Today is Martin Luther King Day where it’s a legal holiday in the U.S. As I searched for an inspiring quote, I came across this one and it seemed particularly appropriate.
Even if it’s MLK Day where we honor the civil right leader, we still need to start the day out with a smile, or in this case a couple of smiles since I couldn’t decide on just one.
With the Arctic blast coming from our friends in the Northern Hemisphere (hey Canada, I thought we were allies), today’s smiles seemed to fit the bill about getting through it and moving forward. Today’s high will likely be zero; if we’re real lucky, we might reach 1-2ºF (-16º or -17ºC). But we’re not the only ones shivering. Things could be worse, I just heard the forecast for Iowa. Thank you baby Jesus that today is not primary ballot day.
The cold weather around here brings the sarcastic out in some of us which may mean everyone from Colorado to New England could easily be saying something like this.
Not only was it cold this morning on the first potty run, it was also beginning to snow. Sigh. Can’t wait until tomorrow where we may actually reach freezing. Now where are those flip-flops?
Whatever you do today to commemorate MLK, we hope you do it safely and with positive intention like Dr. King. Hang in there, the countdown clock toward tulip season has begun and there’s only 64 days until Spring officially arrives. Thought you could use something to look forward to while you’re shivering, shoveling and swearing. Happy Monday. Stay safe and keep smiling, peeps.
Howdy troops, guess who. It is I, intrepid blogger coming to you after a pretty wild week. Elsa here, joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Make sure you click on the link to see what others shared.
So early last week the weather was pretty doggone amazing. We did receive as spot of snow and then Mom spied some creeping phlox that were blooming on one of our walks. Flowering phlox in early January? What kind of sorcery is this? Guess this just shows what high altitude sunshine is capable of doing. It’s not a beauty shot, but COME ON…plants blooming in January…you gotta admit, that’s really something.
The next day after some of the snow melted, Mom noticed her strawberry plant was green and colorful. Again…more plant black magic. Mom was almost ready to break out the flip flops but then she remembered The National Western Stock Show begins January 6 and that always seems to bring much colder temperatures, so I convinced her to cool her jets. Notice the little white granules? The snow didn’t last very long as warmer temperatures returned. The forecast looked good at this point.
Apparently Nature and the universe were conspiring together. Mom got a call about whether or not she could make a trip to Missouri. Some of you even guessed what that was all about but let me set the stage for those of you who don’t know how crazy Mom reacts when she receives ‘those’ kinds of calls.
Since my brother Norman crossed the Rainbow Bridge last June, Mom has been very sad. You may recall that she’s part of a dedicated group of folks who were starting their own OES Rescue after the old one shut down but between the state agency that governs rescues and bureaucratic rules, the certification process has been slow going. We’re still waiting for approval but [hopefully] are getting closer to operating. Mom did find a few individual dogs through other rescues including a couple who were even in our metro area but she kept coming up short so she decided may fostering might put her closer to her goal of getting another OES.
Enter the Red River Old English Sheepdog Rescue (RRR), a rescue whose adoption and rescue area includes parts of the Southern Plains where the Red River of the South is located. States they generally serve are New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. They received a call from the family of a Missouri breeder saying they had seven AKC registered sheepdogs they needed to surrender. Turns out that the breeder had tragically passed away recently and the surviving family realized they could not manage the estate, take care of nine dogs, and assorted livestock. The 20-yr. old son said he would keep two of the dogs, and surrender the other five females and two males to rescue. RRR does not transport and their network of fosters take care of dogs until they are adopted out but they would need to be picked up from the tiny rural town about 50 miles south of Kansas City, Missouri. Mom checked the weather report and initially it seemed doable, so she agreed.
Mother Nature must have been listening eavesdropping on that call and decided to do a little update to the forecast and decided that a little snow was needed just to make things interesting. Mom’s good friend, my Auntie Cheryl said she ride with us and we took off early Friday morning. In good conditions, it’s over 9 hours away. The hope was that they would arrive before the flakes began.
Yeah…the best laid plans and all that nonsense. Snow started coming down halfway through Kansas but it wasn’t accumulating and the highway was clear. Yet. It would, once we turned off I-70 when the sun went down. Mom absolutely hates driving in the dark, especially on roads she’d never been on before so the last four and a half hours were the white-knuckle variety. I’m not sure what that is but I could tell my Mom was pretty stressed. Auntie Cheryl made sure I was comfortable and provided top flight co-pilot support. After nearly 12 hours, we rolled into the hotel parking lot. All three of us were exhausted and we all fell asleep after feeding me, administering my meds and then we all settled in for the night.
The next morning, Mom took me for a short walk around the area. It was cold and grey but at least not snowing. Hallelujah! I found a very cool clump of trees with this funky green stuff on the bark. It didn’t smell like squirrels or bunnies but it fascinated me so much, I kept forgetting to pee. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.
Mom said it was lichen but…whatever. It was quite fascinating. And then she spied something bright yellow in the grass. Holy cow…a tiny dandelion. In freakin’ January!
Well, I’ll be! That seemed surreal, but nothing like what greeted us when we went to the breeder’s farm. We arrived at the appointed time and were greeting by seven boisterous sheepdogs along with various uprights who were picking up their fosters. It was pretty chaotic. Mom knocked on the door and not one of the dogs barked, but greeted her like she was their best friend. Clearly these dogs were very socialized and had been very much loved even if they were all in rough shape coat-wise. They went through the rescue’s procedure of picking the dog each foster would take with them. Before you know it, this monster appeared in the back of our SUV.
He’s not much to look at because he (like all the dogs) were dirty and extremely matted. But he seemed polite, even if he was extra ginormous. Mom thought he weighed around 100 lbs. For a minute I wasn’t sure they were gonna be able to get him in the back, but he seemed nice enough and laid down. He never once uttered a peep then, or on the trip home. We departed as another storm was forecast along the way home and we wanted to get the heck out of Dodge, erm Missouri.
As we drove home, we noticed snow drifts about 3 ft. tall on the side of the road but Mom didn’t stop to photograph them. We were all tired and wanted to get to Colorado as early as possible where we know the highway. The drive home was ‘only’ a little over 8 hours long. Mom said she was never gonna drive almost 1,500 miles in a 24 hour period again, no matter how cute a dog was.
Kansas and Missouri were interesting and it would have been nice to take more pictures of the scenery but judging from the news reports, we got out of town just in time before Winter Storm Finn slammed into the region. Another storm along with an Arctic cold front are arriving now…and as Mom says…of course it is, it’s National Western Stock Show week where the weather always turns icy cold and brutal. The weekend’s highs may reach single digits. Highs, people! Brrr.
There he is after a much needed bath. Egad that boy had some serious stank on him. She and Auntie Cheryl worked for hours removing the worst of the mats but he will need to be shaved down. This boy was named ‘Sam’ and as you can probably guess, that name won’t work for Mom. It reminded her too much of my knuckleheaded brother. She hasn’t decided on a name yet, there’s too much we have to do to get this boy settled so we’ll likely wait until things get ticked off our long list. Sam was screened by the vet, microchipped, vaccinated and tested negative for heartworm (yay). Now begins the process of integrating him into life around the Ranch without his sheepdog pack. He’s seems sweet and is quite the butt wiggler, but he and I have had ‘discussions‘ about the pecking order. He thinks Mom is his but we have to agree to disagree on that topic. He seems afraid of the hustle and bustle of the city, cars wig him out but he walks fairly well on a leash. Good thing too, he’s huge-bigger than Norman. And strong. Mom’s gonna be building some muscles. Now if we can just get him to stop enjoying some of the creature comforts around the Ranch. At least Mom needs to figure out how to get him to sleep the other side of the bed. For me, he just better not try to take over this blog! Mom’s on her own and you can bet your sweet bippy I’m going to remind her of that. Afterall it was her idea to bring this muppet home.
Have you ever fostered a dog? How’d it go? Do you have any tips for my Mom. She seems completely ‘over her skis’ despite her best intentions.
To all you Midwest peeps, do dandelions normally bloom in January?! Have a great weekend and try to stay warm and dry. For the next few days you might want to view Nature from the comfort of your cozy sofa but do keep your eyes open-you just never know what you’ll see. Have a great weekend.
Welcome to the last Friday of 2023. In many ways, we’re glad to see the end of the year, in other ways, it’s impact firmly holds in place by some of the sadder moments we endured. Either way, 2024 is ready to enter the scene with a fresh clean slate for us, ready or not. As always we’re joining our pals, Rosy and Sunny for their Nature Friday blog. Click on the link to see what other have shared.
Elsa: Well Mom, I don’t know about you, but I’m still tuckered out after Santa Paws managed to drop by despite what Nature delivered. She sure was in a bad mood this past week. But we made it to the end of the year so I guess there’s that. Guess we showed her, huh?
Elsa: {continuing} What began as a forecasted blizzard on Christmas Eve was nothing compared to the one you experienced back in 1982, was it, Mom?
The Mom: Exactly, it didn’t snow as much as back then, but the 50-65 mph winds that came with this storm didn’t exactly make me want to try to drive in it after spending the holiday with my Dad and family in southeastern Colorado. We stayed a few days longer until the system moved out of the state. After checking the forecast and seeing the mess out there with traffic around Monument Hill (that so called ‘mountain’ pass between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs, elevation 7,352 feet (2,241 m), I decided my cargo, (i.e. you) was just way too precious to risk getting into an accident. Besides, just sitting in traffic with hundreds of other cars didn’t seem like a great way to spend the day after all the warm fuzzies and fun we enjoyed over Christmas with the family. Here’s a traffic cam image we found showing the northbound lane backed up on I-25 after an accident. Miles and miles of cars, just sitting there once the storm began to clear out.
Elsa: Yeah, it was hard enough just going outside to sniff and potty, between the windy conditions and cold, I kept losing track of what I was supposed to do. Hey, did you realize that snow enhances bunny trail scents? That part was awesome but kind of distracted me somewhat.
The Mom: Yeah, don’t remind me about your 4:30 AM wakeup call to go outside on Christmas Eve in the dark and then you deciding it would be a good idea to sniff around a while for heaven only knows what.
Elsa: Heh, heh…so you weren’t too appreciative of my Goldilocks imitation? {in a sing songy voice} “This spot is too hard, this spot is too soft, this spot is…”)
The Mom: {interrupting} Please. don’t. remind. me. I was hoping you’d quickly do your thing so we could get back inside since I hadn’t put my gloves on and was rather surprised you dallied so long sniffing around thereby forgetting what you were supposed to do.
Elsa: Maybe that’ll teach you for trimming my furs…still you should know by now, pottying is a serious endeavor for me. It has to be just the right place in order for me to move ahead and get straight down to business.
The Mom: I’m keenly aware of how you…ahem…shall we just say, are a bit ‘discerning’ as to where you ‘go.’
Elsa: Just because where you go may not be as important; it is for us dogs, since ours had lots of info for everyone who follows and read our pawprints. So if you’d be so kind as to lighten up, I’d be grateful.
The Mom: Umm, remember that you’re a poodle, not a Bloodhound and your name is NOT Sherlock Bones.
Elsa: Pfft, as if that matters. And for the record, my nose is as good as ANY hound, blood or otherwise.
The Mom: I see we’re going to wrap up the end of the year once again with agreeing to disagree. Which, when you think about it, is like every year I suppose.
Elsa: Yeah…well, it’s not a problem for me-so you’d might want to adopt a similar approach, it might help lower your blood pressure…just chill out, Mom. Besides, you only took one nature photo this week to share, although it was an ok one, all things considered. I do like how the sunrise pointed to Rudolph on the flag.
The Mom: Just so everyone knows, you weren’t all that keen on wanting to wander around outside while the wind was blowing snow sideways. It sure beat the images we found off the ‘Net regarding the storm {shiver}. Besides, Pikes Peak and all the other nearby landmarks were completely covered in thick cloud cover, and walks searching for critters or wide open landscapes were out of the question, what with the windchill and all. I think everyone, uprights and wildlife alike, hunkered down where they lived. Even the donkeys were huddled together in their barn and I could barely see them anyway. Check out these videos showing coverage from a Denver news station as well as one from a Colorado Springs station (with apologies for the ads, sheesh do news stations ever post anything these days without ads that seem to last longer than their stories?). The reporter from the Springs station might be looking for a TV series because he goes on for a long time reading updates from viewers, going on for about 10 minutes yet the ice was real.
Elsa: Mmm…you got me there. Let’s end this year with lots of gratitude for all our readers and wishing them a pawsome New Year. We hope 2024 will be bright, prosperous and filled with much happiness.
The Mom: Nicely put, Ninja. May your New Year be a wondrous adventure shared with friends and family and especially filled with loads of snuggles, cuddles or purrs with your fur baby(ies).
Elsa: Happy New Year. Don’t forget to check out what Nature offers-you just never know when you’ll see something nicely highlighted. Stay warm.
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: 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.
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.
We're gonna need more trash bins
87 inches of green stuff
So many more to fall
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?
Buffalo sculpture
Giraffe
Guard dog
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.
Cattails
Winter fruit
Mt Evans
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.
Well, well, well…lo and behold…it’s Friday. Elsa here, your intrepid blogging queen with another episode of Nature Friday where we join our New Mexico 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: It’s been one of those beautiful autumn weeks with mild temps, blue-bird and cloudless skies and then Nature sent out a memo now that autumn isn’t going to last forever and to get your affairs in order. All our walks have been punctuated with the sound of psst as sprinkling systems were getting shut down.
The Mom: Right. Last night’s freeze was a rather rude awakening, wasn’t it?
Elsa: Sheesh…rude doesn’t begin to cover it. Even with my luxurious furs, I can tell you straight up that I won’t mind wearing a coat on the morning walk. And the forecast of 1-3″ of white stuff for the weekend with highs in the 30’s…yikes! Oh sure the changing leaves have been terrific, at least the trees received and actually read the memo that ‘things be a-changing,’ but what’s up with all the roses in bloom right now? Oh sure, I expect mums to be blooming this time of year, but what the dog are the roses doing by giving nature the middle thorn and blooming all over the place?
The Mom: {interrupting} Excuse me…middle thorn??
Elsa: Yes, I was being metaphorical.
The Mom: Well, let’s not be quite as crudely metaphorical in the future okay, kiddo?
Elsa: There you go again, harshing on my mellow. As I was saying before you crushed my flow, there have been ooodles of leaves that have turned and started their annual drop although these looked like apple slices to me.
The Mom: Yeah, wasn’t it fun to walk through them? Crunch, crunch, crunch {squealing with delight}.
Elsa: Umm, yeah, no. You may enjoy that crunching but I’m barefooted, or did you forget?
The Mom: Oops, I hadn’t really thought about it from that perspective. Sorry..
Elsa: Well I will concede the ash trees have been pretty amazing-they always are but I still don’t like to walk on their fallen leaves.
The Mom: Considering how bizarre the autumn weather has been, the ash trees really have been pretty colorful. Too many of the maples and elms have just turned brown around the edges and will, no doubt be on the ground once the snow arrives. I noticed this spruce tree where fallen leaves ‘decorated’ the boughs like it was some sort of Christmas tree all dressed up. I’d never seen a leaf garland like that before.
Elsa: Nice, but did you get a good look at that ornamental plum we passed by? I almost needed sunglasses it was so bright and colorful. The light was just amazing.
The Mom: Yes, I stopped dead in my tracks because of that beautiful color.
Elsa: Trust me, I did notice that. There I was happily sniffing through the leaves and {imitating screeching brakes} you just froze. You know our walks are for my olfactory pleasure not for your visual delight.
The Mom: Oh, excuse me. I just got caught up in the moment. Sorry.
Elsa: Ok, just this time. So can you explain why all the roses are going bonkers blooming? For a summer flower, I guess these guys decided to go down in a blaze of beauty. I sure hope Miss Rosy likes these babies.
Rose
Shrub rose
Rose
White Rose
The Mom: They sure caught my eye too. But nothing like what I saw in the dog run. I saw these weird, swirly tracks in the dirt and couldn’t for the life of me, figure out what or who left them, and then I found the source. A big worm made them. I moved him back toward where he started out because he was quite a bit away from the initial swirls for that picture, before relocating him permanently.
Elsa: I think he was stoned or worse, high-neither one of us could make any sense out of his path or those swirls. Then again, maybe he just was trying to stay dry after a light shower we received but I’m no worm expert. I’m glad you ended up gently placing him in the front garden to hide in the mulch-maybe he’ll do some aerating before the cold/snow gets him. I think I’m going to name him Jake. Yup, Jake, the Snake…er, worm.
Worm trails
Worm
The Mom: I have my paws crossed for him too. You’ve named him, I see. Oh brother.
Elsa: Doesn’t everyone deserve a name? I mean you named the mouse that lives in the compost bin.
The Mom: {stuttering} Er, umm, well okay, maybe we’ll keep our eyes open for ‘Jake’ in the future.
Elsa: Thought you’d see it my way. So I noticed you were going through the box that houses the dog costumes and hats. I know Halloween is next week. You weren’t thinking of dressing me up now, were you?
The Mom: Umm, me? Uh, probably not.
Elsa: Yeah…I heard you giggling as you found some of the stuff you used to dress up Norman and Sam. Please, I beg of you…don’t do it. No self-respecting poodle wants to be dressed up like that. I’ll be the laughing stock of Blogville and I’ll look ridiculous and be totally humiliated.
The Mom: {innocently whistling while looking the other way} Umm, I’ll think about it.
Elsa: Mom, please, I’m begging you {making sad puppy dog eyes…desperately pleading}. People will think I’m a sell-out.
The Mom: You worry too much. {changing the subject} So…got any plans for the weekend, Ninja?
Elsa: With the snow and temps in the 30’s? Umm, yeah, lots of cozy naps while this storm blows over. I’m no ordinary fool. Throw in couple of toys for a good old fashioned chew-fest and I’ll be good.
The Mom: Well whatever you do, we both hope you manage to enjoy whatever Nature has in store for your region. Make it a great weekend.
Welcome to Nature Friday, hosted by our pals Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Elsa here bringing this week’s edition to your inboxes. Imma here to also tell you it’s {in the words of my brother} bloody hot. Good grief…who turned up the thermostat? I almost feel badly for Mom since she’s been walking me just after sunrise which means neither of us are getting our beauty sleep. Trust me, she needs it more than I do but still…I wouldn’t be adverse to sleeping in until 6:30 or so. C’est la vie…such is the life of a black dog.
So this week I thought we’d check out pollinators from around the 303. Mostly Monarch Butterflies that is, though Mom got to see other kinds of butterflies at the Chatfield location of the Denver Botanical Gardens for their annual Lavender Festival. This iconic butterfly has an amazing journey, migrating between 1,200 and 2,800 miles from the northeast US and southeast Canadian mountain forests. Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, which means “sleepy transformation” in Greek because of the species’ ability to hibernate and metamorphize. Adult monarchs have two pairs of brilliant orange-red wings, with black veining and white spots along the edges. Male butterflies are slightly bigger than the females. Did you realize these amazing pollinators only live about four to five weeks! Guess they have a lot to do in their short lives. Here are some of the butterflies Mom saw at the butterfly house at Chatfield.
Butterfly educational board
As you probably already know, milkweed is the only plant on which monarchs will lay their eggs and their favorite source of food for emerging caterpillars. Sadly far too much of the Monarch’s natural food source is being eradicated from urban and agricultural landscapes.
Every wonder what the life cycle of a butterfly looks like? This sign depicts it far better than I can explain it.
Mom saw some new emerging Chrysalis, but they were so miniscule, she couldn’t get a photo without them looking too blurry on her phone. How many times do I need to tell you to bring a decent camera with you, Mom?? Ugh, when will she ever learn or pay attention to me? Anyway, she did manage to capture a caterpillar munching on a stalk of milkweed. Kinda cool for a bug. They have voracious appetites and that 18 inch tall stalk will likely be gone in less than a couple of days.
In the butterfly house, they flit among colorful plants, feeders and visitors. I think this guy was giving my Mom the stink eye.
Hey, what are you looking at, lady?
Here’s one resting on a bright green leaf. He seemed a bit tired, but I think he was probably just suffering from heat exhaustion like the rest of us.
Mom watched the guys below at a feeder. The big one seemed to hog the nectar away from the others and the two other couldn’t seem to convince the hog to move over. Who knew butterflies don’t share much?
Yo Frank, Joe is hogging the nectar again-why don’t you dive bomb him so we can enjoy Happy Hour as well.
There were a bunch of those Red Admirals that followed Mom around in the butterfly house. This one seemed particularly interested in her despite the fact she wasn’t wearing a colorful shirt. If she had, it might have landed on her. Though the Door Attendant would have frisked her when she left so no butterflies escaped. Seems the butterflies are always trying to hitchhike their way outside the butterfly house. Sheesh, conjugal visits apparently aren’t enough for those guys-they’re looking for freedom as well.
They may be small but they sure are pretty. As Mom was leaving the exhibit, look what other cutie she found! Oooh, hello, little bunny. Why can’t I ever find a cute bunny to play with on our walks? Oh wait, they’re afraid of a menacing hunter like me. Oops.
Well that’s it for me this week. We hope whatever you do this weekend, you are able to enjoy some of the more gentle aspects of what Nature is dishing out. For you folks in New England, we’re praying the predicted rains aren’t as severe as they have been and for our friends in West, we hope Mother Nature turns down the pizza oven temps. Looks like El Niño is back with a vengeance according to NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration). Please stay cool, dry and hydrate yourselves.
Welcome to Friday, mates. Norman here, joined with my Ninja sister, Elsa ready to share a spot of Nature from this week. As always, we’re joining Rosy and Sunny from the LLB life. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
Elsa: We gonna get this show on the road or what?
Norman: Patience little one. I need to set this up first. You know that we had to go see my Grandpa, right?
Elsa: Yes, I know that.
Norman: Well our readers, didn’t so I’m ‘setting the stage’ as to what went down. Ok? Can I proceed now?
Elsa: Fine then. Knock your socks off, dude.
Norman: Well apart from hitting the road, it was quite the week. I think we ‘enjoyed‘ all 4 seasons. The place where my Grandpa lives broke a 133 year old record for most rainfall in a 24 hour period. And at our house, there has been lots of wind. Again. Which means crunchy leaves showed up and needed to be raked. One day even had rain mixed with snow. But it’s official though, spring has sprung. Just check out these tulips.
Elsa: That’s pretty spring-like. I know you and Mom like the pink ones but we haven’t seen too many of those. Red seems to be the number 1 color of tulips we see on our walks, like this one.
Norman: Mum was afraid the snow that fell last weekend might damage some of the flowering trees but this crabapple seems nonetheless harmed. They sure are pretty when they’re exploding with buds. And the bees sure seem to love them at this stage.
Elsa: I thought that one evening before the rain began was almost eerie, much like at Halloween but much better than all those leaves that Mom had to rake up. I mean, who ever heard of raking leaves in April? Mom regretted not having her big camera with her when she saw the clouds around the moon but at least was able to capture the mood.
Norman: We managed to see all kinds of clouds on our trip and some of the more eerie ones were when we drove past the federal SuperMax prison located just outside Florence, Colorado. Did you know this is the most secure prison in the U.S. prison system and houses some high profile inmates? It was a foreboding scene with those clouds hanging over the prison where such notorious prisoners reside such as “Shoe Bomber” Richard Reid, Terry Nichols of Oklahoma Bombing fame, Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, and Thomas Silverstein, the former Aryan Brotherhood leader and convicted murderer who has been in solitary confinement longer than any other U.S. prisoner (since 1983). Silverstein was one of the reasons the ADX SuperMax was designed following his uncontrollable activities committed at other prisons.
Elsa: Yikes, those are some bad hombres for sure {shudder}. I’m glad we didn’t stop there for lunch!
Norman: No, we managed to dodge the bullet there but Mum did find a window display she thought was creepy in a funny sort of way in the town of Florence.
Elsa: Oh sure, pick on us poodles.
Norman: Well on the bright side, they were displayed eating some tasty looking food.
Elsa: You’re always thinking about food, you big oaf!
Norman: {indignantly sniffing) I’m not even going to respond to that unfair accusation.
Elsa: Unfair? You clean out my bowl after every meal. I’m surprised the stainless steel is still in tact.
Norman: Ahem…getting back to nature, sister, Mum saw her first blooming Bearded Iris yesterday. It’s quite early for them to be blooming. Apparently its southeastern exposure mimics more Summer-like conditions. See, I told you all we had all 4 seasons in one week!
Elsa: That’s just nuts…blooming Irises in April. What is this world coming to?
Norman: Can’t answer that but hope that’s not an indication of an extra hot Summer ahead. I can barely tolerate it as it is. I may need to get a haircut sooner than I had planned.
Elsa: Tell me about it, I’m a black dog, do you have any idea how hot sunny conditions feel on my back? No siree, pal…not looking forward to a hot Summer OR a bath and groom, come to think of it. Definitely count me out.
Norman: Now, now, don’t get your knickers in a bunch. Mum will be gentle and make it as easy as possible. Just don’t make it harder for her, okay.
Elsa: Ha, me make things hard? Surely you jest.
Norman: {snickering under his breath} Right-that’s me, Mr. Jester. No doubt I have you confused with a different Ninja. Anywho…the weekend is upon us and I hope it means we all get a chance to get outside and enjoy some of the lovelier elements of Mother Nature. Do you have anything special or exciting planned for the last weekend in April?
Hello there, sports fans. Elsa and Norman here to share photos for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. Like always, we’re joining those sweet pups from Adventures of the LLB Gang with glimpses of Nature from around our ‘Hood. The question for the week continues to be “where’s the delete Winter” button.
Norman: I know, you’re all sick of me whinging on about the weather but I can’t help it. I’m a fair weather chap who enjoys moderate (and dry) temps. I can see a lot of you nodding your heads in agreement, don’t deny it.
Elsa: Well brother, you do tend to be a bit of wuss when it comes to weather. I mean, look at the new neighbor a couple of days ago. Mom couldn’t believe her eyes-that morning the temps hovered around zero but at least he was finally shoveling-he’s missed doing that the past few storms. Personally I think he had to be looking for pants before but who knows?
Norman: I. have. no. words. for. people. like. that. Mum said it was pretty and fluffy even if the temps kept us all inside where we were cozy and warm.
Elsa: It was a busy week for you, dude with your various fundraisers and hobnobbing for the rescue. Congrats on raising a boatload of funds at the two Valentine’s Day themed events. While you were out there working hard, I was snoozing in your favorite spot on the sofa. Heh, heh. heh. So…you gonna show some pics from your adventures?
Norman: Well, they aren’t really Nature oriented. Wait, you were on my sofa?? I hope you didn’t ruin my pillows? Good thing they seemed ok when I got back home.
Elsa: Relax dog-breath. Everything was fine; I just enjoyed some nice quiet time where I could drool admire Mom’s cookie making for the fundraising bake sale and play with your the toys without you barking your fathead off at me and I’m proud of what you accomplished. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but those funds will help other fatheads sheepdogs like you. It’s in the dog code book that we rescue dogs gotta stick together, dude.
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Norman: Well that’s very kind of you, sister, but we probably need to get back on point…as in Nature pics. You know the return of winter has kept Mum more homebound except when she had commitments she needed to keep but she missed her walks but managed to find these shots when she went to have her taxes prepared.
Elsa: Wait…isn’t that the flower shop near our house? Looks like they’ve been thinking Spring like the rest of us.
Norman: You know when she showed me that window I had to admit, it was really pretty. But then she started grumbling and grabbed the snow shovel so I didn’t see her for a while.
Elsa: Before she shoveled though she took some photos of nearby “Goose Mountain Ski Resort” that was on a former assisted living, senior home. They don’t even have a chair lift and have to waddle walk back up the hill. That’s kind of a gyp especially considering they still have waiting lines.
Norman: They seemed to enjoy it though I’ll never understand the whole skiing thing that most people in this state relish. Other than being around others, I just don’t see the point. And to think they pay good money to do that! Me, I’m all about going to a Brewpub and waiting for people to come pet me, not to ski down a slope and then go back up to do it all over again.
Elsa: I know, humans…who can figure them out? Then again, I don’t understand the neighborhood critters. I mean, look at this lame-o merry-go-round they created. How dumb is that-I mean, they were apparently walking around in circles for no reason it seems.
Norman: And no one left any messages for anyone! And when it comes to uprights, who can comprehend why they do things, let alone what Nature’s kids are thinking. Good thing peeps give us nice ear rubs, make tasty treats and love us. Otherwise we might never have become domesticated.
Elsa: You got that right! People are just weird. Well at least the afternoon turned out to be one of those beautifully bright sunny days our state is known for, even in winter when it’s cold. And look, it began to melt!
Norman: I for one, am looking forward to more of those sunny days with warm temps to go with my naps. So what’s winter been like in your area? Are there any signs of spring where you’re at? We’re still trying to rejuvenate after a busy week but with warmer temps, hopefully Mum can get out with us and not workout on her elliptical. I like it when you and I can sniff walk with Mum.
Elsa: Oh dude…you’re embarrassing yourself again. Yeah, I think sniffing is best too. So do YOU have any special plans for this weekend? Whatever you do, we hope it’s fun and you can find beautiful signs of Nature to enjoy.
Norman: Right-o. Cheerio mates and have a pawsome weekend.
It may be the last Friday of 2022, and even though we haven’t posted much lately, we could not let this week’s Nature sights not be shared. As always, we’re joining our pals from the LLB Gang.
We hope you had a lovely Christmas celebration. Returning home, I noticed what might have been a few bargain hunters lining up early at a local WalMart probably waiting to make returns.
Once back at home, Norman did his last visits for 2022. The big guy was quite grateful that the days he visited early in the week coincided with the top end of the extremes we encountered. This graphic taken from last night’s weather showing the high and low temps. Understand this turn-around happened in a mere 24-hour period. We’re still recovering from the whiplash.
Once again I headed down south to spend the Christmas holiday weekend with my Dad and other family members. It’s always a good excuse for all the good cooks in the family to showcase their skills. From brisket to lasagne and everything in between, we had quite the feast.
The sunrises this past week have been beyond incredible. Rising early to catch up on computer work before the others rose, I was blown away by the vibrant colors shining in the living room. Adjectives seem totally inadequate to describe them.
Then yesterday Winter tapped me on the shoulder and said thanks for holding my beer and promptly dumped over 8 inches of very wet, white stuff. It was more like a Spring storm than one that is typical right now. There were lots of fallen branches around town though my street was luckily unscathed.
It also took hours to plow the sidewalks. While this time of year often becomes reflective on all that’s happened throughout, the top question of my introspection continues to be: “remind me again why I bought a house on an oversized corner lot?”
Despite several hours of shoveling, it was a beautiful sight. Not sure if it was beautiful enough to warrant a repeat performance but the weather folks cautioned residents to not put the snow shovel away just yet. A fresh storm is forecasted to welcome the New Year.
While I’ve often shared how Norman isn’t a fan of cold or snow, no one can say this boy doesn’t know how to effectively deal with it…as in stay inside no matter what. Elsa may go bouncing outside in deep swirling snowflakes like a loon, Norman is more low keyed and prefers the warmth of the sofa. With blankets.
That’s it from us for 2022. We want to wish you all a safe and very Happy 2023. Stay warm, hug your loved ones and don’t forget to enjoy the amazing beauty Nature provides.
With just nine sleeps until Santa Paws arrives, we’ve been busy trying to get ready for the big day but not so busy we couldn’t find at least a couple of pics for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. As always, we thank those furry pals over at LLB Gang for hosting the blog hop.
Winter officially arrives next week but it seems to have already arrived here in the 303. Not in the form of any white stuff, mind you. This week’s forecasted Snowmageddon completely fizzled with only six tiny flakes falling. Temperatures however did fall and the dogs’ daily walks have been limited to quick trips in the dog run in order to preserve achy joints. Luckily those trips coincided with some winter beauty.
The old saw says ‘red skies in morning, sailor take warning’ so this early morning scene left me hopeful that we’d receive some white stuff later in the day, but it was not to be.
Apparently that other part of that old saw, “red skies at night, sailor’s delight” prevailed. Not sure if sailor’s would want to be sailing in the low temps, but it certainly seemed to apply on the prediction of a storm. Cloudy, cold and windy are the watch words controlling weather conditions for the foreseeable future.
Cold temps mean both dogs are getting cabin fever. With Christmas preparations in high gear and little opportunity for the releasing of any pent up energy physically, that means boredom. I’ve had to rescue more than a few items from the jaws of death. Hopefully Christmas preparations will be wrapped up this weekend so I can concentrate on stemming any excessenergy mischief this next week. Fingers crossed.
Well that’s it for us. Sorry for the lack of images this week. Hopefully we’ll do better next time when things calm down.
So what plans do you have this last full weekend before the big day? Whatever you do, I hope you’ll have the opportunity to see some slices of nature in between. Have a ‘wagnificent’ weekend.
