Nature Friday ~ April 12, 2019

We managed to make it to another Friday so that means we can share what cruelties ‘dear’ Mother Nature offered this week as we join our blog friends, Rosy and her brothers from LLB in Our Backyard in this week’s edition of Nature Friday. On Wednesday morning, we came upon this lovely. Mind you, a blizzard was forecast for later in the day so I especially wanted to capture these pretties in case the weatherman was accurate and they’d be buried. It was misting lightly and chilly that morning. Especially chilly considering it had been 80 F just the day before. I haven’t seen any tulips this pretty and unusual and probably wouldn’t have given them a second look if it weren’t for that gorgeous foliage. So striking, wouldn’t you agree?

Well the blizzard came and went, the dogs and I huddled together and watched as wind blew and four inches of the white stuff fell. The wind caused all sorts of problems for travelers, the governor put the National Guard on notice, the airport pretty much closed and streets and walkways got icy But we managed much better than with the bomb cyclone a couple of weeks ago….meaning no power outage.

Mother Nature frequently gives new meaning to “Springtime in the Rockies” but seasoned residents know things around here can change in a heartbeat. I was curious to see how those tulips fared so yesterday afternoon we went out to see the damage. Tulips, while pretty as a postcard, tend to flop when they get wet and unlike the hardy daffodils who often bounce back with nary a droop, tulips often tend to stay bent in submission.

Imagine my surprise when I saw them in not too bad of shape. Granted they are a bit protected against a retaining wall, but with their long stems I expected them to be pretty much bedraggled.

Even my hyacinths didn’t seem too worse for the wear. Looks like we dodged a bit of a bullet. The wet snow was mostly melted by the early evening and everything seemed transformed into a verdant landscape which is why I, for one, love spring storms. Their moisture is essential to keeping things alive and thriving in the Mile High climate as well as topping off reservoirs that will be tapped all summer long.

Everything just takes on a new vibrant look after a spring storm. Even a few early blooming trees began to celebrate the white manna from heaven and the lupines are showing how hardy they are. Take that Mother Nature-you can’t hold us down, they seem to shout!

Along with all the pretty stuff greening up, so too have those rotten weeds. Sigh.

Things will be cool for the next few days but should be right back in the 60’s and 70’s by next week…just in time for another round of ‘Springtime in the Rockies.’

So our advice for this weekend, get out there and enjoy what Mother Nature offers, if you don’t like that particularly flavor, wait a few hours, no doubt she’ll offer something more in line with what you will find tasty.

My laptop is feeling a bit puny still and went back to computer ICU yesterday {sniff, sniff} so this was crafted on an iPad, with apologies for not being able to figure out how to add the appropriate links, etc. in the WordPress app (like where in the heck is the dang spell check button?!) oh well, at least I didn’t have to try to post on a phone keyboard-I have no idea how people can do that effectively. Guess it just takes time to get used to what device you utilize. Funny how dependent we are on our devices and how those very machines take every opportunity to show us who’s really in control. At any rate we hope your Friday is wonderful but your weekend even better.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

58 thoughts on “Nature Friday ~ April 12, 2019

  1. It seems both machines and Mother Nature like to show us who is in control! I can barely function without my laptop. I do a bit on my tablet or phone but find it SO frustrating!

    1. I’d rather set my hair on fire than use my phone for blogging. 🔥🔥🔥

  2. Yore flowers are so strong an hardee Miss Monika!!! Our snow drops nevurr bloomed an have furinallee keeled over….Yesterday (Sunday) wee has snow, wet snow, rain, hail, snow, wet snow, more snow an hard rain….
    Iss too cold to go out inn Condo an mee has cabin feevur!
    ***purrsss*** BellaDharma
    Pee S: Give mee ree-gardss to Knucklehead an Ninja ummm Sam an Elsa, mew mew mew…

    1. Bulbs are pretty resilient and seem to take our Rocky Mountain spring season in good fashion.

  3. We are finally having a warm dry weekend –California drought is definitely over.

    Your tulips are stunning. I always wish I’d planted bulbs this time of year.

  4. It’s furreezing here too and we had snow and hail today, and now the Sun is out…in the middle of the night…well…as a matter of speaking, but our tulips still haven’t sprung…I wonder if they ever will…MOL😸We only can do a post on the laptop, everything else is impossible, to small for my paws and Granny’s too. Your tuplips still look great in the snow <3 Pawkisses for a Happy Caturday🐾😽💞

    1. Gah…hail?! Oh no! I admire those who can work on smaller devices, I’m just not one of them. Luckily the computer hospital called me yesterday and I brought home the ailing patient who now seems much better. 👍🏻

  5. My sad tulips (What’s left of them) are in their 11th year of blooming from having been planted by the previous owner. They don’t look anywhere near as nice as the ones you photographed… I’ve never seen leaves (fronds?) on tulips so striking before.

  6. Well, it is forecast for a pleasant week ahead – but not a drop of rain in sight. The water from the Queensland floods pouring into Lake Eyre will come nowhere near us. The Scottish mountains – although not as high as your Rockies – sound similar in that there is nothing between the Scottish mountains and the Arctic Circle and the weather can change very quickly. Whiteouts are not uncommon. Anyway, the flowers are lovely and I’m glad they survived to brighten the days ahead.

    1. Well she’s gonna keep up with the springtime antics next week but as long as it isn’t windy, I’m good with it. Have a great weekend. 😍

    1. Weather at a mile high can be quite finicky. And extreme! Have a super weekend.

    1. 😮 Snow is so much more preferable than hail. I shudder thinking about the upcoming hail season.

    1. Oh, I knew that and actually don’t mind spring storms. They come with a vengeance and leave quickly. We’re supposed to round 2 beginning later today. And it’s pretty great for the garden, mostly. 😊

    1. Thanks! Around here we live and die on how much snow falls. Here’s hoping you have a terrific weekend as well.

  7. Lovely pictures. Lucky you, that the blizzard didn’t dump 10 inches on you. That was what we had heard/seen here in the forecast for Denver.

    1. Lucky indeed. I think some parts of town got more than us but we may experience more later today. 🤞🏼

        1. Ha! Too old to jeopardize my body for skiing ⛷ There are better ways to stay fit!

  8. That is great foliage and just love the pretty purple against the snow!
    Thanks for sharing the pics even when your laptop is in the ICU. Hope it recovers soon! You are right, we do become attached to them quickly! I have posted a few times with my phone which I never thought I would be able to do, but I still much prefer the computer! Happy weekend to all of you!

    1. Whoa…you’re a champ in my books if you’ve posted from your phone. I’d probably end up throwing it across the room. In my old age, It seems I have a low tolerance for aggravation and frustration. 😆 Have a super weekend!

  9. Tip-toeing through the tulips is a pretty cool way to start your weekend, which gets capped with GOT on Sunday night!

    And no to devices, some day. Imma leave ’em behind.

    I almost did this morning when I forgot my password and had to re-set for my phone. I was thinking . . no more phone. I won’t have a phone. And then I thought how ridiculous that was. And then I thought how ridiculous it was that the very idea of not having a phone is ridiculous. And so yanno . . there’s that. 🙂

    Happy Friday!

    1. See, the machines are lying in wait to hassle us! At a minimum, irritate the stuffing out of us. Yes, this weekend will be nicely capped off by a new GoT, Veep and John Oliver. View wise, it doesn’t get much better. Hope yours is, in the words of Billy Crystal, mahvelous!

      1. Man, did the machines get the best of me yesterday. But I had the last laugh . . . I think. 😉

        I’ve never seen Veep. Yanno . . I predicted Julia would have the best post Seinfeld career of the bunch. I mean, they all got retirement rich, but I just saw her as translating into other vehicles easier than the rest. I didn’t see Jason Alexander or Michael Richards being believable enough as characters other than George and Kramer.

        Thank ya, Monika. I ‘precciate it! 🙂

        1. She’s a very talented actor, far superior than those other two who, like you said were singularly one dimensional. Glad you got the last laugh with your ‘machine.’ Mine is still winning but hopefully I can pull off a miracle like the Avalanche and win one. 😄 Happy weekend.

            1. Whereas those other two morons have neither in any discernible fashion. Uh-oh…was that my out loud voice? Oops.

  10. Ya done exceptionally well with the iPad – I have written one post on it. Blech. Non merci unless I truly have no choice.

    As for those tulips. Wow. Take that Mama Nature! A li’l snow ain’t gonna get us down. Well not that far down, anyway 😉

    Our six inches that came outta nowhere is pretty much gone as well. Just a patch here and there left (benefits of living on the sunny side of the street). Not a crocus nor a tulip tip to be seen yet, though. Sigh.

    Lovely. Thanks for the share!

    1. Our distinct pleasure. Yeah blogging on the iPad app is not for the faint of heart! Happy weekend, my friend. I promise spring will arrive in your neck of the woods. Sooner or later 🙃

    1. Grey is the worst when all you want is sunshine. Hope it clears up soon and you’re able to spend some time outside with Ducky. 😍

  11. such beautiful pictures. You have a lot growing! I should come over and take in the beauty since nothing has sprouted in this ‘hood yet. Those look like parrot tulips… very exotic. You could always cut them and bring inside to a vase… there’s more snow forecasted for our area today.

    1. It’s not all mine though there does seem to be a flurry of gardening action going on. Even the peonies are starting to break through the soil. Here’s hoping you don’t get too much of the white stuff though I’m guessing Milo enjoys it.

  12. mother nature played some tricks here too… but she fortunately ran out of snow… I also wonder that people can do a post and much more things just with their phones… I’m probably too old LOL

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