Adventures of a pet therapy dog and his Ninja sister
For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, Happy Spring Equinox. While ‘Spring’ isn’t fully in evidence in many places, it’s one step moving toward the season of renewal. For those of you buried under mounds of recent snow, we hope today is just the beginning of a shift toward warming days, Spring bulbs and fresh green sprouts. Happy first day of Spring.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Although Mum’s lineage is mostly German, we happily (ok, maybe ‘happily’ is a bit of an exaggeration, let’s just say we generally tolerate and by we, I mean me) participate in the ‘wearing of the green’ for St. Patrick’s Day for her sake. Of course, that means she has to work über fast when trying to capture Elsa in costume. We all know that Elsa never likes to participate in photo sessions but Mum has gotten quick with the shutter after years of countless bloopers with Elsa.
With that introduction, welcome to the St. Patrick’s Day edition of Nature Friday. Norman here at the editor’s desk penning this post. My sister decided to boycott since her motto is “Bah Humbug,” not “Erin Go Bragh,” especially today (feel free to insert an eye roll here in honor of her typical curmudgeonly manner). If you were to describe her with an Irish expression this week, she’s been “acting the maggot” meaning she’s been obnoxious, showing her displeasure with just about everything. Mum has had a pinched nerve and with a lack of sleep, is pretty much over the difficult princess routine. Blimey…these two strong willed females with competing agendas and…well…this bloke knows to avoid the fireworks. We all know that Mum’s win in the end (or at least we let them think so) but don’t tell her I said that but boy, the mutual crabbiness isn’t what this bloke enjoys as we march toward the official arrival of Spring on Monday. That said, as usual, I’m joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang.
Like I said, Mum has been suffering from a painful pinched nerve all week and photo taking hasn’t been high on her list of things to do since restorative sleep has been most elusive. As a dog we are lucky we can sleep just about anywhere and at any time. Still she did manage to find a few offerings this week. Let’s see what she came up with, okay?
She took this one while visiting with family in Southern Colorado.
For a hot minute, I thought that Spring had arrived on Wednesday. It was a lovely day in the low 70’sºF and about as glorious a day as you’ll find. Then Winter stepped in with a cruel way to remind us that Springtime in the Rockies is not for the faint of heart. In other words, it snowed {shiver}. Not much mind you, but enough to keep the coats, gloves and hats close at hand.
On the plus side, Mum noticed the blue hyacinths were coming up as their lovely blue shade contrasted nicely against the snow and dried leaves. On a walk late yesterday afternoon after most of the snow had melted, she noticed some Spring bulbs that have nice southern exposure. Mum was excited at the thought of these tulips blooming soon which, if she remembers correctly, are red and very cheery looking. They are much farther along than any of the bulbs in our garden since they are warmed by that nice sunny spot while ours tend to be somewhat shaded by large trees.
Before she passed by those tulips, she walked past her favorite Eastern Redbud tree along her usual route and found a couple of icicles hanging off some major branches. She’s hoping that in a week or so, buds will start forming for a beautiful display of those showy flowers that bloom in early Spring. It’s a plain looking tree when it’s fully leafed out but for a good 7-10 days, it’s breathtaking with those colorful fuschia blooms.
Of course, no St. Patrick’s Day is complete without a shamrock plant or two. Mum has had this plant for more than 20 years in her kitchen window. It’s seen better days and likely is trying to remind her it needs to be repotted in fresh soil. Apologies for its raggedy appearance, but it did manage to bloom just in time for the holiday.
So do you know why we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? It’s because of Ireland’s nickname, The Emerald Isle. The green stripe in the Irish flag also plays a role since green represents the Catholics of Ireland, the orange represents the Protestant population and the white in the middle symbolizes peace between the two religions. As a dog whose lineage heralds from the UK, I’ve often thought maybe they should have made the white part bigger since there were many years of conflict.
So how might you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Any corn beef and cabbage on your weekend menu? Whatever you do, we hope you’ll take some time to search for Nature this last weekend of Winter while you prepare for Spring’s arrival.
May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back and May the sun shine warm upon your face .
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to Friday where we join our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang with glimpses of Nature from around our urban ‘Hood as well as Southern Colorado. With the official arrival of Spring on the calendar a mere two weeks away, there are more subtle signs that the landscape is beginning to wake up. Hi, there, just us two Ranch Hand editors sharing a few scenes from around the area.
Norman: So Mum’s sister from Texas came to visiting their Dad in Southern Colorado so we came down for a few days to visit and wanted to share some sights from life in the 719 as well as a few scenes from earlier in week from the Big City. Plus I know my Grandpa absolutely adores me and was especially concerned after I was sick last week. He needed to make sure I was in tip-top shape.
Elsa: You’re still milking that pancreatitis thing, aren’t you? Life around the Ranch has been windy and dry so Mom is keeping her eagle eyes peeled for signs of color. She squealed when she saw these tiny crocuses between the sidewalk and lawn. That’s definitely a sign that Spring is on its way, right?
Norman: Cute little buggers, aren’t they? With such a nice pop of purple, it made them fairly easy to spot but Mum thinks most people just walk past them because they so tiny.
Elsa: Right about that, brother. But you know what Mom says about Spring Bulbs?
Norman & Elsa {barked in two part harmony and in unison}: DON’T LET YOUR PET EAT ANY SPRING BULBS-THEY’RE TOXIC TO US 4-LEGGED FUR BABIES.
Norman: Mum took us for a walk a couple of days ago before heading south Mum spied this grass seed head. It was rather stunning against the wooden fence. All those lovely shades of tawny brown.
Elsa: {interrupting} You just wanted to sniff it, you could care less about how it looks!
Norman: Ahem…that’s not completely true. I’ll have you know I can appreciate an interesting picture as much as the next bloke.
Elsa: {giggling} Right. You keep telling yourself stuff like that, maybe one day you’ll actually believe it.
Norman: I rather do believe it now, thank you very much. Not everything is about the neighborhood pee bulletin board, I’ll have you know, little sister.
Elsa: Uh-huh…sure. Whatever.
Norman: {moving along} Did you know this week we had a Full Moon? Seems as though it was the third and final full Moon for the northern hemisphere’s winter season which took place and fell on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Did you know it’s referred to as the “Worm Moon” in some parts of the world because of the ground temperatures are warming allowing earthworms to come to the surface. Mum didn’t have her big camera so only was able to take this shot with her cell phone.
Elsa: It won’t win any Pulitzer prize, but it was interesting how the clouds seemed to pull back with the Moon in the middle, almost like a curtain, so I guess that’s kinda cool.
Norman: Very cool. So let’s share some of the sights we saw once we arrived at Grandpa’s house. The sunsets and sunrises are always quite stunning and Mum never tires of seeing them on the prairie. Check out this sunset shortly after we arrived. Is this a great country or what?
Elsa: Yeah, the sunsets are only surpassed by the sunrises. Mom really likes that time of day…it’s quiet and you can’t beat the colors. Especially against all the brown that tends to dominate the scenery this time of year. Check out this progression of light. This series started when it was fairly dark. But chilly.
Norman: You can say that again. 22ºF but when a mate has to go…well it makes you do your business and then trolly back into the house quickly.
Elsa: Us girls may have stronger bladders than you boys, although I can practically pee on demand whenever I go outside.
Norman: No need to remind me. Sunrise didn’t take long. Check out the next pic.
Elsa: Those are some pretty colors over the Greenhorn Mountains. And you can still see a few spots of snow on some of those peaks.
Norman: It was quite the trio of sunrise pics. Here’s the last one of the series. The sun came up fairly quickly after that. And I noticed Mum managed to capture a shot with the moon hanging over the mountains.
Elsa: Well, as they say in Hollywood, that’s a wrap. We hope you have a terrific weekend. Make sure you can get outside and see what Nature is dishing up.
Norman: Cheerio, mates!
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Greetings and salutations, sports fans. Elsa and Norman here to welcome you to the first post of March. After surviving the longest month in winter history {ahem…oh sister, may I remind you that February is actually the shortest month of the year}…Yo brother, please stop throwing shade on my post!
Norman: Sorry to have interrupted you, I just wanted to make sure you (a) understood that you made a misstatement and (b) I didn’t want our readers to think you were unsophisticated as to not know that February is the short month. By the way, you neglected to mention we’re joining those cuties over at Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop.
Elsa: Big deal…it was just a euphemism, fur ball. Sheesh, you can’t lighten up even a little, can you? And yes, we’re joining Rosy and Sunny. Are you happy now?
Norman: Of course I’m happy. You know how much I love those little pups. That said, I just want our posts to be factually correct so we can keep our integrity intact.
Elsa: {shaking her head and mischievously wagging her tail} W-h-a-t-e-v-e-r. As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, we managed to slam close the door on February and now are more than ready to welcome March. You know in two weeks, we’ll be celebrating a ‘green’ holiday, right, Mr. Precision?
Norman: Of course I do. Being a dog whose breed originated from the British Isles, I’m keenly aware of the “National Holiday of Ireland which is celebrated throughout the UK, Canada, US, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, particularly among the Irish diaspora, as well as the territory of Montserrat.”
Elsa: Oh lord, you’ve been on Wikipedia again, haven’t you? Anywho, we began to notice subtle signs of greening yesterday that I thought we might share. You ready, dude?
Norman: Right-o, lass. Mum has been looking for signs that Spring is headed our way and said she’s hopeful that things are beginning to shift now. Just look at this garden art she found on her walk. It’s not the greatest composition (please don’t tell her I said that) but she stopped and went back to snap this pic because she saw…gasp…actual green grass, not the usual straw colored stuff we typically see in Winter around here.
Elsa: Hey you said it, not me. Yeah…but you’re so right, it IS a really crummy pic but you gotta love the green grass which I plan to start munching on the next time we walk by. I love grass-those tender, fresh new shoots {smacking her lips}, it’s the best fiber around.
Norman: Umm,. hard pass on the grass, sister. After this week’s health scare, I’ve been strictly forbidden to eat ANYTHING other than what’s in my bowl.
Elsa: Yeah, I was going to ask you how you’re feeling now? You sure scared Mom-she was panic-stricken.
Norman: I know she was but am so grateful she acted quickly getting me to the vet. Getting poked and prodded is not my idea of a jolly time. The vet said my tests showed signs that I had a small case of pancreatitis but I’m feeling better now. Boy, let me just say, avoid pancreatitis if at all possible. I was one sick puppy for a few days and even had to cancel my hospital visits. Which really was unfortunate since I got all spiffed up and groomed to visit my friends at Lutheran. Oh, and before I forget, thank you for staying close and repeatedly nose-nudging me while I was recuperating. It was more than a bit disconcerting but think you were just trying to make sure I was ok so I appreciate your gentle care.
Elsa: {blushing} Well, I know I don’t show it very often but I do care about you and am glad you’re doing better. I’m not ready to be an only child.
Norman: Thank you, lovey. Very sporting of you…
Elsa: {interrupting} Yeah, yeah, don’t go all sentimental on me. Let’s get back to seeing other signs of green nature, ok?
Norman: Ok, let’s not dwell on the past. Mum found some little tulips along her walk. She told me these are very pretty when they’re in bloom and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing them in bloom. But of course, I won’t do anything more than sniff them-bulbs are toxic to us canines.
Elsa: Count me out on eating bulbs. I have high standards as to what I eat {snorfing heard in the background from Norman}. I noticed some green around the Ranch as well. Achillea x ‘Moonshine’ (Yarrow) is beginning to show signs of waking up. It looked pretty grim with brownish dried-out sticks and leaves until Mom cleaned it up a tad yesterday. It still has a l-o-n-g way to go, but that spot of green is a good sign.
Norman: She also noticed her hyacinth bulbs survived despite being repeatedly buried with snow. And the bearded iris and even some naturalized snapdragons are showing signs of waking up.
Elsa: All good signs, I’d say. But the pièce de résistance this week had to be these magnolia blossoms from a nearby neighbor’s garden. Mom says they’ll likely be hit with frost before they fully emerge but with that trademark blue sky, it was a lovely sight to behold. I’m not sure which was more welcome, those blooms or the clear blue sky. Mom isn’t a fan of gloomy grey skies.
Norman: Mum and I have that in common. Enjoying a nice sunny clear day is good for the soul, isn’t it?
Elsa: Right you are, dog-breath. So do you think we’ll get to enjoy some new adventures this weekend when the temps should be in the upper 50’sF? It’d be great if Mom took a different route on the walk so we can sniff new and different smells. The ground is nice and damp from the snow melting this week so it should be pretty doggone awesome for our olfactory systems.
Norman: Oooh, I can’t wait. I need to check out the neighborhood bulletin board. So what plans do you have for the first weekend of March? Anything exciting planned? Whatever you do, we hope signs of Spring are showing up around your neighborhood. This is the time of year where nature renews itself so be sure to get out there and find it. Have a bonny good weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Hello there, sports fans. Elsa and Norman here to share photos for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. Like always, we’re joining those sweet pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang with glimpses of Nature from around our ‘Hood. The question for the week continues to be “where’s the delete Winter” button.
Norman: I know, you’re all sick of me whinging on about the weather but I can’t help it. I’m a fair weather chap who enjoys moderate (and dry) temps. I can see a lot of you nodding your heads in agreement, don’t deny it.
Elsa: Well brother, you do tend to be a bit of wuss when it comes to weather. I mean, look at the new neighbor a couple of days ago. Mom couldn’t believe her eyes-that morning the temps hovered around zero but at least he was finally shoveling-he’s missed doing that the past few storms. Personally I think he had to be looking for pants before but who knows?
Norman: I. have. no. words. for. people. like. that. Mum said it was pretty and fluffy even if the temps kept us all inside where we were cozy and warm.
Elsa: It was a busy week for you, dude with your various fundraisers and hobnobbing for the rescue. Congrats on raising a boatload of funds at the two Valentine’s Day themed events. While you were out there working hard, I was snoozing in your favorite spot on the sofa. Heh, heh. heh. So…you gonna show some pics from your adventures?
Norman: Well, they aren’t really Nature oriented. Wait, you were on my sofa?? I hope you didn’t ruin my pillows? Good thing they seemed ok when I got back home.
Elsa: Relax dog-breath. Everything was fine; I just enjoyed some nice quiet time where I could drool admire Mom’s cookie making for the fundraising bake sale and play with your the toys without you barking your fathead off at me and I’m proud of what you accomplished. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but those funds will help other fatheads sheepdogs like you. It’s in the dog code book that we rescue dogs gotta stick together, dude.
Norman: Well that’s very kind of you, sister, but we probably need to get back on point…as in Nature pics. You know the return of winter has kept Mum more homebound except when she had commitments she needed to keep but she missed her walks but managed to find these shots when she went to have her taxes prepared.
Elsa: Wait…isn’t that the flower shop near our house? Looks like they’ve been thinking Spring like the rest of us.
Norman: You know when she showed me that window I had to admit, it was really pretty. But then she started grumbling and grabbed the snow shovel so I didn’t see her for a while.
Elsa: Before she shoveled though she took some photos of nearby “Goose Mountain Ski Resort” that was on a former assisted living, senior home. They don’t even have a chair lift and have to waddle walk back up the hill. That’s kind of a gyp especially considering they still have waiting lines.
Norman: They seemed to enjoy it though I’ll never understand the whole skiing thing that most people in this state relish. Other than being around others, I just don’t see the point. And to think they pay good money to do that! Me, I’m all about going to a Brewpub and waiting for people to come pet me, not to ski down a slope and then go back up to do it all over again.
Elsa: I know, humans…who can figure them out? Then again, I don’t understand the neighborhood critters. I mean, look at this lame-o merry-go-round they created. How dumb is that-I mean, they were apparently walking around in circles for no reason it seems.
Norman: And no one left any messages for anyone! And when it comes to uprights, who can comprehend why they do things, let alone what Nature’s kids are thinking. Good thing peeps give us nice ear rubs, make tasty treats and love us. Otherwise we might never have become domesticated.
Elsa: You got that right! People are just weird. Well at least the afternoon turned out to be one of those beautifully bright sunny days our state is known for, even in winter when it’s cold. And look, it began to melt!
Norman: I for one, am looking forward to more of those sunny days with warm temps to go with my naps. So what’s winter been like in your area? Are there any signs of spring where you’re at? We’re still trying to rejuvenate after a busy week but with warmer temps, hopefully Mum can get out with us and not workout on her elliptical. I like it when you and I can sniff walk with Mum.
Elsa: Oh dude…you’re embarrassing yourself again. Yeah, I think sniffing is best too. So do YOU have any special plans for this weekend? Whatever you do, we hope it’s fun and you can find beautiful signs of Nature to enjoy.
Norman: Right-o. Cheerio mates and have a pawsome weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Norman here with some {imitating Ed Sullivan} reeelly, reeelly big news. Mum has been dizzily working on a project that I’m happy to share with you now. Last August a group of committed volunteers who had worked in various capacities with the Old English Sheepdog rescue from where I came [you can read about my story here] got together once it became apparent that old rescue was going close. They realized there was still a need to help dogs like me and decided then and there to form their own sheepdog rescue. Enter…{trumpets blowing} the all new organization, Rocky Mountain Old English Sheepdog Rescue.
While there are no dogs in the new rescue yet (we’re still setting up infrastructure, getting insurance, obtaining bookkeeping assistance, writing policies, etc. that are still being formulated), but the website has gone live, though there will be limited activity until we’re further along while things are getting set up. Mum said they’re taking it one day at a time and are doing everything by the book. It took some effort just getting the non-profit status approved with the IRS but it’s official now and allows the rescue to set up and participate in fundraising events. But I’m very chuffed there will still be a place where sheepies like me will get a second chance at a fur-ever home.
We hope you’ll send us ‘pawsitive’ thoughts as we continue to move forward for all the red tape required. Who knew there was so much involved with creating a dog rescue?
In other news, after much deliberation, Mum shuttered her e-commerce shop over the weekend. The amount of work (and expense) to maintain it wasn’t even close to making it profitable to justify maintaining it. She has decided to just make cards for friends and family and no longer will offer them or (dog related items) for sale in the e-shop. It wasn’t an easy decision to come to but after careful consideration, Mum realized it makes sense. She wanted me to express our gratitude to everyone who has supported the shop over the years and also to those who provided encouragement. We feel truly blessed for your kindness and generous support.
And with those announcements, we hope you have a truly pawsome week.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
It’s Monday so that means it’s time to start out the week with a smile. Stay warm; we plan to huddle up together a lot today (it’s -3ºF /-19.44ºC at publication time).
Hopefully your hindsight is crisp and clear for a pawsome Monday.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Greetings and welcome to Day 97 of Winter, Norman here. Before I share some of the sights around our Ranch, I wanted…{Elsa yelling from the other room} “Don’t forget, it was my idea!!”
Norman: Ahem…As I was about to say, before sharing what Nature has looked liked around the Ranch, I wanted to express my deepest gratitude to all the wonderful Gotcha Day wishes from all the readers. You made my day extra special and I appreciate it tremendously.
Norman: {continuing} Now, let’s get to the sharing part of this week’s episode of Nature Friday, shall we? As always, we’re joining the LLB Gang.
Elsa: Yeah, get on with it, Bucko. I got things to do to get ready for the weekend.
Norman: Oh dear, I’m afraid this might be harder than I had hoped with all these interruptions.
Elsa: You want interruptions…don’t get me started, pal. Why I oughta…
Norman: No need to get hostile, Ninja. As I mentioned earlier it seems like Winter has been around forever. After those hyacinths raised their heads up a tad recently (in case you missed it, click here), I was ever so hopeful we would be moving toward more temperate climes. Alas, that is not the case. All those “atmospheric rivers” plaguing the West Coast continue to move west and leave piles of the dreaded white stuff.
Elsa: What do you mean, dreaded? This stuff tastes great.
Norman: {Rolling his eyes} Oh for bloody sake…do I get to do this post or don’t I?
Elsa: Sheesh, lighten up, ya pile of fur!
Norman: So sorry, I don’t mean to sound so harsh. My bad. I just want to be able to deliver my post uninterrupted. {Clearing his throat…continues}. Well as you can see by Elsa’s pose, it snowed…again. I think that was maybe Day 92 of Winter. At any rate, our landscape remains monochromed. Not totally brown anymore but more like 99.99% white.
Elsa: Ooh, ooh {breathlessly interrupting}…did I tell you I saw some brown yesterday? I took a whiff of the afternoon breeze and caught the scent of bunny. Or maybe it was squirrel, I don’t know. Either way…something had definitely marched through my front garden and I had to check it out since I am the protector of the Ranch.
Norman: Ok, moving right along. You know that one downspout that tends to ice up the sidewalk and causes problems when we turn the corner heading back to the dog run? I noticed even you wiped out and your fleet feet are pretty stable.
Elsa: Yeah…once I recovered and got up on all my paws and looked around like “what the dog was that all about!”
Norman: Don’t feel badly. I biffed it there as well. Mum was quite concerned. Seniors like me don’t do well when we fall. She helped me up and slowly guided me so I wouldn’t fall again on the icy sidewalk. I mean, I had patients and staff to visit and being hurt wasn’t on the agenda that morning.
Elsa: I noticed she tried to remediate the situation by spreading some cat litter and it turned into a lovely, squishy, grey goop during the bit of melting that occurred between storms.
Norman: Don’t remind me. It was a bloody mess. Turns out cat litter is not much of a substitute for sand so she cleaned it up as best as she could and then picked some sand up last night in anticipation of the next round of weather expected to move into the area this weekend. She went on a walkabout yesterday afternoon and raved about a cholla cactus she saw. She said it was completely sparkly from its spines to the small icy chunks of snow on it. I looked at her picture and felt badly for her-seems as if winter has clearly pushed her over the edge. All I saw was something poking through the snow with sharp spines. It was hard to see where the spines ended and the clumps of ice began.
Norman: {Shivering} Some of you have admitted you haven’t taken down your Christmas decorations. Well fear not, you’re not alone. When it snowed the other day, Mum was going on and on about this house on her walk. Mum’s…the littlest things seem to amuse them, I just don’t get it. No tree, no decorations, no presents left at our house and she gets giddy about this fenceline.
Elsa: She was just captivated by the snow on the ribbon, that’s all. It’s just a human shortcoming to like stuff like that.
Norman: Well I don’t get it. Course I’m more focused on the flakes that keep making appearances and those slippery walkways.
Norman: There are much better ways to deal with this weather pattern during all these endless days of Winter. For instance, having a good time with a fun toy. And if I can’t play with a toy inside where I’m warm, I enjoy making friends with a policeman and a couple of EMT’s from Lakewood, CO. They were at the Emergency Department when I visited and they just couldn’t get enough of me. I did rather enjoy that.
Elsa: {clearing her throat} Well your pet therapy work is nice and all, but can I just remind you that it really isn’t “Nature-centric?”
Norman: Perhaps not, but how could I resist such a swell group of chaps on my Gotcha Day?
Elsa: Oh jeez. You are shameless, you know that, right?
Norman: I beg your pardon. I’m just trying to show everyone there’s more to life than just drab brown or crystal white in life. That’s all.
Elsa: W.h.a.t.e.v.e.r…let’s wrap it up, big guy.
Norman: Roger, dear sister. We both hope you have a pawsome weekend and are able to get outside and enjoy some of Nature.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Well…here’s a change of pace for you. Elsa here. It’s a Monday (FYI, that’s not the change, that comes whether we like it or not) but instead of a Monday Musings post, I’m here to tell you today is that big oaf Norman’s Gotcha Day. Three years ago as COVID was still kind of hiding in the background, and my pogo-stick of a brother Sam was still the Concierge of the Ranch, Mom brought home this enormous pile of fur. A huge new brother that turned us Knuckleheads into a terrific trio. Sadly it would only be for a short time since our precious brother Sam decided that Mom was left in Norman’s capable paws. Happy Gotcha day, dude. I may be a pill to you at times, but you’ve turned into a pretty special boy and I am glad that you enjoy the limelight since it allows me to continue refining my Ninja skills in the background without a lot of front stage scrutiny.. Us Ninja’s like being in the shadows.
From your first car ride, it was clear you were going to be a nice addition. So doggone polite, sheesh. Is that because you’re a British breed? Us poodles might learn a thing or two about getting along with everyone from you. Then again…why should we have to?
I will say, you were a fast learner which helped me out because that meant I didn’t have to teach you how to, for instance, walk nicely on a leash.
Mom was a bit surprised though by one of your traits as she specifically had asked the foster if you got up on the furniture. He said and I quote, “Never!” Erm…so ten minutes after you arrived…how do you explain this?
But no matter, that’s one of Mom’s favorite pics of you and whenever she sees you hogging up on the sofa, she laughs out loud. Thanks for making my Mom smile, big guy.
Right away Mom thought you’d be a welcome addition to the pet therapy program at Lutheran and that you’d manage to fill Sam’s paws quite nicely as soon as the hospital reopened and she was right. Too bad that just as you began the approval process, the hospital shut down for the next 18 months. But eventually they reopened (better late than never, right). But she had no clue how much the nurses and staff would be filled with joy whenever you make hospital rounds. They frequently shower you with treats, toys as well as loads of attention. So sorry you have to work on your Bark Day but I’m sure they’ll make it worth your while this week.
You continue to charm Mom by letting her dress you up (and ridiculously I might add…but hey, whatever floats your boat). Sure glad somebody enjoys it…count me out!
You’ve been a great sport every since you lumbered into the Ranch.
And for all that and so much more, you deserve a pawsome Gotcha Day. Happy Barkday, fuzzball.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Setting the stage…{Classical music playing from the Bugs Bunny cartoons playing in the background}
Norman: {stretching} Wha…erm…what day is it?
Elsa: {y-a-w-n} Huh? Oh, you woke me up from a great dream to ask what day it is?
Norman: No, I just woke up and was a bit disoriented-mostly I was just thinking out loud. Well…do you know what day it is?
Elsa: Of course I know what day it is…it’s Sleep in Friday…that’s what day it is!
Norman: {eyes rolling} Oh sister…I think it’s actually Nature Friday, where we join the cute pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang in celebrating the wonderful moments in Nature.
Elsa: Whatev. I still would love to go back to bed and resume dreaming but I know you never can pick up where you left off. So…whaddu got from Nature this week?
Norman: Well, dear sister…it was as Mum puts it…another yoyo week. We started out in the season of mud with a spot of Spring and then…well you know how it turned out.
Elsa: Oh yeah, I remember now {still yawning and stretching}. The dog run was a bit of a mess wasn’t it? Mom went crazy trying to keep our paws clean. Boy, she gets really wound up about muddy paw prints, doesn’t she?
Norman: Tell me about it…She grabbed me as soon as we came back inside with a chamois and began wiping me down. Ugh.
Elsa: Yeah, she nailed me too. Why are moms such clean freaks?
Norman: No clue. But the beginning of the week when she wasn’t zero-ing on my paw prints, she was squealing about something in the front garden.
Elsa: So that’s what she was doing. I heard her and when I looked at what she was checking out, I did the double, dog blink, rolled my eyes and walked back inside to steal one of your toys play with one of the new Christmas toys.
Norman: Mum told me she’s never seen anything like that in January. I had to look closely. Those little things were pretty small but I guess that shock of green really got her gardening juices flowing.
Elsa: What the…what are those things anyway?
Norman: I think she squealed they were Hyacinths. She shooed me away saying they were dangerous to us dogs.
Elsa: Yeah, like we’d ever chew on anything like that?
Norman: Ha, ha, ha…good one, Elsa. I may only have been here 3 years but Angel Sam told me stories about all the weird things you’ve eaten.
Elsa: Yeah, yeah…doggone blabbermouth…ugh. Back on point, brother…what else do you have about “Nature” this week?
Norman: Well, Ninja…a couple of days after Mum was crowing about those teeny, tiny little hyacinths growing, this happened .
Elsa: Yeah, more snow. Makes you wonder how those Hyacinths are doing now, doesn’t it? Back to winter temps and snow. But isn’t January the driest month in Denver? We’ve received the most snow this January in 30 years. What the dog?!
Norman: Tell me about it. You know how I feel about snow. I keep wondering what I’ve done to deserve all this white stuff?
Elsa: Guess Nature exacts a heavy toll on oaf brothers.
Norman: Well, that was kind of rude.
Elsa: Hey, I don’t write the rules…they just…are. I only report them.
Norman: It was sort of pretty, I guess. I’m glad Mum didn’t take me for a walk in it though. You know, I’ve got my aging joints to worry about.
Elsa: You’d come up with any kind of excuse to not have to go out in that weather. I, on the other hand, happily bounce outside. Snow doesn’t bother me, in fact, I love it.
Norman: There’s just no accounting for taste, is there?
Elsa: Wheeeeee! Bouncing through all that snow is what us Standards love to do.
Norman: That’s not what Sam told me.
Elsa: Hey…he bounced with me on numerous occasions!
Norman: That may well be, but I think he’d prefer snuggling in Mum’s lap over shushing through drifts of snow. No matter how pretty it is.
Elsa: You gotta admit, it sure makes for some comfy snoozing. Mom can go out walking and finding dripping icicles all she wants. Heck, I didn’t even mind sharing her lap with the likes of you.
Norman: You’re right, I’m right there with you little sister.
Elsa: Well that looks like that’s all from us this week. Mom did want me to tell everyone how much she appreciated all the kind thoughts and comments on whether she should continue to blog in the future. She was truly touched by everyone and that was the main reason she let us pen this week’s post in Nature Friday. Hopefully she’ll let us do more, I mean…after all, she’s a got a resident award-winning correspondent right in her house. I mean, how does it get any better than that?
Norman: {eyes rolling again} Yes, Ninja. She’s very lucky having us. Let’s wish everyone a great weekend. I personally hope everyone stays warm but fancies about in whatever Nature’s dishes out. I know Mum will. I just hope she lets me do what I do best (next to loving her). Oh, and we want to wish everyone 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) a very Happy Chinese New Year.
Live, love, bark! 🐾