Adventures about pet therapy, dog rescue and urban life in the 'Burbs
It’s Monday and for both of us, it came way too quickly.
The Mum: Good morning, House Pony…what have you got planned for today?
Wilson: {lip smacking, snorf, burp} Umm, extensive sleeping with intermittent snoozing, some yawning, a bit of stretching, relaxing, a few dreams with a bit of leg twitching.
The Mum: Whoa…I see. Sounds like you have a busy day planned.
Wilson: I’m wondering how I’ll be able to fit it all in.
We hope you have a great Monday. Don’t overdo it, ‘kay?
Live, love, bark! 🐾
It’s Friday again and the calendar appears to be zooming along toward the end of the year. With only 54 days left in 2025 (and only 48 days until Christmas), I’m getting a bit stressed especially with the holidays looming. But let’s revel in nature today.
As we do on Friday’s we’re joining the sweet pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared. Wilson here. My goodness, with so little time left this year, and with so much going on, this message about nature and patience are a bit at odds. But if we’ve learned anything from walking around our neighborhood and noticing the little things, it’s that this Emerson dude gave good advice, don’t you think? Today is a twofer because we’re also joining Dan over at No Facilities to honor fellow blogger, Cee Neuner on what would have been her birthday. Cee passed away earlier this year and used to host the “Which Way Challenge.” Today also happens to be Dan’s birthday and because he’s a favorite of ours, we wanted to share an autumn flower in bloom in her honor since we have no bridges to share. Apparently Cee loved bridges and in this day and age, bridges are more important than ever. Happy Birthday Cee and Dan.
Wilson: We hope this bunch of Black Eyed Susan’s might be a good homage.
The Mum: Hopefully Cee will enjoy it. While I never participated in her blog hop, Dan spoke so highly of her and he’s one of our favorite bloggers who takes remarkable photos in addition to being a very talented writer with several published books and has introduced me to some very talented folks.
Wilson: Right-o Mum. Happy birthday to both Cee and Dan. So…I’m not sure if any of you knew for certain that ‘we’re’ early risers. Mum has always been a morning person from the days when her were kids were little to when she went to college while working full time while being a single parent. Me, I just get up because I want to be close to Mum. As a floof, I’m rather fond of enjoying an extra 40 winks any time of day, but especially in the early morning hours.
The Mum: Good morning, lad. Saying you enjoy snoozing is a bit of an overstatement but seeing you like this tends to bring a smile to my face and heart. I love it when you’re this cute.
Wilson: {blushing} Aww, Mum, don’t embarrass me. I was just resting my eyes while you were howling about some hockey game. Sheesh, the noise you make…oh.my.goodness. I’m sure your favorite team can hear you through the TV!
The Mum: Are you saying I’m loud? I tend to think of myself as more of an engaged fan.
Wilson: “Engaged fan?” Is that what it’s called? Ok, whatever gets you through the night. Anyway, while it’s dark when you get up, we are still able to take walks early on and I can leave you presents in the fallen leaves still pretty easily. It’s crisp and I know we’ll be going later as the temps continue to warm, but I’m enjoying you having to really dig in low light conditions to pick up after me. There have been some fairly breezy conditions lately so leaves are falling into nice little brown piles…perfect for camouflaging my nice little brown pile. Heh, heh, heh.
The Mum: Ahem…please don’t remind me. I’ve noted that you do have a knack for finding the deepest piles of leaves and/or longest bits of grass or weeds to do your business. It never seems to fail.
Wilson: You know what they say…the way to Carnegie Hall is through lots of practice.
The Mum: I don’t think there are any concerts at Carnegie Hall for what you’re particularly adept at. Just saying.
Wilson: Gosh, you cut me to the quick, Mum. Anyway, let’s share some of the interesting sights we came across this week. First off, this scene from the morning after Halloween. Look at the orange and green on those peppers mixed with a skeleton bone in the pot. The person who lives there seems to have ‘your’ kind of humor. That top pepper reminded me of a Halloween classic…candy corn!
The Mum: Hahaha…good one, House Pony. Never let it be said, you don’t have a sense of humor. Now that frost has hit the area a few times, things in the garden take on a whole new perspective.
Wilson: Even birds gather in groups to watch from their high vantage points. Makes you wonder if these guys had a quorum for their meeting. We don’t usually see such a gathering on houses around our house-they’re usually in trees but this is a new neighborhood we visited recently.
The Mum: Back in our neighborhood, as you may recall we brought Figaro inside to keep him safe from frost. Things seemed be going well and then all of a sudden, he must have looked outside, took one look at the falling leaves and decided to follow suite. Awk…poor Figaro. I guess the spot I put him in wasn’t bright enough (apparently just like me) and replicated the outdoor scene. Just look at that pile of leaves! Gah!
Wilson: On the bright side, there are lots of buds on some of the bare branches so I hope that’s a good sign. We’ll keep an eye on him and see how he does in the studio window which faces south and provide sufficient light.
The Mum: I was pretty heartbroken to see all those fallen leaves and hope with a little patience he’ll recover. On the other side of the coin, right on cue, my Christmas cactus has begun blooming. I think they must have mislabeled it-it really seems to be more of Thanksgiving cactus because it always starts budding around the first of November. Hopefully it will bloom throughout both holidays. It’s a pretty pop of color in the kitchen window when things tend to be dull and brown outside.
Wilson: The milkweed is in full bloom and its gossamer silk catches the light nicely. It means there’ll be ongoing food for butterflies next spring.
The Mum: It was almost iridescent in the morning light-I could see it shining from across the street.
Wilson: Lovely Mum, just lovely. But what is this? Isn’t it a bit early to start selling Christmas trees?
The Mum: I was a bit concerned when I first spotted the chain link fencing around the historic old Elitch Garden carousel earlier this week. The next day signs appeared so while I breathed a sigh of relief, I began scratching my head at the early appearance. Even if you’re counting down the holiday shopping season, nothing says ‘get on with it’ quite like a Christmas tree lot. Yikes!
Wilson: Indeed. Well that’s it for this week. Any big plans for the weekend? The weather, while being a bit cooler, still should be nice and hopefully we can get outdoors to check out what Nature is generously gifting us this time of year. Maybe even a critter or two…paws crossed. Have a great weekend and don’t forget to look for what Nature provides us…when we just take the time to look.
Lice, love, bark! 🐾
Greetings, mates. Wilson here for this last Friday of October. There are 61 days left in this year and only 55 days until Santa Paws arrives. As we generally do on Friday, we’re joining our friends Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang’s blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
Today is Halloween and we’re hoping there are lots of little ghouls who will drop by this evening and polish off the bag of chocolate candies Mum got for the occasion. She thought she was getting a mixed bag that included KitKats and Twix but discovered there were only KitKats in it and more than half of them have what’s known as “white chocolate.” Mum said ‘white’ chocolate is a rouse and worse, it feels like you’re being gypped. Then she started howling about something called ‘shrink-flation’ being bad enough rexently discovered companies are now shortchanging chocolate content in candy. Harumph. Mum’s a bit of a chocoholic and said if it’s white, it’s definitely NOT chocolate. I think there were a few HBO words which I shan’t repeat here. I’ll let her tell you just how she feels. You may want to skip over this part since she’s all frothed up about some of the politics leading to her anguish which takes a bit of a turn with the political goings-on.
The Mum: That’s right, Floof. Chocolate is brown (i.e. milk, dark chocolate); there is no such thing as white chocolate. That substitution is simply a sugarfied replacement since cocoa has become so expensive with companies trying to weather the cocoa shortage by diluting content with rice krispies and/or nuts and smaller packaging. Bah humbug! The shortage has been attributed to rising production costs and trade tariffs which have further impacted the situation driving up prices for chocolate makers and consumers. Climate change has also contributed to the shortage with a severe drought in West Africa from where most chocolate comes.
Wilson: Ok, Mum. You’ve had your say, let’s move on now shall we?
The Mum: You’re right, that was totally insensitive of me. In these current economic times, I do hope people consider helping out their local food pantries to help out those less fortunate. The need is even more important now due to the government shutdown. Food prices are still very high and with so many workers not receiving paychecks, it’s compounding the problem. I was shocked to learn that some 40 million people receive some sort of food assistance which they won’t be receiving beginning in November. 40 million people in this country! Let that sink in. While I loathe politics on the blog, but I’m just so angry that Congress continues to receive their salaries but is okay with denying women and children food assistance.
Wilson: {deftly changing the topic to keep Mum from additional howling} So we experienced our first hard frost this week and gosh, has it been chilly. On Tuesday it was only 25F (-3C) and there I was minus my heavy fur coat after getting groomed for my hospital duties. Luckily my dapper fleece coat helped keep me toasty walking across the parking lot to the hospital.
The Mum: Everyone remarked how cute you looked, but I did notice that you blew me a raspberry when I took your pic.
Wilson: {chuckling at being busted} Just check out the frost crystals on our compost bin. I’m shivering just looking at it.
The Mum: Yes, that frost finally did in the tomato plant. I knew it was coming and I neglected to harvest the dozen or so ripe ones and almost felt badly that I let them go to waste but at least they’ll help make some nice compost for next spring. Look at those sad frost bitten leaves. The cold also did a big number on the catalpa tree leaves. Those babies were dropping like bombs on the sidewalk. That second photo doesn’t really do it justice-there were so many fallen leaves covering the sidewalk.
Wilson: It was however a much different picture a couple of days before the frost hit. We found some really pretty flowers and brilliantly hued leaves from around the neighborhood.
The Mum: I loved finding that Burning Bush shrub. It just ‘screamed’ autumn. And even that Black-eyed Susan was pretty even if it was just a bit past its expiration date. And who’d have thought roses would still be blooming at the end of October?!
Wilson: Together with the golden light, it’s turned out to be a pretty spectacular autumn this year. And look what you found yesterday. A cute little mushroom mostly buried in leaves. You almost missed it, didn’t you?
The Mum: I sure did, I nearly stepped on it. I was in the garden looking for a trowel I seemed to have misplaced when I was out there dividing the irises last weekend. Never did find it but will continue to look. Too often I get distracted or need something and set my tool down to take care of it and forget where I set my tool down. Ugh. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that. They eventually show up but it bugs me when I misplace my tools.
Wilson: You’ll find it, Mum. Sooner or later. Well, that’s all we have. If you celebrate it, we hope everyone has a safe Halloween. Don’t let those ghosts scare you. There are also The Day of the Dead festivities this weekend and we offer our best “Feliz Dia de los Muertos” wishes where people show respect to the traditions of honoring and remembering their loved ones.
The Mum: That’s right, plus the second worst day of the year ends tomorrow night…Daylight Savings Times, so don’t forget to ‘fall back.’ The first being when we started this stupid period back in early spring. I won’t get up on my soapbox about this twice annual switch, suffice to say I’m no fan of going back and forth. It was always a nightmare adjusting the timing of Elsa’s anti-seizure medication. We send our condolences to those who still need to adjust the schedule to keep pets and peeps safe and seizure free.
Wilson: Enjoy that ‘extra’ hour of sleep Sunday morning. Have a great weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🍁
Good day, mates, Wilson here for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. As we typically do, we are joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop. Don’t forget to click on their link to see what other folks have shared this week. We hope you’ve been enjoying autumn this week. Our temps have been much more seasonal and we even had a couple of days that started with a light frost. But don’t worry, we still managed to find some lovely blooms still hanging out around the neighborhood. Let’s get started, shall we? My Mum will be joining us shortly.
Wilson: So just to set the record straight, that intro photo above is not documentation of a bunch of ghosties, no siree. Those were garden sheets that uprights place over their tender veggies to protect them from the first frost since April of this year. The frost did not appear to damage tender veggies in our garden as our tomato plant is still covered with little tomatoes in various stages of green, yellow, orange and red, right Mum? Hel-lo, Mum?
The Mum: I’m here, just pouring a second cup of coffee. Good morning, Floof. I didn’t bother covering our plants, hoping they would go quietly in the night. But, they are still pretty vigorous considering the cool temps at night. I’ve been removing any new blooms and new shoots but clearly they’re not paying attention to the signs of their pending demise. I’ve been sharing little baggies of tomatoes for the neighbors. While I’ve enjoyed their tastiness this summer, I’m so tired of eating tomatoes at every meal. I did bring ‘Figaro’ indoors and happy to report he is sitting in a fairly sunny corner settling nicely in his new home. I’m hoping the fruit will ripen soon so we can enjoy a few for breakfast.
Wilson: Gee Mum, you sure are pampering them. I saw you adding organic fertilizer as you tucked them into their new spot and you even tidied up the pot and saucer so it looks nice and free of all cobwebs in the draining saucer and you even wiped down the leaves to remove the garden dust from the several windy days we experienced recently. It looks great in its new home and hope you will have some figs soon because I know when you do, I’ll get a bite or too as well.
The Mum: You’re nothing if not optimistic, aren’t you, House Pony? So what else do you have to share for us today?
Wilson: We’ve been so focused on finding flowers I’ve kind of lost track of Halloween decorations. That first cold snap was followed by a very windy day. Here I was humming to myself, admiring my luxurious fur coat, minding my own business when all of a sudden this guy nearly attacked me. He was whipping around like a Life Alert commercial (“Help I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up”™️). Hope you can understand why I growled at him? Those fingers really creeped me out!
The Mum: You did indeed. I had to chuckle reassure you that you were going to be fine. We walked past and everything worked out fine {giggling}.
Wilson: It wasn’t funny, Mum. He scared the bejesus out of me. I mean…how dare he sneak up on me like that and try to grab my fabulous floofness. I know you have wanted me to pose nicely once he got upright to show there were no hard feelings, but I wanted nothing to do with him. Not then, not now. Ever.
The Mum: {chortling} I understand, buddy. But you got admit, it was a little bit funny, right?
Wilson: {straightening his furs out with a good vigorous shake} Ahem…don’t give up your day job, Mum. That was decidedly not funny.
The Mum: I’m {giggle} sorry, sweet {hahaha} boy. {gaining her composure and clearing her throat}. I don’t mean to laugh but it was a comical scene. But hey, {changing the subject} on the plus side, you managed to find more pretty roses for us.
Wilson: {lightbulb as a nice memory began to form in the back of his brain} Ah yes, some pretty roses. They are hanging on nicely as the weather begins to advance into more autumness.
The Mum: They sure are beautiful and you found some real lovely specimens. We should enjoy them while we can. They will be going away soon enough for a winter snooze. Speaking of winter…that day we experienced all that horrible wind which brought down branches and limbs all over the metro area, the nearby mountains were experiencing snowflakes. I-70 was closed in both directions at the Eisenhower Tunnel on Monday and I think the mountain corridor received around 4-6 inches over the past few days. While the ‘Hood remained dry, we know that white stuff will likely be reaching us soon enough.
Wilson: And just because I know you and a couple of our readers enjoy their sunny faces, I found a sunflower.
The Mum: Aww, thanks, Floof. Appreciate you thinking of us.
Wilson: My pleasure, Mum. So did I hear something about seeing Miss Sydney over the next few days? Uh oh…that can only mean one thing…you plan on floof-ifying my furs and turning my now grey paws paddles back to white. While I’m no fan of the bath, I do love Miss Sydney and will try my best to be a good boy. Or at least one that isn’t too much of a bucking bronco. Heh, heh.
The Mum: {blushing with embarrassment} Thanks, buddy. I do hope you are good. She takes such good care of you turning you into a handsome fella which will get you primed and ready for visiting our friends at Lutheran soon. They’ll be so excited to see you. Maybe you’ll even wear a bit of a Halloween costume when you visit.
Wilson: Bite your tongue Mum. Don’t you know, us “Fabulous Floofs” don’t require a costume to look good-we’re perfect just the way we are. But I will be excited to see all my friends. Friends means treats and ear rubs. So what’s on your agenda for this weekend? Got any special plans? Whatever you do, we hope it’s a wonderful weekend!
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday. Today is the 42nd Friday of 2025, and the 290th day of the year. If you’re celebrating a holiday today, it’s National Pasta Day and National Mammography Day for all you gals out there. There are only 75 days left. But for our family, it’s an extra special day-it’s Mum’s sister, Terry’s birthday. Happy Birthday to Mum’s special sister, “teeny-weenie Terry Jeannie” who is incredibly talented and always there for her family. We both send our love and best wishes on her special day. I, Wilson, also send her extra loads of digital sheepdog kisses which she should especially enjoy because they aren’t wet.
With it being Nature Friday, we are once again joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop. Don’t forget to click on their link to see all that others haver shared this week.
The Mum: Hiya, House Pony. It looks like Nature has decided to roll out some slices of autumn finally. Sheesh, you’d think she was Microsoft changing to Windows 11 with a new software rollout.
Wilson: To show how slow the ‘software update’ has been these past few weeks, here is a progression of a tree we pass by every day on our walk. Mum has previously complained mentioned how slowly Nature has been taking its sweet time showing off its autumnal beauty. But it has been interesting watching it change, not daily, but rather weekly. Here’s Exhibit A from earlier this month.
The Mum: It was as if someone forgot to check their inbox to read a memo about changing colors.
Wilson: Frankly I think Mother Nature forgot to push the send message button, Mum. Fast forward to a couple of days ago, and here’s that same tree. Looks like the message was finally read and executed.
The Mum: And then there were some trees that said, “oh crap, we’re late and started dropping most of their leaves all at the same time.”
Wilson: I’ve been entertained by some side-by-side comparisons. Some trees are turning while others seem to be in denial like these two. Colorful on the left…green on the right. That has to irritate the person who does the leaf raking since the season for that activity is dramatically extended.
The Mum: Other trees just flat out scream “AUTUMN!” like this tree we passed by yesterday a couple of blocks away from the ones above. Clearly the neighborhood has defaulted to various time zones for changing colors.
Wilson: It’s been fairly noisy walking on sidewalks covered in fallen leaves. I haven’t been able to sneak up on the squirrels because of it. But in exchange for losing my stealth, Nature has provided me with the more fascinating smells. I have been enjoying all the sniffing I am able to do lately.
The Mum: You’re right, our morning walks in particular are taking a lot longer because you’re acting like a NCIS investigator.
Wilson: But Mum…even you’ll have to admit, the smells of autumn are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I can’t help myself when things are that much more interesting.
The Mum: I really don’t mind, I love watching you in olfactory heaven and the more you sniff, the more your brain relaxes and enjoys the whole walk. Plus it seems to wear you out more completely. When we arrive home from a walk, you pass out from having your nose engaged far more than the physical exercise. A couple of times, you’ve gone into such a deep sleep, you started making adorable little squeaks. You must be enjoying some wonderful dreams.
Wilson: Ummm {blushing} I guess so. Anyway, I am having a most enjoyable time picking up all manner of fabulous smells. It’s like Mother Nature is providing me with a calorie-less treat so I’m good with that.
The Mum: We were supposed to get a bit of moisture this week but it skipped over our neighborhood. The cloudy and windy conditions provided some lovely photographic opportunities for shadows and composition like this golden leaf that managed to land squarely in the middle of this clump of leaves in a bush.
Wilson: Nature knows how to stage scenes, Mum.
The Mum: She sure does. And those scenes must be the roadmaps for birds when it comes to food in the neighborhood. It’s no wonder this Oregon Grape Holly always has tiny little birds in it. Just look at all those berries. It should help keep them well fed this winter.
Wilson: Every time we walk past those holly plants, a bunch of little birds fly out of it. I know I should be used to it, but they startle me, every single time. But I bravely walk on, training my eagle eyes on any possible squirrel sightings. Those two species seem to cohabitate well together. Though lord knows, I don’t get it.
The Mum: You know you have to calm down about squirrels. We need to work on your impulse control. This morning on our early walk, you were a little tightly wound, buddy.
Wilson: Erm, sorry, Mum. I could say I was startled by seeing this neighborhood pair of spiders but I don’t think you’d buy that.
The Mum: {chuckling} Nice try but you’re right…I’m not buying it. So what’s the game plan for your weekend? You ready to do some exploring in a different neighborhood to see what Nature has unrolled there?
Wilson: Oh yes, you know me, I’m always up for an adventure and if it involves a car ride, well…pencil me in! We hope you have a great weekend exploring your neighborhood and checking out signs of autumn. Make it a great one!
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to today’s edition of Nature Friday. Today is day 281 in 2025 and there are 82 days left until 2026 arrives. Gosh, where has this year gone? As we always do, we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Wilson here with today’s mishmash edition of sights from around our neighborhood. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others posted about nature this week. Mum was grateful to find enough time in a busy week to snap a few pics, but nothing is really cohesive. Let’s get started, shall we?
Wilson: Oh Muummm. Where in the bloody heck is that woman…
The Mum: {panting out of breath} Sorry, I was preoccupied and just now realized I was running late. Sorry, House Pony. Forgive me?
Wilson: Hmm, let me think…o-kay. Just don’t make being late a regular thing, ‘kay Mum?
The Mum: Yessir. Me thinks someone is just a tad full of himself but let’s see what you’ve got.
Wilson: Well let’s open with a couple of critters who stopped by. Normally I wait until it’s fully dark to have an evening potty break, but the other night I decided to go out at dusk. I thought there might be a squirrel out there (like I always do) so I completely missed the bunny hiding in the dark foliage and low light. Mum has been saying that I’m beginning to resemble a muppet with hair in my eyes, maybe she’s right. I did not see this little guy at all, even when he moved. Mum thinks he might be our strawberry thief. He sure blends in to his surroundings, doesn’t he? If it hadn’t been for his twitching ears, she probably wouldn’t have been able to see him either because he blended in so well.
The Mum: Silly boy…didn’t you hear me whisper, “see the bunny?” You’ve got to stop being so fixated on squirrels. And speaking of squirrels… last week we shared a pic with acorns but this week I managed to capture one of the little hoodlums that usually eat them. He was raising cain for interrupting him when I walked near the Catalpa tree. Noisy little bugger.
Wilson: Well he wouldn’t be so chatty if I’d have been there, I can tell you that. Cheeky little devil.
The Mum: I’m glad you weren’t outside then. That little guy was quite the taunter and I know how that would have bothered you,. Stick to watching the bunnies, Floof.
Wilson: Sorry, can’t make that promise. He comes in my yard, there’s going to be some WWF action. But enough about him. So I see you finally found a patch of pretty leaves. Seems like autumn is continuing to take its sweet time showing up this year. What’s that all about? Most of this tree was green except for this clump of leaves.
The Mum: It’s been rare seeing the leaves change but this bright spot of color stood out nicely. Leaves have been slow to change and a good share have simply turned brown. It was another pleasant week of cooler temps with a light shower one day. The remnants of that shower showed up in a couple of pics.
Wilson: I see the tomatoes are still producing fruit.
The Mum: I have enjoyed fresh, tasty tomatoes for the past few months but to tell the truth, I’m tired of eating them twice a day just to keep up with all of the new ones ripening and have started removing flowers since it’s unlikely for them to mature before the first frost anyway. I gave away a couple of bags this week too. Next year I won’t plant multiple plants which should help. Every year is always an adventure when you garden, and I learned that there’s a limit to good things. There’ll be lots of rich organic material for next year.
Wilson: ‘Figaro’ seems to have enjoyed the moisture. The fruit is slow to ripen and with it being late in the growing season, it will be good to bring it indoors in the next few days and keep me company.
The Mum: I have so enjoyed watching ‘Figaro’ grow over the summer and think he will be a nice edition to the indoor garden as well.
Wilson: So what was that funky weird green thing we saw yesterday on one of our walks? It looked like a piece of a green leaf but then it moved and it startled me.
The Mum: Silly boy, that’s an insect known as Microcentrum rhombifolium, commonly referred to as a greater angle-winged katydid. They are widespread throughout the world except in Antarctica and live in trees and shrubs. As insects go, they’re kind of big reaching anywhere from 50–65 millimeters (2.0–2.6 in) in length and are rhombus-shaped. I usually don’t see them since they camouflage themselves nicely by looking like leaves. You generally see them in late summer and they should be considered a ‘backyard buddy’ as they prey on garden pests like aphids and do some pollination as well. While they do eat leaves, any damage is mostly negligible since they tend to move on quickly leaving little damage. They are an important segment of the food chain providing food for birds, frogs or other garden critters. Katydids are gentle bugs and harmless to humans and are not poisonous. They make a “ticking” sound with two or three syllables. “Kat-y-did, kat-y, kat-y-did” and while they have a pair of leaf-like wings, they are unable to fly.
Wilson: Hmmm, What a fascinating bug. So glad it wasn’t another toxic thing like plants you’ve focused on lately. I didn’t hear it making any noise but given that it didn’t stick around after posing for us, but I’m sure I would have liked enjoying a little tune before checking it out more closely.
The Mum: He probably would have not been impressed with your ginormous nose getting all up in his grill once he saw you investigating him. You tend to frighten off little critters.
Wilson: It no doubt due to the squirrels’ telling malicious lies about me. Critters should realize I’m a harmless floof.
The Mum: I think the squirrels have every reason to avoid you and doubt they are spreading any lies.
Wilson: {interrupting} But Mum, bugs and bunnies avoid me like the plague.
The Mum: Well, you are so much bigger than they are and it’s natural to avoid potentially threatening creatures.
Wilson: Well I mean them no harm, I just wish they’d let me get close enough to sniff them and then they’d know I could be a wonderfully fabulous friend.
The Mum: {chuckling to herself} It’s not very likely but you can always hope. So are you doing anything exciting this weekend?
Wilson: I’m meeting one of your friends who just recently moved back to Colorado from California so I’m excited about making a new friend. Other than that, I’m open for new adventures in this glorious season called autumn. We hope you have loads of fun and are able to get outside and enjoy some of the finer aspects of autumn.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly blog hop. Wilson here and it’s been an interesting week. Mum tricked me by taking me into taking a ride to the dog wash place but they were closed which meant she had to take me back to the house to endure Chinese water torture treatment (aka a bath). Have I mentioned I. don’t. like. baths. At least at the dog wash I’m restrained and elevated which makes it easier for Mum. At home she has to contend with me trying to escape every 3 seconds and she has to bend over…a lot. Naturally I’m going to turn into a bucking bronco. Good thing Mum is wise to a lot of my usual tricks and was only able to escape just once. I did manage to get her completely soaked and it took her longer to mop up the bathroom than to actually bathe me. Heh, heh. This of course was necessary because this is my week spending time visiting patients, staff and visitors at the hospital. Yesterday was quite busy-I saw nearly 50 people before I even went to our assigned floor. Of course I love all the attention and the treats are pretty doggone good too. Mum keeps telling people I can’t have a lot of treats because I tend to lose focus. I just blink at her like I don’t understand what she’s talking about. It seems to work out nicely if I do say so myself. I managed to make a bunch of new friends and we ended up staying twice as long as usual. I became BFF’s with the security guards in the emergency department and they had me pose for photos for them. I did so many photos with nurses and hospital visitors that I may need to hire an agent.
But enough about me, let’s get to the nature we saw this week, eh?
Wilson: Chrysanthemums are exploding with color around our neighborhood and these red beauties caught my eye. Just look at all those blooms!
The Mum: Those mums are beautiful and can see why they caught your eye. This is definitely the time of year where these flowers truly shine in the glorious golden light of September.
Wilson: You’re right, Mum, the light this month makes even flowers passed their expiration date like this oversized sunflower look good. Mum loved it, even if it’s droopy.
The Mum: You are correct there, House Pony. I think if we’d have received any of the forecasted rain instead of only very loud thunder, it might have been more perky. But I did like it and viewed it from all angles.
Wilson: You’re so weird Mum. I mean when I stop, I at least sniff. You just stand there and look at flowers. That’s so lame. I just don’t understand why looking is enough for humans.
The Mum: Are you kidding me? The magical light this time of year is enough to look in awe and appreciate the light as well as the form.
Wilson: Whatever floats your boat, Mum. So what’s the story behind this zinnia? I heard you squealing about it and when you came inside; you looked proud as punch. Looks like they were splashed with paint.
The Mum: Well I planted this new variety of zinnia seed called Confetti. It’s taken all summer long before any of the ‘confetti’ actually showed up. You can see a couple of pink ones in the background. All the flowers were only solid colors but no confetti so I was somewhat disappointed, even though the few flowers that displayed the confetti part were a lot less exciting than the picture on the seed packet. It was underwhelming by comparison but I’m grateful at least a few finally germinated even if it was somewhat subdued.
Wilson: When we were out walking before our hospital shift began yesterday, we noticed this little vertical garden just down the street. Look at this cute little pumpkin…just hanging there…waiting to be picked. It’s the first time since the owner installed that steel arbor that had something like that grow. Going vertical in a limited space seems brilliant.
The Mum: It was a clever use of the narrow ‘hell space’ that rarely gets used effectively. And a plus is there’s no misshapen form from the bottom from laying on the ground. Win-win.
Wilson: Nice, Mum. A couple doors down the street we found this youngish Ginkgo tree. The city has begun including them in the inventory of trees used to replace the troublesome silver maple trees as a different option for city landscapes. Ginkgos are large shade trees that are resistant to wind and snow damage. They have a distinct and unique fan-shaped leaf but are a slow growing tree that requires at least 6 hours of full sunlight and well watered and well drained sites. Native to eastern Asia, they are like living fossils as they’ve been around for 290 million years.
The Mum: I find these trees quite fascinating with those interestingly shaped leaves. This one is slowly starting to turn golden. It seems like the changing colors of leaves is a bit slow this year, at least in the city. Oh sure there are some spots showing up in the tree canopy but nothing really suggesting that autumn will officially arrive next week. It’s been a strange prelude to this magical time of year. In fact, I was surprised to see this Stella de Oro daylily blooming. It’s often called the perfect perennial because of its many wonderful qualities (beautiful flowers, drought tolerance and the ability able to withstand heat stress, and its low care requirements). It maybe a miniature daylily but it packs a big punch in a city landscape.
Wilson: While it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, it is quite toxic for cats so be careful if you plant it in your yard and you have a kitty that likes to stroll through the garden looking for mousies.
The Mum: That’s interesting-I did not know that about its toxicity to cats.
Wilson: Well that’s it for this week, Mum. We hope everyone has a great weekend and are able to get outdoors to experience this fabulous time of year.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Greetings mates. Wilson here ready to share bits and bobs of nature that we encountered this week. As always, I’m joining the blog hop hosted by the Adventures of the LLB Gang’s. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what great posts and pics were shared throughout Blogville.
Not to set off an alarm, but I realized there are only 111 days left in 2025. That means there are just 104 days until Santa Paws arrives. Yikes, I don’t know how you feel about that, but I know it’s got me and Mum starting to panic. But let’s focus on how beautiful nature has been this week.
Wilson: While the temps have been warm, they haven’t been too hot (unless you were standing in the sun for any length of time). Warms days, coolish nights…the perfect weather for ripening all those little tomatoes. Mum picks one or two every time she goes outside. Our street was all in a dither last week when a baby squirrel apparently fell out of the large maple across the street. Poor little thing-just a wee baby. It wasn’t doing so great and even my squirrel despising Mum went to help a group of compassionate neighbors rescue it and its sibling. She was told there were three babies, but she never saw the other one and their mum seemed to be MIA. We heard the shrill call of a hawk on Sunday and decided that it was likely responsible for this guy falling trying to avoid becoming an entree and he fell. We managed to coax the other baby down the tree and we put them both in a little box for a young couple who took pity and insisted on taking them up to a wild animal rescue in Boulder. We all agreed they were pretty young. This little guy was pretty week and likely dehydrated. We left some water out and he at least opened his eyes after licking some from where he stumbled and spilled the containers. Another neighbor even put out some bread bits but he wouldn’t eat. I was thinking he was too young and most likely hadn’t been weaned yet to survive. As you all know I’m no fan of these little varmints but felt badly for the baby.
The Mum: I was surprised at all the attention those two little guys received from people in the neighbor. Most of the time they hardly ever look up from their cell phones but were very engaged on saving these babies. It almost restores my doubts about humans especially given the news this week. Not only was Charlie Kirk assassinated, there was a mass shooting at nearby Evergreen High School, the shooter shot a couple of classmates and turned the gun on himself. Many students were injured in the melee trying to escape. This world is becoming a crazy place.
Wilson: We were out walking around and came across this pretty dragonfly on the sidewalk. Turns out it was an adult female common whitetail dragonfly most likely hunting for mosquitos, their main food source. Mum had never seen one before and was fascinated with her appearance. The male’s abdomen is all white, while the females have those white dots running along her sides.
The Mum: We love any insects that hunt mosquitoes.
Wilson: Right-o, Mum. So I wonder who or what left this web all over these leaves? The water droplets really highlighted the web after you watered the garden.
The Mum: It sure was quite the sparkly view and caught my eye.
Wilson: You sure have been keeping your eyes open for spiders this summer. It seems like there’s been more than usual. But because they help control some nasty insects, we don’t mind them so much. Hey, how about this pretty Sweet Autumn Clematis vine? Native to northeastern Asia, this lovely plant is part of the buttercup family and was introduced into the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental garden plant,. It’s naturalized in many of the eastern states and is considered an invasive plant in north and central Florida as well as some other eastern states. It had a delicate scent to it
The Mum: At first I thought it might be jasmine but the scent was barely perceptible so I figured it had to be something else. It sure was pretty though.
Wilson: Indeed it was, Mum. That was a good walk but nothing like the one we took after our meeting at the hospital this week. You took me to an open space area not too far from the hospital and we got to walk along the trail. I even got to see some riders with their horses. This pointing pose says it all but it was nice walking along the little stream on such a beautiful day.
The Mum: I noticed you made no attempt to check out the water.
Wilson: I presume that was just a rhetorical observation. You know perfectly well that I’m not a water dog.
The Mum: {chortling} Yeah, I’ve figured that out. But you should try it sometime. It’s not like a bath. Besides, who knows, you might find a fish or a frog…also known as interactive toys.
Wilson: Also for the record, I don’t do toys, Mum.
The Mum: Lighten up laddie. I do know that…you need to unclench, ‘kay?
Wilson: Well, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear. So what did you think about the reblooming irises we saw outside the hospital before our meeting? I thought you said you had some but I don’t recall them reblooming…come to think of it, did they bloom in the spring?
The Mum: I think they did, but you’re right they didn’t rebloom. The one’s at Lutheran were pretty and just like ours. They caught me off guard. I do love me some irises and the fact that these rebloomers makes them such a lovely addition to any garden.
Wilson: They were indeed pretty but I got to admit, I was more excited to see another garden goose dressed up. This must be a ‘thing’ because it’s the second one we’ve seen recently. They’re so funny and make me tilt my head.
The Mum: You’re right House Pony…they are funny. I love gardeners with a sense of humor. Naturally, I’ll be on the alert to see more of these quirky garden art pieces.
Wilson: Whatever makes you happy, Mum. I can tell we’re getting closer to autumn and I didn’t even have to check a calendar. Apart from more spots of gold in tree tops, I noticed the strawberry plant is changing colors. Just look at those reddening leaves!
The Mum: That is another good sign. Ten days and counting so color us happy. Looks like that’s it for this week. Both of us hope you have a fantabulously awesome weekend and are able to get outside to see how nature is morphing into autumn.
Wilson: Woof! That means ‘yes’ in dog. Have a great weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Hello mates and welcome to the first Nature Friday post of September. Wilson here to share what I’m seeing in Nature this week. As always, I’m joining those two cute pups from the Adventures of the LLB Gang’s blog hop. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what great posts and pics were shared throughout Blogville.
This week’s temps were warmer than last week’s, but not horrible. Days are warm, nights are crisp and we have a diverse offering for today’s post.
It’s was a crazy week made crazier by Mum. She has been scurrying around swabbing decks and other stuff that probably should have been done in spring and it’s causing me some major heartburn. She keeps saying everything is going to be fine, but seriously, who trusts someone with wielding a mop or pushing a vacuum around. OMD…a dog cannot relax in this kind of environment. I move from one place to another to avoid that noisy soul sucking machine and it’s like she’s stalking me with that vacuum wand. Anyway, please be patient with us as we’ve not had a lot of online time visiting blogs but hope to get reasonably caught up soon. But if anything goes wrong or if you don’t hear from us, be sure to assign blame on her because I’m never at fault…only fabulous. Despite what she may imply with her snide comments about paw prints on the floors and nose art on the front door.
So like I said earlier, it has been a little warmer this week but not overly unpleasant. I have my paws crossed this is summer’s last hurrah and that she’s ready to move aside for our favorite season, autumn, which officially arrives in two weeks and three days, but who’s counting and we’re beginning to notice subtle signs that a new script is in the works. Just take a look at some of a couple of indicators that things are in flux.
This tree is from down the street. Those spots of gold make for a nice contrast with the green leaves, wouldn’t you agree?
While not near as vivid, this Honey Locust is across the street from our house, and we’re seeing little spots of yellow appearing in the upper canopy.
Another sure fire sign that the seasons are beginning to change are oaks trees with their little nuts, i.e. acorns. I’ve always dreamed of noshing on them and just a couple of weeks ago, that tree was covered with them and there were gobs of them on the ground. This week, there were only a couple left on the tree and nothing on the ground. No doubt the hoodlum neighborhood squirrels stocked up before I had a chance to snack on them. Interesting side note…I found out acorns provide food for birds, rodents, beers, even deer, so I ask, why not a Floof? You know, just as a quality control thing. Plus they make some lovely craft items, if one is interested in that sort of thing. I know Mum has collected them in the past for making wreaths and holiday ornaments.
The Mum: Good morning, laddie, how’s it…
Wilson: {interrupting} Oh hiya, finally decided to join us, did you?
The Mum: Well I was trying to find something I misplaced…sorry I’m late. But I see you managed without my help.
Wilson: I can’t believe anything around here is misplaced. You’ve been on a crusade to put things where they belong or even purging it. Did you find what you were looking for yet?
The Mum: No, not yet, but I’m sure it’s gotta be around and I’ll continue to hunt.
Wilson: Just don’t hunt with the vacuum, okay, Mum? That thing scares the devil out of me, not that there’s any devil in me, but you know. That’s just an expression, mind you. I don’t have to remind you that I’m totally fabulous and a very good boy.
The Mum: Yes, you’re a good boy though I’ve notice a certain stubborn streak emerging of late that…
Wilson: {interrupting} GASP!! I am not stubborn, I’m just strongly devoted to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Besides, my clock is on a different wavelength from your artificial time table.
The Mum: Oh, different wavelength, is that what it is? That’s one way of describing it.
Wilson: Oh I’ll admit, I was nice and comfy on the patio a few times watching the world go by while you were in gardening mode and I was merely not ready to come back in the house.
The Mum: I’ve learned it’s not a good idea leaving you to your own devices. While I was trimming the iris leaves, I noticed you ran across the street to give a certain squirrel the what for. Remember? We had a long talk about that.
Wilson: Talk? Harumph…you put me in time out inside the house as I recall.
The Mum: Well you know the saying, if you do the crime, you have to do the time.
Wilson: {ignoring the squirrel transgression} Umm, not to change the subject, but I noticed last week’s showers and this week’s warmer temps sure made for some pretty flowers. I mean, just look at this pretty Morning Glory. Is that some gorgeous color or what?
The Mum: Indeed, nature knows how to showcase its own.
Wilson: Another sign that autumn is upon us is the annual ritual of people planting Chrysanthemums. This cheery yellow one caught my eye. They’re pretty but they don’t smell as great as they look.
The Mum: Yup, you know when mums are planted, autumn can’t be too far away. Being scented isn’t the only reason to plant pretty things in the garden.
Wilson: Yeah, but my own preference is to have both a great scent and pretty blooms. Nothing wrong with that, is there?
The Mum: No, I totally understand. But mums are one of those autumn plants that seem to want to look better than they smell and that’s okay too.
Wilson: Says the person with about a third as many olfactory cells than most dogs have. Suit yourself.
The Mum: Right…what else do you have? Did you see any critters this week?
Wilson: As a matter of fact, I did encounter a crawly thing with huge eyeballs that seemed to be taking in all sorts of scenery. I do know he kinda startled you but then once you overcame the surprise, seemed transfixed by his eyes and the tiny little hairs on all his legs. Didn’t you say you thought that was a harmless wolf spider?
The Mum: Yes, I think that’s what it was. I’ve seen several of them hanging out this summer. The early wet conditions seemed to activate the arachnid population around the garden. I’ve been pulling webs off the water spigot and around the base of pots on a twice-a-week basis. They’re great for keeping harmful insects at bay and are not dangerous. I read that they have 8 eyes but the two prominents ones were the ones I was mesmerized most by them. It was pretty cool. So what else do you have to share today?
Wilson: I noticed a Sorbus tree, known as a mountain-ash in North America and a rowan in the UK. An ornamental, smallish tree is in full berry mode which will keep a lot of birds fed this winter.
The Mum: When my kids were very small, they planted one for me one Mother’s Day and it was a favorite addition. I’ve often wondered how that little guy has fared.
Wilson: Well that’s it for this week. We hope everyone has a great weekend and are able to get out and enjoy nature first hand. Enjoy!
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Time to fire up the old BBQ because today is Labor Day in the US and its territories where we celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of workers. Always celebrated on the first Monday of September, today we honor labor and union movements (if you work 40 hours or less a week, you can thank unions for that) and the role all workers have made to the strength and well-being of the nation. For many of us, we may have the day off from work and the first holiday of the new school year. Many consider Labor Day as the unofficial last weekend of summer with backyard get-togethers. Wilson is hoping someone will pass the chips or better, a hot dog.
A brief history of Labor Day shows that as trade and labor movements began to grow, calls for a day commemorating workers’ contributions were proposed. Colorado was one of the first five states to enact legislation recognizing Labor Day, with Oregon being first to officially make it a public holiday back in 1887. Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894. Our Canadian friends likewise celebrate “Labour Day” on the first Monday in September.
Historically speaking, it wasn’t all roses and candy to get where we are today. Following the deaths of workers at the Pullman Strike of 1894, Congress unanimously approved legislation making Labor Day a national holiday and it was signed into law by Grover Cleveland shortly after the end of the strike.
We had our family reunion with all 5 siblings and scores of grandkids over the weekend gathering to celebrate my Dad’s 95th birthday. Tacos were a-plenty along with Cerveza and Margaritas, appetizers as well as a customary birthday cake. It was so much fun seeing nephews, nieces, cousins and family friends that I don’t normally get to see. The weather was perfect with mild temps-you couldn’t have asked for a better day capped off by a lovely shower and beautiful rainbow on the way home.
Even though it’s a holiday, it’s still a Monday, which means we’re going to start out the day with a shared chuckle. Let’s hear it for pigeons!
We hope your holiday weekend was great and today keeps the streak alive. Happy Labor Day and Happy 95th to my Dad.
Live, love, bark! 🐾