At 6:30, I heard a soft whimper. Grace was no longer on the bed. I looked around and found her on the floor near the window next to Betsy and between the ottoman and the end table. I got up. Grace joined me. Her limp was noticeable bot not severe. She parked herself out on the balcony until 6:45. When she came in, she complained to me with the chomp-chomp gesture. We went out, first stopping at the dog park. After ten minutes, we headed down past the pool to Grace Beach.
Fun at Grace Beach
The previous time we were there, I put the ball that Grace found under a plastic pallet. It serves as a nice seat for me when I’m there. Shortly after we arrived, she sniffed it out. I lifted the pallet and retrieved the ball. Grace played fetch in the water. After ten minutes a nice dog came by. Grace greeted the dog and hung out in the water with it. After twenty minutes a fisherman showed up. I did my best to keep Grace away from the fishing by throwing the ball the other way and calling her back when she headed toward his lines. She did well.
Home Alone
After playing fetch nearly the entire time, Grace went back home. When we returned at 8:00, Grace had her breakfast and went out on the balcony. Right before we left for church, Grace came in and curled up in the living room chair. When we returned at 2:00, Grace was still in her chair. She was limping badly. Betsy bought various things including pill, ointments, and socks.
Afternoon Swim
At 2:30 Betsy gave Grace her lunch. After lunch, Grace was ready for her afternoon swim. We went outside. Grace took the longer way around to the lake via the asphalt path. We doubled back and went to Grace Beach. I decided not to do any more fetching today. A man came by with a couple young girls. They liked Grace but were more interested in throwing stones in the water. As Grace went to the far end of the beach. Suddenly, I saw a medium-sized copperhead snake swimming along the shore between Grace and me. I immediately called her back. She came without an encounter.
We went to the big grassy area on the other side of the path from the beach. Grace proceeded down toward the drain-off area in the grassy field. After about fifteen minutes moving down, we headed back.
Expensive Dog Shoes
When we returned home, Betsy was gone. When she returned home at 4:00, she brought some shoes. The shoes from REI were $70 and made her almost unable to walk a step. I think a better solution will be to use baby socks. During supper at 5:30, Grace played shortstop. When we finished supper, I continued playing a really tame version of shortstop for forty minutes with her to save further wear and tear on her foot pads.
Toddler Socks
At 6:30, I went to the bedroom to get some peace and quiet. Next, Grace came followed by Betsy with corn chips. Grace jumped up on the bed and did her munchies routine. I shared with her. When I finished, I gave the bag to Betsy. She shared occasionally. When I got up, I noticed a pair of socks that Betsy had bought. She said they were size 4-5 Toddler. I put them on Grace. Grace put up with them. Her first steps were like she was trying to pull her feet out of the mud or snow. She quickly got used to them and seemed to understand why we put them on her. She went out on the balcony and lay on the lounge chair with her socks intact on her front paws.
I went out at 8:15 and returned at 9:00. Betsy treated her paws with oil and we put on her socks. She kept them on until she jumped up on the bed with me at 9:40. Betsy came in and turned out the lights at 10:00. I went to bed a few minutes later.
Monday
At 4:00, Grace whined softly. She was on the ottoman. Betsy opened the blinds for her. There was nothing interesting going on outside, so she came back to bed. At 6:20, she whined again. This time she was on the floor at the foot of the bed. I went down there with her and we did tummy rubs. She nearly licked my face off. When we went to the living room Betsy came in to try the REI shoes again. When Betsy put them on, Grace sat there and would not move.
More Paw Treatment
Rather than walk, she jumped over the bed that Grace doesn’t use. One of the shoes fell off. I put it back on and moved the Velcro strap a little tighter. She then went out on the balcony lounge chair to watch the morning action. By 7:00, Grace had removed one of her shoes. At 7:15, Betsy removed the other one. At 8:00, I gathered up the lounge chair and planter to allow the painters to finish up. Then Betsy applied Nutri-Vet Pet Guard Wax (packaged like shoe polish and smells like oranges) to her front paws. After I put socks on her front paws, Betsy took Grace out for her morning exercise. The time was 8:00.
Grace Beach
Before they made it downstairs, the socks fell off. They went to Grace Beach. Grace enjoyed pulverizing a log that she had pulled out about a week ago. Betsy said after all of Grace’s frantic work, all that was left was wood chips. She did some swimming and splashing. The mower was working on the field across from Grace Beach. Grace went to the field. Grace and Betsy walked in the newly mowed grass. They returned home at 10:00. When I returned home at 10:15, Grace was curled up in the living room chair.
ChuckIt! Fun
At 11:00, Grace moved to the sofa for a couple hours. When I prepared brunch at 2:30, she go up. I gave her lunch and two forms of doggie treats. We played shortstop while I ate. Betsy found the orange favorite ChuckIt! ball a few hours earlier. We played with that first as I prepared a sandwich and ate it, but then Grace switched to the one that glows in the dark. It has a softer texture and two rather than four holes in it. We played until 4:30. Then she lay at the balcony door.
Evening Fling
At 5:10, Grace had her supper. At 5:15, I took her out. The socks stayed on for about five minutes. We went out back. Ellie Mae showed up. Grace and she played a little but Ellie growled as Grace approached. Grace was off of the leash and would come near but not close enough to be leashed. A painter called her and held her for me. We returned home at 5:45. After supper, I gave her chicken scraps for tricks. She then went to the office to sleep.
Dog Party
Betsy took a nap and Grace followed her to the bedroom. At 7:00, Betsy got up and went to the mailbox. Grace wanted to go out when she spotted Betsy. She went to the door. I told her “No.” At 7:45, Grace spotted a dog party at the dog park and whined to go. I took her. When we arrived the following dogs were there:
- Abby
- Lucy
- Rascal
- Lokey
- Marley
Then Zeke came finally followed by Beckham. Counting Grace, that made eight dogs. Of course, Grace loved the playmates. The other dog owners liked playing with Grace, despite my telling them that she couldn’t play because her paw pads are injured.
When we returned home at 8:45, Betsy was vacuuming. Grace went directly to the balcony. At 9:20, she came in and had a big drink of water, lay down by the balcony doors and went to sleep.
Tuesday
Betsy shut the doors to the master suite, so Grace had to spend the night in the rest of the house. When we got up at 6:30, Grace greeted us with wags and kisses. At 6:40, we set off for our morning walk. Grace went to the dog park first. None joined her. After ten minutes we moved on. She greeted a Golden Retriever and headed on to the beach. At the lake, there was a bunny on the walk. I unhooked the leash. Grace bolted after it, but the rabbit fled to refuge in the adjoining weeds.
Beach Fetch
At Grace Beach, Grace played fetch with her ball. Someone had moved the pallet into the water. The ball was lying next to it. Grace enjoyed herself jumping in the water. When she started to dig, I told her to stop. She obeyed every time. Grace saw a Husky and ran after it. The owner was understanding. The Husky wanted to play and Grace ran full speed around it, but it had to stay leashed.
Shower Fear
At 8:00, we returned home. I called Grace in for a shower. She came, but when she saw the shower stall, she was apprehensive. I consoled her and led her in. She calmed down quickly as the shower was the same as the old days. Grace had her breakfast and then lay at the balcony doors. I went running. When I returned at 8:45, I greeted Grace lying in the living room chair. After I showered, we left for Grace’s vet appointment.
Back to the Vet
Betsy noticed some thinning areas on Grace’s coat at her neck and on her side. She thought the vet should look at it. At 9:30 we arrived. Grace weighed in at 54.2 pounds. They said she was not overweight. The vet also found a patch on her back, just above her tail. He asked if she had been itching and if we found any evidence of fleas. He used a flea comb but found none.
He did a scraping at her shoulder and looked at her coat under ultraviolet light. He said the problem was either bacterial. allergic or both. In the past I had religiously showered her after trips to the pond. This lake was cleaner, and I had delayed hooking up the hand-held shower. Together, that limited the number of showers she had to just two in the past three weeks. Between the ponds/lakes and grass there are a lot of things that can irritate her skin.
The vet prescribed Cephalexin 500 mg (three weeks supply) twice a day (breakfast and supper). He also prescribed Zyrtec (ceririzine) two 10 mg tablets every 12 to 24 hours by mouth as needed for itching. Finally, we need to bath her with Hexadine and a little Selsun Blue daily for 1 week and taper the frequency until fall. Also be sure to rinse her off after swimming in the lake. Swimming in the ocean should promote healing, but we still need to rinse her off when we finish.
He also watched as Grace was walked including being moved in clockwise and counter-clockwise circles. He said her gait was perfect. He examined all joints and her paws. He saw evidence of injury to the right front main pad but said that it has healed. He said that we need to limit trips out to fifteen minutes at a time to give her soft tissue injury a chance to heal.
After the vet visit, we went to storage to gather up some things for the trip. Grace did her best to find a shady spot in the concrete to take refuge from the heat. I put a bowl of water out for her. When we returned home at noon, Betsy was back. I gave Grace her lunch, a raw egg, some treats, and her first pill. Grace rested most of the afternoon. At 4:15, Grace grouched about wanting to go outside. We went out for fifteen minutes. After Grace did her business, she was ready to go in since it was very hot and humid out.
Powerful Dog, Unfortunate Accident
Grace lay by the balcony doors until 5:30. I gave her some egg scraps and supper with her first dose of the Omega 3 oil on her food. It did not seem to discourage her from eating. At 6:00, she went out on the balcony to do friend watch. She spotted one at 6:15. On the way Grace started running on the sidewalk. I had sandals on and tripped. Grace dragged me on the concrete, tearing up my right knee and bruising my right palm.
I let the leash go. Grace looked back to see if I was still okay. She then tore off to the entrance of the dog park. There she and Sadie played hard for fifteen minutes. She had no limping before the play. After we returned home she was limping again. At 7:30, she grouched. I gave her a bully stick. At 8:00, we gave Grace her first bath with the medicated soaps. She was afraid and resisted. With some effort, we made it through. Grace was given a treat to reward her for her patience.
Warming to Dog Bed
At 8:40, Grace got into her new bed and curled up to go to sleep. This is a milestone. Early at mid-afternoon she got in for about a minute an then got out. After ten minutes, she went to the sofa. At 9:00, I took her out for the last time. When we returned, Grace went to the bedroom, jumped up on our bed and went to sleep.
Wednesday
At 1:30 AM Grace got down and lay on the floor at the foot of my bed. At 4:00, Betsy gave Grace a Benadryl for itching. Grace went to the ottoman to sleep. At 6:15, she whimpered. At 6:45, we went out and to the dog park. Ten minutes later, Olivia and Rascal joined us. Grace and Olivia played for five minutes, including some tug. At 7:20, we returned home. Grace had her breakfast and her pill. She proceeded to the office to nap as Betsy and I prepared for the trip.
Heading for Myrtle Beach
As we loaded the car, Grace had to wait inside. I put her leash on her to let her know she was coming with us. We left at 8:40. Grace knew the routine and settled into the back seat for a nap. We actually were supposed to turn off of I-40 to I-95 in Garner but instead went straight on I-40. Betsy wanted to stop and get some suntan lotion rather than buy it at the beach. We stopped at the Fuquay-Varina exit. Betsy went in while I walked with Grace while she explored the grounds. After fifteen minutes we headed back on the highway, and Grace curled back up in the back seat to continue her morning nap.
Travel Munchies
Betsy pulled out her bag of healthy (of course) corn chips. Grace perked up immediately. She said she had the munchies. Betsy gave her only a few. She also gave her some water. Betsy said that the Benadryl will make her thirsty. At noon, we arrived at Calabash. Becks had nice outdoor tables. We asked if our puppy could join us for the meal. They said that was fine.
Calabash Feast
Grace enjoyed her fish skin, fried shrimp, hush puppies, and french fries. We left at 1:00 and headed for Myrtle Beach. As Betsy checked in at Sea Mist at 2:15, Grace saw the wonder of palm trees, the expansive beach, ocean, and the mob of people populating them. The sun was bright and the temperature 87.
Afternoon Arrival
After we parked, I took Grace for a walk — heading back to the office. Finally, Grace did her business. It was in some landscaping on river rocks. It was a bit tricky to handle. She met a couple of small black dogs on the way. Grace did her usual non-threatening greeting, but the other dog was not ready to play. Grace lay on the grass and chewed on a dried palm stem. About that time, we spotted Betsy. Grace followed her to the office. Inside, Grace took refuge on the cool tile floor. After fifteen minutes, we returned home.
Stir Crazy
At 3:45 a thunderstorm moved in. Grace played with Betsy in the room. I brought in some luggage after the storm died down. Then we played fetch with her orange ball followed by tug with her sock toy. Despite the play, by 5:15, Grace started going stir crazy. It was time for our trip to the beach. Before we left, Grace ate her supper and took her pill.
Intro to Ocean
The tide was fairly high. Grace adapted easily. Tasting the water was enough for her to know it was not something she would want to drink. At the shore, she would dodge the water as it defined the shoreline. We kept her on the leash. Betsy and I traded off with Grace as we alternately went into the water.
Bath Trauma
After our swim, we returned to the room and gave Grace a bath with medicated shampoo. When I called her she came. When she spotted Betsy there, she turned and retreated to the farthest refuge in the room. After that, I had to carry her into the shower. She was not a happy camper as we spent about fifteen minutes lathering and rinsing her.
Grace Flytrap
A fly or two flew into the room. They served as entertainment for Grace. She would stalk and snap at them. I think she actually got one.
Nighttime Adventures
After the bath, we walked to the grocery store about 1000 feet away. Betsy went in while Grace and I stayed outside walking near the entrance. After she finished, we went back to the room. We played fetch and tug for about forty-five minutes. At 9:00, Grace went out for the last time and returned fifteen minutes later.
Grace Places
We had two queen beds in our room. Betsy and I slept in one and Grace took the other one. She also liked to curl up in the chair next to the bed. It was funny. If I would sit in that chair, Grace would see it and want to be in it. I would get out and she jumped in.
Noisy Night
The night turned out to be an eventful one. After we turned out the lights, we had noise outside our door. Young people found the walk perfect for a skateboard path. That went on for a couple of hours. Betsy finally called the security folks to help us quiet things down. Then Betsy got up and knocked her bowl off of the nightstand. It shattered like a shot as it hit the solid tile floor. After cleaning it up, Betsy returned to bed. Then the clock radio alarm sounded. Two hours later came our wake-up call at 6:30 AM.
Morning at the Beach
I got up and took Grace to the beach. We arrived at about 6:50. The beach was already brimming with people walking, running, and fishing. Grace was content to walk and scavenge. She found a trail of bits of cake. She followed it, eating as she went. I tried to lead her to the water, but she really enjoyed the beach more. She stopped at one point and did her frantic digging routine. The hole ended up about big enough to put her in and cover her over.
Beach Watch
At 8:15, Betsy showed up. Again, we traded off with Grace. When I went in swimming, Grace would watch and let out her regular (higher-pitched) bark — presumably to warn Betsy that I was getting away or facing danger. It was low tide at the time, so it was much easier for Grace to deal with the water. Over the course of the late morning, Grace would venture out to chest deep for her.
Bath and Breakfast
When we returned at 9:20, Betsy showered as I took Grace to relieve herself. The antibiotic or oil we gave her seemed to make her stools softer than normal. She again chose the river rocks in the bushes for her spot. At 9:30, we went inside. I called Grace for her bath. She came and got into the tub this time but did whimper. We decided just to rinse her this time. She was a real trooper.
After her bath, Grace had her breakfast and her morning pill. She ate only two-thirds of her food. After breakfast, we played fetch with the Chuck-It! ball. We left to check out areas south of Myrtle Beach. We stopped at Merrell’s Inlet and Pawley’s Island. After trying restaurants at Merrell’s Inlet, we gave up. Our dual requirements of needing a place to eat outside with our dog and (heaven forbid) fresh fish was too much for the self-proclaimed fishing capital of the world. At Pawley’s Island we finally found a cafe that served fresh fish for lunch and had a nice sitting area outside under a roof. They had some really nice seafood specials, but we found out they were only for dinner.
Lunch at a Restaurant
Grace barked a few times. A staff member quickly came and gave us three dog biscuits for Grace. Grace enjoyed them while we waited for our meal. I gave Grace some of the fish and a few potato chips from my fish taco lunch. As we travelled too and from our destinations, Grace napped. When we arrived home at 2:00, Grace came in and lay on the cool floor. After seeing me in the chair, she decided that was where she’d rather be and curled up there as Betsy and I relaxed in bed.
Nap Time
Betsy checked out Grace’s skin. She said that it seems to be doing pretty well considering that she had or is fighting and infection. We all took a nap. Grace curled up in the chair. At 4:45, Betsy went to the office to use the computer. Grace went with her. They returned an hour later. At 5:50, Betsy left to get Grace some medicine and pick up some fast food for us.
Evening Beach Stroll
Grace had her dinner with the omega-3 oil. She ate it all. After dinner, I gave her her antibiotic. Grace wanted to go for a walk. We left at 6:00. We ended up on the beach. Grace enjoyed sniffing around in the sand and occasionally digging frantically. People came up to her and asked if they could pet her. Grace shied away from small, but not tiny, children.
Baseball
Then Grace spotted a father and son with a baseball and mitts playing catch. Grace wanted to joint in, but she was supposed to be leashed. The father asked if she could fetch. I told him yes. I dropped the leash, and the father threw the ball. Grace tore of after it — kicking up a cloud of sand as she reached her objective. It was fun to watch her energy and skill.
Winding Down
At 8:00, we returned home. I called her in to the bathroom and ordered Grace into the tub. She obeyed. I gave her a bath by pouring cups of water on her and rubbing her down. After the bath, we played shortstop with her. Finally, she gave up and curled up in the chair while Betsy and I watched television. At 10:00, Grace went to her bed, we turned out the lights and went to sleep.
Friday
We have no need for an alarm clock. Even with full light-blocking blinds, Grace knows when it’s time to get up. At 6:15, she whimpered. At 6:30, we headed for the beach. We played some fetch with the tennis ball first as I left her leash on, but let it drag. After a fun session of play, We headed south on the wide expanse of sand.
Chole’s Twin
Along the way we met a couple from New York that just had to get a better look at Grace. They said they had a five-year-old rescue from Tennessee that weighed 60 pounds and looked and acted just like Grace. Her name was Chole. They even took a picture of Grace. Although the pier was only about a half mile away, at 7:30, we turned around and headed back.
Prized Find
Along the way, Grace found a piece of uncooked seafood. It looked to me like about a third of the meaty section of a giant prawn without any outer shell. Perhaps a fisherman left it. Grace couldn’t leave it alone. She tossed it in the air repeatedly and rolled on it over and over. She picked it up and walked with it as her prize and then repeat the tossing and rolling people. She even attracted an audience as beachcombers watched and were entertained by her playful antics.
Finally, she threw it in the water to get the sand off of it. After that, she put it in her mouth, but the salt water had tainted it. She left it and moved on. On the way back as the sun rose in the sky, the heat became more of a problem for her. Sometimes she would dig a hole and lie in the wet sand. Later, she would just venture out a little deeper into the water.
Heading Back
As the morning wore on, the tide went out along with any violent waves in the shallow area. Grace enjoyed the cool of the water but was not fond of being knocked around by waves. I brought her bowl and some bottled water in my backpack. After she had eaten a lot of sand or had some salt water get on her tongue, I gave her some fresh water.
About half way back, Grace decided to duck into a private access and head back to the road. She went as far as the road but then turned and returned to the beach. By 8:30,we were only a few buildings away from the Sea Mist complex. Grace wanted to sniff around in the path between two rows of sea oats.
Bark, Bark
It was 8:30 which was about the time I expected to meed Betsy. I figured I’d keep an eye out. When we returned to the ocean side of the sea oats, I looked forward and back but didn’t see her. Luckily, she spotted us before going to far south. We got together and shared watching duty with Grace. This is when the barking started up again.
The evening before, Grace made a nuisance of herself with repeated big-girl barks. I blamed it on the many helicopters. Betsy said the echo off the buildings put her into an endless feedback loop as she responded to the echo. Friday, she did her normal bark at full volume when Betsy or I separated from each other. When one went swimming and the other watched Grace, she would bark and then go into the water as deep as she could stand. Then, she would turn and take the leash in her mouth and lead the one guiding her back to shore. Grace would then repeat the process.
A lady came by from six blocks north. She said she heard Grace’s bark and just knew it was from a Labrador Retriever. She said that she has a Lab and misses it. At 9:45, we had about enough and needed to pack up and leave before checkout time at 11:00. Back in the room we showered and bathed Grace. After her bath, I gave Grace her breakfast followed by her antibiotic pill. Grace was a bit disturbed by the uproar but watched without causing trouble as we packed.
Calabash Lunch
On the last trip out, we took Grace. We took the scenic route through Myrtle Beach. We arrived at Becks at Calabash, N.C. a little before 1:00. We each ordered the lunch special and shared some hush puppies, fish, and shrimp with Grace. After lunch, Betsy browsed a gift shop before we headed home.Grace slept most of the way. At a gas stop, we saw a stray Pomeranian wandering around the station and had Animal Control called.
Home Sweet Home
When we arrived home at 5:40, I dropped off Grace and Betsy at the dog park. Alas, there were no friends. Ten minutes later, they stood at the door as I brought a load of luggage up. Grace had her supper and her antibiotic. As Betsy and I ate supper and afterwards, Grace played shortstop. At 7:00 from the balcony, Grace spotted Sadie in the dog park. We raced to meet her. This time I was especially careful with the concrete.
Grace was very excited when she entered. Picked up the tug toy and ran deftly evading her opponent. After about ten minutes of intense exercise, Grace went to the corner to some scant shade and rested. Sadie respected her need for rest. After about ten minutes, they went for another, but less vigorous, round. After Sadie left, Grace stuck around and rested in her spot for about twenty minutes.
At 8:00, Grace returned home and crashed on the sofa. By the time I went to bed at 11:20, Grace had stretched out on my bed.
Saturday
At 5:00, Grace started stirring. At 5:30, she whimpered. Betsy opened the blinds. Grace got up on the ottoman and looked out. At 6:15, she left the bedroom. I got up and let her out on the patio. At 6:30, she burst into the living room complaining that she wanted to go outside.
Park Play
We went down to Borador Park. Grace enjoyed herself alone for about thirty minutes. Then, Lucy and Boggie showed up. Grace played with Lucy for a while. Then Olivia and Rascal showed up. The dogs played together for twenty minutes and then left. Finally, Sadie came in. Grace taunted Sadie with the tug toy. They ran hard and played tug. Grace was too much for Sadie.
When Grace tired, she took refuge in the highest corner of the park. After resting, Grace resumed her taunting and running. After thirty minutes, Sadie left. Grace continued playing alone, taking the tug toy and running with it up and down the length of the park. After fifteen minutes, she finally had enough and decided to leave. We checked at the office to pick up some packages, but they didn’t open until 10:00. We turned and went home.
Recharging
We went inside at 9:30. Grace had her breakfast and antibiotic pill. She then settled in on the living room chair for a nap. Betsy had gone shopping. I left her home alone at 9:55 to go for my run. When I returned at 10:30, Grace was lying on the sofa. I greeted her and gave her praise and a treat as usual. At noon, Betsy returned from a trip to the office to pick up our packages. One contained Grace’s dental chews. Betsy gave Grace one. After ten minutes, Grace had consumed it while lying on the floor by the balcony doors.
At 12:30, while I made myself some food, Grace came into the kitchen. She wanted some lunch. I gave her some followed by two types of doggie treats. After her meal, Grace eventually made it back to the sofa. At 3:30, Grace was perking up. She took one of her baseballs and carefully ate the rawhide cover. After chewing it for a while, she would toss it around and chew some more.
Ouch!
At 4:20, Betsy took Grace outside. On the way out, the door slammed on Grace’s tail with a thud. Betsy said the door latched. Grace cried until Betsy released it. Her cute tail was injured about four inches up from the end. Grace now held her tail bent to the right at that point. Betsy took Grace to the lake. Grace acted like nothing had happened to her tail. I met Betsy down at Grace Beach at 5:30. Betsy returned home.
Screaming Beagles
Grace continued playing fetch in the shallow water with me. After ten minutes, Grace saw and heard some stupid screaming Beagles. Grace ran over to investigate and returned after a couple minutes. Then the four Beagles showed up at Grace Beach. The owners proceeded to teach the two Beagle puppies that they could swim. One of the two owners went out about waist deep in the murky water.
Grace joined in with the lesson and swam out to the owner and around him before returning. She can swim, but really does not like to go out too far because she is afraid she will not make it back in. We continued playing fetch along the shoreline until 5:30. By 5:45, I finally got Grace home.
Damage Control
I drove to storage to get specialized tools for releasing the spring on the hinges. Betsy took Grace to the vet emergency room. I returned at 6:50. Five minutes later, the hinge springs were released. At 7:00, Betsy returned with Grace from the vet. The vet said Grace had only soft-tissue trauma. She gave Grace an anti-inflammatory drug and said we could put ice on it to reduce swelling and promote healing.
Evening Play
When we ate supper at 8:00, Grace played shortstop with us. After we finished, she brought one of her stuffed puppies, to play tug. I told her “No” and put it back in her toy box. I gave her the tug sock and we played with it for a few minutes. Then Grace went out on the balcony. I prepared a snack. Grace saw me and came back in, settling in under the dining room table.
Snack Time
At 9:00, Betsy made some popcorn. Grace joined me in the chair as we shared the munchies. At 9:25, I took her outside for the last time before bed. We returned five minutes later. Grace still wanted to play, but I needed to get to bed. Grace busied herself with carefully chewing on her throw rug. At 10:00, I went to bed with Grace lying on the loveseat. Betsy and Grace came to bed later after I fell asleep.