Grace got up from bed at about 5:20. We did tummy rubs and face licking for about ten minutes. Grace went to the office ottoman to look out the window. I went back to bed until 5:45 when I heard Grace get down and then a squeak. She was just playing with one of her toy puppies, but I decided it was time to get up. At 6:00, I was working on a digital scale (Norelco Model HS-7) that finally failed after about 30 years, and Grace came in to complain. I put her collar on her, but then strangely, she just went out on the balcony, sit on the lounge chair, and watch for friends.
Big Park Run
At 6:30, we headed out on our trip around Bond Park lake. The early morning air was cool and pleasant. Grace raced ahead excitedly as we approached the park. As the entrance came in view, I let her run free. Grace likes to stay about 50 feet ahead of me. She looks back often to be sure I’m in view.
At 8:45, Grace returned home, took her bath, ate breakfast (with added olive oil), and went to the office ottoman to watch and nap. I fixed my breakfast at 9:10. Toast cooking awakened Grace’s senses, and she came marching in. I gave her the remains of the doggie treats bag and followed that with a dental chew. When she finished, Grace returned to the office ottoman to watch the activity below.
Disoriented
As usual on Sunday mornings, we left Grace home alone at 10:15. When we returned at 12:30, Grace met us with her bubbly wags and kisses. Grace had her lunch (again with olive oil), and at 1:00 we set off for our new apartment. Grace still does not feel at home there and seems to get cabin fever. We tried the dog park. No dogs showed up and although it was mostly cloudy, Grace was still hot. She was not interested in playing fetch or tug.
At 2:20, we tried going to the lake for a swim. A young family was there preparing to fish. Grace was anxious to play in the water. I tried to direct her away from the family, but eventually she ventured over their way and got some fishing line. I told her to leave it. She freed herself. I then used a stick to attract her to come when I called. Of course she really wanted to stay in swimming, but our time was up and the fishing thing was a problem.
Afternoon Snack
We arrived home at 3:00. As I prepared a sandwich at 3:30, I finished up a jar of peanut butter. I sawed it in half to give Grace access for cleaning it out. Grace recognized the sawing noise and emerged from the office. After working on the peanut butter jar and lid for about fifteen minutes, Grace returned to the office to nap.
Evening Play
At 5:45, Betsy fed Grace her dinner. When Grace saw me out on the balcony, she came to join me. The still, humid, 81 degree air felt a bit sweltry. At 6:00, Grace spotted Ada. We raced downstairs. They wrestled for a half hour before Ada had to leave. When we returned, Grace was really beside herself. She kept going back and forth from the balcony to the living room. The place has become a jumble of half-packed boxes. Perhaps that’s what’s throwing her.
New Friend
At 7:30, she spotted a Goldendoodle named Harley. Grace barked at the shaggy dog because it looked strange. The male dog was a year and a half old and docile. Grace and he hit it off instantly. They played chase and wrestled gently. The interaction was the closest to that of her old friend Dakota that I’ve seen. Grace grabbed a light tennis shoe that was lying on the walk and tried to use it to taunt Harley. I finally had to tell Grace to stay to get it from her. After twenty minutes of play, Harley was pooped, they parted ways, and Grace returned home.
Sundowning
Grace’s agitation continued. I gave her doggie treats and a dental chew. Finally, we did tricks for treats. She still seemed agitated. I took her outside at 9:20. An evening rain had just passed and left the air cool. She wanted to lie in the moist grass and chew sticks. I finally coaxed her home at 9:35. She went to the office to be with Betsy. At 9:50, I went to bed. Grace was already there.
Monday
Grace awoke around 5:00. At 6:00, she got down from the bed to go to the office and watch the action. At 6:30, she came back to the bedroom. I got dressed and took her out at 6:45. We did our usual run. One time Grace ventured toward the adjacent shopping plaza chasing a bird. I whistled, and she returned immediately. When she spotted the gray crane in the shallow pond, Grace ran in the water in a leaping manner. After the run, we played with the football. Grace has turned this into more of a tug and fetch game. There were lots of gnats around, but we made it through the half hour. When I told her to come, she brought her football immediately and dropped it at my feet.
Making the Rounds
We headed on to the storage area for a short stop. Grace fetched her bouncy ball a few times but was content to just lie there. Again, when it was time to leave, Grace came immediately. The next stop was the grocery store. When I returned, Grace sat cutely in the driver’s seat. We went on to two banks. After the second one, I walked Grace at a shopping center. There she met a nice lady who had a farm and lots of animals. She commented on how pretty Grace was. Grace found an ant-covered French fry which she enjoyed before returning back to the car. On the way she stopped under a shady tree and rolled repeatedly in the newly spread pine straw.
Morning Nap
When we returned home at 9:00 we met Harley. Grace and he wrestled gently for a few minutes before we returned home. After eating her breakfast, Grace retired to the office for a nap. At noon she moved her nap to the foyer and and 12:30 to the loveseat.
Hot Dog
At 3:00, as I prepared to leave to look at the moving truck for tomorrow, Grace came out of the office and parked herself in the foyer. She wanted to go too. She didn’t realize how hot it was (90 degrees and sunny). I brought her along anyway. The car was much hotter, but she was a trooper. She liked it best on the tile floor in the office. As I checked out the trucks, I kept Grace tied up in the shade. She waited patiently.
When we returned, I tried taking her by the pool, but that didn’t work either. I finally just took her back inside. Grace went to the office to resume her nap. At 4:15, Grace came into the kitchen to let us know she was ready to eat. Betsy gave her supper with olive oil. When she finished, she got up on the loveseat. She licked my face, but when Betsy approached, she turned her head away from her.
Grace seemed unhappy to see her home in such an uproar as we packed to move. Betsy took her out at 7:30. She and Olive played for about forty-five minutes. When they returned at 8:30, Grace acted like it was time for bed. The light was on in the bedroom, so she went to the balcony to wait for me. She came in at 9:15 when she saw me in the chair. At 9:30, I went to bed. Betsy and Grace followed about an hour later.
Tuesday
Grace started stirring around 5:00. She got up and went to the office around 5:45. At 6:10, I got up. Grace dropped one of her toy puppies in the toy box. Then she brought me her giraffe toy. She wanted me play tug with it, but I just played fetch with it. Grace was a trooper, trying to entertain herself with any and all things in her toy box. She shredded a cardboard box and went out on the balcony a few times.
Chomp-Chomp
At 6:45, Grace was ready to go and she let me know it in her usual way. We left for the park at 7:00. Grace enjoyed her run and looked forward to football fetch. She knew the routine. The gnats were a little less annoying this time but still made me want to leave. At one point, Grace worked on tearing the cover off of the football. She stopped before further damaging the air chamber. At one point, she playfully flipped the ball upward while still in her mouth and stretched tall above the ground.
Morning Rounds
When we finished up there, we headed for the storage area. There she lay in the shade and enjoyed chewing on twigs. Our next stop was the land. When Snoopy spotted Grace he came out. They played chase for a while, but even though the heat of the day had not yet arrived, it didn’t take long before they needed a break. Grace found a tennis ball and brought it to me. I threw it a few times for her. At one point, she jumped up on my arm and scratched the back of my hand drawing blood in two places.
Atmospheric Challenges
After fifteen minutes, we left and went to the store. Grace was still panting hard from the heat. We stayed in the car with the air conditioning running to cool her down before I went inside. I parked in some of the scant shade and left the windows open. I returned after ten minutes. Grace was lying on the passenger seat. The car remained cool, but Grace was still on the hot side. Finally, we stopped for gas. Some spilled out. The sharp odor of gasoline offends Grace. She hesitated before getting in. I took her to the passenger side, and she got up on the seat. I opened the windows and turned on the fresh air option for the air conditioner. That helped dissipate the smell.
Limp Reappears
When we returned home, Grace ate her breakfast and then made her way to the office for a nap. Her slight limp on the right front reappeared after her session with Snoopy but was not as pronounced as it was the previous two days. Perhaps it happened when she pulled me in a full run on the pavement to meet Olive a couple days ago.
As I went to the kitchen and started the microwave at 3:45, Grace came in and wanted something. I fed her supper. After supper, she whined at the balcony door. I let her out, and she lay down to watch the action down at the pool. We took Grace with us to pick up the moving truck at 5:00. When we returned, Grace went back to her balcony perch. She spotted Ada at 6:00. They wrestled until 6:20. Grace returned home at 6:40.
Last Night at Home
At 9:00, Grace went out for the last time with Betsy. Grace came in proudly carrying a stick that she and Olive had been working on for a few days. I tore down one of the twin beds. That threw Grace because I temporarily put the other mattress on top of the bed where she sleeps. With boxes stacked everywhere, about ten minutes later I looked around for Grace but couldn’t find her. I asked Betsy what happened to Grace. Betsy said Grace was in the living room chair. She blends in with the black leather furniture. When Betsy came to bed, Grace jumped up in bed for the night.
Wednesday
This was the day of the big move. Grace’s home was being turned upside down. She got up and went to the office at about 6:00. At 6:45, after I went to the bathroom, Grace came out to let me know she was ready to go. We walked for fifteen minutes here before heading off to the park for the usual run. She stayed with me on the run, but at one point, ventured toward the shopping plaza. A whistle brought her back immediately.
Moving Experience
At 8:00, we finished up and returned home. I had to cut the tug and fetch football game to just fifteen minutes. Each day the game becomes more tug and less fetch. The movers were coming at 8:30, so we had to get back. When the movers and maintenance man came in, Grace greeted them happily and followed them around. At 9:30, Fraggle showed up. Betsy took Grace to play with her good friend for about fifteen minutes. When they returned, Grace was bewildered. We tried putting her on the porch or the office, but she really wanted to be part of the action. She finally relented and stayed fairly well in the office.
At 11:20, I walked into the office and saw Grace curled up in the back of the now empty closet. She moved away from the closet to look out the window when I went to get my camera, but five minutes later she was back in the closet. We finished up at the old apartment at 1:00.
From there, the movers left and headed for the storage area. Grace and Betsy stayed behind and traveled to the new apartment to meet us there at 3:00. Grace continued to have trouble coping. To move, we had to prop open the front door. This enabled Grace to run off twice. We don’t know if she was trying to explore her new environment or just running from all of the commotion.
Betsy tried shutting her in the bedroom, but that didn’t work because when we opened the door to place boxes and items there, Grace would come out. Finally, I tied her leash to the ottoman there. That solved the problem of her running away and getting underfoot. Grace was not happy, but she became a little less concerned as more of the familiar furniture populated the rooms.
New apartment tough adapting. Tried to shut her in the bedroom. Front door propped open. Ran off twice. finally tied her to the ottoman. not happy, but better as more furniture arrived.
After a trip outside before bed, Grace joined Betsy on the sofa at 10:00 to end a very stressful day. It was good to have that one behind us.
Thursday
At 6:30 Grace went out for ride. On the way, we stopped at the old apartment. Grace stayed in the car while I attended to a few lingering items and brought about three loads of stuff down to the car. In order to keep a little consistency in her live, I took Grace for her morning run at Salem park. After one lap, we met a lady with a Cocker Spaniel. The dog was not sociable but not threatening.
On the next lap, we met the lady with the German Shepherd mix. She did not appreciate Grace off the leash Her dog tugged and growled. On the next trip around, I leashed Grace until after lap five when she finally left. We did two more laps to give Grace more free time. We then played football for fifteen minutes — with lots of tugs. We again headed over to storage. During the fifteen minute stint there, Grace chewed sticks. By 9:40, our trip was over, and we made it home.
Difficult Being in a Strange Home Alone
Grace had her breakfast, and we left her home alone at 9:55. As we left, Grace whined. At 12:40, we returned home. After happy greetings, Grace had some lunch. At 1:30, Grace went to the lake to play fetch at the beach. After we returned at 2:40, I left to go shopping for an hour. While I was gone, carpet installation crew threw carpet on the grass below us. This spooked Grace and started her barking. Betsy put Grace in timeout.
When I returned. Grace continued barking. I put her in timeout (in the bathroom with lights out for about a minute). Grace got the message. She resigned herself to nap on bed and sulk. At 5:15, Grace spotted Otis. She went to the dog park two other dogs till 5:45. At 6:00, Grace went to the office ottoman before joining me on the bed.
At 7:30, I went back to the old apartment. Grace waited patiently in the car. From there we went to storage at 8:30, grocery at 9:00. Returned at 9:30. Grace out at 10:00. In my bed at 10:20. I joined her at 10:35.
Friday
When I awoke at 6:30, Grace was still in bed with us. I got dressed and headed out to Salem Pond Park. We arrived at 7:00 to this part of Grace’s life that remained familiar. The travel time there is fifteen rather than ten minutes, so it’s not a big difference. As usual, Grace enjoyed chasing birds and taking frequent dips in the ponds.
Football and Friends
After we finished our run, we proceeded to play our football game. Near the end of that play time, the nice man with the beagles came. The dogs were excited to see one another. They headed out for their walk and Grace pulled her trick to take the football back into the park to inch her way in the direction of her friends. She then quickened her pace and followed the friends around for a lap. I waited for her at the entrance and called her to come to the car.
Finishing Up with Move
Next we went to storage. There Grace played fetch with the bouncy ball as I attended to a few matters there. We stopped by the old apartment to gather up more things. Grace stayed in the shade in the car while I gathered up remaining things. When I brought down the trash, I stop by the car and brought Grace with me. On the way back we met Jack for the last time. I took Grace up to the door of the apartment and grabbed the last box. As I reached the foot of the stairs we spotted Harley. Thankfully, the leash was not tightly secured to my hand. Grace easily pulled free. After a stop to scavenge droppings at the grille area, she and Harley played for about ten minutes in a way very reminiscent of the old Dakota days.
After putting Grace back in the car and grabbing one last thing at the apartment, we headed off to storage. Grace played fetch with the bouncy ball as I attended to a few things there. Finally, we returned home at 10:00. Betsy gave Grace breakfast. Grace then retired to the loveseat and by 10:30, she made it to the office floor for a serious nap.
Time for a Swim
By 12:30, Grace was getting antsy. I gave her a couple of slices of bread that were going bad and then fed her lunch. At 1:10, she went out on the balcony. I can leave the door open here since residents here are not obsessed with running endless toxic loads of scented laundry. Grace returned inside at 1:20. By 1:30, she had to go. We went straight to the “beach.” Grace played fetch splashing in the warm waters of Lake Crabtree.
She seemed insistent on not bringing the tennis ball all the way back to me. I really needed to stay in the shade. Eventually, I went to the bench under the trees. Grace found the twigs and pieces of driftwood to shred to be much more fun. Then she discovered a new game. She began digging frantically at the shoreline. She ended up with a hole big enough for her to lie in. At the deepest part, she would plunge her snout and head deep into it as if she were trying to catch an crab. It was very cute.
Hungries
At 2:30, we returned home, and I fed Grace some ice cream lickings. She licked the container as clean as a whistle. Grace eventually jumped up in bed with me at my feet. At 4:00, I got up to make a sandwich. Grace wanted something. I gave her a doggie treat. That wasn’t enough. I fed her supper. After supper, I gave her a dental chew. She was satisfied, but Betsy came home at 4:45 with a huge load of fish and shrimp dinner from the Farmer’s Market. Grace recognized the smell of that food. We shared the hush puppies, fish, and shrimp with her.
Unwinding
At 5:20, Betsy left again to clean out the remains from the apartment. Grace wanted to go with her, and whined. I tried to persuade her to watch for friends out on the balcony, but she wanted to come inside. I finally convinced Grace to come back up in the bed with me.
Betsy returned 7:30. We left Grace alone 7:45 to look at house. At 9:00, we returned home 9:00. Before bed, Grace had a doggie treat and dental chew. We all went to bed at 9:45.
Saturday
At 6:30, I got up. Grace and I left for our morning outing at 6:45. At 7:10, we arrive at Salem Pond Park. After two laps,
Grace raced to meet a nice lady who made a point to tell me that Grace was sweet. Of course, she is. When we finished our run at 7:40, we played football until 8:20.
New Things Learned
At 8:40, we returned home. Grace now knows the location of our entrance and stops there before we enter. Actually, I noticed her having learned this yesterday. After Grace had her breakfast, Betsy went to the car to gather up many of the things she had packed there. This made Grace anxious.
Quiet Study
At 12:30, Grace had lunch, a doggie treat, and a dental chew. When Betsy left at 1:00 to finish up at the old apartment and turn in the keys, Grace joined me as I studied in the bedroom. At 3:20 I made a sandwich. Grace came in and gave me the look that she wanted something too. She had a doggie treat followed by a lunch portion of food. At 3:30, she could wait no longer. We went outside and played at the lake, returning an hour later.
At 5:30 Betsy came home and gave Grace supper. At 6:30, she took Grace outside and returned at 7:00. At 7:40, Grace had me take her out to walk the grounds. When we returned at 8:10, Grace joined Betsy in the office. At 10:00, we all went to bed.