Category: The Ninja

Nature Friday ~ December 8, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 58 Comments

🎵 Humming to the tune of “Silver Bells” 🎶… and then suddenly barking in verse at the top of her lungs, “it’s Christmas time in the city…fa la la la la, la la la la! Elsa here…

The Mom: Umm, you know you’re combining songs, right?

Elsa: Yeah, what of it? Christmas is the time to get your Irving Berlin on, I say.

The Mom:  Still, you’re mixing your tunes together. Singing Christmas songs isn’t like mixing up a cup of hot chocolate.

Elsa: {Gasp} Mom…you know perfectly well I can’t have chocolate!

The Mom: {Shaking her head} Dear, dear, Elsa…I was just making a metaphor.

Elsa: Well whatever, doesn’t matter, I was just loosening up my vocal chords anyway. Come on…we’re over 100 hundred words and we haven’t even started our post. Move, it, Mom!

The Mom: {Speaking softly under her breath} Oy…why do I feel like I’m losing a battle of wits?

Elsa: What’s that you say? Seriously, you actually think you’re going to win an argument with me? Bwahahaha. Silly Mom…I love you, but {bwahahahaha} I. can’t. even. begin. to. respond, it’s so absurd. You crack me up, Mom, you seriously crack me up.

The Mom: {trying desperately to change the subject and get back on track} um, er…let’s focus on this week’s latest episode of Nature Friday. We can split hairs later.

Elsa: Split hairs? Don’t even begin to think about trimming any of my hairs, thank you very much!

The Mom: I was just…oh never mind.

Elsa: See…you can’t begin to win a discussion with me. My blog, my rules. {puffing out her chest} Lo-di-do-do. Or as they say in the big leagues…Spoo for the win!

The Mom: {eyes rolling} Fine…let’s just get on with it.

Elsa: Yeah, if only you’d taken some pictures. But for the record because I’m such a rule follower, we’re joining our New Mexico friends Rosy and Sunny from LLB in Our Backyard to check out Nature around the ‘Hood. As I noted earlier, you didn’t take any new pics, what’s up with that?

The Mom: {flush with embarrassment} Umm, it was a busy week. And I kinda got wrapped up enjoying the absolute springtime temperatures and trying to mail out Christmas cards and December birthday gifts. And truth be told, there hasn’t been a lot to photograph on outings that we haven’t photographed before.

Elsa: That’s never stopped you before. I mean, why did you dash back into the house early yesterday morning raving about the incredible sunrise? I mean, gawd knows you take a jillion sunrise pics all the time.

The Mom: For the exact reason that you’ll complain about “yet another sunrise” picture.

Elsa: Mom, hate to break it to you but the blogging world doesn’t need yet another sunrise photo. Just saying.

The Mom: See, I kinda rest my case. Anyway yesterday’s was exceptionally vivid….by the time I ran back into the house to grab my phone, it had faded out to ‘merely pretty.’ Not sensational like it was when I took you outside.

Elsa: Ahh, I get it, blame the dog. Fine. So you got anything to share, anything at all? Buehler?

The Mom: Ahem…one of the Christmas cactuses has been blooming…does that count?

Cactus

Elsa: I’ve been wondering when you’d get around to highlighting them. This one is pretty in pink as the saying goes but didn’t you say there’s a good chance that it’s actually a Thanksgiving cactus since it’s been blooming for the past couple of weeks.

The Mom: You’re right, I think that one is from the genus Schlumbergera, and is one of the two groups within the cultivar Truncata which displays stem segments with pointed teeth. Their flowers are held more or less horizontally, and their upper side is shaped differently from the lower side. This one has been a part of my indoor garden for well over 20 years and is actually considered a tropical plant rather than what we normally think of as cactuses and comes from Brazil. These plants typically require more water and humidity than traditional cactuses, but they’re easy to maintain. Just water deeply whenever the top inch or so of soil is dry, and repot if the soil gets compacted (note to self, since this one has never been repotted, it’s likely more than time to do that). They should only be fertilized when actively growing or blooming. Just make sure to use a well-draining potting soil mix. It likes bright but indirect light for the best blooming conditions and avoid cold, drafty spots or locations close to a heat source like a radiator. Pinching back stem ends aftering blooming helps make for a bushier plant.

Elsa: Don’t you have another one in a different color?

The Mom: Yes, it’s orangey and far less impressive. It’s always been much less prolific than the pink one.

Christmas cactus

Elsa: You were kind of pleasantly surprised it bloomed since it was a starter from a segment you had knocked off.

The Mom: I was. That plant has had a long history of less than stellar blooming. My son left it with me when he moved to Hawaii over 10 years ago. He told me it rarely bloomed for him, at most 1 or 2 blossoms when he had it, which is likely why he didn’t want it back when he moved back to Denver three years ago.

Elsa: I find that hard to believe. Kevin KNOWS how to grow plants. Maybe that genus is a bit like us Standard Poodles, you know…needing to have a certain agenda that maybe, just perhaps doesn’t coincide with you uprights’ idea of how things should be? {snicker}

The Mom: Thanks for the reminder, as if I needed an acknowledgement about poodle agendas.

Elsa: Just trying to keep you grounded, Mom, that’s all. Well that’s it as far as I’m concerned. I hope we have more photos to share next time. I’ll try to persuade you when we’re out on our walks this next week. So what’s on tap for your weekend? I think it’s time to get out Norman’s chef’s hat-I’ve hear that we may be starting our holiday baking. Sure hope that means there will be some fresh, home baked pup treats over the next couple of days. {paws crossed}

Elsa

Whatever you do, make sure you stop to enjoy Nature’s gifts, however small they may be. Stay warm.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday

Nature Friday ~ December 1, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 57 Comments

Elsa🎵 Oh give me a home…where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play…🎶…oh, hi,ya remember me? Elsa here and after a long time away, I’m back from the Thanksgiving Day break visiting Mom’s Dad in Southern Colorado. It wasn’t intended to be  extended but Mom was  kinda stranded with poor cell phone coverage and no Wi-Fi. I don’t know what Wi-Fi is but it spun my Mom into a real tizzy. She’s not a techno-wizard type and really had a hard time dealing with all the behind-the-scenes machinations of getting everything back to normal and restoring the network so to say she was stressed out was an understatement, but I came to her rescue providing just the kind of Ninja support she needed…but no I didn’t chew anything up. After working 87 hours and a few days on getting the network up and running with lots of crossed paws…we think everything is ok. We’ll be talking with Grandpa later this morning to make sure nothing fell through the cracks.

So here we are, the first Friday of December and that means we’re going to some views of Mother Nature from the past week or so. As always, we’re joining our friends, Rosy and Sunny from LLB in Our Backyard to share photos from Nature this week from time spent in southeast Colorado over the holiday. You ready for this?

Before Mom went to PW, she saw a rare sight in late November-a butterfly on a walk before the weather turned cold. It startled her when it popped up but true to its nature, stayed fairly low to the ground and hung out on the fallen leaves. They’re super skittish and didn’t linger long before flying away.

Autumn butterfly
Mostly likely an Orange Sulphur Butterfly

A rare November snow storm hit Pueblo West on Thanksgiving while the extended family gnawed on turkey, ham and all the trimmings. Mom’s sister and her family drove up from Texas and her grandkids enjoyed the little snow that Nature kindly provided. The adults weren’t quite as enamoured as the kids were, but everyone enjoyed being together, eating, laughing, playing games, watching football and yes eating again. Talk about a food coma!

Tiny snowman
A super tiny and rarely sighted snowman on the prairie in November

Mom can’t stop gawping on and on about the view of Pikes Peak, the prairie and sunrises. She never gets tired of seeing one of Colorado’s most famous peaks. On the other hand, I’m happy to sniff for bunnies when I’m there, but it’s more like I can take it or leave it. Mom says I’m missing out on all the teeming wildlife. I keep telling her unless she’s actually letting me chase a bunny or two or better, prairie dogs instead of watching sunrises and wide open spaces, I’m more…meh.

Pikes Peak
Snow on Pikes Peak before storm hit the plains
Sunrise
Early morning sunrise
Pikes Peak sunrise
Sunrise on Pikes Peak
Sunrise
Pink sunrise to the east

Mom says she could watch the sunrise every morning and always takes a jillion pics as it goes from intense colors to pale as the sun rises. She raves about those pink and orange skies. I, on the other hand, am more interest in seeing prairie dogs, bunnies, deer and antelope. Talk about curious creatures. Those prairie dogs stay well away from the ‘jaws of death’ and as soon as they see me, they scurry their chunky bodies down into their burrows. I’m surprised they can fit. Those were the chubbiest prairie dogs Mom’s ever seen. Guess with the rain this summer, the grass was in abundance. I told Mom it wasn’t fair they’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving for months if their  little chubby tummies were any indication. This guy is hard to see as he was pretty far away and Mom only had her cell phone with which to capture him so sorry for the crummy pic. They don’t pose for long before diving into those light tan burrow mounds.

Prairie dog

Even deer avoid getting close, preferring to stay far enough away from humans and dogs. That said, sometimes they come close to the road in evening hours and end up paying for it. Nature is nothing, if not cruel.

Deer
White-tailed deer in distancer
Deer skeleton
White-tailed deer skeleton next to the road

Still don’t know why she wouldn’t let me have that antler. I could have chewed on that puppy for ages.

On a morning walk before the snowstorm, Mom captured the Spanish peaks far to the south. Usually they’re pretty pale bumps from Grandpa’s house since they are over 102 miles way to the south of Pueblo West even though they range in height from 13,623 feet (4,152 m), to 12,708 feet (3,873 m).

Spanish Peaks
Spanish Peaks with Greenhorn Mountain on the right

We’re waiting for a couple of new fronts this weekend that will likely include a flurry or two. Seems like a good time to stay inside and may pull out some holiday decorations. This is the time of year where the house is filled with the scent of hot cocoa and evergreen boughs. Whatever you do, we hope you have a lovely weekend and spot some scenes from Nature. Stay safe and warm.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month ~ 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 40 Comments

Epilepsy awarenessHello, Elsa here. We normally don’t post on Thursday’s but because today is the last day of November, we are focusing attention on epilepsy  (especially after the recent return to Standard time which always winds up my Mom as she tries to phase in the meds to keep my anti-seizure medication as level as possible so I don’t seize). Mom hates having to figure out when to integrate those incremental shifts in time to keep things on an even keel since my meds must be administered every 12 hours at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM.  Sometimes she’s better at it but it gives her heartburn nonetheless and she always worries it might trigger a seizure. Luckily we got through it unscathed again but it’s always a colossal hassle. Can anyone tell me why we still do this stupid “spring forward/fall back” nonsense?

Originally we had hoped to have had this post prepared during the Thanksgiving holiday week rather than on the last day of the month but we were hampered with poor cell phone coverage and no Wi-Fi while visiting Mom’s Dad and we only just returned yesterday afternoon. As a blogger, this is as troublesome as trying to deal with the whole WordPress block editor garbage, and ranks right up there with Daylight Savings Time in dumb things you shouldn’t have to deal with. Between you and me, Mom’s bandwidth to deal with such junk is pretty slim so I knew we’d have to publish today.

When you’re a dog like me, you become pretty used to taking your meds. Mom has become quite creative in wrapping my pills in a very tasty treat so it’s not like she has to hog-tie me and pop a pill in the back of my throat. Having that happen would be weird, not to mention rude.

I began having seizures shortly after Mom rescued me over seven years ago (you can read about it in the highlighted link) and she’s been educating herself ever since.

My diagnosis came two weeks after I was rescued. There I was, a completely feral dog started having seizures getting used to being around people. I was fortunate to have Sam and Norman as my brothers-they taught me how to be a dog. I mean, I didn’t even know how to accept food from my Mom’s hand I was that shut down. Grand mal seizures started at first and following a short stay at the emergency vet clinic, I was treated and diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy which meant the vet wasn’t sure what the cause was. A likely factor was believed to be most likely was genetic (all the dogs seized after the owner of the puppy mill passed away had various conditions and he didn’t keep health records of any of us). Initially it was challenging determining what the right dosage of anti-seizure medication should be. I was placed on the least potent dose of Phenobarbital as well as given CBD oil but the dosage proved to be inadequate. The Phenobarb had to be adjust several times and for the most part I’m happy to report that Mom has been pretty good keeping me seizure free since late May {knock on wood}. Having a dog like me who has seizures can be a terrifying thing to witness.  Even with treatment, seizures are no picnic in the park and there are always challenges. Despite a few hiccups along the way like determining what the right dosage would be for my situation, Mom and my vet have seemed to hit the sweet spot and manage to keep the seizures mostly at bay. Even when I do have one, Mom has learned various techniques which make them fairly minor compared to when I first experienced them. I even went over a year without a single one. 

Mom says she’s lucky to have been part of an amazing blogging community who are far smarter and more knowledgeable than her when it comes to epilepsy and is particularly grateful for loads of advice from our friends over at Knotty Toys for Good Dogs and The Five Sibes who have shared amazing and informative resources and tips that have helped me. Remember that epilepsy is not a death sentence by any means and it is super important to get accurate information when treating epilepsy. There are also various epilepsy websites including Canine-Epilepsy as well as generalized info found at the Epilepsy Foundation and The Wally Foundation for educating oneself if it ever happens to you or your pet. I’ve certainly learned a lot since that first seizure and hope, with proper nutrition and the right balance of medication, I will live a long and happy life. If chewing on various items like reading glasses is any indication of happiness, Mom thinks I’m in hog heaven.

Did you know one in every 100 dogs is affected by epilepsy? Idiopathic epilepsy (the most common cause of seizures in dogs), is an inherited disorder, yet its exact cause is unknown. Other causes may include liver disease, kidney failure, brain tumors, brain trauma, or toxins. Onset in dogs usually beginning sometime between 2-6 years. As I mentioned, my onset episodes were quite severe, life threatening in fact and required emergency vet intervention but are now mostly  managed. I live a good life and enjoy things considered normal for dogs now and when the epi-monster hits, Mom knows how to treat me and get me through it easily. Do you know  anyone who is epileptic?

Again, many thanks to Knotty Toys and the Five Sibes for their counsel and support along this journey. With their help and info they share, Mom hopes to have me around chewing on her things for a good long time.

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are making ready for Santa Paws.

Elsa💜 Live, love, bark! 🐾 💜

Nature Friday ~ November 17, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 58 Comments

ElsaHey yo…sports fans…it’s me…Elsa. How the heck are you? Mom and I have been visiting my Grandpa in southern Colorado this week and well…life kinda took a bad turn but we think things are under control now. Whew! We weren’t able to do much in the photographic department but Mom took a few scenes of autumn on the prairie that I wanted to share.

The Mom: So little miss…what do you have this week?

Elsa: Well I wanted to show everyone what autumn looks like on the prairie. It was breezy but the wind behaves differently in southern Colorado.

The Mom: Well it does tend to ‘move things’ around like leaves, tumbleweeds, but because it’s so wide open at Dad’s house, raking is a lot different than in the city.

Elsa: You got that right! The wind messes with my Sherlock Holmes nose and I had mega problems picking up bunny scents. I did manage to find all the presents that the neighbor’s horse left on the ground.

The Mom: {interrupting} ahem…and yes, we don’t need to get into how you tried to enjoy snacking on them, either.

Elsa: Yeah, I was disappointed. When I managed to almost, so-close nosh on one, I wasn’t keen on you’re quick yank on my leash, dragging me back on the road.

The Mom: No need to tempt the gods with an upset digestive system, yanno.

Elsa: Aww, man, you are always harshing on my fun.

The Mom: Just trying to keep you save, sweetie.

Elsa:  More like being a control freak. But I digress.

The Mom: So what caught your eye on this trip?

Elsa: Well I’m gonna tell you, this wheel thing sure had me do a double take. You uprights…you throw the weirdest things in your gardens.

Wagon wheel

The Mom: Well, I thought it was kinda cool if you’re into sort of thing. Nothing like an old wagon wheel-axle to bring the West to a garden.

Elsa: Umm…weird, Mom, just weird. This ain’t the O.K. Corral, okay!

The Mom: Art is in the eye of the beholder, toots.

Elsa: {head shaking} Guess I guess we just have to agree to disagree. Anyway, we probably should move on. One thing about the prairie that I like is how wide open the vista is. As far as the eye can see, there’s stuff to check out along the horizon. I noticed you neglected to include Pikes Peak (which was off to the far right) in your photo.

Prairie horizon

The Mom: I thought I had it but clearly not. Too bad, too. There was a touch of snow on the back side that people who drive south on I-25 never get to see. But at least that ancient piñon tree stands out.

Elsa: That it does. I was disappointed we didn’t see any antelope. Talk about weird. They stand out on the plains and just blink and stare. Why won’t they come closer like the donkeys do?

The Mom: Well they’re just being cautious around potential predators.

Elsa: {beaming with pride} Huh…so I’m considered a potential predator, eh? Well, color me proud!

The Mom: Umm, that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Elsa: It is when you’re a Ninja. People respect you.

The Mom: {eyes rolling} One thing about life on the prairie is the sunrises are pretty spectacular. The orange light can wake a person up from a sound sleep.

Sunrise

Elsa: It was pretty bright. But very cool…it allowed me to look for bunnies first thing in the morning in the early morning light.

The Mom: Yeah, all that sniffing for bunnies in the ‘crisp’ early morning light isn’t really taking care of the business at hand, if you know what I mean.

Elsa:  Hey, a girl’s gotta explore. You said it yourself…us dogs process our world through our noses and if I go a little bit off the reservation, that’s called enrichment.

The Mom: Enrichment, eh? Guess I need to make a note to myself to be bundled up while you’re enriching yourself.

Elsa: Well duh, Mom! Sheesh, that goes without saying. Think of it like the Boy Scouts do. Be prepared.

The Mom: O-kay. Got it. {eyes rolling again}

Elsa: Hey! I see you rolling your eyes…again. That’s kinda rude, Mom.

The Mom: Umm, er…sorry.  So what else do you have?

Elsa: Clever deflection, Mom. At times, you actually think like me. Well, we always walk past this neighbor’s house when we visit my Grandpa and this was the first time I actually got to investigate the rabbit brush. I could tell lots of bunnies hide out in it. But where the heck were they when we walked by? I mean, you know I’m a good hunter and I saw bupkis. That’s no bueno, Mom.

Rabbit brush

The Mom: I’m sure you’ll see them again soon. We are headed down to see Grandpa again for Thanksgiving.

Elsa: {excitedly} Ooh, can’t wait. Maybe I’ll even see a bunny in the yucca plants. The flowers have gone to seed and I’ll bet they eat those black seeds.

Yucca

The Mom: Maybe. I’ve never have seen one close by. No doubt those stiff spines tend to protect them. I’m sure the birds are more interested than the rabbits.

Elsa:  One thing about the prairie this time of year, it’s sure full of various shades of brown at first look. But when you’re ace hunter with a killer nose like me, you notice all the tawny shades. You uprights would do well to notice nuances like that. Too bad you don’t have excellent sniffers.

Prairie in autumn

The Mom: That’s true, we tend to be more visual. But there are lots of shades in the brown family on the prairie right now. This snakeweed for instance was gloriously orangey with tones of brown. It was everywhere and the spent flowers stuck to your legs and my socks like Velcro.

Elsa: Yeah, I had to ‘evacuate’ those pesky stickery things with my teeth. Next time maybe I’ll let you brush me after our walk.

The Mom: Wait…what? You’d actually let me brush you without a fight? I know you’re not all that keen on brushing.

Elsa: Well I know you at least have my best interests at heart. How about we take a “let’s wait and see” approach?

The Mom: Uh-huh…that’s what I thought. Just remember it’s for your own good.

Elsa: Yeah, you keep telling me that. Well that’s all I got this week. I know you got stuff to take care of this morning so how about we tell folks to have a good weekend and be sure to get outside and enjoy autumn…wherever they are.

The Mom: Sounds like a plan. I agree with Elsa…be sure to enjoy the weekend and enjoy the beauty of Nature in autumn, wherever you are.

Elsa: Hey, I’m supposed to have the last word. Have a ‘wagnificent’ weekend. And don’t forget to click on the link to see what everyone else shared about Nature on the website of the LLB gang. And say hi to Rosy and Sunny from me.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ November 3, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 58 Comments

Welcome to the first Friday of November. My goodness, any idea as to how in the dog did we got to November already? As always we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Make sure you click on the link to see what else was shared.

The Mom: Yoo-hoo, oh Elsa…time to share pics from this week for Nature Friday.

Elsa

Elsa: Nope, not coming out. I’m still recovering from the humiliation I suffered from wearing that ridiculous Halloween outfit.

The Mom: Aww come on, everyone thought you were cute.

Elsa: Cute?? Baby ducks are cute! I am a Ninja.

The Mom: Ahh sweetie, I’m sorry if you’re feeling bad about your Halloween photo. I was super proud of you for posing so nicely. You did well, Ninja.

Elsa: Of course I did well. Remember, I’m a total professional.

The Mom: And professionals don’t pout. They lift their head, put their big girl pants on and get back to doing what they are extra good at.

Elsa: Nope, I told you already…I’m not doing it.

The Mom: {begging while pulling out the extra high value treats from the cupboard} Please? For me? {crinkling the package}

Elsa: Oh man, you don’t play fair, do you? You know I can’t resist those dehydrated fish skins. They are so addictive and I absolutely love them. Ok, but you better keep ’em flowing if you expect me to share this week’s nature looks from around the ‘Hood. Got it, Kemosabe?

The Mom: Deal! So other than Halloween, what have you been up to this week?

Elsa: Well, there was that 6 inches of white stuff that hit us over the weekend. That was kind of an adventure. And then there was the cold that followed. But I gotta admit, I’ve been having a blast eating my weight in snow on our walks.

Elsa eating snow

The Mom: Yeah, you have been obsessed with chewing snow along our walks. What’s up with that?

Elsa: IMy new job-I’m on water quality control recognisance. Denver Water contacted me to check it out for dogs everywhere in the metro area.

The Mom: Uh-huh…sure. I don’t think that’s a real job.

Elsa: It is for me. I can’t let snow that’s built up next to sidewalks go un-tasted. Plus, I’m keeping hydrated-very important for us canine ninjas.

The Mom: {eyes rolling} Maybe we ought to move along. So what would you like to feature this week?

Elsa: Well, let’s go with the obvious. Like I said, it snowed about 6 inches of white stuff but then it also added about 87 inches of green stuff.

The Mom: Don’t remind me. The Silver Maple and the Catalpa trees didn’t appreciate the weather and kinda went crazy shedding leaves.

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Elsa: Thanks for raking them up from the sidewalk…you know how much I despise walking on them…although I noticed they aren’t crunchy, but they are gross and mushy. Still…no bueno in my books.

The Mom: I agree, they stick to my shoes and your paws and we both end up dragging them into the house. Definitely no bueno. Vacuuming every 12 minutes is not my idea of fun and games.

Elsa: You’ll get no argument from me on vacuuming. That noisy beast scares me.

The Mom: And then as if on cue, the wind came up and dropped another ton. I need to figure out what to do with them in the interim since it’ll be next week before the city will collect leaves for the compost project. Sigh.

Elsa: Ugh. Don’t tell me things like that. I’ll worry my pretty little head off.

The Mom: Oh no, don’t do that. It’s just that it is that time of year where leaves fall; we just have to accept this part of Mother Nature.

Elsa: {boo…hiss} I vote no.

The Mom: Sadly, it won’t make a difference on that kind of vote.

Elsa: Harumph…so much for democracy.

The Mom: {shaking her head} Oh sweetie…what else you got?

Elsa: Well I was thinking we should share pics of those funky critters we encountered. I still can’t believe why some uprights put this kind of stuff in their gardens!

The Mom: The first one really cracked me up. Everyone around here has jumped on the Colorado Buffaloes bandwagon and their notorious Coach Prime…aka Deion Sanders. Lo and behold when I walked over to the Post Office, I came across this new sculpture. It took me a second to realize it’s a buffalo! Interesting metal work, don’t you think?

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Elsa: Hmm, not sure I get it but this just goes to show art is in the eyes of the beholder. I was pleased to see you were brave enough to walk up the stairs to photograph that giraffe but glad you captured it quickly. That guard dog was none too pleased with us scoping out his giraffe. Speaking of giraffe, isn’t that the one we saw through the trees back in August? You can see that post here.

The Mom: Good memory, Ninja. Yes, it was obscured through all the brush but I decided to get closer now that most of the leaves have fallen. I really do like that piece. So unusual.

Elsa: Well as long as I don’t have to give that guard dog a piece of my mind, I guess it’s ok. Sheesh, not very hospitable was he? You should have let me teach him some manners.

The Mom: Umm, no..that’s fine. Besides, he was just protecting his giraffe. That’s his job and you wouldn’t want to deprive him of his job, now would you?

Elsa: {pondering for a moment} Yeah, you’re probably right but I was ready to go Rocky on his butt. Nobody talks to my Mom like that and gets away with it.

The Mom: Aww, aren’t you sweet? So I went back to Sloan’s Lake a couple of days ago to see how things looked after last week. All the gold and reddish colored trees have dropped their leaves but the cattails were kind of interesting. I also noticed the squirrels and birds should get nice & chonky this month with pumpkins and fruit setting on trees.

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Elsa: Mt. Evans in the distant with the snow was kinda cool. Too bad you couldn’t get a better angle from the hill. It was much prettier than this pic lets on.

The Mom: Sometimes you just gotta go with what you can get. Still, it was a pretty morning looking west from the lake instead of toward downtown.

Elsa: Well that’s it from me. So…got anything cooking for the weekend? I think we’re just gonna chill (though it will be nice around here for a few days). Whatever you do, we hope you get outside and check out what Nature’s got going on. We realize it’s that time of year where things get busy as folks gear up for the holidays, but trust me…it’d be good to look around and see the beauty out there. Have a ‘wagnificent’ weekend.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Howl-oween 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 64 Comments

Elsa - Halloween

Elsa: You are so going to pay for this humiliation, Mother!

The Mom: Egad…you know you’re in trouble when you’re called Mother.

Elsa: Happy Howl-oween, peeps. We both hope it’s safe, fun but sans dumb costumes. Please stay away from Mothers who encourage you with high value treats in their pockets-it’s a complete ruse to humiliate you and is far worse than seeing any ghosts. And while you’re being careful, please stay away from chocolate-it’s not good for us four-leggers.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 13, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 52 Comments

Tra, la, la, la, la…doh, dum, de, do….Greetings, peeps, Elsa here to share this week’s Hodge-Podge Friday scenes from around the Ranch.

The Mom: Umm, sweetie…it’s “Nature Friday” not Hodge-Podge Friday. Would you like to correct that so we can get started  as we join our pals, Rosy and Sunny from LLB in Our Backyard.

Elsa: Nope, not happening. I’m calling it Hodge-Podge Friday because none of the photos you took have any real theme. I looked up hodge-podge in the online Oxford Dictionary and it specifically defines it as, and I quote, a confused mixture. So nope, it stays Hodge-Podge Friday.

The Mom: Ahem…well ex-cuussse me. Jeez, you’re pretty scrappy today. What’s got your backside all up in arms?

Elsa: Nothing special. My blog, my post. Now can we get on with it? I got things to do.

The Mom: Bwahahaha, what do you have to do today?

Elsa: I’m a dog, there’s always something to do. We are always busy, even if you don’t think so.

Sleeping Elsa

The Mom: I see…so is that what you consider as ‘so busy?’

Elsa: Erm…I’m thinking…this blogging thing is harder than it looks. Now can I get on with it?

The Mom: Fine by me. What ‘cha got?

Elsa: Well I know you went to another Dragon Boat Race last weekend, this one in Broomfield. You must really like those races. Not sure I’m on board with all that water activity but whatever floats your boat. I will give you the fact that it was a pretty autumn day. Are we through the hot temps…finally?

Broomfield park

The Mom: Well you know Colorado. I’m sure there’ll be a day or two in the 80’sºF over the next couple of weeks, but it’s probably safe to say, most likely.

Elsa: You sure know how to slice the hair in half. Is this from all the years you worked in the legal field, quibbling over terms like ‘may’ as opposed to just stating a fact?

The Mom: Ahem…I don’t quibble. But I am just trying to express the possibilities that may or may not happen.

Elsa: See, you did it again!! What the dog, Mom!

The Mom: Oops, I guess I do tend to equivocate sometimes. Sorry.

Elsa: Whatever. Just wanted you to be aware that I’m keenly aware of how you do that. So I noticed one dog at least tried to compete with the boat racers. What was up with that knucklehead?

Dog in Water

The Mom: Whaddu mean? He was just enjoying a simply swim and there weren’t any Canadian geese to race against the boats.

Elsa: Swim and enjoyment are mutually exclusive in my books.

The Mom: {eyes rolling} To each her own, right? Remember we talked about this thing called tolerance, Elsa.

Elsa: Ugh…I just want people to know how dumb it seems for dogs to actually jump in water and swim. You wouldn’t catch me doing that…not for all the bones in Denver.

The Mom: But some dogs DO enjoy it so let them have their fun.

Elsa: Sheesh…so where’s an actual picture of a race? I know this was not nearly as large an event but let me see for myself.

Dragon Boat Race

The Mom: You’re correct, it was a smaller venue but I mean…Dragon Boats! It was fun watching folks compete and it looked like they all had a good time. I especially enjoyed the entertainment from a couple of dance groups from the Asian Pacific community. Such colorful costumes on kids as young as 10 years old dancing for the small crowd.

Elsa: You think it was small because they’ve only been doing it for the past 3 years at that park? Seems a shame considering how many thousands experienced the one at Sloan’s Lake back in July.

The Mom: Could be, but I’m sure more folks will start attending. It wasn’t even close to hot which was a huge plus. The drawback was I couldn’t walk to the venue and it seemed like so far though it was only about 20 miles away. I just rarely drive that far.

Dragon Boat Race

Dragon Boat Race

Dragon Boat Race

Elsa: Ooh, I’d love to chase those twirling skirts and I’m sure that littlest girl would love to have me lay my head in her lap. Maybe next time, I’ll go.

The Mom: Umm, hate to break it to you, even though dogs are welcome to the event, they aren’t allowed on stage. So, no…that ain’t gonna happen.

Elsa: {ruckus…rats…%$&#} You just never let me have any fun!

The Mom: I’m sure if you learned to dance, they’d allow you on stage, but I don’t make the rules.

Elsa: I notice our neighbors are getting into the Halloween spirit full bore. I heard you tell the lady you’re making them Instagram stars.

Skellies

Skellies

The Mom: {snicker} Well I wouldn’t say Instagram stars but a lot of people sure seem to enjoy my posts and have contacted me to get the address so they can see them in person. The theme this week was ‘camping.’ I had to chuckle, though with the 2 dozen Skellies they must have, it must take an entire weekend to dress and set the props for the scene. It makes me smile whenever I go past that house.

Elsa: I saw that one dog who started barking at the big skellies, growling with raised hackles. What a rube!

The Mom: Now, now, Elsa…Halloween can be scary for some dogs. You used to bark your head off whenever Trick-er-treaters rang our doorbell in costume.

Elsa: Those were serial killers, I was only protecting the Ranch.

The Mom: {eyes rolling} Oh Elsa…you slay me sometimes.

Elsa: Glad I can be of comedic entertainment for you. Just don’t come crying to me when something bad happens. I take my security duties quite seriously. So is there anything else autumnal, this week?

The Mom: Well as a matter of fact, yes. Leaves are s-l-o-w-l-y beginning to change. A few here and there. This one was all aglow when we walked over to the library.

Changing leaves

Elsa: Pretty, yes, but the crunching leaves kind of bother my feet. The jury is still out on this whole autumn thing. But I do appreciate the cooler temps. And what the dog was this guy doing sashaying along the sidewalk this week?

The Mom: I know, right? There were 4 dogs in the nearby vicinity and he just waltzed past us. Blew me away. Usually they dash so fast I can’t get any kind of pic that close.

Fox

Elsa: Did you see my jaw drop open? I don’t know what he was thinking walking past us and the other dogs. I’m still flabbergasted.

The Mom: It was one of the more unusual encounters we’ve had. Seeing foxes always makes me smile.

Elsa: Me too. I think I could be a good friend if only they’d let me.

The Mom: Probably not, but it’s a nice thought. Well that’s it for this week. It wasn’t too bad, was it?

Elsa: Hodge-podge, Mom, definitely hodge-podge. So what’s on board for your weekend? Got anything going on? Whatever you do, we hope you get to see some of the pretty things Nature is serving up right now.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ September 29, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 38 Comments

ElsaWelcome to the last Friday of September and the latest edition of Nature Friday, where we join our pals, Rosy and Sunny from LLB in Our Backyard. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what else has been shared. Elsa here to share some glimpses of autumn. Not so’s you’d know it here in the Mile High…it’s been warm and dry although the mornings are delightfully crisp. Mom says I’m practically giddy ‘boinging’ along on our morning walks. But Mom’s prone to hyperbole, so I’m not sure we can trust her on that observation. I have no idea what she’s talking about…she’s so weird sometimes.

Our family got together for a wedding this past week in  beautiful Glenwood Springs in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado near Aspen. You couldn’t ask for a prettier setting at a prettier time of year for a wedding. Let the leaf peeping commence.

Aspen leaves

Crystal blue skies dominated the weekend and the aspen leaves were just beginning to start changing colors, being somewhat delayed by extended summer temps. But what has changed did not disappoint.

Glenwood Springs

So let’s look at the area historically speaking. Ute Indians originally occupied the region and were nomadic hunter-gatherers who seasonally used the natural hot springs lived in the area. Glenwood Springs, originally known as Defiance, was founded by Isaac Cooper in the late 1800’s. Established in 1883 as an encampment containing tents, saloons, and dare I say, ahem…brothels. Like so many other Wild West towns, gamblers, gunslingers, and prostitutes made it home.

Surrounded by red colored sandstone cliffs, Glenwood has been visited by some famous peeps over the years, including President Teddy Roosevelt. Doc Holliday of the O. K. Corral fame, spent the last months of his life there as well as the outlaw gunman, Kid Curry, who was part of the Butch Cassidy’s gang, are both buried in the Pioneer Cemetery.

Glenwood Springs

Did you know that Glenwood Springs was one of the first cities in the US to have installed electric lights. That says something, doesn’t it? Situated in and around narrow mountain valleys where the Colorado River and the Roaring Fork Rivers meet, the terrain is steep and has some well known geothermal activity (hot springs). Glenwood Springs

Glenwood Springs owns some of the oldest and senior water rights to the Colorado River and has implemented a good conservation plan, so it continues to sufficiently serve its residents. The town itself lies outside of the Colorado Mineral Belt, with no mineral, oil and gas resources near the town so the watershed is clean and pure. Glenwood Springs has none of the typical legacy of pollution like many mountain areas  that had mines did.

Glenwood Springs

People in the valley are avid fishermen (and women) and those lucky enough to live on or near the river are always prepared. Mom said you never know when a 20″ long trout will ‘greet’ you. Even if catch and release is the norm.

Fishing, Glenwood Springs

While walking down to the creek, Mom stumbled on this scrub oak leaf. She seemed pretty jazzed. I’m not sure what the big deal is but I guess it’s pretty. Sort of. Looks like leather to me. Say, isn’t leather good eating? Asking for a friend, mind you.

Leaves

On the drive home, Mom spied a waterfall on the side of I-70 near Vail. It was nice to see something pretty because traffic was heavy and moved at a snail’s pace. Guess leaf peepers gotta get home to go back to work. Mom wished they would have just stayed in the area and not clogged up the highway. Oops, was that my out loud voice? Sometimes you get lucky to see something beautiful and surprising. Way to go, Mother Nature.

Waterfall, Vail

One last slice of nature that caught Mom’s eye this week was the last Super moon for 2023.

Supermoon

Sometimes things in the city can be as beautiful as in the mountains.

And because I’m such a sentimental schloob, here’s a pic from the wedding of Mom’s nephew and his new bride. Nice setting, isn’t it?

Wedding

So, have you got any exciting plans for this weekend? Are the leaves changing in your neighborhood?

Live, love, bark!  🐾

Talk Like A Pirate Day ~ 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 42 Comments

Well, ahoy me maties and shiver me timbers…today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day and because I apparently enjoy living dangerously, I thought why not try for another photo session with the ninja to celebrate it. I mean if she would no doubt pay me back anyway for the birthday Gotcha Day picture session, why not go all in and really make it worth her while? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve walked the plank so I decided to go all in. It wasn’t as easy as you might think. Let’s review the process of how we got here after a few tidbits about how this day became what it is today.

Back in 1995, pals John Bauer and Mark Summer were playing racket ball together and randomly chiding each other by talking in an exaggerated form of pirate talk for the day just for fun. They decided to mark the day annually on Summer’s ex birthday so they’d be sure to remember it. For a few years it was celebrated mostly amongst themselves and friends until humorist Dave Barry brought public attention to it in 2002.

Now let’s see what it took for us to get here.

Step 1. Locate the hat thingy that Sam wore a few years back at a hospital visit one Halloween. Pull out the box that houses  all the hats and bandanas. Drat, it wasn’t there.

Step 2. Ok then, no biggy. Find the bag with a couple of Halloween costume items. Normally I loathe the whole Halloween thing because the doorbell ringing always drove the dogs nuts but when I worked, our department was always a leader in clever costumes so I have a couple of old standbys from those days I can tap.

Step 3. Closet where the costumes live 99.9% of the time was going to need organizing in order for me to reach said bag that houses the costumes.

Step 4. Well I figured since I’m organizing any way, guess I’d better vacuum while I’m pulling things out, right? It’ll only take a second but discover vacuuming takes a while since I’ve been purging books, clothes and household items no longer being utilized into a large pile that I need to maneuver around. Grr…where the heck is THAT doggone bag in this mess?

Step 5. A-ha…find the bag. Rifle through it, poop…the Davey Jones hat thingy not there. However there is one other bag it might be in so I go find a step ladder to easily pull that one down to check.

Step 6. Eureka…finally found the Davey Jones hat thingy but realize it’s in the wrong bag so reorganize both bags to reflect what’s what. Get out labelmaker to identify the boxes both bags will now live in. Have successfully cleaned the shelves, reorganized the Halloween stuff and managed to find a bunch of old craft projects never started and arrange to include them in the pile headed for the thrift shop. This only took a couple of hours. Ugh, I’m tired and think maybe just forget the whole bloody thing.

Step 7. Fortuitously (or not, depending which side of the fence you’re on) Elsa sashays into the studio. Ooh, ooh, energy surges through my evil veins…”come here said the spider to the fly!”

Step 8. Surprisingly and unwittingly, Elsa waltzes over. I spend several minutes showering her with praise and ear rubs. She’s unsuspecting but now she’s giving me the signal she’d like to take a potty break. Sigh. To accommodate the princess, I take time to take her outside where she sniffs, sniffs, and sniffs some more. Finally, success. This only took 20 minutes.

Step 9. Aware I better strike while the iron is hot, I go into the pantry and pull out the chicken jerky and begin to cut up several pieces. Elsa’s nose catches that nirvana sweet smell of chicken and follows me into the living room, Davey Jones hat and chicken jerky in hand.

Step 10. I ask Elsa to sit politely. She’s starting to realize she’s walked into a trap while giving her a treat, and she plops down as I wave another one in front of her nose. Now I have her full attention. Like Blackbeard, I slyly go to set the scene.

Step 11. I slowly pull the hat from my pocket. “Uh-oh…what did I get myself into” expression flashes crossed Elsa’s face. Enter another well-timed treat. She relaxes-whew.

Step 12. Anchor hat on Elsa’s head which drops because she now realizes exactly what’s coming.

Step 13. Hold up head with the booty under her nose to get her attention. She perks up-snap!

Step 14. This old salt may be just a landlubber but I’m in the groove. I pull out another piece of jerky and wave it under the lassie’s nose. She sniffs at it like a true buccaneer and takes it ever so gently. Yum, she thinks…is this a great country or what?

Step 15. Snapping simultaneously as my hand quickly pulls out of the frame, I capture this pic. She may be a black dog and harder than heck to get any decent pic but after nearly 3 hours of preparation, I have my prize and shout for joy! Bonus, I have a clean and organized closet-woohoo!

Elsa Talk Like a Pirate

Step 16. Elsa’s thinking ‘dead men tell no tales’ but another well timed piece of chicken jerky seems to make her forget her indignity for a few seconds. I retrieve the hat, put it in my pocket and dispense yet another treat.

Step 17. “Aye, aye, maybe this wasn’t so bad,” Elsa thinks. She even wags her tail a bit which she seems to know will also be rewarded since she’s not much of a tail wagger.

“X” marked the spot and we all found our respective treasure. Luckily for us, we have some time before there’s another photo session. I don’t think I can do this again any time soon.

Have fun today with International Talk Like a Pirate Day. All I can say is “thank heavens for Dave Berry and chicken jerky.”

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Monday Musings ~ September 18, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 62 Comments

Gotcha Day

While I played ‘Queen for the weekend,’ and paw-tied like it’s 1999, today is Monday which means we get to start the week out with a smile.

And by smile, I don’t mean at the one above. And if you snickered at it, I WILL find you. Mom is already on notice; you can see me plotting my revenge    .

Elsa

She is not getting away unscathed for having me pose in multiple photo sessions. I will get even, despite her trying to bribe me make it up to me by making the best scrambled egg breakfast on my special day while showering me with loads of attention and tasty high-value treats all weekend. And because I’m not a complete tool, here’s your Monday smile. You’re welcome.

Smile

Here’s hoping all your ‘go’s’ are pawsome the entire week.

Live, love, bark! 🐾