Edward Elk (aka Big Boy on FB) Update

The Boulder Police Department has now said that one of their on-duty police officers shot and killed Edward the Elk with a shotgun Tuesday night.  The officer, identified in  a local home-owner's enlarged photo, as S. Carter posed with the elk and then called another off-duty officer, who loaded the elk's body into a pickup truck and took it off to hang and butcher as game.  The on-duty officer did not tell his supervisor that he had shot the elk, which is why the Boulder PD denied knowledge of the act.  The officer now claims that he had watched the elk moving about in the neighborhood, and had made the decision that it was injured and needed to be put out of it's misery.
    Edward had returned to the Mapleton Hill area where he was killed every winter for the past 10 years - the neighborhood was used to his presence, and he was used to the people, dogs, and traffic.  Several points of one horn had been broken off while fighting other bull elk this year, but those were the only things the usual neighbors noted about the elk's appearance. S. Carter apparently reported that the elk was limping, and that was what he based his decision upon.  (Heck, I don't want that officer around our neighborhood!  Old Tripod, the 10-point buck, would be shot by him immediately.  Tripod had a hind-leg broken when he was 2 years old; it didn't heal correctly, and it dangles as a much shorter leg than the others.  Tripod leaps and runs and jumps fences with ease, so there's no need to shoot him.)
  The Department of Wildlife is investigating this killing, as Edward qualified as a "trophy specimen" along with the fact he was killed within the city limits.  There could be a fine levied of up to $10,000 and jail time might also be recommended.  At least his body is being processed for consumption,  It would be a terrible shame to waste that magnificent animal's life...  But that doesn't replace the annual winter visits of Edward the Elk to his neighborhood haunts on Mapleton Hill.

Boulder police officer S. Carter poses with Edward after killing him.

RIP, Edward Elk

Edward Elk, alive and well last week.  Photo taken in back yard of house at 10th Street and Mapleton Avenue, Boulder.

Edward at 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 2 January 2013.  No one will claim responsibility for the killing of this bull elk within the city of Boulder.

"Strange" News

I realize that with the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, and iPhones, dissemination of information is almost instantaneous these days.  Some of the stories that come out of this fast, world-wide mish-mash are intriguing...  There are several that have recently caught my attention.  The first and foremost has happened here in Boulder, Colorado.  Who murdered Edward Elk on Mapleton Hill? Edward was a large bull elk - a superb trophy specimen - that has been living for the past couple of months between 9th and 11th Streets on Mapleton Avenue.  The area is also known as historic Mapleton Hill. Last week, Edward was reported to have kept a US Postal Service person trapped on the front porch of a house for several minutes; he was unafraid of the PO worker, who shouted and shook his mail bag at the elk. Over the weekend, Edward held his ground and refused to run from a police car with flashing lights and a siren - he was blocking an intersection at Mapleton Avenue and 10th Street.  A local resident let his dog out into the back yard for a late night "pit-stop" and had to go outside to retrieve his dog because Edward was in the back yard, and the dog wanted to bark at him. The home owner said that Edward was not afraid of him at all and would not leave; he finally convinced his dog to re-enter the house without harm.  Tuesday night, residents in the area reported the presence of multiple police cars with their lights flashing.  The resident whose dog barked at Edward says that a uniformed officer said they were going to try to "convince the elk to leave the area" and not to worry if he heard gunshots.  The home owner heard one gunshot. The following morning, Edward was found dead at the edge of his yard.  The really strange thing about this is that neither the Boulder Police, the Boulder Sheriff's Office, nor the Colorado Department of Wildlife have any record of any activities that night regarding the elk.  So the big question is who done it, and why?  The Department of Wildlife is conducting an investigation into Edward's suspicious death.
  The other things that caught my eye concerned naked men.  In Miami, Florida a man was arrested in a home-owners back yard because the man was totally naked and choking the home owner's Rottweiler with his bare hands. The home owner heard a disturbance in his back yard , looked out and observed the naked man choking his dog.  When the owner yelled at the man, the attacker started growling and lunged at the owner, trying to bite him.  When the police arrived, the naked suspect attacked them and tried to bite them also.  He was shot twice in the leg before police could subdue him.  I had to laugh at the final sentence of the report: It is thought the suspect was under the effect of an unknown drug.
  Then in San Jose, California, a naked man with a Samurai sword was threatening folks at a light rail station - this after he was seen clothed and with an AK-15 assault rifle in from a a residence nearby.  Police responded to the assault-rifle report, and then quickly determined that the same, but now naked, man was at the light rail station waving a Samurai sword.  There was a large group of media present when, after more than 2 hours of stand off, the man attempted to climb a fence and run.  The police were easily able to catch the man and place him under arrest.
   Yesterday at a Catholic church in Connecticut, a naked man suddenly appeared before parishioners and a third-grade parochial school class.  He, also, was arrested, but very quickly.  A witness told police that the man appeared very quickly, and that it was frightening even for an adult.
    What the heck is going on here?  Why are naked men doing stupid things?  Again, I realize that the way our world has changed in spreading news is one of the main reasons so many stupid news stories make it around the world. Used to be, things about naked men or women appearing in public were never spoken about; now it seems it's almost a daily happening....

Seen in Azerbaijan

The Republic of Azerbaijan is an important country of the Eurasian continent and it is the largest as well as the most populated region in South Caucasus. While the capital, Baku, has rapidly transformed itself into a highly developed modern city, the surrounding villages still remain untouched and archaic.Azerbaijan is divided partially between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. On its eastern side lies the Caspian Sea, whilst the Russian Federation borders it on the north. Azerbaijan if formed of 65 regions and 69 cities. While Azerbaijani is the official language spoken, due to Russia’s rule for so many years, Russian and Turkish languages are widely spoken. In some regions, people also converse in English, German and Arabic. Azerbaijan is a secular and unitary republic consisting mostly of Ethnic Azeri and Shia Muslims who form a major part of its population. Orthodox Christians and Jews also play their own role in the form of minorities.

The Bay of Baku (the capital city), Azerbaijan

 

Pony trekking on the Laza Plateau in Azerbaijan

 

Pictograms carved 10,000 years ago are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Gobustan area

 

Agriculture and farming are economic mainstays in Azerbaijan

 

Wind, rain, snow and sand sculpt the rocks of Azerbaijan

 

An old church in Azerbaijan

 

Attila the Hun and "My" Critters

Yesterday I read a new Clive Cussler book, The Tombs, a Sam and Remi Fargo action-adventure-archeology treasure hunt. It was excellent; about searching for (and finding, of course) the treasures of Attila the Hun, including his burial place. Princus, an envoy from Constantinople, wrote that Attila, "the Scourge of God," was buried in a golden casket that was filled with jewels and silks; the golden casket fitted inside a larger silver casket, and tributary gold and the personal weapons of those he had conquered filled the excess space; this, in turn was surrounded by an iron casket that was also filled with jewels, gold, and weaponry. Attila died on his wedding night (one of several), at the age of 47. According to Princus, Attila was found dead, covered in blood, which appeared to have come from a hemorrhage in his nose and throat. There were no visible wounds, and Princus reported that Attila had been subject to "unstoppable nosebleeds late at night" for the previous night. The book is great, and takes you from Louisiana, to Berlin, to Hungary, to France, back to Hungary, Moscow, eastern Russia, Kazakhstan, and, finally, back to California. Now I'm looking at all those places on the web, reading a little bit more about the places, and about Attila, and how he and his Hunnic Horde changed the world. It's been fascinating!
  Lovey has wanted lots of attention, and has spent the past 40 minutes laying across my shoulders like a fur stole. When Nedi jumped onto the desk, she batted at him, and made him leave. I'll be certain to give him more loving before I leave today. Rosie and Remy are doing very well, all things considered. Rosie keeps giving me these sorrowful looks since she stole my overnight bag, buried all my meds in different holes in the back yard, and then consumed a whole bag of potato chips. I should know better than to leave the door open to the utility room, where I keep my stuff. Normally, yesterday would have been trash day, but since it was a Holiday, I took the compost and trash cans out to the end of the drive this morning. - Oops. Bonfils Blood Bank just called and I told them, amid much coughing, that I couldn't donate because I am sick. I'll have to remember to schedule an appointment after I've recovered. - The squirrels have been having a blast, eating what Bea and I place out for them; and the ravens and crows look nice and content here at home. The coyotes returned to the north Boulder area a couple months ago and all the usual fox and raccoons have disappeared; there have also been fewer skunk sightings.
   I have three more new books to read, so I guess I'll be heading for the public library this weekend. I need to have a good supply of reading material,as I plan to stay at home next week and get this cold cleared from my chest. I'm still producing tons of phlegm, my nose is still running, my eyes are itchy, my throat is sore and scratchy, and still having fever and chills. I don't need to be out running around with temperatures in the single digits at night, and below freezing all day. Rosie and Remy's folks will return Friday night, and then I move back into their house on the 17th, stay for 4 nights, come home for 3 nights, and return for 4 nights - not to mention caring for Sasquatch and Tugger for 9 days, as well as feeding the Snow dogs during Kathy's birthday weekend. At least I'm staying busy.

US Scenes

Arlington, Vermont

 

Horse and chicken coop in Wyoming

 

Shaft of sunlight in New Hampshire

 

Waves at Ocean City, Maryland

 

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! January first, two thousand and thirteen. I have the Pasadena Rose Parade on TV, thanks to the HGTV channel. I love the fact they show the parade from the first block and without commercial interruption - one gets to see all of the floats, bands, marching units and equestrian groups. I did have to laugh at the announcers, who are from HGTV - a group of ladies on horseback were going by, and they announced the horses included quarter horses, mustangs, Arabians, and an Appaloosa. The announcer said he had absolutely no idea which horse was the Appaloosa - it was a bay with a snowflake blanket on the far side of the street... At least he was honest about it; and now they are laughing about the "feathers" on the Gypsy Vanner horses legs - but it's done in fun and with the admission they know nothing about equines. How refreshing!
  A Shell drilling vessel broke free of the ship towing it and has grounded on rocks off Kodiak Island in Alaska. Due to 60 mph winds and 35-foot seas, the crew was removed by the US Coast Guard. They are hoping the 155,000 gallons of fuel will stay intact and not spill. ... In northeast England, in the county of Norfolk, and the city of Norwich, UK bobbies are searching for four people who attacked a man in a shopping center. As the victim left a kabob shop, he was knocked down to the ground repeatedly, suffering two black eyes, and cuts and abrasions to his face. Two of the attackers were dressed as Oompa Loompas, so, if they stay in costume, they should be easy to spot.

Oompa Loompas

  It is bright and sunny today - it was 10 degrees out when I got up, and the sunrise was a beautiful orange cloud and blue sky mix. Since the Broncos have made it to the playoffs, it was announced that the folks of Colorado are, and will be, "United in Orange." I was even wearing my orange Broncos shirt when this was announced, so I felt prepared (ha!). The announcers just about lost it again - there was a US Army Cavalry unit on with the men mounted on quarter horses, and and they were accompanied by an 1878 supply wagon drawn by two Belgian mules. For some reason, the two "Belgium" mules cracked the guys up - I'm not sure why.
  In any event, it is the beginning of a new calendar year. I have a lot of wishes that I hope will come true - world peace, religious tolerance around the world, an end of violence perpetrated against the innocent, the end of the drought and the end of starvation throughout all nations. I wish every one large amounts of love, good luck, and laughter in this New Year. Happy New Year!