Category: House Pony

Monday Musings ~ July 14, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 56 Comments

Happy Swelter Day, er I mean Happy Monday. Today I, the majestic Floof is bringing you a special public announcement. Call…I can help you get the compensation you so richly deserve. Speaking of what I deserve, I gotta dash to file a writ of habeas corpus on a bag of chicken jerky my own Mum is not dispensing fast enough. The nerve! Harrumph.

Wilson PSA

Have a super Monday and stay as cool as you can. Our forecast calls for 98ºF (36C) so we were out even earlier than our normal early morning constitutional since it was almost 70F at dawn. Gonna be a scorcher so we’re hunkering down with AC, lots of treats any plenty of cold fresh water. Stay safe and well hydrated.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ July 11, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 63 Comments

Wilson, HydrangeasGreetings from the Ranch, mates. Wilson here, joining our friends from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what else was shared in this week’s Nature Friday blog hop. It’s been a busy week for us that started out wet (more on that below) and we managed to receive a couple of small wet showers too. Otherwise, it was hot, as in triple digit hot. Yesterday was July’s full moon, known as the “Buck Moon,” so named as male deer (bucks) begin growing new antlers. July’s full moon is also known by other names such as Thunder Moon, Hay Moon, or Salmon Moon, depending on the various cultural associations with the month of July. Mum can’t help but wonder if the full moon period might explain some of the severe and extreme weather that’s been happening all over too. Just last night after consecutive days of very hot temps, our neighborhood received a shower that may have weakened the tree across the street enough that a large branch came crashing down last night on our poor neighbor’s car.

Full Moon
[Not my photo]
As you can imagine, Mum was pleased about the wet, but as you can tell by my expression below, it wasn’t as appreciated by me. I hate baths and this week my mum drew the short straw to get me ready to visit with staff and patients at Lutheran rather than the groomer. I don’t understand why Mum doesn’t seem to realize I don’t like baths. I mean, it’s written all over my face! And for the record, I wasn’t even that dirty.

Wilson ~ bath
Ugh, another bath!
Wilson ~bath
Here I am getting blow dried. Mum uses the ear hoodie but I still let her know how I felt about it anyway.
Wilson ~ bath
Here I am in all my glorious floofness, ready to go visit peeps.

The Mum: Oh come on, House Pony-it wasn’t that bad. But in order to get treats and attention from all your nurse friends, patients and visitors, the hospital requires each dog to receive a bath before visiting them.

Wilson: That may be the rule, but I still don’t like it. Although now that you mentioned it, everyone must have picked up on the abuse I suffered because there were LOTS of treats being dispensed and many “atta boy” ear rubs.

The Mum: Yes, I did notice that. I also noticed you tend to forget what you’re supposed to be doing and get a tad unfocused. Maybe next time don’t be such a pill in the tub and you can make folks happy and be well rewarded for it, eh?

Wilson: I’ll keep that in mind the next time, Mum. For starters, I sure did like meeting all the EMT’s buzzing around the Emergency Room. They know right where my ears like being rubbed.

Wilson ~ EMTs

The Mum: Well enough about all your abuse hard work, what kind of nature photos do you have to share with us?

Wilson: Well, I’m glad you asked, I’ve noticed the hydrangeas around the neighborhood are in full bloom. Boy, are they ever pretty, even if they don’t have much of a scent.

Wilson, Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas

The Mum: Oh look, they have floofy heads like you do!

Wilson: By jolly, you know, you’re right, Mum. I hadn’t thought it until now. I’ll bet they really enjoyed the shower we received. I know you were practically giddy and raced outside to protect your fig plant. The rain came down hard fr several minutes and small hailstones also fell and I know how much you’ve been babying that guy.

Rain storm gif

The Mum: Well, it has a couple of baby figs growing that I didn’t want to lose, so yeah, I ran outside and moved it under the covered patio. It rained a little bit yesterday as well. Certainly not as hard but I’m sure that plant loved every nourishing drop of rain. You can water three, four times a day in the heat but a few drops of rain will give it everything it desires. It was as if overnight, new leaves emerged on it. You know I think I need to give it a name. Got any ideas on what to name it?

Wilson: Hmmm, how about Bob? He kinda looks like a Bob. {excited butt wiggling}

The Mum: Okay, Bob it is then. Well that’s about it from us. Wilson, Bob and I hope you all have a good weekend. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the folks in New Mexico and Texas after horrific flooding took place  this week. Mother Nature is definitely on a rampage this summer but we still urge everyone to get outside to enjoy some of it. But be safe, will ya?

Wilson: Yes, please be safe and enjoy all the beauty nature shares with us this time of year. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to chase a squirrel or two.

The Mum: Wilson! Knock it off. Just tell folks to have a wonderful weekend.

Wilson: {sighing} Fine. Have a good weekend and if you just happen to see a squir…

The Mum: W-I-L-S-O-N!!! Enough with the squirrels. If you don’t behave, I’m going to have to put you in time out with NO TREATS. You got that, lad?

Wilson: {eek} Righto. Have a great weekend!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ July 4th, 2025 edition

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 64 Comments

July 4th

Well, here we are on another Friday where we join our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop. Please hop on over at the link to see what others have posted.

Today is July 4th in the US (well, technically it’s July 4th everywhere but it is a big deal holiday here in the US…but I digress). Wilson here. We were out walking in the early morning hours yesterday and came upon a new inflatable {insert rolling eyes here} at a house we walk past every day. I swear they must have a couple dozen of these things. May I should peek through the fence posts to see if there’s a huge shed to store them all. All I can say is “PSST.” Even if I posed nicely in front of them. I personally think they’re weird. But to each his own, eh?

The weather continues to be ungodly hot, as in pizza oven hot. Very dry with super low humidity so I’m guessing our friends in the Midwest and East Coast likely don’t have much sympathy for us. Enough of my kvetching…let’s get this show started, shall we? Oh Mumm…

The Mum: Good morning, House Pony. I see you decided to use the latest inflatable we saw yesterday to open our post. I’m just blown away by the number of inflatables that family has. All the holidays and even some special occasions-it’s hard to comprehend all of them.

Wilson: It’s a mystery for sure, but let’s stop talking about those fools guys and instead, share some of the beautiful flowers I found this week.

The Mum: O-kay. What do you have to start out today’s post? Got anything special you want to share?

Wilson: Well, I’m rather chuffed about a couple of today’s flowers that are rather unusual. Like this Greater Masterwort that our neighbor recently planted. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. And listen to some of the attributes this plant has. First, it’s a perennial with an erect and glabrous stem, with little branches but few leaves. The small flowers are typically greenish-white with reddish shades. They typically flower from June through September, and they’re native to southern Europe. It’s been in the British Isles since the 16th century. Apparently it’s quite common in mountain meadows and grasslands, in forests and clearings, and close to streams, anywhere the altitude is above sea level. It likes partial shade apparently with moist conditions so we both know it likely wouldn’t survive in our garden.

Great Masterwort

The Mum: Is that some sort of a dig at me because I avoid plants that need a lot of supplemental watering like the plague?

Wilson: Umm, nope, there’s nothing subtle about it, Mum. You only plant flowers that will withstand very arid conditions once they’ve established themselves. Now here’s a plant that will work well for you in our garden…Gaillardia,  commonly known as blanket flower or Indian blanket is a native wildflower to North and South America where they often naturalize in prairies, plains and open areas. Named after  Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was quite an enthusiastic botanist. They’re a cheerful lot, aren’t they?

Gaillardia- Blanket flower

The Mum: I do like those and am always amused when they suddenly appear in the garden without my planting them. Those little globe seed heads are chock full of potential new plants and they remind me of dandelions in that their ability to readily propagate around the neighborhood are quite remarkable.

Wilson: Their flowers kind of remind me of these orangey Rudbeckia, commonly called Black Eyed Susan’s. It’s another member of the Asteraceae family. These native North America perennials bloom from mid through late summer and are sometimes called coneflowers. They are deer and rabbit resistant. They grow in both damp woodlands and dry prairies, indicating they are most adaptable. They’re perfect for you, Mum.

Black eyed Susan

The Mum:  Yes, I do like them, and they have a range of colors from yellow and orange flowers as well as some varieties that bloom in multiple colors with dark brown or black centers. There are even some that come in red, bronze and even bi-colored shades.

Wilson: They’re a very good looking plant.But so are these, Mum. Anemones enjoy a nice shady spot in a woodland garden and come in multiple colors. Snowdrop Anemone

The Mum:  Those are really beautiful. And I like this red Monarda you found. ‘Bee balm’ is quite popular with butterflies and other pollinators. This specimen was beginning to get a little past its prime but the color was still so striking, I couldn’t resist taking a pic of it.

Monarda-bee balm

Wilson: And finally I found some blooming bellflowers on our walk earlier this week. Look how pretty it is. “Campanula” is considered another wildflower and can be found across the Northern Hemisphere, the Mediterranean, and its range even extends into mountains in tropical regions of Asia and Africa. A delicate perennial with graceful, slender stems, usually in clusters, rising in height from 4-15 in. The stems can be weak which causes the thing to bend over. Its rounded leaves wither early while the narrow, stem leaves remain. Blue-violet bell-shaped flowers hang singly or in clusters. Those bell-shaped flowers are borne in loose clusters at the tips and may come in a variety of colors from pale pink and light blue to deep violet-blue and pure white.

Bellflower

The Mum:  This was quite the find since I’ve only ever seen the purple/blue variety around the neighborhood. I loved the pale pink/white and will have to look for one at a garden center for future inclusion in our garden.

Wilson: Finally, because I know you love Swallowtail butterflies so much, here’s another one that followed us along our early morning  walk. He sure was beautiful, Mum and looked so cool flitting around on the summer breeze.Butterfly

The Mum: You’re right, I do like watching them. They seem to take all your worries away. Well that’s it for us this week. We hope you all have a terrific weekend. Stay cool (if that’s possible) and stay hydrated. And above all, have a safe holiday.

Nature

Nature Friday ~ June 27, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 67 Comments

WilsonWelcome to the last Friday of Hell month, aka arrival of summer-often referred to as the month of June. And boy did she arrive with a major league chip on her shoulder. Hey, what did I do to deserve this hellscape? Wilson here and I just don’t understand. I’m a good boy (most of the time) and I haven’t turned my Mum into a kite for ages. Yet for some reason apparently Mother Nature is quite P.O’d and she’s taking it out on us floofs. Well guess there’s no easy answer as to her motives, so I guess we’ll just joint our mates from Adventures of the LLB Gang and share some of the nature we found this week. Make sure you click on their link to see what others have shared.

This week we’re going to feature some garden insects from around the garden so if bugs creep you out, you may want to rejoin us on Monday.

The Mum: Hello House Pony, so you’re hankering to share some bugs today, eh?

Wilson: Sure, Mum. I’ve got some real doozies and beauties. Let’s start with the pretty ones first. The Swallowtail butterflies have been visiting our garden. They kind of meander and flit from one flower to the next. I sure enjoy keeping an eye on them.

Swallowtail butterfly

The Mum: You were a very good boy around the butterflies…now if only you wouldn’t try to eat the bees and wasps who have been noshing on the lavender that’s in bloom.

Wilson: In my defense, that bee started it. Can I help it that he just happened to fly into my jaws of death mouth yesterday?

The Mom: You were lucky not have been stung.

Wilson: I was too fast for him. But boy, he sure tasted funky. Did you notice how quickly I shook him out of my mouth?

The Mum: And then ate him? Yes, I sure did. You were very fortunate. A sting in a dog’s mouth can be very painful-your whole jaw could have swelled up.

Wilson: Mum you worry too much. I got this. It seems my saliva doesn’t just make for amazing mousse on your head…it apparently drowned that buzzing guy.

The Mum:  {eyes rolling} All I’m saying is, some day you’re not going to be as lucky. Best to avoid the buzzing bugs. Especially if they look anything like this prehistoric monster. It looked like something from Jurassic Park.

Parasitic wasp

Wilson: {shivers} You’re so right, Mum. That thing totally creeped me out. I discovered it was likely some sort of parasitic wasp. That extremely long ovipositor is what she uses to deposit her eggs in or on either a host body or piece of rotted wood. Despite looking doggone terrifying, that ovipositor does not deliver a sting like typical wasps. Why didn’t you step on it? Now I’m constantly going to be looking out for the bloody thing until I get distracted by a squirrel or other critter, that is. We’ve had a lot of bunnies visiting lately but they don’t bother me like the tree rats do.

The Mum: Sadly I was so blown away by it by, that I didn’t think about stepping on it and It flew away after posing for a photo.

Wilson: I hope it flew to another city and stays away from our neighborhood! Ick…I just can’t un-see that monster. But I was rather keen on checking out the ladybugs that are appearing on the lupines. They’re so Disney-nice looking and don’t look prehistoric like that parasitic wasp. Notice how it was perfectly centered in the leaf cluster as if she was trying to imitate stamin.

Ladybug

The Mum: Don’t be fooled. Ladybugs (as they are called in North America and ladybirds In the UK) are actually beetles who are quite carnivorous predators. They are characterized by domed backs with flat undersides and conspicuous aposematic (warning) colours and patterns, e.g red with black spots, which are used to warn potential predators that they taste toxic. They can gorge themselves on aphids and scale insects and are often used as a natural deterrent to agricultural pests. In other words, they’re like biological control agents.

Wilson: Gosh, I had no idea they were so ferocious. Well I’m just grateful you have some help controlling those aphids. There are more than enough them to give those ladybugs a right proper belly ache for over-indulging.

The Mum: Speaking of predators, how about this Wheel Bug. I found this guy hanging out on some mulch. He was so striking so you can imagine my surprise to discover he was a type of ‘assassin bug’ when I looked him up. You just never can tell what kind of critters are lurking about the garden. Another predatory bug, these use their beak-like mouthparts to pierce their prey, then inject a powerful mix of enzymes which is lethal and begin to digest their prey much like spiders do. It’s a good thing I didn’t try to pick him up since they have a nasty bite that can hurt like the dickens for a few days.

Assassin bug

Wilson: Crikey…I’m going to have nightmares tonight thinking about all these predator bugs. We better find some pretty flowers or I’ll be a basket case.

The Mum: You worry too much, House Pony. We’ll just have to look for more flowers so we don’t disrupt your beauty sleep or give you PTSD about predator bugs. Let’s wrap this up with something that is lovely to look at and is currently in bloom. Yum…I just love English lavender and this Lavandula Angustifolia-Hidcote variety is definitely swoon worthy. Does that make you feel better, sweet boy?

Lavender

Wilson: Ahhh…I could sniff that stuff all day. It’s totally divine and ultra relaxing. Thanks, Mum. ‘Course I don’t really need anything to help me relax as I’m pretty good freelancing.

Wilson

The Mum: {smiling} Presuming nature hasn’t deep fried you to a crisp, we hope you are able to check out all the beautiful and remarkable sights Nature provides. We’ll be checking out the Denver Dog Fair this weekend and hope your weekend is beyond excellent.

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Live, love, bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ June 2, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 70 Comments

Good grief, I can’t believe it’s June already! What the dawg is going on? Wasn’t it just Valentine’s Day? However we got here, it’s no reason not to still start the week out with a smile. And today’s installment is sooo Wilson. There has never been any doubt in my mind that this trait embedded deep in his DNA since he’s shown a strong proclivity for chilling out on the sofa (or even better, on a bed).

Monday smile

From the day I brought him home, this boy has loved laying on my bed…the sofa, me…well you get the point. I’d be upset at his flagrant disregard for one of the house rules if he wasn’t such a cute floof.

Wilson

Sending you loads of happy thoughts for a great Monday.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ May 30, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 50 Comments

WilsonWelcome to the last Friday of May. Crikey…how in the world did we zip through May so quickly? I mean we’re nearly half way through 2025. {Head shaking} It must be done with sorcery or with some help from Hogwarts. Both Mum and I have been  scratching our heads trying to understanding how we got here.

So it’s been kinda cool this week, temperature wise. And get this…we’ve had rain showers on several days. With temps hovering around 46ºF (7ºC) when we take our morning walks, a chap has to warm up before he goes out. Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the cool temps. Both Mum and I are enjoying them and the gentle rain has really brought out the curls in the Floof. To top it off, the rain has made gardens look pretty amazing.

We all know that May is a great season for blooming peonies and irises but today we’re going to showcase another favorite flower…the common rose, which also loves to bloom in May.

Wilson: What’s that old Shakespeare’ saying? “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Guess ole William didn’t figure on genetics affected that once familiar scent. You may have noticed that roses don’t smell like they used to years ago. So why don’t roses have that luscious fragrance anymore, Mum?

The Mum: It all boils down to 3 words-economics and disease resistance, House Pony. Many years ago, as the floral industry realized they could import roses from other countries cheaper than growing them in the US, they teamed up with genetic science. Growing overseas would require sufficient time to ship cut flowers back to US consumers who demanded longer lasting roses and roses with large blooms were especially sought after. Enter Ecuador whose roses boast the largest blooms in the world and are thus some of the most sought after because of their size. Crossing breeding efforts to achieve those larger blooms, longer thornless stems, increased petal count, and disease resistance unfortunately replaced the gene which removed that beautiful fragrance. We may enjoy bouquets longer, but the price is those bouquets no longer have the fragrance that we all know and love, unless the rose happens to be one of the David Austin varieties. Apparently the two genes are incompatible. But all is not lost. Science is working on a solution by breeding compact fragrant roses that are healthy and have a lovely perfume as well. The bad news is that in order to create fragrant cut roses that are durable may take as long as 10 years to develop a fragrant, disease resistant rose but work on that continues. Once that happens, that Shakespeare quote won’t need to be changed. In the meantime, let’s take a look around our neighborhood to see some of the beauties that have been blooming.

Roses

Wilson: Just goes to show life isn’t perfect but there’s always going to be someone who’s willing to try to build a better mousetrap, Mum.

Roses

The Mum: That’s quite true. I felt lucky to capture most of these roses after a little shower so there are still droplets on the blooms and leaves that I think add to their beauty.

Roses Roses

Wilson: I think my favorite color are the pinks. They manage to look the best longer than some of the other colors whose petals get a bit ragged looking around the edges. Still all these beauties looked so lovely when we saw them on our walks and the good news is that most of them (with proper deadheading), will continue to bloom throughout summer.

Roses

The Mum: Right you are, Floof. The ‘show’ will go on, presuming summer heat doesn’t impact them too much. I’m willing to keep my eyes on them. How about you?

Wilson: Oh yes, it’s always good to look forward to beauty when and wherever nature provides it, be it on rose blooms or other flowers. So, do you have any plans to welcome the month of June? I think we’re probably just going to catch up on garden chores after all the rain that fell has fertilized weeds like crazy. After over a week of cool temps, the weather will start warming up and weeds are popping up everywhere, just waiting for Mum’s hoe. I’ll be sure to snoopervise her from the shade of the covered patio. One must practice their keen ‘quality control’ skills to make sure the human doesn’t slack off, don’t you think? We hope you have a splendid weekend and are able to get outdoors to enjoy a spot of sunshine or find some beautiful flowers in bloom along a walk. Enjoy…whatever you choose to do.

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Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ May 17, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 61 Comments

Wilson

Welcome to the 20th Friday of 2025 and  the 136th day of the year. Your friendly neighborhood floof is here to share slices of nature for this week’s latest edition of Nature Friday. Once again we’re joining the LLB Gang and hope you’ll click on their link to see what others have shared. And no…in case anyone is wondering, I’m not broken this morning, I’m just catching a few more winks before starting my day. Plus I just love laying like this on my favorite pile of pillows. Ahhhhh-the good life.

The Mum: {from the other room} Wilson! Get off the sofa!!

Wilson: {sighing} Whoops, guess that’s my signal to get up and get rolling. This week started out with a couple of toasty days with temps in the upper 80’s F (31C) but then a cool front moved in along with about 16 drops of rain. Both Mum and I enjoyed the sunny mornings and temps in the 60ºs F (15º C) in the afternoons to spy on this week’s focus-irises. Mum is a huge fan of irises, bearded irises in particular. They do extremely well in our semi-arid climate and if there’s any downside to planting them, it’s that they have a relatively short blooming cycle. I guess that old adage-into each life, some rain must fall-is accurate…pitiful as it may be.

The Mum: Life is full of give and take, House Pony especially in our climate. But it just makes life interesting. You’re quite right, I am a big fan of bearded irises. While they prefer well drained soil and sunny conditions they have done fairly well in our garden and around the neighborhood. Low maintenance, low water requirements…yes please-sign us up! And now that I’ve discovered there are some varieties that will re-bloom again in autumn, color me happy as a clam at high tide. Bearded irises are just about perfect as a garden addition and are easy to grow. The re-bloomers are currently flowering now while our main iris bed is only beginning to  show signs of waking up. Here are a couple photos of the re-bloomers. Normally, white flowers aren’t a big deal, but I have always thought these are just plain pretty with that soft pale yellow signal below the ‘beard.’

Iris

Wilson: They are lovely, Mum and if I do say so, most sniff-worthy as well (but I will resist because I know you love them). Last week’s rain sure made them very happy. I know you like unusual colors in flowers so this reddish colored one seems to fit that bill. Just look at how the sun shines through the petals. Early morning light is just so special.

Iris

The Mum: Yes, that red one is quite a beauty. Right now most of what are blooming around the ‘Hood are the purple ones.

Iris Iris

Wilson: They’re pretty too, Mum. It’s like they’re sticking their tongues out us. Who knew flowers had a sense of humor?

The Mum: Oh Wilson…you are a funny dog…the things that amuse you.

Wilson: What? I’m just calling things like I see them. You humans are so serious, it’s good to look at life with a dog’s perspective.

The Mum: I’m not objecting, you just crack me up. One of the many reasons I love you. I have a feeling you have something else to share from around our garden. You’ve spent a lot of time hanging out with me while I’ve been cleaning up the beds.

Wilson: Yes, and it’s been pretty exciting. While you’re pulling weeds and picking up leaves and twigs the squirrels have been taunting me with, I’ve been watching bees hanging out around the lupines. Last week we captured the purple one and this week, the pink one is playing center stage.

Lupine

The Mum: You’re starting to sound like me being mesmerized by bees going from flower to flower searching out the best pockets of pollen.

Wilson: And I see you managed to capture another one in mid-flight. I wish I could do that, but you keep telling me I wouldn’t like that so I’m being a good boy and not trying to capture them in my sheepdog jaws of death. I’ll save that for the squirrels. Did you see how close I came to catching that tree rat yesterday?

The Mum: Don’t remind me. You shot down the alley like a rocket. I saw that you scared the daylights out of a bunny who ran along with the squirrel. Poor thing. You know the rule, no chasing the bunnies and certainly not down an alley where you may encounter traffic. I nearly had a heart attack when you did that. Are you just insane?

Wilson: {blinking innocently} I have no idea what came over me but you notice I responded to your hysterical command to return.

The Mum: Umm, that’s not exactly what transpired. I had to go chase you before you returned.

Wilson: Now, now,…the bottom line is I came to my senses and came willingly.

The Mum: Hmmm, as I recall it, I had to snatch you by the collar and drag you.

Wilson: You say say tomato (toMAYto) I say tomato (toMAHto), …let’s be like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, shall we?

The Mum: I just want you to be safe, buddy. Please promise you’ll do better about chasing the tree rats, okay?

Wilson: I’ll do my best, but you gotta admit, I sure gave that rascal a run for its money.

The Mum: While giving me a heart attack in the process. It’s one thing to try to chase them up a tree, but let’s agree not to go flying down the alley, shall we?

Wilson: Deal, Mum. I hope I can keep that promise. I don’t want to disappoint you. And I know you’re just trying to keep me safe. So bunnies are ok to chase?

The Mum: {smacking her forehead} NO, BUNNIES ARE NOT OK TO CHASE!! For the record, we do not chase anybody, least of all down the alley, okay? Do you understand now?!

Wilson: {sheepishly} Got it Mum. Sorry. Not to change the subject, but what’s on the agenda this weekend? Got any special plans? Whatever you do, we hope it includes checking out all the beauty nature dishes out. Have a great weekend and avoid any squirrels.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ May 12, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 50 Comments

Happy Monday! We hope all you pet mom’s had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. While the calendar says it’s spring, we find ourselves more in summer with temps in the mid-80’s with mostly clear skies.

Wilson found today’s smile and said he totally agreed with it after a weekend of good weather with lots of helicopter leaf seed pods finding their way to sidewalks. I swear this boy is a lot like having a toddler…he has to be watched like a bloody hawk so that he doesn’t put everything in his mouth. And here I thought dogs processed their worlds by sniffing, when in fact, in his case, everything is processed through his mouth first.

Here’s hoping you have a totally pawsome Monday and an even better week. Wilson says, ‘don’t eat anything he wouldn’t eat.’

Live, love, bark! 🐾

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! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ May 5, 2025

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 61 Comments

Happy Cinco de Mayo. What is this Cinco de Mayo celebration all about? Let’s take a look back at history to find out, shall we?

Cinco de Mayo marks the commemoration of the Mexican Army’s defeat over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The army led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, died months following the battle from an illness and his army was subsequently defeated in a second battle. The French occupied Mexico City and at the end of the American Civil War, the US began lending money and guns to the Mexican Liberals, pushing France and Mexican Conservatives to the edge of defeat.

In 1866 Napoleon announced the withdrawal of French troops from Mexico. Although France asked for American neutrality, the then American secretary of state, William H. Seward (he of Seward’s Folly fame who purchased the territory of Alaska for roughly $7.2 million in 1867-the equivalent to $129 million in 2023), told the French the withdrawal from Mexico should be unconditional.

More popular in the United States than in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture somewhat ironic in today’s political climate. Wilson asks if you know where your blender is for today’s smile.

Cinco de Mayo

Happy Monday and Happy Cinco de Mayo. Make it a great week!

Live, love, bark! 🐾