At 6:20, I got up to find a little Borador named Grace awake and looking out the window at the rainy morning. I stroked her a couple of times, and she gave me a kiss before I returned to bed. At 6:50, I got up. Grace came into the living room made some soft whines, did her helicopter shake, and pulled out the empty doggie cookie carton that I put in her toy box the night before. Grace shredded it while I checked email and the weather.
Soggy Outing
Umbrella in hand, I left with Grace at 7:05. Grace knew it was sheltered to travel the long hallway and exit the side of the building than to go out the main entrance by the elevator. When we reached the outdoors, I opened the umbrella, and we headed out.
Grace made a beeline for Borador Park. The path up the hill was wet and muddy, so we walked up along side it instead. Grace went to the door but quickly sensed that she needed to move on. After walking about fifteen minutes, Grace circled back to the park entrance. She looked back at me, but I told her we had to move on. A minute or so later the rain intensified and even Grace understood we needed to go back inside.
We headed for the long, side hallway and finally found refuge out of the downpour. Grace shook off instinctively and repeatedly. When she returned inside, Grace went first to the balcony. The rain situation was no better there. She turned and went to her perch.
Quiet Morning
At 8:45, I could hear a child in the hallway. A few minutes later, Grace jumped down from her perch and began whining. She returned to her toy box to find her empty doggie treat carton (which I placed there an hour previously) awaiting her shredding prowess. When she finished, she stretched and then pulled out her tennis ball for me to play fetch with her.
When she finished, I prepared her breakfast. At 9:00, I noticed that Betsy had left a couple of drumstick bones for Grace. We pull off the ends and give them to her. She happily did tricks for chicken scraps. At 9:10, while I typed sitting in the chair, Grace came up to me and crowded me off of it.
Home Alone and Return
She remained there watching as we readied for church. She knew the routine. She was soon to be home alone for a few hours. At 12:10 as we opened the door to return home, Grace jumped down from her sofa. She greeted us with enthusiastic wags and kisses.
Betsy opened a new box of doggie cookies and gave Grace one. Grace lay with her treat between her paws and happily, carefully munched on her treat — making sure to get every last crumb. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony. The rain had stopped, but the day was still dreary. After fifteen minutes, Grace came in, found an empty cardboard carton in her toy box, and began shredding.
Inside Out
At 12:40, Grace whimpered, chased her tail, fetched the ball a few times, went to her toy box, pulled out another carton, and proceeded to do some more shredding. When she finished, she wanted more. I gave her a Kong loaded with duck food. When she finished that, I gave a small Kong fixed the same way. As she waited for Betsy to get ready and I cleaned up in the kitchen, Grace cleaned out the pie plate. She enjoyed licking out the crumbs. She left it sparkling clean.
At 1:10, Grace and Betsy left for a walk. When they returned at 3:10, Betsy told me that she threw Grace’s ball in the lake. Grace tried her best to get it, but it was under the water too far. Grace went to the balcony, but Betsy called her back inside for a shower. When they finished, Betsy gave Grace a Goober treat. Grace enjoyed it so much, Betsy gave her another. She followed that with a GNC fish oil supplement and finally a dental chew.
Home Alone Again and Guests
At 4:00, I left with my guests to visit my nephew and see his new house. When we returned, Betsy was home. Grace greeted me at the door with wild abandon. Her tail wagged excitedly as she lavished me with kisses for at least a minute. After we settled in, Grace played fetch with my three-year-old grandson.
Then I played with my grandson. After a while, I could tell that Grace was hurt watching me spend so much time playing with my grandson. Then Betsy made some popcorn. Of course, Grace had the munchies. We shared the bowl in the usual way.
At 8:30, our guests left and Grace went to her perch. I was late getting to bed — being preoccupied with a number of items to get done. Grace finally had her before-bed walk at 10:20. When we returned, Grace settled in on my bed and went to sleep.
Monday
When I checked at 5:30, Grace was awake but still in our bed, but when the alarm clock sounded at 6:45, Grace was gone. At 6:55 I got up. Grace greeted Betsy and me from the side of the bed. I had a little trouble locating keys and other items I take with me on walks, but by 7:15 I finally made it out.
Morning Outing
At the park, Grace played with Abby — running and wrestling. When Abby left, Grace went to the lake. The persistent rain the night before flooded the Greenway near Grace beach. We traveled up a bank to reach a high area.
Then it happened — too quickly for me to stop her. Grace dropped her shoulder into some fresh feces and rolled in it! At the end of the high road, we carefully walked down some rocks to get to the ground that led us back up to the Greenway. We walked to the end of the Greenway and up Winstead to the complex and to the car wash. There I spayed her some of the mess off of her. She then shook some of the liquid off of her and onto me.
Breakfast and Morning Nap
When we arrived home at 8:30, Grace had a long shower with soap. I then put her leash and collar in the washing machine and sent it through a cycle. Her food bag was empty, so I refilled it. Grace watched and waited patiently. I gave her a little bonus and then gave her her normal breakfast.
After she finished, she came to the kitchen as I was cleaning up. She wanted a little something else. I gave her a half-cup of duck food. That satisfied her. She went to her perch. I opened the window a few minutes later to let her have a better connection with the outdoors. At 9:10, Grace came into the living room and curled up on the sofa for her morning nap.
Morning Ride and Exercise
At 10:10, we left for Borador Pond Park. Grace enjoyed running free and drinking from the abundant fresh water from the rain. As we started our fifth lap, Grace bolted to meet a couple Cairn Terriers. They were terrified. I called Grace off of them. The man with them asked me to leash Grace. Grace was not interested in complying with my commands. Finally, after a half-lap Grace responded to the stay command, and I was able to leash her. She finished out the last lap and a half on the leash. I stopped at a grocery store to pick up something before heading home. As always, Grace waited patiently.
Grind, Recharge, and Ride
When we returned home at 11:30, Grace had her second bath of the day followed by a treat. I then tried grinding the two middle claws on her front paws. Grace was not cooperative. My greatest concern was her further aggravating her limp. It was a struggle, but I finished the four claws. Grace then went out on the balcony.
As I completed making my scrambled eggs, Grace came inside. She waited as her duck food and eggs cooled. After about five minutes, I gave her the food. She polished it off and went to the living room chair to relax. Betsy called and asked me to drop something off at work for her. Grace wanted to come along too. She enjoyed the ride and got out of the car as I put the item in the car she had driven and left her a note.
Good Eater
When we made it home at 1:50, Grace went to the balcony and curled up in the corner there. 2:25 went down to the children’s playground to meet guests. At 4:40 after feeding Grace supper, we left Grace home alone until Betsy came home around 5:30.
When I returned home at 7:30, Betsy was home. Grace greeted me at the door with lavish kisses as I rubbed her tummy and spoke to her. At 7:50, Grace was hungry. She fed Grace a jerky treat followed by a half-cup of food. When she finished, Grace played fetch ball for about fifteen minutes. Next she moved on to chewing on a bully stick.
When Grace finished her treat, she got up on the sofa. Looking six feet through a balcony window and through the balcony railings in the dark, Grace spotted the hated white cat. I took her outside to patrol the area. The cat was gone by the time we made it down. After ten minutes, Grace returned home and curled up in the living room chair. At 9:40, Grace moved to the dining room and lay there on her side.
Tuesday
At 5:30 as I walked by, I stroked her softly on her face and chest as she lie on her back in the living room chair. I then returned to bed. At 6:45, the alarm clock sounded. I met Grace on the dining room floor for tummy rubs and kisses.
Play, Eat, Nap, Watch
At 7:00, Grace went to the park. Grace and Abby played for thirty minutes. When Abby left, Grace played ball until we returned home at 8:30 and went directly to the balcony. At 9:00, Grace had her breakfast. When she finished, she got up into the living room chair. At 10:30, Grace stretched off of the chair and moved to the floor. Fifteen minutes later, Grace moved up onto her sofa.
At 11:00, I went alone to mailbox. When I returned, Grace was on her perch watching me. A half hour later, Grace went to the balcony. After ten minutes, she smelled me cooking eggs and came inside to enjoy her scrambled eggs and duck food snack. After I finished eating and cleaning up at 12:20, Grace played tug and fetch with her new fox toy. After playing for ten minutes, Grace went to her perch.
More Play Time
At 1:05, she went to the balcony to watch for friends in the park. Within a few minutes, she spotted them. Grace went down. I let her off of her leash to got to the door. The people there didn’t bother to open the door. Lucy was there along with Peaches. Grace mainly wanted to play ball rather than play with the dogs.
Fifteen minutes later, I received a phone call from our guests. We were going to meet at Pullen Park. Grace likes to go people places. She enjoyed all of the sights and sounds. She really would have preferred to run free and chase the squirrels, but she still had a good time there.
While I watched my grandson on the merry-go-round, a very young litter girl approached us and asked if she could pet the dog. Grace was cordial but not overly friendly. We then learned that the little girl’s name was Grace. Of course, that was quite a surprise that the girl and this little Borador had the same name.
Near the end of our time at the park, Grace found some young boys throwing a football in the grassy area. Grace joined in too — following each toss and grabbing the ball when one of the boys missed the catch. When she was told to drop it, she immediately obeyed. It was a bit of a challenge keeping up with Grace on the leash, but we managed well and everyone had a fun time.
Dog Tricks and Alone
At 4:00, we travelled home. Grace tried to stay clear of my three-year-old grandson as he was a bit unpredictable. She would play fetch with him though.
At 4:30, Grace showed off for our guests by going through her tricks for treats routine. I forgot to do the fetch object tasks, but I did include jump, which was quite impressive. At 4:45, after feeding Grace her supper, we went out for supper and left Grace home alone curled up in the chair.
Food and Fireworks
When we returned home two hours later, Grace greeted me with wags and kisses. As I went to the kitchen at 7:00, Grace followed. I gave her a doggie cookie. She wanted more. I followed that with a large and small Kong loaded with duck food topped of with peanut butter.
The explosive sound of New Year’s Eve fireworks at 7:30 startled her. Grace barked in response. They didn’t last long though. Ten minutes later, she went on the balcony. Grace came inside at 7:50 and played fetch. At 8:30, she did another ten-minute balcony stint before coming inside for a doggie cookie. Her next task was to shred some cardboard from her toy box.
At 9:00, Grace sensed something outside. I do not know whether it was the hated white cat or something else. Grace barked. I took her out five minutes later. At 9:15, Grace came inside and went straight to my bed.
Wednesday (New Year’s Day 2014)
At 7:45, I awoke to find Grace seated next to me — looking at me and whining softly. At 8:00, we went to the park.
Morning at the Parks
As we approached Borador Park, Grace found a Chuck-It ball. She enjoyed playing with the new ball, but no other dogs showed up. After forty minutes, we moved on.
The water had receded at Lake Crabtree. I found three balls that had washed up and threw them near Grace Beach. Before I could stop her, Grace rolled in what looked like a decomposed fish.
Rest and Recreation
When we returned home at 9:30, Grace went to the balcony but returned inside when I put out her breakfast a few minutes later. After breakfast, Grace got up in the living room chair for her early nap. At 10:30, Grace went to the balcony. A half hour later, she came inside and lay on her sofa. Fifteen minutes later, we set out to Borador Pond Park.
Shortly after we arrived, Grace flushed out a flock of geese and chased the crane. I wondered just how fast she ran. I tried to estimate. My best guess was a cruising speed of about 20 mph, a sprint around 25 mph, and a top speed around 30 mph. She’s no greyhound, but she can still fly! She’s very impressive.
Invader and Food
As we pulled back into the apartment complex, the always vigilant Grace spotted the hated white cat. Grace barked angrily and repeatedly. After we parked and went inside, Grace had a doggie treat and then curled up in her bed. At 1:20, after I had fixed some food for myself, Grace had some duck and scrambled eggs. After she finished that, she wanted more. I gave her a doggie cookie. She then went to her perch.
An hour later, Grace came into the living room and curled up in the cozy chair. As I went to the kitchen at 3:00, Grace came in wanting something else. I loaded up the larger Kong and gave it to her. A half hour later, Grace came back to me grouching about not getting her full portion of duck food. I prepared the small Kong and gave that to her.
Afternoon Fresh Air and Rest
At 3:45, Grace grouched again, walked to the balcony doors, and lay down there. Five minutes later, Grace and I went for a walk to the apartment office. They were closed. While we were out though, we met Olvia and Rascal. We decided to go to the park. Grace mainly played ball with me and with Olivia’s owner.
At 4:50, when we returned home, Grace went straight to the balcony. After twenty-five minutes, Grace came in and curled up in the chair. When I put out her dinner at 5:30, Grace got down, ate it, and resumed her napping on her sofa. Fifteen minutes later, we left Grace home alone.
Settling in for the Night
When we returned home at 8:00, Grace was still on her sofa. We told Grace “Good bye-bye” and gave her a treat. Fifteen minutes later, Grace settled into her bed. As Betsy and I discussed plans for the house and turned on more lights in the living room, Grace retreated to her perch. At 9:45, I finally took Grace out for her last walk. When she returned ten minutes later, she lay on the living room floor.
Thursday
At 6:50, I found Grace in her bed. There we did tummy rubs and kisses. Grace then jumped up on bed to greet Betsy and me again. At 7:05 Grace went out. She played ball in the park for about forty minutes before moving on to the other dog park to chew sticks, having been led there by scents.
Musical Chairs, Play, and Treat
At 8:25, when we returned home, Grace went to the balcony. After a few minutes, I had her breakfast and fresh water ready. Grace came in and ate it happily. She lay at my feet on the living room floor as I worked. Fifteen minutes later I noticed that she likely wanted to be on the chair. I moved to the loveseat. As soon as I moved, Grace got up and moved to the chair.
At 10:00, Grace got down from the chair and went out on the balcony to check out what was happening at the dog park. There she spotted Bones. We ran down to meet him. There the two dogs played for twenty minutes. When they finished, Grace went to the office with me. Grace got her treat and I left our rent payment.
Snoring and Excitement
When we returned home at 10:30, Grace went to the balcony. She returned inside to the chair fifteen minutes later. By 11:20, she was snoring.
At 12:20, we left for our run. As we walked out into the parking lot to look for the car, it was gone. Then I remembered that Betsy said she had parked out back. We walked around, located the car, and started off on our trip to Borador Pond Park.
Then Grace spotted it: that hated white cat. She barked angrily. I drove Grace past the spot where the hated white cat was last seen. Grace nearly climbed out of the window as she barked and watched for that loathsome feline.
Fun at the Park
When we arrived at 12:50, I received a phone call. While Grace was ready to go, she waited in the park for me to start my run. At 1:00, we finally started running. Grace chased at high speed running after the gray heron and the hawks above.
About half-way through the run, Grace found an old ball. She then invented a new game: run and fetch. She runs ahead of me with the ball, drops it and then prompts me throw it for her to retrieve and repeat. When we finished at 1:30, Grace wanted to play longer with the ball, but I took it and hid it for the next time.
A Few Stops and a Visitor
At 1:45, we arrived at the land where I ran the well water and took a couple of jugs of water for home use. Grace then walked the perimeter of the property to learn the boundaries. We finished at about 2:00. Our next stop was the grocery store to pick up one item.
Then we went home.When we made it back at 2:30, the repair man was working on the lights. Grace knew him and was fine with it. Grace went to her chair to wait for him to leave.
Cool Treat and More, More, More
At 3:00, Grace enjoyed some ice cream followed by her duck and eggs. When she finished she sat next to me as I ate my food. I gave her a small piece of my toast. She wanted more. Next she had some light treats. She wanted more.
I remembered that Grace had not had her shower yet. I called her in and gave her a quick rise. After her shower she had a doggie treat. When she finished, she checked out the cold, rainy weather and opted for a cozy nap on the chair.
After Betsy returned home at 5:15 and Grace greeted her, Grace went to her bed for a nap. Betsy turned out the lights to make it easier for Grace to sleep. Grace got up and moved to the living room and lay on her side.
At 6:00, Grace had her supper. After supper, she parked herself next to me as I ate pizza. I saved her the crusts and a bit of the good stuff. After she started drooling, I couldn’t delay any longer and gave her what I had allocated for her. Grace then played fetch with various toys before occupying herself with her toys lying on the living room floor.
The cold, wet weather left Grace with little recourse during her sundowning time but to play tug and fetch. She persisted until 8:30. I finally encouraged her to go out on the balcony. Five minutes later she was back inside. This time she got up in the chair. At 8:55, I took her out. The ground was wet and a light rain was falling. Grace did not particularly like getting her feet wet.
When we returned inside ten minutes later, Grace wanted something to eat. I gave her a half-cup of her food. She wanted more. I gave her another half cup. She still wanted more. I gave her a doggie cookie. That satisfied her. When she finished, Grace went to her bed in the dining room. Betsy had the light on there as she was working on the dining room table, but Grace didn’t let it bother her.
By 9:40, Grace was asleep and dream barking.
Friday
At 6:40, Grace was awake, silently watching the early morning activity through the steam-covered window at her perch. Her nose cleared a spot through which to peer. Ten minutes later, the alarm clock sounded, and I got up. Grace was ready to go. I bundled up with all of the protection that I had and we headed out into the chilly morning.
Deep Chill
Although the temperature was 25 degrees and the wind chill 11, Grace was unfazed and perhaps even invigorated by it all. With all of the rain the night before, I had expected a frozen mess on the cars. Surprisingly, there was none. The wind had dried off all moisture and apparently when the temperatures plummeted, the humidity did as well.
As we Entered the park, we found the magnetic latch was frozen shut. A little pressure on the gate allowed me to defeat the latch and go in with the latch still shut. Grace played first with the Chuck-It! ball that I had brought. When she found the old Kong tennis ball, she switched to that.
Grace was energized by the cold but showed not the least bit evidence of being cold or uncomfortable. She even went to the water bucket to get a drink. When she found it frozen, I broke the ice for her. She then drank ice water and enjoyed crunching on pieces of ice. After about a half hour of play Grace was ready to move on.
Grace made a beeline to the Greenway entrance nearest Grace Beach. She spotted Otis and tried to catch up with him, but Otis’ owner seemed to not want to try the social thing. Otis did seem better than the last time we saw him though.
Grace continued her exploring with vigor — following her nose urgently. After travelling through the large field and back up to the Greenway past Grace Beach, Grace found some long white fur with bits of skin attached to it. She ate some before proceeding. Then she wanted to go down the big hill toward the lake. I finally relented and let her off of the leash.
I needed to drop off a doggie waste bag in the trash can. Grace had already run down to the bottom of the hill. I walked out of her sight to make my deposit before returning a minute later. As I returned, I could tell that Grace was looking my way to be sure she had not lost me.
She found something the size of a hat down there and playfully tossed it around. After a few minutes, she brought it up to the top of the hill and settled down with it across the Greenway. There at the top of the hill, a cold north wind in the neighborhood of fifteen miles per hour, made an unpleasant cold that much tougher to bear. The sun had come up, so I stood with my back to the wind and face to the sun.
Grace assumed the same position, happily and skillfully tearing apart what appeared to be a fresh (frozen) pelt of an animal. It looked like it could have been from a deer, but was much smaller. Grace enjoyed pulling off fur and ripping off pieces of hide to eat. After forty-five minutes, Grace sensed something back toward the apartment complex. I allowed that to distract her from her prized find, and went with her in a direction that eventually brought us home.
As I ran with her in the field, I tripped and fell. I was unharmed. All of the thick clothing likely helped. After getting up and running for a few seconds, I remembered the last time I had lost my keys. I checked my pockets and didn’t find them. I checked again and did find them in the pocket of my coat. Thankfully, that coat had deeper pockets than the one I wore when they flew out. We continued our run until finally we made it home at 9:00.
Thawing Out
Grace went straight to the balcony! After fifteen minutes, she came in, ate her breakfast, and curled up in the chair for her morning nap. At 10:15, Grace got up and moved back out to the sunny 28-degree balcony. At 11:00, Grace came inside and went to her perch. We left to do some errands at noon.
Our first stop was the appliance dealer. Grace waited in the car for about forty-five minutes as we worked on selections for the house. The sun kept the car comfortable. Grace behaved herself as usual and waited patiently. I gave her a treat when I finally returned. We stopped for gas. There Grace got out. She wanted to head over to McDonald’s next door for a hamburger, but I decided against that.
Our next stop was Borador Pond Park. Grace stayed close to me most of the time but did chase a few birds as we started out. Her black cloat glistened as she moved gracefully through the meadow. The bright sun in the cold, crisp air showed off every ripple in her supple physique. When I finished, Grace returned to the car as usual.
I decided to try the floor place while we were out that way. It turned out there was someone at the store. Grace again waited patiently in the car. It turned out that there was someone there to help me. This became another forty-five minute wait for Grace. When I returned, I gave her another treat.
As we pulled in to the apartment complex, I decided to go to the office to check for packages. Grace went in and had her treat. We thanked them, picked up our package, and returned home. The time was 3:30. Grace went out on the balcony.
At 3:25, Grace smelled me cooking eggs and asked to come inside. I fixed her the usual duck and eggs snack and told her to wait for it to cool. Grace staked out on the dining room floor as she waited. At 3:30, Grace had her treat. When she finished she sat beside me waiting for a small piece of toast.
After Grace had her toast, she wanted more. I remembered that she had not had her shower yet. We did a quick rinse off to remove the pond water from her coat and skin. When we finished, Grace had a doggie treat and then went to her bed — now in the corner of the dining room.
Big Chill Inside
At 6:00, Grace had her supper. After a short stint on the living room floor as she waited for Betsy to turn out the lights, she returned to her bed in the dining room. At 7:00, the emotional level in the room rose again. Grace stayed there in her bed right next to the biting remarks, hateful tone, and elevated volume.
At 7:25, I took a plate of food that I heated up into the other room to eat in peace. Grace followed me. I told her to wait. When I finished ten minutes later, I gave Grace some of my turkey. When she finished, she went out on the balcony.
Grace came in at 7:40 and went to her toy box. I could tell she was sundowning. She pulled out her new fox toy. I decided to do tricks for treats with her. She did well and enjoyed the extra half cup of duck food. At 7:50, she finished. I went to the bedroom to work in peace while Grace got up on her sofa for her late nap.
At 9:05, as I got dressed to go out, Grace came to the foyer. After our usual ten-minute walk, Grace returned home and jumped up into my bed for the night. I joined her fifteen minutes later. When I lowered the back on the twin bed next to her, Grace stood up and was about to get up. The motor noise and movement spooked her. I calmed her and got her to lie down again, but shortly after I climbed into bed, she got down and left the room.
Saturday
At 5:30, I found Grace in her bed. I gently stroked her a few times before returning to bed. At 6:45, Grace began to whine. The sounds were louder and more frequent than usual. I got up and dressed. The 21-degree temperature required that I spend extra time bundling up. Grace waited somewhat impatiently. I soon found out why.
Urgent Exit
Within seconds of making it to the grass, Grace had a double-sized bowel movement. That kind of urgency is rare with Grace. Shortly after we arrived at the park, Grace had another bowel movement. The cold seemed to invigorate her as she jumped playfully, awaiting my next toss of the ball. After a half hour of play, we headed out.
At that moment, Abby met her. Grace raced back to the playground. I grabbed the ball and let the leash go. Grace and Abby launched into action. After a minute, I was finally able to grab the leash and remove it to make play safer and easier. Grace and Abby played with a lot of energy and spirit for about a half hour. Then Grace started sticking her head out of the one wider gap in the fence bars. Abby returned to mix it up more with Grace, but Grace’s interest was waning.
After Grace’s third time with her head through the bars, Abby’s owner decided to take Abby inside. I leashed Grace. She tugged rather urgently as we headed for the grass. We made it there just in time for Grace’s third bowel movement. Although all were formed, this last one had clear evidence of the carcass remains from the previous morning as it contained a fair amount of the fur that she had eaten.
Thawing Out Again
My toes were beginning to freeze up. I led Grace home at 8:30. She went straight to the balcony. When she saw me put out her breakfast, Grace came inside, ate, and curled up in the living room chair. At 10:00, we had our breakfast. There were no scrambled eggs, so Grace wasn’t particularly interested. She did sit next to me a couple of minutes, but then went to the foyer and lay there.
At 10:20, Betsy began messing with her. After putting up with it for five minutes, Grace went out on the balcony. Ten minutes later, Grace came back inside and returned to the living room chair. Betsy gave her a HeartGuard and followed it up with a liver treat.
At 10:50, Grace stretched off of the chair as Betsy was again messing with her. Grace shook off when she made it to the floor producing her signature helicopter ears sound. She wanted to go to the balcony, but Betsy didn’t want her to go because of the laundry odors out there. Grace went to the foyer and then returned back to the floor near the balcony.
Park and Storm
At 11:10, Grace was ready to go. Ten minutes later, we left for Borador Pond Park. When we arrived at 11:45, Grace played with Betsy using the Chuck-It! ball and launcher. About halfway through the play time, Grace had her fourth bowel movement of the day. This time also it contained a fair amount of fur that she had eaten the previous morning. While the stool was soft, it was still not runny. Grace looked like a prime athlete as she flew through the grass chasing the ball and birds.
Betsy wondered whether we needed to leash her to bring Grace to the car. I told her that Grace was trained to come. She did. Betsy voiced increasing concern about Grace sitting in the front seat without a seat belt on. Later in the trip home the atmosphere became venomous again. Being in the car, there was no escape for Grace. She balled up in the seat and tried to weather the storm.
It was a long ride home. When we finally made it at 12:35, Grace had her shower followed by a treat. Despite being wet, Grace went straight to the balcony. It was peaceful there but still cold at 37 degrees. Fifteen minutes later, Grace came in and curled up in the living room chair.
Fun and Play
At 3:15, Grace sensed that friends were in the park. It was Hannah and Miley. By 3:20, they were gone, but Grace was still ready for a walk. Grace went to the park. Grace played ball for about forty-five minutes.
As we were about to leave, Lucy showed up. Close behind came Coolie and a black male Labrador Retriever mix whose name escapes me. The action was pretty spirited. All of the dogs left at 4:40. Grace returned home at 4:45 and just hung around in the living room.
Good Eater
At 5:00, Grace ate her supper. Betsy played ball with her for a few minutes. At 5:15, Grace had a dehydrated chicken treat. She enjoyed crunching it and tearing it apart. At 6:00 as I ate my supper, Grace watched and brought balls for me to throw for her to fetch. When I finished my drumstick, I gave Grace some scraps from it. Grace enjoyed her treat. Betsy also gave her a piece of turkey.
As I was cleaning up, Grace came to the kitchen and stared at me. I finally relented and gave her a half cup of her food. She ate it immediately and returned to the kitchen to check the floor for any morsel of food and to keep an eye on me. When I finished, I turned out the light and went to the living room chair.
Cozy Naps
At 6:45, Grace jumped up on the loveseat, looked at me, and groaned. I got the hint. Grace wanted to sit in the chair. I got up, turned out the lamp, moved to the sofa, and told Grace she could go to the chair. She did, curled up, let out another groan, and began her after-dinner nap.
An hour later, Grace got down from the chair and lay on her side next to me on the floor. At 8:00, Grace got up on her sofa. Betsy wanted to put the sheet back up on it. I fitted it in the area where she was not seated.
Eating Stuff
At 8:15, Grace had a small Kong loaded with her food and capped with peanut butter. She then worked on an almost-empty peanut butter container and cleaned it out. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony at 8:35. Ten minutes later, she returned inside. I told her I would take her out. She whined while she waited. Five minutes later, we left, we returned. While we were out, Grace did her fifth bowel movement for the day. They were all formed. This has to be a record. I’ll count this as a milestone of sorts.
At 9:15, Betsy called from the parking lot asking for help to bring up the groceries. When we returned, Grace was on her perch watching. Betsy parked out back, so Grace couldn’t see anything. When we returned, Grace came to the foyer to meet us. When Betsy opened some dried apricots, Grace heard the plastic noise and came begging with her eyes. Betsy gave her one. Grace decided that rather than eat it, the fruit served as a good little toy to toss and bat around. Then she rolled in it. Grace continued to play with it until 9:45 when she took a long drink. When she finished, Grace returned to play with her new toy — though in a more restrained way.
At 9:50, she finished with her apricot and pulled out her Kong. Grace whimpered that she wanted to play fetch. I told her it was time for bed. Grace understood and sadly got up on the sofa, propping her head on the armrest.