I have one little milkweed plant at home, and the butterflies have found it. There are several tiny caterpillars on it now.

I had a couple of nice little porch moths this week, but it turns out I've already posted pictures of this kind already. However, since I'm usually zoomed way in for them, this time I took it from a little further away so you can see the size of the moth relative to my doorbell.


And how about a porch millipede?

One night last week, Jerry accidently stepped on a snail on our front walkway, and killed it. The next day, I noticed a slug on top of what was left of it, eating it.




Actually, it looked as if it had just finished eating the shell. The slug seemed to be cleaning up where the snail's innards connected to the last bit of shell. Once the shell was gone, the slug stopped eating.


I had never seen a slug eat a snail shell before. I tried taking a stray bit of shell and offered it to another slug that was passing by, but he wasn't interested.

Audio

Faya Horns & Joe Ariwa – African Warrior dub – Makafresh
Ragga Twins – Spliffhead (remix) – Soul Jazz
Ourself Beside Me – Medicine girl – Maybe Mars
Queen Sea Big Shark – Lightning Metropolis – Modern Sky
Bo Diddley – Heart-a-matic love – Trikont
Grampall Jookabox – You will love my boom – Asthmatic Kitty
Jeb Loy Nichols – Countrymusicdisco45 – Compass Records
Polk Miller - & his Old South Quartette – When de corn pone's hot – Tomkins Square
Pura Fe – Motherless children – Dixie Frog
Beverley Guitar Watkins – Jesus is always there for you – Dixie Frog
Gudrun Gut – Apples and pears – Monika
Sir Freddie Viadukt – Circlin' code – cdr
Bird Show – Two organs and a dumbek – Kranky
Coconami - 1979 - Trikont
Le Tout Puissant Poly Rythmo - Sokemi
Harare - Bvisa - Harare Music
Oliver Mtukudzi - Mhnduro -
Harem Scarem - The Chief - Vertical Records
Patsy Reid - Baby Broon - Vertical Records
Arun Ghosh - Aurora - Camoci
The Lucksmiths - California in Popular Song - Fortuna Pop
Red Cell - Hall of Mirrors - B12 Records
B-12 - Kaxaia-80 - B12 Records

Headed up Signal Mountain this morning for killer views of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Mummies, Longs and Meeker.

We set out from the Conoco on 34 and got to the Dunraven Trailhead at around 6:45. It was still dark out, which was nice as we would get to see the early sunrise from some great spots on the opening climb.

There are multiple options from Dunraven, including a great 20 mile out-and-back on the North Fork Trail to Lost Lake, but today we were heading straight up, from approximately 8,000' at the TH to 11,250' at the summit with somewhere between 5 and 6 miles of trail to the top.

Chad and I were both up for a very easy effort today, and with the amount of snow on the ground we certainly weren't going to be chugging. The opening stretch is a short climb on jeep track to the trail-proper, which climbed out of the Dunraven Valley to the ridgeline and the Bulwark Ridge Trail. This section was mostly clear and good running. We stopped to snap a few photos before we got into the trees.


Once into the forest, the amount of snow underfoot increased significantly, making the climb a lot more tiring. For the first mile or two it was reasonable and we were able to push through without too much exertion, but once past an intersection in the trail there were some pretty stout and lengthy uphill pitches, with snow getting deeper and deeper.

We pushed on to about 10,500' (according to Chad's altimeter), by which time we were post-holing to about knee deep, and beginning to lose the trail.

With 700 feet of climbing and another mile or so of knee-deep snow to the summit, we decided to call it a day at a great lookout spot on the ridge, which afforded crystal clear views of Twin Sisters, Longs, Meeker and the Mummy Range. Well worth the effort.

Lookin' out.

Sisters to the left, Meeker and Longs to the right.

Meeker, Longs.


Mummies

We cantered back down, enjoying the cushy ride, for a total of 8 to 9 miles. Felt like much more.


Can't wait to get back there in the summer for a clear run to the summit, and to link up with some high mountain Mummy trails from CSU's Pingree Park.

Regular readers may recall my friend Bob's recent attempt to get to Komodo Island to see the local Dragons, along with his travelling companion Dave. Unfortunately, they were thwarted in their attempt due to problems with weather and transportation, but they have provided this splendid photographic account of their tribulations anyway. Enjoy.

In one of the best PR stunts I have seen in some time, Greenpeace joined with actress Emma Thompson, comedian Alistair McGowan and conservative political hopeful Zac Goldsmith to buy a plot of land directly in the middle of the proposed site for Heathrow airport's third runway expansion.

And while the current Labour government won a narrow and divisive vote on the issue, Greenpeace's hijinks did not end there. They invited as many supporters as legally allowable to co-own the property with them in the hope that any action taken by the UK government to obtain the land would require them to legally serve each owner in person - whether they live in London proper or the west coast of Bora Bora.

I have offered my opinions on air travel previously, but here is a reiteration. Environmental responsibility is a global value requiring each person to not only act responsibly towards all other human beings, but also to extend that awareness beyond people to the broader world that we all rely on. That requires looking past narrow interests into ever expanding circles of value, and one of the most powerful ways to engender that awareness is to enable others to witness, first hand, the full scope of the world and the diversity of its people.

Airlines should be accountable for their emissions and efficiency like every other sector of society, but moving to restrict or reduce air travel per se is not part of the answer. For without witnessing the world beyond their own shore, why would a person on a beach in Bora Bora care enough about a mile of tarmac in London to play an active role in stopping it?

Gotta love the BBC! Check out the David Attenborough BBC Archive page which now includes all six episodes of his Zoo Quest for a Dragon TV series, first broadcast in 1956! Unfortunately its only available to UK users, due to copyright restrictions.

Program 1 synopsis...

David Attenborough and cameraman Charles Lagus begin their quest in Borneo, the first in the chain of islands they must cross in order to reach Komodo. There they trek through jungle to a village belonging to the Dayak tribe, where they are given a warm welcome. The 'Zoo Quest' team are hoping to find an orangutan and, with guidance from the Dayaks, they discover and film one in the wild. However, it is an orphaned orangutan held captive by a hunter that Attenborough falls for in the end.

I'm normally not lost for words when making a phone call. In fact, I am a pro at filling in the awkward gaps and silences.
But this call, the one I have to make in an hour or so.
I honestly don't know if I can.
My grandmother is old. Very old. And now she is dying. She can no longer speak, but she can hear us.
Her rosary beads, worn with devotion, are wrapped around her wrinkled, frail hands and she can no longer move her fingers along the beads.
(As a fellow Irish woman I can say without malice she has been dying since I was born, and has greeted every illness and every winter as her last one, needless to say they have not been)
But this is it.
She moved back to her native Ireland last year.
My mother and father are currently strapped in aeroplane seats flying across the world to be with her. I can picture my mother's white, anxious face. Already grieving the loss of her mother, yet praying and hoping she will get there in time to say goodbye.
And I?
I have to phone my grandmother.
What do I say?
I had planned to prattle on about the children, work, anything except the truth.
But a wise friend said to me. "Say goodbye and tell her that you love her."
That's when I started crying. And I can't stop.
So how the hell do I pick up the phone?
ETA made the call, floods of tears, my brothers all called, floods of tears. My parents arrived. She has gone from death's door (actually halfway through it) to sitting up, eating and singing. Feels a bit like the boy who cried wolf. Will keep you posted....

Now is not the time for discretionary spending, or so I'm told on a daily basis by myriad of talking heads on TV. Well, last weekend we chose to be contrarians and made our first non-essential 'stuff' purchase of the year: a treadmill. And this was not my doing.


For whatever reason, Dana hates running outside, but she wants to workout without the hassle of driving to the gym. Considering the limited time she has during the week, with her daily commute to Denver, I don't blame her.

My typical reaction to dropping in excess of three digits on non-essential 'stuff' (outright opposition) was assuaged by the fact that a new (cheap) treadmill works out to be more affordable than an annual gym membership, and it saves me from wimping out or suffering through runs on really brutal winter weather days.

So it was that we found ourselves touring big-box stores in search of an affordable piece of equipment. Thankfully, we only needed to tour two of these consumer castles before settling on our model: a Weslo something or other.


It has already found a home downstairs in the guest bedroom, and after taking it for a six-mile spin yesterday I have decided that it works just fine, but the view is good for a few minutes only.


I fear I will have to set up some kind of diversion (read: TV) to relieve the Boredom of the Treadmill, if I'm going to use it on a regular basis. Fortunately, people are ditching TVs at a rate of knots as they prepare for the forced switch to digital. This means cheap or free TVs by the boatload on Craigslist. Stack up a good movie or two, plug the TV into the DVD machine and you're good for hours.

As much as I hate running on these hamster wheels, they do offer comfort from arctic temperatures, while also allowing for structured workouts. We'll see how much use it gets, but hopefully it will get at least $277 worth before it packs up and dies, as all electronic devices are destined to do sooner or later.

The lovely Louisa sent me these interview questions, so without further ado...

1. You haven't been blogging for long - what made you start and what does blogging mean to you now?

I initially started reading alot of blogs because I was researching something and was astounded by the variety of ones I read. It got me thinking that maybe I too, had a story to tell. I didn't necessarily think about people reading it, more about it being a reflective process for me.
Nowdays I think in blog! That is, sometimes something will happen and I will automatically think about how I will write about it. That said, I really try to limit how many often I post. I'm not sure why. I think I am a frustrated writer. That's not the same as a good writer, it just means I like to write.

2. Can you tell us about a favourite family moment?

Easy. Australia Day morning, loaded the kids, boogie boards and shovels in the car and spent the morning at the beach. It was just sooooo good to see the children paddling and playing, while DH and I worked up a sweat building little play pools and sandcastles that Mr L took huge delight in knocking over.
Every now and again we would look across at each other and grin. We knew exactly what the other was thinking, that this is what makes being a family.

3. What makes you feel alive?

Yoga. Seriously.

4. What's something you're always being told by those who know and love you well?

Usually to stop being so hard on myself/or/ to stop taking so much on. Or both.
I have to say I don't agree with them most of the time. One, I know how much better I can be as a person (or equally, that as I stand there is alot of room for improvement!) and two, I like being busy and productive.

5. What one thing would you tell your present self, if you'd had the chance 5 years ago?

I approached parenthood with several pre defined absolutes of things we would and would not do as parents. I would tell old me, to throw them away because the present me can safely say. I broke all my own rules. In fact, I rewrote them.

If you are reading this and would like to be interviewed, just post a comment asking to and I will think up five questions for you.

David Quammen's book "The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction", is previewed over at Google Books, and features the pages that introduce Mauritius Kestrel conservationist Carl Jones into the story. Carl Jones featured in both the Last Chance To See book and also in the Rodrigues Fruitbat Radio Episode which is now available for streaming from the BBC Last Chance To See website.

Carl Jones is a tall, sarcastic Welshman with a sheepdog haircut, a weakness for bad jokes, and a manic devotion to native Mauritian wildlife, especially the birds. His reputation carries far beyond south-western Mauritius, but I've only just met him, and I hardly know what to expect. I know that he has lived on the island a dozen years. I know that he runs a bird-rescue project in the vicinity of Riviere Noire, near the mouth of a system of steep valleys and igneous cliffs called (at least by the English speakers in this polyglot culture) the Black River Gorges. I know that the Black River Gorges contain small, precious remnants of forest, enclaves of wild landscape amid the sugar cane and the urban sprawl and the beach-tourism development that carpet modern Mauritius. I know that one focus of Jones's efforts has been the severely endangered falcon, the Mauritius kestrel, which stood just a sneeze from extinction then Jones first arrived. And I know that Jones, though trained as a scientist, retains the admirable passion and zeal of an adolescent pigeon fancier.

It was but a short drive to the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company's HQ, where we were suited and booted ready to tackle the great underground. Is there anything more wounding to one's dignity than trying to heave your lardy bulk into a 10ml wetsuit in full view of a bunch of superslim backpackers in their early 20s?For anyone who knows anything about wetsuits and the cold, I offer you this:

Due to the financial crisis, youth will have to work harder to get a job. At least that's what today's article suggests in newspaper nrc.next. I made a cover- and a page 4-illustration to accompany that.

There are plenty of reasons why I have come to love my future daughter in law, Jessi. She is free-spirited and creative, loves God and yet is open minded enough to accept Michael's atheism. Adventurous and yet domestic. She sews, crafts and cooks. (She makes the best pies!)

One thing Jessi and Michael share is a love of nature. The other night, when Michael told her how I had found the nocturnal critters in my yard with a headlamp, she decided she wanted to try it out for herself, especially in the hope of seeing a salamander, which she had never seen before. (How she has been around for 6 years and I haven't managed to show her one in person, I have no idea, but anyway...)

So last night Jessi donned the headlamp and Michael took his flashlight, and they patrolled the yard, front and back. She spent a few minutes allowing a big snail to crawl on her hand, and later, after about 20 minutes or so of searching, she actually found a salamander in the grass. She was thrilled. Seeing how much enjoyment she got out of this decidedly nerdy pastime just warmed my heart and gave me yet another reason to love her.



And did I mention how cute she looks in a headlamp?

Mon -- 18.5 miles (3,500ft). 3:10. Up Horsetooth to Westridge to Mill Creek into Lory State Park, up behind Arthur's Rock on Howard, back down Arthur's Rock Trail to South Shore into Horsetooth. Up Saw Mill to Stout and around to Spring Creek and home. Turned out to be a pretty hot and blustery morning. Didn't bring enough water and was a bit short through the last section. Felt decent after Saturday's effort and was able to push in places. Reasonably strong on the hills.

Tues -- 8 miles (1,550ft). 1:16. Took it easy for the most part. Legs felt decent after yesterday's effort. Groin giving me some gyp, so took it extra easy on the downhills.

Weds -- 8 miles (1,550ft). 1:14. Groin felt a little better, but pain is still there. Will back off next week. Must work new variations into my daily run. This one is getting a little stale. Already run it eight times this year. Wearing shorts and T-shirt, and still sweating buckets. Indian summer on the Front Range.

Thurs -- 10.5 miles (2,000ft). 1:36. Up Horsetooth, down Wathan, up Herrington/Towers, down Spring Creek and home. Groin feeling better, maybe 70%. Temps in the low 70s, apparently. Phew.

Fri -- 13 miles (2,100ft). 1:59. From Soderburg TH with Kenny to Arthur's Rock parking and back to Towers. Up Towers to Westridge and across to Horsetooth and down and home. Temps back to normal. Fully layered up with snow falling. Felt sluggish most of the way. Groin and knee affecting stride on downhills. Next week will be a cut-back week.

Sat -- 17.5 miles (1,000ft). 2:10. Up Redstone Canyon and back. 50 mins out and 44 mins (6:45s) back on Redstone Canyon. Easy to and from Redstone, although Amy met me just before Overhill and we pushed hard up the hill.

Sun -- Off. Had originally wanted to run today, but body (groin) felt like it needed a day off. Plus, the computer blew up (literally) so we had to make an unplanned trip to Denver Apple for repairs. Second time in less than a year that the Mac has been in for repairs. My PCs have all had better track records than this Mac...

Total: 75.5 miles. (11,700 vertical).

A solid week. Came up short of the 90 miles I had wanted to run, but now is not the time to be pushing through possible injury, so took Sunday off and will likley take Monday too. Hopefully, knee and groin will be sufficiently rested by Tuesday.

Christian. On this day, which is your second birthday, your wonderful parents and those who know and love them, and your friends around the world will carry you in their hearts.
Rory, brother of mine, forever my baby brother, today we honour you.
I have no more to say,
Whispered Support says them all.
Happy Australia Day!

Courtesy of www.gorilla.cd, here's a magnificent close up view of Ruzirabwoba - "he who is not afraid". The close up on his eyes is just extraordinary.

Audio

Master Musicians of Joujouka – If the moon loves you – Destroy all Concepts
Kasbah Rockers – Rassoul al Houda – Barbarity
Dub Colossus – Entoto Dub – Real World
The Itals – Brutal out deh – Nighthawk
King Stitt – Lick it back – Jamaican Gold
Peter Tosh – Stepping razor – EMI cdr
Bob Dylan – mary & the soldier – Columbia
Charlie Parr – Warmin' by the devil's fire – Misplaced Music
Arthur Russell – What it's like – Audika
Arrows Made of Desire – Denouement – Tag Team Records
Animal Collective – My girls – Domino
Awesome Wells – Mablethorpe – Red Deer Club Recordings
Dean McPhee – Waterburial – World in Winter Marsen Jules – It's only castles burning – Kompakt
Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern - Pram Town - Track & Field
Hanggai - Wuji - World Music Network
Habediehre - BrassBanda - Trikont
Half Man Half Biscuit - Lord Hereford Knob - Probe Plus
Calvin Party - Well Hell - Probe Plus
Half Man Half Biscuit - A lilc Harry Quinn - Probe Plus
Susumu Yokota / Nancy Elizabeth - A Flower White - Lo Recordings
Pumajaw - Spangler - Fire Records
Telefon Tel Aviv - The Birds - Pitch Control

This article from the Detroit News noted the fact that Tanner, a Rodrigues Fruitbat at Cranbrook Institute in Bloomfield Hills, celebrated his 23rd birthday late last month. As they only live to be about 20 in the wild, that's great going.

"He's in good health. He's retired," Organization for Bat Conservation director Rob Mies said.
[...]
By his species' standards Tanner is a senior citizen.

Only about 4,000 of the large, fruit-eating bats still live on tiny Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean.
[...]
Tanner had been the second oldest of the 1,000 or so golden bats in captivity until a few months ago when a 23-year-old female died at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo. He's also three years older than others in captivity.

Their ages are confirmed because each of the captive bats are registered worldwide, Mies said.

It rained lightly all day yesterday. By last night, it had let up a little, and I noticed lots of creatures roaming about my yard. When I mentioned this to my family, Michael asked what I had seen, and I said "snails, slugs, spiders and salamanders". Everything with an S!

I usually don't bother trying to take pictures at night. It's just too dark and hard to focus. But with the help of a headlamp*, I was able to get a few semi-decent shots.


A trio of pea-sized snails on my front steps. Something looks suspiciously squishy there, too.


Just a nice big snail.



A long skinny slug, over by the trash cans.

One of several decollate snails I saw cruising around.

Spider on the garage. His brother was on the back porch.

I saw 3 salamanders out roaming around. This looked like a yearling with a stubby tail that is starting to regrow.

Another one on the sidewalk.

*Jerry bought himself one of these last year. Although it is intended for outdoor uses in camping, caving, etc., he has used it numerous times for things like working under the kitchen sink, fixing his truck in the driveway at night, and finding his way through the tangled maze of wires and cables under his desk. I have used it a few times myself, especially to find bugs and stuff at night. We have enjoyed it so much, we got one for my dad, and it has also come in handy for him a few times, (and not for camping, either!)

The Otago Daily Times has an EXCELLENT article, along with four nice photographs, on the the Kakapo mating cycle, and Rod Morris' quest to record their elaborate mating ritual for posterity.

The pursuit of love is not easy for a male kakapo, though they are one of most highly sexed birds in the world, according to veteran New Zealand wildlife photographer and writer Rod Morris.

In the early 1970s, Morris accompanied Don Merton, of the former New Zealand Wildlife Service, on an expedition to find kakapo in Fiordland.

Merton took the first black-and-white photographs, while Morris took the first colour stills of the world's heaviest, only nocturnal and flightless parrot making its unique booming mating call.

As the ODT went to press the rimu trees were flowering but it was too early to say whether they were going to have a bumper crop of fruit. Four females have mated successfully, and one bird, Lisa, has laid three eggs, though one was infertile and one embryo died. DOC workers are optimistic about the third egg.

This report at Global Voices discusses a new study published in New Scientist that suggests that the number of Mountain Gorillas may have been over estimated somewhat.

We have always known that there are around 700 Mountain Gorillas still alive in the wild today - 336 of which are in Uganda.
[...]
The 336 individuals said to be resident in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were estimated using a method that counts the number of nests that the majestic primates build each night. The new study now indicates that this method may have overestimated the number of individuals in the population since gorillas make more than one nest a night.

The United Nations Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals has declared this year (2009) as the "Year of the Gorilla."The declaration is in a bid to help save our endangered 'primate cousins', the gorillas, from extinction.

The Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals observed that the population of the four remaining gorilla species in Africa is being threatened by rampant poaching, deforestation and the dreaded Ebola virus which is taking a deadly toll on the lives of primates and even humans.

It's been a busy few days.
Carly and I have been working incredibly hard on our joint project, with meetings, burning up the phonelines and emails being bounced back and forth.
I have been a teacher for ten years, but professionally speaking I can say, I have never been as fulfilled as I have been doing this. Throughout my adult life I always said I wanted to honour the memory of my brother's all too short, but precious life. I always thought I'd set up a scholarship fund for him or something like that.
But this?
This is it.
So amidst the rushing, the research, the deep reflection on every word written,
sometimes things get forgotten.
But my recent rediscovery of living "in the moment" has meant, that I've tried to tie up every pirate patch Miss B has asked me to tie. I've joined in the dancing (albeit, mainly on one leg) whenever Mr L shakes his nappy covered bottom to music playing on my i-phone and I have commiserated with Mr J when his lego creation isn't going as planned.
I know I've certainly given into food requests when I shouldn't (from the children!) because I have been distracted on the phone, but I've tried to be "there" for them.
But tonight?
well my husband is having a well deserved night with the boys, the kids will have an early night (I hope)
and I will light a candle and take a few deep breaths and just be.
And that's ok.

Our Billy (Photo by the two Es)

I have been silent on the ducks for a while so the therapy is apparently working. However I do see them every day and can report that they are well. Yesterday two of them were trying to peck each other to death but I put a stop to that by shouting at them along the lines that didn’t they have enough to worry about with the cold and not having knees that they should try to kill each other as well.

There was a man there who looked at me strangely but as he was busy breaking the ice with a stick it did not bother me too much.

I bought an ice scraper, a first aid kit and some vests from OAMTC so that we are prepared for our trip to Bad Ischl. If you have an accident here you cannot get out of your car unless you are wearing a vest (Warnweste). (This does not apply if you are dead).

The theory is that you will be more visible wearing these brightly coloured vests and will not be run over by another motorist. I bet!

We don’t have a spare tire – at all. There is a space for one of those tiny little play wheels that they use these days – but there is no tire in there. Helmut Bangflanger from Wiesenthal – who sold us the car – says that they don’t supply tires any more but that all you have to do is to call Mercedes or OAMTC and someone will come and fix your tire for you. I bet!

There is apparently a pressure pack of stuff that you can use to pump up a flat tire. This is very carefully concealed underneath the space where the tiny little play wheel would be if there was one. Helmut says it is difficult to get out but that in a emergency you just tear the cover off and dig it out. I think we probably need to carry an axe for this purpose – or call the fire brigade.

I went to the our favourite Blumen in the Wollzeile to buy some more Katzengrass but it had apparently burnt down over Christmas. This is unfortunate because the Blumen on our street says that they do not have Katzengrass and cannot get any. I find this very strange but have accepted it at face value – why would they lie? Perhaps it is my accent and they thought I had asked for Apfelstrudel.

So I will have to go further afield and will try the Blumen in markets in Landstrasser-Hauptstrasse.

In the meantime I have coloured some paper strips green and hung them on the remains of the Katzengrass plant. Muffin is quite content with these and they will do the job until I can ship in the right stuff.

Cate has told me that Rozalin has suggested that I am not using kitty litter of an appropriately high standard. My protests that I get the most expensive stuff that money can buy brought the retort ‘Yes – but at Billa’.

(i.e. you are such a bad and careless cat minder that you insult your cat by buying inferior litter at a supermarket. No wonder ICO will have nothing to do with you).

Apparently there is much better stuff and it can be acquired from a pet shop (where they don’t sell pets – just the stuff they need – if you want a cat here you contact an Insane Cat Owner).

The superior litter is made out of mulched owls and has flakes of gold. Each pellet has been hand carved by artisans in Bregenz and has the Hapsburgs family shield engraved on it.

Tomorrow I will have to drag my sorry ass down there to have a look. I will take my money with me.

It's hard to decide which races I want to target as goal races this year, as goals come in different shapes and sizes. One definite goal is to get to the start line of a 100-mile race fit and healthy, and do what it takes to get that race finished. From there, I'll be able to decide if the 100-mile distance is something I enjoy and want to pursue.

That, minus the healthy part, was my goal for 2007. Unfortunately, it was the healthy part that was my undoing, and by the time Leadville rolled around I was barely able to walk - not the kind of shape you want to be in when toeing the line for your first 100 miler.

After an eight-month lay-off and a lackluster return in early '08, I am once again feeling like I am ready to race. I really think I can bust out some solid performances this year. Just got to stay healthy.

Anyway, after careful consideration and considerable sticker shock when receiving the Leadville application earlier this month, I have decided that Big Horn will be my big day out in '09. From what others have told me, the Big Horn Mountains of northern Wyoming are a great setting for a trail race, and while Leadville is certainly a higher profile race, I think the Leadville Marathon and Silver Rush 50 will give me enough of America's highest incorporated town for one year.

The 100-mile race will be about getting it done and little else. Every other trail race I run this year, of marathon distance or longer, I'll be running for the win or for a place.

That's the great thing about ultra trail racing: if you're prepared to put in the miles, hills and intensity, and you have a modicum of talent then you can be competitive as the talent pool in this marginal but growing sport remains shallow. Of course, there is so much more to racing trails than competition, but it sure adds an extra element of fun when you can be in the mix towards the end of a race.

Race goals:

Salida Marathon (Salida, CO) - This is a small event that attracts a solid crowd of runners looking to get an early season read on their form. The course record is 3:09, which for a course that climbs more than 4,000 feet is pretty impressive. I'll be happy to go under 3:30 here. If I can do that, it should be good for a top-three finish.

Spring Desert Ultra 50 (Fruita, CO) - This was the beginning of the end for me in '07. I was signed up for the 50, but pulled up lame at the 25 mile turnaround after taking a major wrong turn a mile from the finish. Like Salida, a lot of runners use this race as an honest early season read on fitness. It climbs about 8,000 feet in total. Duncan Callahan, the winner at Leadville last year, holds the course record at 7:41, and according to his blog he plans to race it again this year. Although a listing of this year's entrants is not yet up, I know there will be other strong runners in the field, so again I'll be happy with a top-three, sub-8-hour finish.

Collegiate Peaks 50 (Buena Vista, CO) - This is a low-key race from what I understand. However, this being Colorado, you never know who'll show up on race day. Regardless, I'll be gunning for a win here. The website suggests to expect more than 9,000 feet of climbing. Looking at previous results, that seems unlikely, or if the climb is accurate then the course is probably short. Anton Krupicka holds the course record at 6:53. I'll be happy to run under 7:30.

Big Horn 100 (Sheridan, WY)- Just looking to finish. To get it done in less than a day would be a bonus.

Leadville Marathon (Leadville, CO) - This was one of my better finishes in '07. I ran 4:16 for a sixth-place finish. The climb up to Mosquito Pass at 13,200 feet is a classic, and with over 5,500 feet of climbing and some jarring descents on loose trail, anything can happen. I'm shooting for a sub-4-hour finish, which in years past would be good for a top three or a win in weaker years. Anton Krupicka holds the course record at 3:41.

Silver Rush 50 (Leadville, CO) - I beat Nick Pedatela, the '08 winner of this race at the Steamboat 50 last year, but came in 10 minutes behind Ryan Burch, who was second at the Silver Rush. If the same cast of characters shows up this year, I'll be shooting for a win and course record. The current course record was set last year, the first year it was run: 7:26.

Pikes Peak (Manitou Springs, CO) - I'm not 100 percent sure if I'm going to run this one, but if I do, a top-ten finish seems like an achievable goal. This famed race climbs a massive 8,000 feet in just over 13 miles and then you have to turn around for the brutal descent. Matt Carpenter is the undisputed king of this hill, setting the course record of 3:16 (surely untouchable) in 1993, and he is still winning to this day. If I do run the marathon, then I'd probably shoot for something under 4:30, and certainly a top-10 finish.

Breck Crest Marathon (Breckenridge, CO) - After being sent miles off course by aid station volunteers while running less than a minute behind first with four or five miles to the finish last year, I feel like I have a score to settle with this race. The win, and a better time than last year's winner (3:48), are the only things I care about here. This race is all about climbing, so I should be in good shape.

Blue Sky Marathon (Fort Collins, CO) - This one is right in my backyard. I had a poor race last year so will be looking to improve on my time (3:47).

And there it is in black and white. We'll see.

Optimism continues to grow for a bumper Kakapo breeding season. From the Southland Times...

Out of the 38 breeding-age females, five had mated so far. If more than 80 per cent mate then it could result in as many as 40 chicks.
[...]
The department was optimistic this season would bring some genetic diversity through Richard Henry's offspring. Richard Henry was the only surviving kakapo from Fiordland and, until this year, his sons, Sinbad and Gulliver, had not set themselves up a booming site or attracted a female.

Evidence indicates Sinbad has managed to do so and fingers were crossed Gulliver finds himself a mate soon too, she said.

on the 12th January Nora mated with Lionel, Nora has not mated since 2002 so this is fantastic news.
[...]
The team on the island found mating sign in Sinbads bowl today! Sinbad is the son of Richard Henry, so he is genetically valuable. We are not sure who Sinbad mated with last night as both Cyndy and Kuihi turned up to visit him - time will tell!

This year we’ve employed four extra kakapo ranger staff to help us through the breeding season. Jason Malham, Ruth Cole, Phil Marsh and Jo Whitehead. The workload out here is ramping up so everyone is busy busy busy.
[...]
News flash! Errol just got back to the hut with the news that Nora has had a second mating with Lionel! Nest number two on the way…..!! Go Nora!!

Pierre Peron, Virunga National Park communications officer, reports on the BBC News website that Safari Kakule, has been killed when the team he was with were attacked by Mai Mai militia.

The team of rangers defended their position and managed to apprehend a Mai Mai officer.

But the attack was extremely violent and they were greatly outnumbered. As they retreated from their position, Safari was hit by the attackers' gunfire.

Safari was an exceptional ranger, who had worked with the gorillas in Tshiaberimu for several years.

Just a quick note to say that a Facebook icon has now been added to each post. Share and Enjoy.

The BBC Last Chance To See "Radio" page has been updated again to include the full radio episode "Ralph, The Fragrant Parrot Of Codfish Island". This episode features Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine in their search for the Kakapo Parrot. The site indicates that the Juan Fernandez Fur Seals episode will be the next to be made available, in February 2009.

The radio series episode guide in David Haddock's "The Story of Last Chance To See" has been updated with the link to all the episodes released so far.

NOTE: This material is only available to UK users due to copyright restrictions.

This is Bandit. Son David's one-eyed puppy recently acquired. Bandit lives in Sydney with his cousin Lenny (who reads my blog).

It’s Obama Day. The President Bush Countdown Clock on Jill’s desktop in Sydney will finally run out. Years ago we would watch this in horror at the number of days still remaining and tell each other ‘Be Strong – he will go one day!’.

I took Will and Kris to the Flughafen this morning for their flight back to Washington. They will be back in time for the numerous Inauguration Balls – but as they haven’t been invited to any this is not really important to them.

More important to Kris is getting back to her cats Steve and Sophie.

Will is really looking forward to this too because he loves cats (joke!). But he was good when he was here. On one occasion he actually touched Muffin (briefly) and made what he thought were soothing cat noises but actually sounded like a frog choking on a cricket. Of course he then went and had a good wash.

Sophie is a unique cat. On the occasions that we have stayed with Will and Chris in Vienna (Virginia not Austria) we have only ever seen fleeting glimpses of Sophie in the distance. She is (to say the least) rather shy and I have never actually been able to get closer than about 5 metres. I think when she was very small she saw Dick Cheney on TV and has never been the same since.

Of course we forgive Will for his lack of love for cats as he has many other redeeming features.

One of these is his ability to act as a Museum Divining Rod. Get him within a kilometer of a museum and his nose starts to twitch and he is off like a rabbit out of a burrow. He knows the location of every museum in Europe – he also knows exactly what is in them and – if left unchecked – can describe each article, its provenance, purpose and history.

I carry a club when I go out with him so that I can stun him every now and then to slow him down.

Will is to museums what Cate is to churches.

We went to Melk and drove back through the Wachau Valley to Krems where we dismounted and walked for some time in sub freezing temperatures to admire the many closed shops which adorn the main streets.

We had so much fun we contemplated getting naked and flogging each other with tree branches but decided that on the whole we would rather go indoors and have some lunch.

Will (of course) found a museum – which fortunately was closed – and Cate found two churches – both of which had to be visited – but not by me. I have been into many churches and they all look the same to me.

Billy Benz had his first car wash on Saturday and brushed up nicely – but some toad nudged him in a car park and put white paint on his front side. I was able to get this off with some form of spirit cleaner so he still remains in a pristine state.

We needed some new cushions so went to Lutz in Landstrasse and while we were there I was finally able to convince Cate that I should have the new saucepans that have been promised to me for so long.

These are made by WMF and are remarkable - and a triumph of German engineering. I think it is unlikely that they will improve my cooking dramatically – but they will make me feel better.

On Saturday we went to Cantinetta Antinori – which once again was terrific. On Monday night we went to Plachutta so that Will and Kris could have some authentic Viennese cuisine. They went at it with gusto and ate a number of parts of cows that I try to not even think about. But they gave it the thumbs up.

Anna is complaining that I never answer her questions. Well - here is one answer. Doodles Creek products are available from Norton Street Grocer, Relish in Norton Street, and Fine Food Store Rozelle. If you have problems let me know and I will do some more scouting.

Tomorrow I shall tell you about the great Kitten Acquisition Disaster of 2009.