Monday Musings ~ October 14, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 52 Comments

Today is Indigenous Peoples Day in the US. Formerly known as Columbus Day,  it celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples by commemorating their histories and cultures. While I always post some light-hearted smile on Monday’s today always leaves me with an uneasy feeling because of how native peoples have been treated and there is nothing funny about the historical past in that regard.

Indigenous Peoples Day

We here at the Ranch ask you consider the history that went into the creation of this national holiday.

And because it still IS  Monday, we can’t begin the week without some sort of smile. As you may recall, Elsa has a long history of eating things that is well documented on this blog. (for example, see The Carnage Continues). She’s been very civilized for some time but then suddenly last week decided the mail would be her latest conquest, including important notices and bills. She managed to pull several pieces of mail off the dining room table 3 days in a row.

Munched mail

I will note however, she’s never chewed up junk mail instead, she seems to focus on important items and then proceed to pull them down from the middle of the dining table. She managed to munch was an agreement with the Water Department regarding agreement for replacing the service line. Do you know how embarrassing it is being an adult and telling a service rep “my dog ate the agreement” and how can I get another one? Luckily it’s a national holiday with mail not being delivered today so it’ll be safe, at least today.

As you celebrate the contributions of Indigenous People today, we hope you have a good week.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ October 11, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 44 Comments

🎵 Humming…Rule Britannia… 🎵

Halloween

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Golden, CO

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

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

Elsa: Interesting. What else did Mom see?

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

Golden, CO

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

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

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

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

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

Wilson: Gosh, you are quite harsh today…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ October 7, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 59 Comments

It’s Monday again…where did the weekend go? Wilson has been entertaining himself by making friends with various bugs who are making their last hurrah before summer finally hits the road. They have at least the next 10 days of friendship, according to the forecast.

Monday smile

We hope you have loads of friendly encounters this week. Happy Monday.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

 

Nature Friday ~ October 4, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 63 Comments

Elsa

Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our hosts, Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others have shared. Elsa here with the latest scenes from around the Ranch. I’ll be joined by the House Pony who, as it turned out, had a successful batch of visits at the hospital. There may be hope for that lummox yet.

Wilson: {ignoring the snark} Hello, mates. Like my sister said, we’re here to share slices of nature we’ve seen. As Mum mentioned in our last Nature Friday post, the plan was to take in some leaf peeping over last weekend. Along with 87,000 of our closest city friends {sarcasm}. You probably saw the photo Mum posted earlier this week. In Mum’s voice, “what. a. cluster.” It was a good thing she was with good friends otherwise she may not have survived without making a fuss. After days of all the local TV stations telling everyone to get out and see the glorious colors on what was billed as prime leaf viewing, guess everyone heeded the advice because there were thousands of them lined up for miles and miles. Mum had never seen as many Teslas and trucks, some of whom got their side mirrors ripped off when they stupidly carelessly parked on the road to the summit of Guanella Pass. Bloody fools!

Leaf peeping

As you can see, it was quite the line heading back toward Denver. They were told there were hundreds of cars ahead of them and it took 3 hours to drive a mere 3 miles. But it was a gorgeous day and all they could do was sit in queue and ooh and aww at the beautiful changing colors.

Guanella Pass

Elsa: So tell me more about this Guanella Pass. I know Mom knew a bit about it but I’m not familiar.

Wilson: As it happens, I have some interesting info about Guanella Pass which is located about 56 miles west of Denver in the Front Range in southwestern Clear Creek County, near Georgetown. It was named after long-time road supervisor and commissioner, Byron Guanella.

The pass provides a route between Georgetown in the valley of Clear Creek to the north and Grant in the valley of Geneva Creek, a tributary of the North Fork South Platte River, to the south. The pass is traversed by the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. The road provides a link between Interstate 70 to the north and U.S. Highway 285 to the south. [source: Wikipedia]

Elsa: Hmm…learn something new every day. What’s the scoop on the trees and why are they so special?

Wilson: Glad you asked. Colorado is known for its Aspen trees (also known as quaking aspens). They are native to colder climates which is one reason they do well in this state. Did you know that Colorado averages the highest number of peaks in the lower 48 states and has more thicker concentrations of these trees than anywhere else in the U.S. They do well in Colorado because of their ability to sprout new growth after large wildfires – of which there have been many in recent years. It is usually the first tree species to re-colonize a burn area. Aspens however are more fire resistant than other native trees such as the various kinds of evergreen trees. Aspens have a unique ability to the photosynthesis process in the white bark, while most trees carry out this process in their leaves. That means in winter once the leaves have fallen and snow begins to fall, the tree continues to produce sugar for energy which helps provide a food source for deer, elk and other animals. And finally, aspen trees cluster closely together because they clone themselves as roots sprout new trees and share an identical genetic makeup, making them extremely large organisms. Even though there may be multiple clones in an aspen grove, the grove’s leaves turn at the same time.

Elsa: Hmmm, you don’t say? I knew they were one of the largest organisms in nature but didn’t know the part about  genetic makeup turning the leaves at the same time. So what else you got?

Wilson: What I got is some great photos while everyone waited to get through the gridlock. While Colorado is known for its  bright ribbons of gold, Mum and her friends managed to see some spots of orange and red. Check out this gallery of pics:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Elsa: Gosh, no wonder there were so many people catching glimpses of those trees and shrubs. You gotta love the humor of the locals with that sign. Mom initially laughed but after waiting 3 hours to reach US 285 to head back to Denver, she kinda lost her humor. She said she’s never seen it that congested before.

Wilson: Can you blame her? Everyone was jonesing for their ‘Instagram’ moment and not really appreciating the beauty of nature. She was irritated that too many people were looking down at their devices rather than enjoying the scenery. How is it that people watch TikTok instead of enjoying being in Nature? I just don’t get it.

Elsa: There are so many reasons to not be able to understand humans and what they seem to value. I mean you and I would be running around sniffing up a storm and enjoying it all.

Wilson: Seems like a wasted opportunity. I do have one more local image to share…some mutant squash Mum and I encountered on our walk the other day. I thought it was a starfish at first.

Squash

Elsa: You’re right, that is weird. For the record, I’m not eating that.

Wilson: Oh no…me neither. Can you believe it? Me not wanting to eat something. That has to be a first.

Elsa: Egad, Mooommm, Wilson must be sick, he didn’t want to eat that squash!!

Wilson: Oh come on…it’s not that unusual.

Elsa: Ha! Don’t make me laugh. So…anything else you want to share?

Wilson: Well no more beautiful changing leaves but I did want to let everyone know that even though it was delayed a bit following a deathmatch between a couple of contestants which messed up the bracket, it’s Fat Bear Week. You can vote here.

Elsa: Oh for crying out loud…you’re promoting Fat Bear Week {paw smacks forehead}? This is not some sleazy tabloid, dude.

Wilson: I’m quite serious. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Alaskan bear. I’m rooting that 128 Grazer will repeat.

Elsa: Oh jeez. Forget voting for a fat bear. Instead, enjoy this week’s Halloween scene from just around the corner from the Ranch. A skellie watchdog is better than some old fat bear. Have a great weekend and enjoy walking about in nature. Get out there and really savor it.

Wilson: Savor? Is there food somewhere I don’t know about?

Elsa: Oh for heaven’s sake…I just can’t. Have a great weekend enjoying nature.

Halloween

Nature Friday

Live, love bark! 🐾

National Black Dog Appreciation Day

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 63 Comments

Cheers, mates. Wilson here to extol the virtues of the day…today is National Black Dog Day. Yes, there is a day devoted to black dogs and for good reason. Did you know that black dogs have the lowest rate of adoption and highest rate of euthanasia of any shelter dogs? What’s behind that craziness, you ask?

National Black Dog Day

Celebrated annually on October 1st to combat Black Dog Syndrome, this day was founded by animal behaviorist and activist Colleen Paige (who also created National Dog Day and National Mutt Day). To encourage the adoption of black dogs, some shelters and rescues will waive adoption fees or host special events to benefit dark-colored pups.

Did you know that black dogs are often the last to be adopted in shelters? That’s why we celebrate National Black Dog Day each October to spread awareness that every pup deserves a fur-ever home.

While there is some debate over the veracity of black-colored dogs being readily adopted, the issue known as  Black Dog Syndrome (BDS) is real. It’s thought that black dogs are more likely to stay in shelters longer and may potentially be euthanized if they aren’t adopted soon enough. With space and other resources being limited and the real effort to get dogs adopted out as quickly as possible, black dogs are often overlooked by potential adopters.
Elsa
Anyone can participate in National Black Dog Day. Even if you don’t have a black dog, you can use #NationalBlackDogDay on your social media posts to help spread awareness about BDS or by donating to your local shelters and rescues to aid in the adoption of black dogs, as well.

Black Dog Syndrome

What is Black Dog Syndrome? There are many negative connotations associated with black animals. Ancient superstitions often keeps someone back from adopting a black pet. All too often black dogs have been portrayed as guardians of the underworld in mythology.

Yes, it’s a real challenge photographing dark dogs and they are frequently  passed over. Light-colored dogs definitely stand-out a bit more in pictures. But in reality, a black dog is no different than any other pup regardless of their coloring. They all need love and care just like every other dog.

Ancient superstitions may hold someone back from adopting a black pet.  Black dogs have often been portrayed as guardians of the underworld in mythology much like black cats are associated with bad luck or witchcraft.

Likewise, black dogs in movies and television are often portrayed as aggressive, as well (i.e. the attack dogs in the movie The Dark Knight and Fluffy, the three-headed guard dog, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone are all black dogs).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And while she’s been known to nosh on some of the strangest things over the years and has seizures, this girl is beloved and Mum thanks her lucky stars she’s a Ranch Hand. So please join me in celebrating Black Dog Appreciation Day. Way to take center stage, little one.

National Black Dog Day

Live, love bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ September 30, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 64 Comments

Monday smile

A reminder to be careful when you go out looking for leaves that are changing colors. Wildlife is preparing for winter and may suddenly pop up where and when you least expect them. While we did some leaf peeping this weekend, I don’t think there was a single creature in the morass of metal we encountered in the high country. This was but a tiny slice of the thousands we saw.

Leaf peeping

May you enjoy an accident free autumn day without all the maddening crowds.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ September 27, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 52 Comments

ElsaWelcome to the last Friday of September. It’s been yet another week of record-breaking temps and they are expected to continue for at least the next ten days. Oh joy. And for the record, it was 93ºF (33ºC) yesterday. If you think those temps are above average, you’d be right-in fact approximately 18ºF above average. We’re now up to 63 days of above 90ºF temps. Elsa here, along with the House Pony who is headed for his third visit at Lutheran later this morning. Mom thought getting him cleaned up was pretty much like steer wrestling and vowed to never do it at home again nor would she groom both of us on the same day. I tried to tell her I was good without the trim but would she listen? No. So I say, you get what you reap. Sore back, tough noogies. She mopped up puddles and hair for a good hour. It was pretty awful.  Anywho, let’s get this party started.

Wilson: Hello mates. As always we’re joining our friends from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what others posted. This week we’re showing off photos from our recent trip to Southern Colorado to visit Mum’s Dad and her sister who also came for a visit. While it’s been hotter than bloody blue blazes, there was one day of pleasant temps with a nice shower at Grandpa’s. Things were noticeably green and we even saw a spot of snow on one of the peaks on the Wet Mountains to the southwest.

Snow on Wet Mountains

Elsa: Boy that snow sure looks inviting though I imagine in January or February, we’ll be singing a much different tune.

Wilson: No doubt. But that was nothing. Here we were headed back from our early morning walk when all of a sudden, we ran into these guys on the hill. Mom said she’s never seen deer in the nearly 40 years of visiting. Antelope yes, but never deer. I wasn’t quite sure just what to make of those creatures with those impressive antlers.

Deer

Elsa: They sure didn’t waste a lot of time waiting around for introductions. They boogied up that hill and were gone in a flash. I’m still surprised Mom managed to capture a few shots on her cell even if they aren’t great images. It was chilly that morning (43ºF/6ºC) and Mom’s fingers were kind of cold but she managed to whip out her cell phone lickety split. I, for one, was most impressed. I noticed you sure were gawping at them.

Wilson: Like Mum, I’d never seen anything like that. Usually we just chew the fat with the horse across the street from Grandpa’s house. They come a-running whenever we drop by. This time though, I didn’t bark at them. Mum seemed chuffed about that.

Horses

Elsa: Of course she was pleased. Nobody wants to be woken up at oh-dark-thirty in the morning by a bunch of hooved ninnies. You forget how much that distinctive bark of yours carries. That sound resembles two pots being clanged together and known as ‘pot-casse.’ It’s often what some people  dislike about sheepdogs.

Wilson: I. beg. your. pardon. We need to have a large voice when protecting sheep or kids.

Elsa: I can guarantee that people don’t want to hear your version of security protection early in the morning. Beside your voice, what else you got to share, dude?

Wilson: On the day it rained at Grandpa’s house, the sniffs were something else. I was in olfactory nirvana, I tell you. It was Mum’s keen eyes that kept me from checking this rattlesnake skin more closely. She closely checked it out but wouldn’t let me near it. She can be such a killjoy at times.

Snake skin

Elsa: {shudder} I’m with Mom; no reason to get close to those things. You know they’re poisonous, right?

Wilson: {gulp} Poisonous, you say? Umm, good thing we continued down the road. Besides, I had to check on something. And this time I got lucky.

Antelope bones

Elsa: I know you said you just wanted to ‘decorate’ our front garden since it’s Halloween season but eww, ick. Too sunbleached for my taste buds. Besides, I doubt you know how to decorate. For Halloween or any other holiday.

Wilson: Oh little one…you cut me to the quick.

Elsa: Oh please…you grabbed that section of the spine because you thought you could get away with it. I’m not stupid, you know. Mom is on to your chicanery and you blew us both away when you dropped it when she gave the command. We figured you’d try to hang on until she pried it from the jaws of death. She’s still blown away that you dropped it immediately. Why I’ll never know, but you sure impressed her. Usually she whines about how stubborn you are.

Wilson: How many times do I have to say it…I am not stubborn, I’m a sheepdog.

Elsa: Whatever lets you sleep, House Pony but the rest of us know.

Wilson: {miffed} I daresay, you’ve gone and hurt my feelings. Guess I’ll just wander on the prairie and contemplate the complexities of life on the open range.

Pueblo West vistas

Elsa: {eyes rolling} Ha…if only you’d go wandering. {changing topics} So the neighborhood is beginning to look a bit tacky, between all the political yard signs competing with loads of Halloween decorations popping up. I heard you growled at certain elements at this house.

Wilson: That’s not true. I just had this weird feeling I was being watched.

Wilson - Halloween

Elsa: Once again you have ever so deftly demonstrated you are an oaf and a complete moron.

Wilson: Umm…thank you? Anyway, we’re going to feature one Halloween scene each week just to show everyone how gah-gah folks from our neighborhood are when it comes to decorating for Halloween.

Elsa: Judging from the early signs, we should have plenty from which to choose. Time to wrap us this week’s post, bucko.

Wilson: Right, before closing, we want to let everyone know we’re thinking of all who has been impacted by Hurricane Helene. Stay safe.

Sending prayers

Elsa: It’s heartbreaking. Here in the West we’re ever so parched while the East is getting hammered. Mother Nature is super cranky.

Wilson: Ay, that she is. We hope everyone has a nice weekend and takes time to search for the beauty nature provides us every day, whenever we look for it. We are hoping to do some leaf peeping in the high country to escape the heat. How about your plans?

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ September 23, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 66 Comments

WilsonToday’s smile is soooo Wilson. Now I understand that it’s the motion detector in him that causes him to end up following me even if I’m just grabbing a glass of water. Wishing you loads of quiet times this week. Happy Monday!

Monday smile

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Nature Friday ~ September 20, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 49 Comments

Elsa in the PlumbagoHiya peeps, it’s me, Elsa…here to welcome you to the last Friday of the summer, 2024. Woof, woof…hallelujah! As always, we’re joining our friends Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what everyone else has posted. Let’s bury this season and show some of the beauty of Nature this week from around the neighborhood.

You can’t imagine how excited we are to finally have a week of pleasant temps and pretty blooms. None of that veggie junk this week! Now let’s get started. Take it away Wilson!

Wilson

Psst…yo buddy, you’re up.

Wilson: Huh, wha…yawning, oh good morning. Sorry I was just resting my eyelids until my introduction. Alright then, let’s get cracking, shall we?

Elsa:  It’s about time. I was beginning to think I’d have to get this party started.

Flowers, zinnia

Wilson: Sorry, about be a smidge late-it’s still dark when Mum gets up and I really was just resting my eyes.

Elsa: Yeah right. So that’s an interesting flower. What is that?

Wilson: It’s a Zinnia that Mum planted from seed in a pot by the front door. She wasn’t sure if they’d germinate since the package of seeds was a few years old but like all the seeds she plants, she stores them in the refrigerator. Apparently that keeps them viable, even if not all of them germinate.

Elsa: Ahh, I see, using up space in the fridge that otherwise could be used to store tasty fresh toppers for us, eh? Hmm, I’m not sure I totally approve, I mean, we could have more space for tasty morsels for us. What do you think?

Wilson: Come on, mate…you’re always saying Mum’s needs to have a hobby, and it’s only a small glass container that she keeps in a jar by the door…

Elsa: STOP! No singing tunes from your fellow country-compadres.

Wilson: Ahem, let me assure you, I am as American as you are, born and breed in Missouri but fine, yes, I do like the chaps from Liverpool. So do a lot of other Americans, I might remind you.

Elsa:  Fine. Sheesh, so touchy first thing in the morning. Looks like somebody got up from the wrong side of the cuddle bed.

Wilson: Not at all, I just wanted to point out the facts here. Not everyone is a conspiracist or fact denialist, okay?

Elsa: Boy…man…what a stickler, dude.

Wilson: Well it seems like everyone on the news is blathering on about some absurd thing. I mean, I even heard that some people are saying pets are supposedly being  eating by people and we know that’s just crazy.

Elsa: Yeah, I heard that too. People…what can you do with them?

Wilson: We just have to set the record straight. Over and over. And people think I’m stubborn!

Elsa: Well I hate to break it to you, but you kinda are, but let’s debate that some other time. What else have you got?

Wilson: Well here’s another Zinnia from that pot. That bright orange color is screaming autumn all over it, I say.

Flower, zinnia

Elsa: WHAT, I CAN’T HEAR YOU, THAT FLOWER IS TOO LOUD!!

Wilson: I say, young lady, I do believe you’re trying to spin me up, aren’t you.

Elsa: Hee, hee. Just pulling your leg, House Pony. But you got to admit, that’s one brightly colored flower.

Wilson: It sure is. Here’s another one. It’s another volunteer and one that delights Mum whenever or wherever it shows up. She planted a pink Snapdragon years ago and they are such vigorous reseeders so she enjoys it when it pops up, especially when the color is so different from the original. She’s never seen this color combination at the nursery. Just goes to show how important pollinators are in nature.

Flower-snapdragon

Elsa: Whoa…looks like a floral rainbow going on there. That’s so cool.

Wilson: It sure is. And here’s another pretty you might say is screaming autumn-the simply marigold. Mum always plants some seeds next to her tomatoes to keep the crawly things away. Too bad they don’t seem to work on the squirrels. They’ve been noshing on her big tomatoes though they don’t seem to bother the potted cherry tomatoes. We still have a jillion of those buggers.

Flower-marigold

Elsa: I hope you don’t have pics of veggies. I just want to see flowers, okay buck-o.

Wilson: Right, I shan’t bore you with any veggies this week. What do you think of this photo?

Flower, aster

Elsa: Now we’re talking. I think that’s an aster. And look, a bee is working it’s magic in the center of it. Asters are synonymous with autumn.

Wilson: Mum and I could hear them as we walked past this lovely. I wanted to help her stage the photo but she shooed me away so I wouldn’t be tempted to snap at them as they flew about.

Elsa: Maybe if Mom let you get bit, you might learn. But I’m doubtful. For being such a smart dog, you are a bit of a knothead about some things.

Wilson: I beg your pardon. I am 100% Old English Sheepdog, not a drop of DNA has any knots…

Elsa: {interrupting} Oh brother. Come on, dude…just get with the program and show us what you got.

Wilson: {refocusing} Ahem.. Well I do have another beauty for your pleasure. This is a lovely bed of Dahlias that Mum and I walked past a couple of days ago. They sure are stunning.

Flower-dahlia

Elsa: That’s a lovely shade of coral. Says autumn to me.

Wilson: Yes, autumn is beginning to make appearances. Even some leaves are beginning to change. Take a look at these Viburnum leaves.

Autumn leaves

Elsa: Ahh, so that’s what that shrub is, eh? Hmm, did not know that. You’re getting pretty good at naming these plants. I mean before you know it, you’re gonna be a Master Gardener.

Wilson: Not likely, I understand the program frowns on sniffing the plants.

Elsa: Good point, but at least you’re learning who’s who in the garden.

Wilson: I try. Here’s another plant that speaks autumn with its coloring. This is Coreopsis, also known as large-flowered tickseed. Did you know it’s also a member of the aster family?

Flower-coreopsis

Elsa: I did not. It sure is cheerful looking.

Wilson: Speaking of cheerful, you know how Mum is always on the hunt to spot new garden art. Check out what she found yesterday. She giggled out loud when she saw its face.

Yard art-donkey

Elsa: Hee, haw…opps…sorry I couldn’t refuse. I’ll be seeing the real McCoy this weekend when we go down to see Grandpa and Mom’s other sister who is spending a few days in Colorado visiting. We’ll be walking across the street to say ‘top of the morning’ to the donkeys that live near Grandpa. Won’t that be fun?

Wilson: For you maybe…I’m not much of a fan. They’re awfully large and I’d rather say hello to the bunnies than those monsters.

Elsa: Wuss. I’m all in…just think of it as a fun outing-who knows, maybe Mom will let you drag off a bone of some poor critter who bought the farm.

Wilson: Bones? Umm, well now you’re talking.

Elsa: Hee, hee…note to the ladies…the way to a man’s brain is definitely through his stomach. Just a little tidbit from the Ninja.

Wilson: Excuse me, I’m still here, sister. I’ve got one more photo that shows we’re transitioning nicely toward autumn. Skellies.

Halloween-skelly

Elsa: Oh for crying out loud. Seems kinda early to be bringing out the Halloween decor. Or as Mom would say, “no Halloween decorations just yet…it’s still summer and I haven’t finished my margarita yet!”

Wilson: I know-we’re slowing seeing more and more Halloween decor already. Humans are hilarious, aren’t they. Can’t wait until the next big thing.

Elsa: Yeah, they’re always wishing their lives away. Unlike us dogs who live in the moment. Well, I’ll give you props, big guy, nicely done. And no veggies.

Wilson: Well like they say…Bob’s your uncle. We hope you have a great weekend and check out all the flora that’s out. Even if it’s a veggie or a fruit. Cheerio, mates!

Nature Friday

Live, love, bark! 🐾

Monday Musings ~ September 16, 2024

~ Tails Around the Ranch ~ 73 Comments

Monday smileHappy Monday, peeps. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Time to get back to it…whatever ‘it’ is for you. Over the past eight months, I’ve been observing Wilson to get a good idea what makes this boy tick and realize he is constantly in training for the lazy dog triathlon. I mean…just look at two of  his best events.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We hope you have a splendid Monday and an even better week doing your best.

Live, love, bark! 🐾