RSS

Tag Archives: Plant

Strange New Plants

It’s been hot here, and very dry until the last few days.

The wildflowers we had in the spring are gone. We’ll probably have a few more in the fall, but for now things are looking pretty bleak.

At least I thought they were bleak.

But there have been some really strange things showing up on my trails lately.

Like the pink flower in my trail’s parking lot.

I’ve never seen anything like it before.

It almost looks like a miniature firework that burst on the ground and never made it into the air.

I wonder what kind of flower this is – or if I’ll see any more of them.

I might have to get my person to search it out on the internet. Sometimes she finds the names of plants on my trails there.

This pink flower isn’t the only strange plant I’ve found on my trails lately.

Some plants must really like the heat of summer.

I haven’t figured out though if this other thing is a flower or a fruit.

I found it growing on a bush, right next to the trail.

I wonder what kind of bush the internet would say this is.

Click here for more great pet blogs.

20 Comments

Posted by Bongo on July 20, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Flower, Pets, Plant, Trail

Trail Danger

13 Jun

I was heading down my trail and I realized they were everywhere. All over my trails.

I don’t want to get near that nasty plant.

I think somebody put that plant there on purpose – so everybody would stay in the center of the trail and not wander off in the bushes.

Because if you wander off in the bushes you might not come back.

That plant has a reputation for catching its victims and holding on to them.

And never letting them go.

I bet if I wandered far enough into the bushes – if I managed to make it, that is – I’d find skeletons being held by that plant.

Skeletons of animals or people that tried to escape, but couldn’t.

Animals or people that died in the clutches of that plant and are stuck forever.

Yikes! This is scary. I sure hope that plant doesn’t get overgrown onto my trails and try to grab me.

I don’t want to go back home yet, but I sure don’t want to be stuck in the clutches of one of those things.

These plants look innocent enough.

That’s how they fool you into getting too close.

But these plants have a horrible name for a horrible reason.

They’re called Catclaw.

And I have firsthand experience with catclaws. The animal kind.

And these thorns look almost the same.

Yikes! I’ll be walking carefully back home now.

If you don’t see a blog post from me tomorrow, could somebody please come check the bushes on my trails?

22 Comments

Posted by Bongo on June 13, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: catclaw, Catclaw Mimosa, Outdoors, Pets, Photography, Plant, Sedona, Sedona Arizona, thorns, Trail

Last year I had to go hunting for century plants. There was only one near my regular trails and we didn’t even notice it until it was big and blooming because it was hiding in the trees. That was okay though because I got to take my person on extra long walks to go find century plants.

But I might not get those long walks this year. The centuries are here.

We found one right near my trail and we’ve been watching it grow taller every day. That plant must have been eating its Wheaties because it sure can grow fast.

After watching my century plant get taller for a few days I found another one. Hiding behind a bush.

That second century is going to have to get a bigger bush soon though. It’s growing out of the one it’s got real fast.

After we found the bush century plant I took my person on my other trail – the one we usually go back to our house on. And there it was!

Are three centuries a charm?

If they’re not, maybe another century will start up on my trails real soon.

But now I’m getting confused.

What year is this?

38 Comments

Posted by Bongo on April 24, 2013 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Agave americana, century plant, Pets, Plant, Trail

The Perfect Weed

28 Sep

Check this out. The weed of weeds! And I found it right on my trails. I’ve been dreaming of a weed like this. I could spend hours of munching pleasure chomping down on this weed.

Look at it. Those luscious, shiny, beautiful blades of grass. And for dessert there are even some tiny weed seeds.

I’ve never seen a weed like this before. I don’t know where it came from, but I’m sure it was placed here just for me.

Now comes the challenge.

My person is standing right next to me and she likes to pull on my leash when I start chomping weeds. I’ve got to find something to distract her.

Maybe some cute little flowers that she can take pictures of.

Hey person! Over here! Check these out. You’d better get out your camera.

Whew! Lucky break. Those flowers weren’t easy to find.

Now to chow down!

***

Oh yuck! Ptooey! Gross! This weed tastes terrible!

Hey person, put your camera away so we can go. I think I see some of my regular weeds over here.

35 Comments

Posted by Bongo on September 28, 2012 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: flowers, Pets, Photography, Plant, Weed

They’re Everywhere!

11 Sep

This time of year vines start growing around here. I think they like all the rain we’ve had, because we seem to have more vines than usual.

They’re growing all over the cactus.

They climbed up my neighbor’s mailbox.

They’ve even been covering the rocks.

Hey person, let’s get moving. If you keep slowing down to take pictures of those vines they’re going to be crawling all over you.

It’s a good thing I’m an active dog. No vine would ever think of getting on me.

34 Comments

Posted by Bongo on September 11, 2012 in Bongo, dogs, humor

Tags: Pets, Photography, Plant, Vine

Seeds, Treats, and the Word

24 Jun

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, 1557. Image via Wikipedia

Hey person, are you going to tell me one of those Pair a Bulls again so I can make up a new story to go with it?

Woo woo! Which one are you going to tell me?

I am listening. And I’m sitting too.

My person says that Jesus told a story to a large crowd about a farmer who went out to sow his seed.

Did that farmer put seeds in his sewing machine? Wouldn’t that mess it up?

I’m listening, but…

As the farmer scattered the seed some fell along the path, was trampled on, and the birds ate it.

Oh, I get it now. He didn’t even have a sewing machine.

Yes, I’m listening.

Some of the seed fell on rock and the plants withered because they had no moisture.

All of the plants are withering around here this summer.

Okay, I’ll be quiet.

Some seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

Yikes!

Other seed fell on good soil. It grew and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.

Wow! That’s a big crop.

Is that it? That’s the end of the story?

What? You mean the disciples didn’t even know what the story meant? Jesus had to tell them? What did he say?

The seed is the word of God? Really?

So those along the path heard the word, and then the devil came and took it away from their hearts so they wouldn’t believe and be saved.

Oops! What else?

The ones on the rock receive the word with joy, but they have no root. So they believe for awhile but when a time of testing comes they fall away.

What about the thorns?

Those hear the word but they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they don’t mature.

Am I mature, person? I am, aren’t I?

Okay, what’s the last one?

The seed on the good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

That’s got to be me. I could grow carrots. I like carrots. Maybe beans.

Is it my turn now, person? Do I get to make up a story?

Okay, here goes. A person took her dog out to play and tossed some treats to him. But the person was a lousy shot.

The first treat landed way past where the dog was. A crafty coyote ate the treat before the dog could get to it.

The next treat fell in the road and a car ran over it and smashed it to smithereens.

Another treat fell in the middle of a prickly pear cactus and the dog couldn’t get it because there were too many pricklers in the way.

But the person finally learned how to throw right and the dog caught the next treat, and got so many more treats after that that he shared the treats with his friends.

Hey person, that made me hungry. Can you get me a treat? Just make sure you aim right when you toss it to me.

26 Comments

Posted by Bongo on June 24, 2012 in Bongo, Dogology, humor

Tags: Christianity, dogs, faith, Farmer, God, Jesus, Pets, Plant, Seed