At 2:15, when I got up, Grace was lying on the floor near the foot of the bed. When I returned a minute later, she was back up on her perch. At 7:10, when I got up, Grace was sitting at the balcony door looking out the window. It was really the only spot where she could look out. She watched outside intently.
Balmy Morning and Extended Play
Five minutes later, we were at the park. The 50-degree temperature felt almost balmy. A minute after Grace entered the park, Abby joined her. Although Grace was ready to play, Abby was a bit lethargic. At 7:30, Hutch and Finn came in. That sparked Abby and Grace into puppy play with each other and with the other two dogs. Finn’s explosive growth has him now nearly as tall and long as Grace.
After a half hour, Hutch and Finn left. Grace and Abby played another ten minutes before heading on. Grace went to the complex next door. On the way, she met a creamy Labrador Retriever. He immediately fell in love with Grace. He and Grace sniffed and cuddled each other for about five minutes. Finally, the Lab’s owner moved on.
Grace went on to the dog run. We played ball there for about ten minutes. At that point, she was ready to go. She took me to the gate that leads down to the bridge. Grace meandered a bit. I finally removed the leash and headed down to the bridge.
More Friends and Cool Treat
By the time I made it there, Grace was there. At that spot, I leashed her again. We walked up to the Greenway to the field on the left. Grace found a deer pelt and various other items to scavenge. When we moved on, Grace spotted two Golden Retrievers on the hill next to Grace Beach. They were both off of the leash.
The dogs playfully approached Grace. I unleashed Grace too. She ran and darted in the field, skillfully avoiding the two dogs. After a minute or two of running, Grace spotted a friend that she met in the field the previous weekend (Dixie). Grace ran up to him. His owner let him loose to follow Grace down to Grace Beach.
There, Grace found ice chips floating in the water as Dixie moved on. Grace enjoyed munching on the ice. While she did, I leashed her again. From there, we headed home.
Home Alone
We arrived home at 9:10. Grace went directly to the balcony. At 9:30, Grace came inside and jumped up in her chair. After I finished my shower, I prepared her breakfast and fresh water. After eating her breakfast, Grace returned to her chair and watched as we readied to leave.
At 10:10, we left Grace home alone. When we returned at 1:30, Grace came to the foyer and greeted me with wags and kisses. She was ready to go out, but resigned herself to going out to the balcony.
Needing that Afternoon Walk
Grace returned inside at 2:00. Betsy gave her a half cup of duck food. As we ate lunch at 2:15, Grace sat next to us and then lay on her side there. When I finished my pizza, I gave her a few pieces. Grace continued complaining about wanting to go outside.
Betsy took Grace out at 2:40. An hour later, Betsy called me to come down and relieve her. When Grace saw me coming, she was excited. She came to me with tail wagging and jumped up as I kneeled down. There, she kissed me, and I took her leash.
Grace took me exploring. Before long, she found a deer bone in the lower field. She ate part of it and then rolled in it before moving on. I thought how interesting that although Betsy threw a jawbone and a skull into the lake, yet Grace still found a bone left from the deer.
Grace moved on. She saw the gray heron, I dropped the leash, and she shot up and disappeared over the steep hill to the other side of the Greenway. A minute later, Grace came back over the hill with her leash dragging beside her.
She went down to the rocks by the river and got a drink. The leash wedged between two rocks. Grace looked to me to free her. I told her to wait. She did, while I made my way down to the river. I dislodged the leash, and she was on her way. She took me under the large drainage pipe to the water’s edge near the river.
Deer Kill
We happened upon some fresh animal organs — perhaps a spleen. About ten yards from there, Grace found a fresh deer carcass. Its rump was eaten. The top front leg was taken, and it’s side was ripped open — exposing its ribs and internal organs. Grace investigated it, but didn’t bother trying to eat it.
She did find a small pelt of skin that she chewed on a few minutes and playfully tossed in the air. She proceeded along the fence to the top of the hill. Then, we saw it — a second deer carcass, killed about the same time and the same way, about 500 yards from the first!
Nice Day!
From there, we headed back. It was such a nice day, Grace was reluctant to see it end. She dragged her feet all of the way back. When we finally made it home at 5:00, she went straight to the balcony.
At 5:30, Grace saw two new dogs being walked below and barked. I went out to calm her and spoke in a friendly manner from the balcony to the owner of the dogs. At 6:20, Grace came inside and Betsy gave her a shower followed by liver treats.
Big Decision
At 6:45, Grace did tricks for scraps. She forgot the roll command. I’ll have to do extra work on that one the next few times. At 7:05, Grace had a doggie cookie.
Five minutes later she curled up on the sofa while the integrity of her body hung in the balance. Her owners were weighing the facts concerning spaying. The good news for her was, we made the right decision. Grace will remain intact.
Night Barks
At 7:40, Grace barked. Betsy directed her into the bedroom with me. It didn’t last. Five minutes later, she returned to the sofa. At 8:15, I took Grace out last time. fifteen minutes later, she came back inside. She had some light treats followed by a dental chew.
At 8:40, Grace popped into the bedroom with me. I directed her to the bed and dimmed the light. This time she seemed to settle in for the night — I thought. Five minutes later, she stood at the open window, raised her nose above the high window sill and sniffed. She went back to the living room, took a long drink of water and then went to the balcony.
At 9:00, Grace barked, came inside, curled up on the sofa. There was a train whistle in the background. Perhaps that’s what triggered her barking. At that point she gave up. At 10:00, when I went to bed, she was stretched out on her side on her sofa asleep.
At 10:30, Grace barked from her perch. She saw something outside that bothered her. Betsy calmed her and went to bed. Then at 5:00, Grace did it again. This time, Betsy closed the blinds, moved Grace out of the office, and shut the office door.
Monday
At 7:15, when the alarm clock sounded, Grace was lying silently outside the master suite. Normally she starts whimpering around 7:00. The sky was overcast, so that might have fooled her.
Morning Adventure
When we went outside, the temperature was a warm 53 degrees. There were no dogs in the park. Grace strangely headed away from the park behind the bushes all along the building and to the side. After about five minutes of sniffing, she headed to the park. Once there, Grace just played ball with me but wasn’t particularly enthused.
At 8:00, she moved on. Grace took me to Winstead. When we crossed the bridge, she wanted to go over the guard rail into the weeds. She jumped over. I released the leash. She watched me carefully and followed the routine we did a few times before with her meeting me on the other side of the fence but travelling through the drainage area beneath the fence. Grace then took off to scatter the hawks that had gathered over the two deer carcasses. Grace chased the birds away and then went to the lower field.
In the lower field Grace found the medium-sized inflatable toy ball and played fetch with me with it. After a while, she settled down with it and ripped out about a two-inch hole into it. As Grace saw birds, she tore off after them. She hasn’t decided to swim across the river yet, but I’m sure that’s coming when the temperature rises.
We met Suki’s owner walking on the Greenway. She said it was about to rain. Sure enough, the rain started about five minutes later. Grace still made another trip down to the lower field and up along the terraced hill toward the apartments. After about ten minutes, she came down to chase a bird and then returned to the ball. There I leashed her. We headed home as the rain transitioned from a sprinkle to a light rain.
Clean-Up and Puppy Test
When we made it home at 9:15, Grace had a shower. It smelled like she had rubbed her body in a dead fish, so I soaped her down this time. When she finished her bath, Grace had a doggie treat and went to her perch. The door was not propped open, so it shut on its own.
I prepared fresh water for her and her breakfast. Grace was on the other side of the door and whimpering. She tried pushing the door open, but she was on the wrong side for that. I repeatedly told her to tug, but she didn’t get it. I finally gave her a piece of her dog food by reaching around the door. Then, she grabbed the sock tied to the door and tugged it open to free herself from the room.
Visitor, Noise, and Snacks
After eating her breakfast, Grace went out on the balcony for a few minutes and then came in and curled up on her chair for her morning nap. At 1:30, there was a knock on the door. Grace got up and went to the door barking. I calmed her and said it was okay. The maintenance people came in and serviced the smoke alarms. Grace didn’t bother them but went out on the balcony to avoid the ear-piercing noise from them.
I put out her duck and eggs. At 1:50, Grace came in and ate it. Then she came next to me as I ate. I gave her a couple small pieces of toast. When she finished, Grace returned to her chair.
At 2:30, I began vacuuming. I started in the master suite. When I made it to the living room, Grace was standing at the balcony door. She wanted some refuge from the noise. When I finished at 3:15, she came inside and lay on the sofa. Five minutes later, she was busy with things from her toy box playing and shredding.
At 3:30, she went back outside. As she saw me in the kitchen. At 3:45, I gave her a small loaded Kong. After she finished that, she came back to me and threw it at my feet. She wanted more. I gave her another at 4:00. When she finished, ten minutes later, she repeated. I told her to wait. She went back out on the balcony.
Slow Wash
A few minutes later, she came in and resumed her pressure on me with the Kong. Her collar, harness and leash were in the washing machine. I repeatedly told her to wait. Finally, she brought me a ball for playing fetch. That didn’t satisfy her. She returned to her toy box and found a new paper towel roll to shed and went to work on that and entertain herself.
Grace’s collar, leash, and harness were in the wash. The machine is one of those “high-efficiency” types. That translates into meaning almost unusable. When it finally made it to the spin cycle, it ended up being out of balance. I finally had to stop it without spinning. That left Grace’s things a bit damp, so I used just her leash and collar. Grace didn’t mind.
Evening Play with Friends
At 5:00 Grace went out and headed for Borador park. After ten minutes Abby joined her. The two did their usual running, wrestling, and roughhousing.
After ten minutes Hannah and Miley came in. That sparked some more running. Finally, Abby left and Libba showed up. Miley and Hannah’s owner pulled out a laser and moved it to exercise the dogs.
Hungry Puppy
At 6:05 Grace came home and went straight to the balcony. When she came inside a few minutes later, Grace ate her supper, took a big drink of water, and lay on the living room floor.
Betsy brought a plate with french toast to the living room as she sat on the loveseat, Grace watched her. Betsy relented and gave her a couple bites of her food. When she finished, Betsy went to the kitchen. Grace came in and wanted a little something. Betsy loaded her Kong with duck food and gave it to her.
At 6:35, Grace brought her small Kong and threw it at my feet. At 6:45, Grace did tricks for duck food. After she was done, I had my supper. When I finished fifteen minutes later, she did tricks for chicken scraps. We focused especially on roll. She had no problem with roll this time.
Social Challenge, Munchies, and Bark
As I cleaned up, Grace lay on her side at the entrance to the kitchen. When I finished and turned out the kitchen lights, Grace went to her bed and lay there.
At 8:20, Grace went out for the last time. Grace met a little Terrier along the way. The owner said the dog was not good with other dogs. It was almost as if Grace took that as a challenge. She approached the dog with a submissive posture and a wagging tail. Then she crouched down to get below the little dog’s level. It was quite interesting to see. She succeeded in at least keeping the other dog at ease.
While we were gone, Betsy had made some popcorn. Grace had the munchies. She and I shared a bowl as we sat on the living room chair. When she finished, she went to the balcony. At 9:15, Grace came inside and curled up on the sofa where I had just changed the sheet we use to cover the cushions.
After we went to bed, at 11:15, Grace barked. Betsy got up, shut all blinds, and calmed her. I’ll have to mark this as a milestone of sorts. Grace will bark in an apartment at night if she sees something outside to provoke her (like another animal).
Tuesday
At 5:00, I walked by the dining room and found Grace lying on her back on the floor next to her bed. I rubbed her chest and face before returning to bed. When the alarm clock sounded at 6:45, I found Grace lying outside the master suite entrance. She exchanged kisses for rubs. Betsy gave her a lot of attention. Grace thoroughly enjoyed that.
Puppy Play and Adventure
I took my time getting ready. Grace was a bit put off by my slowness. We finally left at 7:00 and headed for the park. Abby was already there. Grace and Abby played for about twenty minutes. Then Grace went to the door. She was ready to do her business and move on with her outing.
She went to the dog run next door and from there to the gate. She then turned left towards the steep slope. I decided to let her run free as she is catching on where her boundaries are and understands her need to stay with me. I’ll mark this as a milestone. The only problem in this regard is if she gets focused on chasing something, it could be up to ten minutes before she returns. Another problem during high-traffic times could be her tendency to want to socialize with people or dogs might get me in trouble.
As I made my way toward the road and bridge, Grace did her exploring along the steep slope and along the shore of the river. I took my time getting down to the bridge, but by the time I went there, Grace was with me. We crossed the bridge. Grace seemed excited to go to the weeds on the left.
Then she spotted it, a young deer came bounding out. It ran across the road and into Umstead Park with Grace chasing behind it. Two minutes later, Grace returned and went back to the weeded area. I continued around to the Greenway. Grace met me as I approached the passage below the fence.
New Toy
From there, she ran through the field, checked out the two deer carcasses, played with a deer pelt, went to the river, chased birds, and finally found a ball the size of a basketball. It was deflated just enough that she could grip it. Grace brought it up from the lake.
I tossed and kicked the ball in the direction of the big lower field as she retrieved it. When I finally made it to the edge of the slope heading down, I heaved it down there. Grace ran after it. I carefully made my way down the steep slope. There, Grace played fetch with it for at least a half hour. At one point, she caught it in the air (a basketball). At another, she picked up the ball, threw it in the air and punched it toward me. I’ll mark this as a milestone of deftly handling a basketball. It was very impressive.
Morning Recharge and a New Sound
We headed back home at nine o’clock and arrived ten minutes later. Grace went to the balcony while I prepared fresh water and breakfast for her. When she came inside, she ate her breakfast and then curled up in the chair for her nap. Keep in mind, this is the chair that I used to use to sit and write. Now I’m sitting at the end of her sofa. In case she decides to come over her and nap, her spot on the other side is still available.
At 11:45, Grace was asleep and making sort of a clicking sound with her mouth. I don’t know if it was a sleep-bark hampered by her position or something else, but it just lasted a few seconds.
Leash Run, Snack, and Home Alone
At 12:15, I decided to take Grace with me for my run around the complex. She did pretty well. I gave her praise with “Good heel,” when she followed at my pace. She stopped about six times, but I suppose the total delay was no more than ten minutes.
When we returned at 12:55, Grace had a shower, followed by a doggie treat. She then went to the foyer to lie down and wait for me to fix my food. At 1:30, Grace had her duck and scrambled eggs snack. She then went out on the balcony. When I left, I called her inside and she jumped up on the chair. I told her good bye.
When I returned home at 3:40, I found Grace lying on the sofa. I went up to her, told her, “Good bye-bye,” and gave her some light treats. She was pretty whiny as I sat next to her on the sofa. She went out on the balcony for five minutes before returning.
Something Else and Home Alone — Again!
When she came inside, she looked at me and made all kinds of high pitched talking sounds. She tried to find something to satisfy her, but she couldn’t. At 4:10, I gave her a small Kong loaded with duck food and capped with peanut butter. When she finished at 4:20, she wanted more. I gave her a medicated dental chew.
At 4:30 I fixed a sandwich. In the process, I loaded up another small Kong as before and gave it to Grace. When she finished, I took her for a walk to the office to pick up a package. The weather was rainy Of course, while we were there, Grace enjoyed her treat.
When we returned home, Grace got up in the chair and took a nap. When Betsy came home, she couldn’t find Grace. Grace blended into the chair in the low light. Betsy found Grace wet from our walk. She brought in a towel and wrapped Grace in it.
At 6:00, Grace had her supper. When she finished, she parked herself next to us as we ate. When we finished, I gave her pizza crusts. Then Betsy gave her a large Kong loaded with duck food. At 6:35, we left Grace home alone again.
Getting Ready for Bed
At 8:30, we returned home to find Grace on the sofa. After a greeting and light treats, I took her out for her last walk of the night. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace went to the balcony for a few minutes and then came inside.
Grace had a doggie cookie, a dental chew, a doggie treat, and then worked on Betsy as she ate oat cereal. At 9:00, Grace finally gave up and curled up on the sofa to go to sleep.
Wednesday
At 4:15, I found Grace on the dining room floor next to her bed. After a few gentle strokes, I returned to bed. At 6:50, after the alarm clock sounded, I got up. Grace was on the living room floor next to sofa. I opened the shade on the balcony door window. When I returned to the room, Grace was sitting looking out the only window that was not covered.
Sloppy Morning Walk
At 7:00, we went to the park. Grace played ball. Abby didn’t come out likely because of the muddy park and the drizzly atmosphere. The temperature was about 40 degrees, so that was at least tolerable. Reggie showed up, but she and Reggie did not play with each other.
At 7:45, Grace moved on. She met a Pit Bull in the small dog park next door and wanted to socialize, but the dog’s owner thought it best that the dogs limit contact to through the fence since her dog was skittish. I told Grace to move on and she did.
Next, Grace led me to the gate next to the woods that ultimately takes us to Winstead. Grace enjoyed sniffing around in the woods. She beat me to the bridge. Then a car came. It drove very slowly as Grace focused her attention on two deer. They ran in front of the car and Grace followed them across the road.
After a number of whistles, Grace came back and we moved on to the Greenway. Grace checked out the two deer carcasses and chased some birds. She finally settled on a deer-rib snack on the carcass by the river. As the rain picked up, I finally had had enough, leashed Grace, and led her home.
Home Alone Twice
When we returned home at 9:00, Grace went to the balcony. At 9:15, Grace had her breakfast, jumped up on her sofa, washed herself, and took a nap. At 10:50, I went out running leaving Grace home alone on the sofa.
When I returned, she was still there. I praised her and got ready to go to a luncheon. At 11:35, I left Grace home alone again. Two hours later, I returned and again greeted Grace — this time on the living room floor. A package delivery man had just been by so I suspect that’s what moved her off of the sofa. The ever-vigilant Grace then went out on the balcony to get some fresh air and watch.
Cabin Fever
At 2:55, Grace came in, went to her toy box, grabbed a puppy toy, and brought it to me to play fetch. Grace shredded some cardboard from her toy box and went out on the balcony and back in a few times. Finally, I gave up as the weather finally was breaking and patches of blue sky began showing up.
We went first to take out the trash and check the mail. Then we went to the dog park. Grace played ball a bit. Then Reggie showed up for a few minutes. After Reggie left, Grace played ball again.
No Barking Allowed
Suddenly, a young “lady” shouted up at me. It took a minute for me to locate where the speaker was located as the sun was getting low in the sky, and I had to look that direction. The lady asked if I ever stopped the dog from barking. As far as I know, there is no rule that a dog cannot bark in the dog park. Grace barks at some dogs that she spots walking by. If she gets crazy about it, I correct her.
The lady said that Grace barks all of the time. Grace stopped as the dog she saw walked away. I asked the lady if Grace was barking now. She said “No. Thank you.” I couldn’t resist. I told her apparently “Grace doesn’t bark all the time then does she?” She didn’t reply and went inside.
Afternoon Exploring
Shortly after that fiasco, Grace went to the gate. She took me to the dog run next door. That lasted five minutes.
She then took me through the gate. I kept her leashed and led her across the bridge, to the Greenway, Grace Beach for a cool drink of water, and back up to the mailbox to pick up the mail. Grace greeted a young man in her usual happy way there who smiled and petted her.
Friends Watch
When we returned home at 5:10, Grace went to the balcony. There, Grace waited until Betsy came home at 5:25. Betsy didn’t greet her so she came to me while seated on the sofa and kissed me repeatedly and excitedly. I fed her supper. Grace then went to the balcony to watch for friends.
At 5:40, she saw some. She came inside expectantly. I told Betsy she was waiting for a ruling from me. I didn’t think it was Beckham, but I wasn’t sure as the light was getting low. I didn’t see anyone who looked like Beckham’s owner either, so I took a chance. It turned out to be Lokey and Penny. Penny’s owner had a ChuckIt!. She launched a ball, and Grace chased after it.
Sundowning
When we returned home, Grace went to the balcony and back in about three times. At 6:45, Betsy gave Grace her large Kong loaded with duck food and peanut butter. At 7:00, Grace wanted more. I gave her a small Kong loaded with duck food. Then we she did tricks for duck food. At 7:15, she was back after me — throwing her large Kong at my feet. I gave her another half cup of her regular food.
She returned again and dropped the Kong at my feet. I gave her a dental chew. When I finished my chicken leg, I gave her the scraps. She went outside on the balcony for five minutes. When she returned, she was back to her whining and throwing the large Kong. Finally, I had enough and shouted “Grace, stop it.” She gave up and lay on the dining room floor. I told her “Good girl.”
At 8:30, Betsy gave Grace her HeartGuard pill. Then she took her outside for her last walk. When they returned ten minutes later, Betsy gave Grace a liver treat. Grace then went out on the balcony lounge chair to watch the night action. When Grace returned inside ten minutes later, she curled up on the sofa next to me and went to sleep.
Thursday
At 5:15, I found Grace awake in her bed. I stroked her gently before returning to bed. When I got up at 6:50, she was lying on her back beneath the dining room table. We did our morning greeting there. As I got dressed, Betsy came into the living room and raised the shades. She then gave Grace a loving welcome to the new day.
Morning Play and Adventures
We left for the park at 7:00. The temperature was 33 degrees, but the sky had cleared and the ground had at least started to dry out. Grace arrived at the park right before Abby. The two played for about a half hour. Grace went to the gate about half way through the session, but Abby wouldn’t give her a break. Grace went back to the gate at 7:30, and the two dogs moved on.
Grace went first to the clump-grass hill that separates the two apartment complexes. Then she went to the small dog park next door. After a couple of minutes, Grace moved on to the gate that leads to freedom. Once we went through, I let her off of the leash. She knows the routine now.
As I carefully made my way down to the bridge, Grace barked at a bird across the river, and ran through the wooded area. She arrived first and crossed. As I was crossing the bridge, Grace jumped the guard rail and proceeded on her deer hunt in the weeds. She went under the fence and into the high field next to Greenway before I even made it to the start of the Greenway.
Grace proceeded to the two deer carcasses, and ran down to the river. She went to the other side to the meadow and then to the terraced road between the meadow and the apartments. After I lost sight of her for about five minutes, I whistled. Grace must have been pretty close by because she ran from behind me and past me in a matter of seconds.
Then she retrieved the basketball that we had played with the the last time we were there. She was ready for more play. She deftly caught the ball in mid-air and poked it with her nose. After forty-five minutes of play, we headed home. The temperature was warming and the sun was shining. Grace didn’t particularly want to leave. She parked herself down in the grass a number of times before finally heading with me on the final leg to home.
Nap and Preparing to Go
When we made it home at 9:10, Grace went immediately to the balcony lounge chair. I prepared her fresh water and breakfast. When she saw the food was ready, Grace came in, ate, and took a long drink of water. She then returned to the balcony.
At 10:00, Grace came inside to lie on the chair and take her morning nap. At 11:20 Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair to watch and enjoy the fresh air. At 12:40, Grace came inside grouching. She knew it was time to get going. She came to me with her puppy toy and squeaked it at me as I hurried to complete my current task.
Run in the Park
We finally made it out of the house at 12:55. We went to Borador Pond Park first. As we arrived, a group of retarded children were entering the park ahead of us. I kept Grace on the leash. As we passed them I offered to let them interact with Grace. None but one expressed any interest. The one that did just briefly smiled and held out her hand to Grace.
The group left as we were half way through our second lap. I let Grace off of the leash. Before long, she tore back toward me and past me. I figured she must have seen something, but I didn’t know what. Then, I looked up and saw a hawk soaring above us. Grace flew through the field to run the bird off.
A Few More Stops
When I finished the last lap, there were three other people in the park. Grace wanted to interact some more with them. I whistled for about five minutes before she finally came. When she did, I buckled her up, and we headed off for the bank. While this was the bank that gives treats, I had to go inside this time. I unhooked her and told her to wait.
When I returned, Grace was waiting patiently seated in the driver’s seat. As I opened the door, Grace moved to the passenger seat. I gave her a treat and told her “Good wait.” I went down the road and made my last stop. There Grace waited about ten minutes. I repeated the treat and praise when I returned.
Home Again
When we made it home at 3:05, Grace went to the balcony. I took a shower and then prepared some food. When Grace figured out that I was cooking something, she came inside and parked herself in the foyer. At 3:30, Grace had her duck and eggs snack. When she finished, she came to me to get a small piece of toast. She then curled up under the table.
At that point, I called her into the bathroom for a shower. Strangely, Grace was very reticent to actually step into the shower. I know Betsy had given her a few showers recently. Perhaps she did something that spooked her. After about a minute of prompting, she finally came in, and we did our routine quick wash.
When she finished, Grace had her doggie treat and went back out on the balcony. At 4:20, she came inside and got up on the sofa with her head propped up on the arm of the sofa. Five minutes later, Grace made muffled barks as she saw the black Poodle walk with its owner to the mailbox.
As I made a sandwich at 4:30, Grace watched. At the appropriate time, Grace made her move. She spoke with her eyes. I gave her a small Kong loaded with duck food and capped with peanut butter.
At 5:05, Grace went to the door to watch for activity at the park. She saw none, but she came to me anyway to let me know it was time to go. At 5:25, Betsy stopped by. She had some Wendy’s french fries for me. I told her to give mine to Grace. Grace enjoyed her treat. We played ball until 5:50. On the way home, Grace met Finn. They tried to play on the leash, but it didn’t work because the leashes tangled and Finn’s pinch collar hurt him.
When we returned home a few minutes later, Grace went out on the balcony for five minutes and then came inside. Next she went to her toy box and found her old tug toy. She brought it to both me and Betsy to play tug and fetch with her.
At 6:10, Grace whined. Betsy gave her dinner. When she finished, she went out to the balcony for a couple of minutes and then returned to the dining room to work on Betsy some more. She presented Betsy with her large Kong, whined a little and worked on her with her eyes.
At 6:20, Betsy gave in and loaded her large Kong with duck food capped with peanut butter. At 6:40, Grace went back out on the balcony. As she saw me preparing food at 7:00, she came in. I shared some saltines with her. When I finished, I gave her scraps from a chicken drumstick.
As I cleaned up, she wanted more. I gave her a dental chew. She then lay on the living room floor as I retreated to the bedroom. At 8:15, I took Grace outside for the last time. When we returned ten minutes later, Grace curled up on her sofa.
Friday
At 3:30, Grace was lying awake on her back in her bed. I stroked her chest and face lightly and then returned to bed. At 6:00, the alarm clock sounded. I got up ten minutes later. Grace was lying on her side on the floor. There, we did tummy rubs and kisses. After I finished with her and got dressed, Betsy and Grace did their morning greeting.
Grace wanted to look out the window. Next, she wanted to go to the balcony. She saw a dog being walked and barked a few times before I could go outside and bring her in. Grace sat at the balcony door window and whined softly as she watched from the inside.
It’s Time to Go!
Betsy let her out, but as Grace saw Bailey, she started to whine. I let her in. Grace became more impatient as 7:00 approached and whined angrily. I took her out at 7:00. The temperature was 35 degrees and the sky was clear.
When Grace arrived at the park, her friend Abby was already there. They were excited to see each other and enjoyed some high-energy play. Grace cut it short though after about fifteen minutes as she wanted to go out and relieve herself in the grass. Abby’s owner was ready to go anyway, so that ended the morning puppy-play session.
Let’s Explore
Grace moved on quickly to the woods between Winstead and the Lofts. I’ll refer to this as Grace Woods in the future to make it easier to identify. She ran through it looking for birds and squirrels. She then went up to the bridge. By the time I made it there, she was half way across.
Grace jumped the guardrail and went up into the weeds to the left. She disappeared. I proceeded up to the Greenway. There was still no Grace. Then I saw a school bus coming from Umstead Park. I found that to be bizzare. After the bus went by, Grace came running at high speed up Winstead, through the gate into the high field where I was. She ran past me and down by the river.
Grace again disappeared out of view. My last glimpse of her had her down to the left of the Greenway on the steep slope heading in the direction of Grace Beach. I assumed she was headed for the meadow or Grace Woods (the meadow end). As I made my way around to the field, I spotted Grace up on the terraced road that runs along the slope in the woods.
I decided to stand in the middle of the field so she could easily see me from up there. After being out of my sight for ten minutes, Grace came running in the meadow from the lake side. She ran past me and made another pass up the steep slope to Grace Woods.
Apparition
When she was sure she had cleared the area of wildlife, she came down to the field to play fetch and shortstop with the basketball. After we played for about a half hour, Grace suddenly erupted in a nutso bark. I turned to see two men on the edge of the high area across from Grace Beach. The sun shone brightly on them making them almost glow.
Grace ran around to meet them. I walked there. By the time I arrived, they were down on the Greenway while Grace frolicked in the grass. Grace had found a dead fish and was having fun tossing it, rolling in it, and finally eating it. The men were from Brussels and were looking for deer. I told them all I knew about the deer in the area. Of course, they came to the right dog to look for deer.
Fun at Grace Beach
Grace went to Grace Beach and got a drink. Then she explored the woods behind the beach. From there, she followed the shoreline toward the large water level control platform. As we approached the platform, about a hundred seagulls that were hanging out on the platform took flight. They left a gray heron which stayed there alone until we moved even closer.
Grace continued finding and eating dead fish parts. I leashed her at that point, and we headed home. Grace took me up on the hill on the other side of the Greenway. From there I spotted the gray heron on the shore near Grace Beach. I released Grace and she tore down the hill to chase the bird. As it flew off squalking, about twenty ducks about 50 yards from shore made swimming pattern away from Grace.
I leashed Grace again there and then embarked on he task to coax the little Borador home. She lay down in the grass and warm sunshine a couple of times along the way. She also had her usual high interest in stopping to check out the scent along various trees and bushes. A dog barked aggressively at Grace from a second-floor balcony. Grace turned and may have barked once but mainly just ignored it.
Finally Home
When we finally made it home at 9:10, Grace went straight to the balcony. When she came in at 9:30, she looked at her bowl. It was empty. I got up, cleaned her bowl, filled it with her breakfast, and returned it. Grace immediately got down from the chair and polished off her breakfast. She didn’t bother taking a drink this time. Instead, she just returned to the chair and gave herself a bath. When she finished, she settled in for her morning nap.
At 11:00, Grace heard a dog bark. She immediately got up and sat attentively at the balcony door window and peered out. I let her out on the balcony. There was a black dog with a Chow look in the park. She watched it until it left five minutes later. Grace remained contented to to settle in on the balcony for a sunbath.
At 11:15, she spotted the black Poodle and barked. I went out immediately and told her to leave it. Grace, a bit put off, decided to come inside and went to the foyer to lie there and wait for me to take her out.
Out for a Run and Home Again
At 11:55, we left for Borador Pond Park. Grace enjoyed both the ride and another chance to run in the fresh air. She waded a bit in the ponds and took a few drinks from them. There were not many birds around, but Grace chased what she saw. She socialized with a small dog as well as with a few people who came there after us.
When we returned home at 1:30, Grace went to the balcony. As I prepared our food, Grace watched and eventually came in and parked herself in the foyer to wait for her ration. At 1:45, Grace had her duck food and eggs delicacy. When she finished she came and sat next to me. I gave her a small square of toast.
As I cleaned up, Grace went to her sofa for an afternoon nap and to watch out the window. At 2:40, Grace got up and went to the balcony lounge chair to watch the activity below on a sunny afternoon.
Shower
At 3:30, Grace came inside, and got into the chair that I had been sitting in, and curled up for a late-afternoon nap. As I made a sandwich at 3:40, Grace came marching into the kitchen. I told her it was time for her shower and turned it on to warm it up while I finished putting together my sandwich.
When I made it to the bathroom, Grace was there, facing the shower. She was a little less reluctant to go in this time, but she still seemed to have a bit of fear of it. I wonder if she stepped into hot water recently. After we finished and Grace dried off, Grace had her doggie treat.
After she finished, I gave her an ice cream carton to clean out followed by a small dental chew. When she was done, she checked the kitchen floor for any other scraps before retuning to the living room and looking out the balcony door. At 4:15, Grace came up to me seated on the sofa, looked me in the eyes and pawed my hand. She whined and brought me her old tug toy. One way or another, Grace was going to occupy my time.
Afternoon Park Play and Treat
At 4:50, I took her out. Abby was already there. Grace and Abby mixed it up for a few minutes before Olivia, and a Boxer named Zoe showed up. That stopped the action. I pulled out a ball and that didn’t help. After about fifteen minutes, the Boxer mixed it up aggressively with Abby. All of the dogs except Grace left.
Grace played ball until 5:35 when she spotted Betsy coming with an ice cream cone. Grace let her know she wanted some. The three of us shared as Grace stood up against the fence and Betsy reached over to give it to her.
Sundowning Averted
When we returned at 5:55, Grace finished the ice cream cone and then went to the balcony. Ten minutes later, she came inside and had her supper. While we ate, Grace lay quietly under the dining room table. When I finished, I gave her a small portion of the turkey. Grace then lay on her side there as we cleaned up and moved on to other things. Grace then conked out on side under dining room table. What was particularly strange was that Grace slept/rested through her sundowning time.
At 8:35, I took her out. When we returned at 8:45, Grace melted into the loveseat in the dim living room light. Thirty minutes later, she went under the dining room table, and at 9:25, Grace went to bed.
Saturday
At 5:00, I found Grace in her bed lying on her back. After stroking her gently, I returned to bed. At 6:30, Grace came into the bedroom and greeted us with wags and kisses. It was early, so I took my time getting ready.
Puppy Play Time
At 7:00, we finally headed out into the 33-degree morning. There, Grace met and played with Abby for ten minutes before Abby’s owner had to leave. Grace moved on too when Abby left. As she headed the direction of the Lofts, Grace met Peaches. They did some greeting and a little leash play before Peaches had to go.
Grace went straight for Winstead. As she was half way through crossing the bridge, Grace saw a deer just across the right side of the road. She tore off chasing that deer into the woods and perhaps into Umstead Park. Five minutes later, Grace returned to cross the road, jump over the guard rail, and chase another deer into the weeds.
Grace quickly made her way to the cut-through beneath the fence. She ran through the field above the river and finally made her way to the other side. From there, she explored Grace Woods but found no interesting wild life. After about a half hour of combing the woods, Grace came down and played fetch with the basketball in the lower field.
At 8:55, Grace returned home and went straight to the balcony. Fifteen minutes later, she spotted Coolie in the park. Grace raced down to meet him. There they played fetch. Grace won nearly all of the contests. At 9:50, Grace came home. I put out her food and water. Grace ate her breakfast and went out on the balcony.
Food and More Play
At 10:10, Betsy came home. Grace came in and greeted her. Then, I went out to the car to get a few things. Grace was concerned and went out on the balcony to watch me. When I came inside, Betsy brought her to the outer hallway and shut the doors to make a play area. Grace greeted me and then played ball for about five minutes. Then she was upset because I was in the other room.
At 12:30, Grace had some chicken scraps, followed by a half cup of duck food and a small loaded Kong for her lunchtime snack. Grace then went to the balcony to watch for friends. At 12:50, Grace went to the park to play with Lucy, Zoe (the Boxer), Olivia, and Rascal. It felt like we chased them all off as the all left shortly after we came in. They were there for quite a while before we showed up, but it still felt a bit funny.
Out for a Run and Treat
At 1:05, we returned home. Grace needed some more activity. Five minutes later, we left for Borador Pond Park. At 1:30, we arrived. There, Grace met a 7-yr-old creamy female Labrador Retreiver. Grace toyed with the other dog, playing the rabbit. The Lab was no match for the dexterity and speed of Grace, but they still had a good time playing together.
When we returned home at 2:30, we stopped at the mailbox and then went on to the office to pick up a package and a treat. At 2:40, Grace returned home, took a shower, and had a doggie treat. When she finished, she went to the balcony.
More Exercise
At 3:00, Grace came inside and took a nap on the sofa. Thirty minutes later, Betsy took Grace out. After a walk down to Grace Beach, they came up to the dog park. There they played ball. When they returned home at 5:10, Grace went to the balcony as Betsy vacuumed.
At 5:30, when the vacuuming was over, Grace curled up in the chair and continued her nap there. At 6:10, Grace came into the kitchen to let us know it was time for her supper. I gave her her food, and she ate it all. When she finished, she returned to the chair to nap and relax.
Sundowning
By 7:00, Grace had recovered enough energy to begin grouching. After putting up with that for fifteen minutes, I had Grace do tricks for duck food. When she finished at 7:30, Grace went to her sofa. Fifteen minutes later, Grace noticed that Betsy had made some brownies. Grace popped up and expressed her desire to have something. I gave her a doggie cookie instead. That was fine with her. When she finished, she relaxed on the floor.
At 8:30, Grace went out on the balcony. Ten minutes later, she spotted two dogs and barked. We brought her in to calm her down. When Betsy made popcorn at 9:00, Grace had the munchies. She and I shared our treat as we sat together on the chair. When we finished, Grace wanted more. I gave her a dental chew. When she finished, Grace went back out on the balcony.
At 10:00, Grace went out for her last walk of the day. Ten minutes later, she came in and got up on her sofa for the night.