Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday, where we join our New Mexico pals Rosy, Sunny and Jakey from LLB in Our Backyard. Be sure to check out their link to see what others around Blogville have shared.
This week in Nature is all about contrasts. With bitter cold and a significant snowfall headlining the first part of the week, it was nice when a number of subsequent days had temps reaching the mid-fifties. In Colorado that means people break out shorts and in some cases, sandals, despite wearing ski jackets above them. Go figure.
Walking the grand dogs during a short break while helping my son move earlier this week, we passed by the lake at his complex. Blue sky and blue water made for a very monochromatic landscape.
The fountains began to thaw and I couldn’t help but watch mesmerized as water flowed and sparkled in the icy pond while changing the ice flow around it. Despite the chilly look, the warm sun provided a lovely dose of Vitamin D.
And yet subtle signs from the next season greeted me during walks this week. As the snow began to recede, I couldn’t help but do a double take at some definitely non-winter signals this week. Early spring bulbs are beginning their annual wake up routine.
And then there was the magnolia tree the dogs and I walk past every day. I had to take a close up of the branches and realized just how warm it’s been (up until the most recent storm). It’s covered in buds and hopefully they’ll survive to actually bloom. How’s that for a February contrast?
Yesterday was another lovely day with most snow with any sun exposure melting. And just in time for today’s expected forecast of a quick moving cold front with anywhere from one to six inches of snow predicted to arrive later this afternoon. I may need to see a chiropractor for an adjustment for my whiplashed neck with all the changes Nature is dishing out.
With the Super Bowl kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m PT) on Sunday along with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart hosting Puppy Bowl XVIII debuting on Discovery+ and Animal Planet on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT (Snoop will be doing double duty, performing at the Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre and Eminem). Talk about a busy dude. For the record, we rooting for Team Fluff.
We hope your weekend is filled with loads of good fun but hope you manage to take time to sample some of Nature’s smorgasbord. You just never know what she might dish up. I heard the charcuterie could be quite tasty.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Your nature is far more in awakening mode than here in Michigan. We wait for the snowdrops, they really are the firsties around here.
It’s day to day around here. Shortly after taking that photo, we received a decent dump of snow. It’s been a few days and it’s been melting and those bulbs are none for the worse. Which is good news, there’s another story set to arrive Wednesday. 🙄
Great pictures from your walk, Monika and doggies, that second picture is very impurressive💖
🌹Pawkisses for a Happy 💗 Day to all of you🐾😽💞
Thank you, Binky!
Such beautiful photos today.
Here in Aberdeen just now, the only sort of monochrome we see is grey…
And how special to see the magnolia buds.
Toodle pip!
Bertie.
Grey’s not so bad, we love the various shades but understand it can be monotonous in the weather. Magnolias here lead a precarious life since frost often zaps those fabulous buds.
That’s a lovely picture of the lake by your son’s place (hope the move got over before the snow started). But the one of the ice breaking up is spectacular! Hang onto your neck, and enjoy the Puppy Bowl (and Super Bowl)!
Thank you! Yes, we managed to get him out of the old place and into the new one before the snow started. Now he’s buried in boxes but that’s a problem he’ll need to rectify on his own. He took a break yesterday to swing by to do laundry until he buys a washer/dryer for the new place which didn’t have one. 😉
Lulu: “Whoo! You saw a whale on your walk? How exciting!”
Charlee: “It’s not a whale, it’s a fou—”
Lulu: “THAR SHE BLOWS!!!”
🤣🤣🤣
What a lovely walk. It is nice that others have hints of spring. We are still well into winter.
Well if it makes you feel better, winter returned yesterday with a gift of 5″ of white stuff and cold temps.
Spring is on the way, but with winter hanging on. That also means the Rockies are around the corner because pitchers and catchers are due to report – oh wait – they have labor issues. I dare them to cancel the entire season.
Wouldn’t break my heart if they did. Yeah, spring is showing signs but winter is holding on. We received about 6″ of snow yesterday.
We’re getting the up/down treatment here…..one day in the 30s, next in the 50s, next in the 20s – you get the picture! Somewhere in there Spring will just pop one day and we won’t have to mention the “S” word until NEXT Winter. Weather is as confusing a subject as politics!
Hugs, Pam
Confusing is an understatement! Have a super weekend.
puppy bowl!!!! snoop dog is so funny too, and his relationship with martha is terrific
They do make quite the pair!
That really is a ton of contrasts going on there. But spring . . .it’s warming up in the bullpen.
It’s been so back and forth. Mid 50’s yesterday, probably 4” of snow today. 50 forecast for tomorrow.
Same here. 60s yesterday and this morning snow. It’s a pretty snow.
That could easily be the storm that blew through here. It really was pretty and provided me with some down time watching it accumulate and chill inside. P.S. you are sure up early today!!
Yeah I was up early. I enjoyed the snow, and it was no problem cleaning up.
Great shot of those fuzzy buds….spring is coming!
Eventually. We received 6″ of snow yesterday. 😉 Colorado seasons are pretty fickle.
It is that. You’ll get that massive spring snow in April, probably.
No doubt!
Pretty pics! It’s been summer here all week – temps in the mid-to-high 80s if you can believe. Had to break out the cargo shorts. Supposed to be the hottest Super Bowl on record. Then come Monday, winter returns.
Winter arrived again today. I heard San Diego was 86 yesterday. 😳
Good that your weather has been improving.
Winter returned today. It’s currently snowing. 🥶
58 degrees here today after some bitter cold earlier and a few spring things are peering up from the soil checking things out here too. So nice to see tiny bits of green.
It helps to see bits of spring, especially when snow and winter return like it’s currently doing. 🙃
We have a beautiful day here in Arizona. Arizona sort of borders Colorado at the four corners. You can take a step and go from one to the other or better yet, be in four states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah) at the same time.
The Four Corners area is a fun place to be in 4 states at the same time using one’s feet and hands like a crab.
Mother Nature is most wonderful. What great shots.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. Scritches to the pups, a smooch to Norman and a big hug to you. ♥
What beeuteefull fotoss Miss Monika!
Spring iss 2-3 monthss away where wee are…iss snowin again today an wee snuggell innside warm an cozy!
Pleese give mee meowss an reegardss to Elsa an Sweet Norman <3
~~head rubss~~BellaDharma~~ an <3 BellaSita Mum
Many thanks, dear kitty. Elsa and Norman say thanks as well. Hope you have a ‘pawsome’ weekend.
Pawss crossed here Miss Monika.
**kissess** to sweet Norman an Elsa two!!!
Great walk, Monika. Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for accompanying me. Hope your weekend is full of lovely with a good portion of nature on top.
😁
Wow, lucky you, seeing some green things (even if they are soon to be buried in white again!). We still have way too much white stuff yet, but are finally at least getting some warmer temps for a few days (to be followed by 2-3 days of frigid temps once again). So whiplash here too! Mother Nature does like to keep us guessing but at least we can see the promise of spring coming…. 🙂
Bulbs are so hardy (they have to be here-we’re likely to have snow into May!) Sounds like Mother Nature needs some HRT.
Stunning photographs….good luck to that magnolia! How many years will it take your son to open the last box after the move, do you think?
Hahaha…hopefully not too long-it’s a smallish place which should be enough incentive to hustle the process up. Happy weekend, Helen.
The photos are stunning especially the blue one. We don’t have buds yet but the snow is melting!
Thank you, that monochromatic view was stunning even if the landscape wasn’t particularly noteworthy. Have a great weekend.
all the best for the moving. and we are with you the water and the fountain in the icy pond is something magic :o)
Move is done, now comes the fun part where I won’t be helping. Settling in amongst the jillion boxes. LOL
To me, that is just crazy! Fountains not turned off in winter? Here, fuggedaboutit! Those babies won’t be turned on until May!
Buds? Spring greenery? What sorcery is this?
We are, finally, having some warmer weather – till Sunday when it dips once again – and there is way in hell we are close to seeing any grass…
Happy Friday!
Moving water tends to keep moving most of the time in cold weather. But you’re right, it does seem strange not to disconnect since the water around tends to freeze. It was a week of weird, that’s for sure!
I think we get a deeper freeze here and all would bust, if they didn’t.
Boy, was it ever!
Maybe altitude (being closer to the sun) makes a difference?
Mayhaps!