Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Given today’s political climate, I think this quote is an appropriate one for the times and hope you are doing your part to spread the Reverend’s message. We need it more than ever. In the U.S. in particular, looking away can no longer be the norm.
It’s cold, snowy day in the 303 (and a bit quite unexpected-I know I sure wasn’t prepared for temps in the teens AND snow, even if the snow is pretty minor). The sky is clear now and we hope we reach the forecasted 41F degrees (5C). I know a lot of you have been buried in cold and snow filled and don’t expect too much sympathy but we’ve been acclimated far too long to 50’s and 60’s over the past couple of months.
As we typically do on Monday’s, we’re also sharing a smile since we still need to smile in these crazy and uncertain times. Wishing you a reflective Monday that’s filled with good intentions, positive actions with lots of smiles this week.
And if kids have been bugging you, here’s a strategy that might help. Stay warm and have a great Monday reflecting on the legacy of MLK.
It’s Friday and you know what that means…it’s time for another edition of Nature Friday where we join our friends from at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. Wilson here with a light version of the Nature we encountered this week since we really didn’t see much beyond what we’ve shared before. I mean how many gorgeous sunrises can you stand, huh? Well this one was quite a showstopper with a sliver of the moon showing, but still. Anyway, Mum’s been busy trying to finish unpacking the studio and arranging it so the large space is efficient and easily accessible but she is struggling with moving furniture around. I think she’s come to realize she isn’t a spring chicken anymore. She got another bright idea yesterday that will require more moving. I can hear the sighs, grunts and groans already. Good thing I know how to help.
The Mum: Good morning, lad. Are you trying to blame me for a shortage of nature photos this week?
Wilson: Ooh, hiya Mum. Nope, no blaming, just stating facts. You’ve been busy and we didn’t have a lot of different encounters with the landscape unlike the pics you’ve already posted from the past month. Critter-wise, mostly we’ve only seen Canadian geese-thousands of them in fact. Apart from them being everywhere when we walk through the golf course area, they are just flat boring. Honk, honk, honk. Don’t they ever do anything beyond honk?
The Mum: Good question; if they do, I sure don’t know what, if any redeeming qualities they have, that would be considered share worthy. We did see a few mallards earlier this week after last week’s snow had melted but they weren’t all that keen on our presence and skedaddled quickly. But watching them float around on the canal was very peaceful and there were some interesting reflections on the water from the branches. But the landscape is more than colorless this time of year. Just drab brown everywhere with lots of wind. There’s another high wind warning for today and proposed power cuts for northern Colorado.
Wilson: Yeah, those ducks were boring to me and they weren’t interested in how fabulous I am. Now if squirrels were swimming in the canal, they’d have my full and undivided attention. Heck, I might even jump in the water.
The Mum: Ha…that’ll be the day. You avoid water like the plague and I can’t believe you’d jump into the water, even for squirrels.
Wilson: {protesting} Now Mum, you know I’m totally obsessed into checking out squirrels and will follow them wherever they go. I don’t know why but there’s something quite captivating about those scurrying little troublemakers.
The Mum: Yeah, I do know. All too well. This week the sheepie stubbornness was on parade, front and center. So much so, that you and I had to have a couple of heart to heart conversations. What’s up with that, anyway?
Wilson: [nonchalantly rolling his eyes] I have no idea what you’re talking about. I mean, just look at this devoted, compliant face of a good dog. I mean, ‘who’s a good boy?’ Huh?
The Mum: Don’t give me that “I’m such a good boy look. You conveniently forgot to mention it took several minutes to get you in this pose. You acted like you were deaf.
Wilson: Umm, I don’t think it took more than the usual pocket of bribes treats.
The Mum: Uh-huh. You can say it, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true.
Wilson: {deftly changing the topic} Well, will you check this out! On our daily morning walk, we sashayed past a particular house on the way to the Ralston Creek Trail and I noticed you said out loud…”what the…” and promptly turned me around to go back and confirm what you thought you saw. You know I have a pinched nerve in my neck, right?
The Mum: Oh puleese…you weren’t hurt and seemed more than happy to check it out. I was blown away that this rose bush had started budding out. I know it’s been super mild with temps in the 50’sF and 60’sF (10C – 15C) but it’s WAY too soon for deciduous plants to start setting buds. I mean winter officially started less than a month ago and we haven’t had much in the way of winter moisture…but dang.
Wilson: It is rather surprising and of course, with all the windy conditions, even more shocking. I don’t know what to make of it, Mum.
The Mum: Me either, House Pony. It’s definitely alarming. But there’s not much we can do but supplement water for the new trees that were planted recently to make sure they get sufficient moisture to establish themselves, even though the landscapers assured us they were dormant. Hope springs eternal, right?
Wilson: Right. Not to change the subject, but I’ve noticed you’ve been checking for quirky garden art on our walks now that we have an established route that we take every day. Hopefully we’ll find more otherwise this is going to be a rather dull neighborhood compared to some of the original stuff we were used to seeing.
The Mum: Yeah, but I did have to laugh out loud when we walked past this house. So what’s up for your weekend? Got any plans, buddy?
Wilson: Beyond catching a squirrel…umm, no nothing overly special. We may have a birthday party for your granddaughter who turns the Big 3-0 next week. That out to be fun. What about you readers? Anything? Whatever you do (and I hope staying safe and warm is included in your weekend plans), we hope you have a fantastic weekend that includes checking out nature around your ‘Hood.
Holy cow, we’re heading quickly toward the middle of the month…how in the world did that happen? In some ways January has been speeding by and in other ways seems like a slow crawl. The national news makes it seem like an endless Groundhog Day. Different day, same old headlines. Such is the contrast when you reach a certain age, I guess.
Wilson: We hope you had a fantabulous weekend. Mum attended a celebration of life from a former beloved partner of the law firm she worked at for nearly 25 years. He had been a champion for women in the legal biz and just a downright amazing human. It was great for her to catch up with folks from decades ago, including one who was a neighbor of hers in the old neighborhood as well as her favorite attorney at the firm. R exemplified the concept of kindness, dignity and competence. It was wonderful catching up with folks and celebrating the life of one of the best attorneys. Rest in eternal peace, Mike. As a long time pilot and aerial enthusiast, Mum is sure he is flying high and free now.
The Mum: As we normally do on Monday’s, let’s start this week out with a couple of smiles. Wilson said he could identified with both of them (though he thought it was ridiculously crazy to chase after a toy, but a tiny morsel of a crumb…but that’s a whole other ballgame; he did say he’d dig to China if it meant he could retrieve crumbs) . Of course whenever there’s anything food related, he will put his paw of approval on the post. Have a wonderful Monday and an even better week overall. Sending out January hugs and tail wiggles to you all. We plan to enjoy a warm up after last week’s slice of winter.
Finally, let’s take a look at the life of Farley, the sheepdog from For Better or For Worse. Wilson definitely could identify with this day in Farley’s world. He likes to keep those days at a minimum and reminded me that there’s always something he could do with me, even if it means getting his paws paddles caught up in my feet upending me and sending me splatting on the street. I’m ok, just a bit sore. The expression on his face though was priceless. He had a “what the bloody hell are you doing down there?” Guess I need to give you a Wilson healing slurp to get you up and moving.” Which he did. Silly boy.
Here’s hoping you stay upright and have a terrific Monday.
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our friends from at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to check out what others shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. As you can see, I’m getting more used to doing these parkour poses for Mum. This is a huge log that’s pretty slippery so I had to hang on tight so as not to slip down while patiently wait for Mum to fumble take the pic. Umm, hurry up, Mum!
We have a little something different this week highlighting what the Colorado Department of Transportation Department (CDOT), working together with the Federal Highway Administration recently accomplished by opening the largest wildlife overpass crossing in North America on a stretch of I-25 between Larkspur and Monument, Colorado along a heavily used stretch area where wildlife crossings often collide with the heavy traveled north/south highway. At 200 feet wide and 209 feet long, with wide gradually sloped entrances, it should be easy and inviting for wildlife to use. The location connects wildlife corridors while preserving open space with good proximity to water and is known for heavy movement of large game. Wildlife tend to avoid tunnels, so this overpass is a better solution when keeping both large game and drivers safe.
Photos courtesy of CDOT
The overpass spans six lanes of interstate traffic and connects 39,000 acres of habitat on both sides of I-25. This overpass should decrease the number of wildlife/vehicle collisions by 90% and provide a vital and safe connection for large game to cross I-25 in their natural habitat.
Wilson: When Mum first heard about the completion in mid-December, she became very excited, after having been in a car that was hit by a deer a few years back. It’s never pretty when wildlife and cars collide and too often results in fatalities for both people and wildlife. This project was one of 19 wildlife crossings in the U.S. Department of Transportation has help fund nationwide. Pretty cool stuff.
The Mum: Glad you liked it, House Pony. What a great way to save large wildlife and keep drivers from colliding with them. I just thought it was a very innovative way to keep both wildlife and humans safe.
Wilson: I love it when humans and animals can live in harmony. So, it looks like Nature heard your request for some snow. We have a good 4-5 inches and it continues to accumulate. I don’t have to go out in it, right Mum?
The Mum: Oh my gosh, you’re such a fair weather dog! Never fear, it should stop snowing later this morning and then we can carry on.
Wilson: Whew. Well that’s good to know. So this week we saw the Wolf Moon which was the first super moon of 2026. With the neighborhood being so quiet, it was almost eerie at sunset, especially since we been hearing more and more wildlife sounds at night. This week alone, we heard owls hooting and a bobcat’s screams.
The Mum: It was even cool watching it in the early morning hours against the backdrop against the foothills.
Wilson: The moon was fun to watch this week as we’ve enjoyed some pretty sunrises. The sky has been quite colorful.
The Mum: Mornings have been quite awe-inspiring. It’s been fun watching you check things out. I’ve begun to wonder if you aren’t part Bloodhound.
Wilson: The sniffs are just so doggone interesting. I’m completely enthralled at all the new, fascinating smells.
The Mum: You’ve been investigating grasses and logs like a detective. It’s exciting to see you learning about all that’s going on along our walks. Sniffing is a good exercise for your mind and the more engaged you are, the more relaxed you are. Did you see that coyote on the golf course late yesterday afternoon?
Wilson: Nope, I was too busy watching the hundreds of Canadian Geese while they were resting on the green.
The Mum: I think he was watching them as well. It was chilly day and they were resting near Hole #9. I think he might have been sizing up any weak ones for a bit of dinner. He didn’t stay in view long enough for me to grab a quick pic, but I’m going to try to be better prepared for the next time we walk through that area. I know a lot of people, especially small dog owners are afraid of them and will go to great lengths to keep their little fur babies safe. I don’t think you lived with me yet when a friend and I saw this little guy in Westminster when visiting a friend who works with the rescue a couple of years ago and we came across this little guy with his mum. I thought that anti-coyote jacket was wild. It seemed to be just perfect for that little guy who seemed to be having a bad hair day.Wilson: Wait, people dress their dogs up like that? Poor little guy. Kinda feel badly for him.
The Mum: That lady was pretty adamant about having those jackets for her two little guys. I think if I were that afraid of my dogs getting snatched by a coyote in the city, I might find a different neighborhood to safely walk my pups and avoid the lake where she was walking hers, but to each his (or her) own.
Wilson: Well that’s about it for us this week. We’ve got lots to do in the house today and probably better get cracking at it. Looks like the snow has stopped and I can see a patch or two of blue sky so we best get rolling. We hope you have a terrific weekend and are able to enjoy the first weekend of the football playoffs and have enough time to get out and see what Nature provides. Right now, I need to get ‘back to work.’
It’s not that I dislike Mondays, it’s just that Monday reminds me that I have to adult. Two major house hiccups occurred over the weekend (I’m still on the phone with Whirlpool after being on hold for 25+ minutes 😬). I just wasn’t prepared for this after enjoying a lovely weekend. So what adulting do you have to do today if you don’t have to go to work?
We hope your day of adulting goes well and if anyone has any pull with Whirlpool, let me know. There’s gotta be a better way to get through to them regarding a problem with a brand spanking new appliance. Grrr.
Happy 2026, peeps. We made it to a new year. We hope you had a safe and happy celebration and didn’t disturb the neighbors too much with stupid fireworks. It was kind of noisy in our neighborhood with a couple very loud boomers but they didn’t last too long and they don’t bother me much beyond going into SWAT mode thinking someone is trying to get into our house. At least they didn’t last into the late night like they used to in our old neighborhood. So that’s a plus. Luckily I’m didn’t get too stressed about the loud noises but made sure the perimeter was secure, just to be on the safe side. I just don’t understand humans and their obsession with disturbing a perfectly nice evening. Don’t they realize they are traumatizing pets and people who suffer from PTSD? I just will never understand why they do it.
Since Mum is kinda boring, she chose to watch a hockey game instead of ‘partying’ with me. She had the nerve to wake me up a couple of times with loud cheering. Her team continues to have the fewest home losses and they gave the opposing goalie, who Mum despises, a real shellacking and when they scored the first 4 goals in 5 minutes she was, let’s just say, very animated. Hockey is a big deal for her anyway but to beat that goalie was particularly satisfying.
Is this what you call celebration?
Wilson: So much for any big celebration action.
The Mum: I dunno, I was pretty excited celebrating that game. It was definitely a nice way to end 2025. But the celebration noise didn’t stop there.
Wilson: You’re so right, when we went for an early morning walk the next morning, there was all manner of squawking cheering by the local golf course residents-Canadian Geese. Whew…what a blooming bunch of noisy birds. I’m sure glad we don’t live on the golf course and have to endure that racket every morning while they’re standing about milling in the breakfast line. Sheesh. I imagine all manner of gossip while waiting for breakfast.
The Mum: Amen, House Pony. That photo shows just a sliver of the noisemakers. We are realizing they are very noisy in the morning and are grateful they have chosen the golf course as their concert hall.
Wilson: That’s a concert? Hmm, not exactly my kind of music since we just walk through the golf course on the Ralston Creek trail. And speaking of trail, just check out this habitat hut the park folks created for critters. We still haven’t seen any but with these huts, there surely has to be some around. I was not exactly primed for posing, choosing instead to keep an eye out for my personal nemesis of which I’m always on alert for spotting now that I’ve seen a couple. Where there’s one, there are probably a jillion just waiting to be chased by the jaws of death.
Wait…was that a squirrel I saw over there?
The Mum: Argh…you and your squirrels. So, we received a teeny amount of snow this week and there were a couple of cold nights and thus cold enough to freeze the edges of the creek.
Wilson: I don’t know why those frozen parts captivated your attention. Here we were walking along at a nice clip and you drag me over to one of the bridges that span the creek just to take a photo. Good grief-for dog’s sake, Mum.
The Mum: I just wanted to see the frozen edges up close. And then I noticed a tree trunk that suggests there may have been beavers around at some point. That’s a pretty exciting thought, though I suspect we won’t be seeing them up close since they’re pretty stealthy. Still, it was very cool.
Wilson: The things that crank your handle, Mum…are obviously well beyond my comprehension. I notice you are constantly scouring the creek. What in the bloody blue blazes are you looking for?
The Mum: Well, trash for one thing. I feel compelled to dispose of trash we encounter in the bins along the creek and then I’m also checking for signs of critters. I’m fascinated with the natural world, plus I would guarantee there are likely coyotes around with all those geese and perhaps some deer, so it probably is prudent to keep my eyes open as we walk through these semi-wild areas. I’m just trying to keep you safe, buddy-that and picking up after careless humans.
Wilson: I appreciate you looking out for me and nature’s best interests but I can take care of myself.
The Mum: No need tempting fate. Beside, I prefer seeing you pose in this natural world rather than us being a statistic in it.
I’m getting the hang of this climbing up thing, aren’t I, Mum?
Wilson: Well, when you say it like that, I guess it makes sense. Just yesterday there was a sensational story about a suspected mountain lion attack and fatality in Larimer County of a lone hiker who may have been attacked.
The Mum: Trust me, Mum knows best and I’ll continue to be careful especially while walking through the dense vegetation in the habitat area. We want to enjoy nature, not be its victim and it’s my job keeping you safe. So what’s on your agenda now that we’re in 2026.
Wilson: Nothing planned for this weekend, maybe entertain a friend who may drop by, but mostly just learning more about our area and checking it out.Whatever you do, we hope 2026 has started out on the right foot and you have a wonderful weekend. Happy New Year!
Well, we’ve gone and done it…managed to survive 2025 (presuming we can get through the next two days but we’re trying to be optimistic). It was a bit touch and go there for a while but look what doggedness will do for you.
I’m personally not into the whole resolutions thing and Wilson seems to echo my sentiment telling me…and I’m quoting here…”None of this New Year/new me bollocks. Last year I was floofy and fabulous and this coming year I’ll be floofy and fabulous.” Period.
Well ok then…I guess he and I won’t be having that conversation reviewing/reiterating the house rules. Though I still will continue to try to enforce cajole the barking rule. Wish me luck.
Since we’re not party animals it’ll just be the Floof and me ringing in the new year. I personally will be taking a hard look at went well last year and reflect on how it lines up with my goals. None of that resolution thing but we will try to be hopeful for 2026 and hope however you ring in your new year, it’ll meet all your resolutions/expectations. Best wishes for safe and Happy New Year from the Ranch, erm…Barn. Happy Monday.
Limited decor but happy to have enjoyed a small tree
{Yawn, s-t-r-e-t-c-h} Here we are after spending a quiet day in our new home. Not sure why but Mum overslept this morning (she didn’t do a lot of much yesterday after having her son and partner for a little brunch-sadly without images…clearly the time she’s been away trying to get us settled in has left her a bit deficit in proper brain function…i.e. she forgot to take photos) but I nudged her out of bed with my legendary “quilt” move where I jump up on the bed and smother her. But enough about her shortcomings, I love still her. It was a good day for just hanging out, getting chin scratches from the visitors and a great walk along the creek. I’ve reminded Mum the best way to settle in to the new home is to take loads of walks liberally enhanced with loads of treats for making me feel more comfortable in the new environment. We hope those of you who celebrated the Christmas holiday had a day that was merry and bright with lots of tasty snacks and good cheer.
Today we’re climbing back into the blogging saddle and joining our friends at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to check out what others shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. While Mum is trying to open her eyes with a second cup of coffee, let me share a few of the things we’ve seen over the past three weeks since our big move.
Wilson: First up…here’s the ‘before’ reveal. A real hellscape and something that had Mum wondering what was she thinking. But despite being a bit OCD about stuff being in its proper place, she put her paws in front of one another and made daily progress. Notice how hard I am working snoopervising the move in.
Wilson: A real mess, right? And that was just the downstairs! It was worse upstairs. Well, I’m happy to report her doggedness has paid off, everything downstairs has now been put into its proper spot and you can actually walk about without stubbing a paw on a bin or box. Thank dog! The language I’ve heard over the past 3 weeks has been shocking and I’m not one to blush.
The Mum: Hey, that’s not fair…I noticed you howled a couple of times yourself.
Wilson: Oops, hi Mum. Thought I was doing a solo today. Ahem…sorry about that characterization. Since misery loves company, Mum reminds herself that this is a community that’s still under construction and more folks will begin to move in and enjoy the move in process that we had {snicker}. We already met the couple at the end of our lane. Mum shakes her head-those folks have managed to complete all manner of projects since moving in (i.e. painting their garage walls as well as painting the garage floor and power-washing all the mud from the sidewalks. They make her back hurt just watching these two eager beavers. I tried to make her feel better by saying there are two of them and she’s only one person. Sadly, she hasn’t been overly dissuaded about her feelings of inadequacy (she continually refers to it as slug-ness) so I’ve reminded her that envy is the thief of joy but she usually just stomps upstairs with an armload of things for the studio, grumbling with each step.
The Mum: You’re right about the theft of joy. I’ll try to do…
Wilson: {interrupting} Well I say a good place to start would be to bust open those presents of treats for me that Santa Paws delivered and stop being so stingy with dishing out the goodies he left me. And for heaven’s sake, be grateful for all you’ve done and accomplished. Sheesh, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The Mum: I’ll try to keep that in mind. Obviously the dude in red thought you were a pretty good boy this year and not just a pretty face.
Wilson: Well I could have told you that but you were too busy being consumed with thoughts of inadequacy. At any rate, enough about the move…we could fill volumes but I have a few photos from the neighborhood around us to share.
The Mum: Yes, you’re absolutely right. What have you got for us, House Pony?
Wilson: Well, my daily walks are a veritable sniff fest. I’m beginning to think I might even be part bloodhound who’s tracking a burglar. It’s. been. awesome!
The Mum: Yes, I’ve noticed you are enjoying sniffs along our regular route. Haven’t seen as much wildlife as we’d hoped yet for but the wildlife habitat that we walk through might have provided more than just the thousands of Canadian Geese we see/hear along the trail. But there have been loads of dogs, walkers, bicyclists that we’ve passed and it has been interesting seeing so many dogs in strollers with elderly owners pushing them along. The demographics of this neighborhood range from little ones to seniors and is a nice mix of folks.
Wilson: Somehow I don’t see you being able to push me anywhere. We are both entertained with the vegetation, mostly dried grasses (the best sniffs) and downed logs along the creek which is very dry as we’ve experienced temps in the 60’s & 70’sF since after the day we moved in when there was 4 inches of white stuff on the ground making the move quite the challenge. We’ve been told the gravy train of unseasonably warm temps will run out this weekend and temps will be back in the normal range-30’s & 40’s with the possibility of some accompanying moisture. We can only hope. The sunrises have been spectacular and I can’t help but recite the old adage…”red skies in morning, sailor take warning-red skies at night, sailor’s delight.”
The Mum: The sunrises have been pretty spectacular. The above photo was taken the first morning we woke up in the new house and has been repeated numerous times during last week’s power outages amidst the hurricane force winds. Christmas was the most unusual we’ve ever experienced-it was 70F (21C).
Wilson: Well I know you’re constantly grossing about it being too dry but I’ve enjoyed these fair weather temps. You’ll get no complaints from me.
The Mum: You and a jillion others around the region but skiers and environmentalists continue to worry about the unseasonably warm weather.
Wilson: Well, I say we enjoy it while we can. January and February are coming up and they are the coldest, driest months. But there’s still lots to enjoy.
Flying geeseStill water
The Mum: Indeed, for a few days this week, I couldn’t help but wonder if the mallard couples may have blown away because we hadn’t seen any in the canal along on the trail this week.
Wilson: It has been mostly quiet on the trail, with only a few of the many Canadian Geese populating the nearby golf course.
The Mum: Here’s hoping everyone has a great last weekend of 2025 and a Happy Kawanzaa. We’re looking forward to ushering in a New Year next week. Which reminds me, guess I’d better get cracking on putting up shelves this weekend to better utilize the remaining time in this year and to pack up the Christmas decor now that we’ve enjoyed our first Christmas in the new house. Have a great weekend.
Wilson: And don’t forget to enjoy every single minute along your own trail.
We’re baaack! And hopefully for good after our return to Blogville following the big move was delayed by a few days last week when Xcel Energy decided to initiate ‘preventive power outages’ after high wind alerts were forecast which added a layer to getting settled after quite the moving day experience (I cannot recommend being up 24 hrs straight on moving day for anyone, much less someone my age-the first few days I was stupid exhausted). It finally feels good to sit at the keyboard in my own home wearing sandals without being surrounded by (a) too many boxes around or (b) having to drive to a nearby bakery to charge devices, filch a WiFi signal to catch up with the world and (c) nosh on scrumptious pastries and drink regular coffee. Notice, I mentioned sandals…we’ve experienced unbelievably warm temps and set a few records. Today we’re looking at reaching another record temp with low 70’s. In December!
I can’t begin to thank the family-owned bakery folks who welcomed me during the power outage and gave me a place to hang out using their WiFi while charging my devices. I told them they could claim me as a tax deduction for all the graciousness that the entire Meyer family provided me. Thanks to them, I wasn’t completely removed from the modern world (at least for a for a few hours a day) but will admit life without electricity is no bueno and definitely not for the faint of heart. I now have a deep and abiding appreciation for electricity that is typically taken for granted. If you’re ever in the Denver area, please go by and enjoy their kindness and tasty confections at Das Meyer Fine Pastry Chalet. Judging by Saturday’s non-stop crowd coming in all morning long to pick up their Christmas cakes and other treats, they are beloved by many in the metro area. Plus they have fresh eggs for $5 a dozen. I haven’t seen eggs that price since forever.
After trading our ‘Ranch’ in for a ‘barn’ (more about that soon), let’s get back to our regular routine and enjoy a smile or three, something we’ve desperately needed these past two weeks.
I couldn’t agree more with these next two smiles. Sadly, both come from personal experience.
Not an exaggeration
However you celebrate this holiday season, we wish this week fills your heart with loads of Christmas spirit and ushers you forward to a wonderful New Year.
Happy Thanksgiving week. Wilson is particularly chuffed that food will be at the center, along with gratitude. He thinks it’s a whole week of celebrating food for which he’s extremely thankful. While it’s Thanksgiving week, it’s still a Monday which means we want to share a smile, or in this case three smiles since we couldn’t decide on just one.
We can’t help but wonder if Noah was a factor in putting turkey on Thanksgiving tables but do know Thanksgiving typically ushers in the Christmas season in earnest. Mostly thought of as the low-to-no-stress holiday with food, family and football punctuating this holiday along with a good dose of gratitude. This year however, it’s going to be a bit different around the Ranch as we are preparing to move. It’s been stressful in ways I couldn’t have imagined but we’re taking it as best as we can and trying to keep meltdowns to a minimum. Now on to Monday’s smiles.
Celebrating Thanksgiving in the US is well known for watching a load of football with the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys teams always playing on Thanksgiving Day. This year the festivities begin at 1:00 PM Eastern time with the Lions playing the Green Bay Packers and the Cowboys playing the Kansas City Chiefs around 4:30 PM. Not content with over 6 hours of football, the NFL is offering a third game with the Cincinnati Bengals playing the Baltimore Ravens beginning around 8:30 PM. If you like football, Thursday will be your day. If you don’t make yourself a leftover turkey sandwich and go for a walk.
Needless to say, because this has been a crazy time even before we began to think about the upcoming holidays, the Ranch will be taking an extended break for the next month to move and settle into our new digs. We will not be online much but please know we’ll be with you in spirit. We want to say thank you for your support and friendship and look forward to seeing you again once we get settled. Wilson has already christened the new neighborhood and gave the trail a four paws rating. He has been enjoying multiple visits introducing his presence on the canine bulletin board where he’s already left several messages while enjoying an absolute olfactory feast.
We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hope to return soon. Until then, keep smiling and have a Happy Monday.
And if kids have been bugging you, here’s a strategy that might help. Stay warm and have a great Monday reflecting on the legacy of MLK.
It’s Friday and you know what that means…it’s time for another edition of Nature Friday where we join our friends from at 
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our friends from at 
Wilson: Wait, people dress their dogs up like that? Poor little guy. Kinda feel badly for him.
Well, we’ve gone and done it…managed to survive 2025 (presuming we can get through the next two days but we’re trying to be optimistic). It was a bit touch and go there for a while but look what doggedness will do for you.
Wilson: A real mess, right? And that was just the downstairs! It was worse upstairs. Well, I’m happy to report her doggedness has paid off, everything downstairs has now been put into its proper spot and you can actually walk about without stubbing a paw on a bin or box. Thank dog! The language I’ve heard over the past 3 weeks has been shocking and I’m not one to blush.
We’re baaack! And hopefully for good after our return to Blogville following the big move was delayed by a few days last week when Xcel Energy decided to initiate ‘preventive power outages’ after high wind alerts were forecast which added a layer to getting settled after quite the moving day experience (I cannot recommend being up 24 hrs straight on moving day for anyone, much less someone my age-the first few days I was stupid exhausted). It finally feels good to sit at the keyboard in my own home wearing sandals without being surrounded by (a) too many boxes around or (b) having to drive to a nearby bakery to charge devices, filch a WiFi signal to catch up with the world and (c) nosh on scrumptious pastries and drink regular coffee. Notice, I mentioned sandals…we’ve experienced unbelievably warm temps and set a few records. Today we’re looking at reaching another record temp with low 70’s. In December!
We can’t help but wonder if Noah was a factor in putting turkey on Thanksgiving tables but do know Thanksgiving typically ushers in the Christmas season in earnest. Mostly thought of as the low-to-no-stress holiday with food, family and football punctuating this holiday along with a good dose of gratitude. This year however, it’s going to be a bit different around the Ranch as we are preparing to move. It’s been stressful in ways I couldn’t have imagined but we’re taking it as best as we can and trying to keep meltdowns to a minimum. Now on to Monday’s smiles.
