The time changed — falling back to Eastern Standard Time. While it was an adjustment for us, it was more so for Grace because she has no idea why things had changed. Our normal time out was 7:00. When I got up at 6:20, Grace was on her perch. When I greeted her, she decided it was time to get up. She went into the bedroom, jumped up on the bed, and greeted Betsy. At 6:30, Grace went out to the park.
Morning Fun
When we arrived, the park was empty. Grace wanted to go in but was happy to move on for a short walk. She wanted to go between the bushes and the building. I dropped the leash. Again, I lost track of her, but I found her a few seconds later.
When we returned to the park, Grace fixed her attention on a block of wood visible, but outside the fence. I brought it inside. Grace chewed off a few chips and lost interest. When I put it back outside the fence, Grace again fixed her attention on it. I picked up the ball to divert her attention.
After a few minutes of catch, Abby came in. I changed the water and cleaned the prized ball. Grace and Abby fixed their attention on me. As I approached with the water and clean ball, Abby jumped up on the fence. I threw the ball into the park. Grace got it. Abby chased Grace a few times and then settled for the smaller ball.
At 7:00, Sadie joined the party. That set up the usual dynamic. Grace chomped the ball excitedly as she watched Abby and Sadie wrestle and run. At 7:30, Hannah and Miley came in. The whole family came with them. The man of the house seemed to keep Hannah from humping Grace better. Then Zeke joined the party. At one point, Miley and Abby got into a dog fight. After ten or fifteen seconds, their owners separated them and calmed them down. Hannah continued to try to find an opportune time to hump Grace.
When Abby took the prized ball, Grace and Sadie ran and wrestled for about five minutes. Then came the switch. Abby and Sadie engaged again. Zeke tried to mix it up with Grace, but Grace was a bit intimidated. Then the other dogs joined in with Grace as the rabbit. Grace ran under the bench on her back as the play-attack continued. Grace squealed. The dogs backed off. Shortly after all dogs left.
When we returned at 8:20, Grace had her breakfast and went to the balcony. Forty minutes later, Grace came back inside. Betsy gave her some Bil-Jack treats and then used the Furminator on her. When Betsy finished, Grace went back out on the balcony lounge chair to lie in. At 10:10, I called Grace inside, and I left for church.
Afternoon Adventure
When I returned home at 1:00, I met Grace and Betsy at the dog park. Greeted with me with tail wags and lavish kisses. They got in and drove we drove (a few hundred feet) home. Grace went to the balcony. Betsy said while I was gone, she gave Grace a half-cup of Blue Buffalo because Grace acted like she was hungry.
At 1:30, Grace came in as I ate my lunch. I saved back some egg casserole for her and gave it to her after I ate. Then Betsy gave her some more. At 2:00, Grace came in persistently whining at both Betsy and me to take her to the lake. I wasn’t ready and Betsy was too tired. At 2:20, Grace went back out on the balcony.
At 2:30, Grace took me to the lake. There she met a five-month-old Yorkie who really wanted to run and play. At first, Grace engaged with her, but her interest waned. I let her off of the leash to play with the dog and swim. Grace did wading, dragged a log out of the lake, and chewed on it.
When the Yorkie left, Grace ran after it. Then she spotted a gray Crane and chased after it. The Yorkie wanted to play. I called Grace back. She came running, but ignored the dog. Then when it ran toward the exit, Grace used that as an excuse to head closer to the trail that heads around the lake.
A girl was coming up the hill with her dog away from that entrance. Grace decided to greet that dog. Then she went over to a couple with four dogs near the end of the Greenway. The woman was about 5’5″ with long brown hair, normal weight, and about 35 years of age. The man was about 45 with short gray hair and slender build. The dogs were all leashed and seemed to be Bulldog, Pitbull or Boxer mixes.
The man shouted repeated profanities at me, shoved me, and told me my dog was to be leashed. “It’s the law!!!” He obviously had an anger-management problem. I told him there was no cause for such an outburst from him and that his dogs would be better behaved if he would treat them better. I also reminded him he’s close to finding out about laws written to protect peaceful citizens from people like him. I forgot to ask him the last time he exceeded the speed limit. I’ll remember that next time.
I’m considering taking advantage of the concealed carry law when walking on the Greenway in the future in accordance with the new law that went into effect last month. I’m also considering taking a camera. My guess is these deadbeats most likely do not live around here and just come out of their holes and cause trouble on the weekends. Grace always approaches new dogs that show any fear or aggression in a very non-threatening way. I’m sure she did that as she approached these dogs. It was interesting that he said he didn’t care how well-behaved Grace was — which indicated to me that he noticed that Grace was well-behaved.
After that outburst, Grace did no more bolting. I reached over, grabbed her by the collar, attached her leash, and walked away — rolling the incident around in my brain. I felt little or no fear as I faced him nearly nose to nose and looked this guy straight in the eyes. I knew the Lord would protect me as He has always done in the past. Looking at him seemed like I was staring down Satan himself. It was quite an interesting experience.
A Safer Place
We walked by Borador Park at 3:15. I took her in for a short break. At 3:30, we returned home, and Grace went to the balcony. Ten minutes later, she spotted Sadie. Off we went again, racing down to play with Sadie. Once we crossed the street, I let Grace off of the leash so she could run ahead to the gate. This time though, Grace veered off and visited a boxer puppy tied around a light pole. After greeting the puppy, Grace made her way up the hill to the dog park. The girls from Sadie’s family let her in. Sadie and Grace simply played with the girls who threw the balls.
At 4:10, both dogs left. Grace went home and returned to the balcony. I left to run some errands at 4:30 and returned an hour later to find Grace on the living room floor. Betsy had given her supper followed by a dental chew, which she was working on as I walked in. When she finished, she wanted more. Betsy had her do tricks for treats.
Evening Snack Time
At 6:00, Grace followed me into the kitchen and asked for more. I remembered I hadn’t given her a shower. After a quick shower, I gave Grace a doggie treat. Betsy then gave her an antler. Grace worked on that for about five minutes before giving up.
At 6:30, I finished my supper and ate a couple graham crackers. Grace sat next to me watching. I gave her some light treats while I ate. While I cleaned up, Grace parked herself on the kitchen floor. When I finished at 6:45, Grace went to her perch in the office to relax and be with Betsy. At 8:00, Betsy gave Grace a partially-filled Kong. Then she made some popcorn. Grace enjoyed those munchies as she sat next to me on the loveseat and ate ever so gently from my hand.
At 8:15 Betsy took Grace out. When they returned five minutes later, Betsy asked if she did something wrong since Grace acted as if she had. I told her Grace expects a short walk around our building. Betsy took her back down — returning at 8:30. Grace went directly back to balcony.
At 9:00, Grace came inside and jumped up on the living room chair. At 9:20, she was asleep and doing her cute dream-bark. Ten minutes later, she awoke, stretched, and moved to her sofa for the night.
Monday
Grace was still on her sofa at 5:00. I stroked the side of her face gently and went back to bed. At 6:30, after Betsy got up and was showering, Grace came into the bedroom to greet me. I invited her up on the bed. She came up and exchanged affections briefly before I got up and she got down. Grace was still clearly confused by the time change.
Chilly Morning Fun
We went out at 6:40. I prepared my car so the windows were clear of frost for Betsy and transferred some items to the other car. After ten minutes, we headed for the park. There was no one there, so we moved on for a short walk. When Grace finished, she went straight back to the park.
Someone had left a Chuck-It! ball there. It didn’t have holes in it, but it still was preferred by Grace over the balls with fuzz on them. After fifteen minutes of subdued catch, Abby came in.
Abby was not herself. Her owner said she acted strange the night before and into the morning. Abby was not interested in any of the balls. She limited herself to just chewing the wood chips that comprised the ground surface for the park. Grace played fetch and catch with me and with Abby’s owner.
At 7:30, Sadie came out. That sparked Abby into her normal wrestling and chasing mode with Sadie while Grace watched and chomped feverishly on the ball. The dogs left at 7:45. At 7:50, Grace returned, ate her breakfast, and retreated to her window perch in the office.
At 9:30, Grace fell asleep. She let out about four of her cute dream-barks. When I walked into the office at 10:15, Grace was lying on the floor next to her perch to take refuge from the sun. At 10:25, Grace came into the living room and walked to the balcony door. I let her outside. It’s interesting to note that Grace seems to be shedding more now than she ever has in the past. I assume this has something to do with getting her winter coat or perhaps with coming down from her heat cycle.
Fresh Air
At 11:30 I let Grace in, and we left for Borador Pond Park. We arrived at 11:55. No one was there except us. Grace chased the geese and the gray crane. She took a dip or two in the pond but mainly ran with me. Her coat glistened in the mid-day sun.
When we finished, we went to the lot. I directed Grace off of the road one time. That was all it took. She easily jumped the fence, but one time she scraped the top. Perhaps, she didn’t see where the top was. She didn’t hurt herself though. Snoopy was out and enjoyed chasing Grace. When I went in the woods, Grace followed me.
At 1:15, when I finished and whistled for her, Grace came running. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up one item. When I returned a few minutes later, Grace was still hot and panting despite the 50-degree weather. She got down in the passenger floorboards, and I directed the air conditioning at her. By the time we arrived at home, Grace had cooled off.
Recharging
We made it back at 1:45. Grace went directly to the balcony, but I called her to the shower. After she finished the quick shower, a doggie treat, last lickings on an ice cream container, and a dental chew, Grace settled in to wait for me to finish making my meal.
When the scrambled eggs cooled enough, I gave Grace some. She came back to me wanting more. I gave her a half-cup of her food. That satisfied her. When she finished, she went to her perch in the office for a nap.
At 4:00, as I made a sandwich, Grace came into the kitchen and asked for a little bit of something. I gave her some Blue Buffalo duck in her small Kong topped off with a small amount of peanut butter. When she finished, she hung around under the dining room table while I ate.
Friends!
When I finished, Grace went out on the balcony to watch for friends. At 4:35, Grace came in and started to bug me to take her to the park. I wanted her to watch for friends and told her to wait. In response she whined, pulled out her fox toy and chewed on it.
At 4:55, Zeke showed up. Grace ran down to the park to meet him and two other dogs that are not playmates. The other dogs left after ten minutes and Abby came a few minutes later. Abby seemed to snap out of the funk that she had earlier although she still was chewing more wood chips than usual. Abby left at 5:30. Olivia and Rascal came in a few minutes later. After ten minutes, all dogs left.
Evening Appetite
At 5:45, we returned home, and Grace had her supper. After supper she hung out in the kitchen with Betsy who was preparing dinner. Betsy gave her a loaded medium Kong. As I ate dinner at 6:30, Grace lay at my feet under the table.
When I finished, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. Grace wanted more. I gave her another half-cup of food. At 6:50, Grace went on the balcony. Ten minutes later, she came inside. She wanted more. I gave her some light treats.
She then brought her fox toy to play fetch. After a few fetches, Grace occupied herself chewing the fox. At 7:15, she went back outside.
At 7:30, Grace came inside, curled up in the chair, and settled in for the night. After a bit of snoozing, Grace got up at 8:30, took a long drink, and went to the sofa. At 9:00, Grace went out for her last walk. When we returned at 9:20, she curled up on the living room chair for the night.
Tuesday
At 5:00, Grace was still on her sofa but awake. I stroked her face and chest gently as I walked by. At 6:25, the alarm clock sounded. Betsy called Grace to come into the bedroom. A minute later, a happy black dog with wagging tail stood with her front paws on the edge of the bed. Betsy and Grace enthusiastically greeted. Then she jumped up on my side, sitting on the bed as we exchanged morning affection.
Early Start
When I got up, Grace followed. It was too early to go out. I fired up my laptop, and Grace reluctantly lay on her mat beneath the dining room table. At 6:45, I left to get some clothes out of the car for Betsy. I took Grace with me since she wanted to go out and would have been very disappointed to see me leave without her.
I retrieved the items and then told Grace to get up in the passenger seat. She immediately obeyed. I then told her to wait, shut and locked the door, and quickly took the clothes upstairs.
Puppy Play
When I returned, Olivia and Rascal had made it to the park. I stopped by the car to pick up Grace and we headed up to Borador Park. As she did Monday, Grace found a rock the size of a mouse among the wood chips. She dug around it and flipped it playfully as it were alive. She looked like a cute puppy as she played. A few minutes later Abby showed up. The play centered around chewing wood chips and playing with balls.
After about a half hour, Abby left. Sadie showed up as I washed the balls. Grace and Sadie did some wrestling and running. Then Abby returned. The three dogs played together with Grace doing a lot of barking. Finally, I gave Grace a ball to quiet her down. She chewed the ball rather than bark as much as she intently watched the action.
Morning Rest
The other dogs left at 8:00. Grace played catch for about fifteen minutes before she tired of the game. She was ready to leave. When we returned home at 8:20, Grace had her breakfast. She ate it like she was hungry and seemed to enjoy it. After breakfast, she went to the balcony lounge chair to watch a new day unfold unbothered by the cloudy mid-forties weather.
At 9:30, Grace sat at the balcony door to let me know that she wanted to come inside. When I let her in, she jumped up on the chair, curled up, and took a nap. At 9:50, some helicopters flew over. That roused her. She looked up as they quickly passed by. When the noise stopped, Grace put her head back down and resumed her nap. At 11:00, Grace got up from her nap and moved back out to the balcony lounge chair.
Afternoon Run
At noon, we left to go running. I kept Grace on the leash. She seemed to stop a bit more frequently that other times. At one point, she went to the big meadow near Grace Beach.
There she sniffed out a dead, dried-out catfish. Grace is very good at sniffing out food and dead things. I’ll mark this as a milestone to note this feature of a Borador. Grace repeatedly rolled over the carcass and the surrounding grass. Along the way, we met big Lucy. Grace and she greeted each other but really didn’t play.
Rest, Food, and Exploring
When we returned home at 12:50, Grace went straight to the balcony. At 1:30, she saw me cooking my meal. She came into the kitchen and brought her larger Kong. I filled it with her food and capped it with peanut butter. When she finished, she waited a bit impatiently for some scrambled eggs.
At 1:45, when I finished my meal, I put a half-cup of her food in her bowl topped off with a portion of scrambled eggs. Grace enjoyed her meal and went back out on the balcony. At 2:30, I took Grace for a short ride and a walk around the Cary Academy campus. I thought there was an election, but found out there were none in this city.
When we returned home at 3:00, Grace went back out on the balcony lounge chair. At 4:00, Grace saw me eating a sandwich and asked to come inside. I gave her a doggie treat. When I finished I gave her some light treats also. Grace then went to her office perch to watch for friends.
In Her Element
At 4:55, I finally took her. We were the first ones there, but Sadie came in a few minutes later followed by Abby, Reggie, Zeke, and Bones. Grace was in her element as Social Director playing, watching, and hanging out with all of her buddies.
At 6:00, we left and returned home. First, Grace had a shower — this time with shampoo to get rid of the dead fish smell. Grace had a doggie treat followed by her supper. She was still hungry. Betsy gave her another Kong capped with peanut butter. After our supper at 6:30, Grace did tricks for hamburger.
At 7:00, Grace wanted more. She did tricks for treats for a half cup of Blue Buffalo duck flavor. At 7:10, Grace went to her perch to the office to wind down. At 8:15, Grace let out a few cute dream-barks. Five minutes later, when I went into the room, she was awake. At 9:00, Grace went out for the last time. When we returned at 9:10, Grace jumped up on her sofa. I put lotion on her paws and after licking them some, lay on her side and went to sleep.
Wednesday
At 1:15, Grace seemed to be gone. On the way back to bed I looked more closely in the living room chair. There she was in the darkness with her jet black coat melting into the black leather. After stroking the side of her face softly, I returned to bed. At 5:55, Grace was lying on her perch awake and watching through the window.
How to Love Her
One matter that needs noting here. While Grace is affectionate, she does not want to be confined. Hugging is something that she will just tolerate and only for a few seconds. I believe also that she prefers to not be stroked on the top of the head. After a little reading on the subject, this behavior is normal.
When the alarm clock sounded at 6:25, Grace came into the living room area near me, whined very slightly, and attended to her coat. A couple minutes later, Betsy called Grace from bed. At 6:30, Grace put her front paws on the edge of the loveseat where I sat and gave me kisses as I rubbed her chest and neck.
Park Play
Grace really wanted to go outside, but I told her to wait. She lay patiently as I did my work. At 6:50, she had had enough waiting. We went outside and headed to the park. No one was there, so we walked by to give Grace a chance to take care of business.
At 7:00, we returned to the park. A few minutes later, Abby came in. The two dogs just focused on getting a ball and playing with it. I don’t think Grace trusts Abby enough to roughhouse with her. The latest on Abby was that she went into a trance last night for what seemed to her owner as long as two minutes. She was afraid Abby had died, but she hadn’t. Abby snapped out of it and was fine.
After about twenty minutes, Sadie and Reggie came in. That sparked the usual playtime. This time though, rather than Reggie being the rabbit, it was Sadie. Reggie tried to knock Sadie down and play attacking her. When the dogs left at 7:45, I took the balls to the car wash and cleaned them. Grace played catch for about ten minutes. Then we left.
Borador Pond Park and Beyond
At 8:00, Grace had her breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, we left to go run at the park. We arrived at 8:40. Grace enjoyed chasing soaring birds and jumping into the pond. After the first couple of laps, a maintenance man came with a lawnmower. I leashed Grace as we neared the mower.
At 9:15, as we left, we met the Flatcoat Retriever but just greeted and went on. Next we went to the land. There I met with the builder as Grace hung out on the lot. As the builder and I stood out on the edge of the road, Grace figured it was safe. She saw some interesting construction going on at the end of the road and headed for it. I tried whistling her back. She turned to look back but kept moving forward. Then the builder whistled louder and she turned. I started running the other way and she came to follow me. I leashed her, and we went home.
Good Eater
When we arrived, Grace had a shower followed by a treat. She then went to the balcony. When I was eating at 1:00, Grace came to the door to come in. She waited expectantly, lying next to where I sat as I finished eating. I gave her a half-cup of food topped off with egg casserole. Grace polished it off. When she finished, Grace went to her perch in the office.
At 2:30, she was down on the larger ottoman placed as a step up to the perch. At 3:10, I made a sandwich. Grace, ever vigilant for a snack, Jumped down and came into the kitchen. I loaded her small Kong with food and capped it with a small amount of peanut butter. She finished before I did but was content to lie next to me and watch me eat.
Play with Friends
When I finished at 3:30, Grace took a long drink of water and went out on the balcony to enjoy the 70-degree afternoon and watch for friends in the park. At 3:40, Grace spotted a non-friend in the park and came in expecting me to take her out. After a few minutes, the dog was gone, and I told Grace that. She lay in the dining room disappointed, but resigned to wait until later.
At 4:00, Grace let out a few short whines — as if something was bothering her. Perhaps she had an upset stomach or some other fleeting pain. She didn’t go after her coat as if something was causing an itch. At 4:05, she started looking at me and whining persistently. I opened the balcony door and directed her out there. She went.
At 4:45, Reggie was in the park. By the time we made it outside, Reggie had already left. A few minutes after Grace entered, Zeke came followed by Abby, Eli (a four-month-old Dachshund), Olivia, Rascal, and Sadie. Grace, Sadie, and Olivia mixed it up until Betsy feared the play was getting too rough and stepped in to break it up.
Food
Betsy brought me a Frosty from Wendy’s. Once Grace saw what I had, her focus was completely diverted. I finally had to leave with Grace at 5:50. As we returned home I had her sit and stay while I took something to the pet waste container. When I returned, Grace had not moved. I gave her the small amount of remaining Frosty.
At 6:00, Betsy gave Grace her supper. I gave her a dental chew. Grace ate them both and went out on the balcony. A 7:15, as we sat down to eat, Grace came to the balcony window. She came inside and lay next to me at the dining room table. When I finished eating, I gave Grace chicken scraps.
Unwinding
As I cleaned up, Grace wanted more. While she waited, she shredded an oatmeal box in her toy box. At 7:45, Grace did tricks for treats. When she finished, she played tug. At 8:20, Grace went out on the balcony. At 8:55, I called Grace inside.
We went out for the last time and returned ten minutes later. At 9:20, Grace barked loudly. Betsy brought Grace in. She went to her perch and barked inside. Betsy said it must be the cat. It was the hated white cat. I calmed Grace until the cat disappeared in the brush. Grace stayed in the office with the door nearly closed. I figured Grace knew how to get out, left her there, and went to bed.
Thursday
At 3:20, I found Grace standing in the office by the door. I opened it, and she went directly to her sofa and curled up. At 7:00, I got up. It had been raining but now had stopped. Grace watched from her perch for friends. At 7:05, she spotted them. When we arrived at 7:10, both Sadie and Abby were there.
Ball Focus
Grace wrestled first with Abby and then moved on to Sadie. There were no balls there except the oversized one. After five minutes, I went down and checked the bushes for the one ChuckIt! ball that they liked. After I found it and threw it into the park, the play ceased. Sadie got the ball and stopped playing.
Sadie’s owner threw the ball until Grace got it to spark some more running and wrestling. It then became the usual Sadie vs. Abby wrestling match with Grace watching and chomping on the ball. At 7:30, Grace was left alone in the park. After about ten minutes of playing catch, Grace went out of the park for a short walk. We returned five minutes later. Grace played catch for another ten minutes or so and then found the rock that she played with as if it were a mouse, pawing it around the ground and finding it again.
Morning Rest
At 8:15, we returned home. Grace then had her breakfast and went out on the balcony. At 9:30, Grace came in, jumped up on the living room chair, curled up, and went to sleep.
At 11:00, Betsy called. That awoke Grace. She got up, drank some water and went out on the balcony to take in some much nicer weather as the sky had cleared and the temperature was warm.
Afternoon Travels
At 11:45, I called Grace in, and we travelled to Borador Pond Park. The soccer goals were placed in the large field area. That was enough of a change to set Grace off barking for several minutes at the white sandbags supporting them.
When she finished, she took a dip in the pond and then caught up with me. Grace did her running drop-and-roll move in the grass to dry off a little better. She kept a close eye on me and stuck with me most of the run.
When the Flatcoat Retriever came as we finished our fifth lap, Grace surprised me by not running across the field to meet her. Instead, she just ran with me and accelerated to catch up with them on the path. While Grace greeted the owner, her little boy, and the dog, I caught up with her. Grace kissed the little boy before moving on ahead with me.
We finished that lap and proceeded to the car. From there we went to self-storage for a few minutes. Grace got out off of the leash. She didn’t stray — perhaps to prove that Betsy doesn’t need to leash her while there. After about five minutes, I directed Grace back into the car, she jumped in, and we moved on.
Next, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up one item. When I returned five minutes later, Grace was balled up on the passenger seat. I stopped at the wood-floor store to find that they were not open yet. From there, we went home.
Cat Watch
When we arrived at 1:30, Grace had a shower followed by a treat. When she finished, she went to her perch in the office. As I made my lunch at 2:15, Grace came into the kitchen. As I ate, she lay next to me in the dining room. When I finished, I gave Grace a portion of scrambled eggs. She enjoyed them but came back to me for more.
Grace looked at me and gently put her paw on my leg to get my attention. I gave her another half-cup of food. When she finished, Grace went back out on the balcony. At 4:20, Grace started barking while inside. She never does that unprompted. Sure enough, she spotted the hated white cat.
Grace went out on the balcony as the hated white cat disappeared into the brush. At 4:35, Grace again barked. The hated white cat had reappeared and Grace voiced her disapproval. I calmed her and when the cat again went into the brush, Grace came in and lay on the dining room floor. She whined and then came over to the living room to let me know that she was waiting.
Having a Ball at the Park
I took her out to the park at 5:00. A few minutes after Grace arrived, Abby came. The young lady who brought Abby threw two balls into the park. Grace grabbed the prized ball. A chase by Abby of Grace ensued immediately. They raced around the park three or four times before Abby’s caregiver took Abby home.
Zeke came in and then Abby returned — this time with her owner. Grace tried to keep and play with the prized ball and managed to do it most of the time. After about a half hour, Sadie showed up. Even she didn’t spark any energetic play. The dogs seemed content to chew or chase balls or just to chew wood chips.
Abby left, but Olivia and Rascal came in. Again, there was really no action other than chasing and catching balls. Grace made the rounds among Sadie’s owner, Olivia’s owner, Zeke’s owner and me to have each throw the ball for her to catch or fetch. By 6:00, the other dogs cleared out and Grace returned home.
Evening Fun and Food
She went to the balcony, but when she saw her supper arrive in her dish, she came in and ate it. Grace then went to the kitchen to get Betsy to give her a doggie treat followed by a dental chew. When she finished, Grace proceeded to her perch in the office to watch the evening action.
As I prepared and ate my dinner, Grace came to my side. When I finished at 7:00, I gave Grace some egg casserole, which she thoroughly enjoyed. When she finished, Grace wanted to play tug and fetch. After ten minutes, Grace went outside until she saw me back in the kitchen. She came in as I finished cleaning up. After I turned out the lights, Grace moved on to her perch in the office and rested there.
At 9:45, Grace came into the living room as I prepared to take her out. We left a minute later for her last walk of the day. When we returned at 9:55, Grace went to the living room chair to sleep. I put lotion on her paws and then went to bed at 10:15.
Friday
At 5:55, when I walked by Grace on the sofa, I noticed she was awake. I stroked her chest softly and returned to bed. At 6:50, the alarm clock sounded. Grace came into the bedroom and greeted Betsy with front paws on the bed and tail wagging. She then greeted me.
Distracted Park Play
I dressed and came into the living room to check email and the weather. Grace was peeved that I didn’t take her out directly. There were no dogs in the park, but at 7:00, I went ahead and took her. Grace took her time going there. I stopped by the mail area to mail a letter. Grace stalled so I let the leash down and told her to stay. Despite the fact that Grace saw Abby entering the park, she did not move. I was surprised and impressed. A few seconds later, I took the leash and whisked her to the park.
Grace and Abby immediately began wrestling, but when Grace spied the prized ball, she darted for it. That took Grace out of the wrestling mode. Abby chased Grace some and tried to fetch it when Grace would give it up, but most of the time Grace had it, and Abby was frustrated.
When Sadie came in, she went for the ChuckIt! ball. That kept a lid on the high-energy play. I noticed that Sadie had figured out how to pick at it to get a hole started. Five minutes later, she had a hole and was on her way — until her owner threw away the ball. That ignited the normal wrestle and run routine — primarily with Abby, but also with Grace putting down her ball and joining in. After 10 minutes of spirited play, the dogs left the park.
Pleasant Breezes
When Grace returned home at 8:15, she went directly to the balcony. She saw me prepare her food and set it out. Grace came in to enjoy her breakfast. When she finished, she returned to the sunny but pleasantly cool balcony.
At 9:30, Grace sat at the balcony door and looked at me. I let her in. As she walked she let out a short soft whine and proceeded across the living room to her office perch. I had already opened the window, so she could get a better connection with the outdoors.
Long Wait for Fun Out
At 9:50, I left to visit my nephew. When I returned home at 12:10, Grace was happy to greet me but a bit put off that I was gone so long. Ten minutes later, we left for Borador Pond Park. We arrived at 12:45. Grace ran with me and enjoyed running free.
At 1:20, we left the park and went to the land for five minutes. Gas was our next stop at 1:40. As usual, Grace got out while I filled up. The strong smell of gasoline bothers her, but she puts up with it.
Bored
At 2:10, we returned home. Grace went straight to the balcony. As I prepared my meal at 2:30, Grace noticed and came in. I gave her a shower and followed it with a treat. At 2:50, when I finished my meal, Grace enjoyed a half-cup of food topped off with her portion of scrambled eggs.
Afer she finished at 3:00, Grace went into the office and jumped up on her perch. At 4:15, Grace sauntered into the living room and let out a short whine. She went to her toy box, pulled out an empty cardboard box, and shredded it.
Park Relief and Beyond
At 4:55, Grace went to the park. There she played with Zeke, Abby, Sadie, and a Flatcoat / Golden Retriever mix named Lelia? The play was primarily ball-centered. Abby and Sadie wrestled somewhat while Grace rapidly chomped on her ball. Lelia was nice enough, but not particularly playful.
Grace returned home at 6:00. She then ate her supper. While we ate our supper, Grace waited patiently in the dining room. At 7:00, Grace did tricks for treats. She performed with her usual skill and desire to please.
At 7:15, Grace was not finished. She brought the puppy toy to me to play fetch. After we played for fifteen minutes, Grace jumped up on the living room chair. At 8:30, Grace moved to her sofa. At 8:55, Grace went out for her last walk. At 9:05, when Grace returned home, she got up on her sofa. At 9:10, Betsy in the kitchen gave Grace a treat of Blue Buffalo duck. At 9:30, Grace went to her sofa and went to bed.
Saturday
At 4:40, as Grace lay in her bed next to the sofa, I stroked her chest briefly. At 7:20, Betsy got up and greeted Grace before returning to bed. Ten minutes later, Grace jumped up on the bed and greeted me with wags and kisses.
Limited Park Play
At 7:45, Grace went to Borador Park. A heavy frost had settled on the park and on the lawn. The floor of the dog park glistened as the white blanket covered the surface. Since the park was empty, Grace went on for her brief walk before returning.
Fifteen minutes later, Abby came in, followed by Zeke, and then Sadie. After subdued play, the dogs left. We walked for fifteen minutes before returning home.
Running Free
At 9:15, Betsy gave Grace her breakfast. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony. At 1:45, Grace spotted a dog in the park. We went out ten minutes later, but rather than head for the park, I directed Grace to the Greenway. Grace took it in stride. As we walked the hilly trail,
Grace had a chance to run free in the hilly woods and take a dip in the lake. She had lots of fun. The trick was leashing her when we approached the Greenway upon returning. Would she wait or come back when called or bolt ahead to the Greenway. Thankfully she stopped and came back to us.
More Exercise
When we returned at 2:45, I turned around and took Grace running on the leash along the lake and around the complex. After two laps, we returned home, and Grace made a beeline for the balcony. At 4:15, Grace spotted something and started barking. Five minutes later, I let Grace inside and directed her to the shower. When she finished, Grace had some duck treat, followed by a doggie treat. She then hung out with Betsy in the kitchen.
Evening Routine
At 5:00, Grace had her supper plus a half cup of the duck food. At 6:15, Grace had some cheese and then did tricks for turkey. At 6:25, Grace found a box to shred in her toy box and had fun making short work of it. At 7:00, Grace went to her perch in the office, but returned to the dining room floor to lie on her side and take a nap as she was winding down for the night.
Grace went out for her last walk at 8:40. When we returned at 8:50, she jumped into her bed. Five minutes later I turned out the lights and we all went to bed.