At 4:45, I walked by Grace on the sofa and petted her briefly before returning to bed. At 7:10, Grace stood in the master suite hallway softly whining. It was time to get up.
Morning Fun
After exchanging greetings, we went out to Borador Park. We played ball for ten minutes before Abby joined Grace. Thirty minutes later, Grace and Abby left.
Grace explored and followed her nose. Took me to the gate at the border of the Lofts. When I unlatched the gate to the woods below, Grace pushed the gate open with her paw. She spent a lot of time exploring in the woods between there and Winstead which I call Grace Woods.
When she finished there, we walked across the bridge and up to Cary parkway. Grace went in the field on the Grace Beach side of the Greenway. From there, she went to the woods adjacent to Grace Beach. She then went to the field across the Greenway and saw a raven soaring. She wanted to chase. I let her off of the leash. She chased the bird and barked as she went. After about ten minutes, she finally let me leash her again.
Quiet Morning and Noisy Afternoon
At 9:10, when we returned home, Grace went to the balcony. I put out Grace’s breakfast. Grace came in, ate her breakfast, and curled up on her sofa. Thirty minutes later, she went to her perch. After ten minutes, she went to the living room chair. At 10:05, we left her there alone.
When we returned at 12:20, Grace greeted us as we came inside. She then went to the balcony while I spent 40 minutes vacuuming. At 1:30, Betsy had her do tricks for treats. Fifteen minutes later, I gave her some shredded cheese, and at 2:00, Grace did tricks for turkey. Grace was getting restless. She whined and let me know she wanted to go outside.
Finally Free
At 2:30, we left for a walk. She went first to the park, but soon tired of playing ball. She went down to the Greenway taking the path closest to Grace Beach.
From there, she proceeded to the bike path around the lake. She took me half way around the lake until I finally decided it was time to head home. Grace enjoyed walking through the woods, exploring, and rolling in the turf and leaves.
Sundowning
At 5:00, when we finally made it home, Grace went straight to the balcony. When she came inside thirty minutes later, she looked in her bowl. That was my reminder to give her supper. After she ate, she pulled out the handball from her toy box and decided it was time to play fetch. We played for twenty-five minutes. Then, Betsy gave Grace a large Kong with duck food topped with peanut butter.
Ten minutes later, after she finished her Kong, Grace was back after me to play fetch with her handball. After fifteen minutes of play, Grace went out on the balcony. Ten minutes later, she returned inside with more whining. I decided to do tricks for duck food with her.
At 7:00, Grace was back to whining and staring at me. I went up to her and paid attention to her. She kissed me in return. When we finished, Grace brought her Kong into the living room. I prepared a small Kong with her regular food topped with peanut butter. When she finished that, she wanted more. I gave her another half cup of her regular food.
Then I realized that she hadn’t had her bath. At 7:30, Grace had her bath followed by a doggie cookie and a dental chew. That finally seemed to take the edge off for Grace. At 7:45, Betsy said the word Furminator. Grace understood and quickly retreated under the dining room table and then to her bed. Betsy wanted Grace to feel she has a safe place, so she backed off.
At 8:45, I went to the kitchen for a snack. There came the relentless Grace. I gave her some light treats. When she finished, Grace curled up in the chair. At 9:20, she went out at the last time. When she returned at 9:30, Grace went to her sofa and curled up there for the night.
Monday
At 5:30, I found Grace awake in her bed. After greeting her briefly, I returned to bed. At 7:10, Grace came to my side of the bed, propped herself up with her front paws and proceeded to give may face a serious bath from her kisses. I looked outside to see Abby already in the park.
Time to Play
I hurriedly dressed and ran with Grace down to meet her friend. As we approached closer, I saw that Hutch and Finn were there also. Grace played with all three dogs. Surprisingly she engaged with Hutch in puppy play. After ten minutes, Hutch and Finn left. Then, Grace and Abby went at it. At 7:35, Abby left. Grace played ball for about ten minutes before wanting to leave the park.
Grace proceeded to the dog run next door. When we arrived, Grace was really not interested in playing ball. After five minutes, Grace went to the gate, and we moved on. Grace took me to the gate that leads to the drainage area and woods. She had a good time sniffing and going up and down the sides of the steep slopes. I’m neither a dog nor a mountain goat, so eventually I tired of this routine and dropped her leash.
Grace stayed within the basic area bounded by the road and the fence. She sniffed out more remains from the deer pelt and ate some. After about forty-five minutes of exploring, Grace finally went to the road and headed up to the Greenway. Grace would have been happy for me to let her off of the leash, but despite the forty-degree temperature there were people and dogs out there and it was getting late.
Recharge and Go
With a lot of encouragement and prodding, I was able to get Grace to return home at 9:05. She went straight to the balcony lounge chair to curl up in the bright morning sun. At 10:05 Grace came in and got up the chair. That was my reminder to put our her breakfast. Grace got down, ate her breakfast, drank some water and then returned to the chair for her morning nap.
At 11:00, Grace moved over to her sofa. Betsy came over to pet her at 11:30. That disturbed her. At 11:35, Grace moved to the balcony. At noon, Grace came in and waited in the foyer. We left for Borador Pond Park at 12:15. Grace enjoyed her ride over. When we arrived, there were a few groups of people there. Betsy checked with them. They were okay with Grace running free.
Grace played ChuckIt! ball with Betsy. At one point I did a couple of the throw-ahead game rounds with Grace, but I stopped since it interrupts my run, and Betsy was behind to pick up for me. When I finished, Grace went around for another lap. Betsy was concerned that Grace would not come. I whistled and Grace came.
Our next stop was storage. When we arrived at 1:25, Grace got out and just relaxed. After about a half hour, she picked up on the scent of something and went exploring. Betsy was concerned. I called Grace back and she came. When we finished up there, we headed home.
Relaxing, Snack, and Shower
When we arrived at 2:20, Grace went to the balcony. I made some food. Grace was having such a good time watching on the balcony and enjoying the fresh air, she surprisingly did not pick up on the smell or sound of my cooking. I prepared her food and put it out at 2:30. Fifteen minutes later, Grace came inside, saw her favorite meal, and polished it off.
When she finished eating, she went to the foyer. Betsy wanted to give her a treat. I told Betsy to wait because Grace needed a shower. When Grace finished her shower, Betsy gave her a treat, and Grace went to the office perch to watch and relax.
Fun in the Sun
Fifteen minutes later, Grace went out on the balcony. There was a dog in the park that looked like Beckham, but the owner from a distance did not look like Beckham’s owner. I needed to take out the trash and fill the bucket with fresh water. As we approached, I heard the gate slam. The dog was Beckham and Beckham’s owner does not like Beckham to be near Grace because he jumps on her.
Grace played ball with me for ten minutes after I refreshed the bucket and cleaned the balls. When we returned home at 4:10, Grace went to the balcony lounge chair and curled up for a nap in the pleasant, clear afternoon in the low sixties.
At 4:30, Grace spotted Bailey. She raced down to play with him. They were happy to be together but didn’t interact much. They played fetch independently. Fifteen minutes later, Abby showed up. This set off the now characteristic interaction. Grace especially, but also Abby, went after Bailey. Grace knocked down the much larger Bailey a number of times. When Grace tired, Abby took over wrestling Bailey as Grace chomped obsessively on a ball. At times, Grace would put down the ball and do her fake-strike and bark routine at the neck of Bailey who was on the ground beneath Abby.
After about twenty minutes of play with the other two, Bailey left followed shortly by Abby. Zeke joined Grace. Whenever Zeke would try to play-fight, Grace would roll over on her back and not fight back to discourage him from doing anything to her.
Grace and Zeke played ball independently as usual. Then Hannah and Miley came in. Their owner brought a laser light to spark some play. At first, Grace was not interested, but after ten minutes, she joined Hannah in playfully chasing and trying to catch the red light spot with her paws. This really gave the dogs a workout. They were all panting after about fifteen or twenty minutes of this high-action play.
Rest and Recovery
At 6:00, Grace came home and went to the balcony. When she came inside fifteen minutes later, Betsy gave her supper and noticed Grace was still panting from her workout. Betsy made some homemade sweet potato chips. Grace enjoyed those munchies. When she finished, Grace lay on her side in the dining room while we ate. When I finished, I gave Grace all of the chicken scraps for a single trick: tummy. When she finished, Grace went back to her position on her side on the floor.
At 7:15, Betsy filled Grace’s large Kong with food and capped it with peanut butter. Grace worked on that for fifteen minutes. Then, she went to the balcony for ten minutes. She came inside at 7:40, curled up in the chair, and let out a long whine. I went over and comforted her. Grace kissed my face and settled down to sleep.
At 8:35, Grace moved over to her sofa. Five minutes later, Grace went out for her last walk. When she returned home ten minutes later, Grace came to the kitchen as I got a snack. She had a doggie treat, followed by for small chewy treats. Then, she went to her perch as Betsy was playing music fairly loudly in the dining room.
Tuesday
At 12:30, Grace lay on her perch watching her flocks by night. When I greeted her, I told her it was time for bed as I returned to bed myself. At 4:00, Grace was in her bed. I gave her a gentle tummy rub as I passed by. The alarm clock sounded at 6:50. When I got up at 7:00, Grace was lying awake on the living room floor. We did our usual greeting.
Park Play
After I got ready, we left at 7:10. As we approached the park, we could see that Reggie and Abby were there. When Grace went in the action started. Both Reggie and Abby converged on Grace. This put Grace at a disadvantage because, she couldn’t use her speed and quickness to evade her opponents. After a minute, the play reverted to Abby vs. Grace with Reggie being a pest.
Reggie left soon after and Grace played with Abby doing the usual running and wrestling. When Abby left, we went out for a minute for a bathroom break and then returned. Grace played ball as usual. The weather was supposed to turn very cold. The water was on at the car wash. I made sure I replaced the water in the bucket, and cleaned the balls as Grace waited patiently. When I returned a few minutes later, Grace continued to play ball.
Morning Romp
At 8:30, we noticed Beckham out walking. Beckham’s owner likes to use the park but wants him to stay away from Grace. I leashed up Grace, and we headed out. Grace went straight for the dog run next door. She stayed about two minutes before turning and moving on to where she really wanted to go.
She took me to the gate that leads down to the woods and river. When I raised the latch, Grace pushed the gate open. She explored in the woods for a while. Rather than restrict her from the steep slope by the river, I decided to unleash her. All went very well as she explored by the river, and I made my way toward the bridge. I called her when I arrived there, and she came. Unfortunately, she didn’t stop but went quickly across the bridge. She would not respond to my commands for her to wait.
When we crossed the bridge, up to the right was the herd of four deer. Grace tore off to the left of the road and into the brush. The deer bounded across the road and into the Unstead Park woods. Thankfully, they seemed to have evaded Grace. She followed their scent and stayed in the weeds.
She was still on the wrong side of the fence. I went to the Greenway side of the fence and called Grace. I knew there was a way under the fence through the drainage area. After two minutes, Grace came running from the middle of the grassy area on the fence side of the Greenway. There I leashed Grace. From there, I led Grace reluctantly home.
Morning Nap
When we returned at 9:00, Grace went to the balcony. Ten minutes later, she came inside. That was my queue to fix her breakfast. Grace ate and then lay at my feet on the living room floor.
At 9:35, Grace curled up in the living room chair. There she took a nap until 10:55. Then, she moved back down on the floor. Ten minutes later, she went out on the balcony. Fifty minutes later, Grace came inside and parked herself in the foyer to let me know it was time to go. I wanted to finish reading an article. Ten minutes later, Grace came and lay at my feet.
Fun at the Park
At 12:10, I got up and took her for a ride. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Borador Pond Park. Grace found the toy soccer ball that she played with the day before. She ripped out pieces of foam from the ball. She engaged another person as well as me to kick the ball for her to fetch.
Two other dogs came and played off the leash with Grace. The family with the second dog brought a picnic of chicken nuggets. Grace jumped up on the picnic table to let them know she would like some. As usual, she had another good time.
Shopping Trip
I stopped at a computer store to discuss repair options for my laptop. I had to wait about fifteen minutes to explain my problem and another fifteen minutes to find out my options with them. It made me conclude it would be better just to fix it myself.
I dropped off my laptop to the car. Grace lay on the passenger seat. I told her to wait. Five minutes later, I returned from the grocery store. On the way home, we stopped at the gas station. Grace likes to get out on the leash and watch the activity. This time was no exception. When the tank was full, Grace jumped back in the car, and we were on her way.
Lazy Afternoon
At 2:30, Grace returned home. She had a shower followed by a shower and a treat. When she finished with her treat, Grace went out on the balcony. I prepared some food. As I finished, I prepared Grace’s duck and eggs. At 2:45, Grace came inside. I told her to wait for it to cool. After a couple of minutes, I put her food out. Grace happily went to her dish and polished it off. She then came over to me and waited under the dining room table as I ate my food. When I finished, I gave her a small square of toast.
When Grace finished at 3:00, she went to bed. Forty-five minutes minutes later, she went to the balcony. After lying on the lounge chair there for thirty minutes, Grace came inside whining. I gave her a few small dog treats. Grace went back on the balcony for five minutes and returned. At 4:20, Grace again went out on the balcony and returned inside five minutes later.
Home Alone and Payback
At 4:30, I fed Grace an early supper and then left her home alone. When we returned at 6:45, Grace met me at the door and gave me her royal greeting with wags and kisses. Five minutes later, Grace let me know (with chomp, chomp) that it was not only her sundowning time, but also she had had no stimulation from us during this toughest part of the day for her.
Grace did tricks for duck food. That was good for starters, but Grace wanted much more. At 7:05, Betsy loaded the large Kong with duck food and gave Grace that while Betsy and I had our supper. As I ate dessert, I gave Grace a doggie cookie followed by a large dental chew. When she made her way through that twenty minutes later, I gave her a small Kong with duck food.
After ten minutes, she had finished her Kong and began whining. Grace went out on the balcony for just five minutes before returning. The weather was snowy and the temperature was dropping rapidly. I told her it was time for bed. We turned out most of the lights, and Grace climbed into her bed. That worked for only five minutes. Then Grace returned to the living room throwing her large Kong at my feet.
I gave her a half cup of her food and then pulled out her fox toy. Grace played tug and fetch with her toy for ten minutes. Then she chewed on it for fifteen minutes. When she finished, she lay on her side, finally giving up for the night.
At 9:10 Grace went out for the last time, sniffing through the snow. Grace barked at both the black Labrador Retriever and Otis. At 9:25, Grace returned home and curled up for the night on her sofa.
Wednesday
At 4:50, I found Grace awake in bed. I stroked her face and chest a minute before returning to bed. At 6:20, the alarm clock sounded. I stayed in bed for ten more minutes. When I got up, Grace was lying next to her bed and in no particular rush to get up. I checked for weather-related closings in another room.
Fun and a Surprise
At 7:00, after bundling up to face the 24-degree, snow-dusted morning we set out first to warm up the car. We then headed for the park. Grace seemed invigorated as she ran around the snow-covered grounds and sniffed. Reggie arrived a few minutes later but didn’t stay long. When Reggie left, we went out for a short walk. I used a waste bag to clean up, but to my dismay found it had a hole in it! If the weather were warm, I could have just walked over to the car wash and rinsed off, but the car wash water was turned off. I had to figure out Plan B.
I took Grace back to the park and went to the car to turn it off. There I found some wipes, tissue and drinking water. I did the best that I could with the mess on my hand and returned to the park with freezing hands. By then, Abby had come in. Grace and Abby ran and wrestled as usual. After twenty minutes Abby left.
Frigid Exploration
Grace played ball for about five minutes before tiring of the game and moving to the door. At 7:45, Grace entered the dog run next door. She found a ball there. We played with it for about ten minutes. Then, she went to the gate. I leashed her, and she led me to the gate down to the low area, the woods, and eventually the bridge.
I kept Grace on the leash this time. Even in the snow, she could sniff out bits of fur and carcass. When we crossed the bridge, Grace led me to the right — toward I40 and Umstead. She seemed to be tracking the deer herd that we met the previous day. Once we made it to the fence by the Interstate Highway, I led Grace back toward the entrance to the Greenway.
After we entered, Grace went to the field on the left. There, she found more pieces of a pelt from the deer. After eating some of that and rolling in the snow and grass, Grace found a deflated child’s ball. She played with it — batting, jumping, and running after it. When we made it to Grace Beach, she took a drink of water before grabbing her ball and moving on. Once we made it to the lower grassy field across from Grace Beach, Grace took the ball and wanted to play there.
I let her off of the leash. Grace played fetch as I threw the ball. After ten minutes, Grace sniffed out a few small remains of the deer leg she had been devouring. She ate them all. After she finished, I persuaded Grace to head home.
Sub-Freezing Sun Bathing
At 9:15, when we returned home, Grace went to the balcony. After about a half hour, Grace came inside and got up in the living room chair. That was my reminder to fix Grace her water and food. In a minute, I returned with it. Grace got up, ate her food and returned to her chair. An hour later, Grace got down from the chair and went to the balcony to lie in the sunshine and 26-degree air.
At 11:10, Grace came inside and returned to the chair. I was surprised to find her coat to be noticeably warm from the sunshine. At 12:20 Grace became impatient waiting for me to take her out. She went out on the balcony. Five minutes later we left for Borador Pond Park.
Having a Ball
Grace first tore off after a couple of geese and some ducks before settling down with her soccer ball and running around with it. She also enjoyed shredding the foam insides after removing the thin plastic cover. I threw and kicked the ball for her. She also engaged others at the park to play ball with her.
At 1:45, we returned home. I pulled into the office to pick up a package. That was Grace’s cue to get a treat. She positioned herself by the treat jar and automatically sat to wait for one. Of course, she enjoyed it when I gave it to her. After picking up the package, we headed on home.
Fill-Up
At 1:55, when we arrived home, Grace had her bath, followed by a doggie treat. Next Grace went out on the balcony. After twenty minutes, Grace came in and went to her bed. There, she watched and waited patiently while I prepared our food. When her duck and eggs snack was ready, I put it out. Grace trotted over to it anxiously and ate it all. When she came over to the table where I was eating, I gave her as small piece of toast.
As I cleaned up at 3:00, Grace wanted more. I gave her the remnants of an old ice cream container. When she finished, Grace went to her perch. At 4:20, I made a sandwich and gave Grace a nearly empty peanut butter jar to clean out.
Cool Treat and Cold Feet
At 4:50, we went out. Grace played with Abby until 5:30. They did their usual running and wrestling. Betsy met us with of all things a milkshake! I drank some, but Grace wanted her share, so I gave her the remainder.
Betsy took Grace home as I disposed of the trash and checked the mail. Betsy left Grace off of the leash in the hallway outside our door as she unlocked the apartment door. Then, another dog that looked like the black one that she barks at spooked her as she startled her coming into the closed corridor.
Grace reacted defensively. The man with the other dog kicked Grace and complained that Grace was aggressive. Of course, Grace is not aggressive, has never bitten anyone, and is normally very non-threatening when she meets new dogs as she senses their fear and tries to put them at ease by wagging her tail, sitting submissively, and lowering herself to the level of smaller dogs.
Getting Ready for Bed
When Grace came into the apartment, she went out on the balcony. She returned inside fifteen minutes later and started to complain and tossed her large Kong on the floor. At 6:00, I gave Grace her supper. Grace calmly lay on the floor as Betsy made and ate her supper. At 7:00, Grace calmly watched me as I ate and cleaned up.
At 7:30, Grace did tricks for duck food. Next, Betsy put lotion on Grace’s paws. At 7:45, Betsy gave her a goober treat. Grace then went to bed. Betsy couldn’t find her. I told Betsy that Grace was in her bed. Betsy went over to her and showed her affection.
Grace sacked out on the floor next to her bed until I took her outside at 9:05. When we returned at 9:15, Grace curled up on her sofa and went to sleep.
Thursday
At 5:30, I found Grace in her bed. I gently stroked her and returned back to bed. Betsy (unexpectedly) got up an hour early — which threw Grace (and me for that matter). When I got up at 6:30, I assisted Betsy with a few questions she had. I then pulled together all of the things I needed for Grace’s outing and dressed for the 16-degree morning. We finally set off into the cold at 7:10.
Very Cold Start
The air was still, so it didn’t feel that cold to me. Abby was already at the park. We raced up to meet her. Grace and Abby ran and wrestled for about fifteen minutes. Neither dog gave any indication that the cold affected them. When Abby finished, Grace wasn’t interested in playing ball. She needed to go out and use the facilities.
Grace went between the bushes and the building. Her leash dragged between her legs. I suppose you can guess what happened next! This is the second day in a row I’ve had to deal with a bit of a stinky mess. There was no harm done though. I simply put the leash in the washing machine and turned on when we returned home.
Grace went down to the Greenway through the path by Grace Beach. After we were deep in the field across from Grace Beach, I let Grace off of the leash. She passed the child-sized ball that she had played with the day before. She then explored the slopes on both sides of the meadow.
Treasured Find
As Grace travelled near the terraced roadway halfway up the hill on the apartment side, she found something. Grace put it in her mouth and with her head held high, bounded down the steep, weed-covered slope. As she brought it into the field and neared me, I could tell it was the head and neck of a deer. I suppose this was likely the deer that she has been eating for the last few weeks.
Grace explored some more on the steep weeded slopes and then moved to the woods and shore behind Grace Beach — always following her nose. After circling around and returning, she picked one of the many balls I had collected and threw there and tossed it at me. We played fetch on the shore for about ten minutes.
I leashed her and hoped to take her back, but Grace was ready for one more romp in the field. I let her loose one more time. She explored the woods on the apartment side. Finally, she came bounding down and found her precious deer head. There she chewed on that for about a half hour. Finally, Grace was ready to go.
Disturbing the Peace
At 9:15, when we returned home, Grace went to the balcony. When she returned inside fifteen minutes later, Grace had a quick shower to clean her feet, followed by a doggie treat and breakfast. At 9:35, Grace curled up on the floor near the balcony doors and partially in the sunshine. At 10:00, Grace stood up and got into the chair to continue her nap there. At 10:20, when the UPS truck horn sounded, Grace returned to the balcony lounge chair. While the temperature remained sub-freezing, Grace enjoyed soaking up the rays.
At 11:00 the children above decided to taunt Grace a bit. Grace sat up and barked softly at them. At 11:10, Grace came back inside and curled up in the chair. As before, her black coat was warm from the sunshine.
Romp in the Park
At 12:15, I began preparing to leave. Grace watched closely, and when it looked serious, she got down from the chair and came to the foyer. At 12:30, we finally left. When we arrived at Borador Pond Park about fifteen minutes later, Grace went in and chased geese, ducks, and the gray crane.
She demonstrated her blinding speed when chasing the flying crane. After clearing the field of birds, Grace grabbed the foam remnant from the soccer ball, ran with it, and prompted me to throw it for her a few times. Despite the cold, Grace also took a belly-deep dip in the pond a few times as usual.
Disappointment and Amends
When we returned home at 1:45, I stopped by the office and told Grace she would get a treat. Unfortunately, the staff was out until 3 PM, and the entrance was locked. I felt bad that I had built her up and let her down. When we returned to the apartment, I gave her a half doggie cookie to compensate.
Grace had a bath followed by her doggie treat. When she finished, she went to her perch in the office as I showered and then prepared some food. Grace kept an eye out. When I took her dish into the kitchen and put her duck food into it, Grace moved in for the kill. She parked herself under the dining room table in strategic position to get her duck and eggs. After I finished making her scrambled egg, I put it on top of her food.
After five minutes, I put Grace’s now cooled food out. Grace happily came and enjoyed her afternoon snack. When she finished, she curled up in her bed for a nap. At 4:00, Grace walked up to the balcony window. I offered to let her out in the cold. Without the sunshine, it’s not particularly inviting. Grace declined. After lying by the door for five minutes, Grace got up in her sofa to continue her nap.
Playing Hard
As I put on my coat at 4:35, Grace came to the foyer. We left five minutes later. Grace ran and roughhoused in the park with her friends until we returned home at at 6:00. Grace came in but oddly stayed in the foyer like she needed to go back outside.
Betsy took her out for fifteen minutes, but Grace didn’t need to relieve herself. When she came in, this time she went straight to the balcony. Betsy complained that I let Grace play too long on the wood chips in the dog park, making her feet sore.
Sundowning
At 6:20, Grace had her supper and followed that with a long drink of water. As we prepared to eat, Grace lay in front of her sofa on the living room floor. As I ate, Grace sat patiently next to me. I gave her a small square of toast — helping her eat it slowly by making her bite off small pieces. When I finished eating at 6:45, Grace did tricks for turkey. I fed her the turkey the same way.
Grace still needed more stimulation. At 7:00 she did tricks for duck food. When she finished, she lay peacefully on the floor. At 7:30, she moved to her sofa. At 8:00, I took Grace out for the last time. When we returned at 8:10, Grace had small treats and one-half cup food before going to her perch. That’s where she was when I went to bed.
Friday
At 5:30, when I walked by, I didn’t see her, but on the way back to bed she appeared lying on her side at the entrance to the master suite. We did some short tummy rubs and kisses before I went back to bed. At 6:50, I met Grace master hall standing wags and kisses. I dressed to brave the 13-degree cold.
Chomping Ice in the Bitter Cold
At 7:05, we went out. When we reached the first floor, I remembered that I forgot my scarf. Grace is always very helpful when I forget something. Rather than resist, she runs with me both there and back. I think she understands.
When we went out, I wondered whether or not Grace would have any urgency since it was an extra hour since she was last out compared to our usual night routine. Grace was in no hurry at all to relieve herself. When we made it to the park, we were alone. Grace limited her interest to chomping ice that she and Bailey had left from the day before. There were no friends and there was no prospect of meeting any. Grace moved on.
Cold Adventure
She went straight to the dog run next door. There, she played ball for a while. She also greeted a man across the fence (standing up on her side of the fence as he reached over to pet her) with a pickup truck towing a boat. The man said he was going out on the water today. That’s dedication.
When she was ready to go, Grace went to the gate. I had trouble unlatching it. Grace kept trying to push it open and looked back at me. Finally, my frozen, incumbered fingers got it to go and we were on our way.
Grace took me to the gate that leads down to the woods and road. Again I pushed the latch and Grace pushed the gate open. After I shut and latched the gate, Grace continued on with her exploration mission. She didn’t spend much time in the woods this time, but went straight to the road. Once we crossed the bridge, Grace was intent on going to the natural area to the left. Twice she jumped over the guard rail to go check things out. I stopped her, so she jumped back.
After we made it to the Greenway, Grace went to the field on the left. No one else was out in the severe weather, so I let her off of the leash. Grace went straight for the spot that takes her to the natural area on the other side of the fence. I was a bit concerned, but after she had a minute or two to sniff out the area, she came back to my side of the fence and proceeded to explore the large field.
Eventually, Grace made it to the meadow across from Grace Beach. There she found her deer head. She tossed it, rolled in it, and finally got down to some very serious chewing. I thought to myself how persistent she was and how amazing to watch her slowly shrink the head as she strained for each morsel of flesh and bone. I thought the area was somewhat protected with high ground on both sides, but the wind came running through there as if it were a tunnel. After an hour, I had had enough and finally succeeded in getting Grace away from her prize.
As we returned home at 9:15, nearly freezing, I marvelled at how effortlessly Grace braved the cold, lying with her belly against the ground, her paws in direct contact with the ground, and her cute, delicate floppy ears unfazed.
Grace went out on the balcony for a few minutes before coming inside and curling up in the chair. I fixed her food and fresh water. After eating her breakfast, Grace returned to the chair.
Blissful Rest
At 10:40, Grace stretched off of the chair and moved next to a sunny spot on the floor by the patio doors. After ten minutes, Grace went to the balcony lounge chair for five minutes. She came in and jumped back into the chair. Even after five minutes in the cold, Grace’s head had been warmed by the sunshine. At 11:15, Grace was fast asleep and sawing logs.
At 12:25, I prepared to go out. Grace didn’t budge from the chair. I decided to make some food instead. Grace went out on the balcony, but again, she didn’t stay out long. She came in five minutes later and went to the foyer. When her food was ready, Grace got up and ate it happily. When she finished, she came by my chair to get a small scrap of toast. At 1:05, she went back out on the lounge chair. At 2:05 Grace was dream-barking. At 2:20, she was still sleeping soundly.
Play Detour, Nice Lady, Grouchy Lady, Bone
I got ready again at 2:45. This time she was ready to come with me. On the way out, we spotted two dogs in the park. I reluctantly pulled up to let Grace play. I opened the door and called Grace, but she didn’t come. Grace whined. I had not unbuckled her from the seat! The owner of the dogs took the Yorkie and put it in her car because it was not good with other dogs. The other dog and Grace hit it off immediately. They played like best friends for about five minutes. Then, Grace worked on chewing ice.
Next, we went to the post office. The lady behind us said Grace reminded her of her Labrador Retriever. She was planning a sixteenth birthday party for her dog with lots of junk food. As I was at the counter, the postal employee at the next station asked if I knew that dogs were not allowed there. I told her “No,” finished my transaction, and took Grace out. Outside another lady met Grace and had a good time greeting her.
Our next stop was the grocery store to find a bone for Grace. I asked at the butcher counter, but they directed me to some prepackaged bones. I was hoping for bones from a small mammal but ended up picking the smallest cow rib bone I could find. It had a small amount of tissue on the outside, so that was exciting to Grace. She worked on it while I went to the next grocery store.
Crowd at the Park
When I returned after ten minutes, we headed off for our run at the park. I figured there would be nobody there. While that was the case when we arrived, before long a young man came to go fishing (in the 25-degree weather) and later another young man brought his dog for a walk. Grace was friendly with both.
Grace also enjoyed keeping the grounds clear of birds by chasing them either into the trees or into the ponds. She also grabbed the remains of the soccer ball, chased it, and ran with it in her mouth. The boy fishing was surprised that Grace went into the water. Of course, I wasn’t.
Home and Back Out
At 5:20, we returned home. After taking about five minutes to gather all of the stuff to take upstairs, Betsy pulled up. Betsy greeted Grace lovingly. I took Grace upstairs. After a minute, Grace returned to the foyer. This was the second night in the row she parked herself there. I want to encourage her to do that to let us know when she needs to go out, so I reluctantly took her.
Grace first met Bones and played with him a few minutes on the leash. Then, she made a beeline for the park. There were no dogs ther to play with, but she happily worked on a big chunk of ice. After that, she sniffed around a lot. She went up to one of the balls but wasn’t interested in playing with it. After about twenty minutes, she had had enough and let me take her home. On the way, we met a lady we know and shared our experiences of the day with her. She petted Grace and told her how lucky she was.
Winding Down
At 5:45, when we returned home, Grace had her shower followed by a treat. She wanted more. Betsy gave her a dental chew. While we ate, Grace waited patiently and chewed on her new bone. As I cleaned up, Grace watched me. As I found scraps, I gave them to her.
At 7:10, when I finished in the kitchen, Grace did tricks for duck food. When she finished, she took a long drink of water, curled up on her sofa, and took a nap. At 9:25, Grace came to the bedroom to kiss me before going out with Betsy. Ten minutes later, Grace returned and joined me in bed.
Saturday
The next thing I knew, Grace was no longer on the bed. At 5:30, she was awake in her bed. I stroked her gently as I passed by. At 6:50, she was in the master suite hallway making very soft sounds. The temperature was 24 degrees. It was still bitter cold, but at least it was not as cold as the day before. Grace waited impatiently as I bundled up. We finally left at about 7:10.
Dog Park Play
As Grace arrived at the park, it was empty. She went for the block of ice in the bucket. I pulled it out for her and she started munching on it. After about five minutes, Abby came in. They both worked on the ice until Grace took it. I took it from her and told her to play with her friend. They played for about twenty minutes. Neither dog was particularly energetic.
When they finished, I leashed up Grace, and we went on our way. Grace went to the dog run next door. On the way she met a small dog and did a little bit of leash play with it. At the dog run, Grace mainly just walked around. She wasn’t particularly interested in playing ball, but did fetch it a few times. Finally, she went to the gate. As I readied my gloves and Grace’s harness, Grace climbed up with her front paws on the gate. When I finally opened it, Grace moved on.
Retrieve Deer Head Prize
As usual, she took me to the gate that leads down to the woods and the road. Grace moved fairly directly toward the road. On the way, she jumped the drainage stream a few times. Then it happened. There was a spot that was covered with leaves and twigs that was wet. My shoe sunk in. To some extent, it bled through to my sock. Wet socks are no big deal in normal temperatures, but when it’s cold and you still have over an hour to go, it can be a concern.
Grace moved on to the road. After we crossed the bridge, Grace jumped over the guardrail. I released the leash just in time to prevent the leash from jerking her. Grace sniffed the area where the deer travel. She came back after a few minutes, and I grabbed her leash again. Grace made her way up the hill to the Greenway. There were no people around, so I let her loose in the field.
Grace went under the fence again but returned in a minute or so after sniffing out the area. She then went down toward the river. From there she proceeded over to the meadow across from Grace Beach. There, she found her deer head and began an hour-long chew-fest. She detached most of the head skin and both jaw connections. It looked like she also made her way to some of the brain tissue. She even crushed one of the jawbones with her powerful bite. The size of the head has diminished to a half of what it was originally.
Food and Sleep
When she returned home at 9:15, Grace wanted to go to the balcony, but Betsy wouldn’t let her out because of the laundry scent odors out there. Betsy made omelettes. Grace wanted some. Betsy gave her a doggie cookie followed by a small piece of omelette and some crumbs from her plate.
At 10:15, when Betsy went out for a few minutes, Grace came into the bedroom and whimpered. I invited her up into the bed next to me. Grace didn’t respond immediately but after a minute came up. After another fifteen minutes, she settled in to lie down and take her morning nap there. By 11:30, she was sound asleep. At noon, Betsy came in and disturbed Grace with some affection. At 12:20, she was back asleep doing dream tail wags.
At 12:35, Grace stretched off of the bed and moved to the floor in the master suite hallway to resume her nap there. At 1:10, Betsy came in “to take a nap.” Grace left and went to her perch. I went to the living room.
Afternoon Fun
At 2:35, Betsy took Grace out. They went to the Grace Beach area and the meadow where the deer head was located. Grace showed Betsy one of the balls she liked that we left at Grace Beach. Betsy brought it back and played with Grace in the hallway with it. When the finished at 3:45, Grace went back to the foyer.
Betsy said we had a package to pick up. I took Grace so she could get a treat. After I picked up the package, Grace hurried to the park. There she chewed on the ice but wasn’t very interested in playing ball. After about fifteen minutes of hanging out in the fresh air there, I headed home since I had a lot to do. Just before we turned into the building, Abby came out.
Grace rushed back to the park to meet her friend. They played until 4:45, when both dogs left. On the way we shared the elevator with an Indian lady. She was obviously afraid of Grace. I held Grace close to me. When we returned home at 4:55, Grace went straight to the balcony.
Winding Down
Betsy gave Grace her supper. When I emerged from study at 5:20, Grace was in the living room chair. She got down when she heard me get out the saltines for my soup. She sat next to me as I ate. She said she had the munchies. I shared some crackers while I ate. When I finished at 5:50, Grace did tricks for chicken. Twenty minutes later, after I cleaned up, she did tricks for duck food. When she finished, she went to her bed.
At 9:00, Grace went out for her last walk of the day. Fifteen minutes later, she returned home and curled up on her sofa for the night.