Today in the US, we celebrate Memorial Day. It’s often called the ‘unofficial’ beginning of summer but for us at the Ranch, we view it as more of a day of reflection that honors and mourns US military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. So how did Memorial Day originate?
Originally called Decoration Day, the first national observation was proclaimed in 1890 though it is believed many cities in the South began decorating Civil War grave sites honoring their war dead years earlier.
On May 5, 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, proclaimed that all soldiers from both the Union and Confederacy shall be honored by decorating graves the same way the Southern states had.
The name “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, and ultimately replaced “Decoration Day” after World War II but it did not become federal law until 1967. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, moving four holidays (including Memorial Day) from their traditional dates to a specified Monday, thus creating a three-day weekend by changing Memorial Day from its original May 30 date to the last Monday in May.
We will eschew the mattress sales and BBQ’s to reflect on those who lost their life protecting the country’s freedom. Please have a safe and reflective holiday.
Greetings folks, Wilson here offering our latest flora and fauna take for this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join the blog hop hosted by the LLB Gang. Please click on their link to see what others shared.
The Mum: Good morning, House Pony…I see you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed today, erm not so much bushy tailed since you don’t really have much of a tail but you certainly are getting bushy. We’ll need to remedy that soon. So, what do you want to share first?
Wilson: Hello Mum. Glad you could join us. I hope that’s not a clue that bath is in my near future. I noticed you were a bit slow getting up this morning. You ok?
The Mum: Not commenting on the possibility of a bath today. Oh yes, I’m fine, just a bit tired-I went to bed late again last night and it’s beginning to catch up with me after logging nearly 44 miles through yesterday. I also spent a lot of time doing some serious gardening. It was lovely having you snoopervising the gardening. You’re good company, buddy.
Wilson: Thanks, Mum. I love hanging out with you keeping an eye out for the squirrels while watching the natural world. Looks to be a warm and pleasant weekend with temps back in the high 80’sF (29C). The neighborhood Farmers Market reopened last weekend and I’m sure there will scads of pedestrian traffic. You sure planted a bunch of stuff-are you expecting to feed an army with all the veggies?
The Mum: Hardly, only a couple of tomatoes, herbs and hopefully lots of lettuce since I really need to add more greens to my diet. The biggest and most fun part of this week’s gardening was receiving and planting a Mother’s Day gift from my daughter-a zone hardy fig tree (though I’ve decided I’m hauling him inside when the weather turns…even though it’s rated Zone 5 hardy with winter protection). I noticed yesterday it already has a formed a tiny little fig! Sorry about the blurry pic, I was just so excited I couldn’t keep the camera focused in my glee.
Wilson: You were pretty excited about that discovery, almost as much as you were to see a bumper crop of strawberries forming. I’m especially looking forward to be your quality control officer-I love berries!
The Mum: There are loads more this year from last year. We might even have enough for a salad, presuming we can keep the critters out…
Wilson: {interrupting} I’ll definitely do my part-it’s no problem. I would welcome the chance to keep the squirrels away.
The Mum: Umm, appreciate the help offer…but remember we just want to dissuade them from poaching, not hurt them.
Wilson: Hurt? {looking very innocent} Not me, Mum.
The Mum: {eyes rolling} Right. So what else did you want to share?
Wilson: There has been such an increase in all the different kinds of plants we’ve encountered along our walks. Here are some of the more unusual ones.
I think this is some kind of Hawthorn shrub, isn’t it pretty?Peonies, queen of the late spring garden are blooming and this is our favorite color.Had never seen a pale yellow Rhododendron before-this one is so delicate looking.
The Mum: Clematis are also beginning to bloom. It was one of the plants I added to the front garden and am looking forward to it’s unusual color-purple and bright pink. I’ve struggled keeping them alive in the past so have my fingers crossed.
Wilson: You just need to make sure the roots are well shaded with mulch and providing adequate water while it gets established.
The Mum: Yeah, I had a few on the wrought iron pergola years ago but neglected to keep the roots well shaded.
Wilson: There seem to be a lot more hydrangeas around the neighborhood and one in particular is an unusual color.
The Mum: Isn’t that one a total showstopper from a friend’s garden? Just look at that rich deep color.
Wilson: It’s quite lovely, Mum. While the rest of the neighborhood has had loads of irises blooming, yours are just now starting to bloom. And what beauties they are!
This one starts out almost black then turns into a deep purple.
TheMum: Poppies are also blooming and we found these pretty pink colored ones. They really dress up a poppy garden and are so striking compared to typical orange Oriental Poppies that are so prevalent around the neighborhood.
Wilson: Another beauty, Mum. Well I wanted this to be flora and fauna post but we haven’t gotten to the fauna part yet. But I think it’s going to be well worth the wait.
The Mum: Earlier in the week I met up with a friend who recently moved back to Colorado and met her sweet pet therapy poodle. You, Charlie and his mom walked around the Crown Hill park that’s west of us. It was a cool, windy day but it was great fun to see the nesting turtles (sorry, didn’t get a pic because I didn’t want to disturb them) as well as loads of red-winged blackbirds. They usually fly away whenever you get close to them but this guy stayed even as I moved slowly to grab a quick pic. He was guarding the waste receptacle and made me smile.
Wilson: Nice, Mum. It’s always a good moment when critters let you capture their picture. But come on, let’s show the cutest pic of some Canadian fluffs. How cute are they?!
TheMum: {squeals} They were totally adorable and mama didn’t freak out and try to chase me. I was just leaving a parking lot from a class I had taken last weekend and slammed on the brakes to see if they’d let me get close enough to photograph. I was rewarded with their little peeps and cheeps and soft fluffy bodies. So cute!
Wilson: Those babies are so cute and a lot nicer when they’re little. Their mums are quite protective but I guess everyone was either very hungry or trusted you enough. Speaking of hungry, wasn’t that a class to learn how to decorate cookies?
The Mum: Umm, yes, but that topic is for another post. Never fear sweet boy-you’ll definitely be my quality control officer for that project as I slowly work to restart up my dog treat business.
Wilson: Oh Mum…you just made me the happiest wiggle-butt around! How soon can we get started? Oooh, oooh, I’m just so excited. Imagine getting to sample tasty treats…
The Mum: Uh, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Between the rescue and therapy visits, I have a lot on my plate but will see how to slowly get back into it. Trust me, you’ll be the first to know when it gets off the ground and until it does, you’ll get to sample treats. How does that work for you?
Wilson: Are you kidding, I’m breathless with anticipation! Well that’s it for today’s post. To all our US friends, we wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend where we honor all deceased men and women who served in the military. Many people will also pay their respects to all deceased family members as well. We just hope you are able to get outside and enjoy some of all the beauty Nature has to offer while paying your respect.
“That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”
– Brevet Lieut.-Col. Edmund B. Whitman, 1868
Some days I swear, I should have named “him” Hoover…or Dyson as crumbs on the floor are not safe. We hope all your food groups are met today. Stay happy, stay healthy and make it a great day (and week). Happy Monday.
Happy Monday! We hope all you pet mom’s had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. While the calendar says it’s spring, we find ourselves more in summer with temps in the mid-80’s with mostly clear skies.
Wilson found today’s smile and said he totally agreed with it after a weekend of good weather with lots of helicopter leaf seed pods finding their way to sidewalks. I swear this boy is a lot like having a toddler…he has to be watched like a bloody hawk so that he doesn’t put everything in his mouth. And here I thought dogs processed their worlds by sniffing, when in fact, in his case, everything is processed through his mouth first.
Here’s hoping you have a totally pawsome Monday and an even better week. Wilson says, ‘don’t eat anything he wouldn’t eat.’
It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing…time to reflect about the nature and share what we encountered this week. As we do on Friday’s, we are joining the blog hop hosted by those fur kids from the Adventures with the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what others have shared.
Wilson here. This week was really different. We received LOTS of rain…something that’s fairly rare around the Ranch. All that rain was very welcomed but it did impact our ability to check out nature. It started out nice but then after nearly two days of constant rain, things got a little challenging for me to get out for my usual multi-mile walks. The fact is, I don’t like rain. I know, most dogs don’t but I really don’t like rain. Mum thought she’d be clever and go in between showers. Well that sounds like a good strategy but it didn’t let up much that first day. She bundled up in a raincoat (the day was also chilly in the low 40’sF) and made sure I was bundled up in my lined rain slicker. Ok, I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t all that crazy about it, but hey, it would keep me mostly dry if it was just misting or sprinkled. Besides, I’ve decided I won’t relieve myself in the dog run anymore, only along our walks. The Mom: Yes, it was a good idea but Nature decided it was going to play tricks on us. Sure wish you weren’t so picky about relieving yourself only on walks. It’d have made things much easier. That said, shortly after we began, it started to rain steadily. Long story short, you and I both got drenched, I mean I was soaked to the bone and I’m sure when I walked, I ‘squished’ from all that moisture. And you looked like a drowned hippo.
Wilson: Of course, it waited until we were about half way on our regular 3-1/2 mile jaunt. Nature sure can be quite the prankster, can’t she?TheMom: Indeed. On the plus side, look how gorgeous this Lupine looked in the garden when we came back-it’s so lush and I’m sure all the garden plants loved the rain. You can supplement water like crazy but nothing revives a garden quite like rain, even if it’s just a sprinkle. Nature seemed to make up for the lack of moisture this spring with this storm.
Wilson: Right-o, Mum. But it sure throws a wrench in what we planned to share today. You have to admit it’s ironic we planned to show off succulents around the neighborhood as they are beginning to bloom right now.
The Mum: It is rather paradoxical. Just look at all those cactus flowers! Sadly the Walking Stick cactus isn’t on the same schedule and hasn’t started blooming yet with the prickly pear. Apparently Nature likes to stagger things. Too bad she didn’t want to stagger the times it rained so we could get our walks in without being drenched.
Wilson: You’re right about that, Mum. Every time we’d try to get a walk in, the skies would open up and we’d get soaked. It took a day and a half before you got smart and dug out the umbrella so it wasn’t as bad. In your defense, it rains so infrequently, we never think about using umbrellas and you probably forgot where they’re stored. My paws and undercarriage got mucky and you must have used every towel in the house to dry me off. Did you notice how curly my coat got after all the rain we encountered? Who knew I had such curls.
The Mum: Yes, those curls are going to take lots of brushing out for your coat to return to regular fluff. Anywho, I’m glad you decided to stay with the southwest theme for this week. You’re a good egg, House Pony.
Wilson: Well no point letting a little rain put a damper on things, right? Notice what I did there?
The Mum: You are too clever, lad. What else did you notice while we were getting drenched this week?
Wilson: Look at this prickly fella! It was so fascinating to look at but I didn’t want to get too close to check it out more thoroughly. I was afraid it could easily ‘bite’ my nose.
The Mum: Smart thinking, buddy. While that plant is fascinating to look at, I’m glad it isn’t in my garden. What a pain to try and clean out dried leaves every spring. Literally! I don’t think there are thick enough leather gloves to tackle that project!
Wilson: Right you are, Mum. This next pic is what made us pursue the whole southwest theme. You always have your eyes open for unusual garden art and I must say, this is the most unlikely thing you’ve ever found, I daresay. Mirrored cactus sculptures! I half expected you break out singing “Stayin’ Alive.”The Mum: I know, right? I was flabbergasted. We encountered this sculpture as we were returning home. It was on a different route but I thought, why not check it out. When I saw this shiny thing from half a block away I couldn’t figure out what it was and had to look more closely. Lo and behold, it was mirrored life sized cacti! How. cool. is. that?
Wilson: It was something else, that’s for sure. And I could even sniff it without fear of getting my nose poked. Hey, that reminds me, why didn’t you let me sniff it?
The Mum: Now, you know perfectly well the rule of our walks is we don’t ‘sniff’ (talk about a euphemism) in people’s gardens. We don’t appreciate when dogs pee on things in our garden and try to set a good example for others.
Wilson: Umm, I don’t always try to pee on everything, but you must know that a dog processes life through his nose. Which means, I have to get up close and personal to see what the heck something is. But you’re right, I probably would have tried to pee on it to let others know I appreciated it’s unusual appearance.
The Mum: I rest my case.
Wilson: Sorry, Mum. There are some things dogs just can’t change about their personalities. Yellow mirrors probably wouldn’t have improved the garden look.
The Mum: Glad you understand. So what are your plans for this weekend, House Pony?
Wilson: Well it’s Mother’s Day this weekend in the US so naturally I’m going to do something nice for you. But it’s a surprise. I can’t spill the beans, just know I’ll be a good boy and try to make you proud.
The Mum: {blushing} I’m always proud of you, sweet boy. Thank you. We hope all pet mums have a wonderful Mother’s Day and hope you are able to enjoy getting out to check out Nature up close and personal. Have a great weekend!
Wilson: {Yawn} Good Friday morning everyone-as you can see I’m a bit slow getting started after a very busy week but wanted to welcome you to another installment of Nature Friday where we join our friends from the Adventures with the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to check out what others have shared.
Well, the calendar page turned yesterday and we’re now in full blown spring mode. Hope you had a wonderful May Day. We spent the day catching up after celebrating National Pet Therapy Day the day before. It was a bit overwhelming for both me and Mum. Mum learned a valuable lesson (though she wasn’t a bit surprised at realizing it). She knows I struggle with a large group of overly excited people wanting to meet me for the first time as well as their excited pups all trying to get up in my grill. I’m afraid I was less than hospitable with a couple who didn’t seem to understand it’s too overwhelming for me. Here’s a fraction of the approximate dozen number of dogs who participated. Mum stopped trying to take photos because she was concerned about my reaction and couldn’t get the whole gang in the frame.
Lutheran’s pet therapy dogs come in all sizes and shapes
Wilson: Mum, I sure hope we don’t have to do a group thing like that again any time soon. I was so stressed, all those dogs wanting to be so close, I mean, I was just a wreck.
The Mum: I know sweet boy, I’m so sorry and promise I won’t put you through that again.
Wilson: Whew-thank you…I was a total wreck and am so grateful you decided to let me to visit with the nice folks in Medical Records instead of participating in the dog conga line upstairs on the floors. For the record, I do not conga.
The Mum: Totally understand. I enjoyed meeting with Records as well and you were a big hit. We’re adding them to the other stops we make before our regular floor assignments. Let’s change the subject and focus instead on all the beautiful signs of spring we encountered this week, shall we?
Wilson: Happily. Well it’s official- spring has definitely sprung. We had a few days of gentle showers with coolish temperatures and things are greening up nicely. The trees in particular really have enjoyed the moisture. It looks like the cherry and apple trees were particularly thrilled and I can’t wait until I can taste the fruit first hand, later in the year.
The Mum: Flowering trees have indeed been quite lovely. Check out this Eastern Redbud. I just love their bright color.
Wilson: Does it have fruit after blooming? You know I’m a big fan of fruit.
The Mum: Umm, no, in fact, I often forget about these trees after they bloom-the tree is unusually nondescript once it’s finished blooming. It’s a shame too, they so pretty when they bloom.
Wilson: Well that’s unfortunate. I’ve noticed the tulips are just about finished blooming too and what a lovely year it’s been for them. This has to be the absolute prettiest one we’ve seen.
The Mum: You’re so right, I so love walking past that house and especially enjoy that beautiful variety. It’s so delicate looking and the color is so pretty.
Wilson: It sure is, Mum. I noticed your favorite lilac bush is blooming. It’s not quite as lush as it was last year when you created today’s header but it’s still gorgeous as is the second bush right next to it. What’s nice is they aren’t the usual purple-ish color we usually see.
The Mum: Their fragrance is deliciously amazing, too. What else do you have to share?
Wilson: I started to notice some Hedgehog and Prickly Pear cactuses that are starting to bloom. I’m not getting close enough to sniff at those guys but they sure are fascinating to see.
The Mum: No doubt they provide valuable cover for tiny garden mice and small birds from various neighborhood predators as well as an interesting change from our usual blooming landscape.
Wilson: When we walked yesterday, this bright patch of Golden Alyssum sure caught my eye. Talk about a cheery look on a somewhat cloudy day.
The Mum: It sure was an exuberant sigh.! And they smelled sweet too.
Wilson: How come it’s okay for you to sniff flowers but you fuss at me when I do?
The Mum: The difference is that I don’t ‘leave‘ a message on them after I sniff.
Wilson: Oh yeah, I do try to leave a note. But, in all fairness, I’m just telling other dogs how beautiful the flowers are. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.
The Mum: {eyes rolling} Right. You might be able to fool others, but not me.
Wilson: Doggone it, I was hoping you wouldn’t see through me so easily. But I am doing better about leaving little messages, especially since you’ve pointed out it’s against the rules. I know you don’t appreciate it when dogs leave messages on our flowers and I respect that when we’re walking. Weeds are a whole different category though. Especially when they pop up in sidewalk cracks. I don’t have to remind you I’m doing a public service then, right?
The Mum: Umm, if you say so. Got any other photos to share?
Wilson: A couple; here’s a shot of some elm blossoms. Usually you only notice the little round seeds that blow all over the place, but you’ve never noticed the flowers that produce the seeds before. Aren’t they fascinating? I’m going out on a limb by saying I think it’s going to be a good year for elm seeds.
The Mum: Yes sadly, I’m think you’re so right. Which leads me to chat about the subject of Silver Maple tree seeds. Since you’ve been noshing on the flowers against my wishes, I’ve noticed the past couple of days that you’ve graduated to now snarfing up the seeds. You have to stop doing that, you hear?
Wilson: You mean those aren’t little green crepes? I mean, the flowers tasted like truffles so I just figured they were crepes.
The Mum: NO, THOSE ARE NOT LITTLE GREEN CREPES, you dingleberry! What is wrong with you?
Wilson: Umm chill, Mum.
The Mum: You are going to be death of me yet with what you find tasty. Elsa only ate things like reading glasses and socks.
Wilson: Maybe that says you’re not feeding me enough. I mean, the vet may be pleased with my nice trim physic but I’m a growing boy and growing boys need lots of calories to maintain.
The Mum: I give up.
Wilson: Oh Mum, don’t be so uptight. It’s not like a tree is going to sprout in my tummy is it? How about we end with a nice pretty blue flower. Blue flowers always make you smile to forget. I think this is some variety of forget-me-nots. I think it’s pretty, how about you.
The Mum: Yes, House Pony…it’s a lovely shade of blue and the two tone color of the leaves add to its beauty. Sigh. It looks like the sun is returning to the Mile High City for the next few days. It’s a gorgeous morning with crystal blue skies and will be in the 60’sºF…totally perfect for checking out all the beauty Nature has to offer this weekend. We hope you have a great weekend and do try to get outside to enjoy it.
Greetings mates…and welcome to Day 115 of this year. As we do on Fridays, we’re joining our friends Rosy & Sunny from the LLB Gang for their weekly Nature blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what scenes were shared by others.
The Mum: Ummm, good morning, House Pony. Now could you please get off my laptop?
Wilson: Oh right, sorry about that. Just thought you needed some up close and personal help.
The Mum: Uhhh, that’s very sporting of you but I think I’m good. Besides, you don’t have any thumbs.
Wilson: Mum, it’s not nice to point out negative aspects of one’s anatomy. I’m a bit disappointing you’d resort to something like that.
The Mum: Nothing malicious intended, sweet boy. Just pointing out obvious differences. We both have to work with what we’ve got for each situation. Feel better now?
Wilson: Okay, but you know how sensitive I am. As long as you don’t mean anything by it, I’m good.
The Mum: Of course, the one thing we are here at the Ranch is kind. That’s a rule that will not be ignored. So what do we have for today’s slices of nature?
Wilson: Uh right…let’s get started. People are going to think we’ve gone batty about birds.
TheMum: Yeah, it kind of does seem that way. While most people show cool raptors and diverse images of birds, when you live in the heart of the city, your options are somewhat limited.
Yoo-hoo, my love…look at this terrific leaf I found.
Wilson: Well one thing that’s universal is it’s definitely springtime and springtime is nest building time for birds of all stripes right now. Even if it’s a simple rock dove…more commonly known as a pigeon. In some places they are referred to as rats with wings since they eat just about anything. Here’s a male collecting some nest material in a parking garage. Adults are about 11-15 inches long (29 to 37 cm) and weigh anywhere from 8-13 oz (238–380 g). They typically have a dark bluish-grey head, neck, and chest feathers with glossy iridescence around their necks.The most identifying characteristic of this bird is those two black bars on their pale grey wings with their tails having a black band on the end, and the outer web of the tail feathers are lined in white. Pigeons are known to be quick on the wing when surprised or avoiding potential predators. Eye color is generally orange, red, or gold and they have those weird red/pink colored feet. Did you know the females are nearly identical as the males though the iridescence is less intense.
The Mum: Oh my goodness…I see you did some homework.
Wilson: Well, I am a professional and enjoy knowing little bits and bobs about things. It’s important for one to be curious about the day to day stuff. More people out to try it, especially since they they’re constantly looking at their cell phones.
The Mum: I say Wilson…good job. I found those pigeons when I parked my car at the doctor’s office. I don’t know why but I was simply fascinated watching them as they busily were ‘feathering their nest.’
Thanks Rufus, nice leaf…I’ll just tuck it right here.
Wilson: You must have been really engrossed in watching them-you were almost late for your eye appointment.
The Mum: Yeah, but it was nice to be captivated for several moments watching their rituals as they prepare for new babies. They almost didn’t mind me watching them working on their construction project-a common scene around the city.
Wilson: I noticed after your eye appointment, you went on a long walk around that neighborhood and found some serious signs of spring.
The Mum: It’s a habit I can’t seem to break. I used to live nearby and whenever I’m on the east side of town, I always have to walk by my old house. Like everywhere in the Mile High City, the neighborhood has changed so much. It’s very dismaying to see beautiful old Victorians torn down in favor of box-like McMansions. Fortunately my little 1900 Victorian cottage is still standing, having last sold for almost 19 times more than what I paid for it. Yikes!
Wilson: Gosh, Mum, that’s wild. It was a tiny little house but gentrification has really inflated home values.
TheMum: Yeah, it’s a truly bizarre real estate market, but enough of that. Why don’t you show some of the signs of spring from around that neighborhood.
Wilson: Right, well that part of town seems a little bit farther along than the area around the Ranch. I mean don’t bearded irises usually bloom in May?
The Mum: Indeed. In fairness though, they are starting to bud up on our side of town around the Ranch but I haven’t seen any that were flowering. This is your classic purple iris. Nothing flashy but oh my gosh, so early.
Wilson: Early, eh? What about this somewhat out of focus Bleeding Heart (sorry about that). Guess it surprised you so much, you couldn’t hold the camera straight.
The Mum: {blushing with embarrassment) Something like that. To say I was stunned would have been an understatement. Around our neighborhood, I haven’t seen any even close to blooming. Must be because of the sunlight exposure. They sure are pretty and fairly easy to grow.
Wilson: I see you found some new garden art on your walk.
The Mum: Yeah, I can’t help myself. When I came across these frogs, I kept thinking now that Lent is over I could actually enjoy an alcoholic beverage. Suddenly I was craving Mexican food and margaritas-hold the salt, please.
Wilson: I can practically hear them singing ay-yi-yi-ing from that sunny spot.
TheMum: You’re a real hoot, you know that? So what else do you have for this week?
Wilson: Looks like the lupine are starting their annual surprise appearance in odd places where they weren’t planted.
The Mum: I had to chuckle about where this one showed up. It’s not even remotely close to where last year’s lupine bloomed in that part of the garden. It always makes me smile. I’m looking forward to seeing what color the blossoms will be.
Wilson: Well, Mum, it’s time for me to go on my morning constitutional so I’m going to wrap this up. Be sure to get outside and enjoy the longer daylight with slices of nature that are appearing in your neighborhood. Is spring in full swing near you? Have a great weekend.
Happy Monday, peeps. After a week of winter revisiting the Front Ranch, today is shaping up to return to glorious spring. Yay! Today’s early morning temperature low is nearly as warm as the past few days highs. I know both the Floof and I will enjoy it and may even take an extended walk around Sloan’s Lake to see how spring is shaping up there.
It’s going to be a full week for Wilson as he’ll be delivering some K-9 therapy this week at Lutheran…{whispering softly} which will mean a certain someone will suffer have the requisite bath and professional groom. Apologies buddy-please focus on all the attention and treats you’ll be receiving this week. Ooh, did I mention the best word around…I sure did. TREATS, TREATS and more TREATS. Hopefully that got his attention.
Welcome to the first Friday in April where as always we join the LLB Gang for their weekly Nature Friday blog hop. Click on the link to see what scenes from nature others are sharing. Hard to believe we’ve officially entered the second quarter of 2025. Where has the time gone? Soon Passover and Easter will be front and center. The speed at which time flies by seems to speed up the older you get. Luckily there’s a certain ‘lad’ who’s happy to keep me on my toes (aka staying young by trying to keep up with him, despite the uncanny number of wrinkles staring back at me from my bathroom mirror). Well, let’s get started with today’s latest conversation.
Wilson: Hello, Mum…happy Friday. So what will we showcase this week?
The Mum: Well, young man, before we get started, how’s about we have a little ‘chat’ first before we share any photos from nature we encountered this week, shall we?
Wilson: Umm, this sounds ominous. Am I in trouble?
The Mum: Not in trouble per se but we do need to have a heart to heart about the maple flowers that are dropping on the sidewalk like flies.
Wilson: Ooooh, you mean those tasty morsels I find whenever I go outside? They are just so…
The Mum: {interrupting} STOP…you can’t eat those…
Wilson: But Mum…I can’t help but think of them as little truffles. I realize they may not be for everyone, but you do realize one of my greatest gifts to humankind is my uncanny ability to hoover up crumbs, wherever I find them. Just think of these things as crumbs that I’m cleaning up for you. I mean, you realize I’m doing you a solid by you not having to constantly have to sweep them up from the patio. When you think about it, I’m actually doing you a favor.
The Mum: Umm, well when you put it like that…wait, what am I saying? When you snarf those little flower clusters up, I have to mop up the slobbery drool marks! No, no, no…maple flowers must not to be eaten. While it should be noted that they aren’t poisonous, ingesting the flowers could cause stomach upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. You wouldn’t want to have to go to the vet now, would you?
Wilson: {gasp} Well, when you put it like that…definitely not. I’ll try not to eat them Mum, but we both know it won’t be easy. May I suggest you bring plenty of treats with you when taking me outside to deter me from eating until they’re gone?
The Mum: Boy, you’ll do just about anything for a treat, won’t you?
Wilson: I say, Mum, I’ve told you many times before, I’m no ordinary fool. You should know treats are a bravo-good way to deter unwanted behavior. All the training videos say so.
The Mum: You’ve been on Facebook again, haven’t you?
Wilson: {clearing his throat} Let’s just say I’m a quick study, Mum.
The Mum: I can see this conversation is going nowhere. Now that we’ve chewed on that topic, what slices of nature do you have to share this week?
Wilson: Well, the forsythias are blooming right now and boy are they cheerful and bright. I’ll bet they make lovely cuttings in any vase.
The Mum: They are definitely a sign that spring is here.
Wilson: And flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom around the neighborhood. One of the prettiest is Prunus Glandulosa, commonly known as flowering almond. This small shrub is fairly tolerant of urban conditions, and once well established, can be fairly drought-tolerant. All parts of the flowering almond shrub including the stems, leaves, and seeds, are toxic as are many plants in the Prunus family (i.e. plums, cherries, and peaches). It contains cyanogenic glycosides, that release cyanide when metabolized. Ingestion can lead to all sorts of health problems like gastrointestinal distress, difficulty in breathing, seizures, coma and death. Yikes-I’m rather glad we don’t have any in our garden.
The Mum: Yikes indeed. When I first moved into this house, there were a couple of them but ultimately they didn’t survive for which I’m rather grateful now. I had no idea about its toxicity.
Wilson: Why is it that so many of the prettiest blooms in spring are toxic or poisonous?
The Mum: I have no idea but it’s quite true. Spring bulbs are poisonous for dogs and because of your propensity toward noshing on things, I worry and have to make sure you don’t get any dumb ideas.
Wilson: I appreciate your looking out for me. When I was researching for this post, I learned that the most common spring bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, irises, daffodils and crocuses are all poisonous for us canines. But boy, they sure are pretty. Guess we have to take the good with the bad, eh?
The Mum: You’re right on both counts. So what flowering bulbs have you seen this week? It’s been pretty chilly and grey, unlike last week where we enjoyed some fabulously warm days. We experienced some flurries of white stuff over the past a few days but nothing that has accumulated.
Wilson: Quite right, Mum. As usual, winter is being difficult and it just can’t seem to stay away. It even dropped below freezing last night.
The Mum: Yesterday was even chilly enough to turn the furnace back on and more snow showers have been called for in the forecast with temps in the 20’s tonight. Brrrrr.
Wilson: These flowers don’t seem to mind the weather. Check out the unusual hue on this hyacinth. What would you call it, magenta, claret?
The Mum: Sure…that works. It’s quite a beauty but I still tend to be drawn to the purple ones. Their fragrance is just so divine.
Wilson: Oooh, that one is a real beauty, Mum. They sure do have a luscious scent to them. And aren’t you proud of me, I didn’t even water them or the daffodils that we found later on our walk nor did I try to eat them.
The Mum: Very proud of you, House Pony. Well done. It’s important to look, just don’t water. And definitely don’t eat!
Wilson: See, I can be a good boy, Mum…well most of the time. So what’s your plan for the weekend? Anything interesting happening? With the weather reverting to winter again, we think we’ll just hang out and stay cozy.
The Mum: An easy weekend sounds just paw-fect. We hope you are able to enjoy whatever spring has in store for your area. Have a great weekend!
Today in the US, we celebrate Memorial Day. It’s often called the ‘unofficial’ beginning of summer but for us at the Ranch, we view it as more of a day of reflection that honors and mourns US military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. So how did Memorial Day originate?
Greetings folks, Wilson here offering our latest flora and fauna take for this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join the blog hop hosted by the 
It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing…time to reflect about the nature and share what we encountered this week. As we do on Friday’s, we are joining the blog hop hosted by those fur kids from the 
The Mom: Indeed. On the plus side, look how gorgeous this Lupine looked in the garden when we came back-it’s so lush and I’m sure all the garden plants loved the rain. You can supplement water like crazy but nothing revives a garden quite like rain, even if it’s just a sprinkle. Nature seemed to make up for the lack of moisture this spring with this storm.
The Mum: Smart thinking, buddy. While that plant is fascinating to look at, I’m glad it isn’t in my garden. What a pain to try and clean out dried leaves every spring. Literally! I don’t think there are thick enough leather gloves to tackle that project!
The Mum: I know, right? I was flabbergasted. We encountered this sculpture as we were returning home. It was on a different route but I thought, why not check it out. When I saw this shiny thing from half a block away I couldn’t figure out what it was and had to look more closely. Lo and behold, it was mirrored life sized cacti! How. cool. is. that?
Wilson: {Yawn} Good Friday morning everyone-as you can see I’m a bit slow getting started after a very busy week but wanted to welcome you to another installment of Nature Friday where we join our friends from the 
