Welcome to the last Friday of 2023. In many ways, we’re glad to see the end of the year, in other ways, it’s impact firmly holds in place by some of the sadder moments we endured. Either way, 2024 is ready to enter the scene with a fresh clean slate for us, ready or not. As always we’re joining our pals, Rosy and Sunny for their Nature Friday blog. Click on the link to see what other have shared.
Elsa: Well Mom, I don’t know about you, but I’m still tuckered out after Santa Paws managed to drop by despite what Nature delivered. She sure was in a bad mood this past week. But we made it to the end of the year so I guess there’s that. Guess we showed her, huh?
Elsa: {continuing} What began as a forecasted blizzard on Christmas Eve was nothing compared to the one you experienced back in 1982, was it, Mom?
The Mom: Exactly, it didn’t snow as much as back then, but the 50-65 mph winds that came with this storm didn’t exactly make me want to try to drive in it after spending the holiday with my Dad and family in southeastern Colorado. We stayed a few days longer until the system moved out of the state. After checking the forecast and seeing the mess out there with traffic around Monument Hill (that so called ‘mountain’ pass between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs, elevation 7,352 feet (2,241 m), I decided my cargo, (i.e. you) was just way too precious to risk getting into an accident. Besides, just sitting in traffic with hundreds of other cars didn’t seem like a great way to spend the day after all the warm fuzzies and fun we enjoyed over Christmas with the family. Here’s a traffic cam image we found showing the northbound lane backed up on I-25 after an accident. Miles and miles of cars, just sitting there once the storm began to clear out.
Elsa: Yeah, it was hard enough just going outside to sniff and potty, between the windy conditions and cold, I kept losing track of what I was supposed to do. Hey, did you realize that snow enhances bunny trail scents? That part was awesome but kind of distracted me somewhat.
The Mom: Yeah, don’t remind me about your 4:30 AM wakeup call to go outside on Christmas Eve in the dark and then you deciding it would be a good idea to sniff around a while for heaven only knows what.
Elsa: Heh, heh…so you weren’t too appreciative of my Goldilocks imitation? {in a sing songy voice} “This spot is too hard, this spot is too soft, this spot is…”)
The Mom: {interrupting} Please. don’t. remind. me. I was hoping you’d quickly do your thing so we could get back inside since I hadn’t put my gloves on and was rather surprised you dallied so long sniffing around thereby forgetting what you were supposed to do.
Elsa: Maybe that’ll teach you for trimming my furs…still you should know by now, pottying is a serious endeavor for me. It has to be just the right place in order for me to move ahead and get straight down to business.
The Mom: I’m keenly aware of how you…ahem…shall we just say, are a bit ‘discerning’ as to where you ‘go.’
Elsa: Just because where you go may not be as important; it is for us dogs, since ours had lots of info for everyone who follows and read our pawprints. So if you’d be so kind as to lighten up, I’d be grateful.
The Mom: Umm, remember that you’re a poodle, not a Bloodhound and your name is NOT Sherlock Bones.
Elsa: Pfft, as if that matters. And for the record, my nose is as good as ANY hound, blood or otherwise.
The Mom: I see we’re going to wrap up the end of the year once again with agreeing to disagree. Which, when you think about it, is like every year I suppose.
Elsa: Yeah…well, it’s not a problem for me-so you’d might want to adopt a similar approach, it might help lower your blood pressure…just chill out, Mom. Besides, you only took one nature photo this week to share, although it was an ok one, all things considered. I do like how the sunrise pointed to Rudolph on the flag.
The Mom: Just so everyone knows, you weren’t all that keen on wanting to wander around outside while the wind was blowing snow sideways. It sure beat the images we found off the ‘Net regarding the storm {shiver}. Besides, Pikes Peak and all the other nearby landmarks were completely covered in thick cloud cover, and walks searching for critters or wide open landscapes were out of the question, what with the windchill and all. I think everyone, uprights and wildlife alike, hunkered down where they lived. Even the donkeys were huddled together in their barn and I could barely see them anyway. Check out these videos showing coverage from a Denver news station as well as one from a Colorado Springs station (with apologies for the ads, sheesh do news stations ever post anything these days without ads that seem to last longer than their stories?). The reporter from the Springs station might be looking for a TV series because he goes on for a long time reading updates from viewers, going on for about 10 minutes yet the ice was real.
https://www.9news.com/embeds/video/responsive/73-c1806c76-2711-456a-8c2b-ca6314002eb1/iframe
Elsa: Mmm…you got me there. Let’s end this year with lots of gratitude for all our readers and wishing them a pawsome New Year. We hope 2024 will be bright, prosperous and filled with much happiness.
The Mom: Nicely put, Ninja. May your New Year be a wondrous adventure shared with friends and family and especially filled with loads of snuggles, cuddles or purrs with your fur baby(ies).
Elsa: Happy New Year. Don’t forget to check out what Nature offers-you just never know when you’ll see something nicely highlighted. Stay warm.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Mee-yow youss’ have MORE snow than us!!!!! An yore sun foto iss speck-taculur Miss Monika!
Elsa did you find any Bunniess out inn THE snow???
Happy Mew Yeer to youss’.
~~~head rubss~~~BellaDharma~~~ an (((hugs))) BellaSita Mum
Happy New Year’s to you both. The snow is almost gone now after a lovely weekend of temps and sunshine. It was too cold to see any bunnies at Dad’s house with the wind. Person our next trip.
Will definitely do that! Thanks again for the opportunity which I will work on in the next couple of weeks.
Happy 2024 😃 tx much for visiting my site. I love anything to do with books & would be thrilled if you’d write a guest blog post for my site, which is for anyone who enjoys writing, or books, and all the arts. If you think it might be fun or helpful to have my followers (who total about 10k across my various social media) meet you, here’s the link for general guidelines: https://wp.me/p6OZAy-1eQ – best, da-AL
Thanks, I’ll look into it and would be honored to check out the guidelines. Thank you!
The pleasure is all mine. Please email with any questions you might have
before we moved here someone said it’s not icy like Maryland!
WRONG. It’s always icy here, no plowing in the ‘hoods packed snow by tires becomes icebergs hard and slow to melt. Yep, gotta be hardy to make it here!
doesn’t snow as often as it used to, not as cold as when we first moved here, but it’s like your joke meme… all the seasons in one day! Hardy.
happy new year, may everyone be more accepting of differences, and appreciative of other people and poodles.
(Milo turned down walks during the last snow, hates his ice boots!
It stays icy on north exposures after a bit of melt but for the most part, it’s been ok on our side of town. Elsa’s not crazy about those boots either and if it’s not well above freezing, I don’t walk her-her hips are too sensitive to cold temps.
My Goodness you peeps are the definition of running the spectrum when it comes to your weather!
Here’s hoping for clear skies in the New Year
Like most storms, the Christmas Eve storm is well in the rear view mirror. I always say if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes-there’s sure to be something coming along that you’ll like better. Wishing you a ‘pawsome’ 2024!
We have had such a mild winter here thus far. Oh wait . . did I jinx it?
Pawsome 2024 to you all!
Eek! Let’s hope Nature didn’t take notice and up her game.
The weather over Christmas was one of the coldest I can remember here in South Australia. Most of the time is there were also high winds – a cold South Wind. At times I just gave up on walking mainly because it was less of a walk and more of a battle against the wind. Today, 31st December – last sunday of the year – and, really it’s not all that much better although the wind is not quite so strong, but warm it is not..
You have my full sympathies…I can deal with anything weather wise but wind is my least favorite. It makes me crabbish and grumpy. Sending you best wishes for a Happy New Year.
Boy did we ever have divergent Christmas weather! Here, it was mild, no snow, nothing. Today, our rain has turned to light snow but methinks it won’t stick. Other than staying a few extra days for safety’s sake, I hope you have a marvellous Christmas.
I wish you all a wonderful 2024 filled with love and laughter, happiness and good cheer, good health and hey, how about some prosperity, to boot?
We’ll happily accept that wish in 2024 and hope it’s the same for you. With maybe a touch of snow on top. 😉
Thank you, my friend.
The touch of snow is falling as we speak. But is mixed with rain so I’ve no hope of this particular fall sticking around.
🙂
Sigh. Sending snowy thoughts your way. ❄️❄️❄️
Thank you! Just a little, okay?
👍🏻
I will take our abnormally warm temps of the 50’s over your weather. LOL! Though the snow would be prettier tban our rain.
Ooh Elsa, be kind to your Mom! 4:30 am is not a time to be awake! Though I do suspect sbe will take her gloves with her next time. 🤣
When you gotta go, you gotta go. No matter what the temp is. 😂 rain or snow (though snow seems better), we’ll take all the moisture Mother Nature is willing to gift us. 😉 Happy New Year’s!
A true point, Elsa! 😂
Hopefully, though, you go easier on her tonight. LOL!
Happy New Year!
Mom might not think so but we all know easy is my middle name. 🤣
Bahahaha!! Right! 😂😂
😁
Oh my gosh, that ray of sun as a direct hit on Santa and his sleigh! Hey Elsa, you and Riley would get along meandering and smelling everything instead of doing your “business!”
Wasn’t that some kind of sunrise?! Hope you and your pack had a blessed Christmas. Ironically Elsa was never much of a sniffer with Sam and Norman were around. Now that has to check every leaf and blade of grass. Maybe she’s still looking for messages from them. 😢
Aww, maybe she is.
Happy New Year to your house from ours. We’ve had very mild weather and lots of rain. Not complaining because, as you say, the other will come soon enough!
Wishing you a ‘pawsome’ 2024. As forecasted, we’re back to pleasant temps that are melting the snow nicely. Despite the early crispness, it’s a crystal bluebird sky today and the sunshine feels great on the face-I expect a great last weekend in 2023.
Is it Spring yet??? It sure has been chilly in our corder of the world, hasn’t it….and they are expecting another storm after the 1st….ugh!
A Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year to you, Elsa, and all the family, and all creatures big and small!
Thank you! The same to you as well.
Thank you for the report on the weather. Glad you could outlast it. Happy New Year, Monika, and Elsa.
Thanks John. Beyond the holiday, the wild weather was the only thing going on. Too soon in winter for that kind of crazy. Best wishes for peace and joy in 2024.
😁
Boo on the blizzard……..some people got hammered with snow this year and some people like us got hammered with rain and wind…….the only thing we should have been hammered with were a few stiff drinks while partying to bring in the holidays! Seriously though, we kept being told to expect some snow but it never happened. No complaints – something in the back of my head says “it’s coming….stop wishing for it” so I am doing just that. Stay warm gang and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO BE!
Hugs, Pam (and Teddy too)
Hahaha…I think your idea of being hammered is the best way to face winter. 😂
We would gladly have taken the blizzard for you. This winter is disgusting, the warmest and least snow ever. Winter is normally our favorite season but not this year. Rain on Christmas should be outlawed. All we want to do is sleep. Hopefully 2024 will bring some winter weather but we are not too hopeful. At least you got home safe from your Christmas trip. Traveling in blizzards is no fun, we have done it a few times, including that past two years. Happy New Year to you and your mom!
Not a lot in snow in that blizzard. More of the awful wind and black ice, neither of which enticed me to drive in it. I’m sure snow is coming soon enough for you pups. Happy New Year 🎆🎊
Lulu: “As soon as we saw the first part of that thing about Mother Nature and the seasons, we knew somebody was going to be asking somebody to hold their beer!”
Java Bean: “Happy New Year, friends!”
Hahaha. That meme cracked Mom up-she said it’s classic of Colorado residents. We hope 2024 is pawsome for you all!
I know I’ve mentioned this here before y’all, but being a big football fan I long ago became fascinated with the weather one experiences in Colorado. Blizzards in October, gorgeous in January, etc. I am glad you all came out the other side of that latest storm okay. Love the photo with your sun adding its magic to the wintery scene. Best wishes to the Ranch and all Ranch hands for the New Year!
Many thanks Bruce. Yeah, weather here can take wide swings in a very short period of time-in fact we’ll probably see temps in the 50’s this weekend before the next system. Here’s to a ‘wagnificent’ 2024!
Glad you could wait out the storm… traffic jams are a nightmare. Happy New Year to you both!
Even worse when it’s brutally cold and icy. Our best wishes for a Happy New Year!
Thank you!
Blizzards on the plains are brutal on both men and beasts. Happy New Year, Helen!
When the weather was foul in England my father would say that it was not fit for man or beast or cabinet minister.
🤣 Now that’s a good one!
Good grief, that was cold! I feel for the farmers, getting their cattle to shelter…and feel for the cattle too!