Grady's near death experience.

After a refreshing sleep last night, I awoke to the dulcet sounds of screaming downstairs as the discovery of foam all over the kitchen was announced. One foam filled dog named Grady had just eaten his brand new, $80 orthopedic dog bed. I am harboring not one but two PUPPIES who do things like.... eat the shoes, eat the bedding, shit up the kitchen, roll in mud, run in mud, not come when called...... the list is endless.

Upon seeing the destruction.... madness set in..... I went back upstairs and retrieved an old attache that I had purchased in Tallahassee in the 70's at one of the capitalistic hippie shops in town that made leather things. Leather sandals, leather briefcases, leather notepads.... all done in leather primitive. Hint: If you want a nice leather anything.... look to Italy.

Anyway, I retrieved the leather attache that I have kept these many years just for this moment in time. I never liked it all that much so imagine my glee as I took a pair of scissors to it to make a patch for the now destroyed dog bed.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-----

New dog bed with grapefruit crater in the orthopedic foam thanks to the sharp teeth of one Sheltie puppy named Grady. Leather attache "patch."

Note the size of the hole to be "repaired" by a not so good leather seamstress.

Leather "patch" is a 1970's attache



Two T-shirts for padding under the attache.

Is this nuts or what?

5 broken sewing needles, one bloody thumb and here is the finished product- attache all sewn in-- Grady has a new leather chew pad now.

I had a very bad morning.

Grady had a very bad morning. He spent it in a crate.

In honor of the 70's (which is where the attache came from) Grady had to listen to The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Santana, The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Cream etc... until he couldn't stand it anymore and ran away to the coyotes out back with his sister.

Miraculously, he LIVES.

White Crowned Sparrow on a Rainy Day

This is the first sighting of our white crowned sparrows in 2011.

Eating nijer on the ground.

Goldfinch Sampler

Recently, in the last couple of weeks, I've noticed the goldfinch invasion. Gold nuggets flying through to the nijer feeders and lunching with their friends. Here is a sampling of this years golden beauties.

This concludes the goldfinch test.

Rocky Mountain National Park on Mother's Day- the Big Horns

May 8th, 2011 was a nice a day in Colorado so we took a drive up to the Park, Rocky Mtn National Park to see the sights. To my total glee, we ran into a small herd of 8 young Big Horn Sheep near the Fall River Road entrance. Some of the sheep were yearlings enjoying a snack at low elevation.

When you stop in a National Park and pull out a big lens, everyone stops to see what looks good. These three Big Horns did not care for a dog barking in someone's car.

A group of yearling Big Horns grazing near Fall River Road

Big Horn shade

Big Horn concern at the barking dog.

Big Horn head study - a young one

Big Horn Mutual Grooming

Big Horn grazing in the sun

Big Horn Sheep solo

Yearling Big Horns grazing

RMNP Elk at Moraine Park

RMNP Elk Enclosure- segregating elk in Spring from wetlands and willows.

RMNP Corvid

RMNP Alluvial Fan site of Lawn Lake flood

RMNP Stellars Jay

RMNP Stellars Jay at a picnic

White Pelican, White Blackbird, Goldfinch Gold

White Pelican Flotilla -Black Tipped Wings

While working outside recently I noticed these lovelies floating down from the sky landing on the lake near my house. They just arrived in late April and they flock together in groups of 14-20. The white pelican migrates through Colorado at this time of year. Here are some quick photos of the birds.

Note open beak to the left.

Leucistic RWBB- latest sighting late April

 Leucistic RWBB and his/her flock

Male Goldfinch enjoying the view and the food