Category: Mother Nature

Nature Friday ~ October 16, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 60 Comments

Wilson Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join the Adventures of the LLB gang. Wilson here. After setting records for 10 of the first 11 days of October, autumn finally arrived this week and with the cooldown, we also received close to an inch of rain. The super El Niño we’ve been tantalized with by Nature actually provided a nice long rain shower over Tuesday and Wednesday. What a joy to be able to finally be able to measure moisture in inches instead of drops. And snow has hit the high country in the season’s first storm. Woohoo.

Wilson: Zzzz…mlem…oh hello. {Sleepily} Good morning. It’s still pretty dark outside and I’m feeling rather comfy here…yawn…while waiting for things to warm up. It’s currently 36F (2.2C) outside so this spot on the sofa is cozy and warm. We’re currently under a freeze warning until later this morning.

The Mum: Good Friday morning, House Pony…you plan on getting up any time soon?

Wilson: Only if there’s breakfast. It’s quite toasty here and I’m rather enjoying it.

The Mum: Well, I just made up your dish and it’s ready for…

Wilson: Bouncing up and racing into the kitchen. You don’t have to ask me twice.

The Mum: {snickering} I kinda thought you might be interested in food. I’ve never seen you turn any down. So what have you got for us this week?

Wilson: {nom, nom, nom} Umm, hang on a second {inhaling his breakfast}.

The Mum: Why don’t I get us started while you eat breakfast. A few days ago we were walking along the creek trail when I noticed a couple of coyote pups in the wilderness habitat  meadow area. They split up, one ran south, deep into the trees and the other one ran north across the trail. This pup stopped and turned to watch us. Isn’t he gorgeous? He looks nice and healthy. After a few seconds, he moved into the deep undergrowth.

Coyote pup

Wilson: Here’s the meadow he ran through. I wasn’t sure what to think. I think he felt the same way about me, Mum. Meadow in autumn The Mum: I love seeing them in person. I’d heard them earlier yipping just before dawn but hadn’t seen them along the trail for a while so this chance encounter was quite serendipitous.

Wilson: We had another encounter with a critter a couple of days later. Because it’s been so dry and warm, the canal has all but dried up. Not sure where the beaver went, but the raccoon was checking out his summer home. That little pile of sticks to the entrance of his little den can be seen in the lower right hand side.

Raccoon

The Mum: We’re finally seeing some leaves changing colors finally but it seems fairly apparent, this is not going to be a vibrant year for color]. So whenever I see a spot of color, I have to grab a shot of it. Wouldn’t you know it, I’m pretty sure it’s poison ivy. Well, we won’t be walking through that spot but will admire the color from the safety of the path.

Autumn

Wilson: Poison Ivy?? Yikes, Mum. Yeah, no, I won’t go sniffing for great smells there, rest assured.

The Mum: You got that right. There is a lot of wild things that we need to avoid but we sure feel lucky to be able to see stuff like wild animals and amazing flora right off the path.

Wilson: I know I can count on you to protect me, Mum. Well that’s it from us. We hope you have a marvelous weekend. Have any special plans? Whatever you do, we hope you are able to enjoy a beautiful autumn weekend.

The Mum: We are on baby watch, getting ready to welcome the second great grandbaby. Little Halia will be joined by a new brother. I’m beyond excited for my sweet granddaughter and the whole family. Just received word that they left for the hospital a little bit ago this morning. Squeals!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 9, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 58 Comments

Welcome to Nature Friday where we join those lovable pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared. Wilson here. We have a few odds and ends of nature from around our barn. Mum’s had a busy week, but I convinced her to take a few photos in between. Nature is still doing the slow roll to changes leaves but we managed to see some sumac trees surrounding one of the anti-flood retention ponds that were beginning to turn to bright orange.

Sumac tree Sumac tree

While striking in color, Mum is not a fan of this shrub. It tends to be invasive but in a landscape with not a lot of autumnal color yet, it’s fairly attractive.

Wilson: It was actually an accident that Mum found those trees. She’s still learning the neighborhood and was on an errand and encountered one of the scariest Halloween decorations she’s ever seen. She had not walked along this street before and this caught her by surprised. She scurried around the first corner to get away from it as fast as she could and found those trees which helped her get over the heebie jeebies that thing gave her.

Scary clown

The Mum: Creepy, right? Now you know why I couldn’t get away quick enough from it. That shock of orange sufficiently distracted me while I caught my breath.

Wilson: Catch your breath or begin to breathe again?

The Mum: Umm, most likely the later. Clowns are scary on general principles but this one…nope, nada, not going there again any time soon.

Wilson: I don’t blame you, Mum. Halloween decorations are beginning to pop up, and truth be told, are appearing a bit more than the changing leaves. With all the cottonwood trees along the creek trail we walk every day, I know you were expecting a whole lot more of those bright, golden heart-shaped leaves but with the ongoing drought, I think their appearance has been delayed.

The Mum: Mostly likely. I’m not sure there’ll be a great show this year because of the drought. Many of the leaves are starting to fall and they’re frequently brown and the trees only have small little patches of yellow. There doesn’t seem to be as many maples and ash trees in the neighborhood like our old one. It’s been an adjustment for sure, much like the Halloween decor. I miss the gigantic skeletons that were posed in different scenes. I may have to swing by the old neighborhood just to see them. Luckily most of the decorations in our neighborhood (other than that terrifying clown) are far more benign. I saw our friend, Giddy Goose just down the street dressed up as a cute ghost…something more in line with my sensitivities. Pretty cute, huh?

Wilson: I dunno, Mum…color me dubious. That goose seems a bit sketchy to me.

The Mum: Don’t be ridiculous. Giddy Goose is friendly and just because a slight breeze kicked up its sheet, it would never hurt you.

Wilson: I’m still skeptical and plant to stay way clear of it. I’d rather focus on some of the pumpkins that are showing up although I’m not sure I’m very  inclined to taste test that middle one…it seems to have a few barnacles on its skin.PumpkinsThe Mum: You’re too funny…always thinking of your stomach. That’s an ornamental pumpkin, not one you’d want to eat. Rabbits might, but you definitely shouldn’t.

Wilson: For the record Mum, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make sure that anything that crosses my lips is healthy and tasty. I have discriminating tastes and won’t just eat anything.

The Mum: Ha…that’ll be the day! You have the appetite of a starving refugee which is why I have to watch you like a hawk so you don’t ingest something that isn’t good for you.

Wilson: {gasp} You cut me to the quick, Mum. Being a growing boy, I’ll admit I’m a bit hungry most of the time.

The Mum: A bit? Hahahahaha. I think your legs are hollow. And you’re not a growing boy. You’re fully formed. You slay me sometimes. What else have you got.

Wilson: I’m slighted by that observation, Mum but I’m not going to stoop so low as to respond. Instead I’m going to share this sunrise from the other morning. Early mornings the sun is late appearing and it delays our walks. It’s probably just as well-we can let the wildlife sleep in a few extra minutes before we hit the trail although I’m sure we’ll be adjusting our schedule to go later after the temps aren’t quite as crisp and we’ll wait until the sun comes up a bit to warm things up. Although I must say I’m enjoying these crisp mornings. It leaves me quite frisky.

Sunrise

The Mum: It was a pretty sunrise and it did make for a lovely early morning walk. The weather has been quite pleasant although it’s been unseasonably warm. Warm enough to see multiple heat records this week but I heard a rumor that maybe by next weekend, we may have our first frost with a bit of white stuff. We’ll see though…the forecasts for the Super El Niño have not panned out the way they’ve been telling us they would.

Wilson: Yeah, I’ll believe it when it happens. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy what Nature is dishing out. That’s it from us. We hope you have a terrific weekend enjoying autumn and preparing for Halloween. Have any special plans? Whatever you do, we hope you are able to enjoy a fabulous weekend.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ September 25, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 61 Comments

Pink spotted hawkWelcome to the last Friday of September and the first Friday of autumn. Hallelujah…our favorite season is here. Woof, woof. Today is notable in that there are a couple of other celebrations.  Blogville’s very own Mum to Teddy and Angel Sammy from Two Spoiled Cats is celebrating a birthday today and today is also Dolly Parton Day (9 to 5-get it…9/25). We’re jointly honoring the legendary entertainer and philanthropist and well as Teddy’s Mum. As we do on Friday’s, we are joining our pals from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what slices of nature other have shared as well as leave birthday wishes for Teddy’s Mum.

Wilson: Good morning, mates. Welcome. Will you take a look at that gigantic pink-spotted hawk moth. That’s a large but gentle sphinx moth, also known as the sweet potato hornworm. Those moths range in size from 9.5 to 12 cm (3.7 to 4.7 inches) and feature a grayish-brown body with wavy dark lines on the forewings with some pink bands on the sides of the abdomen and at the base of the hind wings, which are usually hidden when the moth is resting. We almost missed it on the trail pathway and Mum took me back to check it out closely on our way back home from our morning walk a few days ago. Sure, I wanted to taste him but you can imagine that didn’t exactly fly with Mum’s agenda. Sheesh, sometimes, she treats me like a toddler as if I’m going to put everything in my mouth. Oh wait, I probably would, given half a chance. My bad. Moving along.

The Mum: Yes, I have to watch you like a hawk so make sure you don’t eat critters and plants that aren’t good for you. You act like you’re starving all the time and I don’t want you eating something that’s not good for you.

Wilson: Oh Mum…you get so carried away sometimes. My soft tongue would have gently caressed that moth…initially.

The Mum: I’m sure he wouldn’t have enjoyed a bath from you. While the pink-spotted hornworm moths are not poisonous to dogs, there’s no reason for you to lick one to death.

Wilson: Sometimes you take all the joy out of life, Mum. I thought I’d pose at the butterfly mural in its honor. Mum didn’t quite get the angle lined up on the wings but I think I make a nice looking and colorful butterfly.

Wilson

The Mum: Yeah, I misjudged photographing you but needed to quickly snap a photo before a bicyclist came around the corner. Didn’t want you to be startled.

Wilson: It’s ok, Mum. I’m mostly grateful you were once again closely hovering over me looking out for my best interests. You do know I’m pretty good with a sit-stay pose, right? Just a reminder for you. So can I share some good news here?’

The Mum: Of course. What would you like to share?

Wilson: Well as everyone knows, Colorado has been suffering from a severe drought and our neighborhood in particular has been repeatedly  shortchanged by Mother Nature on the moisture front. We were able to measure the rain in inches instead of droplets. Well, Wednesday we received a lovely shower that last for over 30 minutes and likely received over three fourth’s of an inch. It was fantastic. We can still use more but that made for a lovely evening. Just check out how much water remained in one of the water retention ponds in the neighborhood the next morning. We sure hope that tree didn’t mind being in the standing water and hope it doesn’t negatively impact it.

Retention pond

The Mum: It was so welcomed, I kept think it was going to end and went out on the porch several times to check it out and was thrilled it lasted for a long time.

Wilson: Finally, we noticed a volunteer cherry tomato plant popped up in a planter box. We hadn’t given it much thought but I know you smiled when you first spotted it a couple of weeks ago. This week, you saw that it was flowering. Thinking it probably wouldn’t have enough time to produce any tomatoes, imagine our surprise when we found little baby tomatoes on it! With warm days and cool night, it just might make a couple tasty ‘maters before the first frost.

Tomato

The Mum: It really did bring a smile to my face and was the last thing I expected in a planter that was planted with lettuce. The lettuce sprouted from seeds that were planted in the spring which was a good thing too with all the news about Cyclospora of bagged lettuce. While I wasn’t overly excited about that variety of leaf lettuce, the two volunteer tomato plants made me almost giddy. We’ll see what happens. But I’m always excited when volunteers sprout. Those little cherry tomatoes are always so tasty. Those seedlings came from a tomato plant from our old house last year so it just seemed like quite a miracle.

Wilson: Glad it brought you some joy, Mum. It’s not been an overly great year with our potted veggies but this kind of makes up for it.Well that’s it from us this week. We hope everyone has a terrific autumn weekend. Are the trees in your neighborhood turning yet. Things have been a bit slow here but Mum noticed they are slowly starting around our house. Enjoy the weekend!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ September 18, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 54 Comments

Wilson

{slightly off key humming} 🎶 Doh, dee, doh…🎶  Um…good morning, Wilson here. Let me welcome you all to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we’re joining our hosts, Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget  to click on the link to see what other folks have shared.  As of today, there are officially 4 days until the official arrival of the autumn equinox but we’ve been enjoying much more mellow temps . Color Mum and me elated. We’re happy to be in the home stretch toward moving into our favorite season. Nothing says autumn like the changing temperatures we’ve been experiencing this week. And the few sprinkles of rain we received have been a bit of a bonus. Although not nearly enough moisture, we’ll take whatever Mother Nature is willing to gift us.

The Mum: Good morning, House Pony, how are you doing this fine day?

Wilson: I’m doing great Mum. The morning walk was lovely and quite enjoyable walking in the upper 50’s every morning now. I’m just loving this time of year. The leaves aren’t changing quite as much as I expected in this new neighborhood but nearby mountain roadway s are starting to turn a brilliant gold which means there are lots of leaf peepers out on the roads.

The Mum:  Guanella Pass (located about 50 miles to the west of the metro area is ablaze with golden aspens. If gas wasn’t so expensive right now we might have taken a drive out there yesterday. But for the high the cost of gas as well as crowded roads, we could have gone out to check in person. I still recall last year’s outing and don’t want to have to deal with that cluster again any time soon. You can read about that outing here. Oh well. We still have a few pics from the recent outing to Finding Nectar Farms that we wanted to share today. In case you missed our post from that outing, you can see it here.

Golden Laced Polish chicken

Wilson: That chicken was quite a capture, Mum. What kind is it?

The Mum: I think that’s a Golden Laced Polish chicken named after the Polish army’s feathered caps because that plumage on it’s head resembles that feathered crest. They are pretty docile but pretty skittish but very even tempered but because of their limited eyesight due to the that crest limiting their eyesight, they are vulnerable to predators. This one was very apprehensive and wouldn’t stand still, instead nervously moving around the coop.

Wilson: Seems weird looking to me but whatever. I never have understood chickens anyway. I see you have found another chicken while you were there.

Sussex chicken

The Mum: Yes, I think this one is a Sussex chicken, a heritage breed from England, originally developed as a dual-purpose bird for both meat and eggs. They are fairly friendly and a consistent egg layer and relatively each to maintain. Their origin goes back several hundred years, but they became fairly widespread in the 1800s. She watched me like a hawk.

Wilson: Maybe she was just making sure you didn’t bother her Polish buddy.

The Mum: You may be right about that. She did seem fairly protective of that guy.

Wilson: I see you couldn’t refuse posting another goat photo.

Goats

The Mum: Yeah, I’d admit it-I’m a sucker for goats.

Wilson: They are fascinating as they bounce around and play, I’ll give you that and they seem fairly jovial.

The Mum: They really are. I just love them.

Wilson: And pray tell what is this thing? I noticed it because there are usually bunnies at this house that I’m always seeing.

Mushroom

The Mum: That’s a mushroom that had been turned upside down. I noticed it yesterday. It’s a fairly large one, proving once again even a little bit of moisture can sprout mushroom spores around here.

Wilson: Do they taste good?

The Mum: Ha! Leave it to you to inquire about how something tastes. I don’t know, I don’t trust eating wild mushrooms since I don’t know enough about them but these popped up practically overnight which is surprising since our so-called showers can be measured in drops rather than inches.

Wilson: Well if you ever need a taste taster, just let me know. Well that’s it for us this week. Google sent us a warning that we’re close to exceeding our space limit. Anyone know how to minimize the size of photos? Mum’s gonna have to figure out how to minimize her ever growing library of photos.

The Mum: We hope you have a terrific weekend and get out there to enjoy the last days of official summer but more importantly, we encourage you to enjoy all the beauty Mother Nature provides this time of year.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ September 11, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 62 Comments

BeeWelcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join the pups from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. To see what others have shared, just click on the highlighted link. Today is the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. We hope you’ll be taking a quiet moment to honor and salute the 2977 victims, as well as 441 first responders who perished, not to mention the thousands of rescue workers, survivors, and area residents who have since died from 9/11-related cancers and respiratory diseases.

{Bowing his head respectfully for a moment} Wilson here. It’s quite remarkable that even after 25 years, the planners of the attack have still not been tried. It seems unfathomable that the survivors still have no closure regarding that horrible day.

Today we are visiting a new place that’s not that far from our house. Let’s take a look at the “Finding Nectar Nursery” and farm. Finding Nectar Nursery is a small, pesticide-free garden center and farm in Arvada, Colorado that grows native flowering plants that are not only lovely to look at, but also provide pollinators with much needed pollen. Let’s take a gander around the farm, shall we?

Nectar Farm

Wilson: You can’t dispute the cuteness factor of many of the animals at this little farm which began in 2021. Alpacas, La Mancha and Nigerian Dwarf goats were enjoying breakfast while Mum was there. Sadly I was refused entry. Can you believe it…they have a ‘no pet’ policy?! That’s just not fair, I’m a sheepdog for crying out loud…keeping everybody in line in my life’s work.

The Mum: Now, now, it’s always good to obey the rules and there was no need for you to disturb the animals as they enjoyed their breakfast…some a bit more than others. I mean, just look at this character-he really got into munching of the hay, literally. Several of the goats burrowed into the hay bin to get up close and personal with their meal.

GoatsWilson: Well I’m just telling you, I would have maintained decorum around the hay feeder. There wouldn’t be any of that kind of tunneling on my watch.

The Mum: Which is no doubt another reason for the ‘no dogs’ rule. Although I’m sure you’d have been quite effective, there is no point unsettling everyone around the hay feeder, right?

Wilson: {eyes rolling} I’m just saying, Mum. And I definitely know I would have helped this overly enthusiastic guy out of his predicament.

LaMancha goat
Umm…a little help here. I think I’ve been captured by my breakfast. 

The Mum: I laughed when some of the goats climbed into the feeder and while it might look like this little guy is stuck, he jumped in and out repeatedly. It was like a game with him.

Wilson: Harumph…and I suppose this guy was the mayor of the entire herd? He looks a bit bossy while trying to appear like he’s is big cheese around the farm making sure everyone stayed in line.

Nigerian dwarf goat

The Mum: He watched me like a hawk from the barn but came over to the fence to get petted. He’s a Nigerian Dwarf goat. They are an American dairy goat, but originated from western African stock. Originally bred as show goats and later as companions, they are smallish (approximately 35 kg (75 lb), quite docile, thus making them wonderful companions. They are an excellent choice for small dairy farms.

Wilson: I’m not sure I approve of that watchful eye. What if he’d attacked you?

The Mum: Don’t be silly. Like I said, they are vey docile and their milk is high in butterfat and protein content which makes it suitable for making cheese and butter.

Wilson: Well I’m just not 100% sure of their intentions. You should be careful who you hang out with, Mum.

The Mum: Oh for heaven’s sake…why do I think ‘someone’ is a bit jealous. Would you have preferred me hanging out with the alpacas instead?

Alpacas
Nom, nom, nom
Alpaca baby
It would be hard to beat cuteness like this fella
Baby alpaca
I’m smiling for the camera, so hurry up and take my picture, lady.
Baby Alpaca
Yum…this wire is remarkably tasty.

Wilson: Well, at least they don’t seem too threatening. Besides, they seem more content to eating than competing for attention.

The Mum: You’re being ridiculous. Stop acting like a baby. It was fun  watching them. They are such fascinating creatures.

Wilson:  If you say so. The farm seems to be very much about educating the public on the importance of protecting pollinators of all kinds.

Pollinator sign

The Mum: Yes, they had a number of informative signs to show people how best to help bees and other pollinators. Their mission is to promote and keep them safe. Did I mention they are a pesticide free farm?

Wilson: Yes, you did mention that earlier. This weekend they will begin to open the pumpkin patch where peeps can wander around choosing from bins of carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, heirloom and jumbo varieties, gourds and corn stalks. It sounds like they might even have some honey tastings. They are big in having bee keeping supplies on hand. Too bad you won’t be able to go this weekend since you’ll be busy helping out the rescue with the big Longs Peak Highland Celtic Festival in Estes Park. I’m sure you’ll take lots of pictures so you can share with us next time. This festival has been around  now for over 50 years so it should be very interesting. Perhaps in a week or two you can check out the pumpkin patch and maybe you’ll ride around in this truck.

Pickup truck

The Mum: Isn’t that a classic? The rust was particularly photogenic and I loved the teal color.

Wilson: Well that’s it from us this week. We hope you enjoyed touring the Finding Nectar farm. Have a wonderful weekend and please make sure you get outside to enjoy this beautiful time of year where the days are warm, the mornings are cool and the light has that special golden glow. Today might be our last 90F degree (32.2C) day this summer. Yay.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ September 4, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 68 Comments

Wilson snootHappy first Friday of September, campers. How you like my snooter today? I was trying to get Mum to pet me while she was working on typing this post. She said she’d give me her undivided attention in a bit. Meanwhile I’m cranking my neck and she’s not taking the bait. Harumph. I got gypped.

Anyway, September is a big month for our family because there are lots of birthdays this month including Mum’s Dad who turned 96 on September first. She’s hoping he passed the longevity gene to her since she’s getting to be a bit long in the tooth. As she typically does on his birthday, she made him a batch of beef jerky that turned out pretty nicely. Three days after giving him his gift (Mum delivered it in person last Friday when she went to visit him), he told her on Monday that it was halfway gone. Sounds like he liked it. Mum was shocked at the price of beef and wonders how people can afford it. She’s a vegetarian and prices her groceries are expensive enough these days but beef…well that’s definitely out of her league. Wilson here. As always, we’re joining the pups from Adventures of the LLB gang. Don’t forget to check out other posts by clicking on the link.

Wilson: So last weekend, Mum went to visit her great granddaughter at her house. Her grandma from Hawaii was visiting and we had a nice visit. Every week when Mum sees Halia, she’s blown away by how much she changes. She’s been on a talking tear lately and enjoys conversations that this little 2 year old has with adults. She’s totally hilarious.

The Mum: Yes, she really is hilarious. We had a spirited conversation about one of her cats, Terrance. ‘Terry’ was the shy kitty of the two that Halia’s Mum rescued from her vet clinic last summer. The other one, Phillip was always more outgoing. Whenever I’m there visiting, I almost never see Terry but last weekend, it was the exact opposite. Terry was all over me and was super intrigued with my backpack. He kept rubbing all over it and then he’d come over to me and rub all over me. Not sure what he was trying to communicate but it was such a delightful surprise despite the fact that I’m fairly allergic to cats but he was so sweet, I simply couldn’t resist him. By the time I left, I was completely plugged up but at least my eyes weren’t swollen shut. It’s important to be grateful for small miracles, right? Terry is a gorgeous grey tabby whereas his brother is not. Phil is a beauty in a different way. I don’t even know how to describe his coat but it’s super soft and he’s quite the cutie. It resembles a wild animal but also is very soft.

Cat - Terrance
Terrance – aka Terry
Cat - Phillip
Phillip – aka Phil & his brother Terry

Wilson: Do you think they’d be willing to play with me? They don’t seem to mind the dogs in the house.

The Mum: No telling but you tend to frighten kitties so I don’t take you with me when I go visit the baby.

Wilson: It’s not fair, Mum. I’m a good boy and people love me.

The Mum: I know House Pony. But you come across as a bit intimidating.

Wilson: {Gasp!} What? Mum, you cut me to the quick. I’m a lovable guy, really I am.

The Mum: You know that, I know that, but small kitties might not see that. Maybe some day. {changing the topic so as to deflect Wilson’s sadness} You know this weekend starts football season. As in American football; folks here call football, soccer. It looks like our neighbor, Giddy Goose is all set for the season.

Giddy Goose

Wilson: He’s even dressed in the local team’s colors. That’s one outfit we’ve not seen before.

The Mum: Well you know I love sports, but my favorite sport is hockey so I’m gonna go on a quest to see if they have my favorite hockey teams jersey. Now that would be fun!

Wilson: Well, how do you think the Broncos will do this year? They were kind of less than impressive in pre-season.

The Mum: Well, it’s hard to say. They have broken the hearts of local fans for 67 years if you count the years they were in the AFL before the merger between the AFL and the NFL in 1970. I won’t get my hopes up too high and will patiently wait until the NHL starts it’s season at the end of the month before I get really worked up. I know a lot of people are celebrating the start of college football but we’ve got time to get involved in that though I wish I’d have seen the CU game. What a shocker to block the field goal in the final seconds to eek out a win. Congrats to the Buffs.

Wilson: That game sure did sound like a stunner. But enough sports, I still have one last pic from the flora from around the neighborhood. The red yucca is in bloom and boy is it impressive. I love walking past those plants along the hell strip. They sure are interesting to look at and they have some fascinating scents visiting around the plants. Sorry about the blur-the camera went off the reservation on focusing.Yucca

The Mum: Yeah, not sure what happened there but those pods steal the focus anyway. It’ll be interesting to see how they continue to change. Well that’s it from us. Sorry we don’t have a lot of photos this week. Our new neighborhood doesn’t have a lot of diversity like the old one had and thankfully we haven’t seen any Halloween inflatables. Yet. We hope that remains but we’ll see. This is our first autumn here so we aren’t sure what generally shows up. I suspect folks here are less inclined on that sort of thing. But we’ll see. Anyway, we send our best wishes for a terrific weekend. Have you got any special plans for this Labor Day weekend? We plan to just take it easy but hope we can get out for a few nice walks. Don’t forget to get outside and enjoy Nature in the last unofficial weekend of summer.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ August 28, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 71 Comments

WilsonExtra, extra…read all about it…did you know there’s only 25 days until Autumn arrives? Can I just say…whoopee. Welcome to this week’s episode of Nature Friday were we join our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what bits of Nature have been shared by others.

Wilson here. Today’s a  bit of odds and ends with a splash of hope mixed in. While the time when the days until autumn begins to grow shorter, the weather hasn’t abated much. We were gifted a lovely shower on Wednesday evening and while it was brief, it was very welcomed. With daily alerts of air quality warnings popping up on Mum’s phone every day, it was a joy that the air at least felt clean, even if it wasn’t totally clean air. Early morning hours are the best to get out and get our walks in before it heats up.

The Mum: Hey there House Pony, so what have you got for us this week? I read something about odds and ends. Are you saying I’m not holding up my end on the photography?

Wilson: No, Mum. It’s just that we’ve been busy and photographic opportunities have been fairly plain and I know you like to find the unusual.

The Mum: That’s true, I think the landscape is starting to wane a little. But we did manage to find a few sights that give us a teensy tiny bit of hope that the landscape is getting ready to do its thing for our favorite season. I mean, just look at these Symphyotrichum, otherwise known as asters.

Asters

Wilson: Hmmm, those are kind of pretty. Endemic to North America (though there are some in the West Indies and Central America), asters have been introduced in Europe too. For all species, the ray florets can be white, pink, blue, or purple. When asters start blooming, it’s definitely a signal that Mother Nature is preparing it’s autumn line up of flowers. Big box stores are putting out buckets of Chrysanthemums, aka ‘mums’ for inclusion in urban gardens.

The Mum: I for one am welcoming asters and mums to the landscape. But I noticed this glorious Hibiscus is still going gangbusters along our daily walks. the flowers are gigantic!

Hibiscus

Wilson:  Is it just me or have we started to see some changes to the leaves in a few trees?

The Mum: I’ve done a double take along our walks at more than one tree that was ever so slightly starting to look a bit autumnal. I think I squealed when I saw this maple starting to turn red.

Autumn leaves

Wilson: In all fairness though, the changing colors could be due to stress from the relentless 90+F degree days (32.2C).

The Mum: You’re right, but I have noticed tiny spots on trees that are beginning. It’s still early on but at least it provides us weary peeps some hope that soon this summer of hell will be in the history books.

Leaves

Wilson: I’ve begun to notice small spots of the cottonwood trees beginning to change. It’s kind of exciting to see them changing, though I know you’ll be picking up the leaves from now to forever.

Cottonwood tree

Leaves

Thistle

The Mum: I noticed yesterday that even the thistle weeds are looking a bit bedraggled from the heat and lack of moisture. We are more than 5″ down on moisture according to one local TV station when reporting on the drought though as I noted above, we received part of the isolated showers that fell a couple of days ago. But overall, we’re still in a very severe drought.

Wilson: All we can do it hope and pray. In the meantime, we’ll look at the landscape and marvel at those hardy souls that can survive these conditions. Well that’s about it for us. Like everyone else this week, we were shocked and heartbroken that Dolly Parton earned her heavenly wings. Dolly was well known as a prolific songwriter, an award winning singer, actor and philanthropist. She was very committed to promoting literacy and the environment. Little Halia is a recipient of books from Dolly’s Imagination Library. Did you know that Dolly was a major contributor to wildlife conservation, local ecosystem protection, and climate-driven natural disaster relief as well as animal rescue directing her foundation’s efforts toward actionable, community-based environmental stewardship rather than through political lobbying efforts. She will always be loved by the world.

Dolly

The Mum: We hope everyone has a lovely weekend and take time out to enjoy Mother Nature first hand.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature

Nature Friday ~ August 21, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 65 Comments

Welcome to another Nature Friday where we connect with those cute pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang where folks share slices of nature in their neighborhoods. Wilson here. Although I’m getting groomed later this morning…much to my chagrin, I told Mum I still wanted to narrate today’s post. So let’s get started, shall we? There’ll be a ton of photos for you to wade through.

Wilson: Ok, everyone, let’s go back to the museum, shall we? Here’s another view of the downtown skyline featuring the water feature/splash pad. And for the record, not a box cutter in sight, only folks enjoying being cooled off. Those jets were super powerful and you needed to make sure to not look directly in the jets to protect your eyeballs.

Splash pad pool at museum
Splash pad pool

Wilson: After touring the World’s Largest Dinosaur exhibit, it was time to mosey down to the second level to check out the various exhibits in the North American, Edge of the Wild and Australia halls.

Museum map

This 502 year old Ponderosa tree ring from the Colorado’s White River National Forest greeted visitors as they entered the exhibit hall. We all were fascinated how the way climate change was displayed over the years and how they lined up with the various historical events that took place during that tree’s life.

Tree Rings
This massive 502 year old tree slice from White River National Forest – it had to be over 6 ft. in diameter

Tree Rings

Wilson: Mum thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘how to make a diorama’ exhibit. She loves seeing how all those fascinating sights were created. The artistry of the various dioramas was so impressive, from the making of casts to the painting by with muralists of the backgrounds.

Diorama
Let’s Make a Diorama!

Diorama

The Mum: Muralists painstakingly create/paint the backgrounds to make the taxidermy look realistic and each rock, blade of grass, tree branch and leaves are meticulously put into place, one at a time. It’s quite astounding.

Dall Sheep
Dall Sheep are slightly smaller than Rocky Mountain Bighorns
Moose
This massive moose reminded us of multiple moose attacks this year. You don’t want to mess with moose.
Weasels
Weasels posed in an autumn scene.
Wolverine
Wolverines-sadly there is no active wolverine populations in Colorado-they were wiped out in the early 1900’s.
Muskox
Even though Colorado’s climate is too warm for muskox to survive here, I couldn’t help but marvel at the hoof prints depicted in the ‘snow.’

Wilson: There was such a variety of animals to see but I think this one was likely your favorite, wasn’t it Mum?

Bats

The Mum: Oh yes, I’ve always been intrigued with bats so this very cool diorama of them hanging from a rock wall really piqued my interest. It was incredibly realistic.

Wilson: {shudder} Not sure I would want to be around those squeaky things but you do you, Mum. Critters like these are probably more my style.

Sandhill cranes
Sandhill cranes
Zebras
Zebras
Oryx antelope
Oryx antelope
Lions
Lion pride
Leopard
Leopard at sunset

The Mum: It was so much fun walking through all the isles. It was almost unbelievable how truly lifelike various exhibits were.

Kangaroo

Koalas

Wilson: You managed to see quite a lot of animals. I’ll bet little Halia had a good time.

Halia

The Mum: She really did enjoy herself. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of that lion but she told me, “He’s pretty big” very nonchalantly. You gotta love how kids view the world around them.

Wilson: We all look at nature in our own ways. Well that’s it from us. I gotta get ready for a grooming and bath {ugh}. I still don’t understand why I get tortured like this every six weeks.

The Mum: It’s not that bad, Miss Sydney is super kind, you’ll get lots of praise and attention, you’ll smell great and be pristine clean. Besides, even though we’re technically past the “Dog Days of Summer” you’ll feel better with less hair insulating your body. It’s still very warm and I’m just trying to keep you comfortable.

Wilson: Trust me Mum, I’m comfortable just the way I am. I really don’t need your ‘help.’

The Mum: Sorry bud, we all have to do things we don’t like. But if you cooperate nicely, you’ll get through it quicker and can resume life as a lounge lizard in a few hours. Just focus on all the treat you’ll be receiving.

Wilson: Oh yeah, treats. Well at least I will be compensated for this abuse. Whatever you do, we hope you have a great weekend and are able get out and enjoy all the amazing sights nature provides us.

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ August 14, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 49 Comments

Well, well, well…here we are for another Nature Friday where we’re joining the gang from the Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on their link to see other slices of nature have been shared this week. This week we’re going to be featuring photos from last weekend’s visit to the Denver Museum of Natural History and Science. Wilson here. This is the money shot from the steps of the museum looking west toward City Park that shows the Denver downtown skyline with the mountains in the background (sadly it was somewhat cloudy toward downtown that day with smoke and ozone so the mountains are not very prominent). On a clear day, it’s an exquisite view and many a couple has had their engagement or wedding photos taken featuring the Boat House and skyline in the background.

Denver Museum of Natural History
Boat House on Ferril Lake at City Park

Front entrance to musuem

Wilson: Greetings mates. Like the movie Night at the Museum, we’re headed to the Natural History Museum and Science…only we’re doing it in the daytime and there won’t be any cameo appearances by Ben Stiller. Our family took the great-granddaughter out to see the latest exhibit of dinosaurs at Denver’s Museum of Nature History and Science to coincide with her captivation with dinosaurs lately.

T-Rex Dinosaur

The Mum: It had been years since I’d been to the museum and there have been many changes to the museum. The entrance still has the T-Rex greeting visitors but that’s where the similarities end. This exhibit featured the largest dinosaurs ever found.

Dinosaurs at the museum
Sauropod Exhibit Banner

Wilson: Not small are they? What did Halia think?

The Mum: Our little paleontologist had a blast. The museum has loads of interactive stops throughout the exhibit where kids can interact. She really enjoyed herself and was enraptured by the videos sprinkled throughout.

Halia the paleontologist

Dinosaur
It’s behind me, isn’t it?

Wilson: Whoa, that is quite a big one! When dinosaurs ruled the earth I’m guessing things were a lot different on earth.

The Mum: You could say that. The museum invited visitors to explore the mind-bending biology and remarkable anatomy of sauropods — the largest land animals to ever live. From eating and breathing to reproducing, their size affects nearly everything that those animals do. With creative and thoroughly enthralling displays, including a towering, life-sized model of a 60-foot-long Mamenchisaurus, we were able to see beyond the bones and into their bodies to discover the mechanics as to  how these titans lived on Earth millions of years ago. 

Dinosaur bones
Size perspective comparing 11 ft. tall leg of a Mamenchisaurus to an average human skeleton

Wilson: I had heard there are some impressive bones in the museum’s collection that actually were found in Colorado.

Colorado dinosaur

Dinosaur bone
This Diplodocus femur bone was 145 million years old and found at Canon City

Dinosaur

The Mum: You’re absolutely right, House Pony. We even were fortunate to watch the diorama creators meticulously working on making some models from the original bones.Diorama engineers

Diorama workers
Preserving the past

Dinosaur

Mastadon

Wilson: Watching those folks preserving the past was mesmerizing. We watched them for a long while until they took a break.

The Mum: The kiddo had a great time in the Discovery Zone. Whenever there’s water around, she’s in the middle of it! And yes, she was pretty soaked but worth it to watch her having such fun.

Discovery Zone

Wilson: {shudder} Never, ever take me to the Discovery Zone, Mum. Okay?

The Mum: Deal, House Pony. I know how you feel about water and I’d never even consider taking you there. It was a bit of a mad house with all the kids running around, let alone with all the splashing.

Wilson: Whew. Yeah, that would not be my idea of fun. But it looks like she had a great time. Did she try to cook any eggs?

Dinosaur eggs

The Mum: Nope, in fact, we had to take her back to see them, she totally overlooked them. There was so much to take in and the exhibit had a lot of visitors that provided lots of distractions. But it was still fun. Next time we’ll share some of the (many) images I took in the main museum that featured  lots of taxidermy creations in dioramas showcasing lots of interesting animals.

Wilson: Sounds like a plan, Mum. We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and are able to explore their surroundings of the natural world. Cheerio!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ August 7, 2026

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 60 Comments

Wilson on the trailWelcome to this week’s episode of Nature Friday were we join our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what bits of Nature have been shared by others. Happy first Friday of August. 2026 is swimmingly moving toward the end of the year and is one day closer to blessed autumn. Just 46 days to that glorious day. Wilson here. It’s been an interesting week. Mum had a large kidney cyst drained on Tuesday so I’ve been playing her healthcare provider while she recovers. She’s doing fairly well all things considered and trying to get lots of rest. She’s been a trooper taking me for daily walks but hasn’t been able to resume much beyond that but each day she seems improved so I’m very happy about that. Today we have a few photos to share from around the immediate neighborhood so let’s get started.

The Mum: Thanks for being such a good nurse mate, Wilson. I appreciate that you continue to make sure I’m doing well and very grateful you haven’t gone too overboard with your ministrations. You’re a good boy, House Pony.

Wilson: Well I hate to state the obvious but you know I’m right here next to you and won’t leave your side. You’re in good paws with me.

The Mum: Yes, I know…but you know you can leave a bit of space between us…I promise I’m fine. You really can step back and give me just a smidge more breathing room.

Wilson: Now Mum, I haven’t laid on you, I’ve just been very close. Why not declare that a win and leave it there.

The Mum: Hmm, when you put it like that, I guess you make a valid point. But please, try to humor me.

Wilson: They don’t call us sheepdogs “Nanny Dogs” for nothing. Just think of me as an extension of your shadow, okay?

The Mum: {sighing} Fine, guess I’ll just have to resign to the fact that you’re just a teeny tiny hair’s width away. The only thing better would be if you had thumbs and could grab things.

Wilson: Umm, I’m sure that could be wonderful for me, but you might not like the outcome. I mean, what could possible go wrong? {snickering}

The Mum: Egad…I hadn’t thought of it like that. You’re right. Let’s just forgot I said that and have you share the first photo instead.

Wilson: Right-o. There are scads of bunnies all over the trail path we walk every day and occasionally we’ll see one hop around but yesterday there were a couple of babies who were rather stationary. Neither of us noticed this little tyke who was intently keeping an eye on us near the compost bins but then he flinched so we noticed him and then were able to watch for several minutes. They are just so cute. Here’s the first one.

Bunny

The Mum:  I love coming across them on our walks. And it’s nice to see them closer to our house. Here’s the other one. They sure can blend into their surroundings nicely.

Bunny

Wilson: Those guys were pretty shy whenever they see me. I wish they weren’t so afraid of me. I’m a decent chap.

The Mum: That you are, it’s just their nature to avoid anything that looks like a predator…

Wilson: {interrupting} Predator??? Oh dear, I’m very sorry if that’s what they think I am. I’m a very decent chap who just wants to sniff them to figure out what they are and if they’re friend or foe.

The Mum: Well, you and I know that, but that’s just the way bunnies process their world. Don’t take it personally. What else do you have to share with us today?

Wilson: People around our house have teeny tiny plots of land and not many of them plant very many flowers but I did manage to find a few. Check out these pretty phlox and stonecrop.

Phlox Stonecrop

The Mum: Very nice. I also saw a very colorful Caladium not too far from those other flowers. It was so vibrant.

Caladium

Wilson: They’re all lovely, Mum. Hey, I thought we were going to see some baby geese this summer but so far, we haven’t seen any in the canal or along the creek. What’s up with that?

The Mum: I know, I’m disappointed too. The only goose around here that I like is the Giddy Goose statutes. This guys makes me smile and is just as cute as goslings. On the plus side, it doesn’t poop all over the sidewalk either.

Wilson: And then there’s the fact it doesn’t chase after me like those guys along the golf course. Those geese are always so cranky.

The Mum: Well like I said, I’ll take Giddy Goose any day of the week. Well that’s it from us. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and are able to get outdoors and enjoy whatever weather Nature is delivering to your neck of the woods.

Wilson: Yes, Enjoy getting out and seeing how lovely Nature can be. Have a splendid weekend!

Nature

Live, love, bark! 🐾