A little art, a little cutie

It's been raining for two days which has been a blessing in our drought-stricken area. In between storms, however, Nellie and I still brave the deep puddles and go on our walks. Today was special. Being Christmas Day meant little to no traffic in the neighborhood and a quiet calm soothed the spirit as we ambled around streets we've not been on in a while. Though I'm a Bah Humbug! type, I do enjoy seeing the sparkling lights and interesting decorations people come up with for the season. But what catches my eye? Why a spectacular long-leaf pine tree and a Maine Coon cat.

The tree canopy is just a perfect shape and is so majestic, I couldn't resist a snap of it.

And now for the little, well actually quite large, cat named Fluffy. Fluffy is a neighbor and he's one of only two cats who have ever approached me, especially while walking a dog. Fluffy not only approaches, he will willingly come when called, and then he headbutts me for pets. Of course, I do have a reputation for awesome ear and butt rubs in our walking area (four-leggeds only), so I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. He is so cuddly he practically jumps in your arms to snuggle. Since having a cat companion at home is not possible, I confess I rather look forward to our meet and greet time. And of course, he is gorgeous.

 Hope everyone had a lovely and bright day. 🎄

Flying Santa Dogs, round two

Well, Nellie and I walked by the flying Santa dog again, and clearly, this is how he's supposed to be seen -- fully lit up. Yup, makes more sense when you see him in the evening rather than the day time. So here we go again:

 

Flying Santa Dogs?

Gotta say that my neighborhood has gone all out this year with the Christmas decorations. All the sparkly lights and candy canes and beautiful poinsettias are a joy. But I'm willing to bet you've never seen a flying Santa dog. Made of chicken wire and a great sense of humor, this dog took me by surprise. You really have to click on the pictures to be able to see detail, since it has no solid background to give it substance. Enjoy:

 Ho, ho, ho.

Cuteness overload

Yes, it's been awhile. I've not only been busy with mundane house and yard stuff, I just haven't had anything fun or creative to write about. The other day though, Nellie solved a mystery in the cutest possible way and it's too funny not to share.

I have posted photos of this spectacular ice plant in bloom with the bright pink flowers. It's not blooming at the moment, and I noticed a brown spot in an otherwise thriving plant. Not enough water? Too much water? I couldn't figure out what was causing this area to go brown and thin in otherwise plump vegetation. Until yesterday. The culprit:

Apparently Nellie has decided it makes a nice place to hang out while she supervises us working on various projects. When I asked her what she was doing and suggested that might not be the best place for her, her response was classic doggie attitude (click on the picture to see what I mean):

Good thing she's sooooo cute!

Halloween has taken an interesting turn

Walking around the neighborhood, especially at night, there seems to be an abundance of Halloween decorations adorning yards that was missing last year. Of course there are the modest pumpkins adorning stairs or porches. Then there are the seriously over-the-top huge spider webs and multiple skeletons and ghouls hanging from trees. Ghosts and goblins abound. But what caught my eye was something so unexpected, so amusing, and so wonderful, I had to share.

What you can't tell from the photo is that the dinosaur is actually made of metal, so I suspect it is there to stay. The hapless victim appears to be a clown.

Wonderful wall mosaic

There's a little shopping center on a corner near my house. It consists of a tiny grocery store, a barber shop, and a couple of mom and pop eateries. The best part is a giant wall mosaic in the outdoor table area. It makes me smile.

Dave the Animal Guy...

Dave is the animal whisperer who helped us introduce Nellie to our other furry resident, Kuma. Since Kuma isn't the most well-mannered dog when it comes to other dogs (cats, skunks, or anything else that moves), having Dave around to ease the meet and greet made all the difference for getting our two rescues to unite. He also trained Nellie not to leave the house or run through our garden gates without a direct command. That is something that can save a dog's life.

Well, Dave has set up a YouTube channel with all sorts of good insights and advice on living with wildlife and your furred, feathered and scaled friends. I don't always agree 100% with what he espouses, but I do think he has some very interesting insights. Thus, I wanted to share the link to his channel. For those who are as nuts about creatures other than human beings as I am, it's worth checking out.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVWQB8fBKvkx_0hUGw5D_Yw