Category: Did You Know?

Nature Friday ~ February 21, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 77 Comments

Elsa{Cough…wheeze} Welcome to this week’s wrap up from last week’s visit to the Broomfield Depot Museum while she was killing time waiting to pick up the House Pony from the groomer. Elsa here…I’m only a little better so if any of you have wizard-like powers, I’d sure appreciate you sprinkling me with some good Juju magic.

Today we’re going to share info about Broomfield’s Depot Museum Please enjoy this YouTube video on the Depot’s restoration.

Wilson: Mum loves historical places and always likes to investigate unusual or unexpected things inside and outside the Depot. After capturing those prairie dog images, she went inside to see what  life in general looked like in 1909 Broomfield.

Elsa: Mom was skeptical as to whether there was electricity for that toaster from last week but she discovered that electricity actually came to Colorado in the late 1800’s during the railroad boom. It makes sense that this stop would showcase some of the modern conveniences of the times that passengers liked. Pictured above is the Kolster Tombstone Tube Radio with a vintage Kodak box camera on top of it. However both items were actually from the mid-to-late 1920’s. They were likely added to the display because of their antique-y look of the period and might have been added after the Depot was opened.

Wilson: You’re right, Ninja. She suspected many of the items displayed at the Depot were more associated with the 1920’s, like this amazing looking ice box.

Elsa: That piece is in great condition, though and is similar to this early 1900’s wall-mounted telephone. I’m going out on a limb by saying they probably didn’t use this phone to order an Uber carriage ride home after they reached the station.

Wilson: That’s likely a good bet. But we’re very sure this next photo showing a Hall’s Safe & Lock Company safe (circa 1849) actually was one of the initial things they had when the Depot opened to safely stash ticket receipts. At that time, the Cincinnati based Hall’s company sold half of all fireproof and burglar-proof safes and vaults in the US and was the largest vault company in the world by 1892.

Elsa: I’ll bet that was one heavy safe and it looks like it too was in pretty good condition.

Wilson: It sure is. As is this classic Hoosier cabinet which was very popular from 1900 to 1930. Around the 1890s, several furniture manufacturers in Indiana discovered that a stand-alone kitchen cabinet with storage and workspace would be an easy sell. Having a kitchen workstation where ingredients and various utensils could be stored, yet easily accessed when preparing meals and they were all the rage. It’s always a treat when Mum finds antiques like these especially when they’re in such good shape. She used to go antiquing years ago and still has a few nice pieces she collected nearly 50 years ago.

Elsa: Whoa…didn’t realize that Mom was that old. {heh, heh} Because I know how much you like meals, where do you think they stored the dog food?

Wilson: {oooh..yum…smack…drool} Good question…I personally think our food should have been stored in that large door on the bottom left but I’m sure things were a lot different for us dogs back then.

Elsa: Easy on the drool, buddy. Let’s get back to focusing on what else Mom found at the Depot.

Wilson: {disappointed} You sure know how to take the joy out of sharing these images.

Elsa: Not everything is about food, dude.

Wilson: {gasp} Perish the thought but I saved the best history for last. There wasn’t any info that Mum found during her quick poke around inside the Depot but she did a lot of sniffing around when she got home about “Shep, the Turnpike Dog,” after she came upon this spot outside. She wanted to know all about Shep.

Elsa: So the story goes that back in the early 1950’s when the Denver-Boulder Turnpike toll opened, Shep was already a fixture on the scene. Rumored to be part of a litter of pups who escaped from a farmer, Shep apparently made his way to the construction site where the toll road was being built. Workers on the toll road would share their lunches with the friendly pooch and then Shep was eventually enticed to sleep in the toll booth on a cold night. Being no ordinary fool, Shep welcomed the invitation and then spent part of his days with the toll booth operators where he quickly became their mascot. Soon travelers would offer treats, toys, bones and even left donations to fund food for the engaging dog as they made their way along the toll way.

Wilson: He sure sounded like he enjoyed his ‘job.’ I know first hand people love dogs with a purpose and he likely brought a lot of joy to folks traveling on the turnpike.

Elsa: He was beloved and after he was shot, he managed to return to the toll booth where workers rushed him to a nearby vet, Clyde Bruner who treated the canine celebrity for free. Shep lived the rest of his life at the toll booth and Dr. Bruner treated him for various injuries incurred from coyote interactions. As Shep aged, he began to lose his eyesight and toll booth workers decided rather than have him suffer or get seriously injured around all the cars, and he was euthanized in 1964 at age 14.

Wilson: That seems rather sad, though Mum told me he lived a good life and was personally buried by the highway superintendent, Paul Kempf. A donated headstone marked the grave until 2009 when the Department of Transportation gave the Broomfield Museum permission to move the grave from Zang Spur Park to the Depot Museum which also had been relocated from its original location. He lived at the tollbooth for 14 years. [Photo credits: Justin Kent, L, and Jeff Kissinger, of Broomfield Parks, dug out the grave markers for Shep the Turnpike Dog for the move from his resting place at the intersection of Hwy. US 36 and State Hwy. 121 to the Depot Hill Museum in 2009. Photo courtesy-Staff photo/David R. Jennings.]

Broomfield Enterprise Photo
Photo: The Denver Post

Elsa: Gotta love the inscription on the newer headstone. Sounds like quite a dog and another story of famous dogs from the metro area. Well done, House Pony.

Wilson: Many thanks, Ninja. Sharing stories like this always warms Mum’s heart. We dogs are special creatures and by telling their stories, others recognize all of our contributions.

Elsa: Umm, let’s not get carried away with nostalgia but it’s suffice to say how important it is to learn about the local history. So what’s on your dance card for the weekend? Our weather will be taking a detour on the winter from hell tour (color us happy) At the time this post was written we had high hopes but after last night’s 8-10 inch dump, it looks like Mom will only be digging out. I feel sorry for her sternum and torn bicep because this is a heavy snow. Originally I had hoped I’d be well enough to go for a short walk but Mom barely let me go potty this morning. . No offense Mom, but being inside with you all day is getting old, even with the snuffle mats and the Licki-Mat bowl to exercise our minds. Whatever you do, we hope your weather permits you to enjoy the nicer elements that Nature might offer. If you can find them.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 4, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 63 Comments

Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our hosts, Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared. Elsa here with the latest scenes from around the Ranch. I’ll be joined by the House Pony who, as it turned out, had a successful batch of visits at the hospital. There may be hope for that lummox yet.

Wilson: {ignoring the snark} Hello, mates. Like my sister said, we’re here to share slices of nature we’ve seen. As Mum mentioned in our last Nature Friday post, the plan was to take in some leaf peeping over last weekend. Along with 87,000 of our closest city friends {sarcasm}. You probably saw the photo Mum posted earlier this week. In Mum’s voice, “what. a. cluster.” It was a good thing she was with good friends otherwise she may not have survived without making a fuss. After days of all the local TV stations telling everyone to get out and see the glorious colors on what was billed as prime leaf viewing, guess everyone heeded the advice because there were thousands of them lined up for miles and miles. Mum had never seen as many Teslas and trucks, some of whom got their side mirrors ripped off when they stupidly carelessly parked on the road to the summit of Guanella Pass. Bloody fools!

As you can see, it was quite the line heading back toward Denver. They were told there were hundreds of cars ahead of them and it took 3 hours to drive a mere 3 miles. But it was a gorgeous day and all they could do was sit in queue and ooh and aww at the beautiful changing colors.

Elsa: So tell me more about this Guanella Pass. I know Mom knew a bit about it but I’m not familiar.

Wilson: As it happens, I have some interesting info about Guanella Pass which is located about 56 miles west of Denver in the Front Range in southwestern Clear Creek County, near Georgetown. It was named after long-time road supervisor and commissioner, Byron Guanella.

The pass provides a route between Georgetown in the valley of Clear Creek to the north and Grant in the valley of Geneva Creek, a tributary of the North Fork South Platte River, to the south. The pass is traversed by the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. The road provides a link between Interstate 70 to the north and U.S. Highway 285 to the south. [source: Wikipedia]

Elsa: Hmm…learn something new every day. What’s the scoop on the trees and why are they so special?

Wilson: Glad you asked. Colorado is known for its Aspen trees (also known as quaking aspens). They are native to colder climates which is one reason they do well in this state. Did you know that Colorado averages the highest number of peaks in the lower 48 states and has more thicker concentrations of these trees than anywhere else in the U.S. They do well in Colorado because of their ability to sprout new growth after large wildfires – of which there have been many in recent years. It is usually the first tree species to re-colonize a burn area. Aspens however are more fire resistant than other native trees such as the various kinds of evergreen trees. Aspens have a unique ability to the photosynthesis process in the white bark, while most trees carry out this process in their leaves. That means in winter once the leaves have fallen and snow begins to fall, the tree continues to produce sugar for energy which helps provide a food source for deer, elk and other animals. And finally, aspen trees cluster closely together because they clone themselves as roots sprout new trees and share an identical genetic makeup, making them extremely large organisms. Even though there may be multiple clones in an aspen grove, the grove’s leaves turn at the same time.

Elsa: Hmmm, you don’t say? I knew they were one of the largest organisms in nature but didn’t know the part about  genetic makeup turning the leaves at the same time. So what else you got?

Wilson: What I got is some great photos while everyone waited to get through the gridlock. While Colorado is known for its  bright ribbons of gold, Mum and her friends managed to see some spots of orange and red. Check out this gallery of pics:

1 / 9

Elsa: Gosh, no wonder there were so many people catching glimpses of those trees and shrubs. You gotta love the humor of the locals with that sign. Mom initially laughed but after waiting 3 hours to reach US 285 to head back to Denver, she kinda lost her humor. She said she’s never seen it that congested before.

Wilson: Can you blame her? Everyone was jonesing for their ‘Instagram’ moment and not really appreciating the beauty of nature. She was irritated that too many people were looking down at their devices rather than enjoying the scenery. How is it that people watch TikTok instead of enjoying being in Nature? I just don’t get it.

Elsa: There are so many reasons to not be able to understand humans and what they seem to value. I mean you and I would be running around sniffing up a storm and enjoying it all.

Wilson: Seems like a wasted opportunity. I do have one more local image to share…some mutant squash Mum and I encountered on our walk the other day. I thought it was a starfish at first.

Elsa: You’re right, that is weird. For the record, I’m not eating that.

Wilson: Oh no…me neither. Can you believe it? Me not wanting to eat something. That has to be a first.

Elsa: Egad, Mooommm, Wilson must be sick, he didn’t want to eat that squash!!

Wilson: Oh come on…it’s not that unusual.

Elsa: Ha! Don’t make me laugh. So…anything else you want to share?

Wilson: Well no more beautiful changing leaves but I did want to let everyone know that even though it was delayed a bit following a deathmatch between a couple of contestants which messed up the bracket, it’s Fat Bear Week. You can vote here.

Elsa: Oh for crying out loud…you’re promoting Fat Bear Week {paw smacks forehead}? This is not some sleazy tabloid, dude.

Wilson: I’m quite serious. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Alaskan bear. I’m rooting that 128 Grazer will repeat.

Elsa: Oh jeez. Forget voting for a fat bear. Instead, enjoy this week’s Halloween scene from just around the corner from the Ranch. A skellie watchdog is better than some old fat bear. Have a great weekend and enjoy walking about in nature. Get out there and really savor it.

Wilson: Savor? Is there food somewhere I don’t know about?

Elsa: Oh for heaven’s sake…I just can’t. Have a great weekend enjoying nature.

Live, love bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ November 13, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 51 Comments

Normally whenever I hear of a week devoted to a particular topic, I kind of roll my eyes. The cynic in me often wonders why something simple needs to be recognized by having a special day/week on the calendar acknowledging it when it should be a normal part of life. Too often it seems to be a function of corporations trying to capitalize on another way to make a buck by selling us something to literally buy into it.

Quite by accident, I was made aware that November 13-19 is World Kindness Week. Lately it seems we need kindness more than ever and while searching for a meme to exemplify it, I came across this one that truly exemplifies the meaning.

Lao Tzu, the legendary Chinese philosopher, thought to have lived in the 5th century has been credited with founding the philosophical system of Taoism and is best known as the author of the Laozi (later retitled the Tao-Te-Ching translated as “The Way of Virtue”) which best illustrates his thoughts. Aligning oneself with the Tao according to Lao-Tzu, would bring about harmony with the universe and enriches one’s life; opposition to the Tao brings frustration, unhappiness, and anger which then results in manifested bad behavior.

While his name is actually a title meaning ‘Old Man’ or ‘Old Master’ there remains much debate as to whether he actually existed or whether Lao-Tzu is more of an amalgam of different philosophers. Either way, the teachings seems prophetic especially in these troubled times. More than ever, humans could use these teachings to be better than they’ve been lately.

You can learn more about Lao Tzu’s teachings in this video.

Bottom line, we hope this week is filled with kindness for you and others. Let’s spread the message of kindness far and wide…humanity needs it now more than ever.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Wordy Wednesday ~ Dog Days of Summer

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 51 Comments

It may be “Wordless Wednesday” around Blogville, but here at the Ranch where we tend to do things against the grain, we’re pitching a “Did You Know” post that’s anything but wordless. What are we yammering about today?  We’re talking about the Dog Days of Summer.

What are the Dog Days of Summer? In the Northern Hemisphere, the Dog Days of Summer coincide with the rising of the Dog Star, Sirius, at the same time as hot and sultry weather does this time of year. So let’s take a look at some of the historical background surrounding this annual phenomena.

Traditionally the term “Dog Days” refers to the period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern  Hemisphere from July 3 through August 11.

In ancient Greece and Roman times, the Dog Days were thought be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat. Today however, we recognize it as the time of the year when temperatures and humidity peak.

So why are they called the “Dog Days” of Summer? This period of sweltering weather coincides with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. You may recall that the constellation Canis Majoris—known as the “Greater Dog” (aka Alpha Canis Majoris) and that apart from our Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky.

Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans believed the early morning rising of Sirius in mid-to-late summer actually contributed to the extreme weather of the season. In other words, the “combined heat” of super-bright Sirius with the sun was thought to be the cause of sweltering summertime temperatures. Did you know the name “Sirius” comes from the Ancient Greek-seírios, and means “scorching?”

Ancient Egyptians believed the star was a “watchdog” for the coinciding fact of the Nile’s flooding season.

We now know Sirius’ appearance does not actually affect  weather during this time period, but its appearance during the hottest part of summer ensures that the lore surrounding this star continues to live on.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “old-timers believed that rainfall on the Dog Days was a bad omen, as foretold in this verse:”

Dog Days bright and clear
Indicate a happy year;
But when accompanied by rain,
For better times, our hopes are vain.

The organization made this further comment in the early 1800’s:

“Dog Days are approaching; you must, therefore, make both hay and haste while the Sun shines, for when old Sirius takes command of the weather, he is such an unsteady, crazy dog, there is no dependence upon him.”

Both Elsa and Norman take great exception to the “unsteady, crazy” reference.

Whether you believe in ancient folklore or follow science, no one can deny this is definitely the hottest part of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

An interesting 2009 Finnish study tested the hypothesis that rates of infections are higher during the Dog Days. The authors concluded, “This study was conducted in order to challenge the myth that the rate of infections is higher during the dog days. To our surprise, the myth was found to be true.” Go figure, Norman and I thought pet therapy helped peeps feel better.

Speaking of Norman, he knows exactly how to cope with the Dog Days of Summer and advises everyone to stay well hydrated. As you look up in the early morning skies at Sirius, just remember there are ‘only’ 71 days until the official arrival of autumn.

I think I’m melting

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Wordy Wednesday ~ June 15, 2022

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 70 Comments

Given how crazy and wild things have been lately, I couldn’t help but wonder if things were better ‘back in the day’ and found this look back in history. The nostalgia was definitely noticeable on my spirits.

Do you have an “I remember when” moment from way back when? It seems we may simply trade problems through the years.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Purple Day ~ 2022

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 35 Comments

This weekend we are honored to join Fur Angel Gibson from the FiveSibes blog and fellow epi-warrior, Olivia at Knotty Toys for Good Dogs for the 2022 edition acknowledging Purple Day for Epilepsy (with apologies for being a day late of the actual date, March 26-I got my dates mixed up).

The Ninja rocking her purple bandana

You may recall, the Ranch’s resident Ninja (aka Elsa) was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy a couple of weeks following her adoption. You can read part of her story here.

We are so grateful for all the info Gibson and Olivia have shared on their respective blogs about epilepsy and remain appreciative for their leadership in sharing information and resources. Please visit the Purple Day website for additional information about epilepsy. Elsa is living proof dogs who have been diagnosed with this condition can live relatively normal and productive lives.

Elsa ‘reading’ the”What’s Wrong with Gibson” book

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Wordy Wednesday ~ Groundhogs Day 2022

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 77 Comments

Happy Groundhog Day, the day where normally intelligent people rely on a rodent who supposedly predicts the arrival of spring. I myself have never put much stock in this silliness but it made me wonder where did this madness originate.

Apparently (and unbeknownst to moi), the tradition of consulting a rodent for a sign of an early spring or a late winter stems from the Christian tradition of Candlemas having its roots in pagan observances. Wait, another pagan influence? Ahem…move over Halloween.

“Candlemas was originally a Celtic festival marking the ‘cross-quarter day,’ or midpoint of the season,” according to the Almanac website. With the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox , a sunny day “predicted” the arrival of spring in about 6 weeks. Which, I might point out, is around the same time as the arrival of the spring equinox. Hmm, what a convenient ‘coincidence,’ you say?

Digging into just how we arrived at this annual rouse tradition where rodents predicte spring’s arrival, did you know there are a slew of season-predicting rodents, all from the Eastern part of the US. Probably the most famous of course is Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania, followed by Dunkirk Dave and Staten Island Chuck both of New York, Millville Mel of New Jersey (who recently passed away and efforts to find a replacement were unsuccessful since groundhogs are hibernating this time of year), and Buckeye Chuck from Marion, Ohio. Interestingly this custom seemed to originate in Europe. Seems a bear brought the news to the French and Brits, while Germans looked to a badger for a sign of spring’s arrival. Why they just didn’t refer to the Gregorian calendar is beyond me, but then again…a lot of folklore seems baffling. When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1800’s, they brought the Candlemas legend with them. Pennsylvania being bereft of badgers but finding lots of groundhogs or woodchucks there, well lo and behold, an adaption of the legend came into being. Because a woodchuck is just a small bear, right? 😳

Anyway, I only had to look outside to realize spring ain’t coming any time soon. The Mile High was ‘gifted’ with between 8-12 inches of white stuff with wind chill factors pushing temperatures below zero.

Just look at that powdery pile!

These sunflower stalks in the front garden are about two feet tall and are pretty much halfway buried. The dogs weren’t very keen on trying to partake of their early morning ritual–going potty. Elsa gave me a look to chill my soul, though she bounced around once she finished while Norman’s eyes seem to ask…”do I really have to?” It’s safe to say today (and probably for the next few days) will be spent more indoors than normal given the brutally cold temps and Norman’s aversion for walking in snow.

If you were hit by this monster storm you already know the rodent’s prognostication wasn’t any kind of newsflash. And to think all we had to do was look at a calendar and not wake up some rodent from the squirrel family who shouldn’t be trusted anyway.

The good news is Friday is just a couple days away though. Stay safe and warm. Happy Hump Day.

Live, love, bark!  🐾

Monday Musings ~ “Gong Hei Fat Choy”

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 65 Comments

[Editor’s note: Sorry for our absence for most of last week. The laptop required a regular tune-up and spent the time comfortably resting at the computer repair store until late Friday (my guy is a good tech and therefore often up to his eyeballs in alligators and malware-we had neither but it took a number of days to get through the queue). We sure missed you guys (I’m not adept at reading posts on a cell phone and had to wait to begin catching up on your posts and response to all the good Gotcha Day wishes for Norman until the laptop was returned. I’ve been working through the backlog as quickly as possible processing over 150 emails over the weekend but am still working through the remaining ones and hope to be finished later today.]

Welcome to the last day of January as well as the last day of the Year of the Ox on the Chinese lunar calendar. Beginning tomorrow, we will enter the Year of the Tiger and not just any tiger…the Water Tiger, which arrives every 60 years. The Water Tiger is action-oriented, representing strength by clearing away evil and a show of bravery.

We can all probably agreed that the Year of the Ox was a ‘tad’ stubborn and obstinate so we’re looking forward to a year that clears away the evil that seemed so prevalent for much of last year.

Did you know that Chinese New Year has been around since the 14th century? Based on the Lunar calendar, it is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals-the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Along with those animals, five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal are also associated with each year.

The Year of the Tiger occurs in the following years: 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 with individuals born in those years often possessing qualities of the animal itself, and are frequently courageous, assertive and natural leaders. Tiger sign individuals may be “hungry for thrill or crave attention, may be short tempered but capable of generosity.” Those born this year are said to have great interpersonal relationships, and are very family oriented. The last year of the Water Tiger was 1962.

Celebrations during the New Year include family banquets, parades which include outdoor spectacles featuring firecrackers/fireworks and dancing dragons. The Ranch Hands are definitely not keen on the whole notion of fireworks-instead we’ll stick with eating ourselves stupid and hoping for a few red envelopes with money (another tradition during Chinese New Year. In other words, no boomers for this ‘Boomer’ or her pups.

For a gander at various sites about the Chinese New Year, check out this link: https://g.co/kgs/14Lif7. I especially enjoyed the animation added by those clever Google geeks.

The Cantonese New Year greeting is “Gong Hei Fat Choy” (恭喜發財), which means “wishing you prosperity.” Around the Ranch we’ll just say “Happy New Year.” Anyway you say it, we hope the Year of the Tiger brings you prosperity and good luck.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Did You Know Wednesday ~ January 19, 2022

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 81 Comments

While visiting my dad again this week, I couldn’t help but take notice what is often referred to as the Wolf Moon last night. What is a Wolf Moon, you ask? It’s the first moon of January but officially arrived on Monday, Jan. 17, at 6:48 p.m. EST (1148 GMT). Like other full moons, it can be seen for about 3 days. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, its origin comes from Native Americans who often heard wolves howling during cold winter nights  this time of year. The Wolf Moon is also known as the Ice Moon, the Moon after Yule, the Old Moon and the Thaipusam Festival Moon, among other names.

Although I didn’t bring my DSLR for this trip, I thought I’d see if the new cell phone might be able to reasonably capture it. It’s not a great image, but shooting anything in low light conditions without a tripod can be tricky but for a small, convenient device generally held in one’s pocket, it’s not too terribly bad.

As the first full moon of 2022, it shines brightly in the evening hours. A full moon can impact some dogs who suffer from epilepsy so I always try to be a bit aware of this time every month for Elsa’s sake, in case it triggers a seizure in her.  According to Space.com, a full moon occurs when the moon is exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun and occurs roughly once a month. The timing is determined by where the moon is relative to the Earth rather than where it appears in the sky, which is slightly different depending on where you’re located, according to the website.

Since the full moon is on the opposite side from the sun, folks in the Northern Hemisphere will see it relatively high in the sky (since the moon is in roughly the same position the sun would be during the daytime during summer months). In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite would be true.

The Wolf Moon may not be the only interesting sight seen in the night sky these days. Jupiter as well as Saturn may also be visible, with Saturn appearing to the lower right above Jupiter at two degrees above the horizon and setting shortly thereafter. With the city’s light pollution, I’d likely need a telescope in order to see them, if at all.

If you missed this month’s full moon, the next one will appear on Wednesday, Feb. 16 and will appear full for about three days, from about midnight Tuesday morning to about midnight Thursday night.

Were you able to catch the 2022 Wolf Moon?

Live, love, bark! 🐾

A New Season Is Here

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 53 Comments

Are you ready for a new season? No, not the one that’s due to arrive in 59 days, but who’s counting? I’m talking about another season. Besides more sunlight, ahem…’warm’ days, bugs and barbecues, there’s a season within summer I liken to pure evil hell, otherwise known as the grass-weed season.

You may recall a previous rant post about Foxtails (found here). Mostly found in the western part of the US, these innocent enough looking weeds can be very risky for dogs.

The barbs are uniquely designed to move in one direction–only forward. They burrow deeper and deeper into the fur. Noses, ears, between the toes, under the collar or armpits are the most frequently found spots. Removal from fur as soon as possible is important since they can be quite difficult to remove once they penetrate the skin. Once burrowed into the skin and if not treated, they can travel throughout the body. A dog sniffing the ground can easily inhale them into their noses, under an armpit, or get them caught in their ears and if not treated immediately, can result in serious problems resulting in an expensive visit to a vet.

The danger of foxtails goes beyond simple irritation. Because these tough seed barbs don’t break down inside the body, an embedded foxtail can lead to a serious infection. It can even lead to death if left untreated and these seeds can be hard to find in dog fur.

Foxtails move relentlessly forward and can migrate from inside your dog’s nose deep into their brain or be inhaled into and perforate a lung. Embedded foxtails can cause discharge, abscesses, swelling, pain, even death. If your dog is displaying any of the following symptoms, check for foxtails or talk to your vet. Make sure you check your good dog’s feet, ears, face, nose, genitals. Limping, excessive licking, head shaking, incessant scratching, redness, discharge, swelling, squinting or pawing are all symptoms your sweet dog may have picked up a foxtail. Foxtail season runs from May to December. Once foxtails dry out, they are like little sharp knives waiting to stick to someone or something.To remove, use a pair of tweezers if you can easily get to it. But if it’s deeply embedded, or if the area around it is red or swollen, call your vet right away. Remember, foxtails won’t come out on their own, and they can burrow deep within your dog.Prevention is your best weapon against this grass. Avoid overgrown grassy areas and remove these plants from your yard. Regular grooming/brushing can help.

Though not nearly as dangerous, are another seasonal weed-what I call Velcro grass. Not sure what the scientific name of this grass weed is, mostly I refer to it as evil bastard.

Notice all those nasty little seed heads? They stick like Gorilla® glue-to fur, socks, pant legs, whatever it can attach its little evil self to, and often spring up along sidewalks near the neighborhood ‘pee-mail bulletin board.’ When we came back from this morning’s constitution, I found one attached to Sam’s bandana. Elsa had a very small piece of one stuck to her check a couple of days ago. It was a real bugger getting rid of, you pretty much have to pull them out seed by seed since they tend to disintegrate when you try to remove them. Dogs aren’t  typically keen on having lots of pulling out of their fur. It took several attempts to fully remove it.

Paws crossed this ‘season within the season’ doesn’t affect you or your good dog.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

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