Nature Friday ~ May 22, 2026

Wilson - LoraxGreetings mates, Wilson here sporting my best Lorax poise. I woke up with a bit of bed head but you can be sure while I’m not small or orange, I am mustachioed and I do speak for the forest by making sure I water trees every chance I can. Mum laughed at me but I couldn’t figure out why. Then I looked in a mirror. Egad, that must have been quite the dream I was having. All I remember was I received a rather heavy handed shove. Apparently I was in the midst of a dog pile early yesterday morning. Mum has been complaining about waking up and being at the bottom of the pile. Doesn’t she know I need to be right next to her though I prefer being on top of her.

The Mum: You have been a bit too much lately. As in heavy as all get out. There’s nothing like waking up unable to breath because there’s a House Pony crushing your throat or chest.

Wilson: Oh Mum, you’re exaggerating. A little. Ok, so you’re accurate but I love you and want to show you how much.

The Mum: Being the object at the bottom of the dog pile is not my idea of a good time. We have to have a serious discussion about it. Your constant squashing has reached a point where we need to set up some rules about it.

Wilson: Rules-shmules. I love you and am just showing you my affection.

The Mum: Well perhaps you could love me just a teeny tiny bit less? I’d be very grateful and might even consider relaxing the “no dogs on the sofa” rule in effect in the living room as a compromise.

Wilson: {grumbling under his breath} You’re being too dramatic, Mum. Why can you just enjoy all my beautiful floofy love?

The Mum: You mean enjoy the fur in my mouth or an elbow in a rib or your head across my throat? Gee, what was I thinking?

Wilson: {shaking his head} Blimey…Mums can be so persnickity. Anyway, we can do all that negotiating behind the scenes. I’ve got slices of nature to share. As we always do, we’re joining the gang from Adventures of the LLB Gang and encourage you to click on the link to see what others have shared from their neighborhoods.

The Mum: Fine, we’ll discuss this politely later this afternoon. Just know it’s spring, the pollen count is high and I have a hard enough time breathing. Just something for you to consider as we come to an agreement about this ‘dog pile’ thing.

Wilson: {ignoring the last comment} Well, we received some rain this week and boy howdy, was that something. It rained all night and all day on Monday, and sprinkled during different parts of all the other days. I looked a little bit like a drowned rat even with my rain jacket on and you trying your level best to keep me under the umbrella which scared me.

The Mum: Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, I was just trying to keep your head as dry as possible. We both got pretty soaked Monday but our other rainy walks weren’t as bad. Everything is lusciously green and because I protected the herbs and potted tomato plant, they all survived the freeze warning we had earlier in the week.

Wilson: Things do look quite lovely. As the neighborhood Lorax, I’m glad to see everything got watered without my help. Just look at Exhibit A.

Iris

The Mum: Those iris clumps are planted along the strip between the sidewalk and street around the neighborhood and I love the pops of color. This was one of the few moments where we had decently sunny conditions. Most of the week was shrouded in clouds. We’re headed for a bit of a warm up for the Memorial Day weekend but have been told there is potential for more rain next week. I remain somewhat skeptical but we’ll see. If it happens, we’ll gladly accept any moisture.

Wilson: I enjoyed sniffing through the wildlife habitat area at the golf course. You couldn’t ask for a more sniffable landscape. The ground smelled of moisture with lots of decayed leaves. It was awesome. Mum tried to hurry me along to keep from getting too wet but my snooter just couldn’t get enough. There’s nothing like damp conditions and decaying leaves. The aroma was practically peaty. Mum frequently tries to get in some parkour on this log but I was too interested in sniffing around it. Those grass seed heads were way too interesting for me to think about climbing up on that big log. Don’t they look like they’d make a cool woven piece of artwork?

Grasses

The Mum: Our walks were so delightful. There wasn’t anyone out walking on the rainiest day so we wandered to our hearts content without being an obstacle along the path. It was terrific.

Wilson: The potted hibiscus Mum received on Mother’s Day was a pretty happy camper too. Mum is always amazed how much more beautiful plants are when they receive even a little bit of rain. Rain makes everything look so much better so we were quite chuffed on that day when we received a nice gentle, soaking rain.

Hibiscus

The Mum: It really is quite remarkable seeing how much of a difference a little rain can impact plants. A couple of days ago we found some beds that had been recently planted with annuals at intersections in the golf course community. I’m a big fan of ornamental cabbage so I’m looking forward to seeing this all summer long. They’re small now but this week’s rain will give them a good start.

Ornamental cabbage

Wilson: You’re so right, Mum…a little bit of rain makes garden plants look fantastic.

Fountain

The Mum: Even the snapdragon seeds that I sprinkled in a pot earlier this month managed to germinate and are doing nicely. These little plants will provide a nice pop of color by the back door area and the potted Roma tomato appears to be in good shape with a couple of tiny tomatoes emerging this week.

Snapdragon seedlings

Tomato plant

Wilson: Well, that’s about it for us this week. It’s Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. and we will honor all those who paid the ultimate price for serving their country. You can read our post from last year here for a historical background. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season. We’re planning a low key get together with the family. With gas prices so high, we aren’t planning on doing much driving any time soon. What are your plans for the holiday? Did you have a good week? Whatever you do, we hope you are able to enjoy some slices of Nature. Have a safe holiday and enjoy the long weekend.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ May 15, 2026

WilsonWelcome mates…Wilson here. Notice a thief stole my fur. Mum said I was beginning to look like Sasquatch and needed a bath so she took me to the grooming shop for a bath and groom. P{lease also notice my disapproving look. Miss Sydney is always very sweet and loving but I just don’t like baths. I guess if it keeps Mum happy, I’ll get over it but in the meantime, I’ll cry like a baby and shake like a leaf. Mum says I’m overly dramatic. You might remember that we had a pile of snow last week (if you missed it, you can read about it here) and this week we’ve been in the upper 80’s. These yoyo weather patterns are going to give me a stiff neck. What the dog?! The forecast is calling for some moisture this weekend but we’ll see if any materializes. Anyway…as we do on Friday’s, we’re joining our friends from the Adventures of the LLB Gang blog. Make sure you click on the link to see this week’s slices of Nature from around Blogville.

Wilson: Last week we were going to post a few photos of various plants that were in bloom at the time but then had to switched gears because the snow buried us. Remember those peonies that were in showing buds ready to bloom? Well the 7 inches of snow we received didn’t seem to bother them one bit. Just look at how lovely these beauties continued to bloom this week. You can almost smell their sweet fragrance, can’t you?

Peonies

The Mum: Ahhh, peonies…the queen of the garden is my favorite spring flower and this bush is so very luscious and full. They’re only shortcoming is they don’t bloom long enough for me.

Wilson: They’re quite beautiful, Mum. It looks like Nature boosted many of the flowers with the snow. Just check out these two clematis plants that continue to bloom along our walking route. The purple one is particularly vigorous.

Clematis Clematis

The Mum: That reddish pink one really caught my eye. They both flank a driveway we walk past every day and they wind their way up brick pillars. Those pillars create for a beautiful welcome to visitors and passersby alike.

Wilson:  Just down the lane we found this version of our state flower, the Columbine.

Columbine

The Mum: This Trumpet Vine is starting out the season with a few pretty blooms. In no time, this baby should fill in nicely along the iron fence. It was just a few feet away from the lilac bush below and was the very last bloom on the bush and practically begged to have its picture taken.

Trumpet honeysuckle

Honeysuckle comes in coral to reddish colors and is a great attractor for hummingbirds and other pollinators. Songbirds may eat the berries. The leaves and stems are waxy and the plant can reach 20 feet long, with sturdy support. I learned the plant is very flammable and not recommended for planting near structures. Honeysuckle is cold hardy and can be drought tolerant if the soil is good so it makes for a nice addition to the Colorado landscape.

Lilac

Wilson: Like I mentioned earlier, it’s been pretty warm this week and one evening it started to cloud up. We had hoped for a tiny little sprinkle but it was too warm for any rain to reach the ground. It did however provide for a lovely sunset. There’ll be another six weeks of extended sunshine and then it will begin to grow darker, about a minute per day until autumn begins. Till then we’ll enjoy what Nature shares with us.

Sunset

The Mum: Spring is a lovely time of year but it can be cruel. Just off the golf course we walk through, we came across this robin egg on the ground. I can be sure what happened, perhaps windy conditions made it fall out of the nest. I think it’s the part of spring that may not be kind and gentle.

Robin egg

Wilson: {interrupting} Well, you know what I think, Mum? I think a squirrel probably knocked it out. You know how naughty they are.

The Mum: I’ll admit that’s a possibility. While squirrels are mostly considered  herbivores, they are quite opportunistic omnivores given half a chance. Raiding nests can provide them with much-needed protein, fat, and calcium. It’s a sad reality.

Wilson: It is sad and yet another reason for me to despise them. This just proves they’re total brutes.

The Mum: Calm down, House Pony. Unfortunately, it’s Nature’s way. On the plus side, the shell will eventually break down and add nutrients to the surrounding ground so it’s not a total loss.

Wilson: Sorry Mum, I’m not persuaded. I still don’t like them. Bloody tree rats.

The Mum: Well I understand your strong feelings, I’m certainly no fan, but there’s not much we can do about it now. We can only enjoy the birds that grow up, the flowers that bloom and the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that Nature shares with us.

Wilson: I guess. Still, it was sad. I vow to avenge that little fella’s existence…

The Mum: {interjecting} Ummm, let’s rethink that strategy. Remember revenge is a dish best served cold. I’m sure Nature had a plan and it’s important that we not try to change it. Besides, remember I’m old and need my shoulders to function, thank you very much.

Wilson: Well okay, but only because it’s you. I’ll try to contain my loathing of those vile creatures. So that’s all I have this week. We hope you enjoyed a lovely spring week. Wait…what the heck was that that dashed across our back porch?

The Mum: And just like that, the morning calm is broken as a squirrel ran near the back door and all hell broke loose. Sigh. So much for the earlier promises. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and how no squirrels cross your paths. It’s hard to realize Memorial Day is just two weeks away. Where did May go? Have any fun plans for the weekend?

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ May 8, 2026

Greetings mates, tis I, Wilson your friendly neighborhood House Pony. Boy have I got some photos to share with you showing Mother Nature at her best or her worst, depending on your opinion. It’s been a wild week but let’s dive in shall we. As always we’re joining those cute pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang for their weekly nature blog. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared from around Blogville.

Wilson in snow

Wilson: Mum…why do I have to bundle up? I mean keeping me dry is one thing, but you know how I feel about snow boots. Ugh.

The Mum: What? Come on, you look adorable in your booties. And you posed so nicely wearing them…

Wilson: {interrupting while raising his voice} E-nough. I should think that expression says it all. Wearing those hideous things is humiliating, Mum. I hate them.

The Mum: But they sort of keep your feet somewhat dry, well at least drier than if you were stomping around with your furry paddles…and without anything to protect your paws you’d need either a session with a hairdryer or a serious and lengthy mopping up with towels before coming back inside the house. I mop the new floors enough as it is because you’re a such drool machine.

Wilson: Yeesh…you cut me to the quick, Mum. We could argue discuss this all day long. But I’ve got photos to share and we should probably just move along. So as you were able to tell from our discussion and the first photo, it snowed this week (Tuesday and Wednesday). I know a lot of you will be aghast at the thought of snow in May but it’s not all that uncommon in the Rocky Mountain region. The irony to that fact is we received the most snow in May for over 20 years. Look at some of these snow depths through Wednesday.

Snow totals

The Mum: The total in Arvada really surprised me. We all knew a storm was coming but I only expected around 4 inches or so. Fortunately it was a nice wet snow with lots of moisture. I think we received nearly as much moisture over those two days as we’ve received to date this year. We’re still down and the drought is nowhere near gone but this was a nice dent toward improving things.

Wilson: Do you think plants were adversely impacted by that heavy snow?

Spring snow storm
Early morning view of our trees – the shrubs were buried for the most part

Spring snow storm

The Mum: I won’t sugar-coat it, the storm did a fair amount of damage to trees. Cottonwoods which are softwood trees, were particularly hit hard as were many ornamental pear trees around the neighborhood. I went out every 3 or 4 hours to shake off our crabapple trees but along the trail we walk every day, a lot of large and small limbs were broken. Yesterday I was impressed that the city crews were out early cleaning up around the pathway. Most of the larger branches that fell far away from the pathway will be cut up and left to provide habitat to the area’s critters, while those closer to the trail were removed. And a lot of plants were flattened but by yesterday when we were in full melt, they were rebounding. Even these peonies didn’t seem to be worse for wear but they are somewhat protected by the trees around it. Yesterday’s high  was 72F (22C) and more than half of the snow had melted. It was totally crazy. The forecast for the weekend will be in the 70’sF and we may even reach the low 80’sF by Monday. The temperature whiplash is in full force.

Peonies with snow

Wilson: It was absolutely beautiful when we walked and even more quiet than normally. Funny how people don’t want to get out and walk around in it. I’m glad you don’t mind, I just wish I didn’t have to bundle up from head to paw but it was fun checking everything out. The smells were quite remarkable.

The Mum: Even our newly blooming Bachelor Buttons in a large pot survived.

Bachelor Buttons

Wilson: Nature is pretty amazing. But somewhat selective, isn’t she?

The Mum: Pretty much. What other photos did you want to share?

Wilson: Well…how about some photos from the pathway? It was so beautiful and the quiet was palable.

Spring snow storm
Along the southwest side of the golf course
Spring snow
The canal was filling up from its previously low levels
Ralston Creek Trail in snow
Along the creek

The Mum: You managed to curate a fairly representative batch of photos. Well done, House Pony.

Wilson: Thanks Mum. See, I’m not just a pretty face. I can put a few pics together to show off how Nature is truly amazing. I see that Mother’s Day is this weekend and we want to wish everyone a very Happy Mother’s Day. We know not all of you have two feet kids, but you have fur babies so I think you deserve to enjoy the day as well as mums to them. Are you doing anything special for your mum? Whatever you do, we sincerely wish you a wonderful weekend and hope you are able to spend some time enjoying the many sides of Mother Nature. Have a good one, everyone.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ May 1, 2026

Pepperweed
Pepperweed

Happy May Day, mates. Wilson here and as always I’m joining our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang for this week’s Nature Friday blog hop where participants share slices of nature. Be sure to click on the link to see what they and other have posted. As I noted above, today is May Day where traditionally we celebrate the return of spring. May Day, like other early holidays that originated from ancient times, has its emphasis in celebrating the arrival of spring, the season of renewal. Festivities were filled with song and dance with doorways and livestock decorated with yellow May flowers. Historically, children would hold on to colorful ribbons, and dance around a maypole which symbolized fertility and the renewal of life. People would “bring in the May” by gathering wildflowers and green branches, and weave  floral hoops and hair garlands. I told Mum there would be no ‘decorating’ my glorious floofness after she saw a wide swatch of pepperweed which has sprouted near the Ralston Creek trailhead. Thankfully she didn’t argue with me.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, May Day has its roots in astronomy since it’s the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It was one of the Celtic cross-quarter days, which marked the midway points between the (four) solstices and equinoxes of the year. Since we don’t have a maypole, we’ll just celebrate by admiring flowers in bloom that we pass on our walks. Mum hasn’t planted anything yet because the risk of frost is still possible but her naturalized Bachelors Buttons are full of buds ready to display their bright cornflower blue flowers soon.

Bachelor buttons

The Mum: Good morning, House Pony…Happy May Day, buddy. After a couple of cloudy days that had a few sprinkles but mostly soft misty conditions, we woke up to clear blue skies but cool temps.

Wilson: Did you encounter rain yesterday when you traveled to Pueblo with your brother to see Grandpa?

The Mum: We did encounter some rain, but nothing too heavy mind you, but every drop was welcomed up and down the Front Range. What I wasn’t expecting was seeing a little bit of white stuff at my brother’s house with more on Monument Hill between Denver and Colorado Springs. It didn’t last long.

Snow in Castle Rock

Wilson: I was glad I stayed home with your son, even though he keeps accusing me of snoring loudly. I. Do. Not. Snore. I rest peacefully. You know that, but why he keeps telling you I snore is beyond me.Wilson

The Mum: I think he just likes to tease you. And even if you do/did snore, so what…you’re snug as a bug snoozing comfortably and that’s all that matters.

Wilson: So we didn’t take a lot of photos this week but we did capture a few photos of some ducks. That was pretty exciting since I know you’d never seen Wood Ducks in person before. The males are really colorful but they are very shy and didn’t seem to want to get to know me very much so I was left out of the photo shoot.

Wood Ducks Wood Ducks

The Mum: I am totally fascinated with Wood Ducks. The colorful males don’t seem real. We still haven’t seen any babies yet but hope they’ll be showing up soon. The males have stunning multi-colored iridescent plumage and red eyes, with a distinctive white flare down the neck. The female are less colorful with a white eye-ring. Both males and females have crested heads. Like other ducks, they do not mate for life but tend to stay seasonally monogamous. I could have watched them for hours but they were very nervous with my presence so after taking a ton of photos, I slipped away and let them feed and swim in the shallow canal.

Wilson: I just don’t understand why ducks don’t like me. Even the Mallards are skittish whenever I’m around.

The Mum: I’m sure they view us both as predators. After all, there are hawks, coyotes and bobcats who make their home along the trail. Don’t take it personally. I had to sneak up on this Mallard and he kept turning away from me keeping a nervous side eye on me. I only managed to capture a couple of pics and they were fairly similar so I only included this one in a sunny spot along the creek.

Mallard

Wilson - Cinco de Mayo

Wilson: Even though the mornings are still cool (in the mid-30’sF 1.66C) we should reach 60F (15.55C) today and are expected to stay sunny all day. The weekend forecast should be dry with perfect temps for celebrating May Day, as well as watching the 152nd running of the  Kentucky Derby and seeing local Cinco de Mayo festivities. So this weekend will showcase lots of fun. What will you celebrate this weekend? Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy and take opportunities to get out in Mother Nature.

 

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ April 3, 2026

Wilson - EasterWelcome to April’s first edition of Nature Friday. Today also happens to be Good Friday and Passover began a couple of days ago, so first off, we first want to wish everyone a Happy Easter and send our best Passover greetings to our Jewish friends.

As we typically do for these Nature 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.

Greetings, mates. Tis I, the House Pony ridiculously gussied up as the Easter Bunny. The things I do for my Mum. This week we’re going to look at Nature from nearby Boulder since we enjoyed a family get-together with Mum’s son, his partner and the grandbaby last weekend. Spring has begun unfurling itself in earnest all along the Front Range but seeing springtime in Boulder caught Mum by surprise.

The Mum: You bet your sweet bippy, House Pony. I don’t think I’ve ever seen lilac bushes in full bloom in March. Talk about being gobsmacked. Early and ever so fragrant, that delicious sweet fragrance really caught me off guard.

Lilac

Wilson: That is pretty crazy, Mum. But no crazier than the pear tree that was in full bloom.

Pear tree

The Mum: As I walked their backyard garden I was amazed at the various fruit trees in bloom along with returning vegetables (the artichoke was only a few inches tall so I didn’t take a photo of it), along with other perennials like Columbines. The bearded irises I gave my son early last autumn are doing well in their new home and I may end up getting a few back since the movers neglected to bring the bucket of corms with specimens of the black and soft blue bearded irises I had hoped would accompany me to the new garden.

Wilson: I noticed the Hostas were going gangbusters, too. Those variegated leaves make them distinctive in any garden landscape.

Hostas

The Mum: I was pleased to see Forget-Me-Nots throughout their garden. Such pretty little blue flowers adding lovely pops of color in the spring garden. I’m a sucker for blue flowers. Kevin said they are going as crazy naturalizing as my lupines did in the old garden.

Forget Me Nots

Wilson: Did you know the Forget-Me-Not is Alaska’s state flower, Mum? Though generally classified as short-lived perennials or biennials, they often act like perennials since they spread vigorously by self-sowing. They tend to bloom from spring to early summer in USDA Zones 3–8, and prefer partial shade and moist soil. With the ongoing drought here, it’s not likely we’ll be adding any of them to our garden any time soon. I know how you are about water guzzlers.

The Mum: You’re right, especially this year where mandatory water restrictions are in place. I’m still mulling over what plants I’ll add and where to put them but did buy a nice deep purple hyacinth and a small peony bush that I hope to plant soon. I’m sure by autumn when spring bulbs will be planted, I’ll have a good idea of where things might go. Working on the overall plan may  take some time so I’m not in a super hurry and am excited about various possibilities long term.

Wilson: There were even some lovely tulips in bloom. I know you didn’t photograph the black ones that were just beginning to start forming buds but you fell in love with this pink one.

Pink tulip

The Mum: Yeah, I absolutely love pink tulips and would have photographed the black ones if they weren’t still fairly tight in bud. I always enjoy an unusual colors in the garden.

Wilson:  You do tend to favor pink in the garden. I mean just look at this beautiful pink apple blossom that really is highlighted against the blue sky.

Apple tree

The Mum: It was nice being in Boulder for the day especially since I’ve been driving back and forth to Pueblo working on the house every other day. I think we’re basically ready for the house to be listed next week.

Wilson: Grandpa was sure delighted with the way it turned out. The new flooring sure turned out beautifully and I know you and all the siblings are hoping a new family will buy it and continue the happy times in that lovely home now that it’s been updated and spiffed up.

The Mum: Yes, the house needs to have a family that will continue the awesome history initially started by our family. We shared so many great meals, spirited conversations and celebrations with wonderful get-togethers welcoming new family members over the years. There is such a positive energy to the home and I wish whomever moves in loads of ongoing love, laughter and happiness.

Wilson: I’m sure someone will be very happy there. And closer to home along the Ralston Creek Trail we saw the creek fill up from the canal you featured last week. Not sure where that water came from but hearing it moving downstream warmed our hearts. It’s been barely trickling for the past several weeks and while we received a tiny amount of rain on Wednesday, it certainly wasn’t due to that. It sure brought folks out to check it out, probably because it’s been so long since it was running. With mild temperatures this week, this is the kind of spring we can get on board with.Ralston Creek

The Mum: Well that’s it from us. Do you have special plans for Easter or Passover? However you celebrate this time of year, we hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature

Nature Friday ~ March 27, 2026

WilsonWell, well, well…here we are although Mum wasn’t expecting to post today because of all the traveling back and forth to Pueblo but she learned late yesterday that she didn’t need to go down today so here we are. Maybe she can relax a bit now. Course this means I’ve gotta scramble like a mad hatter to throw pull something together. But I’m nothing if not a professional, in addition to being a fabulous floof, so I’ll do my level best. Wilson here. I know Mum is overwhelmed and over stressed but I managed to find a few things to share for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. As always, we’re joining those adorable pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang for the last Friday of the month. Be sure to click on their link to see what slices of nature others have shared.

The Mum: {yawning} Thanks House Pony, appreciate you stepping up. I’m a bit brain dead after the last session where I painted the outside window sills in 90F (32.2C) degree temps. After a week of summer temperatures in the upper 80’sF (31.6C), this morning’s crisp temp of 37F (2.77C) was very welcome. It felt great needing to wear a light jacket to take you outside at 6 AM.

Wilson: It sure revved me up. I just wanted to bounce till I got to my favorite potty spot. I hope you buckle up for our morning walk, Mum. No slow walking, okay?

The Mum: Please be gentle with me. I’m old and sleep deprived, buddy.

Wilson: Oh Mum…I’m sure you’ll be okay…

The Mum: {rolling her eyes and interrupting} Especially remember the old part. These days that’s extra critical…so what did you manage to find for us?

Wilson: Well, spring definitely has sprung. Although I think we went from pitiful winter to flat out broiling summer. I finally spotted a nice clump of blooming daffodils around a tree. Aren’t they just delightfully cheerful?

Daffodils

The Mum: Those daffodils are the largest clump we’ve seen yet. The few places we’ve spotted daffodils have been the one off and I always think a clump gives them a much better presence in the spring garden. They did make me smile.

Wilson: Well if you liked them, I’ll just bet you enjoyed yesterday’s sunrise. The clouds were quite gorgeous and left a nice glowing arch to decorate the morning sky.

Sunrise

The Mum: It was very pretty, for sure. And very quiet, something that I rather relish since moving to this peaceful neighborhood. The morning sounds are birds calling to one another, not the traffic and hubbub that we used to face every morning. And it makes me very grateful to begin each day here. When you’re in the midst of hustle bustle, and then you’re out of it, it’s very noticeable. Life is good, even when it’s busy.

Wilson: That’s the spirit, Mum! I know I sure enjoy the birds and all the new smells I encounter and I’m glad you’re taking the time to notice the simple things. The flowering trees (ornamental pears and crabapples that were getting ready to bloom late last weekend) emerged with the warm temps and are providing a beautiful contrast of color to the otherwise scorched brown landscape.

Flowering trees

The Mum: I noticed yesterday afternoon some of those same trees are beginning to lose their pretty blossoms. I guess we’re finally getting snow…even if it doesn’t have any moisture in it.

Flowering trees

Wilson: Well look on the bright side, you don’t have to shovel. But yeah, I get it. One of the things I found a couple of days ago was the following graphic that depicts the seriousness of the high temps and lack of moisture on the snowpack that the entire state is suffering. Things are very grim with no end in sight. Notice the statewide average is a mere 38%.

Colorado snowpack
Colorado snowpack courtesy of 9 News

The Mum: That graphic is very sobering. While today is much cooler (and very appreciated) moisture continues to not show up in our extended forecast. Mandatory water restrictions are going into effect all up and down the Front Ranch.

Wilson: I know it’s very grim, Mum. We’ll have to do what we can conserving water. For my part, I will happily give up baths.

The Mum: {smiling} Not so fast, dog breath. You still will need to get the occasional bath just not as frequently as when you were going to Lutheran for visits but I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice.

Wilson: Harumph…thought you might say that. Just wanted you to know I’ll happily forego any water torture. But let’s leave our dear readers with a scene that’s not all doom and gloom, with a bit of pretty, shall we, Mum? I liked seeing ducks swimming in the water’s reflection.

Canal reflections

The Mum: We enjoy walking nearby on the trail path but when I noticed the canal was full, I just had to check it out and was delighted to see a couple of ducks swimming around in it. I had expected that the canal would delay filling up but it was a nice sight seeing it. I’m sure it’ll be used downstream and the level will fluctuate during late spring and summer.

Wilson: So long as we just walk past and don’t get into the water, I’ll be happy. Well that’s it for me. Do you have any plans for this last weekend of March? Whatever you do, we both hope you are able to get outdoors and enjoy some of the beauty Nature provides. Have a wonderful weekend!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ March 20, 2026

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

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 13, 2026

NatureWelcome to another episode of Nature Friday where we join those cuties from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. Wilson here…oh dear…I guess today is Friday the 13th. Mum says the date is associated with bad luck in Western cultures and can occur up to three times a year. She thinks I’ll likely suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is derived from three Greek words – Paraskevi (“Friday”), triskaideka (“thirteen”), and phobos (“fear”) to describe the fear individuals experience relating to the date and to diagnose those who suffer from it. This fear is also sometimes referred to as friggatriskaidekaphobia, the joining of Frigg (the Norse goddess for whom Friday is named) with the term triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13). Mum started off my day by telling me that I’m getting a bath today {gasp} even though I was just groomed 3 weeks ago. Apparently my once white feet paddles aren’t so white now. She said I’m going to be a guest at a fundraiser for the rescue hosted by Kendra Scott, a jewelry store who will donate a percentage of each sale to the Rocky Mountain Old English Sheepdog Rescue. The store is located in Cherry Creek (you can read about the last Kendra Scott Give Back event that Angel Norman participated in here). She told me it’s a big honor to participate since a portion of their sales tomorrow will go to the rescue. Mum said peeps can order online or go to the store in person and any sale will count toward the give back fundraiser. I’ll be going for the treats while you humans can shop for your Valentine’s day sweetie.

The Mum: Listen, I realize you despise baths, but just think about the yummy treats you’ll receive. We’re going to our favorite self-wash, Lily’s Bath and Biscuits and I’ll be picking up another bag of those yummy dehydrated buffalo treats you like so much…

Wilson: {interrupting and drooling} Wait…did I hear you say “dehydrated buffalo treats?” Ok, count me in…I can endure a bath for those kinds of treats. Those are my absolute favorites.

The Mum: {smiling} I thought you might see it that way.

Wilson: Anywho…let me share a few slices of Nature that we encountered this past week including this sunset. We missed the brightest part of it but it still has some pretty color on the clouds and the nearby western foothills.

Sunrise

Wilson: Mum says she saw a new neighbor early one morning but she’s only seen him/her in the window. She thought it looked like some kind of Doodle and we hope to meet the owner and pup in person soon.

New neighbor

The Mum: We were lucky to catch the same view of sunset a few days later.

Sunset

Wilson: So I heard DIA’s Blue Mustang sculpture, often referred to as “Blucifer,” located just outside the entrance to the airport, had a birthday a couple of days ago. Hard to believe it turned 18 on Wednesday. It’s been a controversial piece of public art since it was created by Luis Jiménez, who tragically died in 2006 when a piece of the sculpture fell on him as he was working on it. Members of his family and staff eventually completed the sculpture. The statute is 32 feet tall, and weighs 9,000 pounds. It’s made of blue fiberglass with glowing red eyes which are said to have been a tribute to the artist’s father who owned a neon sign shop. Located along Peña Boulevard, it’s been a prominent but immensely controversial art installation. Originally a buffalo stampede had been proposed but abandoned after the developer deemed it a poor choice due to the near extinction of buffalo in the West. Jiménez who was known for his fiberglass sculptures that are brightly painted, proposed a mustang as a more appropriate symbol of the West. It was partially modeled after Jiménez’ own horse and designed to welcome travelers to the gateway to the U. S. West.

Blue Mustang

The Mum: I know a lot of people despise it and it has often lambasted, but I’ve always thought it was an impressive piece of public art, because of its scale and appearance. It is particularly extraordinary at night. What do you think of this sculpture?

Blue Mustang
“Blue Mustang” at night courtesy of 9News

Wilson: Whoa…that night view is…gosh, I don’t know…kind of creepy, Mum.

The Mum: I wouldn’t say creepy but it definitely makes you think how you feel about it and isn’t that what art’s supposed to do?

Wilson: Hmmm, you make a good point. Ok, let’s just say it’s just not my favorite. How’s that?

The Mum: I can respect that. So what plans do you have for the Valentine’s Day weekend? Doing anything special for your sweetheart? We hope your weekend is fun and special. Happy Valentine’s Day from us and we send our best wishes for a great weekend.

Heart - Oberstaufen

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ February 6, 2026

Wilson-parkourHowdy peeps, Wilson dropping in here for this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our mates from at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared for their Nature Friday blog hop. Mum loves it when I parkour for her. This log is kinda slippery but I managed to hold on long enough for her to fumble around take the picture. Hel-lo, I’m sliding down here. Sheesh, humans don’t realize how hard we try to please their silly whims and what we have to go through to get there. Anyway…last week we said we’d share a few of the nature pics from the Pissarro exhibit, The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism. Mum is a big fan of Impressionistic art and was pretty blown away with more than 100 beautiful paintings from Pissarro, learning Denver is the only venue where his exhibit will show in the U.S.

Pissarro art
One of the beautiful pieces he painted of the Caribbean before moving to Paris

Wilson: Perhaps not as well known as Monet, Pissarro was a central figure in the movement, and is often credited with being the father of Impressionism. Pissarro was the only painter to exhibit in all eight Impressionist exhibitions (1874-1886) and significantly influenced many of the Post-Impressionists, like Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent van Gogh, mentoring them through many artistic challenges. Pissarro ‘s art often championed everyday scenes, painting peasants and rural workers with dignity and respect, thus elevating the lives of common folks in his art, which Renoir said was a revolutionary act at the time. Pissarro was known for his consistent work, but he also experimented with Neo-Impressionism (Pointillism) but abandoned the movement after a few years. He spent his life exploring the effects of light and atmosphere and how it affected color, according to Create! Art School and The Denver Art Museum.

Pissarro art

The Mum: Pissarro was completely dedicated to holding independent exhibitions in the early Impressionist period as it emerged in the 20th century. I was particularly impressed with his work utilizing the pointillism technique developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, the technique of painting where small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. It was a demanding technique that took much longer to complete the work. Pissarro’s life was fraught with personal and financial difficulties, having married his mother’s maid which caused problems within the family. He was the only artist to have shown his work at all eight Paris Impressionist exhibitions, from 1874 to 1886.

Pissarro art

Pissarro art

Pissarro arty

Wilson: He must have been something back in his day despite struggling financially his whole life. Didn’t you say several of his children became artists?

The Mum: Indeed. He constantly wrote letters about and to his children and was a devoted father to them as well as being the father of Impressionism. His use of color and light was extraordinary.  As I walked through the exhibit, I was very impressed by his devotion to the family and his art.

Wilson: You walked through another exhibit that you really liked as well. Just check out this piece. These grapes looked incredibly realistic.

Impressionism art

The Mum: Yes, I was very impressed by that piece. I sadly neglected to note the painter’s name, but think he was an American artist. All in all, the museum outing was great fun and I was especially glad I was able to see some amazing artwork showing lots of scenes from Nature.

Wilson: In other news about Nature, I noticed your friend, Figaro is back after you cut back all the spindly branches when we moved. I guess your tender care after he looked outside last autumn and said, “Eek! It’s autumn and I must shed my leaves like all the other plants,” is finally paying off. This week he started to set new buds and leaves. Maybe it’s a sign that Spring is just around the corner? {paws crossed} I’m looking forward to watching him grow leaves and hopefully he’ll set a bunch of fruit, too.

Figaro

Figaro

The Mum: I was practically beside myself when I saw that buds were forming. It’s all very exciting and hope he continues to grow back.

Wilson: Like I always say, whatever turns your handle. I just hope the fruit tastes good. Well, that’s it from us, let’s wrap up and sweep up this latest episode with this sculpture from outside of the museum, shall we? Have you got any plans for this weekend beyond watching the Super Bowl, the half-time show and the ads? We’ll be entertaining some out of town company and hope everyone has a great weekend even if your team isn’t in the game. Have a great time and don’t forget to get outside and take in slices of Nature, whether in a landscape or even in artwork. Cheers mates!

Art sculpture

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾