Welcome to the last Friday of the month. Gosh, it is just me or did this month fly by? Elsa here and I’m joined by Wilson, the House Pony with today’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what other posts were shared. Today is the first installment from Mom’s recent trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens where she saw the latest outdoor exhibit called Spirit Guides in addition to gorgeous beautiful trees and blooming flowers. So what’s this special exhibit all about? It’s full of fantastical, large animal sculptures that remind us of the connection between inhabitants of the natural and cosmological world. So who exactly are these artists? Jacobo and María Ángeles are a married artistic team based in Oaxaca, Mexico. These brightly colored sculptures are made from fiberglass and acrylic paint and are distinctly patterned, combining contemporary art practices with folk art traditions. The workshop where they created these sculptures doubles as an art school, allowing its attendees a way to advance and develop their artistic skills. These creations have been exhibited in museums throughout the world depicting imaginary hybrid animals that act as spirit guides. So come along and let’s check a few of them out.
Wilson: Near the entrance to the gardens, this guy greeted everyone. Can you say colorful?!
Elsa:WHAT…I CAN’T HEAR YOU…THAT SCULPTURE IS TOO LOUD!
Wilson: Now, now, little sister. Be nice. I rather think it’s quite fetching. There were some remarkable creatures and I was quite pleased there were no squirrel-like creatures in the lot.
Elsa: You and your obsession with squirrels. Let it go, dude.
Wilson: Ahem, let see another one of those colorful ‘spirit guides.’ This one was near the exit. Just look at the whimsicalness.
Elsa: You call that whimsical? He seems a bit scary even if the colors were amazing. You weren’t afraid of him?
Wilson: What? Oh heavens, no. He just put on a brave face no doubt because of all the visitors to the gardens. It was a pretty packed place with several large groups of kids visiting the gardens. I think he was just trying to brave the crowds and put on that serious face because of the heat. It was another toasty day in the Mile High after reaching triple digits earlier in the week.
Elsa: Seems plausible. It has been hot. Got any photos that aren’t quite as serious looking?
Wilson: Well, how about this one? I thought he was pretty silly looking in a whimsical sort of way. Can you believe all that detailed work on the tail feathers? Almost makes you dizzy, doesn’t it? You really needed to walk all around these sculptures and check it out from every angle to truly appreciate how amazing they were.
Elsa: You got that right…peacocks should never be taken seriously. They’re silly birds.
Wilson: I’m not sure about the silly part. I mean, look at the close up of his face. He’s the first peacock I’ve ever seen. So what do you think this is supposed to be?
Elsa: Is that a rhetorical question? Those are Airbnb condos for pollinators who need a place to stay while passing through town. Mom said the gardens revamped that condo area by adding various kinds of wood and sticks as well as woolen baskets, boxes and fabric. The baskets are umm…creative. But I’m glad to see all the interest in helping pollinators out a bit. They need as much help as they can get these days, what with climate change and other environmental conditions.
Wilson: Blimey…look at all those fabric bits. A bloke could have a ball shredding/chewing all those bits.
Elsa: Ssshhh…don’t let Mom hear you say that…she’ll blame you for everything that mysteriously finds itself shredded/chewed. Hmmm, that gives me an idea…I think I just found a terrific foil for conducting special Ninja business.
Wilson: What’s that you say…I’m not sure I heard you right.
Elsa: Oh nothing {changing the subject}. Got any other photos you care to share?
Wilson: Well…while we’re on the topic of pollinators, Mum said there were loads of Swallowtail butterflies and dragonflies flitting around. She followed a few of the Swallowtails but the dragonflies never landed long enough to photograph. Way too quick I guess, but they were apparently great entertainment. I’m sure I could have captured one or two of them.
Elsa: {eyes rolling} Oh right. You haven’t even been able to capture a single miller moth yet.
Wilson: Well they taste like crap so why in the world would I even want to try?
Elsa: Uh-huh. Whatever gets you through the night, Big Guy. Okay, let’s save some pics for next week, shall we? So what’s on your agenda this weekend?
Wilson: Mum says I’m to going to have a second evaluation for doing pet therapy visits at the hospital. I hear there may be treats involved so I’ll be sure to be on my best behavior.
Elsa: Oh for heaven’s sake…do you ever think of anything other than food?
Wilson: What else is there when it comes to securing a good dog’s attention? Apart from plotting against squirrels, that is.
Elsa: Oh jeez. Well whatever you do, we hope you stay as cool as possible. Enjoy your weekend.
Today is June 24, 2024. There are 190 days left in the year. Let that sink in. Training Wilson to not go insane whenever he sees a squirrel remains an ongoing project although he is getting a little better but when I saw today’s smile, I had to chuckle. One benefit of walking this dog is I never have to worry about doing any upper body weight training.
We hope nothing holds you back this week. Make it a great Monday.
Welcome to this week’s Nature Friday edition where we join our friends, Rosy and Sunny. Be sure to click on the link to see what else has been shared around Blogville.
Elsa here and I’m practically melting right off the sofa it’s so bloody hot. Just like most of the country, but in the good news category at least we don’t have obnoxiously high humidity to go make the hot temps even more uncomfortable. Unfortunately, what we have had of late is high ozone levels but Mom remains vigilant about walking out in it. High ozone can make all of us cough so we’ve been going out at the crack of dawn before traffic and pollution get bad.
Today is the first full day of Summer and with each passing day, there will be about a minute less of sunlight. Fine by me-the sooner we get through this season, the happier I’ll be. And for anyone who is interested, there are 92 days until the official start of autumn. According to Space.com, were you aware the first day of summer actually changes from year to year, arriving on June 20, 21 or 22 because the earth’s astronomical year is actually 365.25 days long. The arrival of summer also coincides with the moon being at its fullest this year.
Because of the relentless heat, Mom’s photo-taking has been dramatically curtailed. Last weekend we all loaded up the pup mobile and went to spend a few days with Mom’s Dad. I totally love traveling to see my Grandpa but with all our foodables and stuff to keep us safe and happy, it can make the car a bit crowded. If only the House Pony didn’t take up so much real estate, I could totally stretch out and snooze through the 120 mile ride. That is until we got close to Colorado Springs, where there always seems to be an accident that causes I-25 to turn into a parking lot. It happened down both ways this time. On the way home, a small aircraft crashed and had all the northbound lanes completely at a standstill for miles. What normally takes about an hour and half ended up taking just shy of four hours.
Wilson: Tell me about it. While the windows are tinted, because I’m in the cargo area, I usually receive the bulk of the sun. At least you have the AC vent pointed at your face in the backseat.
Elsa: Yeah, well I have black fur and it ain’t enough, ok dude.
Wilson: Umm good point, still whenever we’d stop (which was nearly every 28 seconds), I thought that meant we’d get out and go for a walk.
Elsa: Haha, funny. It just means we’re 7 inches closer to home. That was the worst trip going home we’ve ever encountered. Mom checked with the state transportation department to see if there was an alternate route we could take. This was their solution.
Wilson: Hmm, not much help, was it?
Elsa: Nope, Mom said she was surprised they didn’t reroute traffic through Salt Lake City. {growl}
Wilson: While I’m not sure if that would have helped much, let’s share the few pics we do have. Mum has been captivated by these stunning trees called Kentucky Yellowwood since she first saw them blooming. The white flowers are so fragrant, and look a lot like Wisteria-like racemes that can be as long as 11 inches long. They have a narrow range of distribution in the Eastern U.S. but are hardy to Zone 4 which is no doubt why she found a couple of specimens here. They are quite stunning when in bloom and make a beautiful ornamental addition to any garden landscape.
Elsa: Mom sure likes them. We had to stand there for a jillion years while she sniffed all the white flowers. Then she suddenly realized we’d been patient and says “Hurry up, let’s go” {eyes rolling}.
Wilson: I’ve notice uprights tend to do that. Rather ironic, I say.
Elsa: You got that right. Humans are soooo weird. I mean just look at how the human who lived at this garden near our house decorated their front entrance flower pot…what the dog?!
Wilson: Blimey…I don’t know what to say other than, “it’s quite colorful.”
Elsa: ‘Colorful’ is rather diplomatic way of putting it.
Wilson: Well, I’m nothing if not a rather proper chap.
Elsa: Not me, I call ’em like I see them. That is just too weird.
Wilson: Perhaps, but then I saw this when we visited Grandpa. What in the bloody world was that galloping critter? Mum said she’d never seen them as close to the road as this one and once he took one look at me, he couldn’t run away fast enough. I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn’t figure out what it was; I just knew it wasn’t one of those horrid tree rats that make me lose my mind.
Elsa: Bingo, buddy. You’re so right, that is NOT a squirrel. Rather that’s the North American Pronghorn antelope. They have that distinct white fur on the rumps, sides, bellies and across their throats. The males weighs anywhere from 40–65 kg (88–143 lb) while the females are the same height as males, only weigh around 34–48 kg (75–106 lb). Pronghorns are the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere and can run 56 km/h (35 mph) for up to 1.5 km (1 mi). Although slower than the African cheetah, it can sustain top speeds longer than cheetahs can.With their large windpipe, heart, and lungs physiology that allow them to take in large amounts of air when running, they can often outrun most of their predators. With two long, cushioned, pointed toes to help absorb shock when running at high speeds, their extremely light bone structure and hollow hair; they are literally built for speed. Pronghorns have very large eyes with a wide field of vision that are set high on their skull. Both males and females have horns that are shed and grown annually although the females have smaller horns that are straight and rarely pronged. When a Pronghorn sees something that alarms it, the white hair on its rump flairs open and exposes two very odoriferous glands that releases a compound that smells somewhat like “buttered popcorn” which alerts nearby Pronghorns by both sight and smell that danger is present and can be seen as far away as 20 to 30 meters downwind from alarmed animals. Mum found this closeup of a male Pronghorn face which is not really apparent in the photo she took on her cell phone from the road.
Wilson: Well I thought they were pretty amazing and to watch them gallup…well that was something else. It almost made me want to join them.
Elsa: Trust me, they’d have left you in the dust, dude. So what’s on the weekend for you? Our neighborhood has a huge festival kicking off summer where thousands of peeps will attend all day Saturday which we will avoid like the plague. Then there’s the Farmer’s Market Sunday morning so there’ll be loads of peeps and pooches walking past the house. Let’s just hang out with Mom inside and stay cool instead, eh House Pony?
Wilson: Count me in.
{from the other room} Wilson, get off the bed!
Wilson: Oh dear, looks like I got busted. In that case, I’ll get down and wish you a brilliant weekend. Stay as cool as you can and of course keep yourself and your good pet well hydrated.
Greetings! We hope all the Dad’s had a great Father’s Day yesterday but now it’s time to begin the new week.
Whatever happens this week, we definitely hope there are enough tennis balls for everyone this week. For the optimists out there, only 96 days until the official arrival of autumn. Stay cool, it’s gonna be another hot one. Happy Monday.
Well, will you lookie here…once again it’s Friday and that means we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. It’s been hot this week so I’m kinda melting whenever I find a comfy spot. In case you’ve missed us, there’s good reason. Mom has been up to her eyeballs working on the sheepdog rescue picnic event and they had their annual spring fundraiser last weekend (more on that later) and she just couldn’t think about anything else. I’m surprised she had time to feed us.
Wilson: Gosh, that would have been totally tragic, wouldn’t it? Since I moved here nearly six months ago, she’s been on this “the sheepdog has got to lose weight” quest. I’m beginning to think I’m going to whittle away to just a small pile of fur.
Elsa: Ha…that’s not likely. Even though you’re nice and trim now, you’re NEVER gonna be a small pile of anything. But you’re right, you have slimmed down nicely and are probably at the idea weight now. Mom took you in for a groom job and Miss Sydney did a pawsome job showing off your thin profile for a cool summer look. Although I think you may have a case in Canine Court that Mom may have deceived you with that whole “wanna go for a ride” line.
Wilson: I’m a bit reluctant to pursue legal action at this time but will file this away for future reference. Right now, I’m feeling a bit naked, but with it being so hot this week, it is kind of nice to feel the cool tile on my belly for a change. And, getting rid of all that hair has had a bonus effect-I’m even speedier than usual. Watch out squirrels, I’m primed and ready for you.
Elsa: About that…you need to chill out on the whole “death to squirrels” thing. Mom ain’t as flexible and young as she used to be and you wouldn’t want to break her now, would you? I mean…who’d feed us you then? You think you’re slim now, just wait if she’s hurt and can’t hobble around easily. I guarantee we’ll both get slim and that will be very uncool. I mean, Ninjas are lithe and svelte but hunger isn’t part of that equation, got it House Pony?
Wilson: Sorry, I just lose my mind whenever I see them and instinct takes over. I’ll try to do better.
Elsa: Instinct? What’s instinctive about that, bozo? You’re a herding dog, not a hunter.
Wilson: Hmm, good point. Like I said, I kind of lose my mind and forget my DNA.
Elsa: Well you better remember because if I miss any meals because Mom is laid up…there will be some consequences, got it, Dude?
Wilson: I’ll keep that in mind. So let’s see what we parts of Nature we can share this week, shall we?
Elsa: Works for me. With Mom being so focused on the rescue, her picture taking took a bit of a nosedive but I think there are a few pics we can share. I know when she went to pick you up from your grooming appointment, she walked you around before returning home and you guys came across a hawk near the groomer’s shop.
Wilson: That’s right! I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until Mum told me he’d just sat down for a mid-afternoon snack.
Elsa: Egad…you mean…aww, poor bunny. I guess the circle of life is as much a part of Nature as are pretty flowers.
Wilson: True enough. And because it’s been so bloody hot lately, we’re going to take another opportunity to post an important PSA. Again. Yesterday afternoon when Mum needed to mail something at the Post Office shortly after lunch hour, she said she saw around a dozen dogs being walked at mid-day. And, get this…3 of them were black dogs! Goodness gracious. People need to understand our paws can get blistered in those hot temps. Please walk us either early before it heats up or late in the evening when the temps have cooled down. If you can’t walk on the sidewalk in your bare feet, you shouldn’t expect us to…that’s all I’m going to say about that. We’re reposting this graphic and hope people will wake up and stop torturing us.
Elsa: Oh jeez…the stupidity of some uprights is just downright amazing. And not in a good way. I suspect we’ll need to bark this repeatedly because humans just aren’t very smart at times and often don’t think of how they are harming us.
Wilson: Well hope springs eternal, right? Mum did find a couple of pretty flowers this week. Good thing she took a photo of this peony because it’s through blooming now. It sure smelled wonderful. Mum calls peonies the queen of the garden.
Elsa: Yeah, she pretty much goes gah-gah when they bloom and this was a pretty exceptional year for peonies. Everyone who walks past our garden stops and comments on how gorgeous they are.
Wilson: Mum also found a patch of Spiderwort blooming in a secluded garden we walk past every day. Isn’t that purple lovely?
Elsa: It sure is pretty but I was more focused on the fact there had been a bunny in that spot. I picked up it’s scent right away and Mom had a hard time convincing me we needed to continue on.
Wilson: So THAT’s what bunnies smell like, eh? I’ve seen them a few times but never focused on their scent before. I’ll have to keep my nose primed for future encounters. Mum says it’s been a banner year for them and constantly checks on her strawberry plant to make sure they don’t help themselves to it. They managed to snarf one berry a couple of days ago but she harvested the last one and it was big, juicy one at that. But then she got really excited about the potted tomatoes. Both of them are producing fruit and she squealed with delight. This one is a cherry tomato variety she’s planted in the previous years and said it’s a good producer. I can hardly wait to taste it.
Elsa: Blech…trust me, you ain’t gonna like the taste of tomatoes.
Wilson: Why not, I like veggies. Not everything is about slabs of organ meat though I don’t mind that either.
Elsa: Oh, I don’t know…there’s something about the acid that I don’t favor or their tiny little seeds. Mom goes bonkers, popping them like candy. Sorry, I just don’t see the allure.
Wilson: Well I heard that tomatoes contain antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene which can help protect cells and can fight off free radicals.
Elsa: What the heck are free radicals? Sounds like a political thing and you know we’re not supposed to go down that path.
Wilson: Silly sister, free radicals can cause oxidative stress, and may play a role in the development of chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Elsa: Meh…give me some calf liver any day. Not only does it taste amazing, organ meat is a nutritious addition to a dog’s diet rich in nutrients that are essential for a dog’s health because it contains protein for muscle growth, tissue repair, and immune function; vitamins: A, B, D, and E; and minerals like copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc as well as fatty acids which will improve our coats.
Wilson: Well you won’t see me pass meat up but I may see what this tomato thing tastes like once they get a bit bigger.
Elsa: Suit yourself. Anyway, I thought you might want to share a few pics from the sheepdog picnic. The weather in Elizabeth called for thunderstorms and several people didn’t show up but it looked like there was still a decent turnout and everyone including the uprights had a great time. Mom said it ended just before a thunderstorm rolled in and dumped some rain on the dry landscape.
Wilson: Yes, it was a successful event and everyone was very happy to learn the state finally approved our rescue. Woof, woof! We’re legit now and are looking forward to saving good sheepdogs who need new homes like I did. It’s been a long and challenging process but the Rocky Mountain Old English Sheepdog Rescue is now officially approved with the State of Colorado.
Elsa: Nice! Say, isn’t that your Miss Sydney sharing grooming tips in a demonstration on show dog, Conner?
Wilson: Indeed it is. She’s very nice and quite knowledgeable about how to groom us sheepdogs. And look how much fun people and dogs had under some of the tents.
Elsa: I heard there was lots of tasty food for people.
Wilson: Oh quite. Lots of great food and lots of fabulous gift baskets. We’re waiting for the totals but I’d say the final results were good.
Elsa: Outstanding. Guess I don’t mind that Mom has been so busy when I see so many happy sheepdogs living their best lives.
Wilson: Right…when you put it like that, all the hard work really paid off. Well that’s it this week. We hope you have a great weekend and a good Father’s Day celebration.
And snap…just like that, the weekend came and went. It was a busy one around the Ranch. On Saturday while Wilson was being groomed, I was able to visit with Baby Halia and her parents. She’s now two months old and growing like a little tadpole with a round belly and arms and legs moving non-stop. She’s quite alert and doesn’t seem to miss much. While visiting, there was an episode of Top Chef on which makes today’s smile seemed ironically apropos. Wouldn’t you just love to see a canine version of a TV cooking show?
Today is also a very special day, it’s Angel Norman’s 13th birthday. Happy heavenly birthday, Big Guy. Still love and miss you everyday and imagine the kibble and toppers are divinely tasty.
Happy first Monday of June. The temperatures are rising and it clearly looks like Summer is ramping up. Temps will be in the 90’s in the Mile High and that means it’s even more important to think of the four-legged sect. Before we get to today’s smile, here’s a public service announcement every pet parent and/or animal lover should remember.
Fresh water will do more than just make your petunias happy; it is essential for you and your pet’s good health. So be sure to stay hydrated. And now for this week’s smile.
