Category: Mother Nature

Nature Friday ~ March 29, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 56 Comments

Wilson - EasterWelcome to the last Friday of March where we’re sharing what Nature’s springtime looks like in our ‘Hood. As always, we are joining our hosts from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what other posts were shared.

Elsa: I’m back in the Editor’s office for today’s post but want to first acknowledge the House Pony for stepping in for me last week while I recovered. Thanks, New Guy.

Wilson: Why you’re most welcome little one, I was happy to help out…

Elsa: Umm, let’s not mushy, Dude.

Wilson: Blimey, I was just going to…

Elsa: No need to wax on, let’s get cracking, shall we.

Wilson: Well, had I thought there was an option, I’d continue explaining…but clearly that’s a moot point. So…can you explain how Spring works here? Forgive me if I don’t think it’s been all that springy. Interesting, perhaps, but springy…that’s definitely up for dispute. Is this what Coloradans call ‘Springtime in the Rockies?’

Elsa: You’ll get used to it. While it may say spring on the calendar, that doesn’t stop Mother Nature from throwing a curveball our way. Heh, heh…notice how I snuck in a reference to the opening of baseball season? Man, I impress myself sometimes.

Wilson: Wait, I thought this was a hockey household?

Elsa: It is but I wanted everyone to know I’m not just a single dimension sports fan.

Wilson: Well I’m sufficiently impressed. Mum said the local baseball team was tied for first place before their debut but I gathered from her sarcastic tone, that wasn’t meant as any kind of compliment.

Elsa: Umm, yeah, you could say that. She pretty much gave up on those bozos years ago. She couldn’t help but wonder if they’ll break last year’s record number of losses this year. Looks like they’re well on their way.

Wilson: Oh dear, that doesn’t sound promising at all. Well, let’s get back to Mother Nature, shall we?

Elsa: Oh looky here, New Guy is sticking to a script. Way to go, dog breath. Let’s show what happened this week.

First tulips of the season before snow
Ring around the snowy…
Winter yucca
Daffodils in snow
It’s a winter wonderland
No harm no foul
Hyacinths remain ok despite the snow

Wilson: Well I anticipated that you wanted me to keep things on track rolling in the right direction. I’m not just a pile of handsome fur, you know.

Elsa: Quite impressive, Pony {nodding affirmatively}. Well done.

Wilson: Blimey…was that a compliment? I’m never sure with you.

Elsa: Take the win, dude and keep on trucking.

Wilson: Trucking? But I thought Mum had a car not a truck. {excitedly} Oooh, oooh…does this mean we’re going to go someplace…I do rather enjoy car rides, given the opportunity. I so like riding in the car…

Elsa: {head shaking} You really are a literal moron. Ugh…do I have to explain everything to you?

Wilson: Well I tend to believe what you tell me. Shall I start to suspect you’re less than honest?

Elsa: Oh brother…I can’t. I just can’t. You’re making this job harder than I have the bandwidth for.

Wilson: I’m never sure just how to take you. You’re always surprising me. I just never know which direction you’re going. Sigh.

Elsa: Forget it, Dude. Just roll with it, ok and we’ll get along just fine. By the way, I’ve noticed how you’re always willing to let Mom dress you up which takes the pressure off me. Whew. I really hate those stupid hats. When you’re a Ninja, you don’t wear bunny ears. I mean…I’ve got street cred to protect.

Easter bunny
Get that basket away away from me!

Wilson: Oh no? Well I have it on good authority, you didn’t seem to mind too much. I’m never quite sure what to do myself. I mean I’m trying hard to learn various commands and make Mum happy but nobody told me I had to do them with ears or hats on. Is this the usual routine? I want to do what’s expected.

Elsa: Umm, you probably don’t want to ask me what’s right-I like breaking the rules. As a Ninja-you can never be completely sure what I’ll do. {lowering her voice} Although I could have a whole load of fun misdirecting this lummox.

Wilson: Pardon me, I didn’t quite catch all of that?

Elsa: Oh nothing, don’t mind me. I’m just glad you’re game for the weird stuff she’s gonna make you do. You don’t seem to mind looking ridiculous, so I’m happy to share that job responsibility.

Wilson: Well, she does provide me tasty treats when I do it so, I say…sign me up. I’m always up for treats.

Elsa: Good grief, Charlie Brown…you really are simple minded, aren’t you?

Wilson: Hmm, seems you have trouble remembering my name. Once again and for the record, my name is Wilson. For someone who’s supposed to be so clever, you have a hard time remembering names and faces don’t you. I mean, it shouldn’t be so hard to remember…

Elsa: {head shaking/eyes rolling} Dude, you wear me out sometimes. So…it’s Easter this weekend. What are your plans?

Wilson: Well Mum keeps putting a basket of eggs next to me, I’m not sure what do with them. One of our neighbors is having an Easter egg hunt for little people. You think he’ll let me search for eggs? I jolly well think I like the taste of eggs…

Easter

Elsa: {interrupting} Fuhgeddaboutit…not happening. Besides the kids would think you’re a pony and would want to ride you. You’re better off staying with us, chillaxin. I’m sure Mom will have a treat or three for us. Maybe even bust out the snuffle mat. Oooh, oooh…that’d be completely cool. I’m loving that thing.

Wilson: There’ll be treats? Count me in. However you celebrate, we hope you have a wonderful Easter holiday and are able to enjoy your own slices of springtime.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ March 22, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 35 Comments

Welcome to Nature Friday where it’s time for us to share a few slices of the emerging spring from around our ‘Hood. As always, we are joining our friendly hosts from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what other posts were shared.

WilsonToday we’re doing things a bit different. Elsa had a major dental procedure and removal of a cyst earlier this week and while she is doing very well, she said she would allow the ‘New Guy’ to to handle today’s post. Wilson was thrilled for the opportunity, with a bit of trepidation but was hopeful he can do a proper job so as to stay in his sister’s good graces.  Take it away, Wilson!

Wilson: Thank you, Mum and Ninja. I’m thrilled (and a bit nervous quite frankly) to be able to host today. Blimey…didn’t get the word until late yesterday so please bear with me. In addition to everything else I’ve endured these past 11 weeks since moving here, I find myself in unchartered waters and umm…well I haven’t decided whether or not I like water yet or not. So I’d be really chuffed if you’d bear with me…

Elsa: Oh for crying out loud…get on with it, you buffoon. You’ve managed to waste 200 words blathering on and I’m ready for my post-breakfast snooze. I know Nike is in Missouri…so Just Do It! Sheesh.

Wilson: {Ahem} Right…sorry…just feeling a bit apprehensive-I know I have some big paws to fill today. Let’s see what we have, shall we?

Elsa: Finally! Go on, get with it, man.

Wilson: So temperature wise, it’s been quite smashing. Pleasant temps, loads of bright sunshine. This is the kind of weather I rather enjoy. Spring is moving along, though it seems a bit slow this year. Trees are just barely beginning to leaf out.

Tree leafing out

Wilson: Mum thought this might be a flowering plum tree. It’ll take a few more days before we know for sure. It makes a keen back scratcher.

Wilson: The maple trees have begun setting their flowers which are littering walkways throughout the neighborhood. They vex Mum because she has to sweep off the patio and front porch frequently but I tried to remind her at least she wasn’t shoveling snow. She agreed with me but Elsa was apparently not amused.

Maple leafing out

Elsa: Brown nose!

Wilson: I beg your pardon…my nose is decidedly black. It’s a hallmark of us sheepdogs and…

Elsa: {Interrupting} Oh give it a rest, ‘Pony.’ You need to stop taking things so literally.

Wilson: Right, I’ll work on that, but blimey…there’s just so much to remember and keep in check. {heavy sigh} Anyway, as I was saying…spring bulbs continue to do their thing and Mum is quite amused by where they sometimes voluntarily appear. This Scilla clearly wasn’t planted there as it showed up between the sidewalk and an adjoining retaining timber. Mum took a bunch of photos yesterday but didn’t realize the lens wasn’t clean so several of today’s photos are a bit ‘smeary’ with our deepest apologies. But it was so bright outside we weren’t able to easily tell while walking along on our constitutional. Mum say; this plant is commonly called Bossier’s glory-of-the-snow or Lucile’s glory-of-the-snow, but she just refers to it as Squill. It’s a perennial from western Turkey that flowers in early spring. Once it’s finished flowering, it will become dormant until next spring. It’s such a lovely shade of blue, much like the skies have been.

Squill

Wilson: Those Squill will become dormant that is, unless a certain rodent, digs it up. There are a gobsmacking amount of these creatures and I’ve quite determined they must be exterminated. Bloody tossers, the lot of them, I say. And they apparently feel the same about me and proceed to race away whenever I get even remotely close (sorry this is another smeary photo). Mum needs to learn to not pull her phone out with her finger over the lens but time was of the essence as they say and she hoped it wouldn’t look too awful when she could look closer at home. Now mind you, I’m a quick, speedy dog but these bloody buggers still manage to escape me. I’ve never even been close to catching them. Mum was not appreciative of my speed…well until she managed to land back on solid ground and resume normal breathing. She said something about agility competition and then grumbled about not enjoying being a human kite. I’ve apologized like a proper gentlemen but these cheeky monsters get my dander up.

Wilson & the squirrel

Squirrel

Wilson: One of smaller trees that’s fully leafed out is Mountain Mahogany. It’s a small but extremely hardy tree barely reaching 16 feet tall and can be found in Colorado, Utah, northern Arizona and Central California. It’s quite dense and slow growing. I avoided this one because of the cactus planted in front of it.  It’s wood is so dense and hard it will not float. If only I could have gotten closer, I’m sure it would make an excellent back scratcher.

Mountain Mahogany
Elsa: What is it about scratching your backside amongst shrubs and low branched trees that you like so much, dude?

Wilson: Oh come on…I’ve seen you do it on occasion yourself. It just feels good.

Elsa: Whatever. When I do it, it’s important. When you do it, it’s weirdly dumb.

Wilson: {Huffing with indignation} Well, I never…

Elsa: If only.

Wilson: {straightening his back and puffing out his chest} I see we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this. Mum says she’s surprised I’m not more interested in the flying visitors of our garden. I told her I’m too focused with my duties on squirrel patrol. She was however gleeful there were several of them buzzing around the blue grape hyacinths which she said have multiplied like crazy from when they were first planted and are now all in full bloom. They have naturalized so vigorously; she’s found some on the far opposite side of the garden. She’s hoping they don’t take over like the Lupines did but she’ll worry about that later.

Bees & grape hyacinths

Wilson: On our daily constitutionals, we pass by this tall guy who always manages to make my Mum smile. He seems to look rather sporting and no worse for wear after last week’s snowstorm. I’m sure I could use his help sorting out the squirrel situation around the neighborhood. They wouldn’t be able to easily escape if we worked together.

Giraffe

Wilson: One of the earliest blooming flowers around here are the Pasque Flowers which typically bloom around Easter. They are part of the Buttercup family (and are native to meadows and prairies in many states and is the state flower of South Dakota. The showy part of the flower are called sepals, not petals. Mum gets quite gleeful when she sees them. I took a quick sniff but it really didn’t do anything for me. The buds and stems are soft and fuzzy though.

Pasque flowerWilson: Well that’s all I have this week. Profuse thanks to my sister for giving me this opportunity as she recovers. Hopefully she’ll be back full stop next week for another go at Nature Friday. All of us at the Ranch hope you have a jolly good weekend and are able to see Nature first hand.

Elsa: Egad you bozo…you forget to mention that Mom won this week’s Teaser contest by knowing where it was, first. Thanks to One Spoiled Cat for the cool badge. Sheesh, I guess I need to do everything myself while you’re lazing about.

Teaser badge

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ March 15, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 60 Comments

ElsaIt’s Friday and that means it’s time for me and the ‘New Guy’ to share a few slices of spring from around our ‘Hood with our hosts from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what other posts were shared. Yeah, I’m a sell-out and let Mom put a stupid hat on me. I gave her a nice big fat raspberry to show her what I thought about the whole thing.

Elsa: Welcome to the St. Patrick’s Day edition of Nature Friday. I think you all understand how I feel about dressing up so we’ll leave it at that.

Wilson: Oh come on, dress up is fun! There are treats involved. I LOVE treats.

Wilson

Elsa: You would, dog breath. We’ve got lots of spring pics to share so let’s not dally with mindless chatter, ‘kay?

Wilson:  Right! Well spring is definitely starting to show up in our neighborhood. Birds are arriving and the spring bulbs are starting to grow in earnest. I had to check out these hyacinths. At first I thought they might have a tasty morsel in them but then realized that was only an illusion. I think their appearance must be related to the whole fabricated AI thingy. As in ‘not the real deal.’ I was expecting something yummy in the middle. Imagine my disappointment.

Spring bulbs

Elsa: Jeez, dude, not everything is about food!

Wilson: Wait, it’s not? What the…

Elsa: You may think you’re some great hunter of food, but let me tell ya, that’s bunk. As a dignified Standard Poodle, I refuse to be a hunter around the Ranch. I am far too regal to have to search for food.

Wilson: Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. I think I’m a pretty pawsome hunter. Auntie Cheryl got us each a snuffle mat and I’m getting really good at being a real life hunter of goodies. Just look at that buried nose!

Wilson-snuffle mat

Elsa: Oh for crying out loud…you’re an embarrassment to civilized dogs everywhere.

Wilson: What?! It was fun finding all the goodies. But I must say, it wore me out. Hunting is exhausting.

Wilson

Elsa: I just make sure the forewoman brings me my treats…I am NOT in the hunter/gatherer business. I have a kingdom to rule and as such can’t be bothered with such nonsense.

Wilson: Well I for one, think you should try it, you just might like it.

Elsa: Highly unlikely. Besides, why would I work for food when my subjects Mom will provide it without any interference from me {gasping at the mere thought of such routine plebeian activity}.

Elsa

Wilson: Whatever. I told Mum I was all in…

Elsa: {interrupting} Of course you’re all in…food never escapes you. And you seem to think everything is food.

Wilson: Not true, I mean I didn’t try to eat these blue grape hyacinths.

Grape Hyacinths

Elsa: Well maybe the bees gathering nectar on them might have dissuaded you?

Wilson: Well, that did factor in my thought process. That and Mum hollering “LEAVE IT!” I’m catching on to what that  command means. She sure says it a lot.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} Well if you didn’t view everything as nourishment, maybe she wouldn’t have to yell at you.

Wilson: She told me it was a good way for me to show off some self control. I’m pretty good most of the time…well except for when I hear the dog next door. That guy really winds me up behind the fence.

Elsa: Which is exactly why Mom is trying to make you ‘leave it’ whenever you’re in the dog run. I mean, you’ve got to be 15 shades of stupid to race the length of the run barking, snarling at him.

Wilson: He really pushes my button but I’ll try to be better about the whole self control thing. I mean, when I’m good, Mum rewards me with things that I enjoy very much. Like taking me to Sloan’s Lake earlier this week. I enjoyed the long walk and sniffing things out although there were a few weird things. Didn’t I pose nicely at the lake?

Wilson

But what’s up with some of the yard art around here? We didn’t have anything like that back in Missouri. Well we did, but they didn’t have horns and they made grunting sounds. There are some very odd humans who live in this neighborhood.

Yard art

Elsa: You’ll get no arguments from me on that subject.  I probably would have challenged that guy if I’d been along on that walk.

Wilson: Well he was ok as far as boars go, but just not what I expected to find in the city. Mostly I thought he was more of a ‘bore,’ than an actual boar.

Elsa: Hahaha, Wilson made a funny, Mom.

Wilson: Ahem…I think we have a few other spring pics to share.

Elsa: Oh yeah, sorry I got carried away. So spring in the Rocky Mountains always has its challenges. Crummy soil, intense sun, and a wide range of temperatures but DANG! I sure wasn’t prepared for this type of Spring. What the dog?!

Spring snow

Wilson: I know, right?! I nearly tipped over trying to balance pee in the piles of snow.

Elsa: Ha…if it’s sympathy you want, look it up in the dictionary, Bucko. Try squatting in a foot of snow, dude. Brrrr.

Wilson: The snow was very heavy and broke some branches  that Mum will have to deal with, once she can get back in that corner.

Broken trees

Broken trees

Elsa: Mom tried to shake off the snow a few times, but there were just some areas she couldn’t reach. She noticed that despite the snow, there were a few signs of spring emerging and was very grateful the trees hadn’t leafed out yet-the damage would have been much worse. The good news was there was a LOT of moisture from this storm that will help the landscape.

Spring snow

Wilson: That tree shades my favorite spot to pee and I wasn’t quite prepared for clumps to come falling down on me. But like many things, I know just how to react. Shake it off and take a nap. It’s the best way to deal with things Nature throws at you.

Wilson

Elsa: Hmmm, I’d have figured you would have said, eat a treat to soothe being startled but a nap does sound like a good idea.

Wilson: Well, a nap was my second choice.

Elsa: Of course it was. Anyway, we’re all snug as bug, the power stayed on (unlike for 11,000 peeps) and Mom made sure we were entertained, happy and didn’t go stir crazy.

Wilson: Yeah, she’s the best. I hope the snuffle mat comes out again soon, but I think all that super heavy, wet snow is supposed to melt in the warmer temps this weekend so walks will resume. We hope you have a safe and fun filled St. Patrick’s Day weekend-enjoy the green. I’m looking forward to more broccoli but no green Guinness. Even Mum doesn’t like that beer. Have a bonnie good weekend and “may the road rise up to meet you; may the wind be always at your back.” Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us at the Ranch.

Elsa: What he said. Just make sure you explore nature in your neck of the woods. You may be surprised with what you’ll encounter.

Nature FridayLive, love bark! ☘️

Nature Friday ~ March 8, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 55 Comments

Happy snow day, er I mean…welcome to Friday. Another week is in the books and is arriving just in time since some bonehead decided to reinstate Daylight Savings Time and rob of us an hour. Oi-we really hate this time of year.

So, looks like Winter decided to do a u-turn and revisit us. It’s no biggie as storms go with the forecast only calling for 3-5 inches of  white stuff. Today will be ‘crisp’ as Mom likes to say but we’ll be okay and it should be back in the 60’sºF by Sunday. I will have less furs to protect me since I was groomed a couple of days ago. Sorry-Mom didn’t take a photo. She wanted to even out the hair that was shaved from my back leg after the surgery to repair the broken femur and she still needs to clean up my face and front paws so I’m not 100% finished but look better than the Franken-dog I was before. You can’t even tell I have a long scar which is a bummer as it gave me lots of street cred. Still I only had so much patience and Mom ended up having lots of things going on, so her time was a bit limited. That ought to teach her {giggling}.

Elsa on sofaElsa here. Like I said, it’s been a busy week but we’re ready to share a few slices of nature from our ‘Hood with those cutie pies from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the highlighted link to see what other posts were shared. Wilson had his teeth cleaned a couple of days ago and has been slow to fully recover from the anesthesia. Leave it to a guy to milk the “woe is me” mantra. Heck, I recovered faster from my surgery than he has. Granted he did have a couple of cracked teeth extracted but man…they must have given him a huge dose of Ketamine because he was wobbly legged for a whole day and lost his appetite for two days. Yeah, I know…shocker. That boy never misses any meals! He seems to have rounded the corner this morning and I’m sure he’ll be back to his usual pig-like self in no time. The vet said he has lost 9 lbs. in the two months he’s lived with me and the assistants said he’s looking good with his svelte waistline. It took two of them to lift him up though.

Wilson: Hey, I’ll have you know I started wiggling my bum yesterday afternoon, and that’s a step in the right direction.

Elsa: Hey if you were a girl, you’d be expected to buy groceries, cook and serve said groceries into some healthy meal, clean, launder, and just generally take care of the household and family no matter how you feel…shall I go on?

Wilson: Hmm, when you put it like that, I guess I see your point. But if it makes you feel better, I ate my whole breakfast this morning. It feels good to be back eating again. I live for food.

Elsa: Which is exactly why I decided to not eat. It’ll make Mom crazy, cuz that’s just the way I roll. Gotta keep her on her toes and repay her for grooming me. Next she’ll want to bathe me. Blech but  I’ll see if she manages to bring out some extra special food to coax me back to eating my meals. Heh, heh. Who’s a clever ninja girl?

Wilson: Mum’s been through a lot this week, so let’s go easy on her, ok?

Elsa: Easy, schmeasy. Let’s just get this show on the road. So before seeing the vet, Mom took you on a special trip to her favorite neighborhood place, Sloan’s Lake. What’d you think of the place?

Wilson: It was interesting to say the least. Lots and lots of ducks and geese. Like the good boy I am, I paid no attention to them. Besides, there was way too much other stuff to focus on. Since it was very spring-like at the beginning of the week, there were lots of people walking dogs, pushing car-sized strollers with little people, bicyclists, skaters and runners everywhere. I was a bit overwhelmed but Mum assured me we’ll go again so I can better acclimate and she assured me eventually I won’t mind at all. I sure hope I get used to it. It’s exhausting always being on high alert all the time. Goodness, you just never know when a noisy garbage truck will scare the wits out of a chap!

Sloan's Lake

Elsa: Hey, you didn’t tell me there was a duck convention going on. Look at all those birds!

Wilson: Right, it does look like there was a major convergence. They were talking among themselves, and because I’m not bilingual in English and duck I had no clue as to what they were saying so I didn’t eavesdrop.

Elsa: You fool…you could have become a hero to us dogs who always wondered what their saying. But I’m not bilingual in duck either so I’ll give you a pass.

Wilson: Why thank you, little sister…

Elsa: {interrupting} Don’t get all mushy on me. As far as I’m concerned you let us good dogs down. I’ll leave it at that.

Wilson: {somewhat miffed} Well, I shall keep a stiff upper lip. But I did find something that Mum was excited about. Mum has been monitoring my sniffing on walks which is becoming more frequent (she says that’s a good sign I’m integrating into a routine and becoming less stressed) and I found the coolest thing. A “pee grove” of stumps! I could have stayed there for hours ‘reading’ all the messages and posts.

Tree stumps

Elsa: Oh jeez…you need to get a life, dude!

Wilson: Well I found it fascinating. Clearly there’s lots going on in the area and it was a moment where I was able to become involved, olfactorily speaking. Anyway, Mum was pleased. And I have noticed the more I’m sniffing, the more relaxed I am on walks and she says that’s a good thing.

Elsa: Whatever cranks your handle new guy. Moving along. There were more slices of spring starting to emerge. Mom waits all year long for a neighbor’s Magnolia tree to send out buds and it looks like this might be a banner year. Plus the lilacs are also starting to bud up nicely She got all giddy checking them out. It’s still early for them to bloom but barring any sudden deep freeze, it should be quite a beautiful show.

Lilacs
Magnolia

Wilson: While the tulips may just be coming up, they haven’t started to bud yet; but we’ve noticed that poppies are beginning to emerge, ready to show off their pretty paper-like petals soon. Surely that seems like a good sign Spring is really going to arrive despite today’s snowstorm.

Poppies

Elsa: Well I don’t know about you but I’m going to go back napping and suggest you do the same since we’re gonna be robbed of an hour this weekend We hope everyone has a good Friday and an even better weekend. Don’t forget to “Spring Forward” with the second stupidest day of the year. And for goodness sake, make sure you look for signs of Nature in your neighborhood.

Wilson: Roger that, sister. On my way.

Wilson

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark!  🐾

Nature Friday ~ March 1, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 54 Comments

It’s time for another Nature Friday post. Holy canine…it may be the first of March already but it won’t stop us from joining our pals at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the highlighted link to see what other posts were shared.

Elsa on sofaElsa: 🎶 humming and singing 🎶  Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo…here comes the sun, 🎶 and…oh, Hiya. It’s me, Elsa…just chillaxing on the sofa this morning…

Wilson: {interrupting} Blimey, how come you are allowed to get up on the sofa and Mum always makes me get down?

Elsa: It’s simple, dog breath, I. am. me. and I’m a Ninja. I think they’re called special rights and I was grandfathered in. You’re just the new guy. You have to earn those privileges though I’m certain that ain’t happening any time soon…not only are you the new guy but you’re a gigantic, new guy. There are different rules for the likes of you.

Wilson: I say, that doesn’t seem fair at all. I’m gonna go ask Mum for a clarification. {gallops into other room hollering} Oh Mum…how come Elsa gets to get up on the sofa and I don’t?

The Mom: ELSA!!  Get down…NOW! You’re not supposed to be (a) jumping up while you’re still recovering and (b) you’re not supposed to get up on the furniture. Period.

Elsa: Wait, I’m not supposed to get up on the furniture? When did that rule go into effect.

The Mom: Remember, I’m trying to train Wilson from getting up on the furniture and decided it was better to make the sofa and my bed off limits to both of you.

Elsa: Well that’s just dumb. I never agreed to that and besides, I’m feeling pretty good recovery wise so there’s no need to not let me get up on the sofa.

The Mom: Beg to differ missy; I’m the boss. The current rule in place is that no dog shall be allowed on the furniture.

Elsa: {grumbling} Well color me unhappy about that rule. {turning toward Wilson} Way to go spoiling things, blabbermouth.

Wilson: W-h-a-t?? I just asked for clarification with the hope of fairness.

Elsa: Considering I am recovering because of you, I might add, I should be allowed special privileges. Way to put the kibosh on my freedoms, fur ball. Harrumph!

Wilson: {contrite} Sorry, didn’t mean to get you in trouble. So shall we soldier on and share some views of Mother Nature from around our neighborhood? I say…we’ve experienced the gamut of weather and nature this week.

Elsa: No kidding. First there was the Snow Moon…Mom of course was too lazy didn’t grab her big camera [in fairness, the battery needed to be charged so I’ll forgive her this time] and she used her cell phone as it was setting early in the morning. This was the best she could do given the limitations of the phone camera and tall trees blocking our view.

Snow moon

Wilson: I contemplated howling at it but then thought better of it. Mum keeps telling me I’m not supposed to bark in the house and I’m working hard on learning better self-control behavior now that I’ve found my voice.

Elsa: Apart from the blaring decibels, you’re not a wolf, new guy.

Wilson:  Well there is that too. And as the new guy, can I just say the weather around here sure does a lot of vacillating. One minute it’s lovely and warm and the next it’s snowy and cold. The ducks didn’t seem to mind but let’s just say I prefer it less wet and chilly.

Snowy pond

Elsa: Jeez, you’re such a wuss! It’s bracing and refreshing.

Elsa in snow

Wilson: {Shivering} To each his own, eh? But the day after the snow squall, Mum and I noticed elements of spring trying to emerge. We saw more blooming bulbs. These little lovelies were quite colorful and I for one, love their stripes.

Crocuses

Elsa: Those are crocuses. They’re often the first of the spring bulbs to bloom. Here’s a solid purple version and a pic with  another daffodil and crocus.

Crocuses

Daffodil & crocuses

Wilson: I say, those are quite grand! They didn’t seem to be any worse for the wear after yet another snow storm arrived. It seems like every other day that white stuff falls around here.

Snow

Elsa: Boy do you have a lot to learn about gardening in the Mile High City. If you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes. Snow doesn’t seem to bother these guys-I’ve seen them completely buried and yet they’ll still bloom. Look at these reticulated irises and the first of the baby blue grape hyacinths. Mom loves them both and always shouts when she catches first glimpses of those hyacinths.

Wilson: I know! We were just returning from a long walk when she caught sight of something blue and tiny before we got to the gate. I was worried by those squeals and thought I had to protect her.

Irises

Grape hyacinths

Elsa: She was likely more worried that your gigantic ‘hooves’ would squash them. You do tend to plow through stuff rather unceremoniously.

Wilson: I beg your pardon…I’m as delicate stepping about as any sheepdog.

Elsa: I rest my case, Big Foot.

Wilson: {disappointed at the criticism} I might be large but I do have feelings and now you’ve gone and hurt them.

Elsa: Oh please…you’re a big oaf…own it dude.

Wilson: I’m sure I’ll recover…with the proper treat to console my bruised feelings.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} Oh brother. Never fear, the treats will continue to flow your way, for whatever reason. Especially when you go to Grandpa’s house next week. I swear the whole family spoils you rotten. I don’t get it.

Wilson: What’s not to get, I’m a handsome bloke who loves people and they love me.

Elsa: Hmm, is that so? I’m a bit selective although I really do love people. I just make them earn my attention without having to flaunt it.

Wilson: Trust me on this, sister…you catch more flies with a wiggly bum and soft puppy eyes. I mean not many people can resist this face.

Wilson

Elsa: {eyes rolling at the shameless pose} If you say so. We hope you have a great weekend and hope Nature delivers more early signs of spring. Make sure you get outside to enjoy it and have a great weekend.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ February 23, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 74 Comments

Nature Friday

Hey there sports fans…welcome to this week’s edition of Yippee-Ki-Yay, Mother Nature…

ELSA!!!!

Elsa: What?!

The Mom: Today is Nature Friday and you well know it.

Elsa: Umm, erm…sorry. {Spoken in a dull monotone voice} Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where my little Pony of a brother and I share slices of nature and join our friends from over at Adventures of the LLB Gang. Click on the highlighted link to see what other posts were shared. There, you happy now?

The Mom: That’s better. Now get on with it and stop with going off the reservation. This is a G-rated blog.

Elsa: But Mom…I was just adding a bit of color commentary to start the post off…no harm, no foul.

The Mom: I said, there will not be colorful language like that before and I meant it!

Elsa: Ok, I get it. Why are you so grumpy today, I thought you were feeling better after last week’s reaction to the shingles vaccine.

The Mom: I feel fine, thank you very much. Boy that was some kind of reaction, wasn’t it? {Sarcastically} Can’t wait for the second round.  I’m just glad you guys nursed me back to health. Anyway, like I’ve said before, this is a family friendly blog and you can’t talk like that here. You wanna talk like that, go to Twitter.

Elsa: Yo, Mom, it’s “X” not Twitter.

The Mom:  Nonetheless…this blog is off limits to colloquialisms like that. Got it?

Elsa: Yes, I got it. Sheesh…

Wilson: Hey sorry, I’m late. I was eating breakfast. What did I miss?

Elsa: Mom is having a meltdown about my opening sentence. FYI, we have to dull it down for her tender sensibilities.

Wilson: Hmmm, ok…don’t see why that’s a problem but I’m the new guy so what do I know…don’t answer that.

Elsa: Oh never mind…let’s just get on with it. I got stuff to do today.

Wilson: Stuff? What are you doing later? Can I come, huh, can I?

Elsa: Ugh…little…or in your case, gigantic brothers…are such a pain.

The Mom: Be nice, Elsa. Wils is trying to fit in and you’re making it tough with an attitude like that. Why not show us what we saw this week, without the editorializing, okay?

Elsa: {Sigh} Fine. Now that she’s feeling better, Mom had to make a quick trip to visit my Grandpa’s. She says she never tires of the early morning sunrises. I myself am a bit fonder of sleeping in but whatever floats your boat, right?

Sunrise

Wilson: I didn’t mind, one whit. I mean, the early morning may appeal to humans visually but there are lots of wonderful sniffs a bloke can enjoy while they’re oohing and ahhing at the sunrise. I mean, who doesn’t love a bunny scent??

Elsa: Dude, you need to get a life. Bunny smells at Grandpa’s house is old news.

Wilson: Well it’s still interesting to me. The early morning dew brings out some great smells. Remember, I’m still learning about the flora and fauna in Colorado which is quite different from Missouri.

Elsa: We’re not holding the Missouri thing against you. But after you’ve visited as often as I have, you’ll get used to bunny smells. Maybe even the donkeys that live across the street from Grandpa’s house?

Wilson: Meh…those guys didn’t impress me…I am after all, used to seeing hoofed livestock. We had horses so seeing those guys was no big deal. The traffic however, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.

Elsa: You’re getting better. Just remember to stay next to Mom and she’ll protect you.

Wilson: I’ll try, but blimey, the traffic is so noisy. I get frightened by vehicles.

Elsa: Stick with me kid, you’ll get used to them.

Wilson: I sure hope so.

Elsa: Trust me, you’ll be fine, it just may take a while. But I can promise you this with 100% certainty. Mom will never let anything hurt you. Got it?

Wilson: Thanks, that’s somewhat reassuring. I’ll try to remember that.

Elsa: You got this. The other sight that Mom never gets tired of seeing is the back side of Pikes Peak, particularly when it’s covered in snow on a clear day. You can find out more about this iconic Colorado view here.

Pikes Peak

Wilson: I’ve begun to notice small signs that Spring is impending. Looks like yellow is the color of the day. I think both of these yellow beauties are varieties of crocuses which are now beginning to bloom.

Spring bulbs

Spring bulbs

Elsa: Yeah, you’ll want to not get too close to this tree cholla cactus. It bites back. It’s starting to bloom as well. Mom thought this variety was Cylindropuntia imbricata ssp. imbricata.

Wilson: Stay away…right, got it.

Elsa: Well so much for the flora this week, but we do have a couple of pics of fauna. Mom attended the annual Rocky Mountain Old English Sheepdog Rescue board meeting and saw these guys at the placement director’s home. The rescue is getting closer to being certified with the state. Hurrah! Finally, something that’s your size.

Goats

Goats

Wilson: I know I’m supposed to do something around those guys but not sure just what exactly that is. Someone said something about herding. I just hope that involves food.

Elsa: Oh for heaven’s sake. Dip into your genetic pool, dude. Yes, you’re a herder (well technically you’re a drover but herding’s close enough). Jeez, do I have to teach you EVERYTHING?

Wilson: Well I’ve led a rather sheltered life but promise I’ll get up to speed soon. {gulp} I hope.

Elsa: Egad, you’re such a mental light-weight. Well, that’s it for this week. Got anything exciting going on? Mom said something about working on taxes but I’m not sure what means and frankly, Scarlet, I don’t really care.

Wilson: Umm, for the record my name is Wilson.

Elsa: I can see this socialization thing is gonna take time. Anyway, whatever you do, we hope you enjoy getting outside and checking out what Nature shares. Have a great weekend!

Wilson: Yes, right-o…a good weekend.

Elsa: Argh…there appears to be an echo these days around the Ranch. It may or may not get amusing. I wonder just how far I can push the envelope.

The Mom: Elsa…be nice.

Elsa: Drat…she wasn’t supposed to hear that last part. Anyway, we sincerely hope the last weekend of February is downright wagnificent! Come on down, Spring…we’re waiting with bated breath on your arrival.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ February 9, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 46 Comments

We survived last week’s snowstorm and are waiting for the arrival of the next one sometime this weekend, or so they say. Hiya, Elsa here. As always we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Click on the link to see what other posts have been shared.

Elsa, surgeryI’m still recovering from surgery but am doing well actually. Thank you all for your kind get well and recovery wishes.They mean the world to me and Mom.

Lots of you said I should let the foster dog pony get in on the action with posting so without further adieu, here’s the newest Ranch Hand and I’ll judge let him give you his perspective from around the ‘Hood. Hope I haven’t made a mistake by letting him in on today’s post. This whole foster biz seems to have made him a bit anxious and I don’t wanna spin him into a tizzy. And now, live from the corral…I present…the Pony!

Wilson

Wilson: Umm, don’t mean to get off on the wrong paw with you or your readers, but my name is now Wilson.

Elsa: You say tomato, I say tomahto. Anywho…you need to show them you’re a real live Ranch Hand before your introduction is official.

Wilson: Oh, you mean the one with the hat?

Elsa: {Gasp} Look, you big galute…that’s not a just hat-that’s a Stetson and it’s legendary in the West. You need to forget everything you knew about Missouri…you’re a Colorado doggie these days.

Wilson, hat

Wilson: {in a snooty British voice} I. beg. your. pardon. You must understand, I’m new to this blogging thing but will do my utter best to try and contribute in a meaningful manner.

Elsa: Oh puleez…what’s with you British guys and your high falutin talk? Save it for another time, dog breath.

Wilson: Well blimey…so sorry. I’ll share a pic of me out in the snow after getting groomed last week. How’s that?

Wilson-pointing
Pointer or sheepdog?

Elsa: Save it, bucko. I can see this is going take some time and energy getting you familiar with how things work around here.

Wilson: {somewhat miffed} Right-o. Well, like you mentioned before, we received some snow. It was heavy and wet after an entire night of rain. It was quite crunchy trying to walk on it-I kept falling through.

Elsa: Well, if you weren’t such a chonker, you might not have fallen through. Now you know why Mom has you on a diet.

Wilson: Are you saying I’m overweight? I’d say all the grooming and removing of mats took a lot of excess weight off. See how trim I am now.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} Trust me, Mom will continue to keep the portions small for a while. Sure, she’ll say something like “it’s good for your joints” or some other ridiculous thing. Get used to it and be prepared to be hungry for a while.

Wilson: {frowning} Oh dear…I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive here. I do like my meals.

Elsa: Forget crumpets and tea, dude. You’ll get two small squares a day and Mom will walk your fat tush off right before she takes me out on my rehab walks. It’s going to be interesting between the two of you, as to who loses the most weight. {snicker}

Wilson: Oh dear…this IS going to be quite the adjustment. How in the world am I going to survive?

Elsa: Relax, you’ll never go completely hungry, Mom just wants to get your weight a bit more under control. She’s already had to resize your collar because it was getting too loose. And trust me, there will always be a treat (or two) around the Ranch. I’ll make sure you get a snack.

Wilson: Bravo! That’s right proper of you helping me adjust to this new lifestyle. I still miss my old family and packmates. You do know my old Mum unexpectedly passed away. I loved her so much but do love my new Mum now. Still it’s been quite the adjustment over this past month but I’m really trying hard to learn how to fit in.

Elsa: For the record, she’s MY MOM. But you’re doing ok so far (even if you caused my injury). Mom says you’re pretty smart and I promised her I wouldn’t hold a grudge. I realize you have a lot to learn. Mom explained to me that you grew up in a tiny little town and the city can be a rather intimidating reality. I mean, come on…you’re doing so much better on walks now from when you first arrived and you’re improving a bit each day. Before you know it, garbage trucks won’t even register in that big, fat head. Got any other pics of the snow? My readers want to see nature at her finest.

Wilson: {clearing throat} Right…it started out like most snowstorms but then it just kept snowing and snowing and snowing. It was pretty though and I found it bracing to run around outside in it.

Wilson: Here’s a view from the sofa that made my mind spin on the day after. It looks unlike any snow I’d ever seen before with that melting/freezing thing going on and with the sculpting wind. Looks like a lunar landscape a bit.

Snow

Elsa: Like you’d know about the lunar landscape, although it is the Chinese New Year this week. It was a weird storm, dumping 6-15 inches over the metro area after a night of rain-something we never get this time of year. But you know, things don’t seem any worse for wear for the bulbs, do they?

Spring bulbs

Wilson: They seem to be fine and most of the snow has gone now but we’re waiting for the next storm which may start later today and be a repeat of last weekend.

Elsa: Don’t hold your breath. One of the things you’ll learn about Colorado weather around here, it’s changes on a dime-and weather forecasters simply cannot be trusted to be accurate. As long as I still get to enjoy some snow cones, I’ll be happy. This was right after my staples came out. I felt like I earned it and Mom seemed to agree.

Snow cone

Wilson: I’ll keep that in mind. So can I share this little guy who I encountered on a walk? Mum’s eagle eyes spotted him, I totally missed him. I’m just learning about other critters; Mum refers to them as tree rats. I’m not a fan of them and have tried hard to run them down catch them. Not sure what to do if I’m able to catch one but Mum still won’t let me go after them.

Bunny

Elsa: Yeah, Mom is like that…she wants to protect you from potential problems with face to face meetings with wild animals. She also is extremely adverse to being turned into a human kite and since I’ve noticed you possess lightning quick reflexes, but will learn she’s not as easy as you think she’d be when she’s been lifted off her feet.

Wilson: I did surmise that. But I’m a crafty lad, you never know what I can do.

Elsa: Shush you big oaf, you don’t want to give up the element of surprise. Best that you keep your big trap shut. Moms of all stripes aren’t amused by the element of surprise so don’t wreck it by blabbing any moves in advance.

Wilson: {in a hushed voice} Oh right…will keep that in mind.

Elsa: Well that looks like we made it through without killing each other. Guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Bravo me.

Wilson: Ahem…I did mention that I could be a sport here and hope you’ll give me another chance in the future.

Elsa: Let’s not get carried away. A lot depends on how I feel and whether or not my readers like your by-line. How about we just say…we’ll see.

Wilson: Roger that. So do I get to ask what everyone’s going to do this weekend. I heard something about some big football game. While we had them in Missouri, in Britain, we call it ‘soccer.’

Elsa: Trust me dude, around here the only sport that matters is hockey. You’ll learn that soon enough. Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t wish everyone a safe and prosperous  Chinese New Year. Have a great weekend everyone.

Chinese New Year

Wilson: Oh yes, please do have a splendid weekend.

Elsa: Give it a rest, Pony.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ February 2, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 65 Comments

Elsa, surgeryHappy Groundhog Day. Elsa here. If you believe in the predictions of some chubby Pennsylvanian rodent, looks like that Gobbler Knob resident, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted an early spring this year. While I’m not convinced a groundhog can accurately predict Spring’s arrival, apparently this phenomena has been celebrated for ages. How did this custom originate, you ask? Well, I’m here to give you a bit of background on this silliness annual tradition. Diary records from as early as 1841 entry showed weather forecasts had been celebrated among families of German descent in Pennsylvania though most historians agree the custom began in the late 1800’s. According to Don Yoder,  former professor from University of Pennsylvania, he noted a Celtic connection and surmised this annual celebration had its roots in “ancient, undoubtedly prehistoric, weather lore.”

Guess it appears that Celtic people across Europe marked a 4-day period in early February, which is the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Celts observed that Christians celebrated Candlemas (known as Imbolc), which coincided with Joseph and Mary’s presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. As ancient folk observed sun, stars and animal behavior and those observations influenced their farming practices. They came to the conclusion that the emergence of hibernating animals, coincided with seasonal weather forecasts. Similarly, German traditions observed that badgers or bears emerging from hibernation came around the same time as the arrival of spring. Pennsylvania German settlers apparently substituted the groundhog, which was endemic to the eastern and midwestern United States. Guess you use what you got to keep the myth going, eh? Now that you know the background, let’s move on and see what slices of nature arrived in the 303, shall we?

Welcome to the first Friday of February where we join our friends Rosy and Sunny for their Nature Friday blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.

I dunno about you, but January seemed to go on forever, and makes you wonder why they do Dry January during such a long month?  Sorry, I’ve been out of commission lately, I’m recuperating from an injury that required surgery. Normally Mom keeps me buttoned up with a horrid satellite dish (aka cone) but she took that pic after I had eaten breakfast to make it easier on me and removes the cone so I don’t bang on walls while trying to locate my bowl. Man…I can’t wait to burn that thing! I’m not even getting Showtime.

Anyway…this week the weather has been almost spring-like with temps nearly 20F degrees warmer than average for this time of year (hmm, maybe that stupid rodent is on to something). The hyacinths in our garden began to wake up which actually surprised Mom. With the subzero temps in January, she didn’t think they’d wake up yet, but lo and behold…warmer temps seemed to coax these little squirts upward.

Spring bulbs

Mom also noticed some daffodils were farther along than we thought they should be. Now don’t go crazy…this isn’t some kind of atmospheric miracle, mind you. When you’re at a Mile High elevation-wise, you’re that much closer to the sun and that makes a huge difference over those near sea level.

Daffodils Daffodils

We’re noticing it’s getting lighter earlier in the morning and some of the recent sunrises have been pretty spectacular. There’s something about winter sunrises that always captivates Mom’s interest. She’s lucky I’m not supposed to walk very fast so she was able to capture this view before the red sky disappeared while waiting on me.

Sunrise

So the integration of the ‘pink-eyed pony’ who’s probably going to be my brother, has been slow going. We still get somewhat bent out of shape especially when I’m too close to my Mom [yo doofus…she was my Mom long before you arrived…so back  #@%$ off] but we’re trying our best. Well that’s not 100% accurate…it’s more like Mom is hyper focused on our proximity to avoid any more collisions or unpleasantness.

Last week Wilson went to the groomer after Mom spent 187 hours dematting his fur (trust me, that’s not much of an exaggeration either-that gallon bag was just from his ears and took almost 5 hours). The groomer said Mom made the job easier for her and Wilson was good getting spiffed up. I’ll admit, that boy does clean up nicely.

Mats

Wilson

Sure his fur is shorter than Mom would like, but it will grow out quickly. The groomer only needed to blend the length from where the mats were cut out. I’m just glad I didn’t have to lose any more fur than what the vet shaved off but Mom mentioned something about trimming up my paws. {Gasp} I hope that was just a rhetorical observation and not real. I’m slow moving right now and wouldn’t be able to escape quickly enough. I hate for my feet to be groomed.

So far, I haven’t decided if I’m going to let Wilson appear as a co-host on my Friday posts. The jury is still out on that one. What do you guys think? Should I let him or just keep this gig to myself? Let me know in your comments.

Got anything exciting on your dance card this weekend? We are planning to enjoy the NHL All-Star Game and then prepare for next weekend’s Super Bowl. Can anyone tell me what the dog is all the hubbub about on this whole Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce thing. I mean, why are people so bent out of shape that a very successful musical star supports her boyfriend at his games? I just don’t get it.

Do you believe Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast will bear out? Whatever you do, we hope you are able to enjoy whatever Mother Nature dishes up.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ January 19, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 74 Comments

Sleeping Elsa

Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where only three words dominated the landscape. Cold, white and mats. Elsa here joining our favorite Nature Friday ambassadors, Rosy and Sunny, from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.

Like most of the country, Denver was knee deep in a brutal Arctic blast. Outings were fairly limited due to the extreme windchill factors and Mom’s obsession with getting the new guy de-matted. Every day for a few hours, she’s been removing mats as it’s been increasingly difficult to find a professional groomer to take on this project. If he’d been a pocket sized dog, it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue but because this monster [Mom hollering from the other room…ELSA!] , erm…I mean, big boy…yeah, that’s the ticket…no one was willing to take on the project. Speaking of the bigger than life dude, Mom is fairly sure on a name other than ‘Not Sam’ but will wait until the beginning of the week to commit. I remember she took her sweet time picking my name too and she wants to make sure it reflects his personality. The only thing I can say about ‘he who shall remain nameless’ is that he’s humongous and sometimes thinks Mom is his personal toy and I need to be elsewhere. We still have the occasional and very brief dust up before Mom puts us in time out. WTD? I still don’t know how come I get blamed?

The Mom: Sometimes you both are guilty of a little too long of a look or you startle simultaneously.

Elsa: I can guarantee, HE’S the one who starts it, Mom…well after I thought I’d let him know I was the boss. Didn’t realize he was bigger and stronger than me and not intimidated one bit.

The Mom: You were quite surprised someone stood up to you, weren’t you? I realize you guys will need to work out the details on the pecking order but I think I’ve made it clear, there will be no dust ups over me.

Elsa: Don’t tell me…tell HIM.

The Mom: He’s starting to get the idea and seems to be doing better.

Elsa: Oh sure, he didn’t scare the crap out of you when we both came around the corner in the kitchen at the same time.

The Mom: Yeah, the timing was unfortunate but I really do think he’s getting the hang of things.

Elsa: {grumbling under her breath} Fine, you say puh–tey-toh, I say po-tah-toh.

The Mom: Aww, sweetie, you’ll always be my favorite princess and you need to know I will always protect you. We just need to be a little patient. Not Sam has been through quite a lot over the last 13 days. Remember how I was patient with you when you joined the Ranch?

Elsa: You’re right, I’ll try to be more understanding. You gotta feel badly that he lost his home, his mom and then travelled across 3 states to live in a busy noisy city after living on a quiet 13-acre country farm with his OES pals.

The Mom:  That’s the spirit, Ninja. You guys may never be BFF’s but you’re getting there.

Wilson & Elsa

Elsa: So…getting back to the nature part of this post, like I said before, it’s been cold and we had some snow but mostly the week has been about mats. When you took Not Sam for a bath (thank dog for that…man that boy reeked), you took him for a bit of a walk to wear him out before the Chinese water torture session before the bitter cold settled in and if I do say so myself, was a pretty brilliant strategy on your part. So what did he think about the Canadian Geese on the lake?

Lake & geese

The Mom:  I think he was pretty overwhelmed with all the new sights, smells and sounds. He’s still startled by auto traffic but he’ll get there.

Elsa: Once it warms up, I’ll show him the ropes around those Canadians. They’re not so tough.

The Mom: {eyes rolling} Uh-huh…sure you will. Why do you think I keep you on short leash around those birds?

Elsa: It’s in your nature to be a helicopter mom?

The Mom: NO!! I’m just trying to protect you. You don’t want tangle with those guys. Trust me.

Elsa: If you say so. They’re cool to watch but I think there are more interesting sights around the lake. Like muskrats and…

The Mom: Umm, no to muskrats or other creepy rodents.

Highlands Ranch

Elsa: Oh man, you’re no fun. Why do we always have to stay on the path and not really get to go exploring for critters when we’re out in nature?

Walking on the path

The Mom: It’s for your (and their) safety. Nobody wants to get hurt. When it comes to nature, our motto is “live and let live.”

Elsa: Maybe YOU  think that way. I’m sure I can convince a certain someone that chasing squirrels and bunnies makes for fun times.

Not Sam

Elsa: {continuing} I see you’ve managed to get rid of 90% of his mats removed. After last night’s session where you took care of that left paw and chest, Not Sam is starting to look like a new sheepdog.

The Mom: Yup, he’s completely transformed although the removal of those mats make him look like he’s been chewed on by a pack of mice.

Elsa: Wait…you let him play with mice?

The Mom: No, he’s not allowed to play with mice, his coat however looks like it’s been chewed on by mice. I’m sure once I use the clippers and blending shears when he’s completely de-matted, he’ll look better but it’s been quite the process. I’ve filled several large trash cans with all that fur. And as long as it’s going to be cold, it’s a good way to bond while we’re staying warm on a long winter day.

Elsa: Good point…I’m just grateful you’re not “bonding” with me like that.

The Mom: Trust me, I’d never let you get that bad. I think I’ve removed enough fur to make a couple of sweaters.

Elsa: Umm, I’m rather partial to my fur so you can keep mitts to yourself, ok?

The Mom: {smiling} You got it, sweetie. Just don’t get jealous if I’m spending a few hours a day brushing him and removing the final mats this weekend.

Elsa: Trust me…not a chance. So is it ever going to warm up so that we don’t need to imitate Eskimos with coats and boots?

The Mom: I think we’ll get back into the 40’s starting this weekend and we’ll be able to take proper walks around the ‘Hood. We may even go the lake again to see how birds and other critters are holding up. The Stock Show ends this weekend so I’m sure it’ll start warming up and we can start counting down the days until Spring arrives.

Elsa: Well aren’t you Miss Pollyanna. You know there are bound to be some snowstorms over the next couple of months?

The Mom: Just trying to be optimistic. But yeah…I know, there’ll be snow. So long as there isn’t bitter cold temps, we’ll all be just fine. And I think we’ll start planning a trip to introduce the new guy to your Grandpa. What do you think of that?

Elsa: That’d be great, just so long as he understands he’s MY grandpa!

The Mom: {eyes rolling} Just so long as you remember the phrase…”Be Nice!”

Elsa: Tell him that. So…you guys got any groovy winter plans for this weekend? Whatever you are able to do, just make sure you take in some of the beauty nature offers. Have a grand weekend!

The Mom: I think ‘somebody’ started theirs.

Not Sam - OES

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday

MLK Monday ~ January 15, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 68 Comments

MLK

Today is Martin Luther King Day where it’s a legal holiday in the U.S. As I searched for an inspiring quote, I came across this one and it seemed particularly appropriate.

Even if it’s MLK Day where we honor the civil right leader, we still need to start the day out with a smile, or in this case a couple of smiles since I couldn’t decide on just one.

With the Arctic blast coming from our friends in the Northern Hemisphere (hey Canada, I thought we were allies), today’s smiles seemed to fit the bill about getting through it and moving forward. Today’s high will likely be zero; if we’re real lucky, we might reach 1-2ºF (-16º or -17ºC). But we’re not the only ones shivering. Things could be worse, I just heard the forecast for Iowa. Thank you baby Jesus that today is not primary ballot day.

Monday smile

The cold weather around here brings the sarcastic out in some of us which may mean everyone from Colorado to New England could easily be saying something like this.

Monday Smile

Not only was it cold this morning on the first potty run, it was also beginning to snow. Sigh. Can’t wait until tomorrow where we may actually reach freezing. Now where are those flip-flops?

Whatever you do today to commemorate MLK, we hope you do it safely and with positive intention like Dr. King. Hang in there, the countdown clock toward tulip season has begun and there’s only 64 days until Spring officially arrives. Thought you could use something to look forward to while you’re shivering, shoveling and swearing. Happy Monday. Stay safe and keep smiling, peeps.

Live, love, bark! 🐾