Blue Moon

There is going to be a Blue Moon tonight.  It's something that happens about once every three years so enjoy.  And while your waiting you can enjoy The Marcels with their version of Rogers and Hart's Blue Moon.

Now That's A Mushroom!

Giant Puffball Mushroom

Took The Dogs On A Mountain Hike A Short Time Back

Unidentified mountain flower.

Unidentified mountain flower with unidentified butterfly.

On the trail.

A happy hiker.

The view from almost the top.

Shameless Plug

I received a Spin-Clean record cleaner for Christmas and have been slowing washing my record collection. After cleaning my first 20 records I was surprised to see so much dirt at the bottom of the washer basin.  I was also surprised by how fast and easy it was to use.  It works so well it almost makes the slightly outrageous price worth it. 

L'amour Est Enfant De Bohème (Love Is A Gypsy Child)

Iil n'a jamais, jamais, connu de loi.
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime,
Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!
(Prends garde à toi!)
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime!
(Prends garde à toi!)
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!
-Habanera from Carmen

Denver In The 1950s (2)

Same view a few years later. Notice anything different?

Denver's In The 1950s

Sixteenth Street, the main shopping corridor at the time. Daniels and Fisher Department Store tower in the distance.

Global Warming, Anyone?

Rescue Me

We have a guest staying with us for the next few weeks until he gets adopted through American Brittany Rescue, Inc.  His name is Copper, he is six  five years old, and he is a big old sweetheart.

There'll Be Some Changes Made

At noon today the outside temperature was at 48F/8.9C.   Now, three hours later, it is 27F/-2.8C.   The  Arctic Express is roaring our way.  

Low tonight 11F/-11.6C.
Low tomorrow night -5F/-20C.
Low Thursday night -9F/-22.8C.
 It's going to be cooold out there.

 
Friday night's low expected to be -6F/-21.1C.
Saturday night -3F/-19.4C.
 Oooh, a warming trend.  I'm looking forward to that.

Be Back Soon

Sorry, Blog, No Time Left For You

At least for the next couple of weeks.



The Guess Who

No time left for you
On my way to better things
No time left for you
I found myself some wings
No time left for you
Distant roads are calling me
No time left for you.

No time for a gentle rain
No time for my watch and chain
No time for revolving doors
No time for the killing floor
No time for the killing floor
There's no time left for you
No time left for you..

No time left for you
On my way to better things
No time left for you
I found myself some wings
No time left for you
Distant roads are calling me
No time left for you.

No time for a summer friend
No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There's no time left for you
No time left for you.

(Guitar Bridge)

No time left for you
On my way to better things
No time left for you
I found myself some wings
No time left for you
Distant roads are calling me
No time left for you.

No time for a summer friend
No time for the love you send
Seasons change and so did I
You need not wonder why
You need not wonder why
There's no time left for you
No time left for you.

No time, no time, no time, no time
No, no, no, time.
No, no time.
No time, no time

I got, got, got, got no time
I got, got, got, got no time for you, woman
I got no time for you, woman.
I got no time for your stupid games anymore
nooo, nooo

I got no time for you woman, no
I got no time for hanging around
And getting stepped on
And getting pushed around, woman
I got no time for hanging around and playing your games

Be Back Soon

What Do You Think?

Below are two of several photos my husband shot of the concrete foundation poured last week for a home being built in our area. Doesn't look like quality work to me.

Can Spring Be Far Behind?

Woke-up with this theme song playing in my head this morning.



I think I've had enough of Winter.

Post Super Bowl Odds And Ends

1. Super Bowl Sunday was a big yawn for me as the game was unimportant to me (not a fan of either team) and the commercials were not up to past Super Bowl standards.

2. For all of you who care, here is the National Rife Association's "enemies" list. It is divided into five sections:

National Organizations With Anti-Gun Policies, groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Congress of National Black Churches, National Association of Elementary School Principals, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, National Association of Police Organizations.

Anti-Gun Individuals & Celebrities, people such as George Clooney, Maya Angelou, Matt Damon, Gloria Estefan, Sandy Duncan. Sandy Duncan? The NRA is afraid of the influence Sandy Duncan has over the numerous fans of her 1970's sitcom?

National Figures such as "Ed Koch - Former Politician" and present dead guy, "C. Everett Koop - Former Surgeon General," "Michael Eisner, Former Chairman and CEO The Walt Disney Company," "Herb Scannell - Pres. Nickelodeon," and "James E. Carter - Former President." James E. Carter? Even his mama called him Jimmy.

Journalists, interesting, 12 of the 36 journalists listed are cartoonist. I guess a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Anti-Gun Corporations/Corporate Heads, groups such as American Multi Cinemas Entertainment, Inc., Argosy Casino, Kansas City Chiefs(football team), Silver Dollar City (Amusement Park), and Southland Corporation (7/11 stores). See a pattern with the organizations that are anti-gun? They have hundreds if not thousands of people coming to their businesses every day. Oh, and unlike the other names or groups on the list, corporations and corporate heads get the privilege of having their phone numbers and address included.

3. It confirmed, English king Richard III was buried under a parking lot in Leicester. Is that way cool or what?

And Break

Lots of things going on right now so I'm going to be away from my blog for about a week. Who knew adding one extra dog to the mix would be so time consuming. See you soon.

Oh, and to those of you who celebrate have a great and safe 4th of July.

And It Burns, Burns, Burns

More fires in Colorado including the one burning into the city of Colorado Springs and the one burning west of the city of Boulder. Why is "The Springs" burning and Boulder proper not? After watching Denver television coverage I can actually answer that question.

At one Boulder County press conference yesterday Kim Kobel of the Boulder Police Department said that what was happening in Colorado Springs would not happen in Boulder because homes in Colorado Springs were built in the meadows in the foothills west of town and then up the side of the mountains making it difficult to fight the fire. Since this was not allowed in Boulder County the city would be safe. Firefighters have been able to keep the fire about one-and-a-half-miles away from the city of Boulder so her assessment seems to be correct so far.

Closer to home, there was a 70 square mile fire burning on the Colorado eastern plains yesterday which started when a truck on Highway 36 blew a tire and sparks from the tire rim set the grass near the road on fire. To the east of us here in Kansas there was a grass fire that burned 5,000 acres which started when an overheated car pulled to the side of the road and set grass on fire.

One word that describes conditions out here is tinderbox.

At home, the county commissioners have issued a fire ban that includes fireworks. This ban does not cover the town I live in and the city council, for some reason, has decided not to ban fireworks inside the city limit. Like I said, I dread the 4th of July holiday this year.

Update:Late yesterday afternoon the city council announced that fireworks are now banned inside the city limits.

We Didn't Start The Fires

But someone did. There are now eight separate fires burning in Colorado as this map from The Denver Post shows:



The High Park fire west of Fort Collins has burned 83,205 acres or over 130 squares miles. It was started by lightening on June 9th.

The Woodland Heights fire, part of the town of Estes Park, started on Saturday and has burned 27.3 acres. Fire crews are saying this one is 100% contained. That means it is still burning but cannot spread any farther. The cause of this fire is unknown.

The Treasure fire between the towns of Leadville and Alma started Saturday and has burned 320 acres. This one they are saying is "human caused."

The Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs started Saturday and has burned 3,400 acres and is expected to burn another 5,000 before fire fighters get it under control. This is the one that caused the evacuation of 11,000 people including the entire town of Manitou Springs. The cause of this fire is not known at this time.

The Springer fire near Lake George has burned 1,145 acres and is supposedly 100% contained. This one started June 17th and was cause by "recreational shooting." Some butt-heads were shooting at propane tanks.

The Weber fire northwest of Durango near the town of Mancos started on Friday and has burned 8,300 acres. Another "human caused" fire.

The Little Sand fire north of Pagosa Springs has been burning since May 13th and has consumed 21,616 acres or 33.7 square miles. It was caused by lightening.

The Stateline Fire south of Durango and near the Colorado-New Mexico border has burned 350 acres. This one may also be "human caused."

Of the fires listed only two were not started either deliberately or accidentally by humans. I dread the Fourth of July holiday this year.

I Am The God Hell Fire

The mountains west of Fort Collins, Colorado are burning. Dry conditions, high winds and great swaths of Mountain Pine Beetle killed trees have caused the High Park Fire, which started on Saturday morning, to burn over 20,000 acres (33 square miles) so far. Late last night Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said this about the fire, "It's spread in almost every direction. It splinters to the south, and then it splinters to the east. I don't know that we've ever seen anything like this before."

No, I guess he hasn't as the weather conditions and the dead trees have created the perfect storm for fire. That red area on the map below showing the greatest concentration of beetle kill in Colorado is right where the fire is burning.



Below is video of the fire as it reaches an area with houses showing a white truck driving around checking to see if the homeowners have evacuated the area.



This fire is not a surprise to the fire fighters, the national and state park services, or anyone who has driven through the miles and miles of dead trees in the Colorado Rockies. We always knew the mountains were going to burn it was just a matter of when. So in a way it is a relieve to know the fires are finally here. The wait is over and the renewal of the forests can begin.