durangoscots

Good afternoon here - another boring day in Durango. Someway house clearing just does not excite me. Weather is supposed to change tomorrow with snow in the High Country and possibly some rain here. Sounds like a good day to continue clearing. I am getting some things boxed with labels so that I can begin to move them out. Dogs are getting lots of snoozing in. Sorry to hear about Roy's setback.... hope it is very temporary. Susan

Good morning!!!! I am running late this morning. I was awake too early to get up and then finally went back to sleep. The dogs very nicely let me sleep in but I was rushed to get errands run this morning. Went to the post office and bank and did manage to get there before the parking lots filled up. Downtown was pretty empty ... the tourists seem to be gone. They will be back in a few weeks when the Fall colors reach their peak. I guess Monty was right about yesterday's storm ... a man was struck by lightning just outside of town. Was listed in serious condition this morning and I have not heard more. Also, we had a mountain lion in town near the fairgrounds/high school/senior center. Supposedly a young one just passing through (did they ask him his plans?) but I wonder if it was the same one that was on my hillside a couple weeks ago... this current location is fairly close to me as the crow flies. Hope he moves along... I worry more about mountain lions than the bears. And, we have a little snow on the peaks this morning. Low was 41F in town with a predicted high of 72. It feels pretty chilly in the house right now. Have not had a chance to read the Daily today - that will have to wait a bit, but best wishes to all. Susan

I think the rain and thunder have passed and little Monty is sleeping the sleep of the exhausted. I tried to wrap him in a light towel to mimic a thunder shirt, but he was having none of it. Funny, we have had thunder and lightning storms before, but this time it really got to him. I will look into a thunder shirt although he hates "clothes" of any type - including his little jackets in the winter. Strange little dog. Susan

Good morning. The weatherman has been predicting "possible rain, thunderstorms, some heavy rain" and he got it right for once. Yesterday afternoon we had a major deluge, and this morning another thunderstorm with a bit of hail and lots of water and some very loud bangs. And, it is getting dark again. My Chihuahua is terrified of all this - the first time I have had a dog that shakes and pants. Most of mine just ignore it, or just go hide. Hiding is not enough for him. Poor little guy. Oops, just got a weather alert for another severe thunderstorm in about 15 minutes. And evidently Monty can sense it.... he is sitting up and shaking. Otherwise things here are pretty routine. I continue to sort slowly and I have one more package to get off to scottie rescue tomorrow morning. Then I get a reprieve and they are talking about sending someone down to pick up the larger stuff come Spring. Sounds good to me. @Denise TI hear you on student research abilities or lack thereof. Take it easy everyone. I need to get ready to deal with an hysterical chihuahua. Susan

Good morning. After promising rain for the past day or so, the weatherman has finally delivered. Monty does not like the thunder. Current temp is 55F - high today supposed to me about 65F. A good day to get more inside work done (hug the Chihuahua when the thunder rumbles). @kazuGood to hear from you. I hope they can get the cataract surgery scheduled quickly. I was really worried about it but it is now such a standard procedure. Life is much better now that I can see the cobwebs. @StLouisCruisersHope your trip home remains uneventful. @smitty34877Sending cyber hugs as you get through these days full of memories. Off to get myself another cup of coffee and decide what I want to work on this morning... and resist the temptation to go back to bed. Best wishes to all for a peaceful and productive day. Susan

And that should be much easier than having to dig them. The (the Bear Smart) people are asking for more gleaning help with the apples here. Evidently it was a real bumper crop this year. We have about 8 weeks before the last of the bears (usually the males) head for hibernation. At least we don't seem to have Lake Tahoe's problem where the bears would sleep lighter and come out on garbage collection days. And they seem to be hibernating out of town which is really good. Susan

Glad someone jogged my memory. I remember the lesson from Sunday school more years ago than I like to think.

Gleamer has a number of meaning but several groups who move in to collect foods is one way it is currently used. In our case... a volunteer group who works with Bear Smart Durango to quickly remove fruit that the owners don't want. While some is picked and given to local food banks or shelters, the not so good ones (often on the ground) are given to farmers for pig food, etc. Nothing is sold but the idea is to put it to use other than food for the bears. Sorry bears. Susan

Good morning. Sunny and dry here and brisk... at 9:15 the temperature is 47. Hate to think what it was when dogs and I went out at 6:30. I know it was very dark. We are expecting rain probably starting tomorrow evening. I am going to turn the sprinklers off again in anticipation. Little news from here, which is probably a good thing. The apple crop in town was very good this year and the bears are evidently having a great time. One of them took down a very high wooden fence about a block from me last night .... that house has 3 lovely apple trees. We have a crew of gleamers out helping pick both from the trees and from the fallen apples, but they can only do so much. I am told by our wildlife people that the food in the High Country is pretty sparse, so we can expect plenty of bear activity in town until mid-November. I am watching our dumpster closely since some people don't latch it properly. So far so good and we have only seen the sow and her cub the one time. Deer hunting season is upon us and as usual the hill next to me and my yard have a lot of deer activity ... a couple with lovely big racks. Never know who will be out and about when the dogs and I walk. Walking 2 dogs, juggling leashes, a "necessity" bag and a flash light is almost more than I can handle. Fortunately the dogs do not want to chase anything. Susan

I am sorry to hear this. I hope he can be made comfortable. Sending you hugs and best wishes to him. Susan

Good morning. Sunny and dry here ..... current temp is 51F. It was 43 when the dogs and I headed out this morning for a very brief walk. As the days get shorter it is much darker when we walk and this morning as I was headed down the driveway with the dogs, I met a neighbor hustling up from trying to take trash out (he was still clutching his bag). He shouted to go back.... "Bear!!". Seems Moma and a cub were trying to open the dumpster ... they failed but we could hear them banging it around. Anyway, they then proceeded to walk up between my building and the one next door surprising another neighbor who was coming out to get in her car. Sooooo.... it is Fall, and the bruins will be bulking up for the winter sleep and I need to readjust our walking schedule. My dogs ignored all of this .... they pay no attention to the bears and have only a passing interest in deer. Sure gets the adrenaline pumping. Am waiting to hear from my sister who spent most of yesterday in the ER and has an appointment with a gastroenterologist this morning. I can tell her daughter is worried despite her giving me all sorts of assurances. Hoping for good news - she is 95 (soon to be 96 in a couple weeks) so we all tend to worry. @kazuJacqui... sorry the vascular surgeon visit was sort of a bust and that you are having to have the cataract surgery although it will make a big difference in your life. I was amazed at what I could see after mine. Glad Ivan is adjusting.... I think as long as he is with you, he is happy. @rafinmdHope your time at the rehab is successful and brief. Best wishes to everyone. I know we all wish were younger and cruising. Susan

Good morning all Late this morning since I did not sleep well last night and then my morning schedule was thrown off by rain. Bandit does not mind going out in it to do his business, but the Monty Chihuahua will melt (or at least he thinks he will). We had a number of false starts this morning, but all was accomplished. The sun is out now and I will take the little stinkers for a longer walk shortly .... Fall is in the air with temperatures in the low to mid-40's when we get started in the mornings. High's only into the low 70's. And suddenly there are splashes of color in the trees. From here in the valley I can see the Aspen turning in the High Country. And the "s" word is beginning to slip into the weather forecasts. I was teaching huge Freshman class on 9/11 and spent most the day sitting in my lab with a TV on. Students came and went, we had a coffee pot on and someone went out and got sandwiches. Everyone wanted company. Have been to today's destination on the Grand South America aboard the Princendam. That was a wonderful cruise. @kazuI an glad the move has been accomplished. Take it easy settling in. You and Ivan deserve a bit of a rest although I know that packing boxes are not restful. @rafinmdHope you can get settled into rehab quickly and that it will be a short stay. Best wishes to all others having problems at this time. Susan

@marshhawkSorry to hear your news. Prayers and best wishes to you both. Glad the kitties know their job is to comfort. @rafinmdGood to hear from you and I hope your further treatment gets you on the road to recovery (and home) shortly. Susan

I was on a cruise (not HAL) where I woman broke her hip.... to treat her locally and then fly her home from Punta Arenas was about $90,000!!!! She was flown to Boston area, I believe. Fortunately she had very good travel insurance. And this was close to 20 years ago. That knowledge has not stopped me cruising but has made me very careful about insurance. Susan

To add to what Rich said above .... the private tour vendors let the the ship know who was booked on their tours. The private tour people were then cleared to leave the ship. It was well organized on the GANZ. Whether by private tour or Hal tour.... this is not an easy tour!!! Susan

I am sorry to hear this. Prayers will be with her. Susan

Good morning. Sunny and dry as usual. Highs today in the low 80's but Fall is coming. Temps in the morning are in high 40's. It is also wonderfully quiet now that the motorcycle rally is over. Tourism will pick up bit with the Fall colors then drop again until ski season. Hunting season must be close as the deer population in my yard is up - including several bucks with nice large headpieces.... they are smart to hang out in town. And the bears are bulking up for winter. So far they have not tested our dumpster. I have been to today's destination and had both good tours and good visits into the town. But it is desolate. However, since I am not much of a city person, it is one of my favorite SA stops. Am finishing packing up 2 packages for Scottie Rescue auction which I will haul to the Post Office early tomorrow morning. Then I need to start clearing out my 2nd bedroom which functions as a storeroom right now. I am going to have the rug taken up and new flooring put in and it needs painting. There are a lot of storage boxes in there that need dealing with. Many souvenirs from dog showing days. Ribbons and trophies need to go. Some of the trophies were pretty ugly. And books.... lots of books. My handyman wants to do his bit early winter.... we shall see. Best wishes to all. Will think of everyone as I use bubble wrap for its intended purpose. Susan

Good morning. Another sunny and dry day. No rain in the forecast for the next week or so.... in other words "Boring weather!!". My lab results from yesterday are filtering in and so far they look pretty good. I am going to have to watch my glucose but that has been a given for some time. Will see what the doctor says after his review. Today's project (should I really get it done) is to go through the medicine cabinets in both bathrooms. Then I have to figure out how to get rid of the expired stuff. Again.... Boring!!!! Have been to Dover many times. My cousin and I used to hike that area regularly. Am always happy to see the white cliffs when arriving by sea. One of my favorite songs from the past is "White Cliffs of Dover". Take care all. Hope the day is a good one for all. Susan

Good morning. Sunny and dry. I will be turning the sprinkler system back on today as the dry period looks like it will persist. They will be turned off by the lawn service Sept. 20. Freezing temperatures come early around here. Was up early to walk dogs in the dark before heading out to my lab appointment at 7:15. Temperature was 48F. Arrived at the lab at 7:05 and walked out with all tests completed at 7:25. I never even got to sit down before I was called in. I had been swigging water last night and this morning and it sure made the blood draw easier even though I was up and down more than usual during the night. Glad that is over for another 6 months or so. I have spent so much time in London that it is like a second home. Friends and family still there. Actually, I was born in Muswell Hill. Mom and I made many trips back and forth following WWII and many of those were via ship, so again am familiar with the Southampton that was.... have not been back recently. I remember when we took a "boat train" arranged by the ship between London to Southampton. And for about 15 years I took students over on archaeological tours although for those trips we flew - usually into Gatwick and would take the train to London. Well, off to do something constructive with the rest of the morning. Take care all. Susan

Good morning. Today is the last official day of the motorcycle rally and already I am noticing a slight decrease in the roar. Hopefully by tomorrow things will be close to our normal quiet. Wonder if I can leave town next year!!! Nothing new here. Weather is nice and sunny and we may get thunder showers this afternoon. it has been wonderfully cool at night. Yesterday I did help with the hunt for the Corgi. Right now the feeling is that he was picked up.... a sniffer dog tracked him to the road and then lost the scent. I am relieved and hope that is true since there is a chance we can get him back. Lots of posters are up.... reward offered .... and fingers crossed. We have used drones to see if we can locate him but so far nothing except deer and a couple of very surprised bears. Off to do whatever I am going to get done. No plans for the day. Almost everyone I know is hunkered down away from the roads.... we will celebrate when the rally folk are gone. Susan

@Denise TI am adding my congratulations. I remember when I went through this many years ago. It took me forever to write the dissertation as I kept worrying about first this bit and then that bit. I got mine back with very few edits and questions, but several of the comments were really weird..... places where they wanted to me to make changes, but the places were in quotes.... so obviously I could not change what someone else had written. I had the feeling someone on the committee was looking for something to comment on and did not really pay close attention. I did my in person defense which turned out to be very very short and easy and then turned in my final copy and after many years was done!!! Felt very strange.So again, congratulations!!!! It is a big accomplishment. Susan

Good to hear! I am sure all concerned are relieved. Susan

Good morning. Happy Birthday @Cruzin Terri!!! I was up and muttering about rabbits at 3:00 this morning due to some motorcyclists out for a predawn spin.. I did manage to get back to sleep and the dogs left me alone until 7:30 when Bandit began to try to roll me out of bed. Good dogs. Bad motorcycles. Little new from here. I don't have any real plans for the day except staying close to home. I want to get a couple of boxes shipped off this week and that will take me awhile to organize and to pack so that hopefully nothing gets broken. Tuesday morning I have an early morning (7:15) lab appointment and then my calendar is remarkably clear for awhile. I am sure I will find something to fill it. Take care all. I will think of you as I wrap items for shipping in bubble wrap!! Susan

Got some things loaded into the car for the thrift store and then a whole group of motorcyclists roared by.... so I am going to wait until Tuesday. The thrift store is right near one of the cyclists venues. This year seems to be much louder than the past couple of years. And there have already been a couple of accidents in town. Many of them are camped at the Fairgrounds which is located not too far from me..... I notice our road workers have beefed up the security on the road construction sites ... there must have been some problems last night. Off to make a selection of which shelf or drawer to tackle for today's sorting and (hopefully) tossing. Susan

Good morning. Cool this morning. Fall is in the air. Also in the air is the sound of motorcycles.... it is the annual rally in Durango and frankly I hate it. Last night there were cycles roaring up and down the streets until the wee hours of the morning. I am prepared for it and will be staying off the roads this weekend except for a quick trip out to the shelter with stuff for the thrift store. I will be so glad when this weekend is over. The meal looks interesting as does the destination. The Corgi is still missing... I am afraid he was the victim of a mountain lion. This is why my dogs are always leashed and close to me. I feel so sorry for his owner. Off to load up the car and the dogs need another walk. Prayers for Andrea and baby and for Sandy and for anyone else needing them. @kazuHope things are going more smoothly for you. Susan