Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we share bits of urban nature. Well another week of Spring is in the books but like always, we are joining those cuties from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what other posts were shared.
Elsa: Yo…yo, House Pony, wake up…it’s time to dish up a few images of spring from around the neighborhood.
Wilson: {soft snoring} Huh…wha….Oh good morning. The crisp morning air left me wanting to stay in bed a bit longer but now that I’m awake, let’s get rolling!
Elsa: My goodness…aren’t you the eager beaver. So what’s on today’s hit parade?
Wilson: Not sure about any parade but with all the miles we’ve put on this week sniffing around, Mum said Spring is in full display The tulips in particular have been quite posh this Spring though they always disappoint me since they have no fragrance-trust me-I’ve checked. Mum’s red tulips are finally blooming. And notice the volunteer grape hyacinths in the background? Mum has been trying to corral them and even dug som to give to a friend who came by to take some irises and perennials for her garden. Talk about prolific!
Elsa: Yeah, I’ve noticed those little scamps popping up in the oddest spots. There’s a whole patch in the garden where they’ve spread like weeds. I’m surprised Mom hasn’t gone on a terror yanking them up.
Wilson: She told me she didn’t mind them naturalizing but then said they were beginning to start acting like the lupines so she may need to start some remediation so they don’t go crazy. I haven’t seen the lupines but Mum told me there likely won’t be many this year. With all her talk about them, I was rather hoping I’d get to experience them. You can see past photos here.
Elsa: Yeah, she took zillions of photos, first with Sam and me and then Norman and me. I dreaded seeing them because it always meant we’d have to pose for 87 hours in the middle of them. Everyone who walked by would wax on about how beautiful they were. They had no idea how us dogs had to put up with photo sessions. I mean, it was almost animal cruelty!
Wilson: Oh gosh, sorry you had to endure that, Ninja. Must have been awful.
Elsa: You have no idea. It was like Christmas pictures. Hours and hours of “sit-stay” poses with all manner of Christmas decorations. The only good thing about it was Mom doled out lots of treats.
Wilson: Treats? Sign me up! I’ll stand on my head if there are treats involved.
Elsa: You say that now, but trust me, you’ll change your tune come later this year when we do our annual Christmas photos.
Wilson: Well I’m up for the challenge. I know Mum has some very high value treats she dispenses when she wants me to do something. I’ll humor her.
Elsa: Jeez, what a brown nose!
Wilson: {correcting} No-no…I have a very black nose. It’s one of those standout features about us Old English Sheepdogs.
Elsa: I was talking figuratively, New Guy. We’re gonna have to work on the meaning of ‘figuratively’ and ‘literally.’ You just don’t seem to understand the difference.
Wilson: I just go by what you tell me. I’m not a mind reading dog, I’m a herding dog. There’s a difference.
Elsa: Whatever. What else have you got?
Wilson: The lilacs are in full bloom and Mum is quite surprised since it’s early in the season. Now, those things DO smell great. Especially on a pretty blue sky day.
Elsa: Be careful where you stick that honker, bees like those flowers for their nectar.
Wilson: I’m not afraid of bees but I think wasps like this one might make me reconsider. Yesterday he was drinking from the solar fountain, buzzing around. I started to take a snap at him but Mum said that would be a very bad idea.
Elsa: Trust me, dude. Stay away from those nasty things-they’ll make your tongue swell up if you try to eat one of those things. And then you won’t be able to taste the treats Mom gives you.
Wilson: Egad!! Thanks for that advice. I’ll try hard to avoid them. You can believe I want to be able to taste all the tasty treats Mum gives me.
Elsa: {head shaking} My gawd, you’re like a canine garbage disposal, aren’t you?
Wilson: Mum never gives me garbage.
Elsa: I can’t. I just can’t even begin to school you on the difference of stuff like that.
Wilson: What? I don’t understand…
Elsa: {interrupting} Precisely and I don’t have the time nor the patience to teach you. Let’s move along, House Pony, shall we? Beside that wasp, I think there was another encounter with some urban wildlife, though in all my years at the Ranch, I’ve never seen one of those.
Wilson: I have no idea what the bloody hell that thing was doing sashaying across this yard. I did have a feeling Mum did me a solid but not letting me try to herd it.
Elsa: Darn straight she did. You don’t want to mess with those birds. They’ll mess you up but good. Probably came from someone’s city chicken coop.
Wilson: I could sense there was danger in that turkey by how tightly Mum held my leash and kept reinforcing the “leave it!” command with her clicker. Naturally I was a good boy and complied.
Elsa: {hysterical laughter} Complied? Right…I’ve seen how you handle the command to “Leave it!” when there’s a squirrel anywhere around {more raucous laughter}.
Wilson: If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were being quite cheeky with me.
Elsa: Umm, that’s one way of putting it. Good catch. Maybe you’ll figure things out eventually yet. Hope springs eternal.
Wilson: I’m just going to ignore you and show you some other images we encountered yesterday afternoon. Mum tells me this plant is the state flower.
Elsa: Well technically it’s the blue one that’s the state flower but like many of the perennials in the city, it’s blooming early.
Wilson: It’s quite striking, I say. But nothing compared to this purple flower. Mum said she’s never seen these blooming in April.
Elsa: Yeah, I’d agree. It was quite a shock seeing that pop up in a pile of weeds. Mother Nature seems to be teasing us.
Wilson: Right you are. When Mum and I walked back from the library, we came across this field of yellow flowers. I had to stop and admire them.
Elsa: I hope Mom told you those yellow flowers are weeds and the bane of gardeners everywhere. With the moisture we’ve received this Spring, they have been a bumper crop of them everywhere. But they are kinda pretty.
Wilson: I should say so…they are quite cheerful. Well, that’s all I have today. I heard we’re going to visit our Grandpa this weekend and I will get to meet Mum’s youngest sister who’s coming from Texas for a short visit. I’m excited to meet more of the family and promise I’ll be on my best behavior.
Elsa: Uh, huh…best, eh? Not sure what you mean by ‘best’ but it should be a nice visit for a few days. What are your plans for the weekend? You doing anything exciting for this last weekend of April? We’re still amazed that May is upon us and just around the corner. Where is this year going?
Wilson: Not sure but it does seem to be moving along quickly. Whatever you do, we hope you’re able to see loads of Nature’s finest. Just avoid the turkeys and wasps.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
I’m way late to the party but had to let you know how beautiful all those blooms are. That purple state flower (yes, I looked it up and know it’s a columbine) is striking! Lilacs? Already? Sheesh…
Happy Tuesday coz, well, Friday is ages ago 😉
You’re never too late. 🙂 Actually the pale blue color is the state flower. Columbines come in a variety of colors from a creamy white, pale yellow, pink, and red; I’ve even seen a shade of dark maroon. I think those various shades are hybrids.
You’re too sweet. 💞 Yes, I realised it’s the blue one but man, that purple is fabulous!
It truly is!
💜
We had a dog who used to eat bees and wasps. Never bothered her.
Saw my first hummingbirds this week. But they can’t compete with a turkey in the middle of Denver! Wow!
It was one of those double take moments for sure!
It’s May! Ish!
I’m with Elsa on the wasps. I had my first run in with some of those buggers the other day. Eesh.
They are one of the few bugs I have no sympathy for when they “experience demise.” The buggers don’t die after they’ve stung you like honey bees. Rotten evil jerks. Stay safe on those runs, even if this seems like yet another reason to not run. 😆
Same here.
They are little terrorists, tell you what.
Thank you muchly, Monika
Looks like the Iris is first in line, Elsa and Wilson, that’s purrfect for an early start of May😺😸Loved to see your pictures and how you pictured it. Double Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend to all of you and Enjoy the stay at your Grandpaw’s🐾😽💞
Thank you, Stippie and Peachy. People see me get on the ground to take a photo and think “oh there’s that crazy weirdo lady again.” She’s harmless. 😆
Elsa and Wilson are so funny. Elsa’s advice regarding the wasps is certainly wise. I’ve had a few accidents myself. The flowers are so colorful and all the photos are beautiful.
Thank you for your nice comment, Thomas. We definitely try to avoid wasps-they are so evil. I’ll extend invitations to bees all the time, but it’s hard to be hospitable to wasps. They are just evil in the bug world. Have a great weekend.
That Columbine is so pretty!
Ours are just t coming out of the ground…most are wild, a drab pinkish brown bloom, but I do have some vivid purple ones I grew from seeds I found at my sister’s house. They seem easy to grow here, they like a more cool and shaded area it seems…but ours often get gobbled up by some kind of worm infestation. They eat ALL the leaves. Sheesh!
We have a large lilac bush, grown from a sapling we took from my mother in law’s yard years ago…but it rarely puts out more than two or three flower stalks. Not sure why?
Thanks for the nature show, you two…and enjoy all the dandelions! I just spent over three hours removing a huge number of them…I did leave a bunch in the way back of our yard to keep bees and butterflies happy…
That purple columbine is so intense. So pretty. Here’s a webpage that might help you figure out why your lilac isn’t blooming. Hope it helps. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/lilac/lilac-bush-not-blooming.htm
The dandelions have been extra vigorous this year. I thought I had a handle on them but alas, this week’s rain showers have acted like fertilizer 😬
Thanks. I think it gets too much shade…the cherry tree is in front of it…Plus its old…maybe I need to cut it down and wait a few years for it to resume flowering.
So many beautiful blooms. Your lilacs are way ahead of ours. XO
Thanks. They are very early here along with other perennials. Spring has been crazy.
You two have such great conversations. And you do make us laugh. Mom LOVES lilacs, oh that sweet smell. But they make Dad sneeze and sneeze so there are no lilacs in our yard.
Woos – Misty and Timber
Glad we could give you a smile. Lilacs always make me think of my great-grandmother. Whenever she hugged us kids, I could smell that fragrance on her. Egad, that was a VERY long time ago but the memory made me smile. Thank you for that.
It is interesting that the turkey you saw has a lot of white on its back. Not the usual coloring we see here. I wonder if it is cross?
Have a great weekend, safe travels!
You never can gtell with the citified turkeys. 😉
Beautiful flower pictures…So pretty!
Many thanks. It’s wild so many are blooming so early. Have a great weekend.
Wilson: You actually look like your bed, or the bed looks like you. It’s hard to tell you two apart with you deep into slumber. Wilson & Elsa: We will see a turkey on the rare occasion in these parts, but we always get our fair share of wasps…which we don’t want to share any contact with. Our lilac bush is just about ready to “pop” like yours already has. Enjoy your weekend!
He’s becoming very muppet-ey and needs a bath and groom. The groomer is booked until June so I may have to tackle him myself. {shudder} Here’s hoping it’s a great weekend for you and the lilacs.
Weather here – at least until about bedtime last night – has been delightful. Today has been cloudy with some light rain showers here and there. But I have my sunshine living in the house with me. I’m sure Mum’s youngest sister will adore you, Wilson. And no comments from the Ninja gallery, Miss Elsa. 🤣
Ninja gallery…bwahahaha. Love that. Yes I’m sure my sister will live Wilson -she’s a big dog lover. Stay dry if possible, if not, keep those rays of sunshine close by. 💙
I was very surprised at the blooming Lilacs too. Your tulip photo is amazing and the Blue Columbine gorgeous. Good thing to avoid hornets and turkeys. Fun post Monika.
Thanks John. This spring has been full of surprises.
Yes indeed.
What a beautiful Spring you all are having! Aren’t the lilacs pretty!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
They sure are and look especially picturesque against a clear blue sky. Have a great weekend!
Have fun this weekend little pups! I like the dandelions too….
There were so many of them but they’re still pretty to look at…just not in my yard. LOL
We have lilacs blooming here, at least the early ones but no irises yet. Weather is weird here with frost warnings until tomorrow. Next week should be summery.
Boy do we know about weird. Tomorrow’s high is supposed to crest at mid 40’s! And like you, summery next week. Have a great weekend.
Spring is finally “springing” isn’t it…….however we are still having frost warnings (not snow like you had recently though!) so once things have “settled” in we’ll be happy here. We have 90s in our forecast next week. That means the azaleas which have been blooming their hearts out will begin fading in the heat. Well guys we can’t control the weather so we’ll just enjoy the colors of Spring while we can. Be careful of turkeys, wasps, yellow jackets, etc. – you don’t want to visit the vet do you!!!!
Hugs, Teddy
It sure is…even the trees are starting to leaf out. Tomorrow it’ll only reach low-to-mid 40’s but next week it’ll be toasty warm. Spring just can’t make up its mind. Nope, no wasps for us-we’ll do our best to avoid those buggers.
Oona: “That is some excellent grey on grey camouflage in the bed. You are almost as invisible as Oona hiding in shadows. ALMOST!!!”
We were wishing those planters were any color but grey but alas… Shadows work well for wildlife, especially when you realize there’s loads of it in the city. Who’d have thunk it?! Happy weekend.
Huh. We had no idea that turkeys are mean. Now we won’t feel bad eating lots of them all the time. (Not that we felt bad anyway, BOL!) You sure do have lots and lots of pretty flowers around your yard and neighborhood, but Lucy thinks Wilson is a lot prettier than the flowers. She’s such a flirt! Oops, here she comes, gotta go. XOXOX X Chia
You would t want to mess with them especially when they think they’re in danger. Their claws are quite dangerous. Aww, Lucy..you made Wilson blush.
Spring seems to have leapt into action…I do like the Granny’s Bonnet being the state flower.
Mom has tried multiple times to plant columbines but they never seem to like her much. She’s stingy with water and they seem to need it.
Your fur-iends,
Elsa & Wilson the Pony 🐾
There are a lot of wild turkeys out by Gramma’s house and they cause a lot of trouble, even blocking the road sometimes. We have never gotten out of the car to meet them. We do have the dreadful Canadian Geese. Yes, they are pretty, but we despise them as they are very mean, and super dirty. We can’t use a lot of walkways because they are covered in their poop. Not much as far as flowers yet here. Mom can’t wait for lilac season. She sniffs like a scent hound when they start to pop. We are excited for May as sports and travel season will begin and we are ready to go! Happy Friday.
Canadian geese are another cranky bird we avoid. They will chase dogs and they bite hard. Turkeys have those claws on their feet and will scratch the life out of you. We were just shocked since we’re in the heart of the city-just 3 miles from downtown. You’d never expect to see a turkey here! We’re sure, spring will start springing soon in your neighborhood. Have a super weekend.