When I got up at 6:00, Grace was in the living room chair almost invisible. I softly stroked the side of her face. At 6:15, I got up to study and Grace stayed in the chair. At 7:00, we went out for the morning. No one was at the park, so we went for a short walk. Grace walked along the building behind the bushes and reappeared.
Study Time
When we returned to the park, I busied myself with more study while Grace entertained herself at the park. Then I played a little bit of catch with her. She seemed to know though that I needed time and didn’t push the play much. No friends showed up today. At 8:15, we left the park for another walk.
At 8:35, we returned home and Grace had her breakfast. She enjoyed it and ate it all as in the old days. Grace went out on the balcony as I studied. At 9:15, we called Grace inside, she got back up on the living room chair, and we left her home alone.
Homebody
When we returned at 12:35, Grace was still in the chair. After our greetings, she got up and went out on the balcony. Tension in the house was more than I wanted to endure, so I decided to go for a walk. I offered to take Grace, but she was contented to stay out on the balcony.
When I returned at 1:15, Grace was sitting facing Betsy and watching her eat her mid-day meal. Grace went back out on the balcony. At 3:30, Grace went out and led me to Grace beach. She fetched a stick repeatedly in the water. She wanted to do that more than play catch. Betsy came by at 4:00. When they returned at 5:00, Betsy said that Grace bolted a couple of times.
Wet and Wild
She went to the balcony for ten minutes. When I called her in to take a shower, she came immediately. After her shower, and she had her treats, Grace went to her office perch. At 5:15, I put out her supper. She came immediately, ate it all, and went back out on the balcony.
At 6:15, Grace spotted Sadie. She raced down to meet her. They played roughhouse and chasing for about an hour with breaks to regain get their energy. When she returned home at 7:15, she took another shower followed by a treat. She smelled the turkey in the kitchen, so she decided to hang out in the kitchen.
Hungry Evening
As I ate my dinner, she moved under the table. When I finished, I gave her some turkey which she enjoyed. Betsy then gave her some more for a few tricks. She then returned to her spot under the dining room table.
At 8:20, Betsy made some cinnamon roll toast. Grace had the munchies. I gave her some of those oyster-cracker-looking treats. That didn’t do the job. I gave her another half-cup of food. She polished that off too. Finally, I gave her a dental chew.
At 8:35, she finished it and finally satisfied, moved to her office perch. At 9:40, Grace went out for the last time. When she returned at 9:50, she went out on the balcony lounge chair. When I went to bed at 10:10, I let Grace in and she jumped up on the living room chair as lights went out.
Monday
At 5:10, Grace was awake as I passed by her lying on the sofa, and I stroked her softly before returning to bed. At 7:00, I got up and dressed. After Grace knew I was readying to take her out, she went to the bedroom to greet Betsy. We then headed out to the park.
Park Play
Grace arrived first. I noticed her stool had some solid objects in it. On further examination, they appeared to be pieces of bone. The largest was about a half-inch long. The water was still turned off at the carwash. The one remaining ball at the park was getting pretty dingy-looking. Occasionally when we play catch, the ball will bounce off of Grace’s nose and bound out into the bushes. That happened once this morning.
The ball-eating bushes are large and are below the park. The ball can easily lodge in their branches. After five minutes of searching, I found it. It’s cute to watch Grace as she stands by the fence right where the ball went out — almost as if she’s helping me locate where it went.
Abby came in first. Grace had the ball. Then Abby stole it after Grace put it down for me to throw to her. Grace had a quizical look on her face as she pondered why Abby cheats. Eventually, Abby put the ball down and walked away from it. At that point, Grace took it back. Later, Abby chased Grace as Grace had the ball.
After they left, Grace and I played catch for about fifteen minutes. Then Sadie came. Grace and Sadie did chasing, wrestling, and roughhousing until 8:30.
Scarecrow and Retrieval
We took a long walk around a complex of buildings. When Grace saw a scarecrow Halloween decoration outside the patio wall of an apartment, she barked. I touched its face to show her it was nothing to fear and Grace moved on.
Next, Grace found what looked like the ball they were playing with in the parking lot about fifty yards from the park. It wasn’t slimy, so I’m not sure it was the same one. On the way back home, I threw that ball back into the park.
Chewing, Running, and Jumping
When we returned home at 8:45, I gave Grace her breakfast. She ate it all. This food has larger kibble, but even with puppy-sized kibble she has transitioned to always chewing her food. In case I haven’t mentioned this previously, I’ll mark this as a milestone. I suppose she started this about two weeks ago.
After breakfast, Grace went out to the balcony lounge chair to relax and watch. We left at noon and arrived at Borador Pond Park at 12:25. Grace had fun chasing geese and hawks, taking a short dip in the pond, sniffing, rolling in the grass, and catching up with me.
At 1:00, we arrived at our next stop — the lot. There I made some more measurements. While Grace and Snoopy hung out together. There wasn’t much high-energy play, but they still enjoyed having a friend around. I told Grace to jump the silt fence to go see Snoopy. She sailed over gracefully. On the way back, she jumped on her own — easily clearing the fence.
Two More Stops
At 2:00, we stopped at the grocery store for a few minutes. When I returned, Grace was seated in the driver’s seat, intently watching for my return. When I got in, she instinctively moved over to the other seat.
I made another stop at a subcontractor’s business. He wasn’t open yet, but will likely be ready for me mid-week. Grace came out of the car with me. We returned a few minutes later. When we arrived home Grace went to the balcony.
Anticipation
As I prepared my meal, Grace knew what was going on. She sat facing the window of the balcony door with her white hour-glass chest showing prominently. She wanted to come in. After my scrambled eggs cooled, I gave Grace her portion. She then came into the kitchen to ask for more.
She hadn’t had her shower after our trip to the pond, so I gave her one. I forgot the treat that is supposed to follow, but Grace reminded me. When she finished, she went to her perch in the office.
At 4:30, I took Grace to get a treat. She knows that word and knows where to go to get it. I had two packages to pick up, but of course, we stopped by the treat jar first. We left with the packages and headed for the dog park. They finally turned the water back on at the car wash. I refilled the water bucket and cleaned the one remaining ball. After a few minutes, Sadie and Abby joined us.
Fun with Friends
The usual dynamic unfolded. Abby and Sadie wrestled and chased as Grace watched while chomping the ball in her mouth obsessively. The youngest girl from Sadie’s family played catch and fetch with Grace. Grace normally easily wins a fetch contest with Abby, if the ball is thrown strongly in Abby’s favor, Abby will win.
When Abby won, the game changed. Grace and Sadie wrestled while Abby watched and chewed on the ball. That didn’t last as long, but it was enough time for Grace to get some more exercise.
After Abby and Sadie left, Grace wanted to stay and play. After she rested for five minutes, she was ready to leave. On the way out, Grace took a long drink of the fresh water from the bucket. On the way home, she wanted to stop and lie in the lush green lawn. After a few minutes, I got her moving again.
As we walked by our complex, a lady on her second-floor balcony noticed Grace’s limp and asked about it. I explained she has had problems with her paws — perhaps from her energetic play — but this last one may be from the struggle we had with trimming her claws.
Sundowning
When we returned home at 5:45, Grace went to the balcony. When she saw me put out her dinner five minutes later, she came in and cleaned her bowl. When she finished, she went to the office ottoman. She kept an eye out on the kitchen. When I got out the cheese for my salad, she jumped down and came right in. After her portion of cheese, I gave her a dental chew.
When she finished, she parked herself under the dining room table to wait for more. At 6:30, she did tricks for chicken scraps. That wasn’t enough. At 7:00, she gave me a chomp in the air. We did our tricks for treats. When we finished, Betsy gave her a new medium-sized Kong loaded with food and capped with peanut butter.
At 7:30, after finishing her new Kong, she went to the balcony. Ten minutes later, Grace came inside, grouched, turned, and went to her toy box to find some boxes to shred. Five minutes later, she chomped the air at me. I tried playing catch with her, but she wouldn’t do it inside. We tried a little bit of shortstop. Finally, Grace calmed down and just lay there peacefully.
Settling in for the Night
At 8:00, Grace gave up and went to her office ottoman. At 9:00, Grace came out of the office and lay on her side in the hallway between the office and kitchen.
At 9:15, Grace went outside for the last time. When she returned home, Grace went to the balcony since Betsy had the living room lights on.
Tuesday
At 1:30, Grace was on the office floor awake. I stroked her gently and went back to bed. After the alarm clock sounded at around 6:40, Betsy spoke to Grace from bed expecting her to come into the bedroom. Grace didn’t come.
Early Morning Play
At 6:50, I got up. Grace was on the living room chair. We greeted one another briefly. Grace was a bit confused about the time because it was still dark outside, but when she saw me getting dressed to go out, she got down and came to the foyer. Betsy said good-morning to her there.
When we arrived at the park at 7:00, Abby was already there. The interaction was about he same. If Abby had the ball, Grace waited for her to leave it. If Grace had the ball, although she wanted to play fetch and catch, she was wary of Abby’s tricks. At one point, when Grace had the ball, Abby chased her for a few minutes.
After they left at 7:45, I washed the ball. Grace played some catch, but seemed a bit disinterested. We went for a walk. Grace found a small scrap of new carpet. She grabbed her prize and headed for the park with it. She never made it all the way though before dropping it.
We returned to the park again and played a little, walked some more, returned and played a little again before returning home at 8:30. Sadie never showed up.
Rest, Tricks, and Interview
Once home, Grace went to her ottoman. At 9:00, I cleaned her dishes and gave her water and breakfast. She came in directly and polished off her food. She then went out on the balcony lounge chair to enjoy the cloudy, 55-degree weather.
At 10:20, I called Grace inside and took her to the Town of Cary to talk to a planner. We had to wait until around 11:00, then I spent fifteen minutes talking with the planner. When we finished, Grace showed off some of her tricks. On the way out, WTVD considered doing an interview of us related to the lowest-crime-in-the-nation news. It turned out, it wouldn’t work.
Relaxing and Enjoying Food
When we returned home at 11:30, I made a phone call and then took Grace out for a run. She did pretty well running on the leash. When we returned, she went back on the balcony. After I showered, I made myself a meal. Grace saw me through the window and knew I was making some scrambled eggs.
Grace came in and ate her portion of eggs. After eating, she took a nap under the dining room table. By 1:30, she was snoring in that cute soft way that she does sometimes. A few minutes later the UPS man delivered a package. Grace greeted him off the leash and came back in when I called her. Having been disturbed from her nap, she moved out to the balcony lounge chair.
At 3:05, there was a noise on the balcony sounding like the back of the lounge chair was dropped. Grace was standing between the lounge chair and the railing. She then moved to the corner of the balcony and curled up for a nap in the shady, 73-degree weather.
Errands
At 3:30, I called Grace in and we left for some errands. First we went to the post office. It wasn’t there. We went to the town hall and asked where it moved to. It was farther down the road than I had remembered. Grace came along nicely with me to the town hall and the post office.
Next, we went back to the land to consider again the best location for the house. Grace jumped the fence twice — once without my prompting. When I was ready to go at 4:30, I called her and she came immeditately.
Our last stop was a fire station about four miles away. Grace behaved herself like a big girl as I talked to planners about what they were anticipating for the land near my lot. At 4:55, we headed home.
Friends!
When we arrived at the apartment complex, Olivia, Rascal, and Abby had just arrived. We drove straight to the park. Grace exploded out of the car and through the gate. She started wrestling and running with Abby. Abby’s owner then went back to her place to get some new balls she had bought.
The favorites were the two medium-sized squeaky balls. Grace played catch with the one she controlled. Olivia barked a lot as she rarely held one for very long. Then Abby snapped three or four times. She erupted at least twice at Olivia and once at Grace. Her owner quickly called Abby off. After the incident with Grace, all of the dogs cleared out.
As we headed home at 5:45, Sadie showed up. Grace went back to the park to play with her wrestling parnter. They were a bit restrained, but they had a good time wrestling and running. At 6:20, Sadie left. After Grace took a minute to catch her breath, she came too and we went home. On the way back, I noticed her limp was gone. Now I wonder if she had some kind of dislocation or pinched nerve. She was limping on her front left leg before it just stopped.
Hungry Puppy
Grace went immediately to the balcony. I put out her supper. At 7:00, Grace came in, found her supper and ate it immediately. She really seemed to enjoy it. When she finished, Grace went to the kitchen while Betsy prepared supper. As we began eating, Grace moved under the dining room table. When I finished, I gave Grace her chicken scraps.
Grace wanted more. She had a dental chew. Betsy gave her a HeartGuard. Next, at 8:00, Betsy did tricks for treats with her. Grace wanted more. I loaded up her small and medium Kongs with a half cup of the duck flavored Blue Buffalo. That finally satisfied her.
Needs Her Space and Beauty Rest
Betsy sat next to Grace and hugged her. Grace put up with it. She really does not to have her space invaded to that extent. I explained that to Betsy, and she stopped. Grace then went to her perch in the office. At 8:50, she came to the kitchen to check out what Betsy was making. Betsy gave her a few small bits of sausage.
At 9:05, Grace had a long drink of water. Then I took her outside for the last time. We went to the trash disposal area as part of the outing. When she came inside, Grace went backout on the balcony. At 9:35, Grace came in, and got up in the living room chair that I had been using. I moved over to sit on her sofa and turned out the light next to the chair.
At 9:45, Grace groaned as Betsy disturbed her turning on the light in the living room. I told Betsy Grace said she needs a little dog sense to know when to go to turn in for the night. When I went to bed at 10:10, Grace was back in the office on her perch with Betsy.
Wednesday
At 4:15, Grace was on her sofa. I stroked her face gently as I returned to bed. At 6:30, we got up and greeted her as she lay on the living room chair. As usual Grace made lots of talking sounds, did some yawns and stretches. When we toldd her we were not ready yet, she got up on her sofa to wait for us.
Fun at the Park
At 7:00, Grace was ready to go. I took her out. Sadie was already there. Grace and Sadie kept their focus on the new balls. After ten minutes, Abby came out. That set up the usual two gladiators with Grace watching and chomping rapidly on the squeaky ball.
After about a half an hour, Abby took a ball and Grace jumped into the ring with Sadie. They played for about ten minutes with Abby as the spectator. Then they switched back to their usual roles. When Abby and Sadie left at 7:45, Grace went for a walk. After ten minutes, we returned to the park.
Grace played catch. One time I threw the ball up and behind her. She jumped into the air, but when she came down she lost her footing and fell badly. That may have re-injured her left shoulder. I’m not sure, but she was limping again when we returned home at 8:20.
Rest and Run
Grace went directly to the balcony lounge chair where she took a nap. At 10:10, she roused and I gave her breakfast. After she came in and ate it all, Grace returned to the balcony lounge chair.
At 10:25, we left for Borador Pond Park. I dropped off a stool sample to the vet’s office first. That sort of threw Grace because we passed the point where we normally turn to go to park. When we went to the vet, Grace placed her front paws up on the desk as usual to say hello to the receptionist.
We then moved on to go for our run. Grace took at least one dip in the pond. A young lady came by the picnic table with a wrap from McDonald’s. Grace jumped up on the seat next to her to greet her. The girl acted happy to greet Grace but didn’t offer any goodies. I called Grace. She left the young lady and proceeded to follow me around the path.
Rest and Recovery
When we returned home at noon, Grace had her shower, followed by a doggie treat. She then perched on her ottoman in the office. As I fixed my meal she kept a careful eye out. When I finished, I gave her some scrambled eggs. She gobbled them down and came back to the kitchen for more.
When Grace wants something, she just looks at me straight in the eye. She doesn’t whine or carry on in any way. I like it that way and try to honor her requests as long as they’re reasonable. I gave her a half-cup of food. After she polished that off, she still wanted something else. I gave her a pork treat. That seemed to satisfy her. She then went out on the balcony lounge chair for a long afternoon nap and lookout session.
At 3:10, Grace saw the little girl who lives down the hall and barked — perhaps to greet her. I calmed her and she settled down for another nap. At 3:30, as I ate a snack, Grace spotted me and wanted to come in. I gave her an almost-empty peanut butter container to work on. She enjoyed that until she completed her job after about fifteen minutes. Grace then returned to her office perch.
While I vacuumed, Grace stayed put. As before, when I neared her area, Grace stood up. After I finished, she came in complaining that it was time to go to the play ground. I looked and saw no friends. I told her to wait. Grace lay on the foyer floor.
Time to Play!
At 4:45, I spotted Sadie out in the park. Grace raced down to meet her friends. There was some wrestling, but maninly the dogs played with balls. One of the little girls in Sadie’s family loves Grace. She played fetch and catch with her. Reggie came in around 5:00. He went for the largest ball and could barely hold it. He had fun kicking it around and chasing it.
Abby and Sadie got into a contest over a regular tennis ball — each holding on to a piece of it. That spooked the girl who brought Abby. She took Abby home. At 5:10, when Sadie and Reggie left, Grace played catch with me for ten minutes until Betsy came home.
After Betsy greeted her, I took Grace to the office to get a treat and pick up a package. It turned out, we must have already picked it up. We returned home at 5:35, Grace went back out on the balcony, and I put her dinner in her dish.
Food
At 6:15, Grace did a stretch and yawn. As she walked in, she noticed her food. She went to her bowl and ate it all. As we ate dinner, Grace parked under the table. When we finished, I gave Grace a small portion of turkey.
Grace wanted more. Betsy gave her a treat. Then we did tricks for treats. When we finished, Grace grouched. I loaded up her larger Kong. Grace worked on that for about fifteen minutes. That took the edge off for her.
As I did some paperwork in the office, Betsy and Grace joined me. Grace came to me wanting attention. We both gave her some affection. I’m not sure that was what she wanted, but se seemed to calm down.
At 8:15, Betsy sliced up some fresh bananna bread. Grace chomped the air repeatedly. We finally relented and gave her a few morsels. She enjoyed the delicacy. At 8:30, Betsy tried the flea comb and found two fleas despite the fact that she had Advantage applied just a few days ago.
Unwinding
As she was being combed, Grace spotted a dog outside being walked. She barked (inside) — something she rarely does. I calmed her and she stopped. She went outside at 8:40, but returned at 8:55 and lay under the dining room table, as she saw me seated there eating a snack.
At 9:10, we went out for our last walk. When we returned at 9:20, I turned out the lights in the living room, Grace jumped up into the living room chair, and I applied lotion to her paws. At 9:35, I went to bed.
Thursday
When I got up at 5:00, Grace was lying on her sofa. I stroked her face gently and went back to bed. Around 6:00, I thought I heard a few soft whines. Perhaps Grace was still struggling with fleas.
Early Start
Betsy got up at 6:20 to fix some food for a party at work. I checked in with Grace still on her sofa. We did our morning greetings. At 6:30, Grace lay on her side next to the kitchen where Betsy was working. Betsy then came over and exchanged affection with her.
At 6:35, Betsy let Grace out on the balcony. Twenty minutes later Grace whined. I let her back inside.
High-Energy Excitement
We left for the park at 7:00. Abby was already there as we arrived in the darkness of early dawn. I took the prized ball and washed it. It then became the prize.
Grace got it and hung on as Abby chased her about five times around the park. When Grace stopped, Abby humpped”Grace until Abby’s owner called her off. Grace perked up and went to the gate. Someone was coming. It was Sadie! The normal Sadie / Abby gladiator match ensued with Grace excitedly chomping the ball as she watched the action.
Grace then wanted to play catch while her friends continued to wrestle. At 7:40, all the dogs left the park. After a walk, we passed by the park. Grace wanted to stop and play some more, but I coaxed her on. On the way back, we met Betsy leaving in a hurry for work. Betsy said good-bye as Grace sadly watched her leave.
Something Different
When we returned home at 7:55, Grace had her breakfast. She left about a third uneaten and then went out to the balcony lounge chair to watch the activity of a new day.
At 8:20. we left for our morning tasks. I wanted to go running before Grace had her shots since shots can make her lethargic. As we finished the first lap, Grace spotted an older man and a strange device hovering near him. She barked and ran closer to check it out.
It was a remote-controlled helicopter. After a few moments, she moved on. About half-way through our run, Grace spotted a beagle on a leash. She ran up to it to say hello. The dog was old and really not interested in socializing. As usual, she chased birds, ran through the meadow an took a dip or two in the pond.
As I was about half-way through the last lap, I noticed someone with a couple of dogs. Grace joined them. I kept running and she stayed behind with them. When I had almost finished, I circled back through the meadow and whistled for her. Grace came running. Both her responsiveness and her speed were impressive.
Don’t Fence Me In
At 9:30. we arrived at the vet’s office. She weighed in at 58.00 pounds. This time they put her in a room without a window. Grace stood up on the bench and tried to push away a picture on the wall about the same position as where the window was in the exam room she used the previous time. Again, she was not fond of waiting in a small room with no windows. At times she whimpered, and at others she looked for a way to get out.
The doctor said there’s almost no chance that she is carrying puppies. They gave Grace her 3-year Rabies booster, a heartworm test, stool test, and Bordetella vaccine. Grace did very well with the exam as I repeated the wait command to her and held her gently. All of the tests were negative.
We decided to split up the shots and to return in two weeks to finish off with DHPP and Leptospirosis vaccines. They thanked us for our patience and gave grace two treats. Grace was happy to finally leave the room. At the checkout desk, she jumpped up looking for a treat. Then she tried to jump on the counter and say hello to the lady at the desk. The marble top was slippery and she fell back akwardly. She didn’t appear to hurt herself. Before we left, they gave her a beef jerky treat.
Our next stop was the grocery store to pick up halloween candy and a few other things. Grace waited patiently. When I returned at 10:50, she was curled up in the passenger seat floor area. Perhaps the medicines were making her sleepy. She acted fairly sleepy too as we travelled home.
Best Costume
At the office though, Grace perked up. As I dropped off our rent payment, Grace asked for her treat. Then she asked for her trick-or-treat snack. This year Grace is dressed in a velvet-black coat and disguised as a beautiful dog. The costume was stunning and very life-like.
Sleep Dog
When we returned home at 11:20, Grace went to the balcony floor for a nap. The breezy mid-seventies temperature suited Grace just fine. At noon, she moved to the lounge chair and thirty minutes later returned back to the floor. She was sleeping soundly, but at 1:30, she awoke, spotted something, barked, and proceeded back to the lounge chair. By 2:00, she was napping on the balcony floor again.
At 2:20, Grace got up and returned to the lounge chair to relax and watch. At 2:45, she saw a white-haired man go to the mailboxes. She barked until he returned to his car. Then a couple with a large white dog like Abby walked by. Grace barked more urgently at it. I called her in and directed her to her food. She wanted me to take her out, but I encouraged her to just go back out on the balcony.
At 3:20, after I ate a quick lunch, Grace came in. She whined number of times before parking herself under the dining room table. At 4:00, Grace groaned, sneezed twice, moved to the living room floor, wiggled on her back, and went over to get a refreshing deep drink.
Dogs, But No Puppy-Play
At 4:00, I spotted Sadie in the park, told Grace, and we ran down to meet her. The interaction was strictly catch and fetch play with the girls in Sadie’s family and then with dog owners. Zeke came in, followed by Josie (not a playmate) and the Pekingese (not a playmate). Sadie left at 4:40. The rest, including Grace, left at 5:15.
Grinding Struggle
When we returned home, Grace had her supper and then took her shower. When we finished, I got out the claw grinder. Grace retreated to her perch. I took the grinder to the office and she ran to the balcony door. I let her out there and we did the grinding. She was not good with left paw, but the right paw was really a problem.
I’m wondering if it has something to do with the direction of rotation. I just hit the inner two claws on each front foot before giving up. Grace would pull her paw away. I did not want her to injure herself any more. Because we didn’t get much grinding done, I’ll have to do it again on a daily basis.
Cat and Food
When we finished, I gave her a tasty treat. Grace stayed on the balcony. At 5:40, she saw the hated white cat and began her nutso bark. Betsy calmed her down as the cat disappeared out of sight. She stayed on the balcony until she heard me getting into a chocolate wrapper. She marched in and gave me the look. I gave her some light treats.
She hung around the kitchen as Betsy prepared dinner. When I finished, I gave her some of my turkey. I had a piece of banana nut bread that I set next to my plate on the table. Grace was just inches from it. When I finished, I gave her a piece.
At 7:00, we did tricks for treats. I limited the treats to just a half cup of Blue Buffalo. When she finished, Grace went back outside on the balcony lounge chair. Grace heard me messing with Halloween candy and came into the kitchen. I gave her some of the light treats. When she finished them, she took a drink of water and parked under the dining room table.
Preparing for Bed
At 8:45, Grace walked into the living room. She didn’t know what to do with herself. I turned out the lamp next to the living room chair in case she wanted to jump up there and relax before going out for the last time. Grace stood motionless a minute, then turned, pushed open the office door, went in, jumped up on her perch, and looked out the window.
At 9:05, Grace went out for the last time. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace went to her perch. That’s where she was when I went to bed at 9:25.
Friday
At 4:15, Grace lay in front of her sofa. When I approached her, she rolled on her back. I stroked her chest and the side of her face softly. When I walked past a minute later, she was curled up tightly on her sofa.
Enchanting Breezes
At 6:35 when I got up, Grace was sitting by the balcony door. Without any greeting, she went outside. The 69-degree, humid air felt balmy. Grace enjoyed lying on the lounge chair in the darkness awaiting the dawning of a new day. At 7:00, Grace came in grouching that it was time to go. Afterall, she’s Social Director. She needs to be on the job when clients enter the park.
At 7:05, we left. I wore a T-shirt and shorts for old times’ sake. When we walked by the park, no one was there. As we passed by Abby’s apartment, we saw her looking out at us through the open window. After a short trip around the building we headed back to the park.
Morning Romp at Borador Park
Abby had just entered with a ball that still squeaked. Grace quickly got the prized ball from her. I cleaned the other medium-sized ball and threw it to Abby. She caught it athletically. After about ten minutes, Sadie showed up. The usual dynamic took shape. Grace almost obsessively squeeked the ball — at times just inches from them — as she watched Abby and Sadie go at it.
As usual, after a long wrestle with Sadie, Abby took the prized ball and Grace took a round with Sadie. That lasted for about five minutes before Abby took over again. Abby and Sadie left at 7:45. Grace stayed to play catch. After fifteen minutes, Hannah and Miley came. Grace was happy to see some more friends and greeted them accordingly.
At 8:15, they left. I took Grace home also. Grace went directly to the balcony as I prepared her breakfast. Grace was anxious to have some breakfast, but ate just three fourths of it. When she finished, she returned to the balcony and lay on the lounge chair in watchdog mode.
At Home in Big Buildings
We left home at 9:45 and went to the Town of Cary to talk with a planner and engineer. I took treats with me this time since they were interested in seeing what Grace could do. Grace did her stuff flawlessly in the planning lobby as well as the engineering lobby. Onlookers were impressed.
Grace was very patient as I discussed technical matters. She caused no disturbance allowing me to focus on my business there. Our next stop was the post office. We arrived at 11:00 and spent just a few minutes there. Grace greeted some of the other customers and brightened their day.
Run in the Park
At 11:15, we returned home. I left Grace as I ran inside, changed into my running clothes, and returned to find Grace waiting patiently. At 11:35, we made it to Borador Pond Park.
It started sprinkling as we got there, but thankfully it let up and we had a pleasant run. Grace chased some crows in flight and took a few dips in the pond. As I finished up, Grace ran with me and followed me automatically to the car.
Errands
At 12:15, we went to the vet to pick up a flea pill called Comfortis for her weight. While we were waiting, Grace wanted to go back outside. This was a chance to practice the push command. The door was a standard business-style glass door. It took some force to open it, but Grace did it and cleared her tail before it shut closed. When we left, she did it again, but I helped her.
At 12:45 we went to the land to survey the situation and consider alternative house locations. Grace jumped the silt fence repeatedly and fairly routinely. As I prepared to leave, the rain started. I tried to call Grace, but she was busy investigating a car that pulled in next door. Then she chased Snoopy. Five minutes later she came, hopped in the car and we drove off.
At 1:00, we arrived at the grocery store where I picked up an item while Grace waited in the car patiently. I just realized that although Grace normally does not like to be confined, she’s fine in the car. Of course, the car has windows that allow her to see out. Perhaps that’s at least part of the difference.
We quickly stopped by the hardwood floor contractor’s new store across the street. There did not appear to be anyone there. They were not yet open for business, so after getting out of the car and looking around for a couple of minutes, we drove on.
At 1:15, we returned home. Grace watched through the windshield to see the robins in the grass. She was frozen watching them as I gathered my things together and then called her. Eventually, she snapped out of it, we returned to the apartment, and Grace went to the balcony.
Dreary Afternoon
At 1:30, I made something to eat. I reserved back some scrambled eggs for Grace. When I finished, I put a portion in her dish on top of her small amount of remaining breakfast.
At 3:00, as the rain came down stronger, Grace came in ate her eggs and remaining breakfast. I gave her a shower followed by a treat. Then Grace went to the office and got up on her perch. She wimpered very softly. I went in and raised the window. That’s what she wanted.
At 4:45, as I prepared a snack in the kitchen, Grace came in and gave me the look that she wanted to eat. I gave Grace her supper. She ate it all as soon as I gave it to her. When she finished, she returned to her perch.
Mud Wrestling
At 5:25, Grace whined. She’s the social director at the park and there were dogs there without her being there! We rushed down to meet friends in the park. I took an umbrella as it was raining. That didn’t seem to bother the three dogs — Grace, Sadie, and Abby. They did their usual thing despite the rain. Abby, being a white dog, looked the worst.
Grouchy Evening
At 6:00, the dogs left, we returned home and Grace took another
shower followed by a treat. She then went back to her ottoman perch. At 6:15, Grace came to the kitchen and wanted more. Grace had a half cup of Blue Buffalo in her Kong toys. When I finished my supper, I gave Grace some turkey scraps.
Betsy came home and knocked on the door. Grace barked. I told her it was Betsy. When I opened the door, they greeted one another happily. Then Grace grouched. I told her to calm down. She lay on her side next to me on the living room floor. She heard Betsy getting a pill, stood up, groaned, and scratched herself. I picked up the flea comb and she moved under the dining room table at Betsy’s feet.
At 7:15, Betsy gave Grace the Comfortis pill followed by some treats and a dental chew. At 8:45, Grace came into the living room. At 9:20, Betsy let her inside. I took Grace for her last walk. When we returned, Grace jumped up on the living room chair for the night. I went to bed at 10:00.
Saturday
At 7:30, Grace barked. She was ready to go out to the park and there was no two ways about it. I saw no dogs out there. She briefly greeted Betsy in bed. After I dressed, I looked again and thought I saw Abby out there. We rushed down only to find the park empty.
Alone at the Park
We walked by Abby’s place. She watched intently with her head looking out the open window. After a short walk, we retuned to the park. I cleaned the balls and change the water as Grace watched from afar. When I returned, we played catch, but Grace was not really into it.
At 8:30, Betsy came up and joined us. As we sat on the bench, strangely Grace entertained herself with finding rocks, sniffing and lightly digging and chewing wood chips. She did a little bit of fetch and catch, but not much.
Sadie and Treats
At 9:00, Sadie came in. Eventually, Grace and Sadie ran and wrestled for about ten minutes. At one point, Sadie turned late and her side hit the post holding up the open structure above the bench. Sadie’s owner checked her and she was fine. Shortly thereafter, Sadie left.
Betsy went down to check to see if we had any packages. I told Grace we were going to get a treat. Grace headed straight for the office. The doors were closed. On Saturdays they don’t open until 10:00.
Fortunately, one of the office managers was just driving up and offered to bring Grace some treats. Grace waited eagerly. A minute later she fed them to Grace. She said she was aprehensive to feeding them to her, but I assured her that Grace has a very “soft mouth.” Unlike Abby who will bite your hand off, Grace is gentle and very careful not to bite the hand that feeds her.
Relaxing at Home
When we returned home at 9:30, Grace went out on the balcony, and I put her breakfast out. At 10:00, Grace spotted the black poodle and barked. I went out to calm her. Grace came in, ate her breakfast, and returned to the balcony.
At 10:30, Grace saw us eating breakfast, came inside, and lay on her side beneath the dining room table. When I finished, I gave her a small portion of the breakfast casserole with the spicy meat removed. When she finished, Grace returned to the balcony lounge chair. The partly cloudy weather with the temperature in the lower sixties felt good to her.
At 11:10 though, the clouds rolled back. Grace whined softly, got up and moved to a shady spot beneath the lounge chair. At 12:15, Grace came inside and lay on the cool foyer floor.
At 1:00, Grace heard a dog bark. She ran into the office, jumped up on her perch and looked out the window. At 1:15, she spotted Hannah and Miley followed by Zeke in the park. I finally took her down at 1:25. Grace played catch and hung out with her ball in the shade. At one point Zeke did some aggressive play with Grace. It scared her a little, but she handled herself well and he quickly backed off.
Afternoon Run and Treat
At 1:45, we went running our two laps around the complex and down by the lake. Grace wanted to stop at Grace Beach, but I led her on and she came reluctantly. When we returned home at 2:25, Grace went directly to the balcony.
At 3:40, Grace came in to join me on the living room floor. At 3:50, she moved under the dining room table. At 4:30, Grace went to the office to pick up a package and get a treat. The lady asked if Grace liked the dog park. I should have told her Grace was the social director there. I’ll tell her the next time I see her. I took the package and thanked them for the treat.
Grace greeted a young man who was also there to pick up something. He guessed that Grace was a Lab mix. He couldn’t figure out the other half other than perhaps a herding dog. That was pretty close. As we left I told him that Grace is a Borador (Labrador Retriever / Border Collie mix). After a short stop at the park, we returned home and Grace made a beeline for the balcony to watch for friends.
Race to the Park and in the Dark
At 6:05, she spotted Abby and Sadie in the park. We raced down to meet them. They wrestled while Grace chomped a ball and played catch. After Sadie left, Abby chased Grace around the park about three times. Grace obviously was dogging it as Abby is not match for her in either the speed or agility department. After Abby left, we played catch a few times before leaving for home.
When we reached our hallway, Grace saw Ellie May approaching her. I let Grace off of the leash to greet her. They chased a little, but Grace was more concerned about not intimidating the little dog and Ellie May was more interested in getting me to pet her.
When Ellie May went inside, Grace saw her chance and bolted down the hall and down the stairway. It reminded me of the time she bolted in Wilmington, but it was much less frightening since at least she knows her way around here and there are no roads for her to run into and get hit.
I went down the first flight of stairs to the second floor and whistled — no Grace. On top of that, the wind was picking up, the sky was turning dark, and rain was coming. I went down the next flight to the first floor and whistled again. Grace came running from the ground-floor hallway and up the steps. I called her as I ran up so she would follow — crisis averted. Grace came inside and went directly to the balcony to lie on her side and take a nap.
At 7:00, I made myself some popcorn. Grace did not notice until 7:20. She stood a the door and waited patiently for me to let her in. When she finished, she went to the kitchen to scavenge and then lay on her side on the dining room floor where she fell fast asleep. At 8:00, Grace whimpered and went after the base of her tail area chewing. I checked her with a flea comb, but there was nothing. She either got it, it moved away from that area, or there was no flea there. After that, Grace got up and went to the office to sleep.
At 9:45, Grace went outside for the last time. When we returned at 9:55, she went to her perch in the office. She barked at a dog walking about 50 yards away. At 10:15, I went to bed.