I slept like a log last night... and, to my consternation, I slept like a log yesterday afternoon, as well. Once I left Brigadoon yesterday, I walked out to the bus stop on the Diagonal; I caught the bus, came home with my over-night bag, and fed and loved the kits. I sat down in my (oh, so comfy!) reading chair to give the kits a few more minutes of attention before going to walk Rosie and Remy. To my chagrin, I awoke a few minutes after 5 p.m., having slept away the entire afternoon (with the kits draped all over me) ... then I slept like a log last night, missed my morning walk, and just snuggled with Lovey and Banichi. - Maybe I needed a vacation? - I've been to the store, fed the kits, cleaned the litter boxes, taken out the trash, let the kits out to roam - and I now have little black mud pawprints across my yellow "Swim with the Ponies" shirt (Thank you, again, Carolyn!!). It's not quite 50 degrees outside, and clouds and fog are obscuring Flagstaff Mountain and the Flatirons. - Last night my heater ran several times!
Not a lot going on in Boulder - grocery store workers are still in talks about their contracts; Boulder Valley teachers agreed to a new contract with the school district, but aren't happy with it; and the Boulder City Council wants another pay raise - same old stuff. ... Belmont Park has now met all of it's safety standards for accreditation by the NTRA. Entries have been announced, post positions drawn, and racing odds announced for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. There are 10 horses entered in the race. Mine That Bird will break from the 7 post, and early odds have him the favorite at 2 to 1; he is facing 5 former opponents that he defeated in both the Derby and/or Preakness: Chocolate Candy (#1, at 10 to 1 odds, with Mike Smith aboard), Dunkirk (#2, at 4 to 1, with Edgar Prado in the irons), Summer Bird ( #4, at 12 to 1 odds, with jockey Kent Desormeaux), Luv Gov (#5, at 20 to 1 odds), and Flying Private (#8, at 12 to 1 odds, with Julien Laparoux in the saddle). The other fours starters are Mr. Hot Stuff, a Canadian born, bred, and based colt, from post position #3, odds of 15 to 1- and he has John Velasquez as his jock (John is known for skimming the hedges of the turf course, like Calvin Borel rides the rail on the dirt); Charitable Man, the 3 to 1 second betting choice from # 6; and two Nick Zito entries #9 Miner's Escape and #10 Brave Victory, both opening at odds of 15 to 1 (and Nick Zito knows how to be a spoiler and how to win the Belmont Stakes). But I'm still sticking with Mine That Bird.
I haven't written about the myriad of wildlife I enjoyed observing while out at Brigadoon - there were lots of birds, raccoons, fox, skunks, scores of young cottontails, and late in the evening the serenade of the coyotes.... Walking to and from the bus stop, I saw numerous prairie dogs, waterbirds around Coot Lake, and meadowlarks. I also found that I still have my old horse magic - I was drawing horses from across pastures and across the road as I walked... Some of the guys, at a farther distance actually trotted or cantered to get close to me for a pat before I passed the end of their pasture fencing. I have to admit that made me feel good!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Estes Park Photos
The creek that runs through Estes Park's business center - lots of condos and townhomes have been built overlooking it.
St. Malo's Chapel at sunset, near Estes Park
A trail overlooking a lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes ParkWhine?
We are having another grey and damp day here. I've taken out the trash and recycling, walked the dogs, and fed, watered and handled the chicks. While we might have thunderstorms through this evening, we are expecting tomorrow to be dry (Yea!). Rivers on the western slope are flooding, Cherry Creek in Denver has had a couple of flash floods, and Boulder Creek (at the south end of my apartment building) is almost up at the tops of it's banks. I let my kits outside yesterday, but as it was raining, they were disgusted with me. I think that if it had been a light rain or drizzle, Lovey would have enjoyed it - but at that time it was a real possum-pounder. Anyway, they both curled up in my lap for a couple of hours before I returned to Brigadoon.
You remember the dog that was bitten by the mountain lion that I wrote of yesterday? The owner didn't even feel that the wounds/bite warranted a visit to a vet's office.... The Belmont is Saturday, and I'll be home with the kits to watch it. Another curve ball arrived for Mine That Bird's team, when Chip Woolley (the trainer) found that Bird's registration papers from the Jockey Club had been stolen from his truck. The passenger-side window had been broken out overnight at Woolley's hotel parking lot in Louisville - a few other items and the GPS unit were stolen, also. Woolley immediately contacted Churchill Downs and the Jockey Club and Bird's papers have already been replaced. .... Rosie and Remy have been dolls this week - and I caught a glimpse of Max last night, and barely recognized him - boys (oops! - young men -) grow so quickly!
In any event, I'll be slogging back along 63rd, walking to the bus stop at Diagonal Highway this afternoon. I'll be happy to sleep in my own bed, snuggle with my own kits, and be able to play with my own computer and TV and stereo systems. That is true happiness!
You remember the dog that was bitten by the mountain lion that I wrote of yesterday? The owner didn't even feel that the wounds/bite warranted a visit to a vet's office.... The Belmont is Saturday, and I'll be home with the kits to watch it. Another curve ball arrived for Mine That Bird's team, when Chip Woolley (the trainer) found that Bird's registration papers from the Jockey Club had been stolen from his truck. The passenger-side window had been broken out overnight at Woolley's hotel parking lot in Louisville - a few other items and the GPS unit were stolen, also. Woolley immediately contacted Churchill Downs and the Jockey Club and Bird's papers have already been replaced. .... Rosie and Remy have been dolls this week - and I caught a glimpse of Max last night, and barely recognized him - boys (oops! - young men -) grow so quickly!
In any event, I'll be slogging back along 63rd, walking to the bus stop at Diagonal Highway this afternoon. I'll be happy to sleep in my own bed, snuggle with my own kits, and be able to play with my own computer and TV and stereo systems. That is true happiness!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Today's Picks
Mountain lion near Chautauqua in Boulder County
Prissy, the mare who was killed by a 3-dog pack
Pullets - this is why I say the chicks are both adorable and ugly at the same timeCool and Rainy Tuesday
We had our high temperature for the day a few minutes after midnight this morning - all of 55; it's raining lightly and and it's 48 outside right now... It started raining here in Brigadoon about 9:30 last night, and or rainfall total so far is .8 of an inch. (There's a rain gauge in the back yard which I looked at on my way out and in from the chicks this morning.) If it's not raining around 10, I'll take the red kids for a walk - and I'm going to be visiting them for a couple hours this evening in any event, as no family be be home until about 10 p.m. And if it's raining at 10, I'll be able to spend a little more time with the kits today, too.
Things regarding pets and wildlife aren't going real well in Boulder County this week.... A man shot and killed a mountain lion in his backyard. He called and reported it to the DoW, and they said he was correct to kill the cat. The only trouble is, the cat had left a dead deer in the man's garden; the cat had been there earlier, and had bitten the man's dog, driving it away from the deer carcass . The man did not contact DoW at that time. He waited with his shotgun, and shot the cat when it was in the process of jumping his fence, on it's way back to it's meal. Still, DoW says he was in the right. Had he reported the cat earlier, DoW would have moved the deer, and tranquilized the cat when it returned and relocated the young male - who had a radio collar on. Grrrrr!!!! .... Also, not too far away from Suki and Boo's, two lab retrievers and a boxer combined to form a deadly pack and attacked an elderly horse in it's pasture. Prissy, the mare (aged 32) had lived there for over 20 years. Her neck, chest and head were so savaged that she died within 24 hours at the vet hospital. The dogs were seen making the attack, and were extremely difficult to drive off the mare when she went down. The 3 dogs are currently being held by the local Humane Society and their two separate family owners have been ticketed for a misdemeanor - having aggressive dogs. And this was the second time they had attacked the mare! Grrrr, again! .....
Another Bird, this one Summer Bird, who also ran in the Derby, will be running against Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes. Summer Bird and Mine That Bird both have the same sire - Birdstone.
Things regarding pets and wildlife aren't going real well in Boulder County this week.... A man shot and killed a mountain lion in his backyard. He called and reported it to the DoW, and they said he was correct to kill the cat. The only trouble is, the cat had left a dead deer in the man's garden; the cat had been there earlier, and had bitten the man's dog, driving it away from the deer carcass . The man did not contact DoW at that time. He waited with his shotgun, and shot the cat when it was in the process of jumping his fence, on it's way back to it's meal. Still, DoW says he was in the right. Had he reported the cat earlier, DoW would have moved the deer, and tranquilized the cat when it returned and relocated the young male - who had a radio collar on. Grrrrr!!!! .... Also, not too far away from Suki and Boo's, two lab retrievers and a boxer combined to form a deadly pack and attacked an elderly horse in it's pasture. Prissy, the mare (aged 32) had lived there for over 20 years. Her neck, chest and head were so savaged that she died within 24 hours at the vet hospital. The dogs were seen making the attack, and were extremely difficult to drive off the mare when she went down. The 3 dogs are currently being held by the local Humane Society and their two separate family owners have been ticketed for a misdemeanor - having aggressive dogs. And this was the second time they had attacked the mare! Grrrr, again! .....
Another Bird, this one Summer Bird, who also ran in the Derby, will be running against Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes. Summer Bird and Mine That Bird both have the same sire - Birdstone.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Visits to familiar places
A blue heron in Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville
Looking down into Silver Springs, near Ocala (FL), where most of the Johnny Weismueller Tarzan movies were filmed
An aerial view of the University of Colorado campus at Boulder, looking southwest over Chautauqua and the Flatirons. (My apartment would be about a half-inch below the cut-off north end of Folsom Field, the football stadium.)June
The first day of June! While in school, I always looked forward to June because it meant that summer vacation would soon begin. That meant that I was free of teacher and school strictures - I could read about anything that took my fancy and I would soon be headed for Chincoteague to spend my time roaming the island, along with Assateague, on foot (and occasionally bicycle). I had learned in grade school that my inquiring mind was not welcome (at that time, anyway) and that if I took my public library books to school, some of my teachers did not believe that I could/would/had read them. I became a secret information junkie - about anything that happened to grab my attention - any type of animal, history, archeology.... Then in 1968 I discovered the Sci-Fi and Fantasy section of the adult area - I was, and still am, hooked for life. I really thank my parents for loving to read, themselves. Yahooo!!!! It's June!
It was 79 yesterday, with lots of storms all around Brigadoon and Boulder, but they never occurred in my precise area. It's grey this morning, and isolated showers are expected early this a.m. and late in the afternoon. We have a cold front moving through this afternoon/evening and are expecting a high between 50 and 55 tomorrow, with rain. I spent several hours with my kits yesterday - Lovey greeted me with desperate howls, while Banichi ignored me. After I fed them and spent a lot of time stroking Lovey, Banichi came and curled up in my lap (where he stayed until I left to come back to Brigadoon). I sort of panicked last night - I kept counting 9 chicks, but they were running around like mad... I finally got a 10 count, and that's how many were there this morning. There's an orangey-red chick that I call Cinnamon - it's a mischief-maker and leader, and always tries to "make a break" for freedom when I open the door for the coop. Pepper and Lucy are settling in - I am "mean" in that if I let them out the back door, I expect them to come back inside through the backdoor. Both dogs want to have free rein as to re-entering the house - they will scratch and /or bark at any of the other 4 doors and expect to be let in. But, I am "mean" and make them come in the door they went out - they understand that now, but will have forgotten it by the next time I house-sit with them.
It was 79 yesterday, with lots of storms all around Brigadoon and Boulder, but they never occurred in my precise area. It's grey this morning, and isolated showers are expected early this a.m. and late in the afternoon. We have a cold front moving through this afternoon/evening and are expecting a high between 50 and 55 tomorrow, with rain. I spent several hours with my kits yesterday - Lovey greeted me with desperate howls, while Banichi ignored me. After I fed them and spent a lot of time stroking Lovey, Banichi came and curled up in my lap (where he stayed until I left to come back to Brigadoon). I sort of panicked last night - I kept counting 9 chicks, but they were running around like mad... I finally got a 10 count, and that's how many were there this morning. There's an orangey-red chick that I call Cinnamon - it's a mischief-maker and leader, and always tries to "make a break" for freedom when I open the door for the coop. Pepper and Lucy are settling in - I am "mean" in that if I let them out the back door, I expect them to come back inside through the backdoor. Both dogs want to have free rein as to re-entering the house - they will scratch and /or bark at any of the other 4 doors and expect to be let in. But, I am "mean" and make them come in the door they went out - they understand that now, but will have forgotten it by the next time I house-sit with them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)