At 4:00, as I walked by her bed, I found Grace there with her head up. I stroked her gently a few times before returning to bed. At 6:15, I got up and went to another room to study. Grace waited patiently. At 7:05, when I finished and emerged from the room, Grace was ready to go.
I rushed to get dressed and go downstairs. Abby was already in the park as we arrived at 7:10. After playing for twenty minutes, the dogs left the park.
Grace headed straight for the dog run at the apartment complex next door. She stayed just a few minutes before she tired of being there and went to the gate. From there we headed out the gate to the lower area, woods, and road. I directed Grace directly to the bridge. She followed along without much resistance.
Cooperative Puppy
When we reached the Greenway, Grace wanted to run free in the field to the left, but because I was on a tight time schedule, Grace had to forgo that. I directed Grace back toward the Greenway. There I noticed a large number of seagulls seemingly standing on the water. I assumed they were standing on ice but couldn’t be sure. I pulled out my smart phone, selected camera mode and tried to take some pictures with Grace in the foreground.
The first tries were from the far side of the Greenway. After a few tries there, I moved across to get closer. There I took a few more shots and again tried to get Grace into the foreground. We headed on down the Greenway for a few minutes. Then I realized that my phone case was missing. I had to make it to church soon, so I couldn’t spend much time searching.
I couldn’t remember for sure where I last had the case. I suspected it was when I started doing the photos, but I wasn’t sure. I had hoped to stop by her deer skull and continue on home, but instead, I led Grace back to retrace our steps. The angle of the sun made it a difficult to see along the Greenway. I didn’t see my case, so I continued backtracking to the start of the Greenway, down the road, over the bridge, through the woods, through the gate, back to the dog run and back past our dog park to home.
Home Alone
At 8:35, when we returned home, Grace ate her breakfast and then curled up on the loveseat. She could tell by our routine what was coming. At 9:15, we left her home alone. When we returned home at 12:30, we found Grace in the chair. We went to her and told her “Good bye-bye.”
At 12:45, Betsy gave Grace a doggie cookie. While we ate lunch at 1:00, Grace brought a ball to us for us to play fetch with her. After we finished eatin, Grace went out on the balcony. At 1:35, Grace came inside. Grace was ready to go.
Stimulation Needed
Ten minutes later, I took her out. I headed down the closest path to the Greenway to hopefully find the case that I lost when Grace and I went out in the morning. At 2:50, Betsy took Grace to Grace Beach, and I set off to look for the case. After finding my case, I walked back to Grace Beach, but I neither saw them on the way nor did I see them at Grace Beach.
At 3:50, they returned. Betsy said that Grace was chasing birds along the rocks and hurt her paws. Ten minutes, after Grace returned, I took her to the flea market. Grace enjoyed all of the scents and activity. She was well-behaved considering my walking around and shopping would have to be boring for a little dog. People who met her were cheered by her.
One couple marvelled with Grace’s well mannered demeanor. They reached down and petted her. I told them how good Grace was with other dogs and how she was careful to make them feel at ease. At just about that point, Grace flew into a barking fit as a bulldog approached. I told them that some dogs spook her, but I think at that point, they weren’t buying it.
Sundowning
At 4:40, when we returned home, Grace went to balcony. She watched for any activity outside and got another dose of fresh air. Thirty minutes later, she came in and curled up in the living room chair. At 5:35, as Grace caught a few whiffs of food cooking, she went into the kitchen to let Betsy know it was time for her dinner. Betsy immediately dished out her food. Grace ate it — carefully licking out every last morsel. When she finished, she went back to the kitchen to watch Betsy prepare supper.
As we ate, Grace chewed on her bone. At 6:00, as I cleaned up, Grace watched. When I finished, Grace did tricks for duck food. When she finished, Grace pulled out the bone I bought for her and worked on it for a while. At 7:00, Grace was sundowning. She brought her ball and played fetch. She brought her fox toy. We played tug with that. After a few minutes, she satisfied herself with chewing on the toy. Then she tried going out on the balcony and coming back in. At 7:15, she gave up and lie on her side at my feet.
Sunday Night Shower
At 7:45, we realized that Grace hadn’t had her shower. Betsy said she needed a bath with soap. As I washed her, a surprising amount of dirt flowed off of her as I washed deeply against her skin. When Grace finished her shower at 8:00, she had a doggie treat. When she finished, she went out to the balcony for a minute, came back inside, and lay in her bed.
At 9:05, I roused her to go out. She really wanted to continue her sleeping but dragged herself up. She needed to relieve herself. At that point I resolved that in the future I needed to take her outside an hour earlier so I wouldn’t have to disturb her an hour after her natural bed time. At 9:10, Grace returned home and curled up in her sofa.
Monday
At 4:00, when I got up, I passed by Grace in her bed. As usual, she was awake. I stroked her gently before returning to bed. At 6:30 and 6:40 the alarm clock sounded. I stayed in bed. At 6:50, Betsy heard Grace making soft sounds. She greeted me lying on the floor outside the master suite. After the cordial greeting, Grace let me know she was ready to go. I told her to greet Betsy. She went in reluctantly as I prepared myself.
Morning Outing
The 45-degree temperature was a welcome change from the cold blast we had been enduring. At 7:05 Grace met Abby in the park. She doesn’t run ahead of me anymore. Instead she sniffs the perimeter of the park, and I end up catching up with her despite my letting her free.
Abby was full of energy and burst into action when she saw Grace. They did their usual play until Abby found a ball. Grace got it from her, and I took it from Grace — telling her to go play with her friend. She did. At 7:30, they left the park. Grace went straight for the road that heads for Unstead this time rather than going to the dog run and down through the gate.
When she made it across the bridge at the bottom of the hill, Grace turned and looked back at me. She wanted to jump the guard rail and explore the natural area where she had encountered the herd of deer before. I released the leash, and Grace immediately and happily jumped the rail and followed her nose up into the weeds.
As I continued towards the Greenway, I wondered whether or not Grace would figure out how to get past the fence that separated the large mowed field from the weeded area. Grace went to the corner of the fence and looked a bit bewildered. I hurried to the field and called her. She made it my way, found the drainage area under the fence, and came through.
Grace found a deer pelt in the field and chewed on it for a while. Grace then made her way to the low area by the river. There she found a crane and chased it. At one point, Grace ran up the steep hill faster than the crane was flying.
At the lake shore, Grace found a mini basketball. I had her fetch the ball to direct her first to Grace Beach, where Grace lingered briefly, and then went back to the meadow. Grace enjoyed chewing on the deer skull for about ten minutes, but then ventured for a more fun pursuit.
Deer Chase
Grace went back to tracking the herd of deer. She’s getting pretty good at it these days. I’ll mark this as a milestone. Grace could easily be trained to be either a bird dog or a deer-hunting dog. She went up the steep overgrown hill that heads up toward the apartments. There she found the herd of deer. She chased some back toward the lake. Then she returned to pick up another and chase it toward the entrance walks to the apartments.
Grace continued away from me along the lake shore. She returned about ten minutes later but was not through yet. She went back up the hill where she found the deer before to be sure they were gone. Then she came down to the lake, took a drink, and let me leash her.
Recovery, Run, and Ride
From there, we returned home. At 9:00, Grace had her shower, followed by a treat, and breakfast. After breakfast, Grace went out on the balcony. At 10:00, she came inside and curled up in the chair. Two hours later, Grace stretched off of the chair to the floor.
At 12:20, we left for Borador Pond Park. We were the only ones there. Grace did her usual clearing of the crane and other birds. When we finished, we went shopping. I stopped three places. The second stop was the pet store. Grace came in with me. Four people wanted to pet Grace.
Home Again
When we made it home at 2:30, Grace had a shower and a treat. When she finished, she went to her perch. A half hour later, she came to the foyer to await her afternoon snack.
At 3:15, Grace had her duck and eggs. When she finished, she sacked out under the dining room table. At 3:40, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair.
Late Afternoon Puppy Play
At 4:30, Abby showed up at the playground. We raced down to meet her. Zeke and Josie were also there. The play was limited to fetching.
Abby and Josie left and Reggie showed up. After Reggie left, Hannah and Miley came in next. The activity continued to be playing fetch. After they left, Grace and I played ball for a few minutes and then left.
Munchies
At 5:40, Grace returned home and went to the balcony. She came inside at 6:00, ate her supper, and then began her sundowning routine. It didn’t last long. When Betsy came in, Grace greeted her and then watched what she was doing. Betsy brought me some tortilla chips. Grace had the munchies. I shared my chips with her and let her lick the yogurt from the plate.
I shared a small amount of turkey with Grace. She wanted more. At 7:20, she did tricks for duck food. At 7:45, she went out on the balcony. At 8:00, she went for her last walk and returned ten minutes later. When she came inside, she went to her sofa for the night.
Tuesday
As I walked by at 1:15, Grace lay awake on her sofa. I gently stroked her face and chest before going back to bed. At 6:40, the alarm clock sounded. Ten minutes later, it sounded again, and I got up. Grace and I greeted. She was still in her bed but didn’t hesitate to give me a lavish greeting. As I was getting ready, I told her to go say good morning to Betsy. Grace went in dutifully.
Morning Adventures
At 7:05, we went out. Grace spotted her friend Bailey at the ground level as we headed down. By the time we made it down, Bailey had returned inside. We were the first at the park this time. The climate reminded me of a cold morning in Florida. The temperature was around 30 degrees and falling. Abby joined Grace about five minutes later. They played until 7:30. Then, Grace needed to move on.
Grace went to the dog run next door but really wasn’t interested in hanging around there. After about ten minutes, she took me to the gate that leads to the woods and road. This time, she started down to the bridge but then wanted to go down the steep hill to the river. I let her loose at that point.
As I headed for the bridge, Grace explored the slope and shoreline. As she saw me near the bridge, Grace ran up to meet me. She kept going as if to tell me she wanted to run free longer. On the other side of the bridge, she jumped the guard rail and quickly checked out the weeded area where the deer herd travels.
I headed up the hill to the Greenway. When Grace finished her investigation, she jumped back over the guard rail and joined me. There I leashed her. After entering the Greenway, we walked in the big field to the left. When we reached the big slope back to the river, I let Grace free again. She ran and explored down there as I headed for the big field on the other side of the river.
Grace followed me and eventually found the deer jaw bones. She stopped and worked on them for a few minutes. I attached the leash again there. Grace then went up the slope in the direction of the apartments. I followed her up to the terraced roadway. When she headed up toward the fence, I let her loose again. She didn’t find any deer, but she was certainly on the lookout for them.
After she explored some more along the terraced road, Grace went down to the big field below. There she sniffed the thick grass right at the edge of the field where the slope up begins. I got the impression that a rodent must have used that for shelter. I leashed her there, and eventually we made it back home.
Nap Time
At 9:00, when we arrived at the apartment, I fixed Grace her breakfast. We ran a little short of her regular food, so I had to mix in some of her duck food. That suited Grace just fine. When she finished her tasty meal, Grace curled up on her sofa for a morning nap. At 10:50, crawled off of the sofa and onto the floor.
At 11:15, Grace got up and looked out the balcony door. I offered to let her out in the cold dreary weather, but she declined and instead jumped up on the chair. The weather forecast indicated things were just going to deteriorate, so I decided to leave early for our run.
Home Alone and Snack
At 11:25, I told Grace it was time to go for a ride. I pulled out her leash. She perked up in her chair, but just stayed put. After about five minutes of encouraging her to come and her not leaving her chair, I decided to just go running out here. I’ll mark this as a milestone for Grace choosing on her own not to go with me. When I returned home at 12:10, Grace was on her perch watching for my return.
As I made some food, Grace came into the dining room and parked herself under the table. At 12:35, after the eggs had cooled I gave Grace her duck and eggs snack. When she finished, she went back under the table. Five minutes later, she went to her bed.
Go for Ride, Snack, Play
At 1:30, I gave grace another chance. This time it was to go for a ride. We went first to the pet store to get both types of her food (duck and chicken). She enjoyed sniffing around the food bags and almost thought that the white rabbits were hated white cats. When she realized they were just rabbits, she settled back down.
We made two more stops before returning home at 3:00. As I made a sandwich, Grace came by and let me know that she wanted a little something. I gave her a small Kong stuffed with duck food and capped with peanut butter. She ate that as I ate my sandwich.
Prejudice Against Deer Eaters
When I finished and sat down on the sofa, Grace came after me. She wanted me to play fetch with her. We did that until 3:45. Then, Grace saw Bailey playing at the park. We rushed down to meet him at the park. Grace enjoyed playing first with Bailey and then with her other friends. That was the last time we saw Bailey playing in the dog park.At 5:30, Grace returned home and had her supper.
Ten minutes later, I received a call from an apartment staff member complaining about Grace eating a dead deer and playing in the dog park. I was shocked by such a frivolous complaint. Would it have been better if she ate a live deer? And what about the people making the complaint? Do they eat dead cows?
Grace has had all of her shots. The deer was not even on the grounds of the apartment complex. Why should the apartment staff entertain such silly complaints regarding what Grace may be eating? I tried to explain to the staff member that they need to use a bit more discretion when they receive such complaints and consider pushing back.
Food
At 5:45, as we at some fast food from Moe’s, Grace said that she had the munchies. I shared with her my tortilla chips as I ate my supper. After I finished eating a cleaning up, Grace did tricks for duck food. When she finished, Grace went to the balcony. Five minutes later, Grace came inside wanting a little something else. I gave her a small Kong loaded with her food. At 6:45, Grace still wanted more. I gave her a half cup of her food. That satisfied her. When she finished, Grace went to her sofa and relaxed.
At 8:35, I took Grace out on some newly fallen snow. Grace was familiar with snow, but it was a bit different. Fifteen minutes later, Grace came inside and went to my bed. As I got a snack, at 8:55, Grace came in for a little something. I gave her a doggie cookie followed by a dental chew. When she finished, Grace returned to her sofa and curled up there for the night.
Wednesday
At 1:00, I found Grace awake looking out the window on her perch. The blanket of snow lit up the night and amplified the effectiveness of the street lights in the parking lot. It was a different scene for Grace, but a year ago she had seen it a time or two. I walked in and gently stroked her before returning to bed.
Snowy Morning
At 7:00, we got up. Grace met me as I emerged from the master suite. After some quick kisses, she let me know she was ready to go. Abby was out in the park playing when Grace arrived at 7:10. They played with each other and in the snow until 7:50. When they finished, I took Grace down to the cars to deal with the one-inch snow powder that covered them. The 18-degree temperature kept the ice formation to a minimum, and for the most part, it was just a matter of dusting off the windows.
Different Playmates
When we finished, Grace took me back to Borador Park. After a few minutes Reggie showed up. Then came Josie and the Pekingese dog. Grace and Reggie played for a while. Then, Betsy came in and couldn’t understand the level of play between Betsy and Reggie and interfered. When Reggie left, Grace tried to mix it up with Josie. Josie tried to play, but then got scared and reacted violently toward Grace. At that point the dogs left the park.
On the way back home, Grace met Otis. Grace tried to approach him in a non-threatening way. He reacted violently. His owner said when Otis is off of the leash he does fine. She let him off and the two dogs were fine together. We decided to take them to the big field across from Grace Beach and let them run. Grace and Otis had a great time chasing each other for about twenty minutes in the snow.
Then two other dogs (Isabel small German Shepherd mix and Dixie ) came to join in the fun. Grace chased just briefly and then focused on finding and playing with the bones. When the dogs finished playing, Grace was the last to relent. She wanted to stay and was the last to be leashed. Finally, she came to Betsy and reluctantly headed home.
Breakfast and Black Dog Meeting
At 9:30 Grace returned home and went directly to the balcony. After a minute, she came in and curled up in the chair for a few minutes. When I fixed her breakfast, Grace got down, enjoyed her meal and then returned to the chair for her morning nap. At noon, Grace spotted a cream-colored dog in the park. By the time we made it downstarirs, it was gone.
She sniffed around the park for a few minutes and then moved on. The black dog that she had problems with, Bella, was out being walked. I asked the owner if Grace could meet and walk with the dog. From a distance, Grace barked at the dog, but as she neared the dog, Grace transitioned to a submissive posture. Both dogs greeted peacefully, and then even did some leash play. I had Grace walk back home with Bella. All was well. Hopefully, we can do it again until Grace and Bella are comfortable with each other.
Munchies and Fresh Air
When she returned home, Grace went to the chair. At 1:00, as I made my meal, Grace moved to her bed. At 1:15, she had her duck food and scrambled eggs. When she finished, she wanted more. Betsy made some popcorn. Grace immediately had a bad case of the munchies. She and I shared a bowl of popcorn. When we finished, she went over to Betsy to see if she could work her over for some. Ten minutes later, she moved on to her perch.
At 2:50, Grace emerged from her lair and sauntered into the living room. She was ready to go outside. As Betsy got ready to take her, she had trouble finding some clothes to keep her warm. While Grace waited, Betsy gave her a doggie cookie. At 3:25, they finally made it outside. When they returned at 4:40, Grace came directly to me, lay on the floor, and licked my face.
She went to her bed. Ten minutes later, she had a shower followed by a doggie treat. When she finished, she lay on the dining room floor. Suddenly at 5:10, she heard some barking. It sounded like friends at the park. She checked through the balcony door window, and headed straight to the foyer. When we arrived, Beckham, Loki, and a small Blood Hound were there with Zeke. All be Zeke left as we approached. Grace and Zeke played fetch. They even had a few moments of wrestling.
Delicate Balance
At 5:45, Grace came home and had her supper. She watched us as we ate, hoping for scraps. We had none. The previous night, Grace settled down after I gave her an extra half cup of her food. Also I’ve been noticing that Grace has reverted back to occasionally eating dog feces. During the last vet visit, the vet told me Grace was getting on the edge as far as being over weight. Because of that, I had been focused on keeping her from getting fat.
At 6:20, Grace did tricks for duck food. At 6:30, Grace had another half cup of food. When she finished, she took a long drink of water and then played on her own with her ball and her puppy. At 7:00, Betsy gave Grace a large loaded Kong followed by some turkey scraps. Grace whined and brought me a ball. I threw it. She then went to her toy box to shred some boxes.
Winding Down
At 7:20, she went out on the balcony. After a few minutes, she came in and didn’t know what to do with herself. I told her go just come up on the sofa. She did. At 8:05, I was ready to take Grace out. She took her time, took a long drink of water, and finally came to the foyer. We left at 8:10. Grace sniffed under the snow as we walked around. When we returned at 8:25, Grace went straight to my bed.
The adjacent bed was adjusted in the sitting position. Often it spooks Grace and scares her off when I adjust it down. This time, I came up to her and comforted her before pressing the button and while the motor was running. It worked. Grace stayed put, and I joined her in bed.
Thursday
At 4:15, Grace was still in bed next to me, curled up in a tight ball. I stroked her gently, and we went back to sleep. At 6:15, Grace got up and went to her perch to look out the window at the start of a new day. I got up at 6:45 to find her there. She gave me a few kisses as I stroked her. I noticed that her ears were not as warm as they usually were.
Time to Go!
Grace got down from her perch and started complaining that it was time to go. The 8-degree temperature required a lot of careful dressing. Of course, Grace didn’t need any. We left at 7:00. When we arrived at the park, it was empty. Grace sniffed around a bit and then we went out for a walk while we waited for friends. Five minutes later, Grace was behind the bushes next to the building. Abby came out. I called Grace a few times. Eventually, she caught on and ran to meet her friend in the park.
Abby’s owner opened the gate and removed Grace’s harness. They played for about a minute and then reverted to eating snow. Eventually they played some, but the total play time was limited to about ten minutes. At 7:30, Grace went to the gate. She was done playing and ready to sniff out some deer.
Crimped My Style
Grace followed her nose with urgency. She took me to Winstead by the apartments, across the bridge and up to the Greenway. She delayed after we crossed the bridge, hoping to jump the guard rail and check the weeds for signs of the herd of deer, but she wasn’t too disappointed when I encouraged her forward.
When we made it to the Greenway, Grace hoped I would let her run free in the field. I kept the leash on her and ran with her to the big drop-off. Again, she hoped I would let her loose to run down there. I told her, “No.” I needed to guarantee that we returned home quicker than usual to assure her paws and ears would not get too cold. She likely would have been fine, but because I didn’t know, I decided to err on the side of caution. We proceeded on toward home. Grace came reluctantly.
At 8:30, when we made it back, Grace went straight to the balcony. After a few minutes, she came in and ate her breakfast. When she finished, Grace jumped up on the living room chair for her morning nap.
I’ll Be Back
At 9:45, as I dressed to go out to warm up a car for Betsy, two sparkling brown eyes remained keenly fixed on me. I tried to let her know I was just going out for a few minutes. She stayed in the chair as I left. When I returned fifteen minutes later, Grace was lying on her sofa instead. From there she was able to look through the balcony door glass and see me at the cars.
At 10:25, Grace got up and went back to look out the balcony window. At 11:00, she spotted Hannah and Miley playing in the park. We rushed out to play with them. After twenty minutes, Grace returned to the apartment and got up on the sofa. A few minutes later, left to leave her home alone.
Escape from Death
When I returned at 2:15, Grace was still on the sofa. I greeted and praised her. Grace went out on the balcony. As I began preparing some food, Grace came in and lay in the foyer. At 2:45, Grace enjoyed her egg and duck snack. Twenty-five minutes later, we left for Borador Pond Park. I wanted to take her there to allow her to get some running in since I had tried to limit her activity on our morning outing due to the cold.
When we arrived, twenty minutes later, there was (surprisingly) a couple there ahead of us. Grace introduced herself and moved on. The first couple left after a lap or so. Grace chased birds as usual and ran across the field to meet a second couple who came when the first couple left. They were college age. When I ran by they asked me if that was my dog. I confirmed that she was with me.
The couple enjoyed the snow and made some snowballs. They found if they tossed them on the ice-covered pond, they would disburse into a pretty white explosion and leave a white shadow on the ice. I don’t know if Grace saw that and thought it would be fun, or if she just decided to cut across the lake to catch me, but after I ran by her and the couple on my fourth lap, I heard a cracking sound and a splash.
Grace had broken through the ice about thirty feet out! The pond was not deep, but it still was a crisis. Grace was crying and struggling in the freezing water, surrounded by ice. Her font legs were sprawled on the ice in front of her. As she struggled the ice under them would give way. I rushed back to the shore where she had started out and repeatedly called her. “Grace, come!”
I realized I may have to wade in the icy water and rescue her, but opted first to just direct her toward the shore — hoping the ice would support her or she could like an icebreaker make her way back. After what seemed to be an eternity (likely two minutes), Grace lifted herself up on the ice and ran to shore. She ran ahead of me shaking her coat repeatedly and diving in the snow to dry herself off. She was okay!
Back to the Routine
At 4:10, we headed home. Amazingly, Grace was completely dry. When we arrived at 4:30, Grace had a shower followed by a doggie treat. From there, she went to her sofa to rest and watch for friends. At 5:10, she spotted Abby.
We raced down to meet her friend. They played and ate snow for about twenty minutes. When Grace returned home, she had her supper and then started wanting attention. She chewed on some boxes from her toy box and then got into the chair.
Home Alone
As she saw us get ready to go out, Grace assumed she would be going with us. I told her we were going bye-bye. She sadly turned and got up on her sofa. At 6:00, we left her home alone.
At 7:30, when we returned, Grace was sitting on her perch. I greeted her and told her, “Good bye-bye.” At that point she got up and wanted us to pay attention to her.
Tense Ending
First I gave her a half cup of food. Then she did tricks for duck food. She wanted more. I gave her a small loaded Kong. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony.
At 8:10, I took Grace out for her last walk of the day. When she returned ten minutes later, Grace curled up on her sofa for her pre-bed nap. As I fixed myself a snack twenty minutes later, Grace came in to get a little something. I gave her a dental chew. When she finished at 8:55, she went to her perch, while the tension among the humans in the apartment rose. I sought refuge in bed.
Friday
At 3:15 and again at 4:30, I walked by Grace in her bed and stroked her affectionately a few times. When the alarm clock sounded at 7:10, I got up to find Grace lying just outside the master suite. I quickly dressed for the 16-degree morning and took Grace out to the park.
Morning Play and Walk
Abby had arrived a few minutes earlier. While they played, I turned on the car to warm it up and remove the frost from the windows. At 7:30, Grace went to the gate. She was ready to go.
We took our dogs from the park and headed on. Of course, Grace wanted to go away from the park, so I had to double back to finish with the car, turn it off and retrieve my keys. Grace stubbornly refused to walk behind the running car. Perhaps she knew that could be dangerous. I took her around front, and she was fine.
Grace proceeded down toward Grace Beach. She moved on the meadow to the right. There she found a one-inch cube bone fragment and worked on it until she consumed it. Grace wanted to go free, but it was too cold. Grace followed her nose intently. She was tracking deer. Grace enjoyed eating snow and plowing snow with her snout. Eventually, we went back to the Greenway, proceeded to Winstead, and headed home.
Bored
When we arrived at 8:40, Grace went straight to the balcony. I gave her a light treat followed by breakfast. When she finished, Grace curled up in the chair for her morning nap. At 9:30, there was a knock on the door. Grace barked. It was the UPS man. He had a package for me to sign. Grace seemed to understand that the man was not a threat and did not pursue him.
After that interruption, Grace moved to her sofa. After forty minutes there, Grace got down and went to the balcony lounge chair. She seemed listless, bored, not knowing what to do with herself. She went in and out repeatedly. She shredded a box from her toy box. I got a bully stick for her, but she didn’t want it.
Early Demands
At 10:50, she threw her small Kong at my feet. This was a bit odd this early in the day, but I loaded it up with her regular food and capped it with peanut butter. She finished ten minutes later. She always licks every last bit of any peanut butter from the carpet and washes the Kong clean as a whistle.
At 11:05, Grace went back out on the balcony. The temperature had risen to 40 degrees and the sunshine made the balcony feel warmer. Ten minutes later, she came in and went to her perch. At 11:35, I got a snack from the freezer. Grace came into the kitchen to let me know she would like a little something. I gave her a doggie treat and a few light treats. When she finished, she went back out on the balcony to enjoy the fresh air and sun herself.
Snack and Wait
At noon, Grace came inside and parked herself in the foyer. She was ready to either go out or eat. I suppose I decided to make my lunch first. Grace was expecting her duck food and eggs. This time I switched up on her. She had her duck food, but instead of eggs, I gave her another small Kong loaded with her regular food and capped with peanut butter. That seemed to be okay with her. When she finished, Grace went to her perch.
At 2:10, I heard Grace stirring from the office. I heard her make a characteristic whine that she makes as she stretches and yawns. I could also hear her licking herself but could not see her from the living room. It turned out, she was in the foyer.
Return to the Scene
We left for Borador Pond Park at 2:20 and arrived 20 minutes later. I had hoped the ponds had had enough time to thaw, but they were still about half-covered. Grace chased the birds and especially the gray heron. She must have made the half circuit about six times.
Of course, I was very concerned about a repeat of the previous day’s near disaster on the ice. I tried to teach Grace as she stepped on the ice that it was danger. She was careful to stay off of it, and I was particularly careful to watch her and keep her near me.
Exploring and Riding
When we left at 3:20, we headed next for the lot. I filled up some water jugs and let Grace explore with her leash dragging. She met up with Snoopy and played with him. After about twenty minutes we moved on. Next, I went to the grocery store to pick up an item. The line at the checkout made me wait about five minutes.
When I returned, I rummaged around looking for a place to put my change. Grace began to drool. I had to give her something! That car didn’t have any treats in it. I did find some saltines from Wendy’s and gave her those. Finally, we stopped to get gas. Grace got out as usual and enjoyed just watching and sniffing.
Play, Alone, and Happy Reunion
When we finally made it home at 4:45, Grace went straight to the balcony. At 5:10, Grace spotted Abby at the park. We raced down. Grace played until 5:25. She went to the gate when she was finished.
We rushed home and returned at 5:35, and Grace had her supper. Ten minutes later, we left her home alone. When we returned at 8:00, Grace had a doggie cookie, a half cup of food, a half cup of duck food, a doggie treat and some small treats. Both Betsy and I independently noticed that she looked longer and taller.
At 8:15, Grace went out for her last walk of the night. Ten minutes later we returned, and she went to her sofa for the night.
Saturday
At 6:15, I found Grace awake in her bed. After a brief greeting, I returned to bed. About a half hour later, I got up and prepared to go out in the 25-degree weather. It actually did not feel that bad compared to what I faced earlier in the week.
Playing and Exploring
Grace left for the park at 7:00. Abby joined her about fifteen minutes later. By 7:30, Grace was done and went to the gate. From there, we went the Winstead way to the Greenway. Grace looked for anything she might eat. She also sniffed the track of the deer. I thought I caught a glimpse of one across the Greenway at the woods by Grace Beach but was not sure.
Grace eventually made it down to the meadow. There, she found the remaining deer jawbone and chewed on it. She definitely was focused on tracking any and all scents.
Late Morning Play
When Grace returned home at 9:00, she had a quick shower followed by a doggie treat and breakfast. She went on the balcony and at 9:40 returned inside to nap on her sofa.
At 10:15, Grace returned to the balcony. After fifteen minutes, she spotted friends in the park. We rushed down to meet Hutch, Finn, and Coolie. They vied for the balls among themselves most of the time.
As that group left, Hannah and Miley arrived. They too competed to get the ball. The weather was sunny with a temperature of 55 degrees. It felt much better than many of the mornings in the past week.
Relaxing
At 11:30, Grace returned home and went to the balcony. As I cooked, Grace came inside and went to the foyer. At 12:15 she had her egg and duck food snack. When she finished, she rolled over on her side in the dining room next to me and rested.
Ten minutes later, she went to her perch. It was warm enough that I thought she would enjoy having the window open. Perhaps that wasn’t the case. Shortly after I opened it she came to the living room and found a spot on the loveseat to curl up and take a nap.
Need to Go!
At 2:00, Grace went on the balcony. After fifteen minutes, she returned inside and shredded a box from her toy box. She was getting bored and wanted to go out for her afternoon activity.
At 2:30, Betsy took Grace outside. They went to the meadow across from Grace Beach. She used the long ChuckIt! launcher to give Grace a long-distance fetch activity. She found the deer skull, but Betsy took it from her and tossed it in the lake.
Pedicure, Shower, Supper, and More
When she returned home at 4:30, Grace was limping. I decided I had better clip her front claws. She did reasonably well with it. Then, Betsy gave her a bath followed by a treat. Betsy was not good at drying her off. Grace dried herself by shaking and rubbing against the carpet.
At 5:00, Grace had her supper, but that was only the start of her ravenous eating session. At 5:10, Betsy gave her a large Kong with duck food and peanut butter. Twenty minutes later, Betsy gave her a second without the peanut butter. At 5:45 she had a half cup of regular food. Fifteen minutes later, she did tricks for chicken scraps. At 6:15, Grace had another large Kong with regular food.
Grace went out to the balcony at 6:35. She after a bit of barking, she returned inside. She tried to get me to feed her more, but I told her she had had enough. She finally gave up and lay on her side on the dining room floor.
At 8:00, Grace got up and took a long drink of water. As I ate a snack, Grace popped into the kitchen. I gave her a few light treats and then prepared to take her out for the last time. At 8:10, Grace went for her walk. We took out the trash and then made our circuit. At 8:25, she came back home and went straight to the balcony. Betsy made some popcorn at 9:20. Grace said she had the munchies. Grace shared my bowl with me as we both sat on her sofa.
Inappropriate Disturbance
After I went to bed, Grace barked from her perch. The time was about 10:30. We invited her in. She came to our bed, but soon I heard her jump off. A few minutes later, she was barking again from her perch. She was seeing Hutch and Finn walking below.
Betsy lowered the blinds and invited her into the bedroom again.