tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62719482011-12-12T09:24:19.581-07:00Living as Therapy"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
Philo of AlexandriaVeenoreply@blogger.comBlogger4381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-58900087468133480642011-12-12T09:19:00.002-07:002011-12-12T09:24:19.613-07:00Well, it wasn't the New Orleans Christmas as it was billed but it sure was a lot of fun!Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-15084350929854493622011-12-06T17:15:00.003-07:002011-12-06T17:25:05.758-07:00I have to say goodbye to someone I've loved dearly for more than a quarter of a century. I thought that he might come back somehow but I know now that he's gone for good. I'm letting go of my end of that golden line to him so he can fully be free. Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-61841510078455974092011-11-30T14:55:00.003-07:002011-11-30T15:05:11.324-07:00What a year for football. Roll Tide Roll! and Go Broncos! photo from Google images and link to Tebowing.com Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-33355405357640703332011-08-24T17:07:00.000-06:002011-08-24T17:08:20.997-06:00Surprise flowers from Honey.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-60034762916167061852011-08-20T09:10:00.004-06:002011-08-20T09:36:37.879-06:00Supper with Honey and Honeybun at Steuben's in N Cap Hill was delish! The wait was long but I guess it was a testimony to the popularity of the place. I had the roasted chicken that Guy Fieri featured and got a glimpse of the stencil that he left behind.
Denver has developed so many interesting neighborhoods since I lived there years ago. Nice to have a son living in a town that I want to Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-62164038943214612912011-08-13T10:23:00.002-06:002011-08-13T10:29:46.866-06:00I have a person in my life who is very high maintenance, needs lots of attention, validation and nothing is ever quite enough. Normally, I would just walk away from a person like her but it's a connection that I can't break.
It's been an interesting process trying to understand her and how to relate to her. Lately, I've been trying to just admire her - the outbursts, the demands, the demeaning Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-40172763186556172312011-07-14T17:54:00.004-06:002011-07-14T18:00:04.056-06:00Now it's squirrels and deer and snakes in the yard; fava beans and fennel from the farm; record rain and high water in the creek. I love this time of year. The little garden in the back yard has given us some kale, collards, peas and tomatoes so far and I really hope the okra makes it this year.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-33012364242504962492010-12-30T11:24:00.005-07:002010-12-30T11:31:21.640-07:00Finally - snow! Things are looking up with the Saints in the playoffs and Timmy Tebow getting to play with the Broncos and Bama at some bowl game somewhere on New Years Day. And the days are getting longer, minute by minute. 2011, here we come!Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-18836109899640355792010-10-24T09:50:00.003-06:002010-10-24T10:05:14.277-06:00I've been an organizing manic over the last few weeks. It started when my old Quicken started to act funny and we had to buy another program. QuickBooks came to mind and was endorsed by our accountant so we picked one up at Costco and started entering data. That was a task that forced me to really organize all expenses. No more "put it on the business card and pay it back later". Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-34536302764134960552010-09-10T09:37:00.004-06:002010-09-10T15:27:50.903-06:00This map of tweeted reports from the boulder fire takes a minute to load but is an amazing use of the technology.photo from Twitter.com#boulderfireVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-76820041761424149912010-09-09T10:26:00.004-06:002010-09-09T10:36:33.514-06:00I have a new appreciation for Twitter. #boulderfire has been alive since the inception of the fire with updates, offers for help and needs posted, links to images galore and real data from the boots on the ground + helpful local bulletin boards established. We took $$ to Longmont Humane Society where they are housing a lot of the mountain horses and a case of new socks and some vits/minerals to Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-48963044987275248162010-09-07T07:56:00.001-06:002010-09-07T07:56:58.074-06:00Too close for comfort:Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-80248569201595431922010-08-30T15:21:00.003-06:002010-08-30T15:31:23.685-06:00Take a look at that chainsaw dangling from his tool belt. I had no idea taking down a tree would affect me so. Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-23193014813701976902010-08-22T12:59:00.000-06:002010-08-22T13:00:34.012-06:00Fare well, my friend.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-67159405970931304422010-08-14T18:02:00.004-06:002010-08-15T18:43:46.504-06:00I got to spend some time with Honey's fiance today and had a great time at the Denver Botanical Gardens. The place is busting out with blooms everywhere but the part we both enjoyed the most was the water garden. Loads of blooming water lilies and these cute lil' ones that look like Pac Man. All the water was black, I think by choice ( I hope so, anyway).Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-69220945017270299452010-08-06T19:26:00.004-06:002010-08-08T09:15:12.209-06:00Yum yum! We found the Comida food truck at Marisol Imports First Friday event. Earlier today I found some blue glass pieces at the new Goodwill in town. I love this time of year, even though I know the end of summer is getting closer and I'll have to move to an indoor pool. In the yard, we have blooming hyssop, yarrow, gallardia, rudbekia, echinacea, zinnias, blue mist spirea, honeysuckle, Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-16332771847341163132010-07-26T13:23:00.003-06:002010-07-26T13:37:23.874-06:00Last weekend brought the RockyGrass Festival to Lyons so we revved up Fitsy and headed north. We mainly went to see if we could hear some music from a distance and didn't, so after wandering around Main Street, we ended up at the pinball arcade. It's filled with all those old fashioned games like Baby PacMan but we ended up in front of the Kiss game ("Kiss" the band). We didn't have to leave Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-14142213709461290222010-07-15T07:45:00.003-06:002010-07-15T07:52:05.628-06:00Bruce at the Beach posted a sea turtle story and this great photo yesterday. If you want to help save some future generations of these turtles from the oil check out the Share the Beach program in LA (Lower Alabama).Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-3427517024775171272010-07-15T07:38:00.002-06:002010-07-15T07:43:37.453-06:00I'm really liking my new concrete mesh fencing. We needed something to contain the dogs in the front yard but didn't want to put a lot of work into the project. We just pounded some rebar into the ground and attached the mesh to it. I like that you can't really see it but we can hang bird feeders and garlic to dry. And yes, I know I need to get out there and do some weeding...Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-41887101421968278202010-06-30T17:14:00.000-06:002010-06-30T17:14:28.089-06:00I just grabbed this picture from Bamabeachcams.com. It's a webcam from Sea-n-Suds right on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL. The oil is splashing up on the beach with winds from that hurricane near southern Texas. It's pretty dirty but I have to say I've seen beaches in other places that were as dirty in normal times. The heartbreak has to do with the fact that the sand there is usually the colorVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-58609420390279871332010-06-12T10:50:00.000-06:002010-06-12T10:50:00.622-06:00
Man, it is wet. The Boulder Creek is running deep and fast!Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-19570237518342795452010-06-05T09:48:00.001-06:002010-06-05T09:49:29.470-06:00Three new things: lots of great finds from Junkengruven; a bunny on a bike (also a chicken and a mouse that I didn't catch soon enough); and Blogger has a new way to upload photos.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-34598263208353441642010-05-01T08:24:00.002-06:002010-05-01T08:31:03.321-06:00WWOZ is streaming the NO Jazz and Heritage Festival!On another subject, enough with the snow already, ok?poster from flicker.com (social gumbo + often absurd)Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-89996108947821815692010-04-30T09:00:00.005-06:002010-04-30T18:12:49.419-06:00That didn't take long.Sweetie was just a concept in my mind a short time ago and here he is, his own creation: a husband.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-27033775828164083912010-03-22T14:14:00.000-06:002010-03-22T14:15:03.322-06:00I love LA. Parts of it, at least.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-58037100116317043222010-03-22T07:41:00.000-06:002010-03-22T07:42:18.399-06:00It's been a while, but New Orleans is still in my veins.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-61788509803299425622010-01-31T09:58:00.002-07:002010-01-31T10:06:27.530-07:00 Here's some proof that we actually went out of town, specifically to the French Quarter. Our travel plans changed when Amtrak called the day before our planned departure to say that no trains could get through the 8' snow drifts in Iowa. We booked a rental (a Nice! Nissan Altima) and drove. This was the closest we came to meandering that we have come on any of our vacations. It was so nice Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-46141728334182420982010-01-05T11:11:00.004-07:002010-01-05T11:20:32.286-07:00We're getting read to ride on the City of New Orleans again, this time all the way from top to bottom. It's that time of year to saturate ourselves with the Deep South. Looking forward to the humidity, the smell of the pine trees and the Gulf Of Mexico. Maybe we'll find some fried dill pickles along the way.photo from Trainweb.orgVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-71888058170444791332009-12-23T16:42:00.001-07:002009-12-23T16:44:18.844-07:00Merry Christmas, everybody!image from Wunderground.comVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-26290181383809596072009-12-16T13:26:00.000-07:002009-12-16T13:27:22.158-07:00???Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-29454134442293538332009-12-08T13:55:00.003-07:002009-12-08T14:04:13.329-07:00 We stumbled into Efrain's of Longmont the other day, a far cry from the one in Boulder. The food was as good (I always get the beef tostada with the Paul Newman-like dressing) but the ambiance was totally different. Our waitress from Guadalajara let us know that it's "Eff-ray-een's", not "Eff-rain's" like we thought.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-72464324576481853652009-11-28T13:53:00.002-07:002009-11-28T14:17:04.530-07:00We were walking the pups along Upland Ave when Lo and Behold, a peacock crossed the street. Another one shied away from us in a front yard. When some neighbors came out to chat, we learned there used to be a peacock farm there years ago. The owner died and the remaining peacocks lived on, roaming the area. The problem with peacocks, as we saw, is they settle on roofs and make a lot of racket.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-74861617140963933632009-10-23T10:34:00.003-06:002009-10-23T10:38:35.045-06:00The chickens at the CSA farm are still busy. We extended the season with a Fall Share and this week we got some great greens and root veggies plus fresh pork and honey.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-28270662350571301102009-10-17T08:18:00.003-06:002009-10-17T08:28:32.790-06:00It's not all been flowers and mountain lions and snow lately. People have been moving out, in with their fiances and moving away to big California cities. When Sugar came back from LA, the business picked up so we're having a little off season boomlet (thanks Google Ads). I have a feeling the market is slowly recovering - we're not doing a lot of huge jobs (some) but a lot of middle sized jobsVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-48595008717000162422009-10-10T08:17:00.001-06:002009-10-10T08:18:59.239-06:00GOD'S ARCHITECTS trailer from Zack Godshall on Vimeo.People who are driven to create monuments to God fascinate me. Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-21509961717590228742009-10-03T07:34:00.003-06:002009-10-03T07:38:39.639-06:00The last of the zinnias.An eye-catching memorial to a fallen biker.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-53876638415710704392009-09-18T23:11:00.000-06:002009-09-18T23:12:49.406-06:00Getting to the end of the season.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-52847779852538664102009-09-11T16:54:00.004-06:002009-09-11T17:13:20.310-06:00I hung some koi windsocks along the garden fence to help keep the deer out (hopefully).They're used in Japan to celebrate Boy's Day. It's been a Boy's Day festival everyday at this house for a couple of decades but soon it'll just be an occasional thing.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-44529738100605468412009-09-05T07:49:00.003-06:002009-09-05T08:07:00.717-06:00Yesterday we took a ride up Sunshine Canyon, past Gold Hill, into Nederland and down Boulder Canyon, looking for any early aspen changes. We saw a few gold medallions but not a lot. I was surprised to see the snow in some of the mountain crevices leftover from last winter.This week was our highest ever for the business, amazing for this economy. We spent a few days getting the condo ready to Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-55090105240548271202009-08-30T09:29:00.003-06:002009-08-30T09:39:49.083-06:00Well, the week ended with a mountain lion sedated in my neighbor's driveway. It was a young girl who had been tagged before so who knows what will happen to her. She must be interested in all the deer and little dogs around.While all the police/open space ranger hub bub was going on, some kind of hawk perched on the fence post but she got away safely. And the bees left our yard because the Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-20544705372020817992009-08-27T08:48:00.002-06:002009-08-27T08:55:37.383-06:00Oh man, the smell of fresh basil is easily rivaling petrichor in the 'favorite fragrances' category. Yesterday, Cure Farms came through again with a massive end of summer CSA distribution. Basil, carrots, tomatoes, edamame, cukes, lettuce, squashes, corn - all amazing quality.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-22554187499608502072009-08-16T09:04:00.003-06:002009-08-16T09:10:12.956-06:00Sunday morning: The Gospel Train on KUVO, a stag in the yard adorned with a string of Christmas lights in the antlers, a cup of coffee and a cool fall breeze floating by. The sun moved into the sun space a couple of days ago so I know the dog days are coming up!Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-71477686705905007942009-08-10T07:54:00.002-06:002009-08-10T08:01:00.989-06:00My interest in vernacular art has been growing and I've been considering becoming a full blown eccentric with the yard. I love the wolf in sheep's clothing and that waving mannequin in the background. At the very least, we're looking into scarecrows to decorate the garden area. Photo from http://beautyeveryday.com/Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-33966738957694334682009-08-08T09:29:00.004-06:002009-08-08T09:45:38.395-06:00The zinnas came back in force with a little attention.The garden is awash in chicory this year. Maybe all the moisture?I moved an old compost heap to a new location and planted cherry tomatoes and potatoes where it used to be. What a prolific crop! This is next the fence along our property perimeter so I secured some wire fencing over the top to keep the deer out. They love, love, love my Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-7447475710258935752009-07-30T19:12:00.001-06:002009-07-30T19:14:51.137-06:0050º at noon in high summer! Normally, high 90s would not be unusual. This has been the coolest, wettest summer here in years.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-1719362888812404182009-07-25T09:04:00.004-06:002009-07-25T09:11:43.788-06:00After a month away in Hollywood, I'm back to summer in Colorado. This has been probably the wettest season in years and everything is lush! The grape vines have taken off and actually have a few little grapes (first time so far). The garden that I left behind was virtually untended so the first few days back, I spent sorting out the weeds from the plants. So far the onions & cherry tomatoes Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-45795173740179632322009-05-15T19:59:00.003-06:002009-05-15T20:03:32.674-06:00I started walking again, by myself and not for the dogs, around the lake nearby. The space itself invigorates. This is one of the irrigation ditches that run into Boulder County from the mountains. Pure snowmelt. The next day after I took this picture, the ditch was dry and smelled like bogs that I've known in the deep South.I'm so glad that Spring is in full bloom. The last snow has come Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-53311212367054207482009-03-28T08:34:00.003-06:002009-03-28T08:40:20.478-06:00Getting ready for the dog park.The Flatirons.Now this is a dog park! Acres for the big dogs, an acre for the little dogs and acres for the combined area.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-82737106400661013972009-03-10T13:26:00.003-06:002009-03-10T13:35:28.730-06:00I love riding on trains. Since I have the Amtrak credit card, I have a round trip Sleeper sized trip waiting for me to take it. The dilemma is that if I pay for a trip on May 9th, I'll get quadruple points which is Amtrak Point heaven for me. I just noticed that Amtrak has partnered with Zipcar in the points program which is cool except that there isn't a program nearby.I know the economy isVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-31462079912290490152009-02-24T09:05:00.003-07:002009-08-27T16:49:33.220-06:00You know, winter hasn't been so bad, but now that the birds are back in Boulder, I hear what I've been missing.The last few months have been spent getting to know Sweetie's Sweetheart and their doggy; lots of volunteering; some work; reviewing all the old "Big Love" episodes and starting the new season. I'm grateful for the family and home I have. I know some people are going through tough timesVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-3513766857219274702009-01-19T14:58:00.002-07:002009-01-19T15:02:12.602-07:00January Thaw at the Dog Park. What a gorgeous day! Luckily there were some piles of snow to cool down in nearby.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-71489737311863887182009-01-11T14:01:00.002-07:002009-01-11T14:09:29.972-07:00I glanced outside while feeding the dogs the other day and saw a herd of deer in the yard. Good thing the little Scottie girl dog didn't see them or she would have gone ballistic (she had to run a big buck out of the yard not long ago). The last count was 15, though I only caught a few in the photo. I'm pretty sure the reason they dropped in was because there was a fire nearby the night beforeVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-28836184839360245102009-01-01T16:19:00.003-07:002009-01-03T10:59:24.678-07:002009 ~ we've turned a corner. The year in my mind goes left to right from January to May, then down to about October, then curves around to December - sort of a right angle but not really. January is definitely up and and the front. We spent the afternoon putting up some lattice on the back yard fence to help us pretend that we're invisible on our highly visible corner lot. Hoppin' John, Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-29120803697582555862008-12-02T19:55:00.002-07:002008-12-02T20:10:10.877-07:00I was home today when the lady and man from from the zoning office came by. I just hate to see an unannounced car from the city parking outside my house. It's funny that they parked in order to come in our back door, as the rest of the world seems to do. Our front door is clearly a front door - we just don't use it since the back door is by the driveway. Given a choice between an un-gated Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-69363812146655929392008-11-23T15:49:00.003-07:002009-09-11T18:30:19.122-06:00Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-70841787699918338152008-11-14T19:10:00.003-07:002008-11-14T19:21:35.672-07:00Yesterday I took part in a hospital emergency drill.Nobody told me ahead of time that it would involve a 'vertical evacuation' meaning: they needed to test some equipment going down flights of steps. I got to try out (as a 'patient') a chair with some kind of slide mechanism on the back and something called a chute. The chair was not too bad but a little 'heads up!' about flipping me backward Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-105251602606643852008-11-08T14:55:00.004-07:002008-11-08T15:15:11.544-07:00Boulder is settling down and getting ready for winter. Today was in the 50's, warm enough for some yard work but now the chill and clouds are rolling in. Snow clouds have a particular look to them and these are a little too high to qualify. This year, I've taken control of my yard and I'm asking more out of it. A second compost heap is next to the north fence and it's filled with leaves from Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-22388585780439507852008-11-01T09:10:00.003-06:002008-11-01T09:17:47.041-06:00Yesterday ended 2 weeks of early voting at CU and what a trip! We thought we were hot at the end of the first week when we processed 500 voters with 3 election officials. Yesterday, the count was 1500 and thankfully, we had a full staff. It was an amazing experience, helping all those first time voters. I'm exhausted. Try saying "What's your last name? Ballot goes in the box face up, Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-4621817040025483882008-10-22T19:13:00.005-06:002008-10-22T19:34:41.408-06:00I'm working the early vote and have found out that a lot of people don't realize that mail in ballots are real live ballots. People, you only get to cast one vote. If you receive a mail in ballot, that is a ballot and that is yours. You can mail it in or drop it off at an early polling place (or where ever the instructions tell you to). If you change your mind about voting by mail and want Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-91500013712478469142008-10-17T10:54:00.003-06:002008-10-17T11:05:12.596-06:00I stayed up into the middle of the night reading an old friend's book,Family Bible. I'm amazed at times to be reminded of the fact that there were interesting people in my home town. If I had stayed, I would have been one of the local eccentrics, probably, but I had to leave in search of something that I've actually been finding along my way. It was quite a trip to read about places where I Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-39482714861137692582008-10-13T19:37:00.004-06:002008-10-13T19:41:30.242-06:00We had our first frost last night and it may freeze tonight so I pulled in some flowers to enjoy. Those zinnias are so brash and bold but the roses were delicate enough that I didn't know if they would last.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-32400626197531390142008-10-12T12:23:00.001-06:002008-10-12T12:24:52.483-06:00We had a bumper crop of apples in Boulder this year. These are the few that the squirrels didn't sample.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-37106207842084506972008-10-02T12:17:00.003-06:002008-10-02T12:26:56.395-06:00Working with groups is really an adventure in itself. Since we have our own business and homeschooled, our groups have pretty much been hand-picked and really enjoyable. I've been volunteering with new groups this year and have found lots of variation. One pretty much conveyed that my help wasn't worth keeping after I offended one member while following one of the group rules.Another group ranVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-62479053949596387962008-10-01T12:09:00.003-06:002008-10-01T12:14:23.845-06:00Someone just sent notice of a article that says Mental Health Parity is being snuck through with the bailout. It's just one line:"The revised bailout bill also includes a "Mental Health Parity" provision, which would require health insurance companies to cover mental illness at parity with physical illness."This is an enormous issue that needs to be debate out in the open on its own! If this isVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-76628533969943130912008-09-19T07:42:00.002-06:002008-09-19T07:47:41.305-06:00This is BART, the Big Animal Rescue Truck that Code 3 Associates uses as a base of operations on disaster assistance calls. They're down in Houston now, helping the animals affected by the wild weather. All the help is free and funded by donations and grants. Give a little if you can, ok?Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-37919035143459173152008-09-17T11:08:00.001-06:002008-09-17T11:10:27.725-06:00I went on my first DAT (disaster action team) call this week, a pre-dawn house fire in the county. Wow.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-8356158796134055692008-09-13T11:06:00.002-06:002008-09-13T11:12:07.009-06:00Now's a good time to send some money to relief agencies. I don't know how the others are doing, but the American Red Cross is having to borrow millions to feed and shelter the people affected by all the recent hurricanes. I spoke with a local RC fundraiser who told me he had gotten only one call after Gustav! Try to send some money, even if just a little. If you don't designate where the Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-74631185277268551232008-09-10T14:05:00.002-06:002008-09-10T14:08:45.496-06:00Victims Needed!If you like to be painted in scars, burns and other injuries then this is the position for you. If you find that Holly Wood is not beating down your door but you’re a great victim with a horrific voice, we want you! Your participation supports a regional Community Emergency Response Team Disaster Exercise. For more information about CERT go to http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/. Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-70384342678237392402008-09-05T14:29:00.004-06:002008-09-10T14:09:23.762-06:00I went by Indochine on Valtec and was surprised by these great buddhas. I don't know what that little white monster-animal is but I want one.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-84146320348938013252008-08-23T08:43:00.003-06:002008-08-23T08:58:52.433-06:00View Larger MapGoogle's Map's Street View has come to New Orleans. A lot of the area looks like normal Deep South to me but if you browse around the lower 9th Ward, some of the houses still look like Katrina just went through. I have to wonder if this is a FEMA trailer in this driveway.Time for another reminder to gather your preparedness kit for emergencies.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-16604192814704621432008-08-21T17:46:00.002-06:002008-08-21T17:49:11.596-06:00 I went down to the Denver for a Red Cross briefing about the DNC. Wow. What a set up. We'll be on call 24/7 for the week of the convention, ready in case we're needed. This is an amazing group of people! I'm really looking forward to working with them.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-48467519764838051042008-08-15T09:32:00.002-06:002008-08-15T09:49:11.577-06:00I was in downtown Denver the other day and during the lunch break I walked past this thing. It caught my attention as a novel idea for car travel. The inside looked a little uncomfortable, but functional.That night on the news and during the next few days I saw all sorts of stories about this Solar Taxi. Makes sense - the car was parked behind the Fox station which is near KUSA and KMGH. Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-63071386350240662512008-08-13T18:02:00.004-06:002008-08-13T18:10:49.703-06:00I was an election judge for the first time yesterday. I knew it was going to be slow but it was a good dry run for the general election coming up. Luckily I got my own precinct and got to be the Sign In judge so I could see this view all day long. The mountains were pink at 6:30 am.There were a LOT of mail in ballots this election! Plus a good number of people got the mail-in ballots but Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-9656458458836854592008-08-01T14:54:00.004-06:002008-08-15T09:51:11.838-06:00I've been getting involved with the Red Cross lately, hoping that this will be an organization I can settle into for years to come. Sometime before or after Katrina, I did some RC training at the now defunct local office but was never called to volunteer. That particular training didn't win me over but the organization seems to have gone through some changes and I'm finding it a better fit.I'veVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-14291174815872962502008-07-30T14:12:00.002-06:002008-07-30T14:21:19.061-06:00It is so friggin' hot and dry: 7% humidity outside and 90º on my thermometer in the shade. I've been making sure the birds have water but it's a task to keep everything else watered. The city of Boulder has a policy this year of penalizing over-watering, but you don't have any way to know when you're about to go over the limit. I'm usually under the limit, but it's hard to tell.We spent Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-36248893993848450672008-07-28T10:14:00.001-06:002008-07-28T10:17:09.064-06:00The Dog Days of Summer. This is the 15th day of 90º plus temps.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-84414292399044469622008-07-27T09:24:00.002-06:002008-07-27T09:29:07.083-06:00A great way to start the day is going out to add water to the bird feeder and seeing a spotted fawn darting out from behind a gooseberry bush 8 feet away. The mom is munching on my garden with her two little ones. The deer have been busy reproducing this year! Here's a photo of another baby that visited us a few months ago.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-4735379723013489612008-07-17T18:44:00.004-06:002008-07-17T19:01:20.268-06:00A neighbor down the street, is an artist and a gardener. For years I've walked by her Christmas tree farm and we bought some honey from her hives which was pretty tasty. Last year she gave away a bunch of plants from her garden and I got a rose bush and some sort of vine that are doing well in my yard. This year, she is giving away trees! I picked up a Russian Hawthorne and an Acer Maple. Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-76416572890463437172008-07-16T12:40:00.002-06:002008-07-16T12:45:07.699-06:00This sign of summer was new to me, though I imagine it's been there for years. When the sunset shines on my washing machine, it must be pretty high in the sky. It's in a northwest room of my house. Next year I'll track the progress - maybe this will be my personal Stonehenge.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-14935174903011613662008-07-06T09:36:00.002-06:002008-07-06T09:41:31.477-06:00Did I mention Honey and Sweetie moved out? It's the second exodus from the nest so it is just what it is. I'm in the midst of spreading out after a year of squeezing 4 adults into a house that was probably meant for 2 adults/2 kids. Now there is space where there was none before. I can change things and rearrange without getting four opinions first. I miss them but we all like each other so Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-33813571876364750512008-06-29T08:56:00.003-06:002008-06-29T09:07:44.817-06:00Summer is in full swing (now that June 20th has come and gone) and that means chores galore. We did start painting the house last week but as is our usual custom, the next phase still hasn't been scheduled. It does look better if you don't focus on the splotches on the unpainted trim. Besides the house, no huge home improvement projects this year unless I decide to paint the downstairs area.WeVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-75136747781652889882008-06-26T13:29:00.000-06:002008-06-26T13:31:23.284-06:00Defining some terminology with Sugar the other day.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-36279709195142281562008-06-22T13:07:00.003-06:002008-06-22T13:15:01.340-06:00We started painting the house for real yesterday.Hansel helped from a distance.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-72357354831272050792008-06-21T08:28:00.003-06:002008-06-21T08:37:34.684-06:00It's been dry here during the last week but we got some great views of other people's storms. The Colorado Front Range gets more thunderstorms than all other states except for Florida and that makes for some great cloud and lightening shows. From this vantage point of slightly higher up the mountains, you can see far across the plains.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-53577053066962549702008-06-20T21:53:00.000-06:002008-06-20T21:54:33.005-06:00Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-31320575372092356662008-06-17T18:28:00.002-06:002008-06-17T18:36:22.190-06:00I've been busy getting the condo ready to rent again. Today, an ad went onto Craigslist and we've already gotten 3 calls even with a $75 increase! It's a landlord's market here with a low, low vacancy rate so we're going to make up for the last year or so.Meanwhile, lots of visitors in the yard. Honey caught the fawns in the yard yesterday and today. The bird bath on the fence rail is about Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-59247486164134704562008-06-13T07:08:00.002-06:002008-06-13T07:19:46.631-06:00The subject of disasters is developing into my summer reading project. I found this capitvating map of real time disasters that are occurring around the world. As I write this, 9 volcanoes are erupting along the ring of fire and a biological hazard is in progress in Florida. Fascinating, but not fascinating enough to make come up on a Google news search.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-56469021759501638662008-06-12T07:28:00.003-06:002008-06-12T07:36:31.558-06:00Most of my gardening musings are at my other blog but I am so proud of this little rose that I'm posting it on the blog that people actually visit. This sweet thing is a rugosa rose, one of a bunch of ditch roses that I nudged into my side of the fence and nurtured over the last 20 years. This one is in an area where my dear Yard Man, Sugar, can't accidentally mow or step on and it's blooming Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-12500628120552025572008-06-09T15:09:00.003-06:002008-06-09T15:25:26.310-06:00The Boulder Rural Fire Department outdid itself with their open house on Saturday. Flight for Life stopped by after dropping a patient off and let the kids come on board to see all the equipment. The Boulder Emergency Squad was there showing off the Jaws of Life. Right when I walked up, they popped out both windshield into pieces and had the 'victim' out in a matter of minutes.Code 3 Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-13753771024498846452008-06-07T10:52:00.005-06:002008-06-07T11:18:13.908-06:00I have to mention that this is 6/7/8 today.I started Tai Chi again after a several year hiatus, same teacher but different setting. There's a different significance for me this time, since I'm looking at this practice to keep me physically strong in my old age. The spiritual lessons are a little bonus as well as the insights into Chinese Medicine. That's all I have to say about that for Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-23287438305212512102008-06-05T08:22:00.003-06:002008-06-05T08:33:44.373-06:00We have our final CERT exercise tomorrow which should be fun and educational but I a little bummed because I found out that there isn't much to do as a CERT trainee after this except to be prepared. I had in mind that there would be some call-up opportunities like this guy gets but there just isn't any sort of program like that developed around here. The most I can look forward to is giving outVeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-27293023766437819332008-06-02T08:26:00.004-06:002008-06-02T08:43:25.982-06:00Time to say goodbye. Sugar joined his brother to bury his mom today next to her husband in a little grassy cemetery in the wilds of the Upper Midwest. His mom has been with us in a box on a bedroom shelf for the last 15 years, cared for and thought of, but it was time to put her ashes in the ground. I had visions of taking her to the wide-open ND plains and opening the box during a windy day Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-4381083049265941652008-05-29T10:58:00.002-06:002008-05-29T11:06:20.390-06:00I was at the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder office yesterday and decided to be an election judge, not really on a whim but somewhat on a whim. I asked about the duties, mumbling something about doing the job with integrity, wondering if that was the sort of thing they were looking for. The woman said, "We don't have integrity anymore."Huh?I laughed and asked (in disbelief), "You don't have Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-86265761620051136092008-05-27T14:44:00.003-06:002008-05-27T15:02:11.957-06:00If you're looking for a reason to drive to Boulder, this is the time to come to Long's Garden. When I first moved to Boulder, it was Wintertime, all brown and dry so when Spring came along I was delighted to see this colorful expanse up the street on Broadway. There are so many yards and gardens with irises in the area and this is the reason why. I have a couple of dozen and I'm not sure Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-20013795992610223462008-05-20T09:44:00.002-06:002008-05-20T09:53:48.535-06:00I love the south-facing passive solar aspect of our house. It's kept winter heating bills very low for all these year but we do suffer a few weeks of 90-100º heat every summer. The solution has been to keep the window shades down but it makes for a darkened cave-like atmosphere inside.This year we've had an unusual number of birds flying into the windows so we were spurred to action to find Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-46170951503540774192008-05-19T08:24:00.003-06:002008-05-19T08:35:15.753-06:00Sweetie had an unfortunate encounter with an elk late one night in Southern Colorado recently and our Subaru is now suffering. It's been at Abra in Boulder for almost a week and after they dismantled it, we heard it would take about 6K to repair it. State Farm now decides if it's worth the money.I liked the Outback well enough, but it was the most expensive car I've ever had. We got a good Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-54075387678633858092008-05-18T08:11:00.002-06:002008-05-18T08:16:54.652-06:00Another reason I love going to Costco is the ride. If you get off the highway and take the back roads, you see this countryside. Beautiful, especially if you're a cow person.Going through Marshall, I saw a women unloading her llama from the back of her mini-van. Only in Boulder? Maybe not but pretty cool.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-56548190151460071752008-05-14T09:31:00.005-06:002008-05-18T08:21:26.800-06:00Sweetie is officially a learned scholar and finished with school.Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-60573776466184730672008-05-13T17:54:00.004-06:002008-05-19T11:44:31.762-06:00Ok, the trip was fine, the beach was great but I'm glad to be home. The free (via Amtrak rewards) ride to Chicago was easy and a little boring, but we did go over the Mississippi River as it was cresting at historic levels. Looking down I could see the distance from the train wheels to the water was a little close for comfort. One benefit of traveling in a sleeper is the "1st Class" waiting Veenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271948.post-35446338845805613672008-04-24T12:16:00.002-06:002008-04-24T12:27:49.254-06:00Most of my Amtrak trips have meant getting up at 4am to catch a 6am bus, then traveling for 4 hours for the connection. This time, though, I'll be boarding at 8pm. What a luxury. Bye, bye - back in a couple of weeks.Veenoreply@blogger.com