Request For Healing Thoughts and Prayers

One of my very good friends is under-going back surgery today - Larry is retired from the US Navy, he loves his hawg, he loves to fish, and he has a great sense of humor.  The MDs say it's a five-hour procedure - they have to remove hardware from a spinal fusion back in the 1980s, and then re-do the fusion, using today's techniques.  Larry will miss 7 months of work - and I'll miss him, because he's one of my favorite bus drivers.  (Plus, he's been to Chincoteague many times and understands the way my brain works.)  I'm asking for thoughts of healing and prayers to whomever you worship for him.
  I'm also asking for prayers and healing thoughts to be sent to my brother-in-law's youngest brother, Kent, in South Dakota.  Kent is the youngest of six siblings; two weeks ago, his wife had a biopsy done on her lymph nodes, which turned out benign.  However, while Vanessa was in the hospital, Kent began having terribly painful headaches.  He was admitted to the hospital with bleeding inside his brain.  The MRIs showed a pinpoint spot in his brain, but three surgeons couldn't agree what it was.  Kent has been at home resting, and went back for another MRI Tuesday.  Yesterday, he was told there is a tumor growing at a rapid pace deep inside his brain - in two weeks it has grown from a pinpoint to 3 centimeters by 4 centimeters in size.  The tumor is so deeply embedded that the MDs say they can only biopsy an extremely small piece of the tumor without doing damage to Kent's brain.  The biopsy will be done tomorrow.  Again, I ask for healing thoughts and prayers to be sent for Kent and his family in South Dakota.   His wife, Vanessa, and children, Dominique and Karissa, could also use a little boost of positive vibrations.
   Thank You!

Assorted Photos

Boulder Canyon this morning

"The Kelpies" - statues along the Forth & Clyde Canal in Falkirk, Scotland

Orange kitten is the only color in a volcanic ash-covered Indonesian village

Snow leopard cubs

"I am NOT happy with this snow.  Not at all."

Bits and Pieces

Laminitis updates on St Nicholas Abbey and Jimmy (Black Caviar's brother):  St Nicholas Abbey is being slowly weaned off pain medication for the laminitis in his left forefoot (he had surgery on his right fore, followed by colic surgery this summer).  His vets say this is the "critical" period, seeing if he can move freely without any changes to his pedal bone.   ....  In Australia, Jimmy, the $5 million colt, is also being weaned off his pain meds.  He developed laminitis in both of his fore feet after an adverse reaction to antibiotics for a spider bite.  ....  I hope both colts continue to improve - hopefully, both of them will be able to proceed with a career at stud.
  Immortal Verse, in foal to Dansili, sold at Tattersall's for a record $8.09 million.  The beautiful 5-year-old bay mare, who was a Grade I winner in both England and France, was sold to BBA Ireland, which is going to establish a new partnership for her ownership within Coolmore.
  My kits are crazy.  It's 10 degrees outside, snow is falling (and has been since 5 p.m. yesterday) and the wind chill is -5.  They keep going outside, running through the snow, then coming back to my desk to spray me and the PC with snow attached to their coats.  I just closed the door, and they are looking at me like I'm a horrible spoil-sport.  (My toes were getting cold, even though I have on wool socks and mukluks - of course, a tile floor on a concrete slab does not conduct heat.)
   We are still awaiting results and doctor consultations regarding my brother-in-law's (Kent Snow) medical condition.  He was suffering from a severe headache and was admitted to the hospital for bleeding in his brain.  The MRIs and Cat scans were inconclusive, and none of the MDs is sure what is happening inside Kent's brain.  He's taking a medically-ordered vacation and is taking it easy at home.  His wife Vanessa was recuperating from lymph-node surgery (luckily, the mass was benign) in the hospital, when Kent was admitted.  Vanessa is not dealing well with the stress.  Prayers for that part of the family are appreciated.
 
 
 
 

Colorado Skies and Nedi

Clouds to the northeast at sunset yesterday

Sunrise, today

Sunrise, today

Nedi - my baby  (Zephraim Cenedi)

Looking west at 1 p.m. today - Folsom  Field and the Flatirons.

Snow is on it's way!

Two Weeks Shy of 22 Years, Ooch Leaves Us

In mid-December of 1991, a grey and white kitten was born; he ended up at the Humane Society in February of 1992.  He was adopted by a young man and named "Ooch."  I have no idea how the cat was named, or how the owner decided that would be his moniker; but the kitten became Ooch.  Ooch and his master lived together for 5 years; then his owner became involved  with a lady who has a huge allergy to cats; the human couple decided to marry.  The cat was then "adopted" by the young man's mother, Connie. Connie is a gardener and a nurturer by nature; she loves all animals, but prefers to have a dog, if she must have a pet.  But she promised her son she'd take care of Ooch for his life.  None of us expected Ooch to almost make it to his twenty-second birthday.  -  I've been his pet sitter for the past ten years, and Ooch will be missed.  Over the past seven years, Connie has called me and told me that Ooch wasn't doing well, and I have visited him and spent time just having him sit in my lap - and he's recovered from his troubles.  Nearing 22 years, he had stopped grooming himself, ate little, drank much, and was a little walking skeleton kitty. However, he still caught mice, chased birds, purred loudly, and demanded attention with a mighty yowl.  He wasn't in any pain.  Two weeks ago, though, he developed a skin infection - and the antibiotics made him more ill, without any healing effects.  Sunday, we said goodbye.  A vet came to the house, and Ooch peacefully passed away in his warmed bed, in the seat of a winged back chair in Connie's office.  We will always honor the memory of Ooch.  He taught me perseverance during adversity.

Ooch, aged 19 years

Windy Today, Cold Tomorrow

I feel discombobulated...  Normally, my first stop on any weekday is to see Rosie.  Today she was my last stop; and I came back home between all three visits, so I spent a lot of time on the bus.  If the wind hadn't been blowing, the temperatures would have been lovely; but we were under a high wind warning, with gusts up to 85 mph, for more than 24 hours.  The National Weather Service has just issued a Winter Storm Warning for Boulder, stating that we will get between 6 and 14 inches of snow from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 5 p.m. Wednesday.  And the high will be 14 degrees.  Brrrrrr!  After 61 degrees today, and the mid-50s for the past week, tomorrow is going to be a shock to the system, with a high of 38 before noon...
   Lovey is out in this windy evening, but Nedi only steps out for a few moments; as soon as the wind picks up, he comes back inside.  The next time Lovey is in, I'll close the door for the night.  I did enjoy the Broncos' win yesterday afternoon - and I was happy to hear that Coach Fox was back in the team meeting today, and is officially back on the job.
   Since the weather is supposed to be atrocious from tomorrow afternoon until the weekend, I should have plenty of time on my hands to write more in the blog.  And, hopefully, it will be about interesting things, or photos.

December First

This morning, as I walked to the bakery for my breakfast bagel, I looked in wonder at beautiful puffy clouds that were painted in colors of pinks and purples against a dark sky.  Less than five minutes later, as I walked back home with my fresh warm bagel, the sight of the mountain-top snows took my breath away.  In the east, the clouds were pink and purple, but they painted the snow on the peaks in the west a glowing, warm lavender.  I miss the gulls and birds of the east coast, but these sunrise visions are gorgeous in Colorado! It's currently 54 degrees outside, the sun is shining, and the humidity is 25%.  I'm sitting at my desk with the patio door and window wide open, while the cats wander in and out.  It's a fantastic fall day.
  The weather has made it easy to get the smell of chemicals and backed-up kitchen water out of my bathroom, closet, and front hall.  And I'll probably be complaining about the fierce cold here beginning Wednesday.  Right now, our forecast calls for highs in the mid-50s Monday and Tuesday; a low of 11 on Tuesday night, and highs on Wednesday and Thursday of 15 and 9 degrees.  I'll be inside, cuddled up with the kits on those days.  The air is so dry that I can't go outside and breathe normally if the temperature is below 20.  I'll be carrying my inhaler at all times later this week...  And I've already sent out warnings to the owners of the dogs that I walk on a daily basis.
  I do have the Broncos and Chiefs game on the television.  I just shook my head while watching the Gators and Seminoles play yesterday.  Poor Gators.  I loved watching the Ohio State Buckeyes win; and I had a blast watching the Gamecocks defeat Clemson.  Of course, the mind-boggling play of all the games yesterday was the Auburn Tigers returning a missed Alabama field goal for 100+ yards and the winning of the game.  I don't think the 'Bama fans have had this first loss even sink in yet...
   And since it's the first of December, my daughter-in-law sent me one of the best photos I have seen this year:

Son Kevin and grand daughter Kennedy getting ready to decorate the house for Christmas!