Spooky season kick off

We continued our journey through October with more fall adventures this week.  The week started with unseasonably warm weather and beautiful fall colors.  I was happy to still be able to be out in shorts and my Teva sandals!  That would come to an end later in the week.

We stayed closer to home on Monday with a trip to Frances Park.

We especially enjoyed our walk along Moore's River Drive and the Grand River.  The crew team was out on the water practicing and lots of people were out enjoying the gorgeous day.

After our walk along the river, we headed back into Frances Park to finish our walk.

I reallt enjoy the colors here every October.  It is the best time to visit Frances Park in my opinion. 

After a busy day of work, I was really ready to get the girls out for our evening walk on Tuesday.  With sunsets now happening before 7pm, we have been leaving the house immediately after work to maximize our time.

I made the decision to get in the car for a trip to campus for our walk, but as we drove along Mt. Hope, I made a last minute change of plans, deciding to park at Evergreen Cemetery to.get out on the South Lansing Pathway instead.

I was not disappointed with this decision.  With the nice weather, there were more bikers than I am used to seeing here, but we still enjoyed this part of the trail and all of it's beautiful trees.

We walked as far as the Bear Lake Pathway before turning around to head back to the car.  

We did a quick loop around the cemetery because the trees were beautiful there and I'm trying to make sure we are walking around 3 miles daily. 

 

The three mile walks are not difficult for us, but they are getting a little slower with Peaches' age. Our first mile now averages about 25 minutes because she needs to sniff, potty, and wander a bit more. Thankfully the second mile of our walk tends to move a little faster, but a 3 mile walk usually takes us about an hour and 10 minutes. Not the speed we've been used to over the years, but we're just happy to still be moving and getting outside together.

 

After our short loop in the cemetery, it is was back into the car for the drive home.

Wednesday morning, I had to make a trip to Livonia for work.  It was supposed to be a quick trip to ensure the room was set-up for a meeting we were holding that afternoon.  Since I thought I was going to be there less than two hours, I decided to bring the girls along for the ride with the plan of taking my lunch and getting them out for a walk on the drive home.

I ended up staying longer than I had originally planned, but that wasn't a big deal because when I checked on the girls, they were comfy, cozy, and sound asleep.  Then, as I was leaving, I ran into one of my team members who was just arriving, and she convinced me to stay for the dinner we had planned for the evening.  

I'm so lucky that the girls travel so well and are completely comfortable hanging out in the car, but I knew that I needed to get them out for a potty break and to stretch their legs.  So we headed out for an afternoon walk around the mall next to the hotel and got in a nice 2 1/4 mile walk.  When we got back to the car, I gave them a nice big drink of cold water and headed back inside to finish some work before dinner.  They had dinner in the car before my dinner. The girls had dinner in the car and then settled in for a nap while I had dinner.

My quick trip had turned into a full day away from home, but I'm glad I got to spend some quality time with this amazing group of people. 

I treated myself to lunch from the taco truck on Thursday,  and Peaches joined me for the drive to pick up my food.  

Then, after I ate, I got the girls out for a lunchtime walk around the neighborhood.  The forecast called for rain later in the day, and I wanted to make sure we got in a good walk before the rain arrived.  This led to a very quiet afternoon. 

Rain moved through the area late in the afternoon,  and then there was a small break in the rain shortly after 5pm, so we headed out for a quick visit to the South Lansing Farmer's market. 

We started with a trip into Feeder's before walking around the Farmer's Market and making a couple of small purchases.  Then the rain started again, and we headed home for the night.

Friday arrived and I was looking forward to all of the fun we had planned for our weekend.

I finished my work day early to attend our favorite Halloween event of the year- Preuss Pets Howloween trick or treating for dogs.   There was rain in the forecast, but other than a few sprinkles,  we had nearly perfect fall weather for this event.

The girls loved trick-or-treating through Old Town and I enjoyed seeing just how much they were enjoying themselves. 

We got to see friends, enjoyed a nice walk, and came away with so many goodies!  We had the best time!  

On the way home, we made a quick stop for a walk at Fenner Nature Center.  It was the perfect start to our weekend. 

Saturday afternoon we took part in a fun Doggy Trunk or Treat event put on by Paw City Pets.

It was officially a Bark and Brew event which was held at Sanctuary Spirits in Grand Ledge.  

In addition to the Trunk or Treat, there was a fun paw painting activity, bobbing for apples, pup cups, and then some time on the patio to enjoy lunch and a drink.

The weather was beautiful to sit on the patio and just enjoy the day. Such a fun event!

After the event, I wanted to get the girls out for a walk.  But first, I decided to take a drive to enjoy some of the beauty of Fall.

There was some beautiful color along our drive through the farm lands and I savored all of the amazing views. 

Finally we arrived in Marshall for our walk around town to enjoy Skeletonfest.  This is a favorite spooky seaon stop for us every year.

We enjoyed seeing all of the skeletons and even got a little silly trying to get a picture together. 

There are so many clever skeleton decorations!

By the time we finsihed our walk, the sun had set so we walked down the street to check out the Holiday House. 

I think she out did herself this year with several new additions.  Such a cool place to visit every holiday, but I think Halloween is my favorite.

After we made the drive home from Marshall, I looked through all of the goodies the girls had gotten from Howloween and the Trunk or Treat.  I think they made out pretty well!

After a busy couple of days, we were happy to spend most of our Sunday at home. 

After a quiet morning, we got out for a mid-day walk, and I decided to check out a new random neighborhood.  We walked along thr Grand River and even found a couple of new parks.

I was surprised to see this monument that I had never seen before and had no idea even existed.  What a cool piece of  Lansing Automotive history. 

After our walk, we ran a few quick errands, ate lunch, and then spent the rest of the day quietly at home.  It was the perfect end to our beautiful fall weekend.  

We have more spooky season fun in the coming week and I'm looking forward to all of it.  We will make the most of every minute before the long dark days of November arrive.

Settling into October

When people talk about the season of Autumn, I think most of them are thinking about October.  It seems to be the quintessential Fall month with cool days and even cooler nights creating the orange, red, and yellow pallette we all associate with the season.  It brings earlier sunsets, longer nights, and the beginning of the spooky season.  October is Fall.

Over the last week, we've seen the changes in the trees all around us.  There is more and more color every day. And while I don't love the early sunsets or the fact that temperatures regularly dip into the 30s and 40s over night now, I do appreciate the beauty of the season. 

On Monday, I had to make a trip to Okemos to return a pair of shoes and get a new pair at Playmkers.  Since we were on that side of town, I decided to stop in East Lansing for our evening walk on our way home.

We had a really nice walk around downtown and the nearby neighborhood while enjoying the sounds of the East Lansing High School marching band in the distance.   If that's not Fall, I don't know what is.

Early in the day Tuesday, I noticed a couple of small very inflamed, red spots on one of Mina's back legs.  Without knowing what had caused the problem and seeing how much it was bothering her, I made an appointment to see the Vet after work.

Her appointment was at 6pm, so we headed to Mason immediately after work to get in a walk before her appointment.   With sunset at 7:15, I didn't know if we'd have much time after her appointment and I wanted to be sure everyone got some exercise. 

Her exam led us to the conclusion that she was having an allergic reaction to something that must have rubbed her in that spot on her leg.  We were sent home with some wipes to use daily and told to give her a dose of Benadryl every 8 to 12 hours.  We'll have a follow-up appointment next week, if needed.

We finsihed her appointment with enough time to get out for another walk along the Hayhoe Trail before sunset.  Then we headed home for dinner and a relaxing evening.

Wednesday I had an appointment in Okemos after work, so we left home early to take a walk in Central Park South.

It was a beautiful sunny evening and we all enjoyed this walk.  There were beautiful fall colors for me to enjoy, and the girls loved all of the new smells.

We got in about 1 1/2 miles before my appointment, and I was thankful to have enough time to get in another 1 1/2 miles after my appointment at sunset.

Thursday I had to travel to Grand Rapids for work for the night, and the girls got to spend the night at Camp Bow Wow.

It was nice to get to spend some time with our advisors for the day and then enjoy a little time with my new team over dinner.

We took a short walk along the Grand River before dinner, and then I enjoyed a lovely view of downtown from the balcony of my hotel room after a long day.

After a great night's sleep, I did some work from the hotel before heading out to pick the girls up from Camp Bow Wow.  Then we had a really quiet afternoon at home.  I finished my work for the day while the girls napped.

After work, I needed some fresh air and walk, so we headed to Fenner Nature Center.

I've decided to make this our regular Friday evening spot, at least as the colors are changing, so we can see them progress here over the next few weeks.

It was a beautiful, peaceful evening for a walk.

The girls even cooperated for a picture along the way.

We always enjoy our walks at Fenner.  It was a good start to our weekend.

Saturday we made the drive to Farmington Hills to visit Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona.  

Our visit started at the Farmington Farmer's Market.   Mina was extremely disappointed that she didn't get any Petey's Donuts, but she was determined to get the crumbs out of the bag.

Fiona loves playing in the straw piles they have set up in the park and kept pretending to be a straw monster.

We enjoyed a visit and then took a walk around the market to pick up a few deals on some fresh veggies.

After a stop for lunch, we headed back to Nicol's house and I had a chance to play ball with Picasso.

I also spent time playing with Fiona both inside and outside.  It was so nice to get to spend some time with her.  She's growing up so fast!

We took the scenic route home, and stopped in Williamston for a walk and to check out the Light Pole decorations for the spooky season.

There were lots of great decorations, but Preuss Pets had one of our favorites.

The girls were really happy to be out for a walk after a lot of time in the car, and I was happy to be able to stretch my legs too.

I was pretty proud of them for letting me get several pictures along the way.

After checking out all of the light poles, we headed to McCormick Park to finsih our walk.

The fall colors at sunset were very pretty.  The picture doesn't really show them very well, though.

We headed back to the car at the end of our walk and enjoyed the beautiful pink sky just after sunset.

Such a pretty end to our fun-filled Saturday. 

I decided Sunday would be a day to rest and relax.  

Mina enjoyed snuggling with me while we watched some Game Show Network throughout the morning and Peaches napped nearby.

It was gray and gloomy all day, perfect for a day at home.  We took a mid-day car ride to get gas and the girls spent some time outside throughout the day.  They each had an afternoon Kong and ate dinner in one of their brain games, and now we're enjoying the Lions game while I have dinner.  It was the perfect way to end our first full week of October. 

Our spooky season fun kicks-off over the upcoming week with some of our favorite dog-friendly events.  We can't wait for all of the fun we're going to have!