Happy Monday! We hope all you pet mom’s had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. While the calendar says it’s spring, we find ourselves more in summer with temps in the mid-80’s with mostly clear skies.
Wilson found today’s smile and said he totally agreed with it after a weekend of good weather with lots of helicopter leaf seed pods finding their way to sidewalks. I swear this boy is a lot like having a toddler…he has to be watched like a bloody hawk so that he doesn’t put everything in his mouth. And here I thought dogs processed their worlds by sniffing, when in fact, in his case, everything is processed through his mouth first.
Here’s hoping you have a totally pawsome Monday and an even better week. Wilson says, ‘don’t eat anything he wouldn’t eat.’
Wilson: {Yawn} Good Friday morning everyone-as you can see I’m a bit slow getting started after a very busy week but wanted to welcome you to another installment of Nature Friday where we join our friends from the Adventures with the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what others have shared.
Well, the calendar page turned yesterday and we’re now in full blown spring mode. Hope you had a wonderful May Day. We spent the day catching up after celebrating National Pet Therapy Day the day before. It was a bit overwhelming for both me and Mum. Mum learned a valuable lesson (though she wasn’t a bit surprised at realizing it). She knows I struggle with a large group of overly excited people wanting to meet me for the first time as well as their excited pups all trying to get up in my grill. I’m afraid I was less than hospitable with a couple who didn’t seem to understand it’s too overwhelming for me. Here’s a fraction of the approximate dozen number of dogs who participated. Mum stopped trying to take photos because she was concerned about my reaction and couldn’t get the whole gang in the frame.
Lutheran’s pet therapy dogs come in all sizes and shapes
Wilson: Mum, I sure hope we don’t have to do a group thing like that again any time soon. I was so stressed, all those dogs wanting to be so close, I mean, I was just a wreck.
The Mum: I know sweet boy, I’m so sorry and promise I won’t put you through that again.
Wilson: Whew-thank you…I was a total wreck and am so grateful you decided to let me to visit with the nice folks in Medical Records instead of participating in the dog conga line upstairs on the floors. For the record, I do not conga.
The Mum: Totally understand. I enjoyed meeting with Records as well and you were a big hit. We’re adding them to the other stops we make before our regular floor assignments. Let’s change the subject and focus instead on all the beautiful signs of spring we encountered this week, shall we?
Wilson: Happily. Well it’s official- spring has definitely sprung. We had a few days of gentle showers with coolish temperatures and things are greening up nicely. The trees in particular really have enjoyed the moisture. It looks like the cherry and apple trees were particularly thrilled and I can’t wait until I can taste the fruit first hand, later in the year.
The Mum: Flowering trees have indeed been quite lovely. Check out this Eastern Redbud. I just love their bright color.
Wilson: Does it have fruit after blooming? You know I’m a big fan of fruit.
The Mum: Umm, no, in fact, I often forget about these trees after they bloom-the tree is unusually nondescript once it’s finished blooming. It’s a shame too, they so pretty when they bloom.
Wilson: Well that’s unfortunate. I’ve noticed the tulips are just about finished blooming too and what a lovely year it’s been for them. This has to be the absolute prettiest one we’ve seen.
The Mum: You’re so right, I so love walking past that house and especially enjoy that beautiful variety. It’s so delicate looking and the color is so pretty.
Wilson: It sure is, Mum. I noticed your favorite lilac bush is blooming. It’s not quite as lush as it was last year when you created today’s header but it’s still gorgeous as is the second bush right next to it. What’s nice is they aren’t the usual purple-ish color we usually see.
The Mum: Their fragrance is deliciously amazing, too. What else do you have to share?
Wilson: I started to notice some Hedgehog and Prickly Pear cactuses that are starting to bloom. I’m not getting close enough to sniff at those guys but they sure are fascinating to see.
The Mum: No doubt they provide valuable cover for tiny garden mice and small birds from various neighborhood predators as well as an interesting change from our usual blooming landscape.
Wilson: When we walked yesterday, this bright patch of Golden Alyssum sure caught my eye. Talk about a cheery look on a somewhat cloudy day.
The Mum: It sure was an exuberant sigh.! And they smelled sweet too.
Wilson: How come it’s okay for you to sniff flowers but you fuss at me when I do?
The Mum: The difference is that I don’t ‘leave‘ a message on them after I sniff.
Wilson: Oh yeah, I do try to leave a note. But, in all fairness, I’m just telling other dogs how beautiful the flowers are. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.
The Mum: {eyes rolling} Right. You might be able to fool others, but not me.
Wilson: Doggone it, I was hoping you wouldn’t see through me so easily. But I am doing better about leaving little messages, especially since you’ve pointed out it’s against the rules. I know you don’t appreciate it when dogs leave messages on our flowers and I respect that when we’re walking. Weeds are a whole different category though. Especially when they pop up in sidewalk cracks. I don’t have to remind you I’m doing a public service then, right?
The Mum: Umm, if you say so. Got any other photos to share?
Wilson: A couple; here’s a shot of some elm blossoms. Usually you only notice the little round seeds that blow all over the place, but you’ve never noticed the flowers that produce the seeds before. Aren’t they fascinating? I’m going out on a limb by saying I think it’s going to be a good year for elm seeds.
The Mum: Yes sadly, I’m think you’re so right. Which leads me to chat about the subject of Silver Maple tree seeds. Since you’ve been noshing on the flowers against my wishes, I’ve noticed the past couple of days that you’ve graduated to now snarfing up the seeds. You have to stop doing that, you hear?
Wilson: You mean those aren’t little green crepes? I mean, the flowers tasted like truffles so I just figured they were crepes.
The Mum: NO, THOSE ARE NOT LITTLE GREEN CREPES, you dingleberry! What is wrong with you?
Wilson: Umm chill, Mum.
The Mum: You are going to be death of me yet with what you find tasty. Elsa only ate things like reading glasses and socks.
Wilson: Maybe that says you’re not feeding me enough. I mean, the vet may be pleased with my nice trim physic but I’m a growing boy and growing boys need lots of calories to maintain.
The Mum: I give up.
Wilson: Oh Mum, don’t be so uptight. It’s not like a tree is going to sprout in my tummy is it? How about we end with a nice pretty blue flower. Blue flowers always make you smile to forget. I think this is some variety of forget-me-nots. I think it’s pretty, how about you.
The Mum: Yes, House Pony…it’s a lovely shade of blue and the two tone color of the leaves add to its beauty. Sigh. It looks like the sun is returning to the Mile High City for the next few days. It’s a gorgeous morning with crystal blue skies and will be in the 60’sºF…totally perfect for checking out all the beauty Nature has to offer this weekend. We hope you have a great weekend and do try to get outside to enjoy it.
Welcome to the first Friday in April where as always we join the LLB Gang for their weekly Nature Friday blog hop. Click on the link to see what scenes from nature others are sharing. Hard to believe we’ve officially entered the second quarter of 2025. Where has the time gone? Soon Passover and Easter will be front and center. The speed at which time flies by seems to speed up the older you get. Luckily there’s a certain ‘lad’ who’s happy to keep me on my toes (aka staying young by trying to keep up with him, despite the uncanny number of wrinkles staring back at me from my bathroom mirror). Well, let’s get started with today’s latest conversation.
Wilson: Hello, Mum…happy Friday. So what will we showcase this week?
The Mum: Well, young man, before we get started, how’s about we have a little ‘chat’ first before we share any photos from nature we encountered this week, shall we?
Wilson: Umm, this sounds ominous. Am I in trouble?
The Mum: Not in trouble per se but we do need to have a heart to heart about the maple flowers that are dropping on the sidewalk like flies.
Wilson: Ooooh, you mean those tasty morsels I find whenever I go outside? They are just so…
The Mum: {interrupting} STOP…you can’t eat those…
Wilson: But Mum…I can’t help but think of them as little truffles. I realize they may not be for everyone, but you do realize one of my greatest gifts to humankind is my uncanny ability to hoover up crumbs, wherever I find them. Just think of these things as crumbs that I’m cleaning up for you. I mean, you realize I’m doing you a solid by you not having to constantly have to sweep them up from the patio. When you think about it, I’m actually doing you a favor.
The Mum: Umm, well when you put it like that…wait, what am I saying? When you snarf those little flower clusters up, I have to mop up the slobbery drool marks! No, no, no…maple flowers must not to be eaten. While it should be noted that they aren’t poisonous, ingesting the flowers could cause stomach upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. You wouldn’t want to have to go to the vet now, would you?
Wilson: {gasp} Well, when you put it like that…definitely not. I’ll try not to eat them Mum, but we both know it won’t be easy. May I suggest you bring plenty of treats with you when taking me outside to deter me from eating until they’re gone?
The Mum: Boy, you’ll do just about anything for a treat, won’t you?
Wilson: I say, Mum, I’ve told you many times before, I’m no ordinary fool. You should know treats are a bravo-good way to deter unwanted behavior. All the training videos say so.
The Mum: You’ve been on Facebook again, haven’t you?
Wilson: {clearing his throat} Let’s just say I’m a quick study, Mum.
The Mum: I can see this conversation is going nowhere. Now that we’ve chewed on that topic, what slices of nature do you have to share this week?
Wilson: Well, the forsythias are blooming right now and boy are they cheerful and bright. I’ll bet they make lovely cuttings in any vase.
The Mum: They are definitely a sign that spring is here.
Wilson: And flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom around the neighborhood. One of the prettiest is Prunus Glandulosa, commonly known as flowering almond. This small shrub is fairly tolerant of urban conditions, and once well established, can be fairly drought-tolerant. All parts of the flowering almond shrub including the stems, leaves, and seeds, are toxic as are many plants in the Prunus family (i.e. plums, cherries, and peaches). It contains cyanogenic glycosides, that release cyanide when metabolized. Ingestion can lead to all sorts of health problems like gastrointestinal distress, difficulty in breathing, seizures, coma and death. Yikes-I’m rather glad we don’t have any in our garden.
The Mum: Yikes indeed. When I first moved into this house, there were a couple of them but ultimately they didn’t survive for which I’m rather grateful now. I had no idea about its toxicity.
Wilson: Why is it that so many of the prettiest blooms in spring are toxic or poisonous?
The Mum: I have no idea but it’s quite true. Spring bulbs are poisonous for dogs and because of your propensity toward noshing on things, I worry and have to make sure you don’t get any dumb ideas.
Wilson: I appreciate your looking out for me. When I was researching for this post, I learned that the most common spring bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, irises, daffodils and crocuses are all poisonous for us canines. But boy, they sure are pretty. Guess we have to take the good with the bad, eh?
The Mum: You’re right on both counts. So what flowering bulbs have you seen this week? It’s been pretty chilly and grey, unlike last week where we enjoyed some fabulously warm days. We experienced some flurries of white stuff over the past a few days but nothing that has accumulated.
Wilson: Quite right, Mum. As usual, winter is being difficult and it just can’t seem to stay away. It even dropped below freezing last night.
The Mum: Yesterday was even chilly enough to turn the furnace back on and more snow showers have been called for in the forecast with temps in the 20’s tonight. Brrrrr.
Wilson: These flowers don’t seem to mind the weather. Check out the unusual hue on this hyacinth. What would you call it, magenta, claret?
The Mum: Sure…that works. It’s quite a beauty but I still tend to be drawn to the purple ones. Their fragrance is just so divine.
Wilson: Oooh, that one is a real beauty, Mum. They sure do have a luscious scent to them. And aren’t you proud of me, I didn’t even water them or the daffodils that we found later on our walk nor did I try to eat them.
The Mum: Very proud of you, House Pony. Well done. It’s important to look, just don’t water. And definitely don’t eat!
Wilson: See, I can be a good boy, Mum…well most of the time. So what’s your plan for the weekend? Anything interesting happening? With the weather reverting to winter again, we think we’ll just hang out and stay cozy.
The Mum: An easy weekend sounds just paw-fect. We hope you are able to enjoy whatever spring has in store for your area. Have a great weekend!
Today is Martin Luther King Day in the U.S. When I found this quote/meme, it occurred to me it was even more poignant to share it today. I had just came back inside from shoveling the snow that fell overnight on top of all of yesterday’s snow. One way to honor the civil rights leader, is through participating in some sort of service on this day. So, I chose to shovel the two houses sidewalks next to my corner lot. Both are somewhat new to the neighborhood and I haven’t met them. While it’s below zero, it was quiet, I was well bundled up and being out pre-dawn, it allowed my thoughts to percolate softly on that idea of service today. I also couldn’t help but think that Mother Nature’s calendar is definitely messed up. January is normally our driest month of the year. Guess the powers to be didn’t send out that memo to her.
And while it’s MLK Monday, we still felt it was important to start today out with a couple of smiles. Stay safe and warm; we hope MLK’s words strike a note in your heart.
Not to be outdone, as I was trying to shovel out the ‘pee-tio’ yesterday, a similar scene made for some interesting maneuvering at the Ranch.
Welcome to the first Monday of 2025. Today is also notable for another reason, it was one year ago my dear friend, Cheryl and I drove to Missouri (along with Elsa, riding shotgun in the back seat) to pick up a gigantic and severely matted floof, then named Sam, to foster. He greeted us enthusiastically and I knew right away that it was more than likely I would fail at the foster aspect of this journey. We drove 1500 miles roundtrip through snowstorms on highways and tiny rural roads over a 24 hour period. I couldn’t have made that trip without Cheryl’s presence, good nature and common sense to guide us (and keep us squarely on the road and not in a ditch after it became dark). I’ll always remember our conversations which reassured me along that uncertain road where we recalled the past 20+ years of friendship, with observations on life, people and dogs (and egg sandwiches bought at a gas station convenience store). Her great company surrounded me in comfort and continues to this day. I’ll always be grateful for her joining me on this transformative journey, with all its twists and turns. Thank you my friend, for accompanying me then, as well as for your ongoing loving support and friendship. I love ya!
The transformation of this filthy, matted mess…
to this handsome boy after his first grooming…
While we’ve experienced few hiccups over the past year, I still have a dear friend who was always there for both of us.
You’ve come a long way Wilson, both literally and figuratively. From all the ups (learning how to navigate the ways of a noisy, chaotic urban environment while becoming an beloved pet therapy dog at Lutheran) as well as the downs (losing those unnecessary pounds and a couple of damaged teeth), you’ve been quite the addition to the Ranch, Wilson. Here’s to many more happy trails, buddy. Happy Gotcha Day, House Pony.
And because it’s also a Monday, we would be remiss if we didn’t share a smile to welcome the New Year. Have a great week!
Today is Indigenous Peoples Day in the US. Formerly known as Columbus Day, it celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples by commemorating their histories and cultures. While I always post some light-hearted smile on Monday’s today always leaves me with an uneasy feeling because of how native peoples have been treated and there is nothing funny about the historical past in that regard.
We here at the Ranch ask you consider the history that went into the creation of this national holiday.
And because it still IS Monday, we can’t begin the week without some sort of smile. As you may recall, Elsa has a long history of eating things that is well documented on this blog. (for example, see The Carnage Continues). She’s been very civilized for some time but then suddenly last week decided the mail would be her latest conquest, including important notices and bills. She managed to pull several pieces of mail off the dining room table 3 days in a row.
I will note however, she’s never chewed up junk mail instead, she seems to focus on important items and then proceed to pull them down from the middle of the dining table. She managed to munch was an agreement with the Water Department regarding agreement for replacing the service line. Do you know how embarrassing it is being an adult and telling a service rep “my dog ate the agreement” and how can I get another one? Luckily it’s a national holiday with mail not being delivered today so it’ll be safe, at least today.
As you celebrate the contributions of Indigenous People today, we hope you have a good week.
Happy Monday, peeps. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Time to get back to it…whatever ‘it’ is for you. Over the past eight months, I’ve been observing Wilson to get a good idea what makes this boy tick and realize he is constantly in training for the lazy dog triathlon. I mean…just look at two of his best events.
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We hope you have a splendid Monday and an even better week doing your best.
Happy Monday. For those keeping score, there are twenty-nine days left in the summer from hell with today being the last Monday in August. Since Wilson joined the Ranch, he’s always been an ‘enthusiastic’ eater, so much so I serve meals in a puzzle slow feeder. It still only takes him about 5 minutes to gobble the kibble, toppers, veggies and supplements.
Today’s smile somewhat resembles mealtimes although I can’t imagine any delay in quickly inhaling his meal. The frame where Farley is waiting looks a lot like Wilson, although in his case, it’s because I have him wait until he receives the release command. This waiting period lasts from 30-60 seconds and has helped him with impulse control and confidence building, not that he’d ever wait for any condiments. The puddle of drool for me to clean up once he’s inhaled eaten his dinner is just a bonus for me.
Here’s hoping all your meals are ‘pawfect’ this week.
Wilson: {Yawn} Good Friday morning everyone-as you can see I’m a bit slow getting started after a very busy week but wanted to welcome you to another installment of Nature Friday where we join our friends from the 
Happy Monday, peeps. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Time to get back to it…whatever ‘it’ is for you. Over the past eight months, I’ve been observing Wilson to get a good idea what makes this boy tick and realize he is constantly in training for the 
