Welcome to the first Friday of July…my goodness…how is it possible 2022 is halfway over? One minute we were taking down holiday decorations and now we’re hoping to safely get through another holiday-July 4th. {Head shaking} Hi, it’s Elsa, your intrepid award-winning correspondent ready to share a fresh batch of nature scenes from our recent walkabouts. As always we’re joining our pals, Rosy, Sunny and Jakey from LLB in Our Backyard for their weekly Nature Friday blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see other posts including scenes of nature from around Blogville.
You may have heard there was a bit of a ‘celestial happening’ recently with mom’s favorite team winning the most prestigious sports award, the Stanley Cup. It’s been a week of celebration culminating with a ‘few’ people gathering for a parade and rally yesterday. The local paper estimated some 500,000 people attended and while there was LOTS and I do mean LOTS of alcohol, everyone was well behaved and enjoyed the team’s first Cup win in 21 years. The skies were moody, but not even thunder, lightning, or a little rain shower, could not dampen spirits of the Colorado Avalanche faithful.
Anyway, let’s get to checking out some nature scenes of another type from around the Ranch, shall we? Mom found some rather unusual blooms on our daily walks. Take this Mediterranean Sea Holly (Eryngium bourgatii) plant. It likes sunny and dry well-drained soil. The flowers feel like balsa wood and it’s drought and rabbit resistant. Sure hope she doesn’t plant any in my yard since I’m all about wanting to attract bunnies. Besides, anything to keep the stupid squirrels away is fine with me. Isn’t that blue color unusual?
We also discovered some unusual Calla lilies. A striking hot pink one and a black one. I was ready to keep on walking but Mom had to examine them for several minutes. “Come on, Mom…” Ugh, parents!
One of mom’s friends has this Clematis next to her front door and she took this pic because it was so gorgeous. I can tell you her Clematis is not at all this pretty-I keep telling her to stop being so stingy with the H2O but she mumbles something about when I start paying the water bill, so I put my paws in my ears. Funny how that gets her to pipe down. But what a welcoming sight for her friend’s visitors.
Here’s another lily we pass by every day. Norman and I are mostly unphased by it but probably because we’re too busy hoping to see ‘Fred,’ the Akita who lives there. Fred always likes it when we walk by because it allows me to bark like as maniac at him. I like to think it’s little our joint effort to get mom to cough up treats in her pockets to calm us down. She’s so gullible but it seems to work every time.
We usually don’t see red lilies like that so it’s nice to see such bright color. This lily marks the halfway mark on our walk, which seems to appease Norman. I could go a lot farther than that lummox but whatever cranks your handle, right? Mom says after a hot week and Norman’s visits to the hospital he deserves a relaxed, easy going walk. I’ll get even with him, I’ve already hidden all his favorite toys in the studio and plan to block the doorway so he won’t try to come in and play with them. I’m like that, yeah I am. {snicker}
The sunflowers are starting to bloom now and they’re fun to see all the different kinds and colors. Sunflowers are a natural squirrel attractor so naturally, I’m all over them. Doggone varmints-they can’t just be content with stealing my strawberries, they have to harvest the sunflower seeds as well. Let me tell you, I’m keeping my eyes open for them. Nobody steals my strawberries without me having something to say about it even if the sunflowers looks like a bullseye.
I guess I’d be a poor correspondent if I didn’t mention the July 4th holiday weekend. We’re not fans of fireworks so we’ll just be holed up away from the noisemakers. Please be considerate of us pets who are afraid of fireworks, as well as some peeps who are equally traumatized.
Until next time when I share moments of nature with brother Norman, stay safe and as cool as possible in this dog-awful heat but make sure you get out and experience some of nature’s beauty early in the day. Only 82 days until autumn arrives. {wink, wink}
Live, love, bark! 🐾
An excellent report – but then it’s what I would expect from an Award Winning Correspondent. The photographs of the flowers were lovely particularly the Sea Holly.. I don’t have so many flowers around here at the moment and the Ada Ryan Garden is so very quiet right now.. Watched the Colorado Avalanche get the cup – very interesting…
Thank you, kind sir. I keep telling mom I’m award winning but she says she’s not 100% sure. Editors are always such critics. By witnessing the Stanley Cup finals, you watched North America’s oldest professional sports trophy. Pretty cool, eh?
What a wonderful rainbow!!!
I can’t believe the size of that crowd. Watch for rising COVID rates in whatever area they are from!
That thought crossed my mind but hope for the best. Have a safe holiday.
Mee yow wow Elsa what a furabuluss Furiday reeport!!!
BellaSita ahs wundered fore yeerss what THE flowerss inn 1st foto are!?!? So they are a Sea holly…shee thott they were thissellss, mew mew mew…
THE Calla Lilliess are amazin! An THE RED lily iss marveeluss…nevurr seen one that color beefore!
An look as ‘sunny’ Sunflower…they are so cheerefull….
All inn all a lovelee walkie.
THE foto with all peepss cellybratin iss sorta overwhelmin! BellaSita said shee wuud bee two scaredy-cat to go inn such a big crowd now…..
Firewerkss were not bad this yeer….mee stayed out in Livinroom with BellaSita an doorss clsoed an all guud!
Wee wishess youss’ a HAPPY 4th of July Elsa an Sweet Norman an Miss Monika <3 <3 <3
***purrss*** BellaDharma an ((huggiess)) BellaSita Mum
Your LadyMum and I were on the same wavelength-I thought they were a kind of exotic thistle too!
Yeah it was a pretty IG batch of celebrants for sure. But they were well behaved so all’s good. Have a great weekend.
What gorgeous flowers…….and that crowd shot – yikes! Haven’t seen a crowd like that in a long time but then we’re in a very small town. LOL A crowd is like TEN people here. We’re hoping for a QUIET 4th but since this is the first time in a couple of years people are getting together for the 4th I think it will be NOISY. There’s a chance for rain so – well – who knows?! Hope you have a peaceful 4th.
Hugs, Pam
Thank you. Yes, it was quite the crowd. Originally they expected 200,000 but blew that figure way out of the water. Hopefully they got all the partying out of their system so the 4th may be quiet. 😉 A spot of rain wouldn’t hurt either but we’ll be in the 90’s for the foreseeable future. Sigh
We don’t mean to sound unpatriotic, but every year, yahoos all around us think they are cool because they can shoot off fireworks from 2pm to 2am … in the COURTYARD … between the buildings. I’d be bitter even if the cats weren’t freaked out! How do Elsa and Norman handle fireworks?
They hate ‘em, they can trigger seizures in Elsa. Sounds like your yahoos have cousins here. I had a pretty ugly confrontation with some neighbors in the alley a couple of years ago. Nothing worse than tanked up idiots who proceed setting off fireworks. Nothing patriotic about that 😬
I’ve been told that goalies used to play without a mask.
Not sure about that but it’s possible in the early years. I do remember when players didn’t wear helmets or face shields. Yikes! 😱
Happy July 4th weekend 🐶🐕🐼💕
We’ll stay home with our 🐱🐼🐈🐦❣️
Good for you! We’ll be doing the same. Wishing you a very safe and happy 4th.
Wow! Now THAT is what a big crowd is supposed to look like!
Love the funky colors. The temps? Not so much.
Great job once again Elsa.
Thank you, kind sir. We do know how to celebrate here in the Mile High. 😉
Yes you do.
Wow! You all do know how to celebrate! LOL! And the skies celebrated with you, by giving you a rainbow 🌈 😊
The red lily is beautiful!
Many thanks, Carolyn. Sports celebration in the Mile High is something of an art form. 😆
🥅 🏒 🏑 ⚽️ 🏀 🏈 ⚾️
Love the clematis and sunflower pics! Have a–hopefully–peaceful 4th!
Isn’t it absolutely gorgeous. I wonder if she’d mind if I dug it up in the middle of the night. 🤣
Haha! That thought has crossed my mind once or twice too…
Always good to see the two of you. Great reporting, Elsa.
That’s a lot of folks, but behaving is the best part. Excellent.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. Scritches to the pups, a smooch to Norman and a big hug to you. ♥
Many thanks, Sandee. Yes, the behaving part of the celebration was a pleasant surprise. Wishing you and your hubby a wonderfully relaxing holiday weekend. Hugs and tail wags from everyone at the Ranch.
Beautiful tour. Those Lillies were spectacular
Thanks, John. I’ve never seen that color before and couldn’t resist a pic.
I have never seen them before either.
Enjoyed reading your entry today! Great pupspective ! 😉
Thanks for swinging by.
No fireworks here until Christmas….thank goodness!
So jealous! Have a great weekend.
You did a wonderful job Elsa! Hope you get some cooler weather maybe with some rain!
Thanks, Kate. We’re trying to stay optimistic about moisture but won’t be surprised if there’s none or the usual 16 drops. Have a great weekend.
Those blooms are beautiful! And that rainbow!
I’m with you, though. Leave the fireworks to the professionals in a safe place. They should not even be made available for peeps other than professionals but who am I kidding, right?
There will be a bunch here as it is Canada Day. Mind you, living in separatist Quebec (and my town more than I like), they made more of a brouhaha last week than they will this. There were none last night at all. I’m not complaining…
Happy Friday!
Thank you. Let’s hope peeps in your region don’t go crazy this weekend. Happy Canada Day/weekend! I’d like it just fine if they’d take the noise outa fireworks all together frankly. Let’s pray for more rainbows and less noise, eh?
I’m trying to remember if my town actually does fireworks on Canada Day… and I cannot for the life of me remember. In Montreal, however, there will be.
Local communities are trying to rein in the fireworks within our neighborhoods as the at-home participation has gotten way out of hand…and it is not like there aren’t plenty of places for firework-lovers to go experience professional displays elsewhere. Plenty of eye-pleasing flowers on the walkabouts. And yes, I am so counting down the days until Fall…
With the fire danger so high here, you’d think people would be smarter and if they have to have fireworks, limit them to professional shows rather than the bootlegged fireworks bought at pop up stands. Those loud noises are so problematic for pets, epileptics and anyone suffering from PTSD. Hopefully it won’t be as bad in your area.
Yes, blessed autumn can’t come soon enough for us! Have a safe and happy weekend.
I hope you and yours have a safe and fun weekend also.
charming Elsa! Milo is all about the bunnies and squirrels too
LOVE clematis, and we had a massive one in Maryland. Just ordered some flower food to see it that’s why nothing will grow here. waiting to see more than two leaves on most of our plantings
I expect the neighborhood loud people to do fireworks for a week, grrrr
Surprisingly, fireworks (thus far) have been mostly limited to the Rockies games this week. I hope that lasts. There don’t seem as many pop up tents selling them that I’ve noticed. Hope that’s a good sign.
Here’s some info that might help you with growing clematis. Good luck. https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/grow-clematis/8203.html
Have a safe holiday weekend.