Happy Earth Day. Let’s begin today’s nod to Earth Day with a compilation of numerous videos from CBS’s Walter Conkrite on the first Earth Day from around the country, which contained a reference to Denver’s smoggy skies in the first segment. Going to school in a small southern Colorado community, I was somewhat sheltered from Denver’s air quality notoriety at the time and found was surprised the state capitol was specifically singled out. It speaks volumes of how important the issue was and continues to be featured in the news, especially with the extreme weather patterns we are experiencing across the globe.
The original idea of bringing attention to the environment came from Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wyoming following a 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Sen. Nelson who enlisted the help of a young activist, Denis Hayes, had growing concerns for the environment following Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring which was gaining attention among environmental groups and wanted a unified cause to provide a way for disparate groups find a way to join together and bring information and education to people on the impact of pesticides were on farm workers and the environment.
The first Earth Day saw approximately 20 million people participate, many using the day to clean up streets in their neighborhoods. New York’s Earth Day parade shut down Fifth Ave. Later that year, The Environmental Protection Agency was created by then president, Richard Nixon. A condensed timeline can be found at the EPA’s website. Earth Day went global in 1990 and is now recognized around the world.
As you begin this week, I hope you take some time to look at your immediate environment and do something to improve it even if it’s just picking up trash or something a bit more lasting like not using plastic bags. January 2024 saw Colorado ban plastic bags from large retail stores as well as prohibiting restaurants and retail food establishments from using Styrofoam takeout containers.
Although today’s post is of a serious nature, we still want to end it with a small smile and hope it prompts you to do whatever you can to help this growing problem. Semper Fido.
In case you somehow missed it, today is the deadline to file your income taxes in the U.S. While you may file an extension, you still need to include any payment of any taxes owed with the extension. Can anyone explain the point of doing that?
Luckily, the Ranch Hands filed theirs last month, quickly received a refund and then immediately signed it over to the vet {grimace}.
While I’d have loved to file this form with our return, I’m not sure Uncle Sam would have found it as humorous as I did. No offense, but I often have wondered if having no sense of humor was a hard requirement for all employees who work for the IRS. With the 2017 revision of the tax code, itemization seems to have become a relic of the past.
Despite today’s deadline, we still hope you are able to tackle today…lo the entire week, with loads of humor and grace. It’s a gorgeous spring day here in the 303-we hope you are able to make it yours wherever you are. Happy Monday.
Welcome to Nature Friday where we share a few slices of Nature from around our ‘Hood. As always, we are joining our hosts from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Please click on the link to see what other posts were shared.
It’s been an exciting and busy week around the Ranch. For a couple of days both me and the New Guy wondered why Mom was gone so much. I mean, what could possibly be more important than us? Elsa here. Well, it turns out our family increased in size. We will now have five, yes FIVE living generations around the Ranch House. How is that possible, you ask? Mom’s first granddaughter gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl (who was just a tad reluctant to leave the comfy womb but who finally made her debut at 12:34 pm on Tuesday). Mom, Dad and baby are all doing well even if they’re massively tuckered out.
Courtesy of Bella Baby Photography
I can say without reservation Mom is over the moon even if she’s not sure about being called a great grandma. I think that means she’s older than dirt but we’ll love her just the same. We can hardly wait to meet this little one. The Pony told me he’s an excellent and very responsive baby watcher. We’ll see but he does seem to respond to crying babies, puppies and mewing kittens whenever he hears them in a video.
Wilson: I say, little sister, does this mean I’m an uncle now?
Elsa: No Oaf…you’re not an uncle. Because this is a G-rated blog, I can’t say what you are but you will be expected to be on your best, furry behavior.
Wilson: So what do WE call this bundle?
Elsa: I was gonna guess Princess, but Mom says her name is Halia which is apparently Hawaiian for “remembrance.” Her name is an homage to all the grandparents who didn’t live long enough to welcome her to this world. She’s going to be so loved by this family.
Wilson: Bravo, I suspect Mum’s dad is over the moon too? He’s very attached to Hailey, the baby’s mum.
Elsa: He most certainly is which means you’re no longer going to be top banana at his house. But I’m positive he’ll still be glad to see us the next time we go down to visit him.
Wilson: I should hope so. I’d hate to think we’ve lost our station. {sniffling}
Elsa: No chance of that, I mean…after all we’re pretty, cuddly and irresistible still so put your British insecurities at rest.
Wilson: Well if you say so…now what else do we have to share this week.
Elsa: Well you can bet your tea and crumpets it isn’t going to be a weather report, though it has been pretty gorgeous outside and Nature seems to be fairly happy. She’s coaxing more blooms out in the garden. What did you find to share, Hoss?
Wilson: Hmm, there you go again with another nickname. Since there appears to be no point in correcting you again, I’ll just continue and share some lovely blooms from around the neighborhood. First up are some Creeping Phlox. They are blooming everywhere in loads of shades of pink and purple.
Elsa: Well everywhere but in our yard. Mom had a small patch of it but it didn’t come back this year. That one is from the guy across the street’s garden. Mom’s going to ask him if he knows why her’s failed to come back.
Wilson: Gosh how sad, I know how much Mum likes to see flowers in the garden. Look at these grape hyacinths we discovered on our walk this week. We hadn’t noticed these ombre colored ones before. How brilliant is that?! Dark on the bottom and lighter at the top. Ours are only one color-be they purple or the blue ones.
Elsa: Whoa…the ones in our garden aren’t ombre colored. That IS pretty cool.
Wilson: Quite right!
Elsa: Some of the flowering trees have started their annual show too. I think these are plum trees. I’ll know more if the squirrels start munching on the fruit.
Wilson: Squirrels?!?! Where? I’ll take care of those rotten buggers.
Elsa: Down Bucko. Don’t get excited just yet.
Wilson: Well you know how I feel about squirrels!
Elsa: Unlax dude. Why not share some of the pretty pink tulips Mom found recently. She’s been looking for tulips that weren’t red for the past couple of weeks and they’re finally out. Yay…maybe now she’ll stop whining about it.Wilson: I can see why she likes them. They are quite lovely. Well, she really doesn’t mind the red ones, but she says she wanted to see other colors. She still hasn’t seen yellow, white or purple ones yet…
Elsa: {interrupting} Gah…don’t bring it up or we’ll never hear the end of it. Let’s move along and share this other tulip instead.
Wilson: Right. So what do you think about this shrub? I think it’s a flowering quince. I checked it out but it was decidedly unfriendly to my nose.
Elsa: I’d be unfriendly too if you stuck that big ole honker up my grill.
Wilson: Ahem, excuse me…I’ve noticed you sniffing at things a lot more since your surgeries. Sniffing is how I process the world around me. I’m still getting used to how differently things smell from my old home. Things here in Colorado are quite different. Some things remain the same scent-wise to humans but I still need to check and make sure. That’s where my nose comes in.
Elsa: And here I thought it was because you’re a nosey-nellie. I stand corrected.
Wilson: I’m going to ignore that comment. Mum has also noticed loads of Creeping Phlox along our daily walks beyond what the neighbor has. It sure is a cheerful addition to a sidewalk path.
Elsa: Here’s another blooming tree branch I found on my walk yesterday. Looks like pink is this week’s showcase color. It sure makes Mom happy when she sees it.
Wilson: Seems only fitting that pink is the week’s theme color. After all, it goes well with the little pink human who arrived.
Elsa: Good one, House Pony. You may actually be on to something.
Wilson: Well I’m not just a furry face, you know.
Elsa: Umm, the jury is still out on that.
Wilson: {ignoring the snarky comment) So Mum showed me this art installation. She waxed on and on about how clever it was and how original but I’m afraid I didn’t get it. Can you explain it to me?
Elsa: There’s no explanation, dude. She just likes it. You have to realize art is in the eye of the beholder and leave it at that.
Wilson: Okay, but it was almost creepy. I wasn’t sure I should sniff it or growl at it. I’m always suspicious of faces with big eyes that don’t blink. It’s a bit unnerving, don’t you think?
Elsa: That’s nothing-you should have seen it when it was wearing a gigantic mask during COVID. Talk about unnerving
Wilson: Oh dear, glad I didn’t see that! I like looking at faces, they usually have a smile, an ear rub and offer me a treat. I’ll try to be on my best behavior whenever I see them. Mum says she’s going to start training me to join the pet therapy dog program soon. She thinks people will love meeting me. And well…if there are treats involved, I’m sure I can do it without any trouble.
Elsa: {eyes rolling} You and your treats. Dude, you gotta be a bit less enthusiastic about eating things.
Wilson: {eyes moving from left to right and back again…mulling that thought over} Why…I’m not sure I understand that but will try to make Mum proud, regardless. Well, that’s it from me. You have anything to add?
Elsa: Other than Mom’s strawberry just set some fruit which made her mouth water, no. I just hope everyone has a great weekend enjoying Spring. I can’t wait to meet little Halia and hope we get to do that over the weekend. Otherwise, we’ll have to be content with enjoying the sights and sounds of spring and hope you are able to get outside and enjoy Nature at its prettiest. Have a great weekend.
Wilson: Yes, what my dear sister said. Happy weekend. And I can’t wait to taste those lovelies.
Elsa: Oh for dog’s sake. Have a good weekend everyone!
Happy Monday, peeps. Hard to believe it’s been 3 months since a certain sheepdog joined our Bunk House. Wilson’s personality continues to unfold, much like the springtime flowers here. He’s still a work in progress but hasn’t started remodeling the house. Yet. Although I’m sure if it crossed his imagination, he’d have a treat and food dispenser installed that would be activated by a well-placed, gigantic paw doling out snacks.
After nearly a foot of white stuff fell a few days ago, it’s quite remarkable so much has already melted. What a feeling when you see beautiful emerald green grass emerging from all that white. Spring storms are simply fabulous for the urban landscape.
Wishing you a week filled with loads of sunbeam therapy. Happy Monday.
We hope you all survived the weekend and enjoyed an exciting Super Bowl. No doubt many were disappointed by yesterday’s outcome but if it was an exciting game you wanted, I think you will admit, it was a full serving. Can anyone explain to me how in the world Patrick Mahomes managed to pull off that win? Maybe another ‘conspiracy’ I’ve heard over the years that suggests he’s a witch, is true? I dunno. I think that’s the longest I’ve held my breath watching a game. On another note, were there any notable commercials that tickled your fancy? Was it just me or were there LOTS of them? What did you think about the half-time show. If you didn’t watch the Super Bowl, did you manage to catch Puppy Bowl XX? It definitely had a great outcome with more pups and kitties finding their fur-ever homes. Whether you were rooting for Team Ruff (with its own exciting last second win) or Team Fluff, you couldn’t help but enjoy the all the canine and feline fun. For highlights of the game, you can click hereand to see who won the MVP, click here.
Today is also International Epilepsy Day where there is a concerted and worldwide effort to bring awareness to this terrible health condition for both people and pets. As the parent of an epileptic pet, it’s a topic near and dear to my heart. If epilepsy has touched your life there are organizations who can help by provide awareness, info and resources. You can read more about it and our story here. And don’t forget to wear purple today. Stay safe and strong epi-warriors and have a great week.
Happy Groundhog Day. Elsa here. If you believe in the predictions of some chubby Pennsylvanian rodent, looks like that Gobbler Knob resident, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted an early spring this year. While I’m not convinced a groundhog can accurately predict Spring’s arrival, apparently this phenomena has been celebrated for ages. How did this custom originate, you ask? Well, I’m here to give you a bit of background on this silliness annual tradition. Diary records from as early as 1841 entry showed weather forecasts had been celebrated among families of German descent in Pennsylvania though most historians agree the custom began in the late 1800’s. According to Don Yoder, former professor from University of Pennsylvania, he noted a Celtic connection and surmised this annual celebration had its roots in “ancient, undoubtedly prehistoric, weather lore.”
Guess it appears that Celtic people across Europe marked a 4-day period in early February, which is the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Celts observed that Christians celebrated Candlemas (known as Imbolc), which coincided with Joseph and Mary’s presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. As ancient folk observed sun, stars and animal behavior and those observations influenced their farming practices. They came to the conclusion that the emergence of hibernating animals, coincided with seasonal weather forecasts. Similarly, German traditions observed that badgers or bears emerging from hibernation came around the same time as the arrival of spring. Pennsylvania German settlers apparently substituted the groundhog, which was endemic to the eastern and midwestern United States. Guess you use what you got to keep the myth going, eh? Now that you know the background, let’s move on and see what slices of nature arrived in the 303, shall we?
Welcome to the first Friday of February where we join our friends Rosy and Sunny for their Nature Friday blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
I dunno about you, but January seemed to go on forever, and makes you wonder why they do Dry January during such a long month? Sorry, I’ve been out of commission lately, I’m recuperating from an injury that required surgery. Normally Mom keeps me buttoned up with a horrid satellite dish (aka cone) but she took that pic after I had eaten breakfast to make it easier on me and removes the cone so I don’t bang on walls while trying to locate my bowl. Man…I can’t wait to burn that thing! I’m not even getting Showtime.
Anyway…this week the weather has been almost spring-like with temps nearly 20F degrees warmer than average for this time of year (hmm, maybe that stupid rodent is on to something). The hyacinths in our garden began to wake up which actually surprised Mom. With the subzero temps in January, she didn’t think they’d wake up yet, but lo and behold…warmer temps seemed to coax these little squirts upward.
Mom also noticed some daffodils were farther along than we thought they should be. Now don’t go crazy…this isn’t some kind of atmospheric miracle, mind you. When you’re at a Mile High elevation-wise, you’re that much closer to the sun and that makes a huge difference over those near sea level.
We’re noticing it’s getting lighter earlier in the morning and some of the recent sunrises have been pretty spectacular. There’s something about winter sunrises that always captivates Mom’s interest. She’s lucky I’m not supposed to walk very fast so she was able to capture this view before the red sky disappeared while waiting on me.
So the integration of the ‘pink-eyed pony’ who’s probably going to be my brother, has been slow going. We still get somewhat bent out of shape especially when I’m too close to my Mom [yo doofus…she was my Mom long before you arrived…so back #@%$ off] but we’re trying our best. Well that’s not 100% accurate…it’s more like Mom is hyper focused on our proximity to avoid any more collisions or unpleasantness.
Last week Wilson went to the groomer after Mom spent 187 hours dematting his fur (trust me, that’s not much of an exaggeration either-that gallon bag was just from his ears and took almost 5 hours). The groomer said Mom made the job easier for her and Wilson was good getting spiffed up. I’ll admit, that boy does clean up nicely.
Sure his fur is shorter than Mom would like, but it will grow out quickly. The groomer only needed to blend the length from where the mats were cut out. I’m just glad I didn’t have to lose any more fur than what the vet shaved off but Mom mentioned something about trimming up my paws. {Gasp} I hope that was just a rhetorical observation and not real. I’m slow moving right now and wouldn’t be able to escape quickly enough. I hate for my feet to be groomed.
So far, I haven’t decided if I’m going to let Wilson appear as a co-host on my Friday posts. The jury is still out on that one. What do you guys think? Should I let him or just keep this gig to myself? Let me know in your comments.
Got anything exciting on your dance card this weekend? We are planning to enjoy the NHL All-Star Game and then prepare for next weekend’s Super Bowl. Can anyone tell me what the dog is all the hubbub about on this whole Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce thing. I mean, why are people so bent out of shape that a very successful musical star supports her boyfriend at his games? I just don’t get it.
Do you believe Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast will bear out? Whatever you do, we hope you are able to enjoy whatever Mother Nature dishes up.
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where only three words dominated the landscape. Cold, white and mats. Elsa here joining our favorite Nature Friday ambassadors, Rosy and Sunny, from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
Like most of the country, Denver was knee deep in a brutal Arctic blast. Outings were fairly limited due to the extreme windchill factors and Mom’s obsession with getting the new guy de-matted. Every day for a few hours, she’s been removing mats as it’s been increasingly difficult to find a professional groomer to take on this project. If he’d been a pocket sized dog, it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue but because this monster [Mom hollering from the other room…ELSA!] , erm…I mean, big boy…yeah, that’s the ticket…no one was willing to take on the project. Speaking of the bigger than life dude, Mom is fairly sure on a name other than ‘Not Sam’ but will wait until the beginning of the week to commit. I remember she took her sweet time picking my name too and she wants to make sure it reflects his personality. The only thing I can say about ‘he who shall remain nameless’ is that he’s humongous and sometimes thinks Mom is his personal toy and I need to be elsewhere. We still have the occasional and very brief dust up before Mom puts us in time out. WTD? I still don’t know how come I get blamed?
The Mom: Sometimes you both are guilty of a little too long of a look or you startle simultaneously.
Elsa: I can guarantee, HE’S the one who starts it, Mom…well after I thought I’d let him know I was the boss. Didn’t realize he was bigger and stronger than me and not intimidated one bit.
The Mom: You were quite surprised someone stood up to you, weren’t you? I realize you guys will need to work out the details on the pecking order but I think I’ve made it clear, there will be no dust ups over me.
Elsa: Don’t tell me…tell HIM.
The Mom: He’s starting to get the idea and seems to be doing better.
Elsa: Oh sure, he didn’t scare the crap out of you when we both came around the corner in the kitchen at the same time.
The Mom: Yeah, the timing was unfortunate but I really do think he’s getting the hang of things.
Elsa: {grumbling under her breath} Fine, you say puh–tey-toh, I say po-tah-toh.
The Mom: Aww, sweetie, you’ll always be my favorite princess and you need to know I will always protect you. We just need to be a little patient. Not Sam has been through quite a lot over the last 13 days. Remember how I was patient with you when you joined the Ranch?
Elsa: You’re right, I’ll try to be more understanding. You gotta feel badly that he lost his home, his mom and then travelled across 3 states to live in a busy noisy city after living on a quiet 13-acre country farm with his OES pals.
The Mom: That’s the spirit, Ninja. You guys may never be BFF’s but you’re getting there.
Elsa: So…getting back to the nature part of this post, like I said before, it’s been cold and we had some snow but mostly the week has been about mats. When you took Not Sam for a bath (thank dog for that…man that boy reeked), you took him for a bit of a walk to wear him out before the Chinese water torture session before the bitter cold settled in and if I do say so myself, was a pretty brilliant strategy on your part. So what did he think about the Canadian Geese on the lake?
The Mom: I think he was pretty overwhelmed with all the new sights, smells and sounds. He’s still startled by auto traffic but he’ll get there.
Elsa: Once it warms up, I’ll show him the ropes around those Canadians. They’re not so tough.
The Mom: {eyes rolling} Uh-huh…sure you will. Why do you think I keep you on short leash around those birds?
Elsa: It’s in your nature to be a helicopter mom?
The Mom: NO!! I’m just trying to protect you. You don’t want tangle with those guys. Trust me.
Elsa: If you say so. They’re cool to watch but I think there are more interesting sights around the lake. Like muskrats and…
The Mom: Umm, no to muskrats or other creepy rodents.
Elsa: Oh man, you’re no fun. Why do we always have to stay on the path and not really get to go exploring for critters when we’re out in nature?
The Mom: It’s for your (and their) safety. Nobody wants to get hurt. When it comes to nature, our motto is “live and let live.”
Elsa: Maybe YOU think that way. I’m sure I can convince a certain someone that chasing squirrels and bunnies makes for fun times.
Elsa: {continuing} I see you’ve managed to get rid of 90% of his mats removed. After last night’s session where you took care of that left paw and chest, Not Sam is starting to look like a new sheepdog.
The Mom: Yup, he’s completely transformed although the removal of those mats make him look like he’s been chewed on by a pack of mice.
Elsa: Wait…you let him play with mice?
The Mom: No, he’s not allowed to play with mice, his coat however looks like it’s been chewed on by mice. I’m sure once I use the clippers and blending shears when he’s completely de-matted, he’ll look better but it’s been quite the process. I’ve filled several large trash cans with all that fur. And as long as it’s going to be cold, it’s a good way to bond while we’re staying warm on a long winter day.
Elsa: Good point…I’m just grateful you’re not “bonding” with me like that.
The Mom: Trust me, I’d never let you get that bad. I think I’ve removed enough fur to make a couple of sweaters.
Elsa: Umm, I’m rather partial to my fur so you can keep mitts to yourself, ok?
The Mom: {smiling} You got it, sweetie. Just don’t get jealous if I’m spending a few hours a day brushing him and removing the final mats this weekend.
Elsa: Trust me…not a chance. So is it ever going to warm up so that we don’t need to imitate Eskimos with coats and boots?
The Mom: I think we’ll get back into the 40’s starting this weekend and we’ll be able to take proper walks around the ‘Hood. We may even go the lake again to see how birds and other critters are holding up. The Stock Show ends this weekend so I’m sure it’ll start warming up and we can start counting down the days until Spring arrives.
Elsa: Well aren’t you Miss Pollyanna. You know there are bound to be some snowstorms over the next couple of months?
The Mom: Just trying to be optimistic. But yeah…I know, there’ll be snow. So long as there isn’t bitter cold temps, we’ll all be just fine. And I think we’ll start planning a trip to introduce the new guy to your Grandpa. What do you think of that?
Elsa: That’d be great, just so long as he understands he’s MY grandpa!
The Mom: {eyes rolling} Just so long as you remember the phrase…”Be Nice!”
Elsa: Tell him that. So…you guys got any groovy winter plans for this weekend? Whatever you are able to do, just make sure you take in some of the beauty nature offers. Have a grand weekend!
Howdy troops, guess who. It is I, intrepid blogger coming to you after a pretty wild week. Elsa here, joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Make sure you click on the link to see what others shared.
So early last week the weather was pretty doggone amazing. We did receive as spot of snow and then Mom spied some creeping phlox that were blooming on one of our walks. Flowering phlox in early January? What kind of sorcery is this? Guess this just shows what high altitude sunshine is capable of doing. It’s not a beauty shot, but COME ON…plants blooming in January…you gotta admit, that’s really something.
The next day after some of the snow melted, Mom noticed her strawberry plant was green and colorful. Again…more plant black magic. Mom was almost ready to break out the flip flops but then she remembered The National Western Stock Show begins January 6 and that always seems to bring much colder temperatures, so I convinced her to cool her jets. Notice the little white granules? The snow didn’t last very long as warmer temperatures returned. The forecast looked good at this point.
Apparently Nature and the universe were conspiring together. Mom got a call about whether or not she could make a trip to Missouri. Some of you even guessed what that was all about but let me set the stage for those of you who don’t know how crazy Mom reacts when she receives ‘those’ kinds of calls.
Since my brother Norman crossed the Rainbow Bridge last June, Mom has been very sad. You may recall that she’s part of a dedicated group of folks who were starting their own OES Rescue after the old one shut down but between the state agency that governs rescues and bureaucratic rules, the certification process has been slow going. We’re still waiting for approval but [hopefully] are getting closer to operating. Mom did find a few individual dogs through other rescues including a couple who were even in our metro area but she kept coming up short so she decided may fostering might put her closer to her goal of getting another OES.
Enter the Red River Old English Sheepdog Rescue (RRR), a rescue whose adoption and rescue area includes parts of the Southern Plains where the Red River of the South is located. States they generally serve are New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. They received a call from the family of a Missouri breeder saying they had seven AKC registered sheepdogs they needed to surrender. Turns out that the breeder had tragically passed away recently and the surviving family realized they could not manage the estate, take care of nine dogs, and assorted livestock. The 20-yr. old son said he would keep two of the dogs, and surrender the other five females and two males to rescue. RRR does not transport and their network of fosters take care of dogs until they are adopted out but they would need to be picked up from the tiny rural town about 50 miles south of Kansas City, Missouri. Mom checked the weather report and initially it seemed doable, so she agreed.
Mother Nature must have been listening eavesdropping on that call and decided to do a little update to the forecast and decided that a little snow was needed just to make things interesting. Mom’s good friend, my Auntie Cheryl said she ride with us and we took off early Friday morning. In good conditions, it’s over 9 hours away. The hope was that they would arrive before the flakes began.
Yeah…the best laid plans and all that nonsense. Snow started coming down halfway through Kansas but it wasn’t accumulating and the highway was clear. Yet. It would, once we turned off I-70 when the sun went down. Mom absolutely hates driving in the dark, especially on roads she’d never been on before so the last four and a half hours were the white-knuckle variety. I’m not sure what that is but I could tell my Mom was pretty stressed. Auntie Cheryl made sure I was comfortable and provided top flight co-pilot support. After nearly 12 hours, we rolled into the hotel parking lot. All three of us were exhausted and we all fell asleep after feeding me, administering my meds and then we all settled in for the night.
The next morning, Mom took me for a short walk around the area. It was cold and grey but at least not snowing. Hallelujah! I found a very cool clump of trees with this funky green stuff on the bark. It didn’t smell like squirrels or bunnies but it fascinated me so much, I kept forgetting to pee. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.
Mom said it was lichen but…whatever. It was quite fascinating. And then she spied something bright yellow in the grass. Holy cow…a tiny dandelion. In freakin’ January!
Well, I’ll be! That seemed surreal, but nothing like what greeted us when we went to the breeder’s farm. We arrived at the appointed time and were greeting by seven boisterous sheepdogs along with various uprights who were picking up their fosters. It was pretty chaotic. Mom knocked on the door and not one of the dogs barked, but greeted her like she was their best friend. Clearly these dogs were very socialized and had been very much loved even if they were all in rough shape coat-wise. They went through the rescue’s procedure of picking the dog each foster would take with them. Before you know it, this monster appeared in the back of our SUV.
He’s not much to look at because he (like all the dogs) were dirty and extremely matted. But he seemed polite, even if he was extra ginormous. Mom thought he weighed around 100 lbs. For a minute I wasn’t sure they were gonna be able to get him in the back, but he seemed nice enough and laid down. He never once uttered a peep then, or on the trip home. We departed as another storm was forecast along the way home and we wanted to get the heck out of Dodge, erm Missouri.
As we drove home, we noticed snow drifts about 3 ft. tall on the side of the road but Mom didn’t stop to photograph them. We were all tired and wanted to get to Colorado as early as possible where we know the highway. The drive home was ‘only’ a little over 8 hours long. Mom said she was never gonna drive almost 1,500 miles in a 24 hour period again, no matter how cute a dog was.
Kansas and Missouri were interesting and it would have been nice to take more pictures of the scenery but judging from the news reports, we got out of town just in time before Winter Storm Finn slammed into the region. Another storm along with an Arctic cold front are arriving now…and as Mom says…of course it is, it’s National Western Stock Show week where the weather always turns icy cold and brutal. The weekend’s highs may reach single digits. Highs, people! Brrr.
There he is after a much needed bath. Egad that boy had some serious stank on him. She and Auntie Cheryl worked for hours removing the worst of the mats but he will need to be shaved down. This boy was named ‘Sam’ and as you can probably guess, that name won’t work for Mom. It reminded her too much of my knuckleheaded brother. She hasn’t decided on a name yet, there’s too much we have to do to get this boy settled so we’ll likely wait until things get ticked off our long list. Sam was screened by the vet, microchipped, vaccinated and tested negative for heartworm (yay). Now begins the process of integrating him into life around the Ranch without his sheepdog pack. He’s seems sweet and is quite the butt wiggler, but he and I have had ‘discussions‘ about the pecking order. He thinks Mom is his but we have to agree to disagree on that topic. He seems afraid of the hustle and bustle of the city, cars wig him out but he walks fairly well on a leash. Good thing too, he’s huge-bigger than Norman. And strong. Mom’s gonna be building some muscles. Now if we can just get him to stop enjoying some of the creature comforts around the Ranch. At least Mom needs to figure out how to get him to sleep the other side of the bed. For me, he just better not try to take over this blog! Mom’s on her own and you can bet your sweet bippy I’m going to remind her of that. Afterall it was her idea to bring this muppet home.
Have you ever fostered a dog? How’d it go? Do you have any tips for my Mom. She seems completely ‘over her skis’ despite her best intentions.
To all you Midwest peeps, do dandelions normally bloom in January?! Have a great weekend and try to stay warm and dry. For the next few days you might want to view Nature from the comfort of your cozy sofa but do keep your eyes open-you just never know what you’ll see. Have a great weekend.
