Around the World

A chapel in the wooded mountains

 

Island clouds

 

Train in the Scottish Highlands

 

Vote! - Pets - Wildfire - Horse Racing

Today you'll receive a deluge of bits and pieces: little things that I haven't included in the past few weeks. Today is my last day of vacation, and I'm going to watch the Redskins game, followed by the Jets game, and then I have to do laundry. I'll walk Rosie and Remy tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon, I move in with Aiko and Yoshi. I sent a note to the boys' owner, asking her to have the boys' coats available, as the weather folks are calling for rain and snow Thursday and snow on Friday. The boys had a short clip last month, and I don't want them to catch cold while in my care. Our high yesterday was 78; they say the high Friday might be 35...

   Frankel is being retired, having raced 14 times and being undefeated (including 10 Grade I races), at the age of 4. His last start was Saturday, and he was left standing in the gate, but was in fourth position by the half-mile. He left a great and lasting impression at Ascot. Meanwhile, Camelot, the previously undefeated hopeful for the British Triple Crown, placed seventh in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and had colic surgery that night. Camelot's return to racing is questionable.

   With temperatures being warmer, and with the wind cropping up, the Fern Lake wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park is producing a lot of smoke and haze along the Front Range. The fire is 30% contained, but is now at about 700 acres; sleet and rain last week had helped the fire die down. Today is the 13th day of the fire, and certain hiking trails and roads are closed because of it. One can easily see and smell the smoke here in Boulder. Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide, was closed last week due to snow blocking the road.

   I put my Presidential ballot in the out-going mail box this morning. I used to dread voting day because I hated standing in line and slowly inching forward... I have never missed casting my vote in any election, but I hated the waiting in line. With the mail-in ballots we have in Colorado, I'm very happy. You don't have to stand in line; you don't have to worry about the weather while you're standing in line; you can take your own sweet time in marking your ballot; you can verify that the Clerk of Court's office has received your ballot; and, somehow, I usually ended up having a nasty headache, verging on a migraine, on voting days - no worry about that now. ... And, now that I have actually voted, I wish the Presidential debate tomorrow night was over, and that all of the negative campaign ads (against every single candidate) were gone from TV, and no longer something that I have to watch through November 6th. I have to admit that I turn the volume off during all political ads right now, and make up my own very silly, and, sometimes, downright rude commentary.

   Lovey has been very vocal the last few days, while Nedi has not wanted to come back inside when I want him to. He used to come at a run when I called him, but I think that the fall air, the leaves, and the birds and squirrels have enchanted him. Once we have a couple of days of snow, he'll not want to go out, except to confirm that the white stuff is cold and wet... And I thoroughly enjoyed my two college games yesterday - the Gators did me proud!

Critters 'Round the World

An armadillo eating corn in Texas

 

Red fox in a park in Berlin, Germany

 

Sheep on Streymoy, in the Faroe Islands

 

Vacation is Almost Over

My vacation is drawing to a close, and while I have enjoyed two weeks off, I find I'm looking forward to walking dogs and house-sitting again. There were a lot of things that I wish I could have done, but I didn't have the money - and it's no use crying about that - I am very content in what I did manage to do. I was able to sleep in several mornings, I spent a lot of time cuddling with my kits, I cleaned house when I felt like it, I was able to go exploring in the Rav4 several days, and I visited a state I hadn't previously seen. I also went out to supper with several friends, and I had tea yesterday with my friend Bea, and her friend Carol. It has been a relaxing and soothing time.

   I have the LSU - Texas A & M game on right now. I had looked up a few moments ago, and laughed to see Lee Corso wearing Albert the Alligator's head and holding a young albino alligator that was wearing a tiny UF Gator shirt... Apparently, he's picking Florida over the South Carolina Gamecocks today. I'm planning on seeing both of the games I just mentioned today. Tomorrow, I'll watch the Redskins at the Giants followed by the Jets at the Patriots. I'll be rooting, of course, for RGIII and Tebow.

   The Breeders Cup Racing Championships are 13 and 14 days away. They are back at Santa Anita, and the girls will race on Friday, November 2, while the boys (and any possible mixed sex races) will occur on Saturday, the 3rd. With so many great names sidelined by injury and/or retirement, I have no clear idea of the majority of the horses who will be running. I'm sure there will be several excellent races, and I hope there will be no injuries.

   My kits are currently outside - it's grey and overcast in the east, but there is a lot of blue sky behind the mountains to the west. We're supposed to have highs in the upper-60s and lower-70s until Wednesday, when the weather folks are saying we'll have a high in the mid-50s. I start caring for Aiko and Yoshi Monday afternoon, after walking the Rs in the morning. I'll miss having so much time with my kits, but then I have several weeks at home with them again, once the Shih Tzu's folks are back from their trip. Nedi was investigating a pile of empty shipping boxes (that I need to break down and place in the recycle bin) last night, and caused a huge amount of noise by toppling them all over the place, and, being empty, they bounced. Big noise; Nedi hid inside the medicine chest for a couple of hours. Lovey is brushing all over my face with her chin, body, and tail; she is completely back to normal, for which I am thankful.

   Have a great weekend!

Hebrides and Scotland

Stone cottages in the Hebrides

 

Red deer stag with a mantilla of ferns

 

Bridge over rill in Highlands of Scotland

Windy...

According to a lady I met in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I cursed the area by using the four-letter word that starts with a w, and ends with a d. Synonyms are: breeze, zephyr, gale, etc. While I was in Wyoming, it was cloudy and overcast, and the wind was blowing - it felt about 20 degrees cooler in Cheyenne than it did in Boulder on Tuesday. We had a cold front blow through Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, which took down a lot of trees, branches, and electric wires. There were gusts up to 89 mph just outside of Denver, and around 70 mph here in Boulder. The wind blew almost all day yesterday, and has continued to do so today - I was hit by a gust and almost blown off the road going down to Golden this morning. Other than the wind, things here are great; and the kits are playing in the sun in the back yard.

   I was contacted by one of the blog readers yesterday, and I'm now happy to call Michele in Wisconsin a friend. I was doing laundry yesterday, and ended up writing her several long "notes." I probably should have cleaned the place up some more, and started putting together my new bookcase, but I didn't. I figure I have a very few days of vacation left, and I'll do what I want to do, not what I "should" do. That's why I went down to Golden today... I had a super time walking along Clear Creek, and the shopping area in the historic section was a good find - I noted several items that I'll get the family for Christmas, now that I know RTD has a bus between us.

   Just took a short break and talked with my friend Nancy - and I showed her one of my favorite shopping sites: http://www.recollections.biz/ . I would love to own about 50 of their dresses or skirt and blouse combinations. I can just imagine the looks I'd get walking down Pearl Street Mall, or downtown Chincoteague in some of those outfits... Going to watch Person of Interest tonight and have tea with Bea tomorrow before returning the Rav4... Then it's football time, again! (Yahoo!)

Various Critters

A meercat, searching for food in autumn leaves

 

Mother gibbon, with nursing baby

 

Northern lynx in Kingussie, Scotland