona and Boo behave with cats, while the Rs do not... Our high temperature today was 63, and our high tomorrow is forecast as 43, with snow flurries in the afternoon. Then we're supposed to be clear and dry for the rest of the week. Some of the ski resorts are only open on the weekend, and are using man-made snow; but a few high up on the western slope have a good base and are now open every day...

Snow!

The young man accused of abducting and the murder of Jessica Ridgeway is just that - a young man. He is currently in the Jefferson County Courthouse, being charged for these crimes and another attempted kidnapping, in the Juvenile Court system. His defender has called him, "this child," in front of the judge. The young man is 17 years old; he is a student at a Community College; he is, surely, of an age and an intelligence to be tried as an adult. - I honestly don't know exactly how the law works here; in Florida I was on a Grand Jury that had to decide whether to try a 13-year-old as a juvenile or as an adult. Since this young man gave himself up into police custody, will there be a Grand Jury hearing? Or, since he did surrender, does he automatically go to the Juvenile system? While I was still feeling befuddled by the fact that a 17-year-old was arrested for Jessica's murder, I then read that two teens were charged in the death of the 12-year-old New Jersey girl whose body was found in a recycling bin. I know that I am repeating the question that each generation before has asked, but... "What is going on with the youth of today? Are they so inured in computer, TV and movie violence that they have no real sense of living things, or of guilt?"

   Five inches of snow fell overnight here in Boulder. Hopefully, that amount, or more, fell onto the Fern Lake fire up in RMNP. There was a little rain, but no snow in the area of the Wetmore fire, which is still raging out of control to the west of Pueblo. Aiko and Yoshi had to potty so badly that they didn't want to wait for me to get a snow shovel out this morning - they went plowing out into snow that was up to their chins to relieve themselves. I grabbed a snow shovel and was able to clear off the deck, the front walk, and several square feet of grass for the boys for later - even though we're expecting another four inches this afternoon and evening. Nedi has been out, bounding and leaping in the snow. Lovey walked out, looked at the snow, and sauntered back to the litter box.

   I'm going slightly crazy without the web at Aiko and Yoshi's house. I'd like to be able to look things up as they occur to me, and to take my time to reply to letters, but that's not going to happen until Saturday night or Sunday. So, if I owe you a reply to a letter or note, you will get one, just not quite right away....

Wildfires in the Western United States

There are still 34 "large incident" wildfires burning in the western United States.  None are currently in the state of Colorado, even though there is a small fire burning in Big Thompson Canyon.  The worst fires are burning in South Dakota, Washington, Idaho, and California.  Here are a few photos:

That huge helicopter looks insignificant against the smoke of the Azusa Canyon fire in the Angeles National Forest...

 

Evening view of the Williams fire in the Angeles National Forest

 

This woman's house in Clearlake Oaks, California was severely damaged by the fire - she and her family were evacuated just minutes before the fire reached their home