A lot of Little Things...

The sun is shining this morning, and I need to get back home quickly so Lovey and Nedi can go outside and play before it gets too cold and windy. We're expecting snow by 10 tonight, and the weather people are guessing it will be 3 to 10 inches that will fall through Sunday. That isn't any big deal - the problem will be that the highs on Monday and Tuesday are not expected to get above 15 degrees. That's mighty chilly when the wind blows! Nedi will probably eschew going outside, while Lovey will go out and make tunnels in the snow. Then I'll have to towel her dry... she hates the blow-dryer. Rosie and Remy, Suki and Boo were all fine yesterday - I never saw nor heard Mona while we were all playing in the back yard. Ooch wants to spend a lot of time in my lap, and I let him do so.
Polish Navy, the sire of Sea Cadet (the tail-less horse who won the Kentucky Derby under Jerry Bailey), has been put down at the age of 27. He injured his hip a couple of months ago, and had not been able to move easily, and the hip did not heal correctly, so the decision was made to let him go peacefully. ... Rachel Alexandra, who is now 5, will be bred to Curlin within the next few months. No decision has yet been announced as to the sire of Zenyatta's first foal. ... And for the 2010 Horse of the Year Award, the three finalists are: Zenyatta, Goldikova, and Blame.
The 105th Annual National Western Stock Show gets under way today in Denver. I first visited the NWSS in 1980, and was lucky to meet James Caan while I was there. The National Western Stock Show has something for everyone in the family - there are 4-H shows of all kinds of animals, horse shows, cattle shows, rodeos, dressage, a junior rodeo for the youngsters, and all kinds of booths and exhibits, from camping to fencing for your pasture or farm crops to training your horse. There are also a few specialty booths set up with old and rare books about the West and animals, a few clothing booths, and some jewelry booths, too. Me - I hang out in the stables and around the saddle shops... More information about the NWSS may be found at: http://nationalwestern.com/ And don't forget the Coors Art Show! It's at the NWSS, too.

A Nice Friday

Lovey is perched on my chest, and Nedi is exploring the grass and leaves that have been uncovered by the melting snow. I just returned from the library, having turned in 9 books and checking out 14. - It is supposed to snow Saturday night and Sunday, and the weather folks are saying our high temperatures will be in the teens on Monday and Tuesday. It's too cold for me to walk for long periods of time if it's under 20 degrees, so I'll be staying home and not walking doggies. And I'll have plenty of books to read! I went out this morning wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and my jacket - it was actually that warm outside today.
I am looking forward to watching The Lawman on Encore Westerns these days, and they are also showing the Ward Bond Wagon Train series, too. One of the series I'm looking forward to is The Tudors (from HBO) on BBC America beginning on January 19. And, beginning Monday, the 17th of January, I'm looking forward to a new series called Harry's Law starring Kathy Bates. The teasers for Harry's Law look very good.

Snow, Snow, Snow

A junco in the snow on New Year's Eve 2010

The Indian Peaks from Eddie Bear Hut

Let your tail be your umbrella...

grey squirrel, New Years Day, 2011

Sore Ear and Wildlife

Time has really gotten away from me. I can't believe that I've missed blogging for three days! I am currently at Ooch's house, and have just seen my nephew walk by with his dog, Mona. I've already talked to Lucy's owner, and have sent an e-mail to Topgallant Charlie's family. Remy's ear has been diagnosed as "chronically inflamed;" he will be placed on a restricted diet, and will be receiving Otamax and antibiotics twice a day. Poor guy! I hate it when I have an ear ache! Ooch is purring in my lap while I blog... I should be with Sophie and Walt out in Niwot, but I've been at home sleeping with Lovey on one side of me and Nedi on the other. Sophie's medical condition became much worse over the weekend, and she was sorrowfully put to sleep at her home on Monday. Walt is up in the mountains with his family. Many people in the area I call "Bird Valley" will miss this intrepid black Border Collie, who only had one eye.
The coyotes are still in the Githens Acres neighborhood. I heard them several times while I was staying with Rosie and Remy, and the bus drivers have commented about seeing them cross 19th Street. I have seen three black bears, eight fox, and the two coyotes within the past two weeks. I am hoping that with the much lower temperatures and the snow, that the bears have finally gone into hibernation. They are not normally around and about at this time of year, and they are very irritable. And, hopefully, some of the hunting laws in Colorado will soon be changed: a couple of hunters killed a 703 pound black bear, and were given heaps of praise. Then one of them admitted to having followed the bear into her den, and having shot her while she was sleeping. That's a no-no; that is unsportsman-like. Soon the Colorado hunting laws will also declare this.

Veerry Interesting...

Did you know that if it gets cold enough in a chicken coop, the eggs will freeze and split down the middle? I had no idea until I cleaned out the nesting boxes this morning.... Out of 12 eggs from yesterday and last night, all were frozen solid, and 5 had split lengthwise. As Arte Johnson used to say on "Laugh In"... Veerry Interesting! All the critters are doing well, but Nedi is still not happy with the snow cover. I've got to run back to the Rs' house to get my food cooked for today's family get-together. Hope your Sunday is as good as my Saturday football games were! All my teams won in Saturday's BCS games!

Happy 2011 !

I can't believe that it is 2011 already. Actually, I'm still struggling with the fact that we're no longer in the 1990s... Nedi just saw a snow bank (the back yard, actually) as tall as he is and decided that being on the patio was OK, but being inside is better. Lovey ran out, jumped into the snow, and is now curled up on my bosom, as I type with one hand - the other is helping hold her in place. With this nasty weather, Topgallant Charley, the rooster, has decided that I'm an OK person - after all, I deliver fresh, unfrozen food and water to the nine of them twice a day. He has finally stopped attacking me each time I step into the coop and yard. The hens all cluster around me, begging for special goodies, while Topgallant stays back and struts his stuff. ... The kits at Lynn's house have been joined by Tessa, the gazelle dog; Christina brought her back from Aspen last night, so I have Tessa added to my collection. Christina checked in with me, as I was at the house, and at some time during the evening (after I left) she closed Dhisana up in her brother's bedroom, so I had to hunt for the youngest kitten this morning. Everyone else showed up and was ready for breakfast - although Tessa really needed to go out for a while... Luckily, Lynn and the family are due back sometime today or this evening. Tomorrow, the Chandlers will return, and they will coop the crew up for the night. I will be walking Lucy today and tomorrow. And, of course, I'm still with Rosie and Remy until Tuesday night. At noon on Wednesday I'll be in Niwot for 48 hours, caring for Walt and Sophie, two elderly dogs. And starting tomorrow and on through the 20th, I'll also be caring for Ooch. (Kathy and Jim will take care of him with I'm in Niwot - luckily, Ooch is just next door to them.) And on the 10th, I move back in with Tessa and the three kits for a week.... I'm tired already!
Tomorrow is also the annual Snow Christmas get-together. It will be the first time one of the younger generation acts as host - niece Sarah and her man, Michael Fleetwood, have invited the family to their new house in a suburb of Denver. She has not yet given thought to what we should bring, or what she will supply, so I'm not certain what I'll take to the pot-luck gathering. It will be interesting.
And I am really enjoying the snow for one reason - I get a kick out of reading the tracks left in it. At the Chandlers' house, several deer have followed the trail that I broke through the snow; squirrels have crossed it multiple times; two rabbits have traveled along it; and there are a multitude of bird tracks everywhere. With the snowfall and the early dark on Thursday and Friday, I saw three red foxes and a gray fox out in the yards and along the neighborhood roads while returning from evening trips to all the homes. It's been fun, even though it is cold!

It's A Little Cool Outside - 8 Degrees (F)

All the dogs, kits, and chickens I'm caring for are fine. We actually ended up with a grand total of about 6 inches of snow for yesterday and today - a few more flurries might occur, but no measurable accumulation. It was -2 when I arose at 6:30 at the Rs' this morning. Lovey and Nedi are not even asking to go outside today, and I'm not offering. Rosie and Remy decided to "test" me last night and this morning: about every two hours, they alternated in wanting to out. Remy did go out around 2:15, but the other times, they apparently just wanted me to get up in case I might give them a treat (which I did not). The chickens and rooster weren't real happy with the snow - I did clear out about half of their run, and put scratch and feed down for them, as well as a head of lettuce. And I also brought out a full kettle of boiling water to defrost their tin waterer. Lilly was hiding because the cleaning lady was at the house this morning, but both Lyra and Dhisana were happy to be fed and not so happy to be medicated. I loved them and played with them, and then picked up Kathy and took her in to work. I was driving over to feed, love, and play with my kits.
Beulah Park in Ohio is under the threat of quarantine. Several horses shipped from there have checked out positive for the equine herpes virus. EHV-1, which can spread quickly through the air, can cause death in some cases. Its symptoms include fever, nasal discharge, and neurologic impairment Thoroughbreds in training at Beulah frequently ship to Penn National (in PA), Charles Town (in WV), and Turfway Park (in KY). Veterinarians will make their decision by Sunday regarding the possibility of a quarantine.
If you go to a New Year's Eve party tonight, please have a designated driver who will pledge (and follow through) to drink no alcohol. Tonight is a night that is celebrated throughout the world, and mainly with alcohol and good cheer - please don't harm yourselves or others. Please do not drink and drive.
From Cenedi, Leofgifu and me, a wish to you for a Wonderful New Year!