Battling the winter blues

This week the winter blues hit me a bit to start the week and I'm not sure why.

We had a lovely sunny visit to Soldan Dog Park last Sunday.  It was warm enough that I didn't even make the girls wear their coats.  Since it was Sunday, we had no reason to hurry, so we took our time and really enjoyed our visit.  

Then Monday arrived, and with it, some morning snow showers.   I started the day with my normal first Monday morning meeting.  Then I headed out into the snowy weather to make the drive to Chesaning to attend the funeral of my Great Aunt Dee.  The roads were slippery, but I took my time and made it safely.  I stayed for the meal after the funeral and enjoyed the time with family.  Then I made the drive home to end my day with a couple more hours of work.

When the day was over, I was exhausted and had no desire to head out into the gray, cloudy evening, so i made dinner, fed the girls, and settled in for a quiet evening at home.  I felt guilty for not getting them out all day, but I just didnt have the energy.

Work was crazy all week, and Tuesday was another gray and dismal day, but I knew at the end of the day I had to get the girls out for a walk.  So we headed to Old Town.

We had a nice walk all around Old Town and ended our walk with a quick trip in to Preuss Pets.  Then we headed home for dinner.  

Wednesday was yet another busy day at work.  I had planned to take the girls for a lunchtime run at the dog park, but when I was finally able to take a break for lunch, I just didn't feel up for the trip.  So we just stayed home.

After work, I headed to the shelter for our first Wednesday night dog walk of 2026.  Between work travel and the frigid weather we had in January, we just weren't able to walk.  I was happy to be able to get back to our normal schedule again.

We had a really nice walk, and I was so grateful that we have reached the days where we at least start our walk with some daylight.  By the end of the month we won't be walking in the dark at all.  That's just one of the reasons I'm always happy for the arrival of February. 

After I got home from walking the shelter dogs, I took the girls for a mile walk around the neighborhood in the dark.  They were happy to be out and I was glad that I decided to take them.  

Thursday's forecast showed snow moving into the area in the early afternoon, so I decided to take an early lunch to take the girls to the dog park.  They needed to burn some energy and I wanted a nice walk through the woods.  

They ran and played and had such a good time during our visit.  It started to snow as we were leaving, but we made it home before it had snowed much.  I fed the girls and made my lunch, and then I sat down to continue my work day while I ate.  It was nice to be able to just relax at the end of my work day while the snow fell.

Finally Friday arrived.  I was so ready for it!  I was shocked at how much snow we had gotten over night. My lunch was spent taking Peaches to the vet for her monthly Liberela injection and then taking the girls to Amanda's Grooming for nail trims, but not before I spent some time shoveling all of our new snow.  Thankfully the little outing to Mason pooped them out enough to rest for remainder of the afternoon while I was busy at work.

When the work day finally ended, the weather had turned quite blustery.  Since I needed to run a few errands, I decided to take the girls along so we could avoid walking in the cold.  Instead,  they visited Lowe's and Tractor Supply with me.  

We walked all over Lowe's, and they got lots of love and attention, and even a few treats, from the employees.  It was a great way to entertain them and avoid being out in the cold.

I ended the night with a stop at Menchie's Frozen Yogurt to enjoy a buy one get one free yogurt for National Frozen Yogurt day.  

Peaches was restless through the night and so neither of us slept very well.  That led to a very slow start to our Saturday morning.   When we finally got moving, I was so happy to open the garage door to a bright, sunny day with no new snow.  We've had so many days this year that Ive had to shovel before I could leave, so I really appreciate the days that I don't have to shovel now.

Our first stop of the day was the MSU Dairy Store for Ice Cream for Breakfast day.  They had some interesting specials and I had to check it out.  I was happy when I arrived shortly after 11am and there was plenty of parking and no crowds.  I quickly had my Cinamon Roll Sundae and pup cups for the girls and sat in the car with the girls to enjoy our treat.  Then we headed out to run several errands, including stops at the Holt Farmer's Market, Lowe's again, Target, Walgreens, and Speedway for gas and a car wash.

Then we headed home for lunch and some Olympics.  I had fun plans for later in the afternoon, so I wanted to enjoy a little quiet time at home before we left.

Finally, we left home around 3:30pm to drive to Marshall so we could work on our North Country Trail miles.

Most of the path was very snow covered, although there were some spots that were slightly packed down due to previous walkers.  

While the girls were loving the snow and new smells, it was definitely a more challenging than normal terrain for me.

At points in time I would have likened it to walking in soft sand, but with the added fun of being slippery.

But it was beautiful, and we made prety good time despite the snow.

By the time we arrived back at the car, we had hiked 2.5 miles.  I was really happy with that.  We now have hiked 12 miles on the trail year-to-date.  I'm happy to say that Peaches is going strong and that she is thoroughly enjoying our time on the trail.  Mina and I are loving it too.

When we ended our 100 miles last year, I made the decision not to force anything this year, and if Peaches couldn't complete all 100 miles this year, I would be okay with that. But the way things are going so far, I'm feeling pretty good about the likelihood that she will actually finish again this year.  We're going to keep pushing through the miles as quickly as we can in the cooler months to give her the best shot at finishing with us one more time.  

After we finished on the NCT, we made the short drive to the Brooks Nature Area in Marshall for a Luminary lit hike that they were hosting.  I hadn't heard of the nature area before and really wanted to check it out.

We arrived at about 6pm and headed out on the trail about 30 minutes before the event started. So we had the trail all to ourselves. 

We enjoyed the peacefulness and the golden hour glow over the snow.  It was a beautiful night to be outside.

The girls really loved this new spot and had a really great walk.

The luminaries were pretty against the white of the snow in the waining moments of the daylight.

We looped around and were about three-quarters of the way through the 1.5 mile trail when we began to encounter all of the hikers just heading out for their walk.  

It made the end of our walk a little more challenging, but the girls were very well-behaved and we finally made it back to the trailhead.  I was really glad that we'd started early so we enjoyed most of our walk all by ourselves. 

We headed to the pavilion where they had hot chocolate and some goodies and then we stood by the bonfire for a bit before we got back into the car.

I was so glad I had made time for this stop.  I will definitely visit again to check out more of the trails.

Of course, before leaving Marshall we had to make a stop to check out the Holiday House.   I'd never stopped for Valentine's Day before.  It was a quick stop and then we were on the road for the drive home.

I expected us all to sleep really well after a busy Saturday with plenty of exercise and fresh air, but I had a horrible nights sleep.  Luckily we had no where to go and nothing to do Sunday so I was able to sleep in and the girls happily joined me.

While we had a slow start to the day, after eating lunch, we went out for a walk.  It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and the fresh air and sunshine felt great.  We walked three lovely miles.

Finally we headed inside to watch the Olympic figure skating team competition.  I love the Olympics!

For dinner, I heated up some leftover pizza and I made a couple snacks for the night, the girls had dinner, and now we are all snuggled up for a quiet night while I switch between watching the Super Bowl and Olympic Snowboarding. 

For the first time this year, our temperatures next week will consistently be above 30 degrees.  That is going to feel like a heat wave! And even more exciting than that is that we've reached sunsets after 6pm!  After starting the week with the winter blues, I'm really excited that we're quickly moving through February and I'm ready to finish out the winter strong.    

As January comes to an end.

We have now lived through the second week of our cold spell here in Mid-Michigan.  Honestly,  the last two weeks have been the longest stretch of teens and single digit temperatures that I can remember in several years.  

In addition to the frigid temperatures and windchils below zero, Friday was the first day in a week that we didn't get at least a small amount of snow. Shoveling has become a part of my every day routine.  Luckily it has been light and fluffy snow, which makes the shoveling easy.  Plus it forces me to get outside.

It has made for a pretty winter landscape all around us too. 

Work has been keeping me busy, but I've prioritized taking short breaks and making time to get out for some excercise with the girls during the day when the temperatures tend to be their warmest.  

Many days I have broken my lunch up into two different halves, using the first half earlier in the day to shovel and take the girls for a short walk, and then later in the day taking another short walk followed by feeding the girls lunch in their snufflemats or other brian game and making a quick lunch for myself.  

On Monday, I used part of my lunch to drive out to Mason before my final meeting of the day.  I sat  at the Biggby in Mason to join my Teams meeting, and then drove across the road to the shelter to pick up Mac, who was going to be my next foster, when I was done.

Unfortunately, when I got home, his introduction to Mina didn't go very well and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep him as a foster long-term.  I was disappointed because he is such a nice boy and he has been starting to struggle at the shelter.  He really needed a safe place to stay for awhile and I very much wanted us to be able to provide that to him.  But I guess that it just wasn't meant to be.  I worry about what might happen if no on else steps up to foster him or he isn't adopted soon.  The reality of shelter life isn't always easy.

While he was here for Monday night, I spent part of the evening with him in the bedroom with a baby gate in the hall while the girls had full run of the rest of the house.  The other part of the night, I put the girls in my office with the door shut and let Mac wander freely around the house.  He got some treats,  a bone stuffed with peanut butter, and plenty of snuggle time.   The best part of his stay was knowing how well he slept for the night away from the shelter.

It broke my heart to return him to the shelter Tuesday morning because I felt like I had failed him.  But I just had to remind myself that we had tried and that was the best I could do.  

When I got home, I had a full and busy day of work.  I took a moment before I started to sit quietly with Peaches and remind myself that my first responsibility will always be to ensure she and Mina are happy, safe, and well cared for. 

While I was busy, the girls were exceptionally well-behaved and quieter than normal.  Maybe they could tell I needed the peacefulness.  Because I had used my lunch break to take Mac to the shelter, I didn't have time to get the girls out for our mid-day walk, but they did have lunch in their treat balls and each enjoyed a Kong as well.

When my work day finally ended, I knew I had to get out for some fresh air.  The girls deserved a good walk and the sun was shining when we headed out just after 5pm. With temperatures in the mid-teens and no wind, we stayed comfortable and were able to get in a 1.5 mile walk in just under 30 minutes.  

It was exactly how we needed to end our day.  Then we had dinner and settled in for a nice quiet evening.

The weather Wednesday remained cold, and the girls were happy to join me in the office while I worked.

I was able to get them out for a short walk at noon before feeding them lunch.

While it was 15 degrees, there was a slight wind which made it feel colder, but that didn't stop Peaches from jumping into the snow and stopping us so that she could sniff anything she found interesting.   She was having the best time!

After work, we got out for 1.5 more miles before dinner.  

My Thursday schedule was a little crazy, but I really wanted to get the girls out for a lunchtime break. When I looked at the weather and saw the temperatures were 17 degrees with no wind, I decided to make the drive to Soldan Dog Park to let the girls run.

I figured a change of scenery would be nice and they'd both be able to run and burn a little more energy.  We'd only have about 35 minutes to spend at the park, too, and that seemed perfect with the temperature.  As always, they both had a great time and I enjoyed the freedom of a walk through the woods not attached to a leash.

I have also been enjoying our evening walks so much this week, that I took them out for another 1.5 mile walk before dinner.  Fresh air and exercise are good for the soul.

Finally Friday arrived.  I was exhausted from the week.  Work had been draining and I was ready for the week to be over.  It was also our coldest day of the week.  There was no new snow and no need for me to shovel, and I just couldn't bring myself to take the girls out for a walk before lunch.  Instead, I started a load of laundry, and we had a quiet lunch hour with a little playtime and then some snuggles.

When the day eneded, I finished up my laundry and did the dishes which I had ignored the night before. As I was finishing up a few other chores, I looked over and saw the girls looking out the window.  And I knew I had to get them out for a walk.

The sun was shining and it was beautiful, so we bundled up and headed out the door.  We didn't get quite 1.25 miles, but we had gotten out, and that was what was most important.  

When we got back to the house, I finished folding the last of the laundry, dried the rest of the dishes, and noticed just how light it still was at 6pm.  The days are growing longer and I was so excited that I had paid attention enough to really notice the change.  I did a little more clean-up before feeding the girls dinner and heating up leftover enchiladas and tortilla soup for dinner for myself.  

Peaches didn't sleep very well Friday night which meant I didn't sleep very well either.  She was restless and couldn't relax, and her constant shifting kept waking me up.  Finally at 6am, I let the girls out for their morning potty break and fed them breakfast, and then we all headed back to bed.  And by some miracle,  we all fell fast asleep. And when I woke up, it was after 10am!  

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at home.  Finally around 3pm, we headed out toward Seidman Park in Ada to get in some miles on the North Country Trail. 

It was calm, sunny, and 20 degrees when we arrived, so we stayed pretty comfortable on our walk.

I enjoyed the beauty of the winter day while Peaches enjoyed all of the new smells.  Sometimes it is hard to keep her moving because she wants to stop and sniff everything.   Mina has been mostly patient with her, but she'd prefer that we just keep moving.  I'm with Mina on this one.

We started our hike on the paved path along the road, and once we reached the covered bridge, we turned to head back toward the park.

Then we headed into the woods for the remainder of our walk.

It was beautiful with the sun shining through the trees.

By the time we got back to the car, we had hiked a total of 2.8 miles.  This makes our total miles hiked for the month of January 9.5 miles.  While I had hoped to get to 10 miles on the trail this month, with the frigid weather and snow we've had the last couple of weeks, I'm really pleased with our progress.  Only 90.5 miles to go!

As the sun was setting, we made our way into downtown Ada to wander around town on the final day of their Winter Lights Walking Trail. 

We parked near the covered bridge and started our walk there.

Downtown was festively lit and beautiful...and very busy.   The girls got some pets from some people we walked by and enjoyed seeing all of the people out and about.

After the short walk around town, we were back at the bridge again and ready to head home.

I made the girls take one more walk to the bridge with me and we enjoyed the peacefulness and beauty all around us.  

Then we were back in the car for the drive home.  Not long after we started the drive, Nicol and Fiona called to share the fun that they had had at the Plymouth Ice Festival and Fiona entertained me with silly stories and interesting facts the rest of the way home.  She's such a character. 

We had dinner when we got home, and then we all settled in for a quiet evening.  Peaches was quickly sound asleep, and thankfully she slept well all night.   It felt great to get a really good night of rest.

We have officially reached the end of January and what often feels like one of the longest months of the year.  But I have to say, I found a lot to enjoy about January this year.  

Despite the extremely cold temperatures, we didn't get much wind which would have made it feel so much worse.  And despite all of the snow we got, the sidewalks stayed much safer in my neighborhood than normal for the winter.  The fluffy snow didn't stick as much so the sidewalks have been dry, or at least not icy, and that has made our walks so much more enjoyable.  Mostly, I've enjoyed the slower pace of life, taking time to rest, and finding ways to enjoy the winter months.  

Our Sunday will be spent quietly at home.  Overnight temperatures got down to -4, which is one of the coldest actual temperatures we've had during this cold streak.  Our forecast for later today has temperatures climbing to the mid-20s, and those temperatures should stick around for most of the week. It's still cold, but it's definitely an improvement.  Now I'm going snuggle up with the girls and a good puzzle book to enjoy a quiet morning.

It is now February 1st and I'm so excited.   This is one of my favorite months as the days get longer and we slowly creep our way toward Spring!  I know we still have plenty of winter ahead of us, but the promise of spring keeps me ever hopeful. Happy February!