At 4:45, I greeted Grace lying on the dining room floor and returned to bed. Two hours later, Betsy got up first. Grace came into the bedroom to greet me with wags and kisses. At 7:05, we started out into the slightly chilly 49-degree morning.
Fresh Air Fun
Grace walked by the empty Borador Park and took her normal route, climbing Clump Grass Hill, passing the small dog park, going through the gate into Grace Woods, crossing over the bridge, and entering the Greenway. Once she crossed the bridge, I could tell she really would have liked to jump the guardrail into Grace Weeds, but she knew she was leashed and didn’t press the matter. It seemed she had found the scent of deer as she also checked out the other side of the road where they cross as she made her way to the entrance.
As we entered, the two Golden Retrievers were just leaving. A few minutes later, we met a Golden / Chow mix. Both dogs went down to the meadow. While both were playful, each was content to romp by herself. Grace chased her flying squirrel toy most of the time. On the way back home, she stopped at the lake for a drink.
Home Alone, Fish Treat
When she returned home at 9:10, Betsy gave Grace breakfast. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony as Betsy finished up vacuuming. There Grace watched and rested, but didn’t sleep. At 10:10, I called her in. Grace knew the routine. She got up into the chair, and we left her home alone.
When we returned home at 12:20, Grace was still in the chair. We greeted. Then she went out on the balcony lounge chair to relax and watch. At 1:00, Grace came inside. Betsy fed her lunch (one-half cup of her normal food).
At 1:20, when we finished lunch we gave Grace a piece of our salmon and let her lick our plates. When she finished she parked under the dining room table for a few minutes and then went to her perch.
Grouch, Kiss, and Chewy Treat
At 2:15, Grace came to the living room grouching that she needed to go out. She parked herself in the foyer. When Betsy was finally ready twenty minutes later and before she left, Grace came over to where I was seated in the living room and kissed me good-bye. That was very sweet. I’ll log this as a milestone. Betsy then took her out.
When Grace returned at 4:05, she came in and took a shower. After her shower, Betsy gave Grace a hard treat called a “chicken roll” that takes more chewing than her usual doggie treat. Of course, Grace went right to work with it.
Hungry Puppy
From there, she went to her perch until 5:00, when she started complaining about supper. After supper, she saw Betsy seated on her supper eating her supper. Grace grouched at her. I gave Grace a small duck food Kong.
After throwing her Kong down once, Grace came into the living room grouching at 5:40. I told her to fetch her Kong. She did and threw it down at our feet. Betsy loaded it for her this time. When she finished, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair for ten minutes but then came in grouching. A few minutes later, there came the Kong at my feet again.
At 6:00, I loaded another Kong and gave it to her. At 6:10, she went to her toy box and pulled out some cardboard to shred. She walked around not knowing what to do with herself. Betsy finished making some peanut butter cookies at 6:30. Grace sat patiently next to me as I ate some. I shared a few pieces with her, which she thoroughly enjoyed. When she finished, Grace had a dental chew and then came and sat next to me on the loveseat for about ten minutes.
Flashing Light in the Night
When she heard a noise, Grace barked and went to the balcony lounge chair to return to her watch. At 7:10, a fire truck showed up below us followed by an ambulance. While the flashing lights didn’t seem to bother her, the noise of the truck engines did. She came inside and went to her perch. When a small EMS truck showed up, Grace barked a few times at that.
Despite the excitement, Grace came inside at 8:00. She waited patiently for me to take her out for her last walk. Fifteen minutes later, we did just that. After our ten-minute trip around the building, Grace came inside and went to the balcony. At 9:00, Grace came inside, jumped up on the chair and curled up for the night.
Monday
At 2:00, I walked by Grace asleep in her bed. When I passed by her at 6:15, I found her still in her bed, but at this time awake. I gave her a gentle greeting and returned to bed. A half hour later, I got up, and we greeted with the full tummy rubs and kisses routine. I noticed that her swelling from her most recent heat had completely subsided. It likely was about gone a week earlier.
Wet and Free
At 6:55, we ventured out into a rainy, 45-degree morning. We walked past Borador Park, up Clump Grass Hill, through the gate to Grace Woods, over the bridge, and onto the Greenway. We walked past Grace Beach the two sidewalks back to the apartment complex. We had arrived at Squirrel Run.
In the early morning rain, there was little chance of people on the Greenway, so I let Grace off the leash. Unfortunately the rain seemed to chase away the squirrels too. When we made it to the first overpass, I whistled and turned back. Grace came running.
Toy Treasure
As I stayed on the Greenway, Grace explored along the lake shore. She was careful to keep an eye out for where I was located. After a few minutes, she came up with a handball-sized bright orange plastic ball. It had some softness and weight to it, but it was not solid.
Grace wanted to play fetch with it. We played on the edge of the hill and up on the beginning of the terrace that goes along Grace Weeds. We finally finished up at 8:15, and Grace reluctantly returned home.
Nap and Noise
I towelled her off. She then went out on the balcony while I washed out her dishes and put out fresh water. Grace watched from the balcony through the window in the door. When I put out her food, she got up. I let her in. Grace polished off her breakfast, took a drink of water, and curled up in the chair for a blissful rainy-morning nap.
At 11:10, thunder sounded. Grace perked up, looked out the window at the now strong rain, groaned, and resumed her nap. At 12:35, I burnt the toast — setting off the disgusting smoke detectors. Grace took it in stride. I turned on exhaust fans so the noise didn’t last long, but it was enough to leave my ears ringing for a few days. I hate those things!
Snack, Sack, Trek, and Tricks
At 12:40, Grace had her duck food and scrambled egg snack. When she finished, she stopped by my side as I ate to get her ration of toast. When she finished she lay by the balcony door for a few minutes primping herself. She then went out on the balcony to check out the wet weather, turned around, and returned to the chair for another nap.
At 2:00, Grace stretched off of the chair, walked over to her sofa and propped up on the arm rest to rest and watch out the window. After waxing Grace’s front paws, I took her out running with me at 2:15. Grace did a little better this time keeping up with me.
She met a couple of dogs along the way. The first was aggressive. Grace sensed it and moved on. She also met a “friendly” miniature Schnauzer. Grace made her very gentle approach to it to keep the high-strung dog calm. After a brief meeting they moved on.
She saw as squirrel and did that thing with her mouth again. It’s a sure indicator she has spotted something. When she returned home at 3:10, Grace went to the balcony and lay on the lounge chair to pass the time of a gloomy day.
At 4:00, Grace returned to the living room chair and curled up again for a nap. At 5:00, Grace started moaning, got down by the balcony door and continued her moaning. It looked like an opportunity to work on new chomp-chomp and talk tricks. She didn’t quite understand yet the verbal command, but she knows chomp-chomp, and she was catching on to talk.
Evening Feast and Play
At 5:20, I stopped from the new trick work and gave Grace her supper. When she finished, Grace had a long drink of water, made one more pass at cleaning out her empty bowl, and then looked around for more. She made a pass at me, but I told her to wait.
Grace went to her perch while I prepared my supper. As I ate, she came out and parked herself under the kitchen table. When I finished I gave her chicken leg scraps. At 6:00, Grace went back out on the balcony to watch for Betsy’s late return home.
At 6:30, Grace met and greeted Betsy with a wagging tail as she approached. She had a calzone. Grace said she wanted some too. Betsy shared a bit; I shared some pieces; and I gave her the box to clean out.
At 7:00, Betsy gave Grace a large loaded Kong. Grace wanted more attention. By 7:25, she gave up and played with her puppy toy. At 7:30, Grace went out on the balcony lounge chair to satisfy her need for action.
At 7:50, Grace brought her rope toy to play tug and fetch. At 8:00, I readied to take her out. By the time I was ready, Grace had settled in at the balcony door. She saw something going on outside and went to her perch to investigate. At 8:45, Grace went out for her last walk. When she returned home, she went to the balcony. At 10:10, she came inside got up into the chair for the night.
Tuesday
At 3:30, Grace lay asleep in her bed. At 6:30, after the alarm clock sounded, Betsy got up. She said Grace was asleep. Ten minutes later, I found her curled up on her perch. At 6:50, as I put on my shoes, Grace came to the foyer.
Spring Welcome and Park Play
Five minutes later, we headed out into the wet, overcast, 60-degree morning. At least the rain was gone. The the fresh spring air was a welcome change from rain and cold. On the way to the park, I noticed a half robin’s egg. The birds have announced that spring has arrived.
Grace went on to the park, but since it was empty, I directed her to pass it by. She understood. After a short walk to take care of business, Grace returned to the park. There she mainly just lay on the wood-chip floor, but she did do some limited fetching of the ball that she found Monday.
Exploring and Running Free
At 7:25, Grace headed on her normal morning route. As she passed by the small dog park, she met the Boxer who is in love with her. They exchanged pleasantries for a couple of minutes and then Grace moved on to the Boxer’s disappointment.
After going through the gate to Grace Woods, I practiced one time the sit, stay, whistle sequence with Grace. She responded as she should, so I let her run free. The trail around the lake was closed, so there was no risk she would bolt in that direction.
Grace went down to the bridge and crossed it. From there, she jumped the guard rail to explore a bit in Grace Weeds. After five minutes, as I approached the Greenway entrance, Grace came running enthusiastically toward me and past me.
As we entered the Greenway we noticed a man with fancy camera/tripod setup watching the lake. Grace didn’t bother with him. Instead, she went down along the lake shore exploring. There was a male/female Mallard duck pair along the shore as we approached Grace Thicket. I don’t know if they were nesting there or just hanging out.
As Grace drew near the ducks, they took refuge to the water. Grace showed no interest in them. Instead, she came up to the Greenway and played fetch with the ball for five minutes. Then, she went back to explore Grace Thicket. She disappeared from my sight as I headed to meet her at Grace Beach.
As I approached the beach Grace came running toward me again. We went to the beach together and played fetch there along the shore. Suddenly, Grace spotted something. She tore along the shore, across the Greenway and up the steep grassy turf of Grace Hill barking as she ran. Above, I saw a soaring bird. Grace chased it away.
Two minutes later, Grace returned to the beach. After some more listless fetching, we spotted a white Labrador Retriever approaching on the Greenway. I leashed Grace, and we made our way to meet her. In the past, she would usually bolt to meet the dog. I’ll mark this as a milestone that she waited to be leashed.
After greeting the dog, Grace walked with it as it’s owners and I got to know each other. Grace’s enthusiasm grew as we approached Squirrel Run. The owners left just beyond the first overpass. Since the Greenway was not very crowded and I was heading back, I decided to let Grace run free to look for squirrels.
Grace frolicked joyfully in the woods. One dog owner we passed commented on how happy Grace was. Grace passed the first walk back up to home. By the time we neared the second, Grace came near and let me leash her. Our morning fun time was about to end. A now tired puppy turned and headed home.
Clean-Up, Fill Up, and Relax
When we arrived home, Grace had a shower, followed by a treat. I was careless with her treat and dropped it as I was handing it to her. It cracked in half. I pieced it together and gave it to her. I felt bad that I messed up her treat. She seemed to take it in stride though.
Next stop for Grace after breakfast was the balcony lounge chair. She was content to enjoy the sights and sounds of spring that captivated her imagination. At 11:00, she curled up in the chair for a nap.
At 1:45, Grace had her duck food and scrambled egg snack. She stopped by next to me as I ate to get her small ration of toast. When she finished, she licked off my fingers and then went to her perch. I opened the blinds and the window. She lay down there to more lounging and watching.
Running and Stopping
At 2:35, I prepared to go running. Grace came to the foyer. I took her. She stopped multiple times. I couldn’t tell whether she was hot, tired, or just not interested in running. She would stop and park herself in the lush green grass, the freshly spread pine straw, and finally on the cool shaded concrete by the mail station.
When we finally made it home at 3:30, Grace went to the balcony to relax and watch for friends in the park. At 4:30, I gave her an empty peanut butter container to clean out. This time there wasn’t much in it, but she cleaned it out promptly and then went to her perch.
Pay Attention to Me
At 4:50, Grace spotted Betsy arriving home. She went to the door and waited to greet her. When they finished, Grace went to the balcony. At 5:15, Grace came in in a rampage. She wanted attention. I fed her supper. When she finished, she whined, talked, and chomp-chomp. She came up to me seated on the loveseat, prodded my leg with her paw, and kissed me. She finally gave up and went out on the balcony at 5:30.
At 5:45, she returned inside. She again did not know what to do with herself. At 6:00, she dejectedly went to her perch and curled up there. At 6:15, I leashed her up and Betsy finally took her out for a walk by the lake.
When they returned at 7:20, Betsy complained that “she’s limping so bad.” I didn’t see the evidence of it when she walked by me. Grace went to the balcony. Then Betsy gave her some light treats and a dental chew to work on out there.
At 8:50, Grace went out for her last walk before bed. When she returned ten minutes later, Grace climbed up on her sofa and went to sleep.
Tuesday
At 1:40, I found Grace asleep on her side on the living room floor. I didn’t disturb her. At 6:50 after Betsy greeted her, I found Grace lying on the living room floor by the balcony doors. We greeted with tummy rubs and kisses and then Grace went out on the lounge chair. Usually she’s in a big hurry to get going, but that was not the case this time.
False Alarm, Heart Throb
At 7:10, she came in and curled up in the chair as I worked for a few minutes on the computer. Suddenly, Grace perked up as if she heard something, jumped down from the chair and looked out balcony window 7:20. It must have been a false alarm. Five minutes later, we left.
It had rained some the night before leaving a small amount of water on the pavement and grass. The 48-degree temperature felt a little chilly with the light jacket that I had selected. Grace headed straight for the park.
We went in this time. I brought the bright orange ball that she had found recently. She played fetch a few times with that, but her heart wasn’t really into it. After five minutes, I invited Grace to leave. She agreed and headed for the gate.
Grace travelled her normal route to the gate to Grace Woods. Outside the gate, she began eating grass. The boxer that is in love with her was in Grace Woods. Grace seemed unmoved. She continued finding just those right grass plants and eating them. The boxer came out through the gate tugging to get near his sweetheart. His owner tugged ever harder to move him in another direction. To his dismay, he followed looking back longingly at the girl of his dreams.
Running Free
Grace went through the gate to Grace Woods and continued to eat grass. I tried to get her attention, but she had other priorities. Then the wave-like reaction happened. Grace threw up a small amount of liquid. It was white foam peppered with the green grass she had eaten.
When she finished, I removed her leash and cycled her through the commands: sit, stay, and come. When she finished, I told her she could run free. She happily searched the area for squirrels before making her way across the bridge.
Once across, Grace jumped the guardrail and went down into Grace Weeds. After investigating something under some briars, she didn’t stay long. She proceeded past the Greenway entrance, but when I went in, Grace followed.
Grace explored along the lake shore and eventually brought up a ball. She played fetch with it for a few minutes before tiring of it and moving on to Grace Beach. There she sniffed around before going back to Grace Thicket. She explored along the shore and finally pulled up a dead catfish. Apparently Grace didn’t make the connection between cat and catfish. Just as she was about to dive into the stinking carcass, I called her off. Grace backed off immediately — saving her from a soapy shower when we returned home.
After finishing there, Grace returned to the dam area. Suddenly, she spotted a hawk flying low overhead. Grace shot after it. She went down the earthen dam and across the lower field chasing the bird and barking at it. When she returned, she was pretty tired.
It was time for a bit of rest and relaxation. What could be better than lying in the thick grass and munching on deer bones? Grace started with rib bones and then moved to work on the neck. She separated the head from the spine and then worked on the pelvis.
Home Again
At 9:10, I encouraged her to go home. She got up. We ran and walked to the apartment. Ten minutes later, we were there. Grace went to the balcony to enjoy the sunny, cool breeze of a spring morning. While the birds sang, Grace curled up on the balcony floor as the sunshine streamed through the railings. At 9:50, the sun became too strong for her. Grace came inside, jumped up on the chair, curled up, let out a long groan, propped her head against the armrest, and went to sleep.
By 11:15, her first nap cycle was over. Grace perked up and looked out at the sun-drenched balcony. She knew a trip out there at this time would be hot in a hurry. Five minutes later, she decided her best strategy would be to go to the foyer and lie with her belly against the cool hard surface. Her two orange-brown eyes watched me as I typed on the computer. I wondered if she wanted something just shepherding.
I noticed that the tiny foyer was sort of cluttered with a floor mat, shoes, and a partially open closet door. I went over an took care of those matters — giving her a little bit more room to stretch out. She immediately put her head down and proceeded to morning-nap phase two.
At 12:45, Grace got up and moved to her perch. I went in ten minutes later and opened the blinds and the window for her. She really liked that.
Forty-five minutes later, Grace came into the hallway by the kitchen and groaned. At 1:40, I got dressed to go running. I invited Grace to come, but she decided she would prefer to go out on the balcony instead. I propped open the balcony door. When I returned thirty-five minutes later, Grace was lying in the chair. I told her “Good bye-bye” and gave her a light treat.
At 2:40, Grace got down from her chair to enjoy her afternoon duck food and scrambled egg snack. When she finished, she came next to me to get her small ration of toast. She then lay by the open balcony door. At 3:05, Grace went out the open door and curled up on the balcony lounge chair.
At 4:00, I cooked myself an open-faced pizza-style sandwich. I offered a piece to Grace and she turned it down. Perhaps it was too hot. I tried again a few minutes later and Grace accepted it readily.
When we finished at 4:30, Grace went to her perch to watch for Betsy’s return. At 4:50, she spotted her. I took Grace to the door to wait and greet her. Grace was so happy to see Betsy her joy spilled over to me as well with lots of kisses.
Puppy Play
At 5:00, Grace spotted Abby and Reggie. She raced down to meet them. Grace and Abby exploded into action with mostly wrestling. After twenty minutes, they were done.
On the way back home, Grace heard Betsy call her from the balcony. Grace quickened her pace. As she turned into the hallway, Betsy called again. Grace stopped and turned her head. I moved her on. When she came home, she and Betsy greeted again.
Evening Antics
Betsy sat on the loveseat with a dinner plate. Grace came to her and wanted a little something. Betsy gave Grace her plate to lick off. When she finished at 5:40, Grace lay on her side at the open balcony door and drifted off to sleep. This is quite different from the day before when Grace was sundowning at that time.
By 6:30, Grace picked one of her larger balls. I played fetch with her for ten minutes before she picked some other toys with which to play at her home but she soon was back after me this time with her rope tug toy. At 7:00, Grace stopped for a long drink of water.
Grace’s next stop was the balcony lounge chair. She enjoyed the cool night air and the daylight to watch the activity below. Fifteen minutes later, Grace came back inside just as Betsy was leaving to go running. Grace wanted to go with her, but understood that Betsy was going on her own. Grace settled for going to her perch and watching the action from there.
At 9:10, Grace went out for her final walk of the night. When she returned ten minutes later, Grace lay on the living room floor at my feet. When I turned out the light, she curled up in the chair. A half hour later she went to the balcony door. I let her out at 10:00 and went to bed. Betsy let her inside before she went to bed.
Thursday
As I walked by at 5:00, I found Grace asleep in her bed. At 6:40, when I got up, I greeted Grace on her perch. Ten minutes later we headed out for the dog park into the clear, dry, 41-degree morning just as the sun was rising.
Short Play Time and Then Back Home
At 7:00, Grace met Abby and Reggie already there. Grace and Abby played as Reggie acted more as an irritant to Grace by trying to hop on her. After a half hour of play, Grace returned home.
Grace went straight to the balcony, came in and ate her breakfast, and then proceeded to her perch where I opened the window for her. By 9:05, the sun flooding in became too intense for her. Grace retreated to the foyer to cool down for a half hour.
Then she went to the balcony, but after twenty minutes the combination of the hot, bright sun and the mower noise chased her back inside to her foyer refuge. At 10:20, Grace went to her perch but lasted there only ten minutes. Her next stop was the entrance to the master suite for an hour before lying by the balcony door.
At 11:40, Grace went to the balcony for fifteen minutes. Perhaps the bird chirping on the rail above was more than what she wanted to hear. After fifteen minutes of that, Grace returned to the foyer.
Ride to Construction Site
A few minutes after noon, I took Grace out for a ride to the construction site. When we arrived at 12:25, Grace played with Snoopy, Grace brought two balls to me. We played fetch with them for a while. Then I leashed her up to the car so I could run alone through the neighborhood.
While I thought I had leashed her, I hadn’t. Grace stayed anyway while I was gone for fifteen minutes. When I returned, I gave her water, thought she was done, and placed the cover over the water bowl. A few minutes later, she returned to the water and knocked it over to get to the water. I refilled it and put the cover over just part of it.
At 2:15, we left for home. Along the way we stopped at two grocery stores, and a gas stations. After I returned from each grocery store, I gave Grace a treat for waiting.
Feels Good, Tastes Good
When we returned home a few minutes after 3:00, Grace went straight to the balcony and climbed up on the lounge chair. I could tell she really enjoyed the nice weather. Grace watched below and eventually spotted Betsy returning from work.
At 4:50, Grace came inside and went to the hall outside our door to meet and greet Betsy as she returned. After they finished, Grace went to her perch, and I opened the window for her. She had her supper at 5:30 followed by a small, loaded Kong. As we ate our supper, Grace watched, sitting next to me. When we finished, Grace licked off our plates.
As I cleaned up at 6:00, Grace threw down her small Kong. I loaded it up for her again and gave it to her. A half hour later, she did it again. I gave her a half cup of duck food instead. When she finished, she went out on the balcony.
Evening Puppy Play
There she saw a dog playing in the park. We ran down to meet him just as he was leaving. Since Grace came to play, the owner decided to stay a while longer. It was a new five-month-old Labrador Retriever mix named Toby. He was more playful than Grace, but they did have some fun together.
At 7:00, Toby left and Grace did too. As we approached our apartment door, there was Betsy dressed and ready to go for a walk. I gave her a ball for fetching and Grace’s leash. Grace, of course, was happy to go for another round of outdoor exploring time.
When they returned home at 7:45, Grace went to the balcony to watch nighttime fall. At 8:35, she went out for her last walk of the day. When she returned ten minutes later, she wen to bed.
Friday
At 1:00, Grace was lying on the floor next to her bed. When I passed her a second time a few minutes later, she was back in her bed. My guess is that she gets hot in her bed. At 6:00, she was on the floor. Ten minutes later, we heard her dream barking.
Good Morning, Sunshine
At 6:30, the alarm clock sounded. Betsy got up first. She and Grace gave each other the royal morning greeting. The morning was cool but still warm enough to permit shorts and a light jacket. At 7:00, Grace went to the park. There were no friends there yet, so we moved on for a short walk. Ten minutes later, Grace returned to find Abby getting ready to play. Grace waited patiently — lying down and chewing on a piece of wood.
Grace didn’t seem too anxious to play, but Abby finally got her going. They mainly wrestled. At 7:30 they both moved on. I had driven us to the park, so we just got into the car and headed out.
Something Different
When we arrived at the construction site at 8:00, I noticed a concrete truck heading south on Highway 55 — just beyond the traffic light at Green Level Road. Could that have been the truck that provided, my load? When we arrived at the lot, Grace barked. There was someone sitting on the block wall just outside the garage. It was a mason. The floor had already been poured and distributed. Just one young man remained to tend to finishing the slab.
Grace wanted to investigate it, but I told her “No.” She backed off. She saw the mason’s cookies lying where he had been sitting. To her, it was fair game. I caught her in time though.
Run, Ride, Return
After greeting Snoopy and a short play session with him, Grace went running with me. This time it was cool enough for her to enjoy it. She had few stops. Shortly after we returned to the house, the mason asked me for a two-by-four. He said he wanted a long straight one. I told him I didn’t have one, but would get one for him within an hour. I needed to get a hard hat and an extra key for the car anyway.
Grace and I went down the road to Lowe’s. It was still cool enough to leave Grace in the car despite the sunshine. After twenty minutes in the store, I returned and gave Grace a treat. We took a ten-foot-long board to the mason. He was very happy to get it and used it immediately. Interestingly, by 11:30, a whole truckload of wood was delivered. Timing though is critical when a concrete slab is setting.
Relaxing
Grace found a nice shady spot against the brick wall on the north side of the house near the back corner. She and I hung out there together. Grace occasionally brought a tennis ball to me to throw. At 12:05, a neighbor in Landsdowne opened a patio umbrella. That was something else different. It spooked Grace. When she returned near me after about five minutes, I calmed her. At 12:30, a truck came with two more masons and equipment. Now I understood how they spread the concrete. The crew and the truck with boards were there before I arrived to spread it and do the levelling.
They ran a concrete-smoothing machine for about twenty minutes. By 1:00 the concreted was set up enough to walk on without leaving any tracks.
Home Again and Door Test
When we returned home at 1:30, Grace went to the balcony lounge chair, and I took a shower. At 2:00, Grace came in and went to her perch. I opened the window for her. At 3:45, I noticed the door was closed. I reasoned that this was a good test as to whether Grace could open the door on her own.
At 4:00, I had to go in to attend to the modem in the office. Grace looked at me a bit indignantly as she lay on her side on her perch. When I left, I let the door close back on its own. Betsy came home at 4:50. I had to call Grace. After about fifteen minutes of fretting, Grace finally tugged the rope and came out. We left to go out to eat at 5:00.
Hush Puppy Picnic
At 5:20, Grace arrived at the Farmer’s Market Seafood Restaurant. On the way in, we met a small family that wanted to meet Grace. On command, Grace sat and offered a paw to the little girl. Grace knew what was next. She picked an outdoor picnic table as she waited for Betsy to return with the food. She then sniffed around looking to scavenge something from the grounds. There was nothing. She found the source of the good smell was at the entrance.
When the food came, Grace stayed on the ground and enjoyed hush puppies, french fries, and fried shrimp with us. When we finished, Grace jumped into the back seat and took a little rest while we travelled home. When we slowed, Grace knew we were approaching a stop. We were almost home.
Hanging Around Outdoors
We arrived, and Grace got out. Then a car in the parking lot shook as a dog inside barked. Grace responded with a high-energy barking spurt as I pulled her away from the fray. When we arrived at the apartment at 6:20, Grace went to the balcony lounge chair. She came back in to eat her supper and when she finished, went right back out to the balcony again.
At 8:00, Grace climbed up on her perch. Twenty-five minutes later, Grace came out to the living room to let me know it was time to go for a walk. Grace met Kiko. While Kiko’s owner and I talked, Grace waited patiently. when she returned at 8:55, Grace went back out on the balcony lounge chair. Betsy let her inside sometime after I went to bed.
Saturday
At 1:00, Grace was on the floor next to her bed in the living room when I walked past her. A minute later, she was back in her bed. The same thing happened at 1:50 and at 4:00. At 6:20, the alarm clock sounded, and I got up. Grace and I greeted with tummy rubs and kisses. As I prepared to leave to watch the construction of the first floor of the house, Grace went to the hall of the master suite and lay there to watch Betsy but not disturb her. Before we left at 6:40, Betsy called her over for a quick morning greeting.
False Starts and False Birds
After we went out the door and to the elevator, I remembered I had forgotten something. Grace understood and came running with me down the hall. I looped her leash on the fire water valve as usual and told her to wait. She did. When we got into the elevator and started down, I remembered something else I needed to take with us. Grace didn’t catch on to that immediately, but once we were back on the third floor, she did. Again she ran happily and obediently with me and waited patiently at the water valve. When I returned, she again ran with me looking back at me as she ran as if to say, “It’s okay. I understand.”
When we arrived at the lot, all was quiet. I decided to take Grace for a run. She stopped a few more times than the day before, but she still ran nicely with me overall. First she stopped to watch a squirrel. Then she saw two fake geese in a neighbor’s front yard. She thought they were real. We approached them, and I touched them to show her they were not.
Danger Lurking
After we finished our run, Grace enjoyed her breakfast. Then Grace started exploring and running after squirrels in the woods. At 8:00, the two framing crews showed up. Grace played with Snoopy and then followed me as I took some early photos. She brought me a baseball and played fetch in the front yard next door. Grace continued playing fetch as I moved her to the back yard area. Grace followed.
Rescued from a Violent Attack
As I sat on a stump, Grace came very near to me as Snoopy pursued her to hump her. I was about to find out why. It’s as if she knew. At 10:45, Snoopy snapped and attacked Grace. I pulled Snoopy off of her but ended up with and injury to the third finger of my left hand (wedding ring finger).
The nail bed must have been injured by his bite because the whole end of the finger swelled up. Grace seemed to be okay physically, but she was a bit shaken. I took Snoopy back to his home to cool down.
Taking Refuge
Grace retreated to the well area. I invited her into the car — where we both hung out. At 11:10, Grace saw some activity across the street and began to bark. It was an Easter Egg hunt. What got to her was to see movement and heads coming visible as they walked up the hill. Once she saw the children and parents having fun, she stopped barking and settled in to enjoy watching the fun. What a contrast from the action that happened just a few minutes earlier.
I went to take pictures and check things out. Grace was content to just stay in the car. When I returned, Grace was still sitting in the driver’s seat. She tried to lie down, but the steering wheel made her move to an awkward position. I opened the window and shut the door on the passenger side to block some of the sun. When I invited Grace into that seat, she came, curled up and took a nap.
Venturing Back Out
Every half hour or so, I went over take a few more photos of the work. Grace tagged along with me. At 1:30, Snoopy came back outside and made his way over to play with Grace. I watched him closely. As he approached, Grace assumed a very non-threatening posture. They seemed to get along fine, except for Snoopy’s very persistent humping. That was troubling; because each time I gently pushed him off I wondered whether I would provoke him.
Grace found some shade on the north side of the carpenter crew’s truck. Snoopy was huddled over her as she lay on her belly. I told her to come, but she was afraid if she got up, Snoopy would mount her. I took her by the collar and led her away. Snoopy did get into his routine. After a number of times of his mounting her and my pulling him off. Grace finally turned and snarled at him as we walked away.
Still Shaken, But Playful
At 2:00, the framers were packing up, so we got into the car and headed on. Next, we stopped at the church to pick up some books in the library. Grace stayed in the car as I checked out books. Two young people wanted to play fetch with Grace. She was still a bit shaken from the attack, so she tended to want to stick near me. I gave them one of her balls, explained the shortstop game, and went back inside to check out the books.
When I returned, Grace and I said goodbye to her friends, and we rode off. At 2:45, we were home. Grace went to the balcony, and I got something cool to eat. At 3:00, Grace spotted a friend in the park. We raced down to see Toby. His owner had a Chuck-It! ball and disk. Grace played fetch, dominating the game as Toby ended up simply chasing Grace. Grace retrieved the object and ran for cover beneath the bench or next to the hollow log. After forty-five minutes, Toby left and Grace followed.
Grace Worried
When she returned home, Grace collapsed on the balcony floor. I made some food and put out her scrambled eggs and duck food snack while she snoozed. Fifteen minutes later, Grace came in, found her snack and ate it. At 4:15, I went to the hospital emergency room and left Grace with Betsy.
There they determined that my finger was not just bitten but broken. When I returned at 7:00, Betsy told me that she had fed Grace supper. Betsy said Grace came inside after I left, went to her perch, and worried about me.
When I returned at 7:45, I greeted her. Then she went to the balcony. At 8:30, Grace came inside. It was time for her last trip out for the night. Ten minutes later, she returned to the balcony. I headed for bed. Betsy let her in later when she went to bed.