Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our New Mexico hosts, Rosy, Sunny and Jakey from LLB in Our Backyard on their blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
Hard to believe little February’s last Friday of the month is here. Where has this month gone? The cold and snow repeatedly shared over this month seems much like a listening to a record with a deep scratch, repeating the chorus over and over in the short month. But time marches forward so we continue wait for Spring’s pending arrival.
Don’t know if you guys are as tired or snow scenes as I am, but I’ve grown weary of them. Don’t misunderstand, I’m happy about the moisture, especially since February is one of the driest months of the year here, but I need a change of ‘mise en scène.’ So for today’s post, let’s check out some critters from around the ‘Hood.
I’ve noticed traffic has picked up after a bit of melting with the congestion remaining front and center.
From a recent walk during a lull in the white stuff, a friendly nose greeted me. This big girl always comes charging toward the fence but then seems to realize, “Oh yeah, you’re that lady with the magic pocket of treats” who then turns into a tail-wagging ‘pussy cat.’
No matter what the weather is like, Sloan’s Lake Canadian Geese never seem to mind. While somewhat threatening when the dogs are close, when I’m alone I can get closer to watch their slow paddling about in the water. It’s calming on the mind and allows me time to take in other slices of nature that I might normally miss just walking around the lake when I’m more focused on keeping the dogs in line. Reminder to self: walk this park more often, it’s good for your spirit.
The cabin fever that’s rather consumed the Ranch Hand brains has also tugged on my psyche, so with a friend from the Old English Sheepdog Rescue of Colorado, we took a cheese-making class at a nearby urban farm. The owner used to be a neighbor who moved 5 miles away to the farm which is located on a conservation easement in Wheat Ridge. She has a thriving egg business along with a small herd of La Mancha goats and offers cheese-making classes once a month. Previously she raised Nubian goats but switched to the La Manchas whose milk produces a less ‘goaty’ taste to the milk, are hardy but prolific milk producers with high butterfat content in their milk. Amanda’s goats are docile and will follow you around much like a pet dog. Not only did we all have a great visit away from all the recent, intense work of the rescue, we were also able to make a nice mozzarella, as well go home with a bonus of some ricotta made from the leftover whey. It was soooo tasty on a slice of breakfast toast this morning.
The resident pooch is a real favorite, greeting all visitors. After a good ear and belly rub, sweet “Ava Perón” a friendly Bull Terrier, spent time enjoying a nice sun puddle while we swooned over the relatively simple cheese-making process.
Well, that’s it for a slightly different look at nature around the Ranch. We hope it inspires you to seek something similar this weekend. Whatever you do, we hope the last weekend in February is extra ‘pawsome!’
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Really love the picture of the birds in the line. We are over winter!
It has seemed to linger well beyond its welcome.
Thanks. That bird image is far too representative of traffic jams on city streets.
Mee-yow wow what a grate week youss’ had Miss Monika an Elsa an Sweet Norman!!
Iss so funny how Bernard Poochie iss all barky an then sniffss treetss an beehavess!! ROFM!
An goin to THE Goat Farm lookss like it was alot of fun! An you nade CHEEZE?!?!? Mee LOVESS cheeze!!!
Wee hope youss’ have a lovelee weekend!
~~head rubss~~ an **nose bopss** BellaDharma~~ an ((hugss)) BellaSita Mum
Pee S: Ava Peron iss adoorabell 😉
She is a real sweetie. You can’t see her face but she looks like the bull terrier for Target stores.
The cheese we made was unbelievably good. It’s warming up finally so we were finally able to get in a decent walk this morning. Hurrah!
HURRAH fore havin a guud walk!! It iss freezin here an more snow!!!! All mee can meow isss “BBBBRRRR!!!”
Sorry you’re receiving more snow and cold. We’ll have a warm up for most of the first week of March. Next season will be “mud” before spring finally emerges (with probably a few steps back into winter).
Wee nit sure when snow will let up….it can bee fickle up here!!!
Wee sorta get MUD seeson two!!! An then Spring….. an then it goes haywire *HOT* far too soon!!! *sughss*
Ohhhhh a cheese-making class…..very cool! What a great thing to do.
Hugs, Pam
Great fun and a terrific diversion to the winter weather. Have a great weekend!
A bird convention and I didn’t know about it??
Maybe they thought it was too cold for you to make the trip.
What a great idea to get away on that cheese making course. Sometimes you just need to down tools and do something unexpected.
Unexpected, fun and tasty. Checks the boxes for me! Have a swell weekend.
Hubby and I just came in from our afternoon walk and it’s nice outside. Chilly, but the sun is shining.
Now I want some of that cheese. Yummy. I love going on walks with you and the pups.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. Scritches to the pups, a smooch to Norman and a big hug to you. ♥
The cheese was unbelievably yummy! And thanks for accompanying us on our walks. We love the company. Have a wonderful weekend.
Loved the tour Monika. And I think February went by so quickly because it was buried under all that snow.
Here’s to sunnier days filled with Zen
You may be right about that! Here’s hoping March will be better.
I was about to say it can’t be wors . . . never mind. LOL
Hope springs eternal, right?
We’re going with that! LOL
Now that looks like a fun way to cope with the winter blues, a cute dog, goats and cheese making!
Sure beats shoveling walks (again).
Yummy… I love goat feta, so delicious!
And the ricotta was extra creamy and tasty, too. 😋
Lucy: *gasp* You actually went for a walk without Norman *swoon* and Elsa?
Xena: I wish Mommy would get some goats and learn to make cheese!! Mmmm.
You guys would love the cheese it makes. Maybe she can find a goat’s milk source and bypass goat ownership.
Sweet Lucy. Just so you know I took an extra walk that day. The dogs never get shorted. 😉
Oh, what a relief to know! XOX Lucy
What a wonderful activity to partake in! Yeah, the tail end of winter can’t come soon enough. It has been snowing since I left for work this morning and has not stopped for a second.
Oh dear, my sympathies on more snow. I hope things warm up soon for you. Enjoy a cozy weekend.
Thanks… not much accumulation and light as a feather but serious drifts and the freezing rain we got the other day has caused a very slippery base underneath. Almost broke my neck trying to get to my car!
I will most definitely do that 🙂
Glad to hear not a lot accumulated but not the part about the slippery base underneath. Eeek. Be careful and safe. 🥰
Oh man.. The ice is a good six inches or more thick. No way in hell I can do a thing about it but wait. I might spread some ashes towards the back of the house but don’t want to be trekking that in.
My sincere sympathies. Ice is a whole other beast. I’ve used cat litter on occasion but hate it when it gets tracked inside. At least it’s easily swept up. Good luck.
The sun is positively blinding today… so you know what that means? Effing cold… I may or may not attempt to go out there…
Clear blue skies here too, but at least it’s supposed to reach above freezing. Stay safe and warm.
Lovely! I shall 🙂
🥰
Your friend has the life I always fantasized about — goats, dogs, cheese-making. Alas, I was always to practical to indulge my dreams.
Stay positive! Spring is coming!
I hope so, this shivering thing in lieu of exercise is overrated.
Hope the home pack got a taste of the cheese too! My cats don’t like it but I hear dogs are a fan.
Not one complaint from the peanut gallery. 😉
that woofie wanting treats was too cute!!
She sure does. Every time!
Cheese making…how fun! Cute goat and dog pics as well. The close-up of the snoot reminds me of a pair we used to encounter on neighborhood walks in Arvada. One used to drop his ball through the fence for us to toss, the other just wanted pets on his grey muzzle!
It really was fun (and tasty). Gotta love the shameless lobbying by some dogs. 😁 Have a super weekend.
Same to you!
Glad you got out to do some fun stuff in the dreary days of winter. Does the soul good. And I loved all the critter photos!
It sure does and focusing on critters makes the seemingly endless days of snow and cold less prominent. Have a great weekend.
homemade cheese? wowie, visiting with goats and cute Ava and seeing that nose… all so good to see. I don’t mind snow at all knowing we need that bit of moisture. I prefer cold to the vile heat of this area so I vote to stay cool… as if…
I don’t mind the snow either and cold is just a part of winter, but the subzero cold…well that part I can certainly ‘enjoy’ less of it. Happy Friday.