Or in my case, that glow is from sweat. It was a hot weekend…just warning all you folks who continue to receive so much rain…trust me…summer is coming. Last week was super hectic and busy and we’re still recovering after a few days of hospital visits among other commitments. Wilson the Dogtor, was a big hit and now we’re hoping this week will be easy-does-it as this post visit nap shows how hard he worked. He was a good boy, brought loads of smiles to all he met and left everything he had at the hospital.
Greetings mates, Wilson here for the first Friday of June and the 157th day of the year. Today we’re doing something different as we join our friends at the LLB Gang for this week’s edition of Nature Friday. Trees have leafed out but blooming flowers really haven’t changed, Mum has noticed the only thing new has been the direct result of our weather. It was the second week in a row where rain showers fell nearly every day. In fact, yesterday’s afternoon walk around the neighborhood saw us getting soaked. Again. What the bloody dog? Mum knows I don’t like rain on my fluffy white head but there she was dragging hustling me along to try and find some cover under the trees.
So what does all this rain mean? Well things are green and lush. So much so, grass seems to grow overnight. And so do the weeds. And if you haven’t guessed by now, Mum is highlighting the weeds this week {eyes rolling}.
Yes, you heard me right…bloody weeds. I’d think she was in the sun for too long yesterday before the clouds and rain rolled in after working in the garden all morning, pulling two bins full of weeds. She said it’s the yang aspect of Nature and she thought we should see the other side of what happens when there’s lots of moisture. Not that we’d ever object to moisture, mind you…but weeds? Come on Mum, just admit it…your brain is fried and you’re suffering from writer’s block.
The Mum: Good morning, House Pony. I see you’ve set a somewhat negative stage for today’s Nature Friday focus on the reverse side of Nature. When you usually have a lack of moisture, plants struggle. But give them even just a little spot of rain and voila!…they are transformed into a scene from Little Shop of Horrors where gardeners swear they are hearing the baritone wail of Levi Stubbs (of Four Tops fame) who was the voice of Audrey in the movie-Feed me Seymour.
Wilson: Ermmm, didn’t mean to cast dispersions, Mum, but seriously…weeds. That’s the best you’ve got? Surely there’s gotta be something far more exciting, not to mention far more visually pleasing.
The Mum: Sorry, it’s just reality. You can water the garden like crazy and it’s so-so but even with a tiny little rain sprinkle and poof, instant greening up and lushness.
Wilson: Well, ok…if you say so. I still stand with my observation that you might be suffering from a spot of writer’s block but let’s move along. Some of these weeds universally vex us all summer long, rain or not…like the bindweed and spotted spurge but some of the have grown to gargantuan dimensions like the prickly lettuce and that plant that resembles hemlock which is a member of the carrot family.
Prickly lettuce-wear thick gloves when removing this bad boy.Poison hemlock, a member of the carrot family.Argemone – Prickly Poppies, another weed that requires thick gloves for removalSpotted Spurge loves getting between flagstone pathwaysBindweed sheltering other assorted weeds
The Mum: I swear that bindweed is going to be the death of me yet. I have yet to be able to eradicate it and the recent rains have acted like nitrogen fertilizer. Oh sure, the ‘morning glory-like’ blooms are pretty but this weed will strangle the life out of everything around it.
Wilson: It looks quite innocent but I noticed it went from just a few blossoms to an entire carpet of them. This weed may be your Waterloo, Mum but mine are the foxtails that typically show up along sidewalks waiting for unsuspecting dog legs and paws to attached their bloody barbed seed awns.
The Mum: As I was researching foxtails for this post, I noticed “wall barley” (sometimes called false barley), is very similar in appearance and can’t be 100% certain if what’s pictured is actually foxtail or false barley. Either way, you’re right saying these seed awns can be not only dangerous to dogs but depending where they’ve entered a dog, can be lethal if not promptly and fully removed.
Wilson: I will chew on my toes if some piece of grass gets stuck which apparently is some sort of code to dog mums that something is stuck between our toes/pads and needs immediate remediation. I swear even if I just look at my feet, you’re all over me examining me with a whole battery of combs and other grooming tools to remove any offending bits and bobs. I appreciate it but you descend on me like grasshoppers/locusts from the Dust Bowl and that’s somewhat terrifying.
The Mum: Trust me, the alternative would be much worse. It’s for your own good.
Wilson: It’s funny how things us dogs dislike are always accompanied with that phrase. Anyway, I’m glad you’re obsessed on guard for them. And because I’m a benevolent floof, I had you take a photo on our walk for this morning’s post-dawn walk of a white lupine in bloom. We have the purple and pink variety in our garden but had never seen a white version before. It’s rather pretty and a nice offering for Miss Rosy after all these lame weed pics.
Whether you’re suffering from writer’s block or have loads of things to write about, we hope your weekend is full of joyful exploration and discovery of both sides of Nature. Have a great weekend.
Good grief, I can’t believe it’s June already! What the dawg is going on? Wasn’t it just Valentine’s Day? However we got here, it’s no reason not to still start the week out with a smile. And today’s installment is sooo Wilson. There has never been any doubt in my mind that this trait embedded deep in his DNA since he’s shown a strong proclivity for chilling out on the sofa (or even better, on a bed).
From the day I brought him home, this boy has loved laying on my bed…the sofa, me…well you get the point. I’d be upset at his flagrant disregard for one of the house rules if he wasn’t such a cute floof.
Sending you loads of happy thoughts for a great Monday.
Welcome to the last Friday of May. Crikey…how in the world did we zip through May so quickly? I mean we’re nearly half way through 2025. {Head shaking} It must be done with sorcery or with some help from Hogwarts. Both Mum and I have been scratching our heads trying to understanding how we got here.
So it’s been kinda cool this week, temperature wise. And get this…we’ve had rain showers on several days. With temps hovering around 46ºF (7ºC) when we take our morning walks, a chap has to warm up before he goes out. Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the cool temps. Both Mum and I are enjoying them and the gentle rain has really brought out the curls in the Floof. To top it off, the rain has made gardens look pretty amazing.
We all know that May is a great season for blooming peonies and irises but today we’re going to showcase another favorite flower…the common rose, which also loves to bloom in May.
Wilson: What’s that old Shakespeare’ saying? “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Guess ole William didn’t figure on genetics affected that once familiar scent. You may have noticed that roses don’t smell like they used to years ago. So why don’t roses have that luscious fragrance anymore, Mum?
The Mum: It all boils down to 3 words-economics and disease resistance, House Pony. Many years ago, as the floral industry realized they could import roses from other countries cheaper than growing them in the US, they teamed up with genetic science. Growing overseas would require sufficient time to ship cut flowers back to US consumers who demanded longer lasting roses and roses with large blooms were especially sought after. Enter Ecuador whose roses boast the largest blooms in the world and are thus some of the most sought after because of their size. Crossing breeding efforts to achieve those larger blooms, longer thornless stems, increased petal count, and disease resistance unfortunately replaced the gene which removed that beautiful fragrance. We may enjoy bouquets longer, but the price is those bouquets no longer have the fragrance that we all know and love, unless the rose happens to be one of the David Austin varieties. Apparently the two genes are incompatible. But all is not lost. Science is working on a solution by breeding compact fragrant roses that are healthy and have a lovely perfume as well. The bad news is that in order to create fragrant cut roses that are durable may take as long as 10 years to develop a fragrant, disease resistant rose but work on that continues. Once that happens, that Shakespeare quote won’t need to be changed. In the meantime, let’s take a look around our neighborhood to see some of the beauties that have been blooming.
Wilson: Just goes to show life isn’t perfect but there’s always going to be someone who’s willing to try to build a better mousetrap, Mum.
The Mum: That’s quite true. I felt lucky to capture most of these roses after a little shower so there are still droplets on the blooms and leaves that I think add to their beauty.
Wilson: I think my favorite color are the pinks. They manage to look the best longer than some of the other colors whose petals get a bit ragged looking around the edges. Still all these beauties looked so lovely when we saw them on our walks and the good news is that most of them (with proper deadheading), will continue to bloom throughout summer.
The Mum: Right you are, Floof. The ‘show’ will go on, presuming summer heat doesn’t impact them too much. I’m willing to keep my eyes on them. How about you?
Wilson: Oh yes, it’s always good to look forward to beauty when and wherever nature provides it, be it on rose blooms or other flowers. So, do you have any plans to welcome the month of June? I think we’re probably just going to catch up on garden chores after all the rain that fell has fertilized weeds like crazy. After over a week of cool temps, the weather will start warming up and weeds are popping up everywhere, just waiting for Mum’s hoe. I’ll be sure to snoopervise her from the shade of the covered patio. One must practice their keen ‘quality control’ skills to make sure the human doesn’t slack off, don’t you think? We hope you have a splendid weekend and are able to get outdoors to enjoy a spot of sunshine or find some beautiful flowers in bloom along a walk. Enjoy…whatever you choose to do.
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, Wilson here for the first Friday of June and the 157th day of the year. Today we’re doing something different as we join our friends at the 
Welcome to the last Friday of May. Crikey…how in the world did we zip through May so quickly? I mean we’re nearly half way through 2025. {Head shaking} It must be done with sorcery or with some help from Hogwarts. Both Mum and I have been scratching our heads trying to understanding how we got here.
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?
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 
