Welcome to Nature Friday. Today is the last Friday of November, 2024 and no doubt some of us are moving a little bit slower today, no doubt still under the influence of a Thanksgiving Day food coma. For those needing a spot of pressure, there are only 26 days left until Christmas and only 33 days left in 2024. As always we’re joining our pals from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have posted. We hope your ‘holiday’ was safe, full of good cheer and that you were able to enjoy Thanksgiving with friends and family for those who celebrate it.
Elsa here to start things off. Mom got a hankering to trim up my paws because she said, and I quote…”my feet were looking like a muppet.” I hate getting my paws trimmed and won’t let her use clippers. She can only trim them with scissors but she’s gotten fairly good making them look halfway decent. But we’re here to talk about Nature things. Mom went to spend the Thanksgiving howliday with our Grandpa with a few family members. He’s going to be a busy fella over the next few days, as other siblings will show up extending the holiday and food fest. I’m jealous as there will be some amazing foodables while they’re celebrating which will be good for him to see other family members from out of state who will begin to arrive this weekend. Let the fun and food continue.
But first, jeez Mother Nature, could you be a bit more kinder on the thermostat? It was 18ºF freaking degrees this morning when I went outside to pee at oh-dark-thirty. As the popular musician Collins Obinna Chibueze (otherwise known as Shaboozey) sings in his chart topping A Bar Song remake of the 2004 single song Tipsy, “oh my….good Lord!” We aren’t nearly ready for walks on the frozen tundra.
Wilson: ‘Morning little sister, boy are you right about the temps. I hurried my morning constitution in record time. For a quick minute I thought perhaps it might freeze to me private parts! Since you’re the native of this landscape, I’m guessing this is the norm for this time of year but even with my double coat, I’m grateful Mum will be taking us out for our morning walk later, hoping for a few degrees of warmth from the clear skies and sun. But I’m guessing those same clear skies are why it’s so bloody cold. Brrrrr.
Elsa: Right you are, House Pony. Those clear blue skies, while pretty as all get-out, are what makes things so cold. But they also make for some beautiful pictures, even when you’re whizzing past familiar sights. Mom can never get enough of seeing Pikes Peak; she’s written about that view before. It’s that view that inspired author and poet, Katherine Lee Bates to write the lyrics for America the Beautiful after she saw the gorgeous view from the summit of this well-known 14,000+ ft. peak.
Wilson: She really enjoys seeing it, both when she drives through Colorado Springs where it looms over the city as well as the back side once she gets to her Dad’s house.
Elsa: It’s very close, it’s easy to see why it’s such a draw. Then again, it’s our Mom so there’s always that. She loves seeing mountain majesty anytime and Pikes Peak is so close and can be easily captured even with a cell phone.
Wilson: I guess so…the area is so different from what I was used to experiencing in Missouri where the highest point was a mere 1,772 feet (540 metres). These fourteeners are something else.
Elsa: Our state is very lucky to have so many tall mountains; and especially at this time of year, when we’re focused on gratitude for the views they provide. By contrast, the Great Plains spread far and wide and have their own special beauty. Mom volunteered at the OES rescue booth at last weekend’s Denver Dog Fair where there were over 150 adoptable dogs from breed rescue organizations with scads of inside and outside activities with loads of vendors.
Wilson: Righto, Ninja. Mum loves the views on the plains and captured this windmill at the event site in eastern Arapahoe County with the landscape being so wide open with nothing to stop the wind.
Elsa: My ears would be flapping like the Flying Nun in those breezy conditions out there.
Wilson: Indeed. But you’d have enjoyed it inside where your first vet, Dr. Jeff of Animal Planet fame gave a talk to the attendees. He and Mum talked about how you’re doing these days since he relocated his practice up in the foothills southwest of the city.
Elsa: Oh yeah, I remember him! He’s a good guy and does so much for the community on the topic of overpopulation despite being diagnosed with cancer and challenging the local veterinary community with his low-cost affordable care model. Glad Mom got a chance to talk with him and find out how he’s doing these days in foothill area of Conifer, CO. He was well received at the event.
Wilson: And here’s a trained pup from one of the many dog trainers with one of his graduates. This Doodle fancied about carrying a bag of treats in his mouth. I can’t. even. begin. to. fathom. not eating treats I was carrying. I mean, I barely taste them as it is without having to carry them.
Elsa: Oh brother…there you go again thinking with your 17 stomachs. All an all, it was a good event and the rescue managed to receive a decent amount of donations. Their first mission was to promote a senior OES named Reagan and we have our paws crossed that someone will adopt her. If you’re interested, please check the rescue’s website and fill out an application. Technically we’re not fully set up to take in dogs but Reagan’s situation prompted a special case scenario and we are doing what we can to help her. Isn’t she quite the gorgeous lady?
Wilson: Miss Reagan has come a long way since we began to foster her and we hope she will find her fur-ever home soon. She truly deserves a second chance.
Elsa: Well that’s it for this week’s hodgepodge of rather unrelated photos. We hope everyone has a great weekend and manages to find a lovely view or three of Mother Nature at her finest. Stay warm and make it a pawsome weekend.
Wilson: Yes, what my little sister said. Happy Friday and have an even better weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to the last Friday of September. It’s been yet another week of record-breaking temps and they are expected to continue for at least the next ten days. Oh joy. And for the record, it was 93ºF (33ºC) yesterday. If you think those temps are above average, you’d be right-in fact approximately 18ºF above average. We’re now up to 63 days of above 90ºF temps. Elsa here, along with the House Pony who is headed for his third visit at Lutheran later this morning. Mom thought getting him cleaned up was pretty much like steer wrestling and vowed to never do it at home again nor would she groom both of us on the same day. I tried to tell her I was good without the trim but would she listen? No. So I say, you get what you reap. Sore back, tough noogies. She mopped up puddles and hair for a good hour. It was pretty awful. Anywho, let’s get this party started.
Hiya peeps, it’s me, Elsa…here to welcome you to the last Friday of the summer, 2024. Woof, woof…hallelujah! As always, we’re joining our friends Rosy and Sunny from 
