You may recall that we missed last week’s blog hop. Mum and I were just too exhausted after loads of visits at Lutheran and while Mum is still a bit spent from yesterday’s sudden mad dash, we’re joining our friends from the Adventures of the LLB Gang’s blog hop. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what great posts and pics were shared in Blogville.
So during one of Mum’s many trips doing the things mums do, while she was at a stoplight she noticed this decorated utility box. She chuckled out loud that someone had artfully painted the normally ugly boxes. It’s good to see that some people can dress up less than pretty things we’ve come to accept as part of modern living. She only wished they’d have signed their work of art.
The Mum: ‘Morning lad, yes, I really did like the dressing up of an otherwise ugly utility box. If you can’t bury it, I say decorate it!
Wilson: Hmmm, we dogs usually say if you can’t bury it, pee on it but to each his own, eh? It is quite the artistic expression but not nearly as lovely as what Mother Nature doles out with a flick of her wrist. Take for example this Queen Anne’s Lace. Normally thought of as a common weed, it fits so nicely near the water wheel when it slowly rotated with water but was taken out of commission late last year. We walk past this garden daily and while it’s sad the water wheel no longer is operational, it was nice to see plants filing in around it. This common plant botanically known as Daucus Carota, is also called wild carrot. The leaves are finely divided and lacy with leaves between 5–15 cm (2–6 in) long, that alternate in a feather like pattern that separate into thin segments. The flowers are small, dull white, and clustered into flat, dense umbels (flower clusters that resembles an umbrella). They often are pink when in bud and may even have a pink, reddish or purple flower known as the “ruby” in its center, once fully opened. As seeds develop, the umbel curls up around the edges and develops a concave surface. With rough hairy, stiff stems, Daucus Carota is readily distinguished by a mix of the feather like leaves on solid green stems with roots that smell of carrots and often have a single red flower in the center which blooms to attract insects. Did you know that it looks very similar to poison hemlock but differs in having purple mottling on its stems. As you can imagine my Mum won’t let me stick my snooter anywhere near that plant but it is pretty with that wooden wheel in the frame.
The Mum: I really do miss the soft gentle sound of water pouring on each subsequent arm of the wheel as it rotated, but glad they didn’t remove it altogether. The wood has such beautiful texture and the Queen Anne’s Lace looks pretty around it. I’m sure those seeds on that wooden plank provide food for birds and insects.
Wilson: Food…oh my gosh, where!?!
The Mum: Relax House Pony. Sheesh, I definitely should have named you Hoover.
Wilson: But Mum, I’m a hungry boy who works hard and thus needs lots of nourishment.
The Mum: Care to explain the need for the “power naps?”
Wilson: It’s a well-documented fact that sleep is critical to maintaining good health.
The Mum: Uh-huh. Still not every crumb, seed or piece of lint you find is good nutrition.
Wilson: I’m going to ignore that last statement only because I have some pretty photos to share. I’m sure our readers will side with me on the need to eliminate things found on the ground.
The Mum: I don’t know, I’m sure they probably would prefer you to be svelte with a well-defined waistline where excess pounds don’t weigh down your joints.
Wilson: {grumbling} Just a word of advice to all you good readers…don’t try to out-logic mums but guess they know a thing or two about what’s good for their fur-kids.
The Mum: {smiling} I only have your best interests at heart. You may think all three of your stomachs need to be filled but that’s not quite accurate. What else do you have, nature wise?
Wilson: Ah yes, Well I found that fabulous hibiscus. Just look at that gorgeous bright color that looks amazing against a bluebird Colorado sky.
The Mum: It truly was gorgeous and the blooms were over-sized. The flowers nicely contraste with the dark green leaves.
Wilson: It’s a favorite of mine too. So pretty. But I found some nearly as pretty coneflowers near the same spot as that Hibiscus. Known as Echinacea, it is part of the daisy family and has a long history of use in traditional medicine by Indigenous peoples for treating infections, pain, and wounds, and has now gained popularity as a herbal remedy, especially for cold symptoms. Once early European settlers noticed indigenous people used it successfully, they began to develop their own uses. Modern use began after a Swiss herbal supplement maker was told that Echinacea could be used as a cold prevention remedy by Native American tribes who lived in the area of South Dakota.
The Mum: It’s such a cheerful looking plant and yes, I often add Echinacea if I’m starting to experience the sniffles and sometimes it works well to reduce symptoms or even eliminate them completely. I’d much rather use something that is plant based than something like an over the counter remedy like Sudafed which practically takes an act of God to obtain it from behind pharmacy counters any more due to it being a component in the production of methamphetamines.
Wilson: Plant based is probably better for you, Mum. I personally have never sick goat and they eat plants all the time. Have you?
The Mum: {winking} Ahh yes, I’m sure that’s it.
Wilson: Hey, I’m not just a pretty face. And speaking of pretty, how about this gorgeous geranium. 
The Mum: It’s a beauty for sure. We don’t generally see two-toned geraniums like that one and I just had to take a photo of it.
Wilson: It’s just lovely Mum. And for anyone like us who might be jonesing for a visible sign that autumn is just 31 days away, I share this tiny little sliver of hope that perhaps heralds the end of this summer of hell soon. Cheers for a great weekend and remember to try and get out to see what Nature has shared with you.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Beautiful pictures! I particularly like the one of the wheel with the Queen Anne’s Lace.
Thanks, Sue. It’s such a fascinating flower. I love watching it morph into such a beauty.
What beautiful flowers..the hibiscus is breath taking….but there is something special about those painted fishies!
We are finally getting cooler mornings…come on Fall!!
Cooler temps sounds totally divine. Glad you enjoyed the flowers as well as the fish decor.
The flowers are all so beautiful. And I used to have the weed, Queen Anne’s Lace, in my backyard where I grew up. It was always so pretty, I always thought it was a flower. I take echinacea and vitamin C if I feel something like a cold coming on and if I catch it in time, it always works.
Thanks…they’re weren’t too bad for this late in the year. I like Queen Anne’s Lace-it’s very pretty but can be invasive. It does look great in a bouquet though with other flowers. I agree…echinacea works great when taken right away with sniffles and other cold symptoms.
You are so observant about flowers. It is impressive.
Aww, you’re too kind. Noticing flowers makes our walks that much more fascinating. Have a great weekend.
I enjoyed all of the pictures and seeing that small water wheel was a pleasure! I have seen a few leaves from the neighbors Red Bud tree down in my yard. YEA! Autumn will be here…hot…but here.
Glad you enjoyed this week’s images. I miss seeing that wheel do it’s gravity thing but glad they kept it in the garden. I think at one point they planned to fill in each arm and plant flowers. The fill-in is complete, just no plants yet. Have a lovely weekend and try to stay cool.
Lulu: “That’s wonderful that you got that puppy out of the shelter. Over 300 dogs placed over the years, that’s an entire pack and then some!”
Java Bean: “I agree with Wilson about the ‘If you can’t bury it, pee on it’ thing.”
Lulu: “Of course you do.”
Bean and Wilson are on the same page and that makes me chuckle.
We’re very excited about Herman’s future. Have a great weekend.
Two words: Hibiscus STUNNING!
Aww, that’s so nice of you to say. It stopped me in my tracks as we were high stepping on a different street. So pretty. Here’s hoping your weekend is full of beauty and calm.
Beautiful flowers and gardens……my Mom says we’d all better enjoy them here while we can because colder weather will soon be here (I can’t wait!) and we’ll be wishing for warm weather (I don’t think so!) again.
Hugs, Teddy
Thanks, Teddy. We’re totally with you on looking forward to cooler days and not wishing for warmer temps! Enjoy a fabulous weekend.
I learned about coneflower and its amazing number of uses way back in 1975 when I was in Europe! I now use that stuff if needed and a lot of other natural remedies to avoid the chemical soups of the pharmaceuticals…which I admit to using if truly needed. Like when I had poison ivy all over me, the natural stuff helped but not nearly enough…
Loved that ‘dinner plate’ hibiscus! I should try to grow one of those here!
Love the quaint look of the water wheel and the Queen Anne’s lace. m(I wonder how it got that name?)
Thanks Wilson for a good nature tour!
And we hope Herman will soon have a wonderful new forever home. Thanks for being part of the rescue effort to save him.
Thanks for the really sweet comment. I’m with you Ingrid about natural remedies. I always rely on them first. And most of the time, the results are fairly quickly and without the nasty side effects of those chemical pharmacological junk. Wishing you and the pupsters a lovely weekend. Hopefully you don’t have to work. 🤞🏼
You…I DO have to work, but it’s the last full weekend since soon I will be semi retired and working only on an as needed basis. Hooray!!
How did YUP become’you’??? Autocorrect is a pain at times.
Bwahahahaha. I ask myself that same question all the time. I swear there is some mischief making going on with my keyboard!
Yay! Congratulations. I can honestly and whole heartedly endorse retirement of any kind! Bravo 🎉
I enjoyed your beautiful nature photos, and the conversations.
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed them. We hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Those are terrific photos Wilson and big thanks to everyone who helped save sweet Herman!
Thanks very much, Terry. I’m glad I could be a small cog in the wheel that’s taking little Herman under its wing. We were glad to be able to get him going toward a much better life. Have a purr-fect weekend.
Mee-yow those Corn Flowerss are so purrty Wilson an Miss Monika. All THE flowerss are lovelee.
Queen Anne’ss Lace an Water wheel iss furry purrty two! Furry ‘country’ rite? Who was THIS Queen Anne wee wunderss???
Mee nibbless stuff off THE rug Wilson….BellaSita squawkss at mee efurry time!!
See Miss Monika iss not only Poochiess who due this 😉
Wee gotta meow that Utility Box sure iss artyfied an lookss so kewl. BellaSita iss gonna show this foto to our Mistur R. M. Hee’ss a Tech Man fore a Fone company heer… He will appurrciate THE art!!
~~~head rubss~~~BelalDharma~~~ an ((hugss)) BellaSita Mum
Thanks so much BellaDharma and BellaSita Mum. We got lucky this week on finding some really pretty flowers despite the heat. We hope you have a lovely weekend and your temps are starting to cool off.
Mee-yow Miss Monika it iss still warm an sum hue-midity. An so grey an gloomy…. not THE best weather…an it keepss lookin like it wantss to rain….BLEH!
Clouds without rain is the pits. Rain or go away I say.
Wee agree Miss Monika an Wilson…… wee meowed that last nite an it rained….again… **sighss**
Beautiful blooms. My husband likes me to cook Queen Anne’s lace-it has a lemony flavor. I coat them like onion rings and deep fry. XO
Thanks, Ellen. Wow, that recipe for Queen Anne’s Lace sounds super yummy! Have a wonderful weekend.
Another stellar stroll through the tulips . . well, you know what I mean. Lovely captures, witty banter and lessons aplenty . . it MUST be Nature Friday.
No Wilson, you’re a handsome face, a very handsome face. And mama is just looking out for you because she loves you so much. Who could blame her?
Thanks, Marc. You’re too kind. Summer is winding down (hope springs eternal) but that hibiscus…wowsers. That saturated color just blew me away. Hoping for a bit of a cool down this weekend. I’m just gassed with the heat and lack of moisture. Have a great weekend!
Seriously!
And yes, this morning’s run was a perfect fall temp and I ain’t gonna lie. It was bliss.
Me twice!
Hope yours was great.
Aww that wonderfully decorated utility box made me smile too sweet Wilson and the flowers are all beautiful, especially the oversized hibiscus 🌺 Wishing you both a fabulous weekend as well and much love back from our house to yours 🤗 💕 🐕 xxx
Many thanks, Xenia. I’m always smitten whenever I see one of those gigantic blooms on the cold-hardy hibiscus. Have a wonderful weekend and please give precious Bria a nice ear rub from me.
Those ginormous hibiscus blooming now are so eye-catching, so pretty.
Have a great and restful weekend!
Thanks Eliza. They are gorgeous and while I love seeing the Rose of Sharon, those cold-hardy hibiscus put them to shame. Have a pawtastic weekend!
Our neighbor’s Bradford pears are dropping leaves like it is September. Don’t know what is going on, but getting tired of picking them up before tempeste can eat them. Loved the tour today, That hibiscus was breathtaking.
Thanks John. Those cold-hardy hibiscus are spectacular. It’s been so hot here, most of the trees are uber stressed, I’m thinking that’s what likely caused those leaves to start changing. I’m not unhappy about autumn arriving early but sad there are so many stressed trees. They don’t do well in winter.
Awww, we thought maybe you would get the little fellow as a new baby brother. We like the tastefully painted utility boxes and we see that more and more on our travels. Pretty flowers you found too. Have a Grand weekend!
It’s quite tempting but little Herman is with the best possible person right now. My role is to support him and others like him. I thought that was a clever way to beautify the utility box. So simple, yet so effective and smile inducing. Wishing you and the pups a wagnificent weekend!
That hibiscus is stunning! Don’t eat it wilson! Good to know puppy is in good hands. Fosters are truly heros.
You’re so right, fosters truly are heros and this one is one of the absolute best I’ve ever known. Already, we’re getting great reports about toddler Herman. He’s in great hands and will make someone a lovely companion. I’m looking forward to sharing photos of him soon. Have a fantastic weekend and give sweet Chester a nice ear rub from me.
Love the utility box. If we had one in our yard, it would be full of bird artwork! Best wishes for the little pup. So glad good people stepped up! We are enjoying gorgeous weather here finally. Not fall but fallish with night time temps dropping into the 50s. During the day it’s still upper 70s-lower 80s. Just perfect.
Thanks, Kate. Finally, we didn’t break the upper 90’s for the first time in a couple of weeks. No rain in my neighborhood but a day that’s only 80F is a huge improvement. As Wilson and I walk around sunrise, the early mornings are simply paradise and I’m looking forward to wearing long sleeves soon! Enjoy that beautiful weather this weekend.
Awww on you helping to save Herman! Best wishes for him! I hope you plan to kick back and relax this weekend!
Creative art with the fish! I agree with your mum. Anything to dress up a blah looking box is perfect.
Love the red 🌺 hibiscus!
That wheel is a perfect background for the Queen Anne’s lace. Wilson I think you would add even more charm to that picture. 🙂
Happy Friday! Have a Pawsome weekend!
I’ll let Mum know she’s slacking on her posing techniques. I’d probably stand on my head if she threw in a treat.
Your fur-iend,
Wilson 🐾
Ahh! Now, that would be something to see! But your mum may not be able to click the picture fast enough of you on your head before you fall down. So sitting upright is fine. Then we all can see your handsome, suave face. 😊
Aww you sweet and kind. 💙 {blush, blush}
🥰
Thank you for the lovely flowers, Wilson. I hope all goes well for Herman. Things have cooled off around here. I hope that’s a trend elsewhere, especially where you are. Kudos again on your excellent service, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you, kind sir. We’re hoping for a slight cool down and pray for some rain to go with it. Have a lovely weekend.
what pretty pics. The geranium looks so different in close-up
L.A
Thanks. It was a lovely departure from plain solid colored ones we usually see. Have a lovely weekend.
People decorate utility boxes around here too. One in the area has a duck and ducklings on it, very cute.
When I lived in Capitol Hill, there was an artist who transformed the city trash dumpsters by adding mostly colorful flamingos. Gads, I miss those good ole days. Now the city uses these flimsy hard plastic bins that the squirrels chew holes in to gain access to wholesome gross trash. 😉
Enjoy a great weekend.
Remember the old remedies? Before they were all banned as junkies ruined things for everyone?
Indeed I do but it probably did me a favor to use more natural remedies than heaven only knows what kind of ingredients with profit soaring chemicals are contained in the successors. People (at least in the states) demand immediate wellness and will do whatever they can to get it rather than allowing the body to heal itself. A few sniffles is better than chemical side effects by my way of thinking. Have a lovely weekend, Helen and give The Thugs nice ear rubs from me.
😆❤️☕️☕️
Thanks. Have a great weekend enjoying nature!