Category: Urban scenes

Nature Friday ~ October 18, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 59 Comments

Elsa on sofa

{Whispering} Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our hosts, Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others shared. Elsa here with the latest skinny from around the Ranch. I wanted to start today’s post before that numbskull messes it up like he did last week. On the one hand, it’s still pretty dark early in the morning so pardon me for whispering-don’t want to wake up the kraken. On the other hand, it’s dark and by getting up early to beat that fool, I’m missing out on my beauty sleep. The things I do for this blog.

Anyway, this has been a whirlwind busy of a week…

Wilson: {yawning and smacking his lips} Huh, blurp…uh, what’s going on…where am I? I’m up!

Elsa: {rolling her eyes} Dude, you interrupted me. I was laying the foundation for you to open up with this week’s post. You’re awake? Your bedhead looks pretty gnarly, House Pony.

Wilson, bed head

Wilson: Umm, yeah…I haven’t had a chance to brush my hair yet but thought I was hearing you talk to someone. So…is it kosher for me to start now?

Elsa: If you must. Go for it.

Wilson: Well, when you put it like that…this week we are joining our friends…

Elsa: {smacks paw against her forehead} You fool, I already took care of that.

Wilson: Right, okay, then I presume it’s ok to start sharing photos?

Elsa: Yes!! Sheesh, I don’t know why I…ugh…you just can’t get good help. Go already!

Wilson: {shaking off the annoying little sister’s comment} As I was just about to say…it’s been quite the week. You managed to eat more mail again, including Mum’s ballot she just received. You seem to be on a mission to send her over the edge.

Ballot

Elsa: Maybe I was just irritated that she took you on a separate, longer walk after our initial sniff-ari. Besides, did you see it was 6 pages long? Sheesh, Mom’s busy and doesn’t have time to investigate all those citizen initiatives on the ballot. She just wants to make sure her vote for President is counted. The ballot was too long, I was just shortening it for brevity’s sake.

Wilson: We dogs are a smart lot, but Mum said you’ve lost the plot, little sister.

Elsa: Get over yourself. Besides, it was good for Mom to get out and see the world. Even if it’s the construction zone formerly known as downtown. Whoa, what a cluster. If it makes you feel better, I felt bad that she had to endure the crazy trip. She took the bus downtown to avoid the outrageous parking fees on what was a very nice autumn day (we’re hoping autumn temps will now dominate the landscape) but had no idea she was going to have to be plunked in the middle of such a major construction zone and would need to walk about on foot to get to the election board.

Wilson: Well you should feel badly. Without wheels, she was forced to wander hither and yon, back and forth, to get around all the construction on the mall (they’re resurfacing it and there was loads of heavy excavation equipment and workers directly traffic) in order to get over to the election office to obtain a duplicate ballot. She was too cautious to take photos of all that chaos with uneven surfaces, holes and the like and that wasn’t the kind of nature she wanted to share anyway so when she realized she was going to need to walk home, she walked along Cherry Creek which runs parallel to downtown. She discovered the creek was clear, but it was littered with all kinds of trash. That 3+ mile walk home was pretty depressing. Here’s a gallery of some of what she saw.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Elsa: Whoa…the first couple of pics looked pretty good. The golden light was nice, everyone loves seeing ducks and things seemed all hunky-dory.

Wilson: Right, but the longer she walked, the more depressing and filthy it got. Despite multi-million dollar lofts on the east side of Cherry Creek, there was a lot of trash in the creek. Broken bottles, wrappers and even a chair. Come on humans…do better for our planet. Mum has never seen it like that before.

Elsa: I couldn’t agree more, brother. I see she got a decent shot of Confluence Park where Cherry Creek and the South Platte meet. Surprised there weren’t more people hanging out-it used to always have people playing in the water, kayaking and throwing sticks for their dogs in the past.

Wilson: Why would anyone want to deal with the traffic, construction and trash?

Elsa: I see your point. So now to the portion of our post where you gleefully get to post the latest Halloween scene from around the ‘Hood. I know this will make your bum wiggle with joy.

Wilson: I truly have found this neighborhood really gets into the whole Halloween decorating thing. It’s puzzling to me. This first photo is what is known as Halloween central. People from all over the city come to see this yard which has dozens of skellies including a lot of animal skellies. They change up the scene, usually weekly. Can you imagine dressing up all these guys every week? The latest theme-Olympic, is complete with flags from France (the most recent host to the summer Olympics), USA and even the Olympic flag with the iconic rings. They even went to the trouble of getting placards for the various displayed competition events which included a some gymnastics scenes, judo, swimming, table tennis and wrestling. Everytime we walked past it Mum finds another thing she’s missed before. She stands there in awe some days. People drive or walk by taking photos and shaking their heads in awe. Humans are truly odd.

Dog skellie

Elsa: That’s an understatement. So big guy, anything on your agenda this weekend?

Wilson: Just the usual dog stuff. Chase squirrels, nosh on treats and cuddle with Mum. It’s been quite crisp in the mornings and I have found she appreciates me blanketing her and keeping her nice and toasty.

Elsa: {under her breath} More like being pinned down and unable to move a muscle.

Wilson: Huh, what’s that you say?

Elsa: Oh nothing. Whatever you do, we hope you’re able to enjoy a lovely autumn weekend. Our forecast is calling for snow in the southwestern part of the state with Wolf Creek Pass already getting some yesterday. Naturally Denver remains a brown spot. Sigh.

Weather forecast
Image courtesy of the DenverGazette.com website.

Wilson: Maybe if we’re lucky, we might get a drop or two of rain in the city with a couple of inches of snow in the nearby mountains. Hope springs eternal.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 11, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 44 Comments

🎵 Humming…Rule Britannia… 🎵

Halloween

Elsa: {practically apoplectic} What the dog do you think you doing?!?!?!

Wilson: I’m starting our post with the latest Halloween photo from the neighborhood.

Elsa: No, you moron…we don’t start out Nature Friday with a Halloween photo. What is wrong with you? And singing the British anthem…that’s definitely a faux pax. You’re no more British than I am!

Wilson: Well I am a British Isle breed and figured since I am, it would be okay . Don’t you think that was clever and fun to switch things up a bit. Sorry.

Elsa: Not even a little and your apology is not accepted. Let me just say for the record, you seriously miscalculated. We always start out by saying…Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our hosts, Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Blah, blah, blah…don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared. Then I say “Elsa here, ready to share this week’s latest scenes from around the Ranch with the House Pony. Then, and only then do you enter. Now you’ve just gone and killed the entire post’s mojo. Thanks for screwing that up big time, bozo!

Wilson:  Oh my heavens…someone seems a bit testy this week. Guess Mum isn’t the only one who’s short on sleep. Fine, I’ll start all over…

Elsa: {Interrupting} Oh never mind. Just get on with it.

Wilson: {harumph} Fine…moving along then, Mum has been  super busy this week so photos of Nature around the neighborhood are a bit thin but I’ll try to do the best I can.

Elsa: Don’t bother. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle and try to save this train wreck now. {head shaking} Dang, I still can’t get over you opened with a photo before I set it up for you.  But go on, proceed now, Bozo.

Wilson: You’re not going to let this go, are you?

Elsa: This is the biggest deviance in the history of deviances on this blog. Of course I’m not letting this go. You’re making me regret letting you be a contributor to these posts.

Wilson:  Look, I apologized. What else can I do? {proceeding ahead and clearing his throat} Ahem…guess I better soldier on as best as I can. Last week we shared the pictures of leaves changing in the mountains but they’re barely changing here in the city. It’s still very much summer, temperature-wise although a few trees are beginning to ‘golden’ up. Which segues nicely to this week’s featured images. Mum recently participated in a hospital event for the hospital in nearby Golden, on one of those pretty autumn-ish, and warm days. Mum hadn’t been to Golden in forever and according to her, it had changed a lot. It’s not the cute little town west of Denver anymore. It’s turned into hipsterville these days with loads of fancy galleries and more restaurants than one can shake a stick at; the riverwalk was lovely (but crowded) and it was cool to view Clear Creek from the bridge and do some people watching.

Golden, CO

Elsa: Whoa…look at that clear water in downtown Golden! Is that why they call it Clear Creek? Very nice view from the bridge. Clear Creek has lots of activities going on all the time from kayaking to fishing, to just plain old fashioned people watching. What do you know about Golden’s history?

Wilson: Golden began as a gold rush mining camp back around 1859 and was named after Thomas L. Golden, one of the first prospectors to strike it rich in the area. “Golden City,” as it was called back in its early days actually was the territorial seat. Once Colorado achieved statehood, Denver became the state capitol, much to the chagrin of Golden locals but it hasn’t stopped Golden from continuing to grow.

Elsa: Interesting. What else did Mom see?

Wilson: She walked down to get a better view of the riverwalk  but it was crowded with lots of people to really get many good photos. Still, it could be a fun walk strolling around all the public artwork when there aren’t as many people around.

Golden, CO

Elsa: Wait…is that a dog in that sidecar on that e-bike? Can you imagine how much fun it would be to ride in comfort checking things out on the road.

Wilson: I know, right? Mum said I could never be a passenger since she doubted she could pedal with me in it. Something about too much ballast.

Elsa: {snicker} You know that just means she say you’re a fat dolt, don’t you?

Wilson: Fat? {gasp}, I am decidedly NOT fat…the vet said I was perfect with a nice slim waistline now.

Elsa: That may be but I guarantee Mom is still not pedaling your big tush on any riverwalk, even if was all downhill.

Wilson: Gosh, you are quite harsh today…

Elsa: You’re the reason, dude. If you would have just followed the rules, everything could be all hunky dory. But no…you had to go off the reservation by beginning with a Halloween photo  right off the bat. I mean, who does that?

Wilson: I guess I do. Sorry. You can be sure it will never happen again.

Elsa: Relax brother. I’m not completely pixxed. I know you meant well, you just failed to execute properly. I’ll forgive you; just don’t let it happen again.

Wilson: Thank you, Ninja-you got it. This whole experience has reminded me that we should have more editorial meetings so I don’t get it wrong again. You know like training sessions.

Elsa: Deal. I’ll bring some treats and we can gnaw over details on how to do this in the future. Waddu say, big guy?

Wilson: Treats? You know I’m all in. So what are you doing this weekend? Whatever you do, we hope you have a wonderful weekend and can enjoy this glorious time of year while enjoying nature. We understand the Northern Lights have been putting on quite the show in northern latitudes. In the meantime, we will continue to pray for everyone affected by the latest hurricane and hope all of you stay safe and strong.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ August 23, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 52 Comments

Elsa on sofa

Happy Friday, sports fans. After yesterday’s August Friends post featuring Wilson and his Wagon, I’m going to let him do today’s edition of Nature Friday…with a bit of supervising just to make sure he’s doing it right. That whole support your brother thing was exhausting. As always, we’re joining our friends Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what everyone else has posted.

Wilson: Thanks again for everyone’s kind, sweet comments to yesterday’s August Friends post. We are so touched by your sweet notes and are particularly grateful to Ann for her awesome artwork. Didn’t she do a fabulous job? So let’s get started, shall we?Elsa:  💤 💤 💤 Huh, wha…? Did I miss something?Wilson: Nope, just setting up today’s slices of nature from around our neighborhood. It’s been an interesting week of ‘this and that.’Elsa: Ok, well chop, chop, House Pony. I got some serious catching up on my 💤 ‘sWilson: Righto. Well, on to it then. So Mum’s been saying for a while that we’ve been overrun by grasshoppers this summer. They have become quite the issue in Colorado and particularly down south where my Grandpa lives. Here is another factor that’s likely being impacted by climate change. According to Colorado State University Extension horticulture expert and entomologist Karim Gharbi, it’s because warmer days began earlier in spring, grasshoppers came out of dormancy sooner which likely means they’ll hibernate later in the season as colder temps will probably be delayed, providing them more opportunities to mow down plants throughout Front Range gardens.

Grasshopper
Ugly little bastards

Wilson: {continuing} These bloody things are everywhere and have caused nearly a 40% loss on farmer’s crops around Pueblo. As if squirrels weren’t bad enough noshing on Mum’s tomatoes, now we have to battle these bloody creatures with insatiable appetites. Grrrr.

Elsa: They constantly startle me when I go outside for potty breaks by jumping in front of me. Mom keeps encouraging me to “git it, Elsa” but no way Jose…I ain’t eating that foul thing. I refuse to even try.

Wilson: Me neither. I prefer wasp protein.

Elsa: {eye rolling} Oy, you’re just begging for a trip to the vet’s office aren’t you?

Wilson: Well, at least they appear to be easier prey than squirrels.

Elsa: You’re supposed to leave both of them alone, you bonehead! {smacking a paw to her forehead} Good grief, why in the world did I get this moron for a brother is beyond me.

Wilson: {disregarding the admonishment} Ahem…moving along. Speaking of vets, Mum found a couple of murals that were freshly painted on the building that’s going to house at a new local veterinary location that’s scheduled to open soon. We like our current vet but this one would be closer to our house and could be a good alternative on those days when the vet’s office is closed. Being a solo practicing vet, he began closing the office on Tuesdays during COVID so this could be a potential backup if necessary. Anyway, Mum was impressed with the artistry and the details on the murals.

Mural Mural

Elsa: Nice! It’s rare these days to find a local independent vet not owned by a big corporate practice group.

Wilson: That’s exactly what Mom said. So, we’ve had some gorgeous sunrises this week. Mum always oohs and ahhs which means she’ll pull out her cellphone to take a picture just as we’re getting started on our walk. I need to remind her gently that “we’re walking and not photographing” but I don’t have the heart when she clearly loves early morning scenes like this. I will say it was a beautiful morning even if I had to wait to get rolling.

Sunrise

Elsa: I’ve begun to notice teeny tiny signs that we’re excited about seeing…little spots of leaves transitioning toward autumn, which, for the record, is just a month away. Hallelujah! It can’t arrive too soon in our books.

Changing leaves

Wilson: That could be heat stress (lots of trees are suffering right now) but Mum thought this strip is watered often so maybe it is a sign that autumn is coming soon. Paws crossed. Moderate temperatures and that beautiful golden light will be so welcomed.

Elsa:  I’ve noticed the Plumbago has been blooming profusely as have the Blue Mist Spirea around the Ranch. Bees really like these plants. Soon the Plumbago leaves will start to turn a beautiful shade of mahogany ushering in autumn.

Plumbago
Plumbago
Blue Mist Spirea
Blue Mist Spirea

Wilson: Bees? {smacking his lips}…

Elsa: Down bucko. Leave them alone; stand back and admire them as they pollinate work.

Wilson: Well alright. But I’d prefer to see them up close and personal. Mum was walking around the neighborhood and came across this beautiful Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, noshing on tasty, nectar filled phlox. He seemed shy as he kept turning away from Mum’s camera but must have been super hungry since he didn’t fly away for several minutes. Mum was so captivated at his beauty.

Swallowtail butterfly

Elsa: Ooh, that was one handsome creature. Well buddy, thanks for sharing some halfway decent pics this week. Whatever you do this weekend, we hope you find time to find joy and beautiful images in Nature. We have no specific plans but just hope to kick back and relax. Have a great weekend!

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark 🐾

Nature Friday ~ August 2, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 42 Comments

Hello mates, Wilson here. Today is the first Friday of August. There are 51 days until the official arrival of autumn and for those of you who enjoy Halloween, 90 days until the fun day. As always, we’re joining those cute little guys over at Adventures of the LLB Gang. So let’s get right to it, shall we?

Elsa: Hey…what are you doing?

Wilson: Mum asked me if I’d host today since she and I took the pictures last Sunday after you had your walk.

Elsa: Oh yeah, right. Ok, Knock yourself out…I’m going back to sleep. You realize it’s still dark outside right now?

Wilson: Righto…but it needs to get done before it gets too hot and there are a bunch of photos which will take some time to load and make ready. Mum has had a busy week and wasn’t able until today to start working on today’s post. I doubt I’ll be able to get it done before we need to leave for our early morning walk-about but am trying to get started. Wish me luck!

Elsa:  💤 💤💤

Wilson: Umm, looks like she was serious about going back to sleep. Oh well. Let’s get started. Last weekend was the annual Dragon Boat Races. We were busy on Saturday and missed the opening which I understand is a big deal with the event being a huge celebration of Asian culture but we decided to check it out on Sunday morning. I must say, I’ve never seen anything quite like it back in Missouri but being devoted to my Mum, I thought, why not. We arrived as the teams were setting up their tents and stretching to get ready for the race. There weren’t many visitors yet which suited Mum just fine. This event draws over 150,000 visitors over the course of a weekend and it gets pretty congested with people, pets, strollers, etc. The northeast entrance to Sloan’s Lake looked quite promising to my stomach with several food trucks greeting us. I wanted to get a closer look but Mum was didn’t want to dally and kept me moving along. The water stations were ready for {yet} another hot day with sunny conditions so we decided to check out the teams and the rest of the festival.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Wilson:  We found the team assembly area and it was abuzz. We wandered around watching people stretch, meet for strategy sessions and pep talks and the taking of their team photos. Mum thought the teams were more numerous and bigger this year.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Wilson: Mum giggled about the team name “Blazing Paddles.” Sometimes I don’t understand her sense of humor but Elsa assured me it was ok. I can only rely on her experience for matters like this.

Elsa: Wha…yawn…did you call me? Is it time for us to go on our walk now?

Wilson: Crikey…I actually am beginning to see a spot of sunlight so right, we best start out. I’ll finish this when I get back.

Wilson: Well, we’re back and I’ll try to get this wrapped up now. As you can tell, it was a bright clear day. The recent weather conditions have contributed to a city wide advisory about blue algae blooms on all lakes. It’s was so bad at Sloan’s Lake, there was even a fish die off.

Elsa: Boy I bet all those million dollar homes surrounding the lake were pretty cheesed off with the smell of rotting fish in the area.

Wilson: Well, can you blame them?

Sloan's Lake

Wilson: Mum wouldn’t let me get near the lake to check things out more closely. Even the cattails were out of bounds. A poor bloke can’t even get a sniff, eh, Mum?

Elsa: Yo House Pony, Mom is just keeping your best interests at heart. Be grateful. You do not want the digestive issues that come from being in contact with that stuff!

Wilson: This year the dock the teams used to get into their boats was segregated from visitors. We couldn’t get very close to inspect the boats.

Dragon Boat Races

Wilson: After a bit of strategic positioning, Mum was able to capture this view but that was as close as it got.

Dragon Boat Races

Elsa: It bears repeating for the umpteenth time, Mom needs to bring her big camera with her for stuff like that.

Wilson: Now that’s ironic, she said the exact same thing! But carrying it and keeping me from squirrel hunting tends to make her rethink that so we’ll see the next time.

Elsa: I’m just saying…

Wilson: Since we couldn’t get close enough to easily see the start of the first race, we decided to head down toward the finish line. Before we got there, we went toward the boat launch to see that view. Not great, but I did get to see a Cormorant bird take off from the launch.

Sloan's Lake

Elsa: Mom calls those guys the aerial submarines of Sloan’s Lake since they dive into the lake to feed and come up yards away. Hope the birds of Sloan’s Lake aren’t impacted by the algae and fish die-off.

Wilson: Me too. I like watching them fly over the lake. Well here’s the winner of the first heat grabbing the flag. Mum is always amazed how they manage to scramble up to the head of the dragon and extend their body to grab the finish flag first.

Dragon Boat Races

Elsa: Can’t help but wonder if anyone falls in while reaching?

Wilson: Wait…what? Why in the world would you even contemplate something like that?

Elsa: Hey, it happens!

Wilson: {dubiously shaking his head} I think, dear sister, you are slightly demented.

Elsa: Hey it’s a reasonable thought. Don’t get all sanctimonious on me Land Hippo!

Wilson: {ignoring the pejorative} Mum learned the theme for this year apparently was the Year of the Wooden Dragon. There was a contest for artists to submit their best depiction. This year’s winner was a student from Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, Markiey Fantonial. Formerly a premed student, Markiey couldn’t resist the call to satisfy his creative spirit. From his bio at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival website,  Mum found this explanation: “His vision for the contest was a fusion of diverse influences, weaving together the intricate beauty of Asian art, using the iconic imagery of Hokusai’s “Great Wave,” the vibrant energy of anime, and the nostalgic essence of his childhood memories. Each stroke of his design reflects a tapestry of cultural resonance and personal expression, drawing viewers into a world where tradition meets innovation, and imagination knows no bounds.” Pretty striking, huh?

Dragon Boat Races

Wilson: As we left the park, we came across the Wooden Boat outrigger which Mum really liked but was disappointed they probably uncovered for the opening ceremonies.

Dragon Boat Races

Wilson: We walked past the dragon tunnel and headed back home as temperatures began to soar. Mum would have like to found someone to chat about that outrigger but there wasn’t anyone nearby.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Elsa: Whoa, that’s pretty cool. Thanks, House Pony. You ‘done good’ this week and I appreciate the extra beauty sleep. Before we go, I want to ask everyone to keep all those working the wildfire lines around Denver in their thoughts and prayers. You may have heard in the national news that Sunday was the last day we had clear skies as 4 fires broke out beginning on Monday. With hot, dry temperatures, gusty wind conditions and in some cases, steep terrain, those fires quickly expanded to include thousands of acres with the air quality in the metro area reached very unhealthy levels affecting everyone, not just conditions. The fire southwest of Denver is in an area where rattlesnakes have complicated efforts by keeping boots off the ground. They’re only able to use air tankers and helicopters to fight that one. Overall, one person has perished, a couple of firefighters were injured and numerous structures have been destroyed. Please send positive thoughts for all first responders as they work to contain these fires as Colorado burns. Have a good weekend and keep in mind that nature is quite cranky with us these days.

Pray for Colorado

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ April 26, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 48 Comments

Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we share bits of urban nature. Well another week of Spring is in the books but like always, we are joining those cuties from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what other posts were shared.

Wilson

Elsa: Yo…yo, House Pony, wake up…it’s time to dish up a few images of spring from around the neighborhood.

Wilson:  {soft snoring} Huh…wha….Oh good morning. The crisp morning air left me wanting to stay in bed a bit longer but now that I’m awake, let’s get rolling!

Elsa: My goodness…aren’t you the eager beaver. So what’s on today’s hit parade?

Wilson: Not sure about any parade but with all the miles we’ve put on this week sniffing around, Mum said Spring is in full display The tulips in particular have been quite posh this Spring though they always disappoint me since they have no fragrance-trust me-I’ve checked. Mum’s red tulips are finally blooming. And notice the volunteer grape hyacinths in the background? Mum has been trying to corral them and even dug som to give to a friend who came by to take some irises and perennials for her garden. Talk about prolific!

Tulips

Elsa: Yeah, I’ve noticed those little scamps popping up in the oddest spots. There’s a whole patch in the garden where they’ve spread like weeds. I’m surprised Mom hasn’t gone on a terror yanking them up.

Wilson: She told me she didn’t mind them naturalizing but then said they were beginning to start acting like the lupines so she may need to start some remediation so they don’t go crazy. I haven’t seen the lupines but Mum told me there likely won’t be many this year. With all her talk about them, I was rather hoping I’d get to experience them. You can see past photos here.

Elsa: Yeah, she took zillions of photos, first with Sam and me and then Norman and me. I dreaded seeing them because it always meant we’d have to pose for 87 hours in the middle of them. Everyone who walked by would wax on about how beautiful they were. They had no idea how us dogs had to put up with photo sessions. I mean, it was almost animal cruelty!

Wilson: Oh gosh, sorry you had to endure that, Ninja. Must have been awful.

Elsa: You have no idea. It was like Christmas pictures. Hours and hours of “sit-stay” poses with all manner of Christmas decorations. The only good thing about it was Mom doled out lots of treats.

Wilson: Treats? Sign me up! I’ll stand on my head if there are treats involved.

Elsa: You say that now, but trust me, you’ll change your tune come later this year when we do our annual Christmas photos.

Wilson: Well I’m up for the challenge. I know Mum has some very high value treats she dispenses when she wants me to do something. I’ll humor her.

Elsa: Jeez, what a brown nose!

Wilson: {correcting} No-no…I have a very black nose. It’s one of those standout features about us Old English Sheepdogs.

Elsa: I was talking figuratively, New Guy. We’re gonna have to work on the meaning of ‘figuratively’ and ‘literally.’ You just don’t seem to understand the difference.

Wilson: I just go by what you tell me. I’m not a mind reading dog, I’m a herding dog. There’s a difference.

Elsa: Whatever. What else have you got?

Wilson: The lilacs are in full bloom and Mum is quite surprised since it’s early in the season. Now, those things DO smell great. Especially on a pretty blue sky day.

Lilacs

Elsa: Be careful where you stick that honker, bees like those flowers for their nectar.

Wilson: I’m not afraid of bees but I think wasps like this one might make me reconsider. Yesterday he was drinking from the solar fountain, buzzing around. I started to take a snap at him but Mum said that would be a very bad idea.

Wasp

Elsa: Trust me, dude. Stay away from those nasty things-they’ll make your tongue swell up if you try to eat one of those things. And then you won’t be able to taste the treats Mom gives you.

Wilson: Egad!! Thanks for that advice. I’ll try hard to avoid them. You can believe I want to be able to taste all the tasty treats Mum gives me.

Elsa: {head shaking} My gawd, you’re like a canine garbage disposal, aren’t you?

Wilson: Mum never gives me garbage.

Elsa: I can’t. I just can’t even begin to school you on the difference of stuff like that.

Wilson: What? I don’t understand…

Elsa: {interrupting} Precisely and I don’t have the time nor the patience to teach you. Let’s move along, House Pony, shall we? Beside that wasp, I think there was another encounter with some urban wildlife, though in all my years at the Ranch, I’ve never seen one of those.

Wilson: I have no idea what the bloody hell that thing was doing sashaying across this yard. I did have a feeling Mum did me a solid but not letting me try to herd it.

Turkey

Elsa: Darn straight she did. You don’t want to mess with those birds. They’ll mess you up but good. Probably came from someone’s city chicken coop.

Wilson: I could sense there was danger in that turkey by how tightly Mum held my leash and kept reinforcing the “leave it!” command with her clicker. Naturally I was a good boy and complied.

Elsa: {hysterical laughter} Complied? Right…I’ve seen how you handle the command to “Leave it!” when there’s a squirrel anywhere around {more raucous laughter}.

Wilson: If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were being quite cheeky with me.

Elsa: Umm, that’s one way of putting it. Good catch. Maybe you’ll figure things out eventually yet. Hope springs eternal.

Wilson:  I’m just going to ignore you and show you some other images we encountered yesterday afternoon. Mum tells me this plant is the state flower.

Columbine

Elsa: Well technically it’s the blue one that’s the state flower but like many of the perennials in the city, it’s blooming early.

Wilson: It’s quite striking, I say. But nothing compared to this purple flower. Mum said she’s never seen these blooming in April.

Iris

Elsa: Yeah, I’d agree. It was quite a shock seeing that pop up in a pile of weeds. Mother Nature seems to be teasing us.

Wilson: Right you are. When Mum and I walked back from the library, we came across this field of yellow flowers. I had to stop and admire them.

Dandelions

Elsa:  I hope Mom told you those yellow flowers are weeds and the bane of gardeners everywhere. With the moisture we’ve received this Spring, they have been a bumper crop of them everywhere. But they are kinda pretty.

Wilson: I should say so…they are quite cheerful. Well, that’s all I have today. I heard we’re going to visit our Grandpa this weekend and I will get to meet Mum’s youngest sister who’s coming from Texas for a short visit. I’m excited to meet more of the family and promise I’ll be on my best behavior.

Elsa: Uh, huh…best, eh? Not sure what you mean by ‘best’ but it should be a nice visit for a few days. What are your plans for the weekend? You doing anything exciting for this last weekend of April? We’re still amazed that May is upon us and just around the corner. Where is this year going?

Wilson: Not sure but it does seem to be moving along quickly. Whatever you do, we hope you’re able to see loads of Nature’s finest. Just avoid the turkeys and wasps.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ April 12, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 68 Comments

Welcome to Nature Friday where we share a few slices of Nature from around our ‘Hood. As always, we are joining our hosts from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Please click on the link to see what other posts were shared.

ElsaIt’s been an exciting and busy week around the Ranch. For a couple of days both me and the New Guy wondered why Mom was gone so much. I mean, what could possibly be more important than us? Elsa here. Well, it turns out our family increased in size. We will now have five, yes FIVE living generations around the Ranch House. How is that possible, you ask? Mom’s first granddaughter gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl (who was just a tad reluctant to leave the comfy womb but who finally made her debut at 12:34 pm on Tuesday). Mom, Dad and baby are all doing well even if they’re massively tuckered out.

Baby Halia
Courtesy of Bella Baby Photography

I can say without reservation Mom is over the moon even if she’s not sure about being called a great grandma. I think that means she’s older than dirt but we’ll love her just the same. We can hardly wait to meet this little one. The Pony told me he’s an excellent and very responsive baby watcher. We’ll see but he does seem to respond to crying babies, puppies and mewing kittens whenever he hears them in a video.

Wilson: I say, little sister, does this mean I’m an uncle now?

Elsa: No Oaf…you’re not an uncle. Because this is a G-rated blog, I can’t say what you are but you will be expected to be on your best, furry behavior.

Wilson: So what do WE call this bundle?

Elsa: I was gonna guess Princess, but Mom says her name is Halia which is apparently Hawaiian for “remembrance.” Her name is an homage to all the grandparents who didn’t live long enough to welcome her to this world. She’s going to be so loved by this family.

Wilson: Bravo, I suspect Mum’s dad is over the moon too? He’s very attached to Hailey, the baby’s mum.

Elsa: He most certainly is which means you’re no longer going to be top banana at his house. But I’m positive he’ll still be glad to see us the next time we go down to visit him.

Wilson: I should hope so. I’d hate to think we’ve lost our station. {sniffling}

Elsa: No chance of that, I mean…after all we’re pretty, cuddly and irresistible still so put your British insecurities at rest.

Wilson: Well if you say so…now what else do we have to share this week.

Elsa: Well you can bet your tea and crumpets it isn’t going to be a weather report, though it has been pretty gorgeous outside and Nature seems to be fairly happy. She’s coaxing more blooms out in the garden. What did you find to share, Hoss?

Wilson: Hmm, there you go again with another nickname. Since there appears to be no point in correcting you again, I’ll just continue and share some lovely blooms from around the neighborhood. First up are some Creeping Phlox. They are blooming everywhere in loads of shades of pink and purple.

Flowers

Elsa: Well everywhere but in our yard. Mom had a small patch of it but it didn’t come back this year. That one is from the guy across the street’s garden. Mom’s going to ask him if he knows why her’s failed to come back.

Wilson: Gosh how sad, I know how much Mum likes to see flowers in the garden. Look at these grape hyacinths we discovered on our walk this week. We hadn’t noticed these ombre colored ones before. How brilliant is that?! Dark on the bottom and lighter at the top. Ours are only one color-be they purple or the blue ones.

Flowers

Elsa: Whoa…the ones in our garden aren’t ombre colored. That IS pretty cool.

Wilson: Quite right!

Elsa: Some of the flowering trees have started their annual show too. I think these are plum trees. I’ll know more if the squirrels start munching on the fruit.

Flowers

Wilson: Squirrels?!?! Where? I’ll take care of those rotten buggers.

Elsa: Down Bucko. Don’t get excited just yet.

Wilson: Well you know how I feel about squirrels!

Elsa: Unlax dude. Why not share some of the pretty pink tulips Mom found recently. She’s been looking for tulips that weren’t red for the past couple of weeks and they’re finally out. Yay…maybe now she’ll stop whining about it.FlowersWilson: I can see why she likes them. They are quite lovely. Well, she really doesn’t mind the red ones, but she says she wanted to see other colors. She still hasn’t seen yellow, white or purple ones yet…

Elsa: {interrupting} Gah…don’t bring it up or we’ll never hear the end of it. Let’s move along and share this other tulip instead.

Tulips

Wilson: Right. So what do you think about this shrub? I think it’s a flowering quince. I checked it out but it was decidedly unfriendly to my nose.Quince

Elsa: I’d be unfriendly too if you stuck that big ole honker up my grill.

Wilson: Ahem, excuse me…I’ve noticed you sniffing at things a lot more since your surgeries. Sniffing is how I process the world around me. I’m still getting used to how differently things smell from my old home. Things here in Colorado are quite different. Some things remain the same scent-wise to humans but I still need to check and make sure. That’s where my nose comes in.

Hyacinths

Elsa: And here I thought it was because you’re a nosey-nellie. I stand corrected.

Wilson: I’m going to ignore that comment. Mum has also noticed loads of Creeping Phlox along our daily walks beyond what the neighbor has. It sure is a cheerful addition to a sidewalk path.Phlox

Elsa: Here’s another blooming tree branch I found on my walk yesterday. Looks like pink is this week’s showcase color. It sure makes Mom happy when she sees it.

Wilson: Seems only fitting that pink is the week’s theme color. After all, it goes well with the little pink human who arrived. Flowering tree

Elsa: Good one, House Pony. You may actually be on to something.

Wilson: Well I’m not just a furry face, you know.

Elsa: Umm, the jury is still out on that.

Wilson: {ignoring the snarky comment) So Mum showed me this art installation. She waxed on and on about how clever it was and how original but I’m afraid I didn’t get it. Can you explain it to me?

Elsa: There’s no explanation, dude. She just likes it. You have to realize art is in the eye of the beholder and leave it at that.

Wilson: Okay, but it was almost creepy. I wasn’t sure I should sniff it or growl at it. I’m always suspicious of faces with big eyes that don’t blink. It’s a bit unnerving, don’t you think?

Elsa: That’s nothing-you should have seen it when it was wearing a gigantic mask during COVID. Talk about unnerving

Art

Wilson: Oh dear, glad I didn’t see that! I like looking at faces, they usually have a smile, an ear rub and offer me a treat. I’ll try to be on my best behavior whenever I see them. Mum says she’s going to start training me to join the pet therapy dog program soon. She thinks people will love meeting me. And well…if there are treats involved, I’m sure I can do it without any trouble.

Elsa: {eyes rolling} You and your treats. Dude, you gotta be a bit less enthusiastic about eating things.

Wilson: {eyes moving from left to right and back again…mulling that thought over} Why…I’m not sure I understand that but will try to make Mum proud, regardless. Well, that’s it from me. You have anything to add?

Elsa: Other than Mom’s strawberry just set some fruit which made her mouth water, no. I just hope everyone has a great weekend enjoying Spring. I can’t wait to meet little Halia and hope we get to do that over the weekend. Otherwise, we’ll have to be content with enjoying the sights and sounds of spring and hope you are able to get outside and enjoy Nature at its prettiest. Have a great weekend.

Strawberry

Wilson: Yes, what my dear sister said. Happy weekend. And I can’t wait to taste those lovelies.

Elsa: Oh for dog’s sake. Have a good weekend everyone!

Nature Friday

Live, 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 ~ 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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 20, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 46 Comments

Elsa: {softly speaking} Psst…Mom, oh Mom…time to wake up.

The Mom: 💤 Huh, wha…where am I?

Elsa: Hiya…boy you were out of it! Were you dreaming?

The Mom: Yeah, I guess I was. Weird dream, too. What time is it?

Elsa: Well it’s time to get up. We’ve got stuff to do, lady. Chop, chop.

The Mom: {yawning and stretching} Uh…just a little bit longer, ok?

Elsa: {SCREAMING} Nope, time to get up. Now! As we always do on Friday’s, we are joining 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.

The Mom: You’re being a little overly harsh today. I’m still tired.

Elsa: Well , you shouldn’t stay up late watching a hockey, game Mom. People are counting on me. Come on…let’s get rolling!!

The Mom: Ugh…I’m so exhausted. Yesterday was such a busy day, you know I walked over 10 miles, right? I need to recuperate.

Elsa: No can do, Chica. Time to get rolling. Sorry. I know you walked forever yesterday and losing your phone certainly didn’t help when you had to retrace your steps during the warmest part of the day. While we didn’t set a temperature record, we weren’t all that far off. What’s up with these 80+ºF  degree days? I thought this was supposed to be the time for mild autumn days.

The Mom: {sleepily} Yeah…just a couple more days, {yawning again} then just before Halloween we’ll likely get some moisture, it might even be the white kind.

Elsa: Hmm, good point, it IS that time of year where Nature likes to screw mess with Trick-or-Treaters. But let’s not focus on that…let’s see what we’ve got to share with my readers. I mean, after all, there was an eclipse last weekend for crying out loud. People wanna see the pics. I mean, while you didn’t have the special glasses with you, we did see some wild and crazy shadows. What’s the skinny on those?
EclipseThe Mom: Those were fascinating, weren’t they? Did you know those crescent-shaped shadows are the result of various rays of light passing through to the ground. Only some rays at a certain angle can make it through and those that do are little crescent shapes of the eclipse itself as the Moon passes in front of the Sun. These donut-shaped shadows are the result of the “ring of fire” peak during the eclipse. How cool is that?!

Elsa: They kinda made me dizzy. I was lucky I didn’t have a seizure since eclipses can trigger seizure activity in a lot of us epileptics.

The Mom: Yes, I’m particular grateful. I had completely forgotten about the time when we left for our morning walk. People all along our way were watching it but I made sure not to look up it since I didn’t have any safety glasses.

Elsa: Right and then a couple of hours later you needed to skedaddle over to the hospital for their annual Fall Festival. Sure glad you didn’t take me-I hate dressing up in costume.

The Mom: I know sweetie and figured it was one less stressor you needed. Yes, I popped over there for a quick appearance. The event wasn’t nearly as big as it’s been in years when I took Sam and Norman and it made me very sad recalling those past years when they ‘pawticipated’ in the annual pet therapy parade to start off the festivities. It just wasn’t the same for me. I did however see a cool pup and talked with his Dad about considering joining pet therapy, a St. Bernard ‘puppy’ whose name was Crush and who was a BIG boy at that-145 pounds! Unfortunately he was only 16 months old and therefore not quite eligible according to our age rules (dogs must be 2 years old) but he’ll make a welcome addition when he is old enough. He was adorably sweet. Just look at that smile!
St. Bernard puppy

Elsa: Hubba, bubba…he really was a handsome boy.

The Mom: Indeed he was. It was a bittersweet time for me and because the replacement fridge was being delivered later, I didn’t stay long. Now there’s a story I don’t want to ever have to live through again. All I can say is buying major appliances is not an exercise in fun. At all!

Elsa: Yeah, you seemed pretty stressed. Luckily your son, my uncle Kevin, was able to save the day and gave me lots of nice ear scritches while he helped you out with getting the water line issues resolved. He’s a real lifesaver and a favorite peep of mine.

The Mom: Yeah, I’m so very lucky he lives in town and is able to help me with maintenance things around the house. So what else would you like to share this week?

Elsa: Well, how about pics from your crazy trip to Sloan’s Lake yesterday when you left your phone at the Target store across the street? Autumn sure is starting to be quite evident in some places and yet others, it’s barely registering.

The Mom: True enough. A stroll past these three trees lined up next to one another pretty much shows the various stages of leaves changing colors in the 303. I couldn’t have ordered up anything prettier. Green, gold, orange-the colors of Autumn.

Trees changing colors

Elsa: There are a bunch of trees that are still green and their leaves will likely just fall off before they change colors. It’s been a weird year for leaves changing in the city.

The Mom: You got that right! But it’s been interesting watching them and other plants as they prepare for the next season. Just look at this seeding milkweed pod. It sparkled in the autumn sunlight.

Milkweed

Elsa: Whoa…it looks like some kind of cotton ball! Only it’s not that soft.

The Mom: Yeah, I was surprised it’s not nearly as soft as it looks. Still, it’s pretty cool and if those seeds germinate, there’ll be plenty of nectar for Swallowtail butterflies next Spring.

Elsa: I noticed the reflections on Sloan’s Lake were pretty cool even if you may have been exhausted from all the miles you logged retracing your steps to find your cell phone.

Sloan's Lake

The Mom: Even the skyline casted reflections on the lake.

Sloan's Lake

Elsa: It sure was a beautiful day for a walk, even if it was much longer than you had originally planned on taking. I noticed  neighborhood Skellie-central changed out their scene again. Gotta give them loads of props for their cleverness. This week’s theme is a take off of the Barbie Movie phenomena. I don’t see you making all those changes.

Skellies

The Mom:  Yeah, Barbie and Ken go to the beach. You’re right, I wouldn’t have the patience to dress and arrange all those skeletons (nor the bank account to buy them or store them) but I will admit, they do make me smile whenever I walk by.

Elsa: Me too, Mom. You humans sure are weird, but funny. So what’s on tap for this weekend? Got any fun plans? Whatever you do, we hope you’ll get out there and enjoy some of the beauty Nature is sharing before she turns nasty.

The Mom: Yes, I’m going to the first of the season holiday craft fairs but we hope you make check out the changing colors and see what Nature offers. Have a great weekend.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 6, 2023

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 50 Comments

ElsaDoh-de-do-do…”leaf your worries behind,” I always say, because it’s now October. Oh hi, Elsa here to share some 411 about leaf peeping with scenes from around the ‘Hood and our state. As always, we are joining 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.

So a ‘funny’ thing happened this week. We didn’t see it but heard about it on the news. The weather people were saying if you planned to catch any “gold in them thar hills,” you better get a cracking because some white stuff dusted a few mountain peaks and snow always makes leaves fall quickly, from what I’ve been told. White stuff? What the dog?! Sure, I go on and on about the brutal summer temps but I wasn’t inviting Mother Nature to take me so seriously. Eek…I take it all back, Mother Nature. Can we do a quick rewind? We’re not quite ready for that drastic of a change, though Mom said it’ll be back in the 80’s before we see white stuff. ‘Course, I reminded her we do tend to get bouts of nasty weather around Halloween just to mess with the Trick-or-treaters. Time will tell who’s a better forecaster but you can bet your life I’ll be barking it in her face if it’s me.

Snow and changing leaves
Courtesy of Denver Channel 7, Alaine Nicole
Mountain Splendor in autumn
Courtesy of Denver Channel 7 website

Although it was pretty shocking to see snow in gold leaves on aspens, these are some of the prettiest photos Mom and I have ever seen of the changing colors. I think the first one is from somewhere around Crested Butte and the second one may be near Telluride (or vice-versa). Gotta admit though, you’d be hard press to find anything prettier than that lake reflection photo.

Meanwhile up on Quanella Pass near Georgetown, a mere 56 miles west of Denver, the leaves did what was expected of them this time of year…as in wow visitors and locals alike with their exquisite beauty.

Changing leaves
Courtesy of Denver Channel 7 website ~Quanella Pass

Pretty stunning, huh? Gotta love Colorado for it’s autumn gold. While we may not have the brilliant oranges and reds  typically seen out on the East Coast, I’d put our aspens up against them any day of the week.

High country roads have been filled tourists and looky-loos so Mom and I wanted to see if there was anything around our patch to avoid the cluster of driving I-70 after the recent trip to Glenwood. Turns out there are actually some spots of color around the ‘Hood with more showing up each day.

Flowers

Mom spied some red on a plant when she was scanning for weeds in a part of the yard that neither of us rarely go out to since it’s on the North side of the house. Initially she thought it might be a piece of trash that blew in on one of the windy days this week. But nope, it was an actual leaf trying to imitate some East Coast flora. Whoa…Mom thought that was a nice present from Mother Nature and I couldn’t disagree with her.

We also found some pretty maple trees just starting to change colors on one of our walks. Hmm…maybe Colorado does have a few reds and oranges but I know they’re nothing like what’s found back East.

Maple leaves in autumn

Late Wednesday, Mom had me pose for her in the Plumbago out in the garden. Regrettably I couldn’t find a plausible excuse not to, so I put on my most bored face and sat there like a lump on a log. Mom was making all kinds of weird noises to try and get some kind of reaction out of me…other than me just turning and waltzing away. Heh, heh, heh. Doggone it though, she grabbed me and put me back in a sit/stay position. Can’t pull the wool over her eyes often enough. She loves the Plumbago since it flowers those pretty blue flowers beginning in late August and turning a lovely shade of mahogany on the leaves as autumn moves forward. Those plants are filling in nicely too like a good groundcover should; in fact she’s had to pull some out of the middle of the flagstone path after they’d migrated where they didn’t belong. I think she should give them a sit/stay command so they don’t go wander off the reservation but again, she didn’t ask me.

Elsa in the Plumbago

I’m sure trees will begin changing in earnest here in the city soon. Hopefully we’ll have more to share next time before we have to start raking them up. Till then, we hope you all send strong, healing energy to Blogville favorite, Brian who’s battling a nasty infection (click on the link to send him your healing thoughts and prayers). He looks like such a nice kitty and could use the collective energy of Blogville to feeling better. I can totally relate and sympathize with him since anesthesia is a bad thing for me too because of my epilepsy. It’s probably why Mom totally freaks out at the slightest little thing.

Purrs for Brian

Well, that’s it from me this week. We hope whatever you do this weekend, you get outside and enjoy the fabulous autumn weather and see a few leaves turning colors. I’ve got my paws crossed for you.

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾