Category: House Pony

Nature Friday ~ March 20, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 70 Comments

WilsonWelcome to the official arrival of Spring. It seemed like winter was year’s long even though we received hardly any snow or much cold. I know folks back on the East Coast, had it a whole lot worse than we did but it still seems like winter was endless. Wilson here and as always, we’re joining Rosy and Sunny from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on their link to see what others have shared for their Nature Friday blog hop.

Today’s Nature Friday post is going to be a bit light on clever observations on the world around us. Mum has been traveling back and forth to her Dad’s house. She and her siblings have been working to get Dad’s house ready to list as his deteriorating vision has forced him to move to an independent senior facility last weekend. It’s very nice facility and will be a good place for him but he’s understandably not happy about giving up the house he built for his wife of 73 years. He’s struggling with the idea that he’s become a renter after all these years despite the fact that everything in the new place is brand spanking new and beautiful. He said his old house was nice and quite comfortable for him but understands the reality with his vision and is learning to accept this new situation. So on with an abbreviated number of photos.

We’ve seen it all this week, weather-wise. The week started out cold (16F – -8.88C) after snow fell all day on Sunday. Apparently it wasn’t too cold for our neighborhood coyote, as he was happily walking along the golf course golf cart path. Guess he was getting his steps in for the day.CoyoteWe saw another coyote just two days later. Notice the snow is completely gone. The temperatures started warming up and have been in the mid 80’sF since. The forecast is calling for 90F (32.2C) by tomorrow. In March, people! 90F bloody degrees. What the dog!

Coyote

That coyote appeared to be a female. She wagged her tail at me. Being the ‘polite fellow’ that I am, I wanted to go over and introduced myself but Mum said, “No way. Jose.” I had to remind her my name is Wilson.

With the warm temperatures and now that the actual arrival date is now here, we are noticing certain fruit trees (plum and crab apples) are ready to start blooming. Mum expects them to pop this weekend.

Crabapple Trees Plum trees

Well that’s it for me. Mum has to leave now and hit the road before rush hour gets too insane. We both wish you all a wonderful weekend and we encourage you all to get outside and enjoy Spring! It may take us a while to respond to your comments and hope you’ll be patient. Cheerio!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ March 13, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 62 Comments

Friday the 13thWelcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday. As we always do on Friday’s, we’re joining Rosy and Sunny from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on their link to see what others have shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. Coincidently this is the second Friday the 13th after last month’s Friday the 13th. As you ;probably know, Friday the 13th happens when the 13th day of the month of the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, and that can happen up to three times in a year. This year will have three with the final one happening in November. Here’s a little background surrounding Friday the 13th.

According to folklore, the number “13” is considered unlucky. Based on a Norse myth, 12 gods met for a dinner party in Valhalla. The mischief maker Loki, who had not been invited, arrived as the 13th guest, and arranged for Höðr to shoot Balder with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. After Balder died, Earth became dark and the day was thought to be a bad, unlucky day. Norse mythology believed the number 13 to be unlucky and combining Fridays and the number 13 are considered unlucky in Western superisition.

Another month and another Friday the 13th. What’s up with that? Mum said 2026 will experience three this year, with the next one not until November. Here’s a bit of background on the history of Friday the 13th. According to folklore, the number “13” is considered unlucky. Based on a Norse myth, 12 gods met for a dinner party in Valhalla. That mischief maker, Loki, who had not been invited, arrived as the 13th guest, and arranged for Höðr to shoot Balder with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. After Balder died, Earth became dark, and mourned and the day was thought to be a bad, unlucky day. Norse mythology believed the number 13 to be unlucky and both Fridays and the number 13 are considered unlucky in Western superisition. Now that you know more about Friday the 13th, let’s move on with this week’s photos.

Wilson: Mum used to live in Monte Vista for a few years and her son decided to check out the Sandhill Crane Festival last weekend at the Wildlife Refuge there. So he decided to check it out and brought back this image. 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 every Spring they do their ritual mating dance that includes dancing, bowing, chortling, and throwing tufts of grass in the air. They will continue on their pilgrimage to the far upper Midwest and southern Canada later in the month where they’ll raise their young and then return south again in early autumn. You can see it directly on YouTube here.

Sandhill Cranes
Photo courtesy of K. Samson

The Mum: I was really excited (and a bit jealous) that Kevin was able to see the cranes in person during the festival (I prefer seeing the refuge before or after the actual festival to avoid all the looky-loos). But I was glad he got to experience it. Seeing some 20,000 birds in one place in the San Luis Valley is something else. I had visited the refuge back when we lived in Monte Vista in the late 70’s.

Wilson: Their noise made me keep looking at your screen, Mum. What a racket! But how cool was that to see? We really have experienced just about everything weather-wise this week. It snowed all day last Friday and left a good 5+ inches of wet, white stuff. Two days later you could barely tell we had received any when our temps reaching 73F (22.7C) on Monday. The weather has bounced up and down all week long…the only constant all week long being the multiple high wind warnings.

Snow
This shrub is a Physocarpus opulifolius – Ninebark Dart’s Gold
Snow
It was a beautiful morning
Canal Snow
A beautiful morning

The Mum:  On Monday we decided to check out the Ralston Creek Trail in the opposite direction to see how things fared in the storm. We’ve gone that way a couple of times in the past and came to the conclusion it’s very different from our usual route. The landscape suggests there may be beavers in the area but we saw no sign of any dens and noted the creek is narrow and rather shallow so I’m not sure how to explain the first photo.

Beaver

Ralston Creek

Wilson: The City has been working on water improvements and flushed a few hydrants into the creek. It’s not normally that deep, at least it hasn’t been since we’ve moved into the area.

The Mum: Right, House Pony. I had one day of errands in the old neighborhood and walked past the magnolia tree a block away from our old house. It was covered with buds-more than ever this year. It’s going to be beautiful once they open presuming the wind or a freeze won’t hurt them. We have our paws crossed. It’s such a lovely tree and I felt a little bit of nostalgia walking through the neighborhood which was surprisingly more springlike than our own.

Magnolia
Magnolia buds
Spring trees
Plum blossoms

Wilson: That’s all we have to share this week. Next week we’ll officially welcome more view of spring and hopefully we can find more evidence of its arrival. Wish us luck. We hope you have a marvelous weekend and get outdoors to see signs of spring in your neighborhood. Do you have any special plans?

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ February 27, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 60 Comments

Canal iceWelcome to the last Friday of February where we’re joining those kids from Adventures of the LLB Gang. While the eastern part of the country has been repeatedly pounded with snow, bone dry conditions continue in our area. And the temperatures have been all over the map but mostly the days are unseasonably warm. As in 20-24 degrees warmer than normal. And yet, the canal along the Ralston Creek Trail earlier in the week had ice along the banks. Talk about whiplash! Wind has been the dominant weather feature this week; we’ve been under High Wind Alerts all week. There have been a couple grassland fires in the metro area as well, and in particular, in the northern suburb of Thornton, a portion of I-25 was closed. Mine you, this is the major north/south highway through the metro area. Evacuations of homes, businesses and a high school were ordered. For photos of some of the damage to various business including the destruction of 148 vehicles, visit this link.

WilsonWilson here. I know Mum whines a lot about the lack of moisture (for which I apologize about that) but seriously, have you ever seen 148 vehicles melted from a vegetation fire before? It’s quite alarming when the sky is black with smoke. But we soldier on…it’s all we can do…and pray Mother Nature takes pity on the West and stops dumping mounds of snow repeatedly on the East coast. We heard there is another system set to hit again this weekend.

The Mum: Hiya, House Pony. While snow is falling everywhere but here, the weather marches on with very spring like conditions. And spring bulbs are beginning to emerge. We love seeing spots of color in the brown landscape but we’d welcome moisture of any kind at this point. Two days ago, about 23 drops of rain fell but it had barely landed before it evaporated, only leaving spots on windshields.

Spring bulbs

Wilson: Check out this pitiful hyacinth that probably has seen better days in years past. Emerging early and having dry edges upon emerging underscores the seriousness of our drought. It makes my Mum sad. She loves spring bulbs but they aren’t soothing her soul like they normally would do with these kinds of conditions.

Hyacinths The Mum: It’s kind of depressing, although I was delighted to see a few bulbs emerging around the neighborhood that we walk through every day. This small clump of  crocuses caught my eye from quite a distance away since the landscape is so very brown. I felt like I needed to water the newly installed landscaping because things looked extremely parched and have notice others along our regular walking route also resorting to supplemental watering. I just grateful the development we moved into has not installed any turf–only trees, shrubs and drought tolerant perennials. I’m making a list of the kinds of plants I hope to install (and bulbs for next spring) once the risk of frost has passed. Still it’s hard to conceive spring is just three weeks away.

Crocus

Wilson: On the plus side Mum, we’re enjoying longer amounts of sun each day. In fact, when we walked through the golf course the other morning, we were rewarded with a coyote sighting. He was probably over a 100 feet away but we could make out his shape. Mum had to chuckle as he was laying on the green sunning himself and when Mum noticed him he spotted her and began to walk away. Sorry about the dismally lousy photo, Mum only had her cell phone but in the good news department, she actually found her large DSLR camera yesterday and will start carrying it periodically. She was thrilled since she’s been wondering where it was since she moved in back in early December.

Coyote

The Mum: I know when we walk past the wildlife habitat that borders the golf course you always are on high alert and think you know there’s some sort of critter there so after seeing that guy, I won’t doubt you in the future.

Wilson: I’ve been trying to tell you there’s ‘something’ there but you just think I’m seeing things. Truth of the matter is, I’m smelling things, Mum. So you’d be well served by paying attention to my highly tuned snooter.

The Mum: You’re right, Floof. I’ll definitely respect your sniffing abilities henceforth.

Wilson:  Glad to see you’ve come to your senses. I noticed right after we saw that coyote you were keeping your eyes out for other signs of critters. Look at this little guy, scurrying around in the grass. What is that little thing, Mum? He sure tried hard to run away from my inquisitive nose.

Ladybug

The Mum: That’s a ladybug, buddy. We must do everything we can to protect them. They are one of the good bugs (actually they are considered a beetle but let’s not get too technical here) in any garden. Whenever you see one scuttling about just know they are considered good luck since they are known for eating aphids and other pests. Being so tiny, they implement a particularly fascinating defense mechanism where they secrete a noxious liquid from their joints to ward off predators. Referred to as “reflex bleeding,” that liquid emits a disgusting odor, so it makes sense to not crush ladybugs. That’s why I always make sure you don’t inadvertently squash him with one of your gigantic paws.

Wilson: Well that explains why you dragged me away from him. I only wanted to sniff him and wouldn’t do any harm. Well, not on purpose anyway.

The Mum:  I know you don’t mean to injure bugs or little critters like that. But that inquisitive nose seems to come just before the big paws land.

Wilson: Lastly this week, we wanted to give you a progress report on Figaro. He looks pretty doggone good since he seems to have looked outside and noticed the spring like temps. Just look how much he’s grown since he woke up. I think it’s safe to say he likes the new neighborhood too. We’re looking forward to putting him outside soon for a good dose of Vitamin D.

Figaro

The Mum: Well, that’s it from us. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and if bad weather sets in where are live, we hope it passes quickly. Let us know if there are any signs of spring in your area or if it’s still (or yet again) buried under white stuff. Feel free to send it to us. We’ll accept COD deliveries at this point.

Nature

Live, love bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ February 20, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 61 Comments

Lunar New YearGreetings mates. While you’re reading this post, I’m at the vet’s office getting my teeth cleaned. Ugh. It may be Pet Dental Health Month but for me, like everyone else…I. do. not. like. to. go. to. the. dentist. Period. Come to think of it, I’m not much of a fan for going to the vet. Wilson here and through modern technology (aka Mum getting her bum in gear to post this), I am likely snoozing while my vet and his assistant are making me have pearly whites again, as you read this. As we always do on Friday’s, we’re joining Rosy and Sunny from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on their link to see what others have shared for their Nature Friday blog hop.

So this week was full of celebrations. First, we welcomed the Chinese Lunar New Year and celebrated the Year of the Horse. I was a bit miffed it wasn’t so much about celebrating me. I mean everyone knows] I’m called the House Pony. Still it was fun to see all the news showing people being excited and celebrating a regal animal like the horse.

Wilson: This week was full of some pretty nice weather until Thursday where it got downright chilly. Once again we’re entering yo-yo territory as it go back to warmer temps by Monday, and will be back to 60F (15C). Mum is getting whiplash from the back and forth. She even had to water the new shrubs yesterday because the warm temps started to make them leaf out. The calendar may indicate spring officially arrives soon, but it’s starting to look a bit spring like around our neighborhood. I mean just look at this clump of daffodils from our walk!

Daffodils

Wilson: I mean, what’s more spring like than daffodils? Aren’t they just super cheerful and sunny? We’ve noticed most of the homes we walk past once we leave the Ralston Creek Trail don’t have a lot of bulbs, something Mum has been whining about as she’s missing her old garden that had lots of daffodils, crocuses, tulips and hyacinths. This is the only house along our 3+ mile walk that has any spring bulbs. She’s already looking at catalogs and talking with landscapers about how she can spiff up our little lot. She said she wants it to be bougie…but I don’t know what that means. So I’m guessing she’s going to be busy sprucing up the ole garden this summer. She’s started watching YouTube videos on how to deal with the slope that the garden has. She’s beginning to drive me a little crazy, truth be told. But i’m sure she’ll end up with some nice flowers that we both can enjoy.

The Mum: Well you had to figure that I would need an outdoor space that will nurture my soul and it’s not going to install itself. So I figured a few well placed peonies and maybe some lavender would be a good start until the fall when I can concentrate on bulbs for next spring.

Wilson: Oh hiya, Mum. Glad you could join us. Well as long as I can watch you dig and spade to your heart’s content outside, I’ll be happy. I hope the first project you start working on will be the laying of pavers near the back door off the porch so I can soak up some rays while you dig, prune and plant. How’s that sound to you?

The Mum: I’m getting itchy fingers just thinking about it. It’s been lovely waking up to more of gorgeous sunrises we experienced this week during all the celebrations. Just look at these.beautiful morning photos. Mother Nature sure left us with a couple of gifts with the pleasant temps.

Sunrise Sunrise

Wilson: I figured you were walking around trying to get various views. It sure was bright in the living room with those colors.

The Mum: It sure was, that’s why I went outside. Talk about a gorgeous morning.

Wilson: It was a great way to usher in Fat Tuesday. I actually got into wearing beads for you but I was rather chuffed you couldn’t find the Mardi Gras hats.

The Mum: In my mind, that was rather unfortunate. My list of things that seem to be missing is growing but I’m sure the costumes and hats are somewhere, I just don’t know where they ended up.

Wilson: Well don’t count me as being sad. The less I have to put up with stuff like that, the happier I am.

Wilson -Mardi Gras

The Mum: You don’t look to unhappy in this photo.

Wilson: I’m a professional, I know how to work the camera.

The Mum: Right…besides, you’re just in it for the treats. anyway Treats always make you happy.

Wilson: Oh dear, am I that transparent?

The Mum: {smiling} Umm, well maybe just a teeny-weeny bit.

Wilson:  Oh dear. I guess I better practice putting on a poker face. I’ll start practicing as soon as I wake up from a restorative nap after the anesthesia wears off. And just because I got my teeth cleaned, doesn’t mean I won’t be hungry later tonight.

Wilson - sleeping

The Mum: I know. Dinner will be at the usual time-and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the extra soft topper on top. We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. For those of you counting, spring arrives in 27 days. Woot!

Nature

Live, love,  bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ February 16, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 50 Comments

Good morning peeps. We hope you had a good weekend and are enjoying improved temperatures. With 32 days until the official arrival of Spring, things are starting to show signs that temps is moving in the right direction after a seemingly endless winter for many. We saw our first daffodil blooming on Saturday right before attending the rescue fundraiser at Kendra Scott’s. Wilson was quite the guest and seemed to enjoy all the attention and treats. He even tried his hand with herding after his appearance but was somewhat disappointed with the results. He said, “those doggone difficult creatures showed him no respect.” You can judge for yourself if the sheep disrespected him.

Wilson & sheep

Have a marvelous Monday.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ January 30, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 55 Comments

WilsonWelcome to the last Friday of January. As always, we’re joining our friends over at Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly nature blog hop. Be sure to check out what everyone else has shared.

Well goodness gracious…what the bloody hell is with the weather? Winter Storm Fern sounded like such a nice name and who goes on a rampage like she did when they’re named “Fern?” That beast showed her true colors and pounded most of the U.S. mercilessly.  If she didn’t dump a load of snow, she hammered people with sleet and/or ice. We were very sorry to hear about all the misery she caused and hope people are getting their power turned back on and settling in cozy, warm laps. Mum heard there’s another potential snowstorm coming to the east coast but we hope the weather forecasters are wrong and it’s not nearly as bad as they are saying it might be.

Wilson: It’s been cold here this week but nothing like it’s been around Blogville. When the sun is out though, it’s most welcoming and it melted nearly all our snow. There still are some frozen places along the creek. Mum kept me out of the walking lineup until midweek for which I was mostly grateful. Even if I was antsy and kind of annoying, I think she was trying to keep me safe and warm. It’s just boring being inside all day long.

The Mum: I know it’s hard for you when you have to be inside but if it’s too cold for me all bundled up, I know it’s too cold for you. I’m just trying to look out for ya, buddy.

Ralston Creek Trail

Ralston Creek Trail

Ralston Creek Trail

Wilson: I appreciate it, Mum, even when I don’t like it. My potty breaks were a bit on the fast side because of the cold at the beginning of the week. I thought when you took me for a ride, things were going to look up and then I realized as soon as we pulled up, you were taking me to the groomer. What the dawg, Mum? I thought you were my friend. Harumph.

The Mum: Sorry, House Pony. You were getting a bit funky but now you’re all nice and floofy, you smell amazing and are nicely trimmed up. I didn’t let her steal all your furs. As we drove to the groomer’s shop, I couldn’t help but notice the wide open spaces. This stretch was pretty windy which likely sped up the melting and although it was 40F (4C), it felt much colder with the wind. Still it was such a pretty day with those sunny blue skies that I didn’t mind.

Wide open spaces

Wilson: Of course you didn’t, it wasn’t your furs being stolen.

The Mum: Oh puleez…she didn’t take that much off-you still have plenty of floof. It’s clean now and smells heavenly.

Wilson: {grumbling} It’s humiliating. Luckily Sydney is nice to me and everyone was very supportive.

The Mum: Oh for heaven’s sake, you are such a drama queen. Has anyone told you to ‘grow a pair.’

Wilson: {blinking and then rolling his eyes} I have a certain reputation to maintain. Sadly I am a Maligned Floof with a case of anxiety.

The Mum: {eyes rolling} Whatever. So what else do you have to share besides these overly ridiculous claims surrounding your latest grooming session?

Wilson: Well, since we missed several days of walks along the trail, we finally were able to take photos of one of the underpasses that has a pretty amazing mural late in the week. I kind of like this mural, the colors morph from one color to another. It rather looks like it’s a gigantic dragon in segments.

Mural
It looks like an eye watching me walk through the underpass.
Mural
Is that another eye watching me?

Mural

The Mum: It really is a statement piece. I wish I could show it in its entirety, not just in the segments to really show off how well each color blends into the next.

Wilson: The colors are pretty cool and it sure beats looking at plain old concrete walls or graffiti. I like it when cities incorporate interesting art into their infrastructure.

The Mum: Yes, you’re spot on, House Pony. It breaks up winter drab nicely.

Wilson: Well that’s it for me this week. Next week I will share a different kind of artwork by the legendary Camille Pissarro whose exhibit is being shown at the Denver Art Museum. Pissarro is known as the father of the Impressionist Movement and his landscapes are truly incredible.

The Mum: Sounds like a plan. We hope everyone stays warm and safe this weekend and that the weather doesn’t impact your ability to enjoy nature. We also hope that power is fully restored to all those folks who’ve been impacted by the ice storms. Be safe and have a great weekend.

Wilson: Yes, what Mum said. If you’re planning on something special this weekend, leave us a comment and tell us what you’re doing. Enjoy this last weekend in January. If you need some good news, just remember, there are 48 days until Spring officially arrives. With each passing day, I think we’ll all be giddy for when it arrives.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ January 2, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 61 Comments

Happy 2026, peeps. We made it to a new year. We hope you had a safe and happy celebration and didn’t disturb the neighbors too much with stupid fireworks. It was kind of noisy in our neighborhood with a couple very loud boomers but they didn’t last too long and they don’t bother me much beyond going into SWAT mode thinking someone is trying to get into our house. At least they didn’t last into the late night like they used to in our old neighborhood. So that’s a plus. Luckily I’m didn’t get too stressed about the loud noises but made sure the perimeter was secure, just to be on the safe side. I just don’t understand humans and their obsession with disturbing a perfectly nice evening. Don’t they realize they are traumatizing  pets and people who suffer from PTSD? I just will never understand why they do it.

Since Mum is kinda boring, she chose to watch a hockey game instead of ‘partying’ with me. She had the nerve to wake me up a couple of times with loud cheering. Her team continues to have the fewest home losses and they gave the opposing goalie, who Mum despises, a real shellacking and when they scored the first 4 goals in 5 minutes she was, let’s just say, very animated. Hockey is a big deal for her anyway but to beat that goalie was particularly satisfying.

Wilson
Is this what you call celebration?

Wilson: So much for any big celebration action.

The Mum: I dunno, I was pretty excited celebrating that game. It was definitely a nice way to end 2025. But the celebration noise didn’t stop there.

Wilson: You’re so right, when we went for an early morning walk the next morning, there was all manner of squawking cheering by the local golf course residents-Canadian Geese. Whew…what a blooming bunch of noisy birds. I’m sure glad we don’t live on the golf course and have to endure that racket every morning while they’re standing about milling in the breakfast line. Sheesh. I imagine all manner of gossip while waiting for breakfast.

Breakfast - geese

The Mum: Amen, House Pony. That photo shows just a sliver of the noisemakers. We are realizing they are very noisy in the morning and are grateful they have chosen the golf course as their concert hall.

Wilson: That’s a concert? Hmm, not exactly my kind of music since we just walk through the golf course on the Ralston Creek trail. And speaking of trail, just check out this habitat hut the park folks created for critters. We still haven’t seen any but with these huts, there surely has to be some around. I was not exactly primed for posing, choosing instead to keep an eye out for my personal nemesis of which I’m always on alert for spotting now that I’ve seen a couple. Where there’s one, there are probably a jillion just waiting to be chased by the jaws of death.

Wilson
Wait…was that a squirrel I saw over there?

The Mum: Argh…you and your squirrels. So, we received a teeny amount of snow this week and there were a couple of cold nights and thus cold enough to freeze the edges of the creek.

Wilson: I don’t know why those frozen parts captivated your attention. Here we were walking along at a nice clip and you drag me over to one of the bridges that span the creek just to take a photo. Good grief-for dog’s sake, Mum.

Creek

The Mum: I just wanted to see the frozen edges up close. And then I noticed a tree trunk that suggests there may have been beavers around at some point. That’s a pretty exciting thought, though I suspect we won’t be seeing them up close since they’re pretty stealthy. Still, it was very cool.

Wilson: The things that crank your handle, Mum…are obviously well beyond my comprehension. I notice you are constantly scouring the creek. What in the bloody blue blazes are you looking for?

Canal Stream

The Mum: Well, trash for one thing. I feel compelled to dispose of trash we encounter in the bins along the creek and then I’m also checking for signs of critters. I’m fascinated with the natural world, plus I would guarantee there are likely coyotes around with all those geese and perhaps some deer, so it probably is prudent to keep my eyes open as we walk through these semi-wild areas. I’m just trying to keep you safe, buddy-that and picking up after careless humans.

Wilson: I appreciate you looking out for me and nature’s best interests but I can take care of myself.

The Mum: No need tempting fate. Beside, I prefer seeing you pose in this natural world rather than us being a statistic in it.

Wilson
I’m getting the hang of this climbing up thing, aren’t I, Mum?

Wilson: Well, when you say it like that, I guess it makes sense. Just yesterday there was a sensational story about a suspected mountain lion attack and fatality in Larimer County of a lone hiker who may have been attacked.

The Mum: Trust me, Mum knows best and I’ll continue to be careful especially while walking through the dense vegetation in the habitat area. We want to enjoy nature, not be its victim and it’s my job keeping you safe. So what’s on your agenda now that we’re in 2026.

Wilson: Nothing planned for this weekend, maybe entertain a friend who may drop by, but mostly just learning more about our area and checking it out.Whatever you do, we hope 2026 has started out on the right foot and you have a wonderful weekend. Happy New Year!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ December 29, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 62 Comments

Monday smileWell, we’ve gone and done it…managed to survive 2025 (presuming we can get through the next two days but we’re trying to be optimistic). It was a bit touch and go there for a while but look what doggedness will do for you.

I’m personally not into the whole resolutions thing and Wilson seems to echo my sentiment telling me…and I’m quoting here…”None of this New Year/new me bollocks. Last year I was floofy and fabulous and this coming year I’ll be floofy and fabulous.” Period.

Well ok then…I guess he and I won’t be having that conversation reviewing/reiterating the house rules. Though I still will continue to try to enforce cajole the barking rule. Wish me luck.

Since we’re not party animals it’ll just be the Floof and me ringing in the new year. I personally will be taking a hard look at went well last year and reflect on how it lines up with my goals. None of that resolution thing but we will try to be hopeful for 2026 and hope however you ring in your new year, it’ll meet all your resolutions/expectations. Best wishes for safe and Happy New Year from the Ranch, erm…Barn. Happy Monday.

Monday smile

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ December 26, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 59 Comments
Oh Christmas tree
Limited decor but happy to have enjoyed a small tree

{Yawn, s-t-r-e-t-c-h} Here we are after spending a quiet day in our new home. Not sure why but Mum overslept this morning (she didn’t do a lot of much yesterday after having her son and partner for a little brunch-sadly without images…clearly the time she’s been away trying to get us settled in has left her a bit deficit in proper brain function…i.e. she forgot to take photos) but I nudged her out of bed with my legendary “quilt” move where I jump up on the bed and smother her. But enough about her shortcomings, I love still her. It was a good day for just hanging out, getting chin scratches from the visitors and a great walk along the creek. I’ve reminded Mum the best way to settle in to the new home is to take loads of walks liberally enhanced with loads of treats for making me feel more comfortable in the new environment. We hope those of you who celebrated the Christmas holiday had a day that was merry and bright with lots of tasty snacks and good cheer.

Today we’re climbing back into the blogging saddle and joining our friends at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to check out what others shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. While Mum is trying to open her eyes with a second cup of coffee, let me share a few of the things we’ve seen over the past three weeks since our big move.

Wilson: First up…here’s the ‘before’ reveal. A real hellscape and something that had Mum wondering what was she thinking. But despite being a bit OCD about stuff being in its proper place, she put her paws in front of one another and made daily progress. Notice how hard I am working snoopervising the move in.

The Move Wilson: A real mess, right? And that was just the downstairs! It was worse upstairs. Well, I’m happy to report her doggedness has paid off, everything downstairs has now been put into its proper spot and you can actually walk about without stubbing a paw on a bin or box. Thank dog! The language I’ve heard over the past 3 weeks has been shocking and I’m not one to blush.

The Mum: Hey, that’s not fair…I noticed you howled a couple of times yourself.

Wilson: Oops, hi Mum. Thought I was doing a solo today. Ahem…sorry about that characterization. Since misery loves company, Mum reminds herself that this is a community that’s still under construction and more folks will begin to move in and enjoy the move in process that we had {snicker}. We already met the couple at the end of our lane. Mum shakes her head-those folks have managed to complete all manner of projects since moving in (i.e. painting their garage walls as well as painting the garage floor and power-washing all the mud from the sidewalks. They make her back hurt just watching these two eager beavers. I tried to make her feel better by saying there are two of them and she’s only one person. Sadly, she hasn’t been overly dissuaded about her feelings of inadequacy (she continually refers to it as slug-ness) so I’ve reminded her that envy is the thief of joy but she usually just stomps upstairs with an armload of things for the studio, grumbling with each step.

The Mum: You’re right about the theft of joy. I’ll try to do…

Wilson: {interrupting} Well I say a good place to start would be to bust open those presents of treats for me that Santa Paws delivered and stop being so stingy with dishing out the goodies he left me. And for heaven’s sake, be grateful for all you’ve done and accomplished. Sheesh, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

The Mum: I’ll try to keep that in mind. Obviously the dude in red thought you were a pretty good boy this year and not just a pretty face.

Wilson: Well I could have told you that but you were too busy being consumed with thoughts of inadequacy. At any rate, enough about the move…we could fill volumes but I have a few photos from the neighborhood around us to share.

The Mum: Yes, you’re absolutely right. What have you got for us, House Pony?

Wilson: Well, my daily walks are a veritable sniff fest. I’m beginning to think I might even be part bloodhound who’s tracking a burglar. It’s. been. awesome!

The Mum: Yes, I’ve noticed you are enjoying sniffs along our regular route. Haven’t seen as much wildlife as we’d hoped yet for but the wildlife habitat that we walk through might have provided more than just the thousands of Canadian Geese we see/hear along the trail. But there have been loads of dogs, walkers, bicyclists that we’ve passed and it has been interesting seeing so many dogs in strollers with elderly owners pushing them along. The demographics of this neighborhood range from little ones to seniors and is a nice mix of folks.

Wilson: Somehow I don’t see you being able to push me anywhere. We are both entertained with the vegetation, mostly dried grasses (the best sniffs) and downed logs along the creek which is very dry as we’ve experienced temps in the 60’s & 70’sF since after the day we moved in when there was 4 inches of white stuff on the ground making the move quite the challenge. We’ve been told the gravy train of unseasonably warm temps will run out this weekend and temps will be back in the normal range-30’s & 40’s with the possibility of some accompanying moisture. We can only hope. The sunrises have been spectacular and I can’t help but recite the old adage…”red skies in morning, sailor take warning-red skies at night, sailor’s delight.”

Sunrise

The Mum: The sunrises have been pretty spectacular. The above photo was taken the first morning we woke up in the new house and has been repeated numerous times during last week’s power outages amidst the hurricane force winds. Christmas was the most unusual we’ve ever experienced-it was 70F (21C).

Wilson: Well I know you’re constantly grossing about it being too dry but I’ve enjoyed these fair weather temps. You’ll get no complaints from me.

The Mum: You and a jillion others around the region but skiers and environmentalists continue to worry about the unseasonably warm weather.

Wilson:  Well, I say we enjoy it while we can. January and February are coming up and they are the coldest, driest months. But there’s still lots to enjoy.

Ralston Creek Trail
Flying geese
Ralston Creek Trail
Still water

The Mum: Indeed, for a few days this week, I couldn’t help but wonder if the mallard couples may have blown away because we hadn’t seen any in the canal along on the trail this week.

Wilson: It has been mostly quiet on the trail, with only a few of the many Canadian Geese populating the nearby golf course.

Canadian geese

The Mum: Here’s hoping everyone has a great last weekend of 2025 and a Happy Kawanzaa. We’re looking forward to ushering in a New Year next week. Which reminds me, guess I’d better get cracking on putting up shelves this weekend to better utilize the remaining time in this year and to pack up the Christmas decor now that we’ve enjoyed our first Christmas in the new house. Have a great weekend.

Wilson: And don’t forget to enjoy every single minute along your own trail.

Wilson on the trail

Nature

Live, love, bark!  🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ November 14, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 73 Comments

Wilson & the squirrelWell here we are again on a Friday. With forty-seven days left in the year, we continue to zoom toward the holidays in break neck speed. As always, we’re joining the crew at Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what posts were shared by others. Wilson here and can I just say it’s been an interesting week. We’ve been lucky with our weather, it’s been, in a word…gorgeous. Mild autumn days and not too chilly nights. I think I could get used to the low 70’sF (around 22C). It’s been somewhat breezy most days, blowing leaves all over the place but I haven’t minded. It’s glorious and it’s autumn so it’s to be expected, right? Mum continues to remove leaves from under our covered front patio porch several times a day and said we could use some moisture-it’s been 2 months since any wet stuff fell so things are fairly dry and dusty. My once beautifully white paddles (also known as paws) are a lovely shade of grey. Do I care…heck no. Mum keeps trying to remove those little pieces of grass and leaves from sticking to my furs which means sessions with a brush. That part I do care about and hope she stops and soon. I’m fabulous enough without her fluffing me up.

Wilson: {continuing} Like I said, windy conditions are making good at disbursing leaves all over. But there still are a few trees that seem reluctant to let go of autumn, most notably the Bradford pears. They will keep shedding leaves for probably another month. Our neighbor has a pair in his front yard and Mum sometimes grumbles when they finally fall all over her sidewalk when it snows. Nothing like shoveling the sidewalk when the first snowflakes of the season arrive and its half full of Bradford pear leaves. But they sure are pretty. Just look at their color when most trees are down to their branches!

Bradford pear trees

The Mum: Those Bradford pear trees scream “GOOD MORNING WORLD!” every day when we walk past the old Elitches theatre on our morning constitutional. It’s a perfect autumn scene made even more perfect by the morning quiet before the city wakes up in earnest.

Wilson: Another colorful specimen is this Scarlet Firethorn tree. Looks like the birds who stay here during the winter will be well supplied with a nice batch of berries.

Firethorn

The Mum: That firethorn ranks right up there in color with this Japanese Barberry Bush-another screamer.

Burning bush

Wilson:  What? I can’t hear you, that bush is too loud.

The Mum: You’re too funny, you know that, House Pony? So we had some interesting astrological sightings this week. With the Beaver Moon appearing recently we were also treated to some spectacular Aurora Borealis showers over the past couple of days, I never thought I’d see them in person here with our dense neighborhood tree canopy but my son sent me pics a few pics he took from just north of the the Boulder city limits. The colors were incredible and did not disappoint. I loved seeing the tiny white stars showing up in the dark skies. When you live in the city, you get used to not seeing a lot of stars because of light pollution in a metro area so when you’re in an area that has little or no competition, it’s always a wondrous sight.

Aurora Borealis
Photo courtesy of K. M. Samson
Aurora Borealis
Photo courtesy of K. M. Samson

Wilson:  Pretty cool celestial happenings, Mum. With just 41 days until Christmas, the local neighborhood tree lot is getting ready to ramp up for the season. Although we posted about this lot showing up a couple of weeks ago, does anyone else find this signage somewhat ironic? “Fresh Christmas trees” in November…hahaha. While they haven’t begun to display trees and wreaths just yet, but I think not, at least not this early in the season. They are beginning to put out lighted spheres out that were very pretty when they had them last year along with a nice ‘herd’ of log moose and reindeer. It’s nice and festive especially as our landscape continues to get browner and browner.

Christmas tree sign

The Mum: Speaking of moose and reindeer, do you see any other critters this week on our walks?

Wilson: As a matter of fact, I did although I have never seen one of these before, either in Colorado or Missouri. What the dog is that thing?

The Mum: Silly Floof, it’s just more of unusual garden art that amuses me. This one is in the form of an alligator sunning himself on a low wall. I can’t wait until it’s covered in snow. Now that will be a sight!

Garden art croc

Wilson: Harumph…well I for one don’t plan on encountering it, not with that set of choppers.

The Mum: Don’t worry, this guy can’t hurt you. It did made me chuckle though. You know how much I love finding these unique pieces of garden art around the neighborhood.

Wilson: You’re so weird, Mum. Well that’s it for us this week. Hope you’ve taken time out of your busy holiday preparations to get outside and enjoy Nature, Northern Lights and the unusual. Let us know if you have any unusual plans. From both of us, we hope you have a ‘furbulous’ weekend!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾