At 6:15, when Betsy got up to get some medicine, Grace decided that it must be about time to start her day. She came to the the bedroom and greeted me along the side of the bed. She jumped up on the bed momentarily but had no interest in settling in there. “It’s time to go Daddy.” I held her off for a little while as I checked the outside temperature and put on some clothes.
Early Play
At 6:40, we went out. Grace followed her keen sense of smell. It took her next to a car parked in the parking lot. A small container was standing upright with a cover over it. I opened the container. Grace happily drank and ate its contents. It was Wendy’s chili. Grace even used her experience with Kong to flip the container and get the last few beans that stubbornly remained in the cup.
When she finished, Grace continued on to the park. When she entered at 7:10, Abby was there to meet her. They wrestled and chased for twenty minutes before Abby left. Grace played ball with me for twenty more minutes before we headed out for our walk.
Home Alone
When we returned home at 9:00, Grace went straight to the balcony. When she came inside fifteen minutes later, she had her shower, followed by a treat and breakfast. After breakfast, Grace curled up on the living room chair. She could tell what was coming by the way we were dressed.
At 10:05, we left Grace home alone. When we returned two hours later, Grace was on her sofa. We told her “Good bye-bye,” and exchanged warm greetings. Ten minutes later, Grace went to the balcony to enjoy some warm, fresh air.
Food and Fun
At 1:00, Grace came into the kitchen. Betsy prepared her a Kong with her duck food. When she finished, Grace wanted more. Grace knows the Kong doesn’t hold the full half-cup of food. At 1:30, I gave Grace the rest of the half-cup. Ten minutes later, Grace did tricks for more chicken scraps.
At 1:55, a noise in the hall outside captured Grace’s attention. She barked. At 2:00, Betsy took Grace out for a walk. Down near Grace Beach, Grace met a dog that Betsy referred to as a hound. The owners of the other dog quickly corrected her to proclaim their dog was a Bichon Frise. It was playing with an inflated toy ball a little larger than a soccer ball.
Betsy warned the owner that Grace could puncture the ball if she had any time to play with it. The Bichon owners were not concerned. Shortly thereafter, Grace did just that and punctured the ball. Grace actually liked playing with the flat ball even more. The Bichon was not particularly interested in a deflated ball.
Alone Again
When Grace returned at 3:15, she went straight to the balcony. She stayed out there for an hour and a half before coming in, whining, yawning, and stepping into her bed. As we got dressed again, Grace knew what was coming. We left at 5:05 with Grace home alone in her bed.
When we returned home at 7:00, Grace greeted us at the door. Two home-alone sessions in one day was tough for Grace. She obviously missed us and was happy for our return. I told her “Good bye-bye,” as she lavishly kissed me. After our greeting, I gave Grace a treat. Betsy followed that up fifteen minutes later with at dental chew.
Wary and Watchful
At 8:00, Grace did tricks for duck food. Ten minutes later, Betsy started snacking on some oat cereal. Grace sat in front of Betsy and intently watched her. Betsy eventually gave her a little. At 8:15, Grace proceeded to the balcony.
Five minutes later, Grace did her patented nutso bark. Could it be that she spotted the hated white cat? I didn’t see anything but suspected that was what prompted her outburst. Grace came in side at 8:30 and went directly to her perch. She began barking immediately. Sure enough, there was the hated white cat walking in the lawn straight out from us. I opened the window for Grace so she could communicate more effectively with the intruder. A minute later, the cat walked out of view.
At 8:35, Grace returned to the balcony. Having not seen further trace of the hated white cat, she came inside ten minutes later and stepped into her bed. At 8:50, I took Grace outside for the last time. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace went directly to my bed.
At I got a bedtime snack, Grace marched into the kitchen to get “a little something else.” I gave her a doggie cookie. Grace ate it carefully and enjoyed each morsel. Betsy left the room and turned off the television. Grace then jumped up on her sofa and curled up for the night.
Monday
Grace came in the bedroom at 6:45. She was particularly frisky. She greeted me with lavish wags and kisses but obviously had an air of urgency in her demeanor. This urgency was not a need to relieve herself but to get up, get going, and go outside and play.
Park Play
At 7:00, we left. By then, Abby had entered the park. Grace ran to meet her friend. The two ran and wrestled for about thirty minutes. When Abby left, I filled the water bucket. We then returned home so I could get an adhesive bandage for a small irritating cut on the side of my heel. I left Grace’s leash and collar on her to let her know we were just making a pit stop.
When we returned to Borador Park, the cut still felt irritated. The bandage had already rolled off of the heel. We stayed in the park playing ball until 8:35.
Disturbing Noise
When we returned home, Grace went out on the balcony. While it was sunny, the temperature was still holding near freezing. A carpet cleaning van also produced a continuous roar below.
At 9:10, I put out Grace’s breakfast. Grace sat outside looking in. She then motioned that she wanted to come inside. She got into the chair and curled up. Grace began whining. I believe it related to the noise outside. After a minute, she stopped and went to sleep.
At 9:45, Grace looked at me across the room and whined softly. I told her I couldn’t do anything about the noise and said she should eat her breakfast. Grace stretched off of her chair and slowly approached her bowl. She ate all of her food and licked the dish clean. Grace acted as if she wanted to go outside but reconsidered and instead returned to the chair where she bathed herself a bit, whined, and settled back into her nap. At 9:55, the noise outside stopped — peace at last!
Getting Bored
At 10:20, Grace stretched off of the chair and curled up on her sofa with her head resting on the soft, fully padded arm rest. At 11:00, Grace stretched off of her sofa and went to the balcony to watch the action and sun herself. At 11:55, she came back inside, looked at her empty food dish, whined twice, walked to the foyer, and lay down there before returning to her toy box to get a piece of cardboard to shed.
At 12:15, as I began preparing some food, Grace came in to watch me. At 12:35, Grace had duck food topped with scrambled eggs. She went out on the balcony for five minutes before returning. Then she whined and chomped at me as I prepared to take her outside. At 1:00, we left for our run.
Afternoon Run
On the way down, we met our neighbors who are moving out and who borrowed our vacuum cleaner. They returned the vacuum, and we said our good-byes. Then we headed down one more time for our run. Grace stopped a number of times in the grass as we went up the manicured grassy hill. That seems to be the place she likes to stop most frequently. Then she stopped in a wooded area and chewed on a stick.
As we headed down the road, and trucks passed by, I told her “Danger!” and “Left.” I think she’s catching on. As we neared the end of the first lap, we met the Labradoodle named Lucy. She had gained a little weight but was still her effervescent self. After a couple minutes of greeting, we said good-bye and moved on. We passed for the second time the man (Andy) in the wheelchair who is pulled by his dog. He was surprised that we were running laps.
I tried to praise Grace when she ran in a position near my heel with a loose leash. I would say, “Good heal.” Perhaps that will help her to learn better how to behave when we run on the leash. On the way home, we stopped at the office to pick up some paperwork, but it wasn’t ready. Grace stopped by and got a treat.
Afternoon Wait
At 1:00, when we returned home, Grace went directly to the balcony. It was shady there, but the sun was bright, and Grace enjoyed the 54-degree temperature. At 2:55, I ran to the car to look at something and return. Grace wanted to come. I took her. She enjoyed the short run and didn’t cause me any delay.
When she returned, Grace plopped on her perch. At 3:50, I gave her a nearly empty peanut butter container to lick. When she finished at 4:10, she started complaining about wanting to go out. She brought me her fox toy and we played tug. At 4:40, we went out.
Play Time
Grace went to the park to play with Abby. Hannah and Miley showed up after about ten minutes. They stayed about fifteen minutes and played some before Abby’s caretaker took Abby home. After cleaning the ball, I stopped by to get Grace and headed home. On the way, I noticed at the mailbox, that we had a package at the office. Grace stopped by the treat jar and got one. After a minute, we were on our way.
As we passed the park, we noticed that Abby was back in the park. Grace joined her there. They played some more, chasing and wrestling into the dark. When we finally made it home, Grace went under the dining room table. Betsy commented that Grace seemed tired. Betsy gave her supper, which Grace polished off immediately.
As I ate, Grace came to me with toys for more play. She settled on her fox toy for tug and fetch. When I finished at 7:00, Grace did tricks for chicken scraps. At 7:10, Grace came by the kitchen for a little something else. I can’t resist her pleading eyes. Grace enjoyed a doggie cookie, followed by a dental chew. I wondered if that would be enough for her. It wasn’t.
Cat Watch
At 7:25 went out on the balcony and immediately erupted into her nutso bark. She must have seen the hated white cat, but I never did. She came inside expecting me to take her outside to get that evil cat, but I didn’t. She then went back on the balcony. She didn’t see that cat again, and after twenty minutes, returned inside.
I could tell Grace was still hungry or needing more stimulation. She did tricks for duck food. When she finished at 8:00, Grace took a long drink of water, checked the balcony, came back in, and jumped up on her sofa. Grace was finally winding down for the night.
At 9:20, Grace out for her last walk of the night. When she returned at 9:30, Grace went to her perch.
Tuesday
At 12:30, Grace barked. This is highly unusual. She was sitting on her perch and likely spotted the hated white cat out the window. After we calmed her down, Grace went back to sleep. At 4:00, when I got up, she was lying on her perch. She wasn’t moving but likely was at least awakened by me. I decided not to bother her and went back to bed.
At 6:30, I got up. Grace was lying in the dining room. As I passed by, she rolled over on her back, and we did tummy rubs and kisses. She then went into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed. She exchanged affections with Betsy with her tail wagging excitedly. As I moved around the room, Grace stretched off of the bed and followed me to Betsy’s side. There, she and Betsy continued their morning greetings.
Morning Outing
After checking the temperature and putting on appropriate clothing, at 6:45, I leashed up Grace and headed out. Our first stop was the car. It was just warm enough that the car did not need to be warmed up. Grace walked by the empty dog park door and went for a short walk before returning for play.
I pulled out a ball. Grace played with me until Abby arrived at 7:10. Grace and Abby ran and wrestled. Shortly after they started, I grabbed to the ball to keep it from distracting them from their playful battle. Generally, Grace is the rabbit, but when she is caught, she becomes the aggressor. When Grace gets tired, she rolls over and lets the 71 pound Abby maul her for a while.
When Abby left at 7:30, Grace played ball until 8:15. She then left the park and went running with me. As we did the first lap, I worked on praising her for running loose leash and correcting her for tugging. It’s a battle, but Grace is smart and wants to obey despite her natural impulses to run free.
After the first lap, I decided to stop and clean off her ball at the car wash. I hitched Grace’s leash on the water faucet. She knows the routine and waited patiently there. After a minute, we were on our way. Since we were on the other side of the road, Grace took the less travelled path to the right toward Weston Parkway.
We crossed the busy road as the light had just changed in our favor. Grace excitedly ran toward the Wessex subdivision, pulling more than she should have. Grace took me down past the house of the boy who plays with her at the lake. The next time we run down there, I think I’ll stop by and let Grace greet them. On the way back Grace pulled less. She stopped for five minutes and lay on the grassy hill that overlooks our apartment complex. She seems to like it there.
Morning Recharge
When we returned home at 9:00, Grace went to the balcony. As she saw me preparing her breakfast, Grace stretched off of the lounge chair and asked to come inside. After she finished her breakfast, Grace came to the foyer where I was refilling her dog food bag from the monster bag in the closet. Grace sat facing me maintaining a courteous distance. As a piece of food fell, I would give it to her. When I finished, I put a handful in the dish I was using to scoop it out and gave it to her. Grace enjoyed the extra helping fresh from the source.
Grace then turned and went to her sofa for some serious napping. At 11:15, the FedEx man knocked on the door. Grace got up and followed me to the door. After accepting the package, I shut the door, and Grace went out on the sunny balcony to enjoy the warm weather.
Park Play and Treats
At 11:30, Grace saw some friends. I had some paperwork to deliver to the office which I took with me. Grace met Olivia, Rascal, Hannah and Miley at the park. A few minutes after she arrived, Olivia and Rascal left. Grace played ball with Hannah somewhat.
When Hannah and Miley left, Grace went with me to the office. There, I delivered the papers. Grace watched the treats jar. As she drew near, she became a bit too pushy. I told her to sit. She was so excited, she didn’t respond immediately. Instead she drooled and then lay. That was good enough. I removed the lid and gave her one. Grace wolfed it down. After saying thanks for the treat, we left the office and returned home.
At 1:00, I began making some food. By 1:15, Grace determined that her favorite dish was about done. She came inside and polished off her duck food and scrambled eggs. When she finished, she lay next to me in the dining room chewing on one of her puppy toys. I gave her a small piece of toast. At 1:30, I told Grace we were going for a ride. She didn’t react. A minute later moved to her perch.
Afternoon Outing
At 1:45, Grace left with me for her afternoon ride. At 2:05, we arrived at the land to still find no electrical connection. Snoopy came out to meet Grace. Grace was content to explore near the road, but when I encouraged her to visit her friend, she went down. Grace ran in the turf grass, and Snoopy tried in vain to keep up. They mainly chased. Grace repeatedly flew over the silt fence with ease. After 15 minutes, we moved on to our next stop.
At 2:35, we stopped at a grocery store. Grace waited patiently as I went in for five minutes. Next, we stopped at the car dealer to pick up some parts. Grace came in and stood up at the counters to say hello and perhaps get a treat. The man at the parts counter was happy to see Grace but had no treats. Grace pulled her charm at the cashier’s desk. Sure enough, the lady pulled out a bag and gave Grace a treat. Grace always enjoys going into stores. It makes her feel like a person.
We travelled on. At 3:00, we stopped by Scottrade. I was going to tell them that Grace was my investment advisor, but they were so busy they had no one there available to see us. I took Grace back to the car so I could make a short stop at a grocery store. As we headed for home, we stopped at one last grocery store for a few minutes.
At 3:45, we pulled in to the parking lot at the pet store. On the door, they posted a sign that if your pet is well-behaved it is welcome. Grace went in with me. They had some birds, rabbits, and ferrets. While Grace was very interested in them, she didn’t try to attack them. They had her duck-flavored Wilderness Blue Buffalo food in the 11-pound bag. We bought a bag and headed home.
Evening at Home
When we finally made it home, Grace went to the balcony. At 4:20, Grace cleaned out an almost empty ice cream container. Ten minutes later, she came inside and started complaining about wanting to go to Borador Park. I told her to wait. Grace pulled out some cardboard from her toy box and began shredding it.
At 4:50, Grace went to the park. There she played with Abby. After a half hour Abby left. Grace and Zeke played ball independently. When we returned home at 6:30, Grace went directly to the balcony. Fifteen minutes later, she came inside and collapsed on the living room floor. As I ate my supper, Grace sat by my side, watching patiently. I told her to wait. At 7:00, after I finished eating and cleaning up, Grace did tricks for duck food.
At 7:20, Betsy brought up the topic of the white cat. I repeated it for Grace. Grace began to bark and headed for the door. I tried to calm her. She went out on the balcony instead. As neighbors passed by, she barked at them. Then, she settled in on hated-white-cat-watch.
At 8:00, Grace came inside, got into her bed, and took a nap. At 8:55, she went out for the last time, returning at 9:05. She went to her bed but got up a few minutes later as I prepared a snack. She said she wanted a snack too. I gave her a doggie treat. After she finished, she parked herself under the dining room table until I retreated to the living room.
At 9:20, Grace went to the bedroom and got up in the bed. Shortly after I joined her, Grace sat up, listened, and jumped off of the bed. She whimpered softly at the master suite door. It was closed, but not latched. I told her to push. I could tell she did and greater light coming in confirmed she had opened the door.
Wednesday
At 3:30, I walked by Grace lying on the sofa and gently stroked her before returning back to bed. When the alarm clock sounded at 6:45, I got up and found Grace lying on the living room floor. Grace rolled over on her back as I approached her. We greeted with tummy rubs, tail wags and kisses. Grace then went in to the bedroom to greet Betsy. There, she put her front paws on the side of the bed, kissed her, and wagged her tail excitedly.
Morning Play
Before going out at 7:00, Grace did a repeat performance with Betsy in bed. The 35-degreee temperature was just warm enough to keep the frost from forming on windshields. Grace passed the empty dog park to do her quick walk before play. As she walked by Abby’s hallway, Abby emerged. We turned and raced back to the playground.
Grace and Abby ran and wrestled for about twenty minutes. When they finished, Grace was limping noticeably. Grace wanted me to pull out the ball that I had in my pocket. We played for a few minutes, but then decided to move on.
Long Run
Grace took me down to the Greenway by Grace Beach. As we entered the Greenway, we started our run. I continued to work on praising her when the leash was loose and correcting her when she tugged. We ran to the end of the Greenway and up Winstead. Grace then turned again to head to Wessex. We went all the way to the house where the boy lives who plays with her at Grace Beach. At 8:00, I saw no evidence of activity inside, so we didn’t bother them.
As we turned to go home, the lady across the street came out with a Dashhund. Grace and her dog greeted one another, and the lady and I shared experiences with our dogs. After ten minutes or so, Grace jumped up on me to indicate she wanted to go. Then, she barked at something moving behind some bushes. We said good-bye and headed home.
Grace again improved with the task of keeping the leash loose as I praised her when it was loose and corrected her when it was tight. At the complex, Grace stopped at the grassy field. There, she lay and rolled in the lush green grass. Grace was in her element. I stopped for a minute at the car wash to clean the tennis ball we had used for play at the park.
Rest Home
When we returned at 8:40, Grace went directly to the balcony. As she saw me prepare her breakfast, she came inside. When I gave it to her, she ate it immediately. When she finished, Grace got up in the chair and settled in for her morning nap.
At 9:55, the phone rang. That stirred Grace from her nap. She got up and went out to the sunny, but cool balcony lounge chair. Fifty minutes later, the phone rang. That prompted Grace to get up, come inside and lie down on the foyer floor.
At 11:20, Grace came into the living room and carefully shredded the latest empty carton that I put in her toy box. When she finished twenty minutes later, Grace whimpered. She was getting bored. I went over and hugged her. She wasn’t in the mood for me cramping her space, but she put up with it. I invited her out on the balcony. She finally walked out and got up on the lounge chair.
At noon, Grace came inside, lay on the foyer floor, and let out a soft whine followed by a whimper. At 12:15, I began making a meal. Grace came into the kitchen to let me know she was ready for hers. I retrieved her dish and poured the end of her first bag of duck food into it. When I finished making the scrambled eggs, I put her half on top and let it cool.
Grace had to wait. That was hard. She didn’t understand. Maybe next time I’ll demonstrate to her the meaning of hot. After about five minutes, I gave Grace her delicacy. She ate it all and then came to me with a grouchy look on her face. I suppose she wanted more. When I finished, I cleaned up. Grace lay outside the kitchen and chewed on the rug there.
Bored
At 12:55 when I finished up, Grace went out on the balcony. She came back in at 1:15 and continued being bored. She was not happy about being couped up inside during such a nice day. She brought to me the small remainder of the last sock we had for her with which to play tug. We played a few minutes before Grace resigned herself to chewing on the small sock fragment. It was kind of pitiful. Surely we could provide her a better toy than that!
I checked the sock drawer but found no worn socks. Then it hit me. I had taken her socks and tied them to a string connected to the door knob to teach her to tug the door open and closed. When I went to retrieve it, I found there were actually two socks on the string. I removed one and gave it to her. Grace happily embraced her newly found tug, fetch, and chew toy. She both brought it to me and played with it independently.
At 1:40, Grace went back out on the balcony for a few minutes and returned. She played tug with me a few more times, then lay on her side at my feet and collapsed into a nap. At 2:30, I asked Grace if she wnated to go for a ride. Five minutes later she made it to the foyer.
Afternoon Outing
At 2:40, we left. We first stopped at Walmart to pick up something else for Christmas. After ten minutes, I returned to find Grace waiting for me seated in the driver’s seat. Next, we headed for the lot to check it out.
When we arrived at 3:45, I let Grace out the door on her side to emphasize the need for her to stay off of the road. The power connection was finally completed by the power company. I informed the builder as Grace sniffed around. Snoopy was nowhere to be found.
After ten minutes, I called Grace to come on. Grace was not about to give up that easily. She went to the side of Snoopy’s house and barked. Snoopy came out the back door and the chase began. They tore though the turf grass in a fun game of run and chase. Then things became even more fun. Grace found a black cat and chased it. The cat finally took refuge in a tall tree with just a limited trunk size.
Grace wanted to torment the cat by standing below the tree and barking. I diverted her from the area and encouraged her to play with Snoopy. As time wore on, the cat began tiring of holding on twenty-five feet in the air. The cat started to cry. Grace ran around with Snoopy and tried to evade me. That gave the cat an opening to climb down from the tree and hide in a more comfortable place.
Grace went up on the deck. I figured I try to catch her as she came down the stairway. Unfortunately, she just eluded my grasp as she ran between the bushes and the house. I went to the car to get her leash. When I returned, Grace was still not ready to end her little adventure. Again she ran up on the deck. This time I caught her, leashed her, and led her to the car.
Home Alone
At 4:30, we went home. Grace went to the balcony. At 5:00, Grace went to the park. After playing with friends there and lots of ball play, Grace went home. When we arrived at 6:30, Grace had her supper. Ten minutes later, we left her home alone as Betsy and I left to go carolling. When we returned home at 8:45, Grace met us with wags and kisses.
It was time for her last trip out. After a happy greeting, Grace went for her last walk of the day. We took out the trash and then circled around on our usual route, returning home at 9:10. As I ate an evening snack, Grace worked me over looking for something else. I gave her a doggie treat, doggie jerky, and a doggie cookie. Finally she retired to her perch at 9:20.
Thursday
At 6:35, Grace barked from her perch as she saw a dog that she didn’t know going out for a walk. After I calmed her, I got up. Grace came to the living room for tummy rubs and kisses. She went to the bedroom and greeted Betsy from the side of the bed.
Out to the Park
When we left at 7:00, we stopped first at the car to warm it up. Next, as we walked past Borador Park gate, Grace looked back at me as if to say, “Daddy, are we going in?” I told her we would go on for our walk. She understood and knew what she needed to do. When she finished a few minutes later, we returned.
The ball that I had washed and left there the night before was there sitting clean and dry where I had left it. Grace grabbed it. I noticed that I had left the directional signal flashing on the car. I left Grace there and ran down to the car. It had already defrosted, so I moved the directional signal, turned off the car, and returned.
By then, Abby had come to join Grace. They ran and wrestled on and off for about twenty minutes. When they finished, Grace played ball for about ten minutes. After I cleaned the ball and changed water bucket, I returned and gave Grace the clean ball. After I set in place the bucket with fresh water, I took Grace out for her walk.
Morning Exploring
She led me behind the main building and along the fence behind the pool. Suddenly, an animal stirred on the other side of the fence. Grace lunged forward toward it immediately. I restrained Grace and forced her to slow down as she headed for the Greenway on her mission to find the animal. By the time we made it down to the Greenway, her attention had waned.
At that point I started to run with her. After we passed Grace Beach and as we climbed the steep grade on the path, I realized that my keys were missing! I had them to start and stop the car. Were they in another pocket? Had I left them in the car? Did they fall out while in the dog park? Could they have been thrown from my pocket when Grace jerked violently to chase the animal?
I triple checked my pockets. The keys were gone! Grace did not understand but followed obediently as I retraced my steps. As I approached the spot where Grace lunged, the sun blinded my eyes. I shaded them the best that I could. As I continued my climb, there they were, lying on on the ground. I grabbed them, turned, and proceeded back to the Greenway.
Grace and I turned back, ran to the end of the Greenway, and proceeded up Winstead. Grace wanted to go to Wessex but easily followed my redirection to the parking lot. I wanted to leave my heavy jacket in the car before we set out on the next leg of our run. After removing my jacket and locking it in the car, we returned on the course to Wessex.
Grace enjoys running in the neighborhood of sidewalks and upscale houses on generous, nicely manicured lots. On multiple occasions, Grace would do the drop-and-roll move on a lawn. She would squirm around in the grass and maybe do a little bit of sniffing before retuning to our run. After we reached Grace’s friend’s house and found him not there, we turned around and went home.
Grace continued her romp through front yards along the sidewalk. I continued working on “No tug” and “Good heel.” We’re making progress. When we arrived at the complex, Grace again took a stop to lie in the lush grass overlooking the main building. After five minutes, she got up and we returned home.
Home At Last
At 9:25, we returned home, and Grace went to the balcony lounge chair to relax and sun herself. I put out her breakfast about fifteen minutes later. At 10:30, Grace came inside, saw her breakfast waiting for her, ate it, and climbed up in the chair for a nap. I adjusted the blinds to keep the sun out of her eyes.
At 10:45, Grace began snoring. Ten minutes later, the snoring stopped, and Grace shifted position to continue her nap. By 11:10, Grace was again sawing logs for five minutes. At 11:15, Grace was snoring again with some dreaming thrown in for good measure.
At 11:30, Grace stretched off of the chair and moved to a spot on the floor by the balcony door. At 11:35, Grace went out on the balcony. Fifteen minutes later, she barked at the large black dog. I went out and consoled her. Grace stopped barking. At noon, she came in and started her boredom routine — looking for someting to do.
She went first to the foyer but turned around, looked in her toy box, chomped the air, whined, picked up her sock, and brought it to me. It was time to play. We tugged for a few minutes until I let go. Then Grace began carefully chewing on it on her own while I got up to prepare some food.
After lying on her side for a few minutes, Grace moved to the dining room and then to the kitchen as I opened a new bag of her duck-flavored Blue Buffalo food (which I call duck food for short). When I finished opening the bag, I gave her a little bit as a treat. After putting a half-cup in her bowl followed by some scrambled eggs, Grace let me know she was ready. I told her it was hot. After a minute, I repeated it was hot and told her to wait. She seemed to understand but carefully ate it anyway.
When she finished, she came by my side as I ate. Grace wanted to play with her sock. I played tug with her for a few minutes and gave her the last piece of my toast. When she finished her toast, Grace entertained herself by finishing shredding an empty carton before retreating to her perch. I went into the office and opened the window for her so she could connect better with the outdoors.
Let Me Out of Here
At 1:50, I asked Grace if she wanted to go for a walk. She jumped down and went to the foyer. We went out to the mailbox and returned. Grace was a bit disappointed, but came obediently and went straight to the balcony.
At 2:40 we left. Our first stop was the land. The well had not yet been hooked up. I let Grace off of the leash. Snoopy wasn’t around, but Grace wanted to play with him, so rather than come, she ran off toward his house. Grace evaded me and ran to the neighbor’s next to Snoopy’s house. They had two little white dogs. The three dogs barked at each other.
Chicken Chase and Storage
Then Grace spotted Guinea hens and chickens running free in their back yard. That was more than Grace could resist! She homed in on a chicken and swiped it with one paw before backing off and running away from all of the adults trying to intervene. I used my trick of running a different direction to get her to follow me. After a few minutes, I was able to get close enough to grab her collar.
I leashed her and took her to our outdoor storage. There Grace lay next to the car as I rumaged through stuff. I pulled out a garden hose to use to pump the well. As time dragged on, eventually Grace started to get bored. I pulled out her bouncy ball. Grace enjoyed playing fetch and shortstop with it.
Pizza!
When we returned at 6:15, Grace went to the balcony. Betsy had picked up pizza. As I ate, Grace enjoyed small portions and scraps of crusts. When we finished at 7:30, Grace went to her perch. From there she could observe outdoor activity as well as what was going on in the kitchen. At 8:50, Grace went out for the last time. When she came home ten minutes later, she returned to her perch.
Friday
At 4:30, as I walked by her sofa, where she slept, she sensed me. I gently stroked her face before returning to bed. The alarm clock sounded at 6:50. I met Grace on the living room floor. She rolled over on her back as we did tummy rubs and kisses. Before we left for the park, Grace went to the bedroom to give Betsy her signature morning greeting.
Play Places
At 7:05, Grace went to the park. We took a short walk first and returned. At 7:15, Abby came in. The pair did their high-energy puppy wrestling and chasing routine. When they finished a half hour later, Grace returned home for breakfast. After breakfast Grace went to the balcony to enjoy the warm weather.
At 9:00, we left for the land. We made a stop first at Borador Pond Park. Grace enjoyed her run. She stayed close to me and did not break out in any high-speed chases. After we finished at 9:50, we continued on to the land.
When we arrived at 10:00, Snoopy was there in his back yard waiting for her. The fiasco the day before left me little option but to tie Grace up there. As I spoke with a man testing the well water, Grace played at the end of her rope and chewed on her leash. She then began barking. When the tester left, I untied Grace and led her to play with Snoopy on the leash. After they chased and wrestled for about ten minutes, I took Grace over to meet the neighbor.
At the back of the house on the deck we caught up with a little white dog. Grace and the dog got to know each other as I spoke first to the daughter and then to the man of the house. He said that they let the chickens out in the afternoon. This should make it okay for Grace to run free with Snoopy in the mornings. He suggested if we get chickens to start with chicks and introduce Grace to them.
Rest and Relaxation
At 12:15, when we came home, Grace lay down beneath the table as I fixed my meal. At 1:00, Grace enjoyed her duck and scrambled eggs snack. Fifteen minutes later, she went to the balcony.
She stayed out there nearly two hours before returning inside and under the dining room table. After Grace polished off a dental chew, she moved to her perch in the office. Ten minutes later, I realized that she might like the window opened and did that for her.
Christmas Rush
As the afternoon wore on, Grace knew her daylight time was running short. At 3:55, she whimpered and walked to the foyer. I needed to mail some Christmas cards. At 4:00 I left, taking Grace with me. We arrived at Rite Aid at 4:20. Their photo machines were in bad shape, and it took what seemed to be forever to get sixty photos produced. Finally, a half hour later, I had them. The lady helping me remembered me from a year before. I asked her if she wanted to see Grace again, but she declined. Grace waited patiently watching from the driver’s seat. She looked cute seated behind the wheel.
We went to the post office next. I finished loading up the cards with the pictures and sealing up the envelopes. I took the cards inside and dropped them off there. I should have taken Grace with me, but in my haste left her to wait in the car.
Friends, Food, and Rest
When we returned at 5:30, we went straight to the park. Zeke came in about that time, but Abby never showed up. Grace played ball. I’m always amazed how she’s able to find the ball in the dark even after it’s covered with dirt and it blends with the park floor.
When we returned to the apartment at 6:10, Grace went straight to the balcony. Twenty minutes later, she came in, ate her supper, and shredded some of her cardboard as I ate mine. Grace parked herself next to me. As I ate my soup, Grace had three soda crackers and a small piece of turkey. When she finished, Grace went to the balcony.
At 7:40, I left to go to the land and turn off the water. Snoopy barked when he saw me out by the well. When I returned an hour later, Grace was asleep on the living room chair. I pulled out her leash and collar. Grace knew it was time for that last walk. She got up, I leashed her, and we were off. Ten minutes later when we returned, Grace went straight to my bed. As I prepared a snack, Grace proceeded to the kitchen to get a snack too. I gave her a doggie treat and doggie cookie. She enjoyed both. When she finished ten minutes later, Grace went to her perch.
Saturday
The excitement started early. At 12:50, Grace barked from the perch. I got up, consoled her, and shut the blinds to give her the hint. Ten minutes later, she barked again. Betsy got up and shut the balcony shutters. At 4:50, I walked past her on her sofa, I gently stroked her face, and returned to bed.
Late Start
I was surprised when I got up at 7:20 that Grace had not awakened us. As I entered the living room, Grace rolled on her back, and we did tummy rubs and kisses. Ten minutes later, we headed out to the park. Abby was there, and they launched into their play. When they finished a half hour later, Grace played ball for about twenty minutes.
When Grace returned home at 8:25, she greeted Betsy, took a shower, ate a doggie treat, ate breakfast, and went to her perch. I opened the window to make it more fun. At 9:00 Grace jumped up on her sofa and took a nap. After an hour nap, Grace got up abruptly and went out to the balcony lounge chair. At 11:15, Grace barked. I went out on the balcony. I saw a beagle being walked between us and the dog park. I tried to calm Grace. Then I saw it. The hated white cat was in plain view in the grass between us and the wooded buffer area.
By the time I took Grace outside, the cat had moved on. Grace sniffed around the area but soon forgot the cat and decided to expend her energy running to Wessex. We practiced her running with a loose leash. Along the way, Grace enjoyed diving into select lawns. After an hour out, Grace returned home and went straight to the balcony.
Lunch and Ride
I began preparing some food. At 12:40, Grace came in for her favorite duck and scrambed eggs lunch. Rather than make her wait to give Grace her food. I put it out to teach her the word hot. She caught on to that one quickly. After it cooled enough, Grace ate it and came to lie on her side next to me. I gave her a small piece of toast as I finished up my meal. When I got up from my meal, Grace grabbed a piece of her cardboard and shredded it.
After a nap, Grace came with me to Raleigh to look at cabinets. The cabinet man was concerned about Grace being there, and because men were running saws, I didn’t want her nearby anyway. After cracking the windows open and telling Grace to wait, I went inside to check out the cabinets. Twenty minutes later, I returned to the car and took Grace for a short walk through the neighborhood.
Treat and Play
When we returned to the apartment complex at 3:50, we went to the office to pick up our lease. Grace, of course, picked up a treat while she was there. I have her sit now before she gets the treat. This keeps her from trying to open the treat jar and help herself. She learned that very quickly.
When we returned home at 4:00, Grace went directly to the balcony lounge chair. At 5:00, with only another half hour or so of light, Grace went to the park. We played ball until 5:50 when Abby came. The two dogs chased and wrestled for a half hour.
Unwinding
When Grace returned home, she went straight to the balcony. Twenty-five minutes later, she began barking, and we brought her inside. She ate her supper, took a long drink, and lay in the foyer. At 7:30, Grace moved to the living room chair for her early evening snooze.
I took Grace out for the last time at 8:50. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace went to her perch. At 9:15, as I was getting a snack, Grace came into the kitchen looking for a little something else. She had a doggie treat followed by a dental chew. When she finished, she went to the balcony. Some time later, Betsy let Grace in.