At around 3:00 AM I felt Grace’s head against my hand that was draped over the bed. I got up and told her to lie down on the bed. She jumped up and obeyed. By 7:00, she was awake. She would pop up her head when she heard something and then put it back down. At 7:40, I got up. I took her out at 7:45.
Holly Berries
We met Jack first, but he was only about to say hello. Later, she caught up with Brantley. They wrestled for a few minutes but then had to go. Grace found a bit of holly on the sidewalk. She ate about six of the red berries. We returned home at 8:30. I fed her breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E). I told her “bye-bye” as I left at 9:15. Betsy locked her in her cage at 10:05 and left for church. We ate out with friends after church and didn’t return home until 2:00. I took her out.
We made our way back over to Sunrise to pick up Betsy’s car. The red berries obviously caused her some mild diarrhea. I learned a lesson. Don’t let her eat holly berries. She followed me perfectly as I ran across the street at the stoplight. I praised her and gave her a treat. We then got into Betsy’s car and made the very short drive back to our parking lot. I stopped and got the mail. Grace waited in the car. We then returned to our parking spot.
Ellie was out walking. Grace and she played about fifteen minutes. Betsy then took Grace to the park at 3:00. They returned back at 3:50. Betsy said that it was too cold for her and that Grace was not particularly interested in playing. They hung around in the courtyard for about fifteen minutes before coming in. Grace needed more stimulation so Betsy played fetch with her. After she performed a full lobotomy on rag doll toy, I played tug and fetch with her for about fifteen minutes.
At 4:50, Grace got serious in her work on her bully stick.At 4:50, Grace got serious in her work on her bully stick. By 6:00 she was ready for supper. I turned on the nail grinder as I prepared the food and while she ate. When she finished, she sat patiently looking at me. Since she was fairly cleaned out just a few hours ago, I proceeded to offer her tricks for treats.
Roll Milestone
I’m going to claim the “roll” command as another milestone. She went through her verb commands flawlessly. Grace made good progress on her verb/noun command sequence. Here’s the vocabulary that she currently recognizes:
- Grace
- Sit
- Come
- Stay
- Okay
- No
- Paw
- Down
- Off
- Leave it
- Drop it
- Tummy
- Roll
- Outside
- Pee-pee
- Poopy
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Supper
- Fetch
- Ride
- Wait
- Bye-bye
- Heel
At 6:30, Grace retreated to the office to watch for opportunities to play with friends. At 7:00, while in the kitchen, I said the word “Okay” to Betsy. Grace came running. Often when I say “Okay” it means wait or stay is over. She responded by coming out to me to see if the “Okay” meant either to come get a treat or come to go outside. I gave her a command and followed with a treat.
At 7:45, I took her outside. At 8:25, we met Ellie. They played for twenty minutes. Afterward, we came inside. Grace went to the office and stretched out on the floor by the window. I went to bed at 10:30. Grace was sleeping on the office floor.
Monday
Grace joined us sometime during the night. Around 6:00, she awoke. She would pop up her head, or sit up, and then settle back down in a ball next to me. She remained quietly in the bed. The alarm clock sounded at 7:05. When it was obvious that I was dressing to go outside, Grace jumped off of the bed. We went outside at 7:10.
The morning greeted us with a clear sky and a freezing temperature. We spotted Brantley, but his owner didn’t have time for play this morning. At 7:45, we got in my car and warmed it up for five minutes—enough to clear the heavy layer of frost from windows. Later, Jack appeared. Jack has been on a diet lately. As a result, he’s much more apt to play. He mainly likes chasing Grace. It’s a joy to watch as Grace glides through the air—almost as if in flight—as she gives Jack a run for his money.
The ill-effects from the holly berries yesterday persisted a bit more. Her first stool was normal until the very end. She had a second stool that was very soft. I think that’s the end of that problem though. We returned home at 8:50. I turned on the nail grinder, fed her breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E), and when she finished inhaling her food turned off the grinder. She checked out the balcony, with her opening and shutting (with my assistance) the door, went to the office window, and finally curled up for a nap on the ottoman. At 9:20, she proceeded to the sunny spot on the floor by the balcony doors and passed out there.
Dr. Grace
This morning the floor again was littered with a pile of cotton. Dr. Grace performs regular and careful lobotomies on rag doll. Of course, in order for that to occur, I must regularly re-stuff rag doll’s head. Since the latest re-stuffing, Grace has again (10:20) performed her magic. If you have a rag doll or similar patient that needs a lobotomy, you may make your appointment with Dr. Grace in the comment section of this web page. Don’t wait. Schedule yours today!
Grace moved out to the sunny balcony at 10:40. The temperature has risen rapidly with the present value at 46 degrees. At 11:20, she returned inside to chew on some sticks. At 11:25, she moved in front of the sunny office window and lay down. I fed her lunch (one-half cup) turning on the grinder while I prepared the food and while she ate. Dr. Grace then performed her 11:30 lobotomy. At 12:30, I decided to take Grace with me on my run. On the leash is tricky with her as she likes to stop and run ahead. This time remained a challenge.
Afternoon Exercise
After about a quarter mile, she stopped dead in her tracks. That resulted in the leash being yanked from my hand. We got going again, but we had a fair number of times where I needed to call her to come or yank on the leash. On the way we had to stop for potty breaks. The stool still was softer than normal—only slightly formed. Near the end of the run, she picked up a choice stick about thirty inches long. She ran across the street with it but left it about ten feet from the end. When the way was clear, I went back and retrieved it for her. She carried it the rest of the way home.
After she had worked on chewing her new stick for a while, we headed through the familiar grounds of the complex toward home. At 1:15, we spotted Fraggle. That launched an enthusiastic playtime that lasted until 2:25. Fraggle’s owner wondered where Grace got all of that energy. I told him she had just run two and a half miles before starting to play. I said her dad was very athletic and energetic. I marveled as we watched Grace leap gracefully over obstacles. When we finished, Grace lay in the grass to ask for a little turf surfing. I obliged her with about five circuits in a fifteen-foot area.
Short Ride
When we returned home Grace went immediately to the balcony and fell asleep. At 3:50, she got up and moved to the office floor. At 4:45, I prepared to take Grace for a ride. When I zipped up my jacket, Grace emerged. We rode to a nearby shopping plaza where I stopped at a grocery store and pharmacy. We returned home at 5:15.
Another Procedure…and Another…and Another
I turned on the nail grinder, prepared Grace’s dinner, waited for her to finish, and turned off the grinder. She then looked at me expectantly. I responded with tricks for treats. She did well but had merged tummy with roll. We worked on tummy mostly—getting her to stop on her back. After we finished, Dr. Grace performed a partial lobotomy on rag doll before going back to the office. At 5:45, she returned to the living room to work on her new stick.
At 6:50, Grace brought me the tennis ball to play tug and fetch. After we played for ten minutes, the phone rang, and Grace went outside. She returned inside withing a couple of minutes, went to her toy box and pulled out rag doll. After one tug and fetch, her medical instincts got the best of her. Dr. Grace just had to perform another lobotomy. This one was a three-quarters procedure. Afterward, she played tug and fetch with the patient.
Winding Down
The phone rang, distracting her. After I attended to the phone, I was able to grab the abandoned rag doll and re-stuff it’s head. Dr. Grace fetched it and performed a quarter lobotomy on the patient. She then (at 7:20) went out on the balcony to check for Betsy’s return. While she was outside, I re-stuffed the rag doll and placed it in her toy box. Betsy returned home at 7:25. That distracted Grace from her boredom.
At about 8:00, Grace grabbed her bully stick and went to serious work on it. At 8:15, she asked to go outside. We saw Ellie and played with her. We returned at 9:00. She jumped up on the ottoman and relaxed while while we watched television. I went to bed at 10:00. Grace slept on the sofa.
Tuesday
Grace jumped up in bed sometime in the middle of the night. At various times I felt a pulsing, jerking motion from her. I thought perhaps she was bathing herself. Now I believe more likely that her dreams produced the jerking. I awoke at 5:15. I never made it back to sleep, but Grace remained peaceful. At times she would pop up her head if one of us moved or she heard something outside.
Morning Outing
The alarm clock sounded at 7:05. At 7:10, I took Grace outside. She played a short time with Taz before Taz had to leave. Otherwise. it was pretty standard sniffing, exploring, trying to grab a piece of poop before I caught her. We returned inside at 8:50. After turning on the nail grinder, I prepared Grace’s breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E) and fresh water. That finished off the small bag that we use to store her food in the kitchen.
Line of Demarcation
I went into the storage room (master suite) to access the big bag of food and transfer some to the smaller bag. Grace followed up to the barrier. We placed two bankers boxes on the floor to block the way into the main master suite area. They still permit her access to the master bathroom. While she could easily jump over the boxes, she didn’t knowing that she’s not supposed to go beyond them. Even with the smell of fresh food, she stayed put. I praised her and gave her a treat wen I finished loading up.
Morning Lobotomy
Dr. Grace did an initial removal of brain matter from rag doll at 9:15. The doctor then decided it was important to test her work with a bit of tug and fetch. When she was satisfied with the result, she completed the procedure (half lobotomy) at 9:20. She then proceeded out on the balcony to relax for a few minutes after her work before returning inside. She jumped up on the ottoman, curled up in a ball and took a nap.
Home Alone and Park Trip
At 10:30, I left to visit Mom. I told Grace “Bye-bye.” She understood. When I returned, nothing was disturbed, and she lay peacefully on her sofa. I fed her lunch (one-half cup) with grinder noise and got ready to take her to the park. We left at 12:15 and arrived at 12:30. There was one gentleman walking, so as we neared him, I would put Grace on her leash. After we passed, I released her. After one lap, he left.
Balcony Time
Grace still had abnormally soft stool (but not runny) which I will chalk up to the six holly berries. We finished up at around 1:00 and returned home. Grace did a bit of turf surfing before coming upstairs. She went directly to the balcony after we arrived. She enjoys the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors, and if she can’t be on the ground this is the next best way to get them.
It’s also how she watches for playmates. At 2:15, she went nuts. Grace rarely barks, but when she saw Fraggle, she let me know. She was very impatient as I prepared to take her downstairs. I told her to wait. They did their usual tag, wrestle, chase, keep-away routine until 3:30. At that point things had slowed down with them. I took her upstairs. She lay inside by the balcony doors fast asleep.
Bully Stick Destruction
At 5:20, she roused from her sleep and began work on her bully stick. She devoured the thing—chewing it in half in about twenty minutes. The foot-long stick was reduced to two three-inch pieces. Rather than disturb her, I delayed her supper. At 6:30, I fed her. (three-quarter cup). After feeding, I gave her a dental chew. Finally, I relented and did tricks for treats with her as she stared me down. She did better with”tummy” this time.
One Last Play Time
Betsy returned at 6:45. They played fetch for a short time. Then Grace came back to me to play fetch with rag doll and ball. At 7:30, Grace went to the door. On the way out, I spotted some dog in the back play area. We raced down. It was Jack. Since he has been on his diet, Jack plays chase much longer and more readily. They played for fifteen minutes before his owner took him inside. We returned inside also.
Grace went to the office until about 8:15. I looked for her there, but she was gone. I checked our bed. She was already sprawled out on the bed. I decided to follow her lead and go to bed early. At 9:00, I joined her.
Wednesday
I awoke at 3:15. I have a cold and spent a fair amount of time in the bathroom attending to it. When I returned, Grace was no longer in the bed. I checked and she was in the office alertly peering out the window. I told her we needed to go back to bed. She jumped back into the bed immediately. I noticed both jerky movements and rhythmic ones from her. During the night. I believe the jerky ones were dreams. The rhythmic ones were hiccups. She gets them as often as once or twice a day. They stop on their own after a minute or two.
At 6:55, I got up. Betsy led Grace to the balcony and latched the door. These days, I leave the door unlatched, so Grace can return inside on her own when she’s ready. Since nobody was near the door. Grace let out a few shrill barks to ask to come back in. I heard her and let her in.
At 7:10, we went outside. We spotted Fraggle. They played for ten minutes until Fraggle had to go inside. I’m ready to declare the holly berry effect is now finally over and Grace’s stools are back to normal. When we returned, I fed her (one cup plus Vitamin E). Shortly afterward, Grace went back to bed. At 10:25, she came to the living room and lay down by the patio doors. At 10:35, she went out on the balcony. The pleasant 52 degrees and sunny climate suits her as she watches the action from her perch.
Morning Run and Lunch
I disturbed her from her peaceful watching at 11:30 and took her with me for a run. She started out very well, but after about a half mile, returned to her tendency to stop randomly. Still, we made it. The run for me was reasonably productive, and it gave Grace a chance to exercise. When we returned at noon, I fed her lunch (one half cup). She wasn’t interested in the balcony after lunch because it was too hot. She lay on the hard-surface foyer floor instead.
At 1:00, she moved to her sofa. While running, I picked up three choice sticks for her. I put them in her toy box. At 1:15, she grabbed one and started to work on it. Rather than Dr. Grace today, it looks like we have Grace’s Wood Chipping Company. At 1:30, she was done with that and bored. She looked to me to allay her boredom. I gave her a bully stick. That worked for a half hour. By 2:00 the sun retreated behind the clouds. The balcony became more inviting to Grace.
Fraggle Play
At 2:10, Grace spotted Fraggle. I took her down to play. At 3:30, maintenance men came to my apartment to check a problem with the washing machine. I decided to end the play session. After dragging her upstairs, I escorted her to the balcony where she passed out on the lounge chair.
Sundowning
At 5:00, she came in and worked on her bully stick. There were a bunch of children playing in the courtyard. Grace heard them and went out on the balcony to watch at 5:20. At 5:30, she returned inside and greeted me with rag doll. Her evening difficult time had started. We played tug and fetch with rag doll for about five minutes. Dr. Grace then performed an 80% lobotomy on it. Afterward, at 5:40, she went out on the balcony to get a breath of fresh air.
Grace wanted to do tricks for treats. She breezed through the commands. Betsy returned home at 6:00. She gave Grace a very thick dental chew to keep her occupied. In forty minutes, she made it through two-thirds of it. At 7:00, she went to the door. We took out the trash. When we returned, I picked up my wallet and keys. I told Grace we were going for a ride. She was excited to go. When we returned at 7:50, Grace was winding down. By 8:30, she was in the bed. At 9:30, I joined her.
Midnight Stroll
At 11:30 PM, Grace got up and went to the office window. I assume she sensed something outside. After having slept soundly for two hours, I was able to take her out without ill effect on my sleep. I don’t think she had any urgent need to relieve herself, but I took her anyway. We both returned to bed fifteen minutes later.
Thursday
I had a nasty cold. which awakened me multiple times during the night. I would get up and got to the bathroom to blow my nose and take a menthol cough drop to help open up my airways. At 6:55, Grace sat up and did her patented floppy-ear shake. I decided to get up and get ready to take her outside. We left at 7:05. Eventually we hooked up with Fraggle. Although they were happy to see each other, they didn’t do as much wrestling and tag as usual.
Since I now take Grace running with me, I decided to bring Grace back inside at 8:00. I fed her breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E) with the nail grinder turned on. After she finished, she said “Good-bye” to Betsy, took the remains of her thick dental chew and began playfully tossing it in the air and running after it. After a few minutes of that, she went out on the balcony. The 50 degree temperature suited Grace just fine as she curled up on the lounge chair for a little morning nap.
Morning Run Near Disaster
At 9:15, Grace came inside and curled up on the ottoman for a nap. At 10:00, I took Grace for a run. It did not go well. Grace was no worse than usual with her stopping and starting, but I had hoped she would have caught on. The disaster related to crossing the road. I encourage Grace to move quickly across the road. This time though, somehow, she moved in front of me and tripped me. I ended up lying in the road. There were no cars coming, so I just got up and finished my way across. I definitely will need to watch out for her tripping me in the future. I’ve resigned myself to the disappointing fact that Grace still is not ready to run with me on a leash.
Fun with Fraggle
After we returned, I told Grace “Bye-bye” and left to visit Mom. I returned at 12:35. Grace had behaved herself and was lying on the carpet protector in the office. I fed her (one-half cup). At 12:45, we went down to play with Fraggle. That lasted for about an hour. When we returned, Grace passed out in the foyer. At 2:25, she asked to go outside on the balcony. She decided to lie on the balcony floor and watch the action below from there. The cloudy 64 degree temperature gave Grace a welcome spot for some outdoor rest and relaxation.
Play in the Sunshine
At 2:45, she spotted Cato and Sammie in the courtyard. Grace went down to join them. They played with a tug toy. Grace ended up getting the best of the other two (bigger dogs) prancing around proudly with the toy in her mouth. At 3:10, they had to leave. Grace did some turf surfing. Then Katie and Skipper showed up. They said “Hi.” Finally, Jack appeared for another greeting. I brought her in at 3:30. Grace went back out on the balcony.
Trip and Home Alone
At 4:00, I went to pick up some eyeglasses. Grace traveled in her usual perfect way. She waited patiently as I picked up the glasses and tried them on. On the way back, we stopped by the office to pick up a package dropped off there. When we returned home at 5:00, Grace went out on the balcony and curled up on the lounge chair. Betsy fed her at 5:30 (three-quarter cup). Then we played tricks for treats. Betsy and I left at 5:50 to go to a meeting. We told Grace “Bye-bye.” Grace understood.
Big Dog Meeting
When we returned at 7:15, all was well. We had even left the dog food bag on the kitchen counter. Grace could have grabbed it, but she didn’t touch it. I took her outside. We returned fifteen minutes later. Grace went back out on the balcony. At 7:30, Grace suddenly became very excited. Outside in the courtyard were four dogs playing! They were Sammie, Brantley, Cato, and Lady. Grace raced down to meet them.
Brantley and Sammie tugged on a toy. The play turned vicious. Sammie’s owner had to take the toy. The play then turned to chasing. The pack was moving really fast when Brantley or perhaps Sammie knocked Grace against a tree. She seemed to escape any injury. I suppose it was an accident, but I couldn’t tell for sure. That took some of Grace’s confidence away as she was the smallest dog in the group. She still played, but not with her usual puppy energy and enthusiasm.
Winding Down
We came back inside at 8:00. By 8:30, Grace had retreated to bed for the night. I joined her at 9:30. Grace’s strange behavior the previous night, all went peacefully this night.
Friday
I got up at 5:00 AM to attend to my cold. As usual, Grace stayed put. The alarm clock sounded at 6:28. I got up and took Grace outside ten minutes later. The weather changed dramatically in twelve hours with rain and a 40 degree temperature. We met Taz and played with her for about fifteen minutes. We returned back at 7:20. Grace went through her usual routine of rubbing her coat against the carpet to dry off. She then jumped up on the ottoman for a nap.
At 8:15, I fed her breakfast (one cup plus Vitamin E). She returned to the kitchen after eating. I told her to sit and gave her a little more. She then jumped back up on the ottoman to nap. At 9:15, Dr. Grace performed a quick, half lobotomy on rag doll before asking to go out on the balcony. She curled up there on the lounge chair for about fifteen minutes, before coming in and returning to the ottoman.
Nail Grinding Struggle
At 9:45, I decided to grind Grace’s nails. When we had this done at the pet store, it took two people to do it. I was able to do it myself. I positioned her on her side on the floor and wedged her against the sofa with my body. While I was able to overcome Grace’s struggle this way, it caused her distress. About half way through, I noticed her beginning to tremble. This is very unusual for Grace. My reason for placing her in this position to give me full control. Perhaps that lack of control shook her. I had read that when dogs get used to the procedure they nap through it, so I thought this position would feel most comfortable to her.
I had completed the back paws before I decided to attempt a different position. Grace seemed much more comfortable sitting with me behind her and reaching around her to work on her front paws. Next time, I will try it that way. The only grinding I did was just to smooth the sharp edges. We’re taking her with us to visit Betsy’s parents this weekend, and I wanted to reduce the chance of her scratching them.
Down Time
When we finished, I praised her and gave her a treat. Grace retreated to the office—likely to get away from the one who caused her distress. At 10:45, she was dreaming—barking frequently in her sleep. By 10:55, she awoke and worked on her sticks. She went out on the balcony at 11:30.
Fraggle Play
At 11:45, she spotted Fraggle and wanted to play. The rain had stopped, but it was still sort of a mess outside. They played until 1:00. Both of them darted after a couple of other dogs on leashes. No harm was done, but it startled the owners of the leashed dogs.
Final Packing and Loading
Grace came into the office and slept there. She moved to the living room chair at 3:00. At 3:15, I took out the trash and brought her with me. We returned ten minutes later. I did final packing and loading. And picked up Grace as the last step. Of course, there were a few things that I remembered that I had forgotten. I told Grace to “wait” as I ran up and down the stairs.
Trip Begins
At 3:55, we left. I stopped first and filled up with gasoline. Grace waited patiently. I then went to the credit union to deposit a check. Again, Grace stayed in the car as I completed the transaction. We left the credit union at 4:15. I wanted to make it to Betsy’s work at 4:30, but at this rate could not guarantee that. Traffic moved well. We made it right on time. Betsy was still inside, so I decided to take Grace for a walk while we waited for her.
Grace moved in a direction away from eye-shot of the car. I had do redirect her repeatedly to keep her in range. She also wanted to go exploring in the bushes. After fifteen minutes, I called Betsy to let her know we arrived. She said she’d be out in five minutes. We kept on walking and exploring. Finally, Grace left a deposit on the front lawn.
Betsy Joined Us
These days, many if not most businesses do not have outdoor trash cans. I had to tie up the bag and place it in the trunk. Betsy came rushing out at 5:00. We saw her and ran over to meet her. We climbed in the car and headed off on our weekend outing. Grace settled in in the back seat and curled up for a nap.
Supper At Wendy’s
At 5:20, Betsy was ready to eat supper. We stopped at the Hillsborough exit (261). I brought Grace’s bowls, he dog food, and other things in a cloth grocery bag. We had plenty of bottled water. Betsy fed her (three-quarter cup) and gave her some water. We left her in the car. I told her to “wait.” We went into Wendy’s and ate there. Grace waited patiently for us.
We returned at 5:55. I took Grace out of the car for a short walk. Within two minutes she had found something and started chewing on it. It seemed like it might be a rock or something harmful. It was a pork chop T-bone. I pulled it from her mouth and directed her back to the car.
Dark Drive
We resumed our trip at 6:00. The road signs were flashing ominous warnings about fog. Betsy wondered of we should turn back. We pressed on. Grace curled up in the back seat and left the driving to us. The dark, wet trip was further complicated by heavy traffic and many aggressive drivers. As we reached the halfway point, near Hickory, the traffic let up. We stopped at McDonald’s for a short break. Grace scavenged a biscuit and half of a hamburger bun. Grace slept as we traveled.
Arrival
We arrived around 10:00 PM at the Holiday Inn Express in Brevard, NC. The room was comfortable and did not contain any evidence of scented cleaning products or “deodorizers.” Grace seemed much more concerned about being confined than she was on her previous trip (week seven). The only things that would allay her agitation were taking her out for a walk or playing tug and fetch with her. The bully stick did not interest her.
Saturday
We finally made it to “lights out” at 12:30 AM. We had two queen bed in the room. Grace started out on her own on one bed and Betsy and I were on the other. Before long, she joined us lying between us. At 7:05, Grace sat up. I got up and took her outside. After we returned, I fed her breakfast (one cup) at 8:00. I then went downstairs for breakfast. I returned at 8:30.
We can log another milestone here with Grace. The two small areas on her skin that lost fur completely resolved. As a result, at this point, we stopped giving her a Vitamin E supplement. Apparently, as the vet said, her immune system has matured enough to fight the bug that attacked her coat.
Cabin Fever
Betsy said that Grace whined when I left, stopped after five minutes, and restarted five minutes before I returned. Next, Betsy went down for breakfast. Grace whined much of the time. Sock toy tug and fetch diverted her attention from her concern over her confinement. We arrived at Betsy’s Mom’s at 10:00. Grace was her usual charming self with residents. Several times during the day, Grace demonstrated her tricks to residents and staff.
Climbing the Walls
It didn’t take long in Momma’s room before Grace was climbing the walls. Betsy and I alternately took her outside. Betsy tried bringing in sticks, but that did not spark her interest. I took her for a walk down the road to the cemetery. When we reached the furthest distance away that we had ventured, Grace left a deposit on the grounds. The weather was so warm, I didn’t bother to wear my jacket. I also neglected to grab a waste bag and stuff it in my pocket. We turned back.
Grace’s Wings
It’s and absolute joy to watch Grace move. Her running and jumping is so fluid, rhythmic, and effortless. Each day her speed, power, and agility increases. One thing I never noticed specifically were Grace’s ears. When she shakes her body her ears flap loudly. There’s no mistaking when she shakes. The sound is similar to the characteristic beat of a helicopter as it lands. When she trots, her ears follow in beat to the flow of her body. Often she makes a rocking motion at slower speed. As her speed increases, her ears, like wings, extend and flap very much like wings. The faster she goes, the more wing-like they appear.
Return Trip
I picked up two bags and went back, remembering the spot by the name on the grave marker. On the way, we walked by a house with two dogs that barked as we passed. They frightened Grace. On the way back, we went by that house on the other side of the road. They still barked, but Grace was less phased by it. We returned to Bryan Center at noon. Grace was not allowed in the dining room, so we waited in the hallway and talked with residents there as Grace expressed her affection for them.
We went out to the car. I fed Grace (one-half cup). We stopped by Ingles and told Grace to wait in the car. We went inside and ate a salad bar. After twenty minutes, we returned to the car. Grace was a little warm okay. We walked outside while Betsy shopped for cleaning supplies.
Second Visit
After about a half hour, we drove to visit Betsy’s Dad, Raymond, at Tore’s Place. Grace had two friends there at the previous visit. The Pomeranian left because the owner died. The other small dog comes only during weekdays. The bottom line was there were no dog friends there to play with Grace. It still offered a fenced-in area. Betsy played fetch with her using the tennis ball. This ended up tracking mud into Raymond’s room and making even Grace look dirty, which is very rare.
Supper and Slumber
At 6:00, I fed Grace supper (three-quarter cup). At 6:15, we went back to Ingles for a hot meal. Grace waited patiently in the car for one-half hour. We returned to the hotel when we finished. Grace’s anxiety over the room continued. She lay on the bed at 8:00. I tried to get in with her and Betsy, but there was not enough room. I moved to the other queen bed in the room and we all fell fast asleep.