Category: Gardens

Nature Friday ~ May 9, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 54 Comments

WilsonIt’s Friday and that can only mean one thing…time to reflect about the nature and share what we encountered this week. As we do on Friday’s, we are joining the blog hop hosted by those fur kids from the Adventures with the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what others have shared.

Wilson here. This week was really different. We received LOTS of rain…something that’s fairly rare around the Ranch. All that rain was very welcomed but it did impact our ability to check out nature. It started out nice but then after nearly two days of constant rain, things got a little challenging for me to get out for my usual multi-mile walks. The fact is, I don’t like rain. I know, most dogs don’t but I really don’t like rain. Mum thought she’d be clever and go in between showers. Well that sounds like a good strategy but it didn’t let up much that first day. She bundled up in a raincoat (the day was also chilly in the low 40’sF) and made sure I was bundled up in my lined rain slicker. Ok, I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t all that crazy about it, but hey, it would keep me mostly dry if it was just misting or sprinkled. Besides, I’ve decided I won’t relieve myself in the dog run anymore, only along our walks.
The Mom: Yes, it was a good idea but Nature decided it was going to play tricks on us. Sure wish you weren’t so picky about relieving yourself only on walks. It’d have made things much easier. That said, shortly after we began, it started to rain steadily.  Long story short, you and I both got drenched, I mean I was soaked to the bone and I’m sure when I walked, I ‘squished’ from all that moisture. And you looked like a drowned hippo.

Wilson: Of course, it waited until we were about half way on our regular 3-1/2 mile jaunt. Nature sure can be quite the prankster, can’t she?LupineThe Mom: Indeed. On the plus side, look how gorgeous this Lupine looked in the garden when we came back-it’s so lush and I’m sure all the garden plants loved the rain. You can supplement water like crazy but nothing revives a garden quite like rain, even if it’s just a sprinkle. Nature seemed to make up for the lack of moisture this spring with this storm.

Wilson: Right-o, Mum. But it sure throws a wrench in what we planned to share today. You have to admit it’s ironic we planned to show off succulents around the neighborhood as they are beginning to bloom right now.

Cactus

The Mum: It is rather paradoxical. Just look at all those cactus flowers! Sadly the Walking Stick cactus isn’t on the same schedule and hasn’t started blooming yet with the prickly pear. Apparently Nature likes to stagger things. Too bad she didn’t want to stagger the times it rained so we could get our walks in without being drenched.

Wilson: You’re right about that, Mum. Every time we’d try to get a walk in, the skies would open up and we’d get soaked. It took a day and a half before you got smart and dug out the umbrella so it wasn’t as bad. In your defense, it rains so infrequently, we never think about using umbrellas and you probably forgot where they’re stored. My paws and undercarriage got mucky and you must have used every towel in the house to dry me off. Did you notice how curly my coat got after all the rain we encountered? Who knew I had such curls.

The Mum: Yes, those curls are going to take lots of brushing out for your coat to return to regular fluff. Anywho, I’m glad you decided to stay with the southwest theme for this week. You’re a good egg, House Pony.

Cactus

Wilson: Well no point letting a little rain put a damper on things, right? Notice what I did there?

The Mum: You are too clever, lad. What else did you notice while we were getting drenched this week?

Wilson: Look at this prickly fella! It was so fascinating to look at but I didn’t want to get too close to check it out more thoroughly. I was afraid it could easily ‘bite’ my nose.

CactusThe Mum: Smart thinking, buddy. While that plant is fascinating to look at, I’m glad it isn’t in my garden. What a pain to try and clean out dried leaves every spring. Literally! I don’t think there are thick enough leather gloves to tackle that project!

Wilson: Right you are, Mum. This next pic is what made us pursue the whole southwest theme. You always have your eyes open for unusual garden art and I must say, this is the most unlikely thing you’ve ever found, I daresay. Mirrored cactus sculptures! I half expected you break out singing “Stayin’ Alive.”Cactus garden artThe Mum: I know, right? I was flabbergasted. We encountered this sculpture as we were returning home. It was on a different route but I thought, why not check it out. When I saw this shiny thing from half a block away I couldn’t figure out what it was and had to look more closely. Lo and behold, it was mirrored life sized cacti! How. cool. is. that?

Wilson: It was something else, that’s for sure. And I could even sniff it without fear of getting my nose poked. Hey, that reminds me, why didn’t you let me sniff it?

The Mum: Now, you know perfectly well the rule of our walks is we don’t ‘sniff’ (talk about a euphemism) in people’s gardens. We don’t appreciate when dogs pee on things in our garden and try to set a good example for others.

Wilson: Umm, I don’t always try to pee on everything, but you must know that a dog processes life through his nose. Which means, I have to get up close and personal to see what the heck something is. But you’re right, I probably would have tried to pee on it to let others know I appreciated it’s unusual appearance.

The Mum: I rest my case.

Wilson: Sorry, Mum. There are some things dogs just can’t change about their personalities. Yellow mirrors probably wouldn’t have improved the garden look.

The Mum: Glad you understand. So what are your plans for this weekend, House Pony?

Wilson: Well it’s Mother’s Day this weekend in the US so naturally I’m going to do something nice for you. But it’s a surprise. I can’t spill the beans, just know I’ll be a good boy and try to make you proud.

The Mum: {blushing} I’m always proud of you, sweet boy. Thank you. We hope all pet mums have a wonderful Mother’s Day and hope you are able to enjoy getting out to check out Nature up close and personal. Have a great weekend!

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ May 2, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 66 Comments

WilsonWilson: {Yawn} Good Friday morning everyone-as you can see I’m a bit slow getting started after a very busy week but wanted to welcome you to another installment of Nature Friday where we join our friends from the Adventures with the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what others have shared.

Well, the calendar page turned yesterday and we’re now in full blown spring mode. Hope you had a wonderful May Day. We spent the day catching up after celebrating National Pet Therapy Day the day before. It was a bit overwhelming for both me and Mum. Mum learned a valuable lesson (though she wasn’t a bit surprised at realizing it). She knows I struggle with a large group of overly excited people wanting to meet me for the first time as well as their excited pups all trying to get up in my grill. I’m afraid I was less than hospitable with a couple who didn’t seem to understand it’s too overwhelming for me. Here’s a fraction of the approximate dozen number of dogs who participated. Mum stopped trying to take photos because she was concerned about my reaction and couldn’t get the whole gang in the frame.

Pet Therapy
Lutheran’s pet therapy dogs come in all sizes and shapes

Wilson: Mum, I sure hope we don’t have to do a group thing like that again any time soon. I was so stressed, all those dogs wanting to be so close, I mean, I was just a wreck.

The Mum: I know sweet boy, I’m so sorry and promise I won’t put you through that again.

Wilson: Whew-thank you…I was a total wreck and am so grateful you decided to let me to visit with the nice folks in Medical Records instead of participating in the dog conga line upstairs on the floors. For the record, I do not conga.

The Mum:  Totally understand. I enjoyed meeting with Records as well and you were a big hit. We’re adding them to the other stops we make before our regular floor assignments. Let’s change the subject and focus instead on all the beautiful signs of spring we encountered this week, shall we?

Pet Therapy

Wilson: Happily. Well it’s official- spring has definitely sprung. We had a few days of gentle showers with coolish temperatures and things are greening up nicely. The trees in particular really have enjoyed the moisture. It looks like the cherry and apple trees were particularly thrilled and I can’t wait until I can taste the fruit first hand, later in the year.

Cherry blossoms Apple blossoms

The Mum: Flowering trees have indeed been quite lovely. Check out this Eastern Redbud. I just love their bright color.

Red bud flowers

Wilson: Does it have fruit after blooming? You know I’m a big fan of fruit.

The Mum: Umm, no, in fact, I often forget about these trees after they bloom-the tree is unusually nondescript once it’s finished blooming. It’s a shame too, they so pretty when they bloom.

Wilson: Well that’s unfortunate. I’ve noticed the tulips are just about finished blooming too and what a lovely year it’s been for them. This has to be the absolute prettiest one we’ve seen.

Tulip

The Mum: You’re so right, I so love walking past that house and especially enjoy that beautiful variety. It’s so delicate looking and the color is so pretty.

Wilson: It sure is, Mum. I noticed your favorite lilac bush is blooming. It’s not quite as lush as it was last year when you created today’s header but it’s still gorgeous as is the second bush right next to it. What’s nice is they aren’t the usual purple-ish color we usually see.

Lilacs

Lilacs

The Mum:  Their fragrance is deliciously amazing, too. What else do you have to share?

Wilson: I started to notice some Hedgehog and Prickly Pear cactuses that are starting to bloom. I’m not getting close enough to sniff at those guys but they sure are fascinating to see.

Cactus

Cactus

The Mum: No doubt they provide valuable cover for tiny garden mice and small birds from various neighborhood predators as well as an interesting change from our usual blooming landscape.

Wilson: When we walked yesterday, this bright patch of Golden Alyssum sure caught my eye. Talk about a cheery look on a somewhat cloudy day.

Golden Alyssum

The Mum: It sure was an exuberant sigh.! And they smelled sweet too.

Wilson: How come it’s okay for you to sniff flowers but you fuss at me when I do?

The Mum: The difference is that I don’t ‘leave‘ a message on them after I sniff.

Wilson: Oh yeah, I do try to leave a note. But, in all fairness, I’m just telling other dogs how beautiful the flowers are. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.

The Mum:  {eyes rolling} Right. You might be able to fool others, but not me.

Wilson: Doggone it, I was hoping you wouldn’t see through me so easily. But I am doing better about leaving little messages, especially since you’ve pointed out it’s against the rules. I know you don’t appreciate it when dogs leave messages on our flowers and I respect that when we’re walking. Weeds are a whole different category though. Especially when they pop up in sidewalk cracks. I don’t have to remind you I’m doing a public service then, right?

The Mum: Umm, if you say so. Got any other photos to share?

Wilson: A couple; here’s a shot of some elm blossoms. Usually you only notice the little round seeds that blow all over the place, but you’ve never noticed the flowers that produce the seeds before. Aren’t they fascinating? I’m going out on a limb by saying I think it’s going to be a good year for elm seeds.

Elm tree

The Mum: Yes sadly, I’m think you’re so right. Which leads me to chat about the subject of Silver Maple tree seeds. Since you’ve been noshing on the flowers against my wishes, I’ve noticed the past couple of days that you’ve graduated to now snarfing up the seeds. You have to stop doing that, you hear?

Silver Maple seeds

Wilson: You mean those aren’t little green crepes? I mean, the flowers tasted like truffles so I just figured they were crepes.

The Mum: NO, THOSE ARE NOT LITTLE GREEN CREPES, you dingleberry! What is wrong with you?

Wilson: Umm chill, Mum.

The Mum: You are going to be death of me yet with what you find tasty. Elsa only ate things like reading glasses and socks.

Wilson: Maybe that says you’re not feeding me enough. I mean, the vet may be pleased with my nice trim physic but I’m a growing boy and growing boys need lots of calories to maintain.

The Mum: I give up.

Wilson: Oh Mum, don’t be so uptight. It’s not like a tree is going to sprout in my tummy is it? How about we end with a nice pretty blue flower. Blue flowers always make you smile to forget. I think this is some variety of forget-me-nots. I think it’s pretty, how about you.

Forget me nots

The Mum: Yes, House Pony…it’s a lovely shade of blue and the two tone color of the leaves add to its beauty. Sigh. It looks like the sun is returning to the Mile High City for the next few days. It’s a gorgeous morning with crystal blue skies and will be in the 60’sºF…totally perfect for checking out all the beauty Nature has to offer this weekend. We hope you have a great weekend and do try to get outside to enjoy it.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ April 25, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 58 Comments

Wilson Greetings mates…and welcome to Day 115 of this year. As we do on Fridays, we’re joining our friends Rosy & Sunny from  the LLB Gang for their weekly Nature blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what scenes were shared by others.

The Mum: Ummm, good morning, House Pony. Now could you please get off my laptop?

Wilson: Oh right, sorry about that. Just thought you needed some up close and personal help.

The Mum:  Uhhh, that’s very sporting of you but I think I’m good. Besides, you don’t have any thumbs.

Wilson: Mum, it’s not nice to point out negative aspects of one’s anatomy. I’m a bit disappointing you’d resort to something like that.

The Mum:  Nothing malicious intended, sweet boy. Just pointing out obvious differences. We both have to work with what we’ve got for each situation. Feel better now?

Wilson: Okay, but you know how sensitive I am. As long as you don’t mean anything by it, I’m good.

The Mum: Of course, the one thing we are here at the Ranch is kind. That’s a rule that will not be ignored. So what do we have for today’s slices of nature?

Wilson: Uh right…let’s get started. People are going to think we’ve gone batty about birds.

The Mum: Yeah, it kind of does seem that way. While most people show cool raptors and diverse images of birds, when you live in the heart of the city, your options are somewhat limited.

Birds-pigeons
Yoo-hoo, my love…look at this terrific leaf I found.

Wilson: Well one thing that’s universal is it’s definitely springtime and springtime is nest building time for birds of all stripes right now. Even if it’s a simple rock dove…more commonly known as a pigeon. In some places they are referred to as rats with wings since they eat just about anything. Here’s a male collecting some nest material in a parking garage. Adults are about 11-15 inches long (29 to 37 cm) and weigh anywhere from 8-13 oz (238–380 g). They typically have a dark bluish-grey head, neck, and chest feathers with glossy iridescence around their necks.The most identifying characteristic of this bird is those two black bars on their pale grey wings with their tails having a black band on the end, and the outer web of the tail feathers are lined in white. Pigeons are known to be quick on the wing when surprised or avoiding potential predators. Eye color is generally orange, red, or gold and they have those weird red/pink colored feet. Did you know the females are nearly identical as the males though the iridescence is less intense.

The Mum: Oh my goodness…I see you did some homework.

Wilson: Well, I am a professional and enjoy knowing little bits and bobs about things. It’s important for one to be curious about the day to day stuff. More people out to try it, especially since they they’re constantly looking at their cell phones.

The Mum:  I say Wilson…good job. I found those pigeons when I parked my car at the doctor’s office. I don’t know why but I was simply fascinated watching them as they busily were ‘feathering their nest.’

Birds-pigeons
Thanks Rufus, nice leaf…I’ll just tuck it right here.

Wilson: You must have been really engrossed in watching them-you were almost late for your eye appointment.

The Mum: Yeah, but it was nice to be captivated for several moments watching their rituals as they prepare for new babies. They almost didn’t mind me watching them working on their construction project-a common scene around the city.

Wilson: I noticed after your eye appointment, you went on a long walk around that neighborhood and found some serious signs of spring.

The Mum: It’s a habit I can’t seem to break. I used to live nearby and whenever I’m on the east side of town, I always have to walk by my old house. Like everywhere in the Mile High City, the neighborhood has changed so much. It’s very dismaying to see beautiful old Victorians torn down in favor of box-like McMansions. Fortunately my little 1900 Victorian cottage is still standing, having last sold for almost 19 times more than what I paid for it. Yikes!

Wilson: Gosh, Mum, that’s wild. It was a tiny little house but gentrification has really inflated home values.

The Mum: Yeah, it’s a truly bizarre real estate market, but enough of that. Why don’t you show some of the signs of spring from around that neighborhood.

Wilson: Right, well that part of town seems a little bit farther along than the area around the Ranch. I mean don’t bearded irises usually bloom in May?

The Mum: Indeed. In fairness though, they are starting to bud up on our side of town around the Ranch but I haven’t seen any that were flowering. This is your classic purple iris. Nothing flashy but oh my gosh, so early.

Wilson: Early, eh? What about this somewhat out of focus Bleeding Heart (sorry about that). Guess it surprised you so much, you couldn’t hold the camera straight.

Bleading Heart

The Mum: {blushing with embarrassment) Something like that. To say I was stunned would have been an understatement. Around our neighborhood, I haven’t seen any even close to blooming. Must be because of the sunlight exposure. They sure are pretty and fairly easy to grow.

Wilson: I see you found some new garden art on your walk.

The Mum: Yeah, I can’t help myself. When I came across these frogs, I kept thinking now that Lent is over I could actually enjoy an alcoholic beverage. Suddenly I was craving Mexican food and margaritas-hold the salt, please.

Wilson: I can practically hear them singing ay-yi-yi-ing from that sunny spot.

The Mum: You’re a real hoot, you know that? So what else do you have for this week?

Wilson: Looks like the lupine are starting their annual surprise appearance in odd places where they weren’t planted.Lupine

The Mum: I had to chuckle about where this one showed up. It’s not even remotely close to where last year’s lupine bloomed in that part of the garden. It always makes me smile. I’m looking forward to seeing what color the blossoms will be.

Wilson: Well, Mum, it’s time for me to go on my morning constitutional so I’m going to wrap this up. Be sure to get outside and enjoy the longer daylight with slices of nature that are appearing in your neighborhood. Is spring in full swing near you? Have a great weekend.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ April 4, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 49 Comments

Nature FridayWelcome to the first Friday in April where as always we join the LLB Gang for their weekly Nature Friday blog hop. Click on the link to see what scenes from nature others are sharing.  Hard to believe we’ve officially entered the second quarter of 2025. Where has the time gone? Soon Passover and Easter will be front and center. The speed at which time flies by seems to speed up the older you get. Luckily there’s a certain ‘lad’ who’s happy to keep me on my toes (aka staying young by trying to keep up with him, despite the uncanny number of wrinkles staring back at me from my bathroom mirror). Well, let’s get started with today’s latest conversation.

Wilson: Hello, Mum…happy Friday. So what will we showcase this week?

The Mum: Well, young man, before we get started, how’s about we have a little ‘chat’ first before we share any photos from nature we encountered this week, shall we?

Wilson: Umm, this sounds ominous. Am I in trouble?

The Mum: Not in trouble per se but we do need to have a heart to heart about the maple flowers that are dropping on the sidewalk like flies.

Maple Flowers

Wilson: Ooooh, you mean those tasty morsels I find whenever I go outside? They are just so…

The Mum: {interrupting} STOP…you can’t eat those…

Wilson: But Mum…I can’t help but think of them as little truffles. I realize they may not be for everyone, but you do realize one of my greatest gifts to humankind is my uncanny ability to hoover up crumbs, wherever I find them. Just think of these things as crumbs that I’m cleaning up for you. I mean, you realize I’m doing you a solid by you not having to constantly have to sweep them up from the patio. When you think about it, I’m actually doing you a favor.

The Mum: Umm, well when you put it like that…wait, what am I saying? When you snarf those little flower clusters up, I have to mop up the slobbery drool marks! No, no, no…maple flowers must not to be eaten. While it should be noted that they aren’t poisonous, ingesting the flowers could cause stomach upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. You wouldn’t want to have to go to the vet now, would you?

Wilson: {gasp} Well, when you put it like that…definitely not. I’ll try not to eat them Mum, but we both know it won’t be easy. May I suggest you bring plenty of treats with you when taking me outside to deter me from eating until they’re gone?

The Mum: Boy, you’ll do just about anything for a treat, won’t you?

Wilson: I say, Mum, I’ve told you many times before, I’m no ordinary fool. You should know treats are a bravo-good way to deter unwanted behavior. All the training videos say so.

The Mum: You’ve been on Facebook again, haven’t you?

Wilson: {clearing his throat} Let’s just say I’m a quick study, Mum.

The Mum: I can see this conversation is going nowhere. Now that we’ve chewed on that topic, what slices of nature do you have to share this week?

Wilson: Well, the forsythias are blooming right now and boy are they cheerful and bright. I’ll bet they make lovely cuttings in any vase.

Forsythia

The Mum: They are definitely a sign that spring is here.

Wilson: And flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom around the neighborhood. One of the prettiest is Prunus Glandulosa, commonly known as flowering almond. This small shrub is fairly tolerant of urban conditions, and once well established, can be fairly drought-tolerant. All parts of the flowering almond shrub  including the stems, leaves, and seeds, are toxic as are many plants in the Prunus family (i.e. plums, cherries, and peaches). It contains cyanogenic glycosides, that release cyanide when metabolized. Ingestion can lead to all sorts of health problems like gastrointestinal distress, difficulty in breathing, seizures, coma and death. Yikes-I’m rather glad we don’t have any in our garden. 

The Mum: Yikes indeed. When I first moved into this house, there were a couple of them but ultimately they didn’t survive for which I’m rather grateful now. I had no idea about its toxicity.
Wilson: Why is it that so many of the prettiest blooms in spring are toxic or poisonous?
The Mum:  I have no idea but it’s quite true. Spring bulbs are poisonous for dogs and because of your propensity toward noshing on things, I worry and have to make sure you don’t get any dumb ideas.
Wilson: I appreciate your looking out for me. When I was researching for this post, I learned that the most common spring bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, irises, daffodils and crocuses are all poisonous for us canines. But boy, they sure are pretty. Guess we have to take the good with the bad, eh?
The Mum: You’re right on both counts. So what flowering bulbs have you seen this week? It’s been pretty chilly and grey, unlike last week where we enjoyed some fabulously warm days. We experienced some flurries of white stuff over the past a few days but nothing that has accumulated.
Wilson:  Quite right, Mum. As usual, winter is being difficult and it just can’t seem to stay away. It even dropped below freezing last night.
The Mum: Yesterday was even chilly enough to turn the furnace back on and more snow showers have been called for in the forecast with temps in the 20’s tonight. Brrrrr.
Wilson: These flowers don’t seem to mind the weather. Check out the unusual hue on this hyacinth. What would you call it, magenta, claret?
The Mum: Sure…that works. It’s quite a beauty but I still tend to be drawn to the purple ones. Their fragrance is just so divine.
Wilson: Oooh, that one is a real beauty, Mum. They sure do have a luscious scent to them. And aren’t you proud of me, I didn’t even water them or the daffodils that we found later on our walk nor did I try to eat them.
Tulip
Daffodil
The Mum: Very proud of you, House Pony. Well done. It’s important to look, just don’t water. And definitely don’t eat!
Wilson: See, I can be a good boy, Mum…well most of the time. So what’s your plan for the weekend? Anything interesting happening? With the weather reverting to winter again, we think we’ll just hang out and stay cozy.
The Mum:  An easy weekend sounds just paw-fect. We hope you are able to enjoy whatever spring has in store for your area. Have a great weekend!
Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ March 28, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 57 Comments
WilsonWilson: Hey Mum, you know it’s Friday, right? It’ll be my second day of visiting patients and staff at the hospital but I wanted to know if we’re still going to try to participate with the Nature Friday posts from our friends over at Adventures of the LLB Gang without the Ninja?
The Mom: Well…I thought we should at least try but I doubt our posts will be nearly as entertaining. Would you be up for it?  I’m sure Elsa would like that. Just know some days will be easy and some will be harder. That last sentence is more of a note to myself than to you, House Pony.
Wilson: You do know that I miss her even if I’m more than enjoying having you all to myself. Is it wrong for me to be selfish?
The Mom: No, I understand, House Pony. She was a special girl and while she had her quirks, she was quite unique in her own way that made her truly adorable. I was always rooting for her to succeed as a dog-it just took a little longer after enduring such adversity in the puppy mill.
Wilson: I can’t imagine what she endured. But I do have to wonder, if you loved her more than me?
The Mom: No, sweet boy. She and I just had a slightly different connection-she was basically feral when I got her and needed lots of love and care. You know I loved you as well.
Wilson: That’s reassuring but you do know I’m worried about you. You seem so sad at times…that’s why I feel like I have to smother you with love.
The Mom: I know. It…well except when I wake up and can’t breathe easily because of it. But I do understand. You’re a sensitive chap and true blue loyal which are some of the many qualities I love about you. So what kind of slices of nature did you find this week to share?
Wilson: Right-o. I’ll give it a try but without her unique slant, I think you’re right, it’s not going to be nearly as entertaining. Let’s start with a couple of pics taken earlier this week now that some of the early spring flowering bulbs have begun to appear. Just look at this lovely Scilla luciliae specimen (aka squill). It’s part of  the Asparagaceae family and its common name is Bossier’s glory-of-the-snow after the Swiss botanist, Pierre Edmond Bossier. Sometimes it’s referred to as Lucile’s glory-of-the-snow, as an homage to the botanist’s wife. After this early spring bulb blooms, it goes dormant until the next spring and originally came from western Turkey. It is a low-maintenance naturalizing bulb that can be found in zones 3 to 8. I know you like low-maintenance and was surprised you don’t have any in your garden. Their blossoms have a white center with blue or violet petals and the stamens are flat and clustered in the middle of the flower.
Scilla flower
The Mom: It’s lovely, Wilson. You know how partial I am to blue flowers and this is a pleasant change from yellow daffodils that are beginning to bloom. I like how it naturalized between the fence post and sidewalk. Isn’t it fascinating that there weren’t any other flowers like it nearby. I keep asking myself why I haven’t planted any before too. So far, I haven’t got a good answer to that.

Wilson: Well maybe this autumn you’ll remember to add some. You know I was just about ready to ask about how is it that Nature is so selective and surprising when it comes to placement of some plants.
The Mom: It’s one of those botanical mysteries, I guess. But it never ceases to amaze me how Nature arbitrarily decides for something to appear out of nowhere.
Wilson: Boy, you can say that again. Nature really knows how to surprise gardeners. Speaking of surprises, did you see that yellow magnolia tree blooming in the next block up from our house? Talk about being pretty. Hard to believe it’s blooming in March especially considering the temperatures were just shy of 80ºF (26ºC) yesterday. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
The Mom: I know! The temperatures have been crazy warm for March and uncharacteristically dry. March and April are the two snowiest months and all we’ve had around the Ranch is wind, wind, oh and more wind. Everything is parched and spring bulbs are flowering earlier than usual. I’m surprised any bulbs are blooming without winter moisture. Guess flowering bulbs somehow manage to be quite adaptable when conditions aren’t ideal. No wonder they’re so popular.

Wilson: When we were on one of our long walks a couple of days ago, I noticed the pussy willow blooms were beginning to change. Those fuzzy nubs are starting to flower. When I looked them up to find out more about them I discovered those nubs are insulation from cold temperatures before these yellow flower bloom. It’s like finding two different plants in one shrub. What a fascinating morphing. Soon the plant will be leaving out and look completely different. We probably won’t even notice it much then.
The Mom: You may be just right about that. It’s a real striking shift from the throws of winter to spring and finally toward its summer look. Again, Nature is full of surprises.
Wilson: Well that’s all I have for this week. I gotta get ready to go back to Lutheran and visit folks. Yesterday was a fun packed day and lots of folks seemed to enjoy our visit. It was the first time I got to train a new applicant who is bringing her dog into the program. She shadowed me as I visited patients and staff. It was a long day but I enjoyed it. How about you, Mum?
The Mom: It was a long day but a nice diversion to establishing a new normal. You and I both passed out early. Hopefully today will be less packed but it felt good bringing a bit of joy to others. You did good, House Pony. Let’s hope today goes as well.
Wilson: Thanks, Mum. I’ll do my best today…as long as I’m with you, I’ll be ok. I’m just glad I don’t have to have another bath any time soon. We hope spring has sprung where you live and you are able to get outside and enjoy finding lots of signs of spring. Wishing everyone a terrific weekend. I see that WordPress acted up on some of the spacing. Doggone it, I relied on the Ninja to make this stuff look right. Hopefully next time I’ll do a better job. For now, please accept my apologies. I may be a trainer for pet therapy but it seems obvious that I need to my own training to account for the vagaries of blogging.
Nature Friday
Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ March 7, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 69 Comments

ElsaIt’s Friday and that means we’re here with today’s edition of Nature Friday where we join those furry cutie pies from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what slices of nature others around Blogville have shared. Elsa here. Still feeling punk and hoping the new meds can help me fight this doggone case of pneumonia.

Wilson: I’m sorry you’re still not feeling well yet. Hopefully this week’s nature views will be a bright spot and interesting at the same time.

Elsa: Something interesting? Hmmm, that would be nice. What do you have, big guy?

Wilson: Well…before Mum moved to Denver years ago, she lived in Monte Vista, Colorado located in the San Luis Valley. At roughly 8,000 square miles, the San Luis Valley is largest high-altitude desert in North America and the world’s largest alpine valley. Every Spring, Sandhill Cranes migrate through the Valley on their way to their northern habitat. And this weekend thousands of birds and tourists will show up to celebrate the 42nd annual Crane Festival at the Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge before they continue their semi-annual migration. This weekend will be peak viewing time for some 20,000+ Sandhill cranes in this part of the state. The occasional Whooping crane, Canada geese, cinnamon teal, gadwall, mallards, American Widgeon and American Coot also stop at the Refuge to feed and rest at the Refuge wetlands. These wetlands provide crucial habitat to some 200+ bird species and other wildlife. After wintering near the US/Mexico border, the cranes began to arrive in the “Valley” in early February, feeding on grain and natural grasses in the area. Did you know that cranes mate for life and that every Spring they do their ritual mating dance that includes dancing, bowing, chortling, and throwing tufts of grass in the air. They’ll continue to head north to the far upper Midwest and southern Canada later in the month where they’ll raise their young and then migrate south again in late September.

 

Elsa:  Hmm…that’s pretty cool, but jeez…talk about noisy. I’m guessing the best time to see them is at sunrise and sunset?

Sandhill Cranes-San Luis Valley
Photo courtesy of NPS/Patrick Myers near the Sand Dunes National Park

Wilson: That’s right. Mum was always intrigued by the cranes at the Refuge when she lived in Monte Vista and she even saw a few Whooping Cranes. She discovered that the wetlands were artificially created and are consistently managed to provide sufficient habitat for the cranes, as well as a plethora of other waterfowl including mallards, pintails, teals, and Canada geese. American avocets, killdeers, white-faced ibises, egrets, and herons can also be found there. The Valley’s two aquifers, together with a network of irrigation canals and wells provide the necessary water that feed the wetlands. Located in a desert valley, and cradled between the snow-capped peaks of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Ranges near the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, the Refuge was officially established in 1952 as the first national wildlife refuge in Colorado, although plans for it began in the 1940’s. It was named after the nearby town of Monte Vista after the original name (Spring Creek) was deemed to be too common of a name. The Refuge was set aside not only as a haven for migratory birds and resident wildlife, but also as an important conservation effort to protect the wildlife, habitat, and water of the north and eastern portions of the Valley.

Elsa: Part of the fascination about those birds is all the noise they make. It’s definitely a sign that Spring is near when the festival begins. Did you find any local signs that Spring is a little closer to home?

Wilson: As a matter of fact, I did. Mum has been feeling well enough to take me on my walks and we actually found some Spring bulbs in bloom. It was pretty exciting, I tell you. Just check out these reticulated irises and a pussy willow in bloom.

Reticulated iris Pussy willow

Elsa: Well done, House Pony. I’m impressed. Those reticulated irises are a most unusual color and those pussy willow flowers look so fuzzy and soft. And who doesn’t love the cheerfulness of the first yellow crocuses of the season?

Wilson: I’m very pleased that you like them, Elsa. Thank you.

Elsa: Don’t get excited, dude. I haven’t been out of the house in a month and actually I’m a bit jealous you were able to see some signs of Spring on your walks. I just pray the medication kicks in soon and I stop losing weight. Mom is doing everything in her power to try and entice me to eat but I’m just not interested much and so far, I am staying hydrated but any food just isn’t very appealing.

Wilson: Well both Mum and I just want you back to being the scamp Ninja we all know and love.

Elsa: Thank you, bro. You’re very sweet, in an oafish sort of way way {chuckling under her breath}. Maybe you’re not so bad after all. Here’s hoping you’re seeing pretty signs of Spring in your neighborhood. Have a great weekend.

Wilson: Thanks Ninja…yes, please do have a lovely weekend. I would be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone that the stupid time change thing is happening this weekend so don’t forget to ‘Spring’ forward and set your clocks an hour ahead {grumbling}. Can’t believe I’m going to lose an hour of sleep because we’re still doing Daylight Saving Time. Only Arizona or Hawaii have managed to refuse to make the switch by relying on a loophole in the federal law to avoid it. We suggest you write and call your U.S. Representative since Congress is the only entity who can repeal the Uniform Time Act of 1966 and start applying pressure for them to get rid of it once and for all.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ December 20, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 65 Comments

Gingerbread houseWelcome to the last Friday before Santa Paws arrives for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. Elsa here, joining our furry friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have posted. Since photos of nature photos have been a bit slim these days, I’m gonna do things a little different today and think it’ll also help put our Mom in the proper holiday spirit. Thankfully, there won’t be any tacky Christmas inflatables and don’t know about you, but I’m so over the way-over-the-top displays. I keep wondering whatever happened to subtle and tasteful Christmas decor? So today, I’m going to tell you how outdoor Christmas lights originated, and as it turns out, there’s a Denver connection to the story.

David Dwight Sturgeon, a local electrician, whose home just happened to be not that far from the Ranch, wanted to brighten his ill son’s spirits so he hand dipped light bulbs in red and green paint and strung them around a tree in the yard so his son could see them from his bed.

Sturgeon had no idea how his efforts would change the way that people celebrate Christmas all over the world. Although Sturgeon did not invent indoor Christmas lights (that was Thomas Edison, back in the 1800s), according to Sturgeon Electric’s Marketing Director Erin Stromberg — his innovation spread like wildfire throughout early 20th-century Denver.

“People went past the house and saw it and liked the look of it,” Jason Hansen, History Colorado’s director of interpretation and research said. “And we then as now knew that they had to keep up with their neighbors. “And so, the next year, there were a few more houses with Christmas lights, (and) after that even more houses had Christmas lights, and it spread really rapidly throughout Denver,” Hansen continued. As the outdoor lights became more widespread, an intrepid reporter from the Denver Post took note. Francis “Pinky” Wayne picked up the story and wrote several articles on Sturgeon’s invention, according to local freelance writer and historian Rosemary Fetter. The idea’s popularity spurred Wayne to organize the first outdoor Christmas lighting contest — which drew hundreds of participants. Soon after, the tradition had gained a foothold across the front range.

The Denver City and County Building – Christmas Decor, 1935

Wilson: Whoa, that’s pretty interesting info. Who knew?!

Elsa: I know, right? What a brilliant idea by Sturgeon, all in his quest to make his son feel better. ‘Course, we’ve whistled past those humble beginnings as lights tend to be mass produced and imported from China these days. Still, you gotta tip your hat to that loving Dad for his efforts.

Wilson:  Well, I’m quite happy to that actually since Mum’s been ‘decorating’ me once again. When I was less than enthusiastic, she told me not to get my tinsel in a tangle. I’m sorry, don’t see any tangled tinsel here, do you?

Wilson, Christmas

Elsa: Dude, it’s a figure of speech. Why do you have to take everything so literally?

Wilson: Well, I’m from the “show-me” state where we expect people to mean what they say.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} You gotta lighten up and stop being so serious. Hey…wait a minute, I thought you were a British dog?

Wilson: I am, but I grew up in Missouri.

Elsa: You just can’t help yourself, can you?

Wilson: What do you mean? I just think everyone should mean what they say.

Elsa: {moving along} So, do you have anything else? I know Mom’s activity has been curtailed with her bizzaro injury. Leave it to our Mom to figure out how to fracture her sternum.

Wilson: She’s been pretty wiped out from it and hasn’t been able to get outside as much as she normally would. She got pretty exhausted after our hospital visits and has been trying to keep a low profile when it comes to being out and about. She can’t take deep breaths without a whole lot of pain so I’m doing my best keeping her pinned down by laying on her by making sure she doesn’t hurt herself while trying to find interesting scenes to photograph.

Elsa: Yeah, she’s been extra careful on the walks. I walk pretty slowly these days and she hasn’t tried to hurry me along. She’s hoping she will get better soon to be able to keep up with her scheduled commitments.

Wilson: Apart from her injury, there really hasn’t been all that much to photograph anyway. The landscape has been drab and brown, so we decided to share some interesting Christmas wreaths from around the ‘Hood. They sure beat those tacky inflatables.

Elsa: Wreaths, huh? Ok, I’m in. Waddu got, House Pony?

Wilson: We looked around our neighborhood and tried to find the prettiest, most unusual and even one odd one that’s not really a wreath but Mum just couldn’t resist taking a picture of it. So what’s a wreath anyway you ask? Wreaths were originally constructed of evergreens to represent everlasting life brought through Jesus and the circular shape of the wreath represents God, with no beginning and no end. We’ve come a long way since ancient times.

Elsa: Well here’s a pretty traditional wreath. Put me down as liking this one. It’s tasteful and subtle on a second story balcony.

Wilson: Wreaths are a lovely way to welcome holiday guests. Check out these four wreaths. They’re all so diverse and just really lovely, colorful and welcoming. Mum likes those colorful ornament wreaths.

Elsa: I really like that last one. It’s so wintery looking, even though our temps have been in the 60’sF this week. Yeah, you read that right, s-i-x-t-i-e-s! Here are a couple more. Mom liked the jingle bells wreaths and just couldn’t resist that guitar…which isn’t a wreath at all…it’s just a single ornament, but how cute is it??

Wilson: Pretty adorable I say, Ninja. Well that’s all I have for this last week before Christmas. We hope you have a festive weekend and are able to get outside to see some nature. Be safe and don’t break anything. I’m booked solid for the next several weeks providing therapy to my Mum.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ December 6, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 51 Comments

ElsaAnother Friday and you know what that means. Hiya…Elsa here. Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday. As always, we’re joining our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have posted.

Elsa: What the dog? Can you see what my Mom did to me yesterday afternoon? I think this has something to do with it being Christmas time and her wanting to take pictures, I just know it.

Elsa, bath time

Wilson: Hey little sister, looks like you went to that amazing doggo spa, Lily’s Bath & Biscuits in our neighborhood. I don’t like baths either, but LBB has one of the nicest places I’ve ever been to and she provides buffalo crunchy treats.

Elsa: I don’t care if she provided crypto shares. You know how I feel about baths! This is just all wrong.

Wilson: I’m sorry, little one. I know you don’t like baths. I wasn’t going to say anything but you were getting to be a bit funky smelling and now you’re a breath of lovely.

Elsa, bath time

Elsa: Like I said before…

Wilson: Aww, come on, Ninja…the lady who owns Lily’s is so kind and serene…the soft music is very soothing and it’s the cleanest place I’ve ever been to…

Elsa: {interrupting} You came from a barnyard. What would you know about clean places?

Lily's Bath & Biscuits, dog spa

Wilson: Well being a therapy dog has opened by eyes to the importance of cleanliness and I’ve figured out that when you smell and look good, people can’t begin to shower you enough with praise, attention and TREATS. No pun intended.

Elsa: Grrr…well aren’t you clever?

Wilson: Just being pragmatic. It’s done with, you survived and now let’s get on with sharing slices of Nature from this week, shall we?

Elsa: Harumph. Whatev.

Wilson: While many places around the country have been dumped on from a weather phenomena called the ‘lake effect,’ we’ve been basking in delightful sunny and dry weather. Mum had an holiday event for the hospital and afterward, she strolled on the grounds of the golf club where it was held. She told me all about the pond with its frozen edges and birds dropping in to break through the crystals around the edge of it. She said it was very cool.

Elsa: Lake effect? What is this sorcery of which you speak?

Wilson: Well…I learned that it’s a kind of weather phenomenon where cold air moves in over a relatively warm lake picking up moisture, which rises and then condenses into clouds, often producing loads of snow on the downwind side of the lake, particularly when the air is cold enough for the moisture to fall as snow. Remember when we watched that football game in Buffalo last Sunday night? Boy was I glad to be sitting next to Mum cuddled up on the sofa. It looked miserably cold and all that snow would have stuck to us like glue and formed ice balls.

Elsa: Well I will say this week has been quite lovely which is no doubt why Mom betrayed decided to ambush me with a bath.

Wilson: Now, now, you know we dogs don’t live in the past. We live in the present where the weather is nice, we have yummy treats and our Mum loves us with all her heart.

Elsa: Yeah, yeah, yeah…there you go being all philosophical again.

Wilson: It’s called living in the moment and being a dog.

Elsa: Whatever…let’s move this train wreck forward.

Wilson: Not sure how a train wreck factors in but check out the photo Mum took of the lake facing the foothills. It was so serene and lovely and she had a nice walk about that pond and she lingered watching some Canadian geese circle and then land in the water.

Pond Canadian geese

Elsa: {yawn} Wake me up when you’re done droning on.

Wilson: You really are in a mood today. Well I chose to be positive. Despite knowing I’ll be on the grooming table after a bath on Monday. {humming a snappy tune} I’m going to the hospital where I’ll bring loads of joy to folks and oh, did I mention, I’ll get loads of dehydrated liver bits? Yum, I can practically taste those yummy morsels.

Elsa: Wow, you sure have gone all Dale Carnegie on me. What else you got this week?

Wilson: The garden may be full of dried leaves but on cue, Mum’s Christmas cactus has begun it’s annual show of beauty. She started to notice tiny little buds Thanksgiving weekend and now it’s beginning to explode with vivid, hot pink blooms.

Christmas Cactus

Elsa: They are pretty and their blooms brighten Mom’s mood considerably this time of year which is always hard on her. Lots of people suffer from depression during the holidays so bright spots of nature like this can help them cope better. Maybe Mom should take me to the botanical gardens conservatory to boost my mood?

Wilson: If they allowed dogs, I’d have suggested it to her. You’ll just have to do with my cheerful personality and the fact that we’ll have a few more days of warm sunny days and clear blue skies. You think walking around the neighborhood checking out all the Christmas decorations might make you feel a bit better?

Elsa: {ugh} there you go again, being all positive.

Wilson: I just want you to be happy, little sister. When you’re happy the world is a better place and you can enjoy Nature and all it has to offer. I heard we’re going to get some snow soon, so we might as well be happy campers until then.

Wilson

Elsa: Oh for dog’s sake…my brother now thinks he’s Jimmy Kimmel! Well let me just dispel any silly notion you have of me being your Guillermo, got it House Pony? Whatever you do, in the words of the resident optimist, have a great weekend and find something in Nature to be impressed with. Not inflatables mind you, but real life nature. I can’t help but wonder if the big guy will be as sanguine after his grooming appointment. Have a great weekend. {snickering}

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ November 1, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 47 Comments

Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others posted. Elsa here. Can you believe it, there are only 60 days left in 2024?? My heavens, where did this year go? This week’s post is what I’m calling the “Last of the Mohicans” since there’s not a lot of flowers left after we experienced a hard frost yesterday morning. While we’re glad the days have turned toward more seasonal autumn temps, it was a bit of a shock to the system to walk in such chilly conditions. Mom even drug out our coats as it we received a couple of drops of moisture and the wind chill was pronounced.

Wilson: Ooh, ooh, please let me show a photo of that, okay?

Elsa: Go for it, House Pony.

Wilson: I rather enjoyed wearing my coat and you looked quite fetching yourself.

Wilson & Elsa in coats

Elsa: I was more impressed that you and I walked together so closely. We start out next to each other these days for our walks but then you peel off to go ‘water’ a tree or some other poor piece of nature. It’s just so weird, even Mom commented on how we’re doing next to each other. I guess after nearly 11 months, I’m getting better about accepting you as a brother and not nearly as timid.

Wilson: Gosh, you’re right. I hadn’t noticed. I’m always so focused on my surroundings and keeping my eyes peeled for squirrels.

Elsa: I figured as much-you tend to forget I’m around and bump me when you plow through. I’m getting better about letting you go first but Mom has started making you wait until I clear a doorway or other narrow pathway.

Wilson: I’m sorry, it’s not intentional to bump you, I just tend to be a bit wound up. Maybe with this walking next to each other thing will become more common and I’ll get used to not being  a bulldozer.

Elsa: Hope springs eternal. My balance reflexes are a tad teeter-y. But I know Mom’s got my back so behave yourself, dude. Okay?

Wilson: Right, I’m trying hard to be less excitable. So did you notice the red leaves have started falling in big numbers?

Falling leaves

Elsa: Sure did. Mom was oohing and aahing the whole walk. Show everyone just how much moisture we received. What was it, 12-15 drops?

Drops on leaves

Wilson: Right…it wasn’t much. The forecasters who said we may receive a spot of snow were wrong but they tell me now we may receive a few inches on Monday.

Elsa: Well…can’t wait for that…oh wait…yes I can. These past couple of chilly mornings have made the ole bones just a tad creaky and I’ve enjoyed taking over your cuddle bed.

Wilson: I’ve noticed that but I tend to occupy it on the afternoon/evening shift. Mum said she needs to find another one but has no place to put it since there are beds galore throughout the house. Guess for now, we’ll just have to share it and I’m on board with that.

Elsa: Thanks, I appreciate that. So what else have you got?

Wilson: Well like you said, it’s getting a bit sparse on flower blooming. Our neighbor had a few gorgeous roses but he must have cut them because they were gone late yesterday afternoon. Our Canadian shrub roses look fairly pitiful with only a few bracts blooming. This was the best of the lot and I’m only showing to for Rosy.

Rose

Elsa: You’re right, pretty pathetic. Hope Rosy doesn’t hold that against us.

Wilson: {gasp} Sweet Rosy would never do that! She’d just smile and be gracious as always. We do have a couple of tomatoes that survived the frost but I think Mum is going to ash-can the plant. They likely won’t taste very good. I know she’s going to miss noshing on fabulous tomatoes. The ones in the grocery store seem to be pretty flavorless.

Tomatoes

Elsa: I wouldn’t know…they’re veggies and when it comes to veggies, I only willingly eat green beans and broccoli.

Wilson: Oh, you’re missing out on a lot of tasty morsels and I’m happy to take your portions for you. You hear that, Mum? Give Elsa’s tomatoes and fruit snacks to me. She said it’s okay.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} Egad, you are shameless when it comes to tiny morsels.

Wilson: You can never have too many tidbits, I say.

Elsa: {moving along} Well I see there are still a few snapdragons blooming. They are so resilient.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Wilson: They certainly are! So are the Zinnias and now that the temperatures are cooler, the Pansies have started to bloom too.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Elsa: Those pansies are cute. I’m kind of over the Zinnias and marigolds, they’re looking way too bedraggled.

Wilson: But the Plumbago has come alive with rich mahogany leaf-color. There are just a few blue flowers now but the Plumbago is giving the maple trees a run for its money.

Plumbago

Elsa: Well I for one hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween. There were no trick-or-treaters last night so it was peaceful and quiet. Good thing, I’d have given them a piece of my mind like I did with yesterday’s creature where I barked yelled “Boo!” to on our walk. Try to scare me…get over your bad self!

Halloween

Wilson: I for one appreciate you standing up for me. Now that we’re through Halloween, we can focus on Thanksgiving. I’m salivating just thinking about all the yummy food that will be served…

Elsa: {interrupting} There you go again, thinking with your stomach.

Wilson: What’s wrong with that?

Elsa: I. can’t. even. begin. to. explain. it. Suffice to say we hope you have a great weekend and are able to get out and enjoy the return of nice weather and hope you find one of the beautiful sights Mother Nature provides for us. Enjoy celebrating Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) this weekend.

Day of the Dead (DBG)

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ October 25, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 53 Comments

ElsaWelcome to this week’s Nature Friday post. As has been typical…oh let’s see, since forever, October joined all the other months that set records. While not as warm as September,  temps are still about 15-20ºF above average, with crisp mornings. Hi, Elsa here. As always we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others shared. This week’s photos are a  bit all over the map-Mom couldn’t seem to get her act together for a coherent theme. And speaking of incoherent, here’s the House Pony to try to make sense of the photos.

Wilson: Hello mates, Happy Friday. My snarky sister is right, Mum really didn’t have a specific theme this week but we’ll try to make it interesting nonetheless.

Elsa: That may be a stretch but I’m sure you’ll do the best you can given the pickings are somewhat slim.

Wilson: Yeah, while Mum and I have been walking 5 miles a day, scenes along our route haven’t changed that much though I will note Mum saw a re-blooming iris two days ago. It’s the first time she’s ever seen one that wasn’t white. It’s actually rather pretty and no, Ninja, I didn’t sniff it for marking purposes.

Reblooming iris

Elsa: Wha…how dare you accuse me of being ready to pounce on that softball, err…that comment. But I’m convinced you thought about it.

Wilson: I did not. I was a good chap and Mum was proud of me.

Elsa: Well that has to be a first. So what was all that ranting and raving about that unusual find the other morning? I was on that walk and I couldn’t see what big deal was all about

Wilson: You mean that mushroom we found? Mum thinks it might have been an oyster mushroom or possibly a mock oyster mushroom. She said she wasn’t a mycophile by any means but she was pretty excited about coming across its path. Typically our humidity is in the low to mid-teens so for this one to sprout up in the gravel was definitely something to get jazzed about.

Elsa: Then again, maybe not so much. We see far more interesting things all the time. But whatever cranks your handle is fine by me.

Mushroom
Wilson: Well can I just say I was fascinated. I haven’t seen anything like that around here, at least not since I became a Ranch Hand and thought perhaps you might be intrigued with it.

Elsa: Nope, not even the slightest. Now…show me that chubby racoon that’s been waddling around our ‘Hood in the early morning, and I’m all over it. They are such fascinating critters. And that one who’s so chunky is particularly interesting. He’s barked at me before. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but Mom was adamant that we avoid any encounter at all costs. She can be such a killjoy sometimes.

Wilson: Tell me about it. She’s gotten so strict about me not even getting close to squirrels. It’s a major drag that I can’t chase after them. I’m sure I could catch one, I just know it. I’m quite speedy, you know.

Elsa: Yeah, yeah, yeah and you could whip it with one paw tied behind your back. Spare me, brother.

Wilson: I say, dear sister. No need to be so harsh. I was just saying…

Elsa: {interrupting} Oh spare me. Nobody wants to hear you yammering on about how close you came to bagging a squirrel.

Wilson: {miffed} Fine, I won’t say a thing about it.

Elsa: Promise? Ahhh, peace and quiet…just what I was praying for…

Wilson: {steamed} Oh so you planned to trick me into not talking about it, eh? Well that’s rather unkind. You know you could just do the post yourself if you don’t like what I’m sharing.

Elsa: Sheesh, lighten up, dude. Don’t be overly sensitive. Be more like me. Like I could give a rat’s…

Wilson: Umm Mum said to stop talking like that. You’d be well to heed that directive.

Elsa: Whatever…I’m the Ranch’s only princess…I can pretty much get away with just about anything. I mean, look at last week’s post where I munch her ballot. And here I am to tell about it. Heh, heh…this ‘no consequences’ thing is just awesome, I mean…hmm, it’s got me thinking…I wonder what else I can get away with…

Wilson: Best not, I’d have to report you to Mum. She was more than irritated with you again after you ate the latest flyer from Costco.

Elsa: Yeah, I did a really amazing shredding job on that yesterday morning. Mom doesn’t need the flyer anyway; she’d just spend money on stupid stuff instead of dehydrated liver treats on moi.

Wilson: Best not to chance it. You just never know and I sure as the devil don’t want to be blamed for something you did.

Elsa: Un-lax big guy. I’ve got the ‘Mom’ touch. She gives me a lot of latitude because of my early years in the puppy mill. And of course, the fact that I’m an epi-warrior just adds to her feeling sorry for me. I mean, talk about the luck of not one but “two get out of jail free” cards. I’m golden, trust me.

Wilson: Best not to push it. Besides, Mum loves it when we behave nicely.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} I’ll always be her favorite. You can take that to the bank.

Wilson: Not 100% sure about that but let’s share yesterday’s beautiful sunrise. With days getting shorter and it not being quite as hot, we’re able to eat our breakfast before going on our morning constitution. I rather like sleeping in a bit instead of having to go for a ‘crack of dawn’ walk. It’s nice to saunter outside and check out the pretty sunrise.

Sunrise

Elsa:  Whoa…nice clouds. I was too busy going potty to notice that bright orangey cloud. Mom was blown away by how bright it was. The mornings have been so clear so that was a nice treat.

Wilson: Treat, where? Wait, oh, I think you’re teasing me again. I know Mom will give me a nice tasty treat and it’ll be acceptable to eat it. I’m getting very good with waiting until she gives me the ok command. Anyway, we walked past a nearby church the other morning and saw how they created this scene. Kinda cool. Not sure if it means something because I’m not Episcopalian but it did catch Mum’s eye.

Rocks

Elsa: Don’t look at me for an explanation. Maybe someone reading this will know if it means something special. Anyway, it’s nicely done at any rate.

Wilson: Agreed. So the leaves around the Ranch have just begun to change in the last couple of days. Many are just so dried out but Mum found this tree with a bit of color yesterday morning. It was very breezy yesterday and looked a lot like it was almost snowing.

Changing leaves

Elsa: I know she’s been on the hunt for a very large leaf to put on top of your head because you’re so easy. Consider yourself lucky it’s been windy to thwart those efforts to make you look ridiculous. I’ve already put her on notice, I ain’t posing. Period.

Wilson: Don’t be so sure, I saw her pulling down that box that contains all the bandanas, hats and costumes in anticipation of Halloween. I just hope she’s too busy to pull it all together.

Elsa: Egad…so that’s what she was doing. Oh right, I’ll be laying low. Speaking of Halloween, what scene did you decide on sharing this week? There have been so many to choose from, won’t it be hard to find just one?

Wilson: You’re right about that, there have been so many but this one seemed to be truly out of the norm. We are definitely not fans of inflatables but this one caught Mum’s eye. I don’t think I’d want to stop at that house for treats.

Halloween

Elsa: Wait, you’d skip this house? Well that’s gotta be a first. But I’m with you. I wouldn’t want to stop at that house either. That’s just creeps-ville, dude.

Wilson: I agree. Well that’s it from me. So many of you were concerned about Mum’s ballot problem last week but I’m happy to report she filled it out as soon as she got home and hand delivered it to a nearby drop box. She received notice from the Secretary of State a couple of days later saying they’d received, verified the signature and accepted it. Whew. Look what they sent her in return-it even has the state flower, the Columbine, in the design. Pretty cool, don’t you think?

I voted

Elsa: Nope, I can’t chew up a digital sticker. Anyway, glad the whole thing is over now-she droned on about it endlessly. We hope you all have a terrific weekend and are able to get out and enjoy finding some slices of nature before daylight saving time ends.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾