We made it to another Friday. Is it just me or are the days leading up to the Santa Paws visit coming faster and more furiously? With just 2 weeks to go, our poor Mom is going crazy. She’s been furiously working on her Christmas cards and {snicker-snicker} trying to add a few touches of holiday cheer around the Ranch (translate…adding a tiny table tree) as well as taking the House Pony to hospital to visit with nurses, visitors and patients and then taking me to the vet yesterday for a routine checkup. I don’t have the heart to tell her she’s gotta do her Christmas baking this weekend. Hi, Elsa here.As if last week’s humiliation at the dog spa wasn’t bad enough, like I mentioned I had to endure a vet visit at the new practice that’s closer to the Ranch. Wilson went to see them during their grand opening and Mom was pretty impressed with the whole clinic. Dr. Melberg was super nice but his tech was even nicer and I liked her very much. I’m usually pretty aloof around strangers unless I like them. A lot. And Wilson’s vet tech popped in to give me a special treat. Yum, yum. Don’t tell my Mom, but I could get used to this attention and treat thing. Also, don’t tell my oaf of a brother…he thinks he’s so special and I’ll never be able to live with his big fat inflated head.
Wilson: {singing} Doh-de-do-dah…humming…good morning, Ninja. How are you this fine Friday the Thirteenth?
Elsa: Umm, ok…but why are you so chipper today? You ready to share some slices of nature?
Wilson: Of course I’m chipper, I didn’t have to go to the vet. After a great week where I spent a lot of time at the hospital, I can do a few photos. I’m getting pretty good at this multitasking thing-being a dapper chap after being freshly groomed this week as well as providing some interesting pics we found this week. But this week’s pics are a tiny bit unusual in that we’re featuring Christmas critters. How’s that sound?
Elsa: Don’t rub it in on the vet visit. Bet you wanted to feature squirrels dressed up like tiny elves, don’t you?
Wilson: Umm, I’m not going to lie, that would be entertaining, but no. Mum didn’t see any tiny little elves but she did notice a fair number of neighbors who brought out some big critters…and I’m not talking about those noisy inflatable critters. There’s a fair number of them and some blocks seem to be competing for the title of tackiest seasonal garden ever. This house in particular makes my head practically explode every time we walk past it. What the bloody dog is up with those folks?
Elsa: Oy…I don’t know how you can walk past that house, day after day. Talk about too much!
Wilson: Precisely. There’s so much going on in that garden, and we only got half of it in the frame! That block is squirrel central-there’s a gob of them there but I can’t spot them for all these decorations. What’s a good dog to do? I prefer subtle decor.
Elsa: Blah, blah, blah…ok, I don’t blame you this time. What do you have in terms of Christmas critter photos?
Wilson: Well, as you alluded to earlier, it’s been a hectic week and we didn’t really see a too much actual nature. Everyone in the neighborhood is busy decorating their gardens-some tastefully and others…well not to cast dispersions but others are more like the photo above. But we did have a couple of nice sunsets. Does that count for actual nature photos?
Elsa: Sure, why not. I mean since Mom’s been busy and there aren’t anymore of those obnoxious inflatables, bring on what you got.
Wilson: Mum loves sunrises since we’re always up early but we saw a sunset with some beautiful color for a change of pace. She loved looking through the silhouetted tree limbs to see that pretty color.
Elsa: Oooh, nice, dude. I remember that evening. It was bright and not too chilly after Monday’s quick snowstorm.
Wilson: Yeah that was something else. The forecast says we may have a couple more quick storms over the next several days. Maybe we can make a snowman?
Elsa: Umm, yeah, no. There’s too much to do before Santa Paws arrives and I don’t want to spend time making a snowman when there are dog treats to bake.
Wilson: Egad, you’re right. Time to be efficient with our time! Well when we’re out on our daily constitutions, we’ll still look for tasteful Christmas decor. First up, I spotted a moose! I mean, a MOOSE…in our neighborhood. What are the odds?
Elsa: Hmm, haven’t seen one of those in the neighborhood, although we did have some deer noshing on the groundcover in our Dr. Dolittle post.
Wilson: Whoa…you had real live deer in the garden?? I say, that’s something, considering we live so close to the downtown business center but I’m getting used to seeing hooved critters like these.
Elsa: Meh…more stuff to store by my way of thinking but at least those guys are quiet. I like peace and quiet. This is the season of peace and these fit the bill.
Wilson: Peace is good. I liked this little bear too. He didn’t seem too threatening toward Mum, me or the snowman he was sitting next to.
Elsa: {eyes rolling} Threatening? You really are a buffoon, aren’t you? You know it’s not real, right?
Wilson: Oh right, I kind of got caught up in the moment. My bad.
Elsa: Just wanted to keep you grounded. You’re taking this Christmas critter thing a bit too serious. At least you didn’t growl at any of the critters.
Wilson: Mum was quite proud of me, especially where the moose was concerned. I approached it cautiously though because those things can be dangerous.
Elsa: Oh for heaven’s sake. Those aren’t real; there’s no danger!!
Wilson: I’m not taking any changes. I mean, I don’t want you to get your tinsel all twisted like me during our recent photo shoot. Where Mum gets these ideas I have no idea. We hope you all have a sporting good weekend and are able to enjoy a spot of real nature as you’re out and about rushing around finishing up your holiday preparations.
Elsa: You do know when you pose like that, it gives Mom more incentive to do more photo sessions with costumes?
Wilson: Yes, I do realize it. I’ve also figured out the high value treats flow readily. See, I’m not a complete fool. Nom, nom. Have a great weekend!
Mee-yow Elsa yore furry purrty…. sumthin about us black Poochiess an Kittiess….wee look misty-ereeus!
Wilson yore ADOORBSS inn yore fien dressin. And score LARGE on treetss two 😉
THE sky fotoss are beeuteefull.
Wee like THE Bear guy…he iss cute! Sorry wee late…seemss mee allwayss meowin Sorry these dayss…
***nose bopss*** BellaDharma an (((hugss))) BellaSita Mum
Thank you. You don’t have to apologize, things get crazy busy or illness messes up the best plans. Mom is barely keeping her head above water after a freak accident breaking her sternum so we know how it can be tough to stay on top of things. That bear was pretty cute-at least he wasn’t an inflatable. 😉
YIKESS!!!!! Miss Monia broked her Sternum?? This iss horrabad!!! Will Miss Monika bee OKay?? Can wee due anything fore her??
Wee wish her a speedy reecovurry. Man so many peepss have been eether sick or hertin themselvess….what a weerd Deecemburr it has been 😉
Thanks-you’re too kind. She’ll be okay in about 8-12 weeks if she takes it easy. The break wasn’t displaced so surgery isn’t necessary. Whew…at least she can still walk and feed us. 💙
Wee can emaginne shee iss inn sum seereuss diss-comfert!!! Mee iss sending tripell POTP an BellaSita iss purrayin dailee fore Miss Monika! Wehw! Guud thing shee can still walk an feed youss’ fore sure!!!
You’re too sweet. Thank you!
Everyone enjoys good attention.
No one needs to remind a dog of that. 😇
Oh Wilson and Elsa, you made us MOL about the light posing and treats…MOL…Great Christmas walkies too. glad you’re both fine😸😸Double Pawkisses for a Happy Day to the both of you and your mommy too🐾😽💞
Thanks kitties. You just never know what’s going to show up in this neighborhood. Thank goodness treats seem to make everything better. 😉
Lulu: “IT’S SNOWING ON YOUR BLOG!!! I want to climb inside the computer and play in it, but Dada says I can’t.”
Java Bean: “Nice job scoring a special treat at the vet! I will never tell!”
Thanks Lulu. We like the annual WP snow fest. Kind of makes up for when it vexes us but I’m still not switching to the Block Editor. 😇
Treats make the world a better place, Bean.
Lovely photos of Christmas animals. Wilson must be seriously well trained to let you get that photo. He’s adorable.
Thanks Dan. He continues to impress me with his desire to please. Course it only took half a bag of high value treats. LOL
Well earned.
YAY for the good vet visit…..We had a good giggle with the yard full of inflatables and “stuff”……some people just don’t know when to stop! The Christmas spirit carries some people away we think. Anyway, not much of that in our neighborhood this year for some reason. No Christmas spirit? Maybe this week things will begin to get festive! We are supposed to have SNOW on Wednesday!!
Hugs, Teddy (and Mom Pam)
Thanks, glad you giggled at the sight of that overdone yard. I simply had no words when we first came upon it. Holy cow…talk about overkill! There’s nothing quite like a nice snowstorm to make folks get into the spirit the holidays. I think our next one rolls in Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a wonderful weekend.
Whoa!! That massive load of stuff…we have a few like that around here, too. The motors on those inflatables give us the creeps…and in the past, MJF used to growl and bark at them, BOL!!
Glad your vet trip was just routine, Elsa. And we’re so happy that you are bringing doggy joy to all those people att eh hospital.. Love seeing your beautiful Christmas get up, Wilson…much nicer than all those blatant things in the yards around your area…though some of those deer and teddy bear are kind of cute.
That overloaded garden of Christmas decor is simply inexplicable. There just are no words for that much stuff (and it’s only half the yard-I couldn’t get it all in a single frame!) We’ve enjoyed those willow deer figurines-they seem so much more tasteful and like the fact they don’t make any noise. The only sound we want to hear walking past inflatables is psst. LOL
That house is a bit much, but I like it, 🙂 Have a nice weekend.
That’s a bit of an understatement! Enjoy the weekend.
Those Christmas decorations were all fun to see! I hope you all have a most fabulous weekend!
Gorgeous skies, and thank you for taking me around to see the Christmas decorations.
Have a great weekend,
Pit
That boy knows his business when it comes to high value treats!
Have a great weekend y’all
That chowhound does not miss a crumb!
Hahaha!
That bear in the yard is like our stuffie bears. Except you probably can’t sleep with him. XOX Xena Wilson, that is a gorgeous picture of you in your Santa hat! You should be proud of yourself. And Elsa, I bet you did great at that vet place. It’s impawtant to go to a doctor who you like, with a staff you like, too. *wags* Lucy
Eee gads! That yard has more junk in in that us dogs have stuffies! And that’s a lot!! XOXOX Chia
I just shake my head when I walk past that yard. It’s all too much and took them several days to install. I had hoped they’d be restrained (they’re the same folks with the outrageously cluttered Halloween decorations) but no such luck. Sigh.
Yes, we have a few like that in our neighborhood too. I embrace “Less is more.” Maybe it’s just cause I’m lazy, LOL!
If that’s lazy, count me in. It’s just too chaotic to see. My eyes hurt before I can get past that house! #toomuch
The days are flying fast, for sure. Nice Christmas pic, Wilson!
Denver folk seem to like to do holidays in a BIG way, eh? I’m surprised the giant skellies aren’t decked out in Santa hats and coats, ha. 😉
Big? Is that another word for gaudy? LOL
Love the big light bulbs with Wilson!
Thanks. There has been quite the variety of outdoor decorations this year.
Loved seeing the Christmas animals. We have a few yards that over do it too. But I guess everyone has their own idea of what decorations should be. Thanks for the reminder about the holiday snow setting in WP, Monika. I totally forgot. Wilson looks great in the lights.
Those Christmas critters are better than all of the over the top number of inflatables, IMHO. To each his own, eh?
I will be showing some inflatables next Sunday and then shots of them after the holidays.
Hope no bullets will be used in the post holiday pics. #psst
It might appear to be something like that.
I only asked because you’re in Texas. LOL There’s nothing more pathetic than seeing a whole garden full of de-flatables.
I knew the genesis of the question. 😁
🤣 🤣 🤣
This time of year is what Mama calls, “Nature Slow”. You both did a great job finding lots of cool things!!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
Thanks…we like that description!
pea ezz..speekin oh wind…we think it wiped out de rest oh R name 🙀☃️😜
😆 Not to worry.
oh em cod guyz…eye think de onlee thing mizzin in de nayborz yard iz de grinch 🙀🙀😺💚🎄❤️ hope a feerze wind doez knot come thru….YEOW ‼️‼️‼️‼️
The grinch was on the other side of the yard! 🤣 There was too much ‘stuff’ to get it all in one picture! Have a cat-astic weekend. 😺
Is that cute young guy the vet? Gosh I feel old! Elsa looks like a very sweet patient.
He is! And if I remember correctly, he’s been practicing for about 5 years! Come to think of it I’m not feeling old, more like ancient! 😂 Have a great weekend, Lisa.
LOL, me too! Enjoy the weekend.
We love seeing Christmas decorations, the pretty and the tacky. They make our evening walks more interesting. It seems some neighborhoods do a lot and others not so much. At our house, we all love the camera and we get zero treats for our work. If we hear Mom pick up the camera off her desk, we all come running. Photos are fun and we have done them since we were tiny pups. Love your photo in the Christmas lights. Have a fun weekend!
Thanks Joy. As both of these guys were rescues, there’s no telling what their formative years were like. Elsa in particular had a rough start in the puppy mill and is definitely not a fan of picture taking. Have a lovely weekend and enjoy all those Christmas decorations on your walks!
Wilson, I have to say, probably yet again how very handsome (and well groomed too!!!!) you are. So glad you had a great vet visit. We kitties never get treated any way other than professionally by techs And usually the Vet. For us, you gotta be nice first…and consistently. THEN we will be sweet back. No worries though. Doggies are always friendly and nice. 🙂
Aww, thanks so much, Carole. He cleans up nicely (baths are a requirement for hospital visits and this time he was fully groomed-our groomer does an amazing job on him). I was really surprised that Elsa took to the vet tech so quickly and easily. She usually makes people work for her affection for a long time but she was even nose nudging her for more petting before we were out of there. Judging from what I’ve heard, cats and vet trips can be ‘interesting’ but not all dogs do well in the clinic. Wilson trembles a lot but all you have to do is shake a treat jar and then he relaxes a bit. Maybe that’s the plan all along-lol 😉
Have a great weekend!
Wilson, you look wonderful surrounded by your Christmas lights! As for the Griswold’s house, maybe they’re setting up for a Holiday Garage Sale (if not, they should), “two for the price of one” … NIMBY stuff! And please, inflatables that deflate overnight, really need to go … go … go!
You know that house truly is like the Griswolds! They went overboard at Halloween as well. I just have to shake my head. They’ve got to have a storage unit to store all that
junkstuff. Inflatables are the worst and look even more pathetic when not inflated. When you have a whole yard of them, it just looks junky. Have a great weekend-stay warm and cozy.The picture of Wilson in his Christmas hat is adorable! And I’m with you on all the inflatables…so uninteresting. Some of the other sculpture kind of critters were pretty cool.
Oh Wilson, you are adorable! Keep posing and your treats will double! We need a blogger friends’ pets calendar, we could all contribute a pic! Elsa are you in? 😀have a good weekend!
Aww, thanks. He cleans up nicely. Hmmm, a blogger friends calendar could be a big hit. I’m sure Wilson can convince Elsa for a quick snap or two. Wait until you see her outtake next week. Have a wonderful weekend. Stay warm. I heard the eastern part of the country is going to get pounded again with more snow. Meanwhile out West we’re ‘enjoying’ above average temps. Pretty soon, palm trees will thrive here! 😆
how good that you got good news from the vet-man, good when that mission is completed and we can start without worries into da season… we love the blue ice monsteryetiorwhatitis… that looks so fab!! there is no country what can do decorations like the US… we give 10 points and wild wagging tails…
Thanks. That blue ice thingy would have been quite fine, alone…but there’s too much stuff going on around him and you can’t see how cute he is. I just can’t help but wonder where they store all of that stuff. They do the same overkill at Halloween and 4th of July as well. You’d need a storage unit or another house just to stash the out of season stuff! Have a great weekend.
Glad the vet visit went well….an unexpected Christmas bonus!
I have to say that when it comes to Christmas decorations I far prefer those skyscapes to the weird and wonderful ‘installations’.
Here we have huge inflatable Santas and fibreglass reindeer blocking the pavements when you are out shopping…oh for a hat pin!
A single one of those gigantic creatures would be fine, but a yard full…umm not so much. Clearly they don’t realize how confusing that scene is to the eye that can’t find a place to rest. Oy. Have a great weekend and avoid those blocking reindeers, Helen.