Sunday Shots

New snow on the Flatirons - Boulder, Colorado

Most adult cattle can stand the cold and snow,
but calves just can't cope unless sheltered.

Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers,

looking forward to today's Superbowl game...

Fresh Snow

Four inches of snow fell yesterday afternoon and evening - most of it after the sun set. Nedi and Lovey went out and played in it for 15 minutes this morning, before I called them back inside. And the kits have a new favorite toy - I donated blood yesterday, and afterwards, the tech plopped a sterile cotton pad in place over my vein, then did a quick figure 8 shaped wrap with what looked like VetWrap tape, in bright blue. When I removed the tape three hours later, both kits homed in on it, and for the past 17 hours, I can usually find the bright blue blob in either kit's mouth. Yesterday I walked Tessa and played with Lilly, Lyra, and Dhisana - and searched for some missing jewelry of Lynn's. It started to snow as I left her house and headed home. Since it was above freezing, the snow kept melting as it fell for most of the afternoon. But, of course, the temperatures dropped, and the snow started to "stick." We are expecting another 2 to 4 inches of snow throughout today - I'd love to be able to stay at home, enjoy the view of the snow, and watch the Superbowl. But I committed to taking care of Tessa and the kits, and feeding them supper tonight, so I'll watch the Superbowl at Lynn's. Then I'll have to get home. Plus I'll need to start visiting and caring for Brett's cats. Brett is a pastry chef, and I've known him for 2 or 3 years now. - And he's young enough to be my son. - Anyway, I remind him of his favorite "ditzy" aunt, and we both love cats... I get to meet Patches and Phoenix today. Since I've pulled the kits back in, Nedi is curled up on the cat tree and is looking out the window, while Lovey is sitting between me and the monitor, and purring up a storm. Her eyes are barely open, and she's vibrating back and forth with her purrs - almost as if she were hypnotizing herself. To end today, I'll just say: "Go, Packers!" ('Cause I don't like the Steelers' quarterback.)

Canines, Cats & Soup

It is cloudy and misting outside - and it's 40 degrees F. The kits have had a ball running in and out today - and I enjoyed my hour walk with Rosie and Remy, and then the shorter walk with Tessa. Lilly usually hides on Friday, because she hates the vacuum that the housekeeper uses. Today, she ran to me, and wanted love and attention - of course I gave it to her. I played with Lyra and Dhisana on their new cat tree, let Lilly outside for a few minutes, and rough-housed with Tessa. Stopped at the bakery on the way home, and picked up keys and instructions from Brett, as I'll be taking care of Patches and Phoenix while he's on vacation next week. I'd put beans in soak last night to make my bean, ham & potato soup, so I then set up the crock pot, rinsed the beans, added the potatoes, ham and a nice ham bone, and set it on high (after adding coarsely cracked black pepper). - Two hours later, it's starting to smell very enticing. - Even Nedi keeps getting on the counter top and sniffing around the pot.
I met the Chandler's new pups this morning, too. Xena is currently smaller than Victor, she is lighter in color, and she's very friendly and loving. Victor is larger, has a reddish tint to his coat and a white stripe on his chest, and, today, he learned how to bark at strangers. (After which he licked me all over.) They both look as if they have a golden Lab somewhere in their past few generations - even though Xena was described as a Boxer mix, and Victor as an Australian cattle dog mix. They both have white toes on their front paws, and they both appear to be very intelligent and willing to please. I think the Chandler family chose exceedingly well when they visited the Humane Society.

Cold Items

My Yak Trax in place on my snow boots

Oh, no! Two more feet of snow!

A polar bear - grizzly bear hybrid

Cold, Cold Air & Pizzly Bears

During the past few days I have learned several things that I didn't know previously. I walked out onto the patio on Tuesday, when it was -10 degrees, placed a handful of almonds in the squirrel chair, and returned inside, closing the door. Within 5 minutes, my throat tickled, and I coughed; then I had trouble breathing. I immediately grabbed my asthma inhaler and gave myself the prescribed "double shot." It took another hour before I could breathe normally again. Then, on the news, they announced that with the air temperature being so cold and dry, people who suffer from COPD (and I have the double burden of asthma and chronic bronchitis) should be very careful in exposing themselves to the frigid air, as it can cause asthma attacks and bronchial spasms. I guess that since I was originally diagnosed with this in Florida, my Doc did not advise me (or at least I don't remember it) that extreme cold would trigger an attack. On Wednesday, the GP that appears on our local news station announced that this extremely cold air could also bring on migraine headaches. I found out about that this morning. I headed out to walk Rosie and Remy, and became violently ill with a migraine before I made it to the bus station. Luckily, one of the female drivers was heading home, saw me, recognized me, and brought me back home in her car. Thank you!
My only other comment has to do with the positive DNA testing that showed that, in the Arctic Circle, polar bears and grizzly bears are breeding and producing hybrids. The one photo I saw of the resulting union called the bear a "pizzly." I hope that the naturalists and scientists that will end up deciding on a common name for this creature, will change it from "pizzly" to something else. Why? Because it is too close to the word pizzle, which is an ancient (12th through the 19th centuries) word for a man's penis. It is generally recognized that the term "pizzle" is used in reference to a bull - but in Elizabethan times, it became slang for a man's genitalia. My Mother was raised on Chincoteague Island, and I grew up with her using Elizabethan English and the slang that accompanies it. She frequently used the words "pizzle" and "pizzlin' strings" up until her death. Please, call the polar bear-grizzly bear cross something other than a pizzly!

Images of John Castle

Nedi Turns 10 Months Old

Today Nedi is bouncing off the walls. It's not because it's his birthday, it's because I'm not allowing him outside to run around. Why? It's -6 degrees outside, the wind chill is -24, and the humidity is 71% ... that feels mighty cold. Actually, I let the kits run out three times yesterday; and when I popped the door open this morning, Nedi ran out, stepped into the snow on the patio, danced for a few seconds and then high-tailed it back inside. Lovey just sniffed the air outside and retreated to the cat tree. - And the kits let me sleep in this morning! Usually Lovey wakes me up around 6; today she and Nedi snuggled with me until almost 9. The sleep and warmth was awesome - the dreams I had just before waking were awful.
I know the storm that brought us snow yesterday is massive - the TV folks are saying it covers 33 of the states, and is affecting over 100 million people. Because the wind chills are between 20 and 40 degrees below zero, the local public schools are closed, and the powers-that-be are asking everyone to stay at home if it isn't imperative to go out. That's why the kits and I are still snuggled up tight. - I have thoroughly enjoyed my reading time - yesterday, I read Preston and Child's latest novel about Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, and, as usual, I want at least another four or five new novels available immediately.... And when I try to envision this fabulous FBI agent, the only body and face that comes to my mind is British actor John Castle. - In any event, I've read four books in the last 48 hours, and enjoyed them all...