Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday…where we join those cuties Rosy and Sunny from LLB in Our Backyard. Be sure to click on the link to see what else has been shared.

Today is the last Friday of August (good riddance I say though I know many of you will mourn summer coming to an end), and as Elsa and I prepared to head out for our early morning walk, we relish the quiet and peacefulness before the city wakes up and everyone hits their own running hamster wheel. I’m struck by the morning smell of dew, with an occasional whiff of freshly brewed coffee wafting through open windows as we wander in the dim dawn light. A few other early morning risers are out walking their dogs and, for the most part, everyone is on their best behavior with a minimum of warning barks. Now that I’ve set the stage, let’s see what we encountered.

Elsa: Well it’s another day, Mom. I know it’s been a tough week for you but let’s not focus on that, instead, how about we zero in on all the wonderful sights we encountered. Deal?

The Mom: Sounds like a plan to me. It was a rough week that’s left me emotionally drained but this morning’s walk reminded me why I enjoy these quiet early morning walks where I can contemplate life, and notice subtle signs nature often shares.

Elsa: Right-that’s the spirit, Mom! How about that bright cloud that followed us until the sun rose enough to remove the color? Glad you noticed it and didn’t take yet another sunrise photo. We may be morning folks but I’m sure some are over your fascination with sweeping sunrises from Sloan’s Lake.

The Mom: I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Ninja. Early morning light can be simply magical that others can appreciate it.

Elsa: Ok, Ansel Adams…we may get it, but enough. So what about some of the other interesting shots around the neighborhood?

The Mom: As we walk around the ‘Hood, I’m always struck by what new interesting sights we’ll come across. The quiet allows my mind to see things we probably would overlook during the harshness of daily activity. When it’s quiet, things seem to beckon your eyes to see the city in a different view.

Elsa: That cowboy boot planter was an odd find, wasn’t it? But definitely interesting in the early morning light. I’d even hazard those owners should get together with the people who own that cow statute we featured recently. They’re probably more similar than different in the way they think about their gardens.

The Mom: You have a point. It’s fun to see the diversity throughout the area, from nationalities/races, the various kinds of architecture and how people landscape their gardens. We’re very lucky to be able to see how people interpret their gardens. It’s like a living museum of styles.

Elsa: I dunno about that…some of the sights we saw this week were just flat odd. That cowboy boot is the least of the weirdness. Hey, isn’t the city motto of Austin, Texas “keep Austin weird” starting to creep into our neighborhood? I mean, sure there are tons of people from Texas moving here all the time but…

The Mom: {interrupting} Hahaha, you sometimes crack me up with the way you look at things. I’ll just stay with different strokes for different folks. Besides it makes the neighborhood more vibrant.

Elsa: Vibrant? I’m beginning to wonder about you Mom. Seems like this was the week for seeing weird garden art/decor. And just like our dense neighborhood, it’s even impacting the housing crunch for birds. Did you see that avian condo this morning? Eight families can live there!

The Mom:  Affordable housing for birds means more density. I’m sure there are eight bird families who won’t mind being in such close quarters. At least it’s not some Modern McMansion like too many lately and fits into the neighborhood aesthetic pretty nicely.

Elsa: Good perspective, Mom. So I know things have been a bit of a zoo around the Ranch lately. But I’ve been very surprised to see it spill over in gardens throughout the ‘Hood. Here’s another weird garden critter we passed on our walk.

The Mom: I had to chuckle at the “Pigs Rule” sign, as if the numerous pig statuaries weren’t indicative enough.

Elsa: You uprights are just weirdos! We saw our fair share of critters this week. From too quick to photograph trash pandas (otherwise knowns as raccoons) to rabbits. I don’t think I’ve seen as many rabbits as I have this year. And then…{gasping} I even saw a freaking giraffe in the trees! What the dog?!

The Mom: That sight really blew me away. It’s not a great photo because it’s on a hill and hard to see it through all the trees and brush; we had to go back and see if we couldn’t get a better view. I suspect it’s made of metal but won’t know for sure until the leaves start dropping next month and we can it better. It’s a pretty wooded and weed filled lot but it stopped me dead in my tracks.

Elsa: As you were trying to get the best angle for that giraffe, I was focused on the bunny that ran under the car that was parked in front of that statute. I just love their fluffy white tails but they don’t seem to share the same loving feeling about me. They always hop away as quickly as their bunny feet will carry them.

The Mom: They are very abundant this year. There was even one in our yard when we got home but he didn’t hang out there for long. Hmmm…maybe he’s the one that ate the single ripe tomato.

Elsa: Let’s just hope he doesn’t filch the latest crop of  strawberries. Now let’s share the mystery plant of the week.

The Mom: This mystery plant, as you refer to it, is Physalis Viscosa, commonly referred to as Ground Cherry. It’s a member of the nightshade family and is native to South America. Whoever moved into this property has pretty much let things go so lots of weeds have moved in and this plant is sometimes thought of as a weed. It has replaced the border of flowers where I took such pretty photos of blooming flowers in the background of you a couple of years ago. It looks a bit like tomatillos but then again, they both belong to the nightshade family. That fruit is rich in cryptoxanthin and can be consumed much like tomatoes.

Elsa: Umm, well you can, but there’s no way I’m not eating one those things. Blech…vegetables…er fruit. Nooo thank you!

The Mom: You’re so silly. Let’s end this week’s post with a bit of hope from a recent rainbow that we thought was a sign from Norman watching over us. We’re expecting a most welcomed bit of a cool down this weekend and if we’re real lucky, some rain. We hope the heat breaks soon for those  living in the central part of the country as well as folks all along the gulf coast and hope you are able to get outside to see what visual gifts Mother Nature provides in your neck of the woods.

Elsa: What she said ⬆️. Don’t forget to have a great weekend.

Live, love, bark! 🐾