With Halloween in the rearview mirror, the skellies have mostly been put away (or seem to be focusing on upcoming holidays), welcome to the first Friday of November. As usual, we are joining the cuties from the LLB Gang for their weekly Nature Friday blog hop. Be sure to check out everyone’s take on Nature in their areas.
It was a glorious autumn week…well until the next season in the calendar lineup decided to make a cameo appearance, just to keep things real.
The trees continue to do ‘autumny’ things by changing colors and dropping leaves (in anticipation of the forecast storm, I raked and bagged leaves Wednesday before a doctor’s appointment so of course, Nature thought she’d prank me by immediately blowing an equal and new batch of leaves down on clean garden beds and sidewalks. Despite four enormously stuffed bags, it looked as if I hadn’t done a bloody thing. Oh, Mother Nature, you sure have a cruel sense of humor.
My doctor’s office is very near my old house in City Park and I always like to walk around before the appointment to see how my old Victorian is faring and how the neighborhood in general is doing. When I lived there back in the late 80’s/90’s it was considered a neighborhood in transition but seems to be enjoying the same development and renovating improvements that have occurred in my neighborhood. I enjoy walking around checking things out and strolling through beautifully manicured yards and garden beds. When I came across this plant, I knew I had to include it today. It was growing up between a garage and the sidewalk in a tiny sliver of dirt between the two. Talk about a showy beauty! Euonymus europaeus, commonly referred to as European spindle tree, is a beautiful ornamental shrub. I had never encountered it before in autumn but oh my heavens, am a huge fan now. No wonder birds and wildlife are drawn to its fruit and seeds. Just look at those colors!
After finding that gorgeous beauty, I spotted this ‘lawn ornament’ a half a block away. It made me chuckle out loud.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to have an elephant in their garden with an upended wine bottle to water the flowers?
From 70’sF and sunshine on Wednesday to rain mixed with snow yesterday, the landscape morphed into a different kind of beauty. This was from pre-dawn this morning.
As you can see, it got a bit nippy last night with the first icicles forming on the bird bath.
Well that’s about it from us this week. We’re looking forward to a sunny Friday and sunnier weekend with temps back in the 60’sF. Gotta love the yo-yo weather here in Colorado.
Got any special plans for the weekend? Whatever you do, we hope it’s fun and interesting and you make a point to get out and look around at all that Mother Nature shares. The good, the bad, the cold, whatever..it’s all amazing.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
We love those bright colors, and the elephant is a hoot! Our water bowl is freezing a lot these days, so it may be time to take it inside for the winter. Mom doesn’t want to mess with a heated one since we can get water in the house and we don’t get so warm playing in the winter.
I laughter out loud when I saw that elephant. It’s not your usual lawn ornament in town!
That Bush looks so Pretty xoxo Little Miss Titch
The colors were beyond stunning. The photo doesn’t do it justice.
Great combination of colors on that shrub.
Thank you. Isn’t it something incredible?
Really striking.
Charlee: “Attracts birds, you say … ?”
Chaplin: “Hey, Dada, we have a new plant for you to put in the yard!”
Oh, you guys!
Great photos……that elephant lawn ornament with the upended wine bottle makes us giggle…..the icicles are a reminder of things to come for us here – so far we’re having a few VERY WARM Fall days in the 70s which of course is spoiling us!!
Hugs, Pam and Teddy
It’s Nature’s way to clobber us with the next season. But elephants till we get there are a sure way to keep smiling.
Now that is a wild and crazy weather swing!!!! We were in frost and freeze warnings a few days back and supposed to be hitting the 70s tomorrow. Btw … the European Spindle tree is glorious … I’ve never seen anything like it, either!!! Enjoy your weekend!!
Thank you, Lois. No doubt I’ve walked past several Spindle trees in the summer and didn’t realize it. But boy in autumn, it definitely catches your eye! Yes, it’s not unusual for us to have a 50+º temperate swing. Life in the Rockies is always interesting. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lovely pictures again as usual.😊. Love the spindle bush and the elephant! Have a terrific weekend.
Thanks sweetie. You always say the nicest things. Hugs to you. Have a terrific weekend. 🥰
You brought some keepers home with you from this walk, Monika. That elephant is a riot! Mother nature? Not so much . . .
I dunno…the first measurable snow is always the prettiest. The fact that I didn’t have to shovel it makes me give old Ma Nature a pass. This time. Have a terrific weekend!
This is true. But what it leads to. . .
Hope you had one Monika
Wow….the pinks and oranges are beautiful on the Spindle Bush!!!
We got a bit of snow here last night too…Winter is definitely on its way!
That’s what I thought. So vibrant and so unexpected this time of year where you expect red and orange. Yeah, you’re probably right on the winter coming. But at least I didn’t have to shovel so I’m going to enjoy it. In February I’ll likely be complaining. LOL
Have a wonderful weekend.
LOVE those flowers! And Spidey is kinda spooky cute. It’s been down in the low 50s overnight and low 70s during the afternoon around here. I can handle that, but I’d rather have daytime temps in the 60s at this time of the year.
Don’t forget we go back to “standard” time this weekend…fine with me. I just wish they’d make it permanent one way or the other, across the entire country. And I don’t really care which one they make permanent, as long as we can stop this idiocy of changing the clocks twice a year. 🙄👽
I do agree with you on DST being stupid. Heard Marco Rubio wants to make DST permanent. I wish they’d just stop trying to tinker with things outside their wheelhouse.
Yes “who wouldn’t want to have an elephant in their garden with an upended wine bottle to water the flowers?”. That was funny. We have yo-yo weather here in Texas too but it doesn’t get quite as cold. Colorado is beautiful.
Thank glad you liked it, I’m rather partial to Colorado but have family members in Texas and despite the drought cherish the four separate seasons. Have a lovely weekend.
I love that spider. It’s huge.
Lovely nature. Nature rocks.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. Scritches to the pups, a smooch to Norman and a big hug to you. ♥
It’s definitely impressive in size and is at least 5 ft. tall! Have a wonderful weekend, Sandee. Hugs and tail wags from me and the pooches.
LOL on the elephant and wine bottle! One never knows what they will see in a neighbor’s yard, eh?
I hear you about the yo-yo temps. its going to be in the mid 70’s this weekend! I will take it, but sure hard to believe its November with those temps!
Happy weekend to you and don’t forget a belly rub for Elsa and Norm. 🙂
I know, right? Guess that’s what makes neighbors so interesting. 70 is truly unfathomable. Normand & Elsa say many thanks for the belly rub reminder and will hold me to it. Have a ‘furbulous’ weekend! With or without elephants and wine bottles. LOL
I love the european spindle tree! I never saw one before but I’m going to get one next year! I like to drive by our old house too. Happily they made lots if improvements over the years, but they cut down one of the trees. Overall I think the house is happy!
This was the first house I bought on my own and had been lovingly renovated. Sadly over the years it’s gone into a bit of decay which made me sad. That plus the fact that the brick had been painted mint green. Yuck.
Isn’t that shrub fabulous? I’ll have to find one earlier in the season to see how it’ll look all summer long. But in autumn…oh boy, does it ever shine! Have a lovely weekend.
Icicles on the bird bath. Oh my. Winter is coming, but with yo-yo weather you never know when. The European spindle tree is gorgeous. The elephant with the wine bottle is hysterical. Have a great weekend, Monika & Ranch!
Dripping icicles are so fascinating for me-I take tons of images of them all winter long. It does remind me that the season will be changing soon, but that’s okay too, each of the four seasons have something beautiful to offer.
Have a spectacular weekend, Bruce!
Loved seeing the icicles from afar. Brrrr. Thanks for the tour.
They have such beauty in those drips. I love them but wasn’t quite ready for below freezing temps. We pushed our early morning walk until it was at least 30ºF. Guess I’m just as much a wuss as Norman is. LOL Have a great weekend, John.
😊
RFOM/ROFL>>>Ellyfant with wine bottle inn front yard!! Now this ISS furry FUNNY Miss Monika!
An yore rite; THE Spindle Tree iss lovelee!
Yore weather iss so much like a Yo-Yo; it must bee diffycult to know what to wear? Our weather has been stead this week: sunny an hi 50’s an then around 40ish at nite time…..
It iss warmer than it shuud bee that iss fore sure…..no snow eether!
No speshell planss fore weekend as BellaSita iss unwell with her Liver…..so no planss…..
***sighss*** BellaDharma an {{hugss}} BellaSita Mum
I’d have really laughed if that had been a pink elephant! 🐘
I want an elephant in the garden!!!!!! wonder what it’s made of and where they got it or how they made it?? Love the snow but it’s supposed to be in 70’s by early next week. Holy whiplash
It was behind a wrought iron fence so I couldn’t examine it closer but it looked like a combination of materials and they probably want to preserve it by watering the plants without getting it wet. Makes you wonder what they do during storms though, doesn’t it?
we love the wine-o-phant … such things make my day I love it to see a wine bottle or a smurf in a gutter or a bike of the roof… I always want to hear the stories about the “making of” lol. happy weekend
“Wine-o-phant” Bwahahahaha! Good one!
Cheers to the continued redevelopment of old urban neighborhoods. Cheers to your good weather, although it can quickly change. Cheers to the autumn colors and your dogs. 😊
Thanks for all the cheers! Now if my ‘vacationing’ hockey team will give me something to cheer about, it’ll be a great weekend. 😊
It’s too early for hockey teams to get rolling.
Tell that to the Bruins who are 11-1.