Good “Fri-yay” morning, peeps! Sam here doing this week’s post where we check out nature around our Ranch ‘hood. Is this January or March? The weather has been unseasonably warm (we even reached the 60’sF a few days) but we’re not complaining. While the mornings are crisp and there are still mounds of snow and ice on north facing shady areas, it’s been practically balmy I tell you with lots of blue skies and bright sunshine. As always we’re joining our Pacific Northwest furiends, Rosy and her brothers from LLB in our Backyard for this week’s Nature Friday blog hop.
What areas don’t have clumps of snow, there’s lots of brown showing. On our walk yesterday we came across something we haven’t seen for months. A tiny little green plant growing out of a stone wall. It was super exciting. Mom had to stop and take 87 photos of the little guy who I named Bobby. That way when we walk by there later today, I can bark hello to Bobby as I’m trying to pee on him. I’m sure he’ll be happy to spread along neighborhood news with other doggos. Mom thinks Bobby is some kind of borage. We see it around a lot. Bobby’s a pretty cute little guy, don’t you think? Can’t help wonder how he got between those stone blocks.
Shortly after I ‘introduced’ myself to Bobby, mom came across another green sign with some small cacti. Mom walked by and I could see the cogs turning. She turned us around and walked back to stand in front of it for a few moments trying to figure out what it was. Mom had downloaded a free phone app earlier this month called PlantSnap to help her identify plants whose name she doesn’t know. Boy or boy…ain’t technology grand?! So after a quick snap, POOF! the app tells her it’s none other than ‘Henbit Deadnettle’ (Lamium Amplexicaule).
I’m calling this deadnettle ‘Paula’ and hope she doesn’t grow too close to those prickly things. I tried to sniff them to see what they were and they. are. not. friendly cactus. Luckily mom managed to wrest me away before I got a good snout-ful sniff and said they didn’t need any watering from me even though things are really dry around the hood.
We’re going to enjoy this comfortable weather while wondering how long it will take for the glacier on the north side of our yard to melt. Do you have any ‘cool’ plans for the weekend? Whatever you do, we hope you have the opportunity to enjoy something that’s totally ‘wagnificent’ outside in nature.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Wagnificent Sam!
Say hello to Bobby for me😉🐾💜🐾
I did on this morning’s walk and Bobby says hi back! 😍
Thank you. My furiend🐾💜🐾
That is a cool app. I thought those were chestnut burs, not cactus- either hurts too touch. Thank you for the kind words you left on my blog for the loss of Prancie. XO
As I walk about, it’s kinda cool figuring out the names of plants.
It’s always hard losing any pet, but the extra beloved ones even harder. Thinking of you.
Thanks for head up on that PlantSnap app. I just installed it.
Good luck with it. I find it’s more accurate when you crop the image so it has nothing else to mislead it.
Thanks again, will try that. I’m terrible both with plants and identifying them.
I don’t think that is a borage. It looks fascinating to us
I dug deeper and you guys are absolutely right! From what I found, it is probably ground ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin [Glechoma hederacea]. Thanks for getting me to look into this very common sprout around our neighborhood. I may need to double check the plant app’s authenticity or at least give it a better image to search its database. Well done!
What wonderful pops of green you found Sam! We sure hope they survive until Spring gets there for good!
xoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
They should be protected well enough. Unless snowmageddon strikes. 😆
Enjoy your nice weather (if it hasn’t changed already lol)…we are having a MONSOON today and it is all supposed to turn into ice later. No worries, we are staying in! Did you know they say “Fri-Yay” on QVC? I know because I am a QVC addict lol
We are really loving non-snow nature.
It’s a nice way to break up the winter white look.
Everything is frozen and dead here. Thank you for sharing your bursts of green.
Our pleasure. It’s always these little green things that brighten life during winter and give us hope.
Sam,
I must commend you for your patience with Mom as she snaps these wonderful captures. You always go above and beyond.
It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it.
Keep on keeping on! 🙂
Wow, actual plants! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I love the deadnettle. I have plantsnap on my phone but I’ve never used it. I think that I should.
Yesterday was warm and nice…. but whew, today was cold! It’s a long road to springtime!
It was windy in town today which always makes it seem chilly. The weekend should be better.
Ah yes, water the plants, spread the love..And whilst I mostly agree Benji has not convinced me that every three feet is really necessary. It was a bit moist around here anyway with a little bit of “rain” – well sort of rain, but certainly not heavy – light – sort of like a very wet mist. But still, thankful and grateful for any moisture. Have a great day, Sam.
Heard next week should be better weather wise. Hopefully it’ll help firefighters get a better handle on the fires.
Mew mew mew Sam this was a ‘dog-gone’ guud bloggie!! Wee too have March wether…it was 45 F here which iss not rite fore Jannyary here! It shuud bee 23 F. Iss furry weerd!! LadyMew has bin doin sum ree-search an shee concluded that THE Australian wildyfiress are messin upss THE at-moss-feer… shee red mee an art-tickell ’bout South america an how they have snow meltin on mountain topss an redd fire skiess at nite liek Ausralia…freeky rite????
As for Bobby hee iss a neet lookin plant snug inn THE wall. Paula iss a bit scarey so maybee iss best to bee frendss from a diss-tance!
***purrsss*** BellaDharma
Paula just popped up near those cacti. She’s actually the docile one-we’ve had some in our garden and I ‘water’ them as often as mom will let me. 😊
Yore THE best Sam fore waterin THE plantss!! 😉
It’s so dry here, I like to contribute to the cause. 😉
Yore so thottfull Sam 😉
Mom thinks so. Mostly. Ok, sometimes. 🤣
You ARE thottfull Sam!!! For reel 😉
Cacti and balmy weather are like hand and glove. Are the ski areas getting snow?
It’s been a fairly good season thus far-just not as much in the metro area (though I note different parts of town have had more than my part of town).
I love that you got to meet some new green friends there Sam. We’ve had some pretty balmy weather here also…it may even get into the 70’s tomorrow. It was in the 50’s today and my Tippy loved it. She was running around like a puppy. No real special plans for the weekend. I’ll probably go for a run and spend some quality time with Tippy.
Have a great time with Tippy and please give her ear rubs from my mom. 😍
Nothing green around here, only white, but we’re expecting some balmy weather this weekend too. We have our doubts though, so we’ll see if it actually materializes or not! If it does, we would want to get outside, but I think the warmth is bringing rain with it. We just can’t win sometimes!
Whatever you get, we’ll keep our fingers crossed it allows you to get outside.
No green stuff but no snow either. Maybe this weekend when we hit close of 70. Very unusual weather for us.
Whoa, 70 would be considered pawfect in our books.
🐬🐬…another fun week from the ranch … thanks! 🐬🐬
Green stuff! Wow, how lucky are you?
It is ridiculously mild today and I fear we will pay for it. They are calling for a wicked ice storm this weekend so I have to make sure the boys bring in lots of wood…Just in case.
It’s been such weird weather for January. Hope yours is pawsome.
They are calling for another ice storm starting this weekend so let us hope they are wrong.
I heard that forecast. Snow is one thing but ice storms are a whole ‘nuther ball of wax. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
AND, that’s not enough… high winds so they are expecting lots of tree damage 🙁
Ugh. Stay safe, my friend.
Got the boys to bring in wood just in case… and I have a gas stove so, I ain’t even gonna stress…
Perfect. Stay safe AND warm.
Will do! I have nowhere to go and no one to see…
A cozy weekend inside just chillaxin’ isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I can think of worse things…
Want a saguaro?
Close call on those cactus! Don’t go sniffing those!
That’s what mom said before she totally freaked out.
🐾🐾🐾
very cool to hear the app worked, I often think about downloading something like that.
It’s a quick and easy way to find out what a plant is which makes my mom happy. 😊
Sam, you saw plants growing in January! It is nice you give names and are watering your new friends. Enjoy your “spring” as long as you have it.
Hugs and kisses to your soft ears.
Kosmo and mom
Mom assures me we’ll get some snow sooner or later. March and April are the snowiest months.
True, and same here, our snowiest month is March. Our climate here and there are near each others, even though we are on the same latitudes with Alaska.
Last year we received more snow in late April and early May than March. The weather any more is so strange and bizarre. Who knows what will happen this year?
The storm is rising just now here with wet snow, the temperature is rising also, so it is soon raining. It is winding so hard we might loose our electritity this evening. I wonder also this weather this winter.
We love that you name things, We are going to enjoy another weekend of football which will soon be over. sob.
It’ll be a fan’s dream weekend.
No specific plans yet other than church on Sunday morning. If it doesn’t rain later, we’ll take Ducky for a walk at the park. We took her yesterday for about half an hour and she “crashed” for about an hour later in the afternoon. Enjoy your Spring-like days!!
A well exercised dog is a happy dog. Good luck with the weather cooperating with any outing.
It was like spring here for two days too, that is just wonderful when winter takes a break…
Especially in January! Have a great weekend.
Yesterday, Zoe, Tegan and I notices some green stuff beginning to poke up, too! Always encouraging 🙂
It’s seems so early this year. Usually in February we see green stuff, but never during Stock Show!
Thank you for introducing us to your green little friends, Sam. Spring is coming…but not before a few more snowstorms I’m sure!
We hope so. We’ll need it to fill local reservoirs.
well not far from you, in our area it snowed last night so we have another layer on the two week old snow and ice still here. Micro climates I guess. Nothing green here, so close to you. Sam looks just gorgeous.
We got a smidge of frost but that’s all. How strange it’s so different at each of our homes.