The Waning Days of Summer

As our summer season continues to grow shorter, so do our daylight hours.  Every single day, I can feel the changes.  Earlier sunsets, cooler temperatures, and more rain in the forecast...all signs that Fall is quickly approaching.

While the shortened daylight hours make it more difficult to get to some of our favorite local spots for our evening walks, it doesn't mean that we won't continue to try to do that some evenings.  But on days when things happen that don't allow us to leave for our walks as soon as my workday ends,  we'll happily continue to enjoy some good walks around our neighborhood.

Tuesday I thought we'd change things up a bit and make a trip to Joey's Pet Outfitters to use a gift card I had been given.  We very rarely go there since it's on the other side of town, and I thought the girls might enjoy a little change of pace.

Our stop took longer than it should have, and when we left Joey's,  I knew we had to stop for a walk nearby.  So I decided to stop at Ted Black Woods, another place we don't often visit.  The girls loved this stop and all of the new smells.  I couldn't believe how crazy they were acting.  I also couldn't believe how quickly it started to feel very dark in the woods. 

We made it out alive and with daylight remaining, but I was reminded that I need to be more careful choosing our walk locations with the sunsets getting earlier every day...or at least be more cognizant of the time!  Summer has slipped away too fast, and I haven't adjusted to darkness before 8pm.

On Wednesday I had to make the drive to Chesaning to attend tlhe visitation at the funeral home in town. The visitation was for Keith Valentine, my grandpa's cousin, a family historian, and an all-around wonderful human being, who passed away last weekend.   He was such a presence in the community and in our family and I had to pay my respects. 

Since I knew that it would be dark by the time I got home, I brought the girls along for the drive, and got them out for a walk around Showboat Park before leaving town.

It was a beautiful evening for a walk along the Shiawassee River, and we all enjoyed it very much.

Before leaving the park, I let the girls visit the dog park there as well so that Mina could run a bit and Peaches could sniff around as much as she wanted.

We left the dog park and got the girls loaded into the car just after sunset.  Then I made a quick stop to pick up some takeout for dinner, fed the girls their dinner while I quickly ate in the car, and made our drive home in the dark, exercised and fed.

We took an early lunch to get out for a walk on Thursday because of rain in the forecast later in the day.

We walked around REO Town and the surrounding neighborhood and enjoyed a beautiful peaceful walk.

Peaches was extra spunky on our walk and seemed to really be enjoying herself.   That always makes me happy. 

We got in a nice fast-paced 1.5 miles before we headed home to eat our lunch.  The rest of the afternoon was extremely quiet while I worked.

While there were a few sprinkles, I decided we would head to downtown  Mason for their Thursday Night Concert Series on Thursday evening.

I got a slice of pizza and some breads sticks from Westside Deli and then we made the walk to the Courthouse Square to enjoy the Mason High School Marching Band's performance. 

I ate my pizza with an audience, and when I was done, we walked around the square enjoying the music.  Of course the girls got lots of attention and love, and I was complemented many times on how well-behaved they were.  They really are excellent in crowded situations. 

We enjoyed the performance and got in a nice walk before the evening was over and it was time to head home.  I love being able to do things like this with them.

Friday was another day of on and off rain, but by the time I finished work for the day, there was no rain and I knew we had to get out somewhere fun for our walk. 

I was happy to head to Fenner Nature Center which was pretty empty when we arrived. 

We enjoyed a walk through both the grasslands and the woods, and I enjoyed how beautifully green everything was still.  But the color change is coming and we saw hints of it along our walk.

We had a really wonderful evening in the woods which was the perfect way to start our weekend. 

Saturday was rainy all day.  We started our day at a very rainy car pool parking lot clean-up event with a group of geocachers.  Then we headed home for some rainy day snuggles.  When the rain stopped, we made a short trip to Down Home Days in downtown Mason.  It was pretty quiet, but we were able to enjoy some fries from one of the food trucks before we left.

Then I had to head to Nicol's house to watch Picasso for a few hours while they were out of town for the day attending a memorial service near Traverse City.  Picasso was very happy to see me and the rain stopped long enough for me to get him out for a 1.75 mile walk before the rain came back with a vengeance. 

We snuggled and had some quiet time together, and I fed him dinner and made sure he had a potty break before I had to leave to get home.  But I had the best time with my sweet grandpuppy.

I was thankful that the rain had stopped again, or at least slowed to a very little drizzle, when we got home so that I could take the girls out for our annual final Saturday of Summer photo shoot on the back porch. 

They weren't very cooperative, but that's pretty normal,  and I was able to get a few pictures.

Then they explored the yard for a while before coming in for dinner and a quiet, rainy night snuggled up together. 

We had another rainy morning to start our Sunday, and for the second day in a row, it was cool enough that I had to wear long pants and shoes.  BOO!  I'm hopeful that we still have some short-wearing days ahead of us...but I know that those are going to be gone soon.

It was still raining when we left home to meet Vanessa for a little afternoon adventure.  Peaches was ready for some fun!

Mina was so excited to see Vanessa and happily greeted her with an overly enthusiastic full-body wiggle.

Vanessa tried to make friends with some cows, but they weren't too sure that they wanted to be her friend.

We spent most of the afternoon on the backroads around Maple Rapids doing some geocaching. Thankfully the rain stopped as we started our adventure and we had good afternoon of fun.

The farm lands were beautiful and the sky was the moody sky of an impending autumn.  We even saw a few peaks of color starting along the way.

When we finished our day of caching, we stopped at Uncle John's Cider Mill to let the girls stretch their legs. 

We had a very nice 1 1/4 mile walk around the farm and the girls were happy to be out of the car.  

Then we stopped at Phillips Orchard for a cider slush and some treats to end our adventure.

After returning Vanessa to her car, we stopped for a quick visit to Preuss Pets on the way home.  The girls were happy to see their favorite employees and to visit the fish and rats.

Before leaving Old Town we got in one more walk for the day to ensure we had gotten everyone sufficient exercise for a quiet evening at home.  

I made one more stop on the drive home to pick up a couple of things from the grocery store, then we continued home.  We've had dinner, and the girls spent a little time outside afterwards, and we are now settled in for the night. 

We had a pretty good week despite the rainy days, and we're doing a good job of staying active, which is especially important for Peaches' well being.  She had a really good week and while I see that she's slowing down more and having a few more old-age related issues, overall she's still doing pretty well and is definitely enjoying life. That makes me happy.

This week Sunmer will come to a close, and we'll be gearing up for some Fall fun and adventures.  Every time I look at Peaches, I am reminded how short life is and how lucky we are to be able to still get out on adventures together.  And we're not going to stop until she lets me know it's time.  Life is meant to be lived and that's what we plan to do!

My how time flies

On Monday we celebrated Labor Day with an afternoon trip to Uncle John's Cider Mill to walk the farm trail after a relaxing morning at home.

This is the third year that we've spent our Labor Day walking the farm trail, and we always seem to enjoy it.  I think that makes it our new tradition.  

We usually check out the sunflower field first and then continue on the farm trail around the orchard, but this year, the sunflower fields were moved farther from the parking lot and the old sunflower field was replaced with a field of Zinnias.  

There were also seemingly more pumpkins this year, but maybe they had just moved from a different location.  Either way, we enjoyed both fields as we walked past them, continuing toward the sunflowers.

There didn't seem to be as many sunflowers this year, but the apple orchard did not disappoint.   I love walking past row upon row of trees loaded with apples of varying shades of red and yellow.  It also provides a little shade from the hot sun we have encountered on every visit.

We walked just shy of three miles before reaching the car.  Peaches was hot, thirsty, and tired when we got back, and she was very thankful to be able to lie down next to the car and get a nice drink.

After sitting for a bit just enjoyjng the day, we loaded into the car, made the very short drive down to Phillips Orchard to get a cider slush and some treats, and then enjoyed our snacks on the drive home.  It had been a good day.

Tuesday it was back to work after our nice long weekend.  We had rainy weather for part of the day, as well as on and off throughout the week, but thankfully we were able to get out for a neighborhood walk before sunset. 

We actually didn't wander far from home most of the week which was nice.  But it is also becoming more necessary as the sunsets get earlier, making the evenings seem so much shorter.  I feel like I barely have time to walk the dogs and eat dinner before it's dark now.  And it's only going to continue to get shorter as we move through the next few months. 

We enjoyed our Thursday night visit to the South Lansing Farmer's Market, and I was finally able to get some of my favorite egg rolls, which I've missed the last few times we've visited.   The girls said hello to friends, got their special treats from Fur Real Dog Snacks, and convinced me to take a walk around inside Feeder's so that they could see the birds and bunnies.

Then we made a mad dash to get to Preuss before they closed because I had a few things I needed to pick up there.   We made it with seven minutes to spare.  Then we walked around the block a few times to get in some exercise before heading home for dinner.

Friday was Fiona's first day of  her second year at Nature Preschool.  She was very excited about it despite the fact that her best friend Lilah is not attending the same preschool this year.  I'm sure she'll make new friends in no time.  She's a busy little girl with three half days of preschool every week and dance and gymnastics on her days off from school.  She is growing up so fast and I just need that to slow down a bit.

The girls and I drove downtown for our evening walk on Friday.  We had to check out the newest decorations for the fall that the City of Lansing had just installed the previous day.  While I think it's too early for Jack-o-lanterns, I do like this fun little addition to downtown for this Fall.

Then we walked around the Capitol Complex all the way to the Supreme Court Building and the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.  It was a beautiful way to start our weekend.

When we got home, I was busy making dinner, finishing a couple loads of laundry, doing dishes and some cleaning, and preparing some raffle baskets for the ISR Reunion the next day.  It was a hectic, but very productive evening, and I went to bed feeling like I had accomplished quite a lot.

Saturday morning I was up early getting ready for our fun-filled day ahead of us.  I loaded the car with our raffle items, packed a bag for myself and extra dog food for the girls, and, when it was time to leave, I loaded the girls into the car and we were off to the Chicago area for the reunion.

I was happy to get a picture with the girls before the reunion started, then I was ready for a day of selling 50/50 tickets, fun games and activities for the girls, visiting with fellow volunteers, and seeing lots of dogs!

It was hot...in the upper 80s with a heat index over 90, which Peaches didn't love, but there was plenty of water all around, and the heat didn't deter her from hoping for a snack while I ate.

They got to do the Pointer Picasso activity, and I came home with three cute pots, one painted by each of them and the third was a joint project.  

They also partook in the Frosty Paws eating contest where Mina came in second place for the second year in a row.  Peaches won prizes for being one of the laziest lickers and for bring the oldest dog there.  Everyone at the reunion always leaves with at least a prize or two, and it's always fun to watch the dogs pick out their prizes.

After a fun day at the reunion, we started our drive toward home.   I wasn't sure if we'd drive all the way or if we'd stop and stay somewhere along the way, but I knew for sure we'd stop to see the sunset.

We stopped just outside of Gary to eat dinner and stretch our legs, then continued our drive North and East.  I was able to find a small roadside park with beach access just a few miles off our path and headed there for our final stop of the day.  When we arrived at this little park, I couldn't believe what an amazing gem we had found.

We immediately headed to the water so Peaches could get a drink and I could get my feet wet.  Then we enjoyed a walk along the shore.

We stopped to enjoy the slowly setting sun so I could get some pictures of the girls.

Then I random stranger arrived at the beach and asked if she could take my picture with the girls.  I'm so glad she asked and that I said yes. 

I chatted with her a bit, and she shared with me that she lives locally and that I had found a hidden treasure of a beach that very few people know about.  I can't believe I was so lucky.  I am sure we will visit again. 

We stayed to watch the sun sink behind the clouds.  It was beautiful and amazing, and I was so glad that we had stopped.  The rest of our drive home was quiet and peaceful. 

We slept in Sunday morning and had a relaxing start to our day.

Then we had lunch and watched the Lions game.

I did get some cleaning and other things done around the house, and I finished some meal prep for the week.  Mina slept, and Peaches followed me around as I worked.  Then she tried for two hours to convince me it was time for her dinner.

Finally, we got out for a nice walk around the neighborhood before sunset to end our day.  We saw over 20 deer along the way and enjoyed the cooler temperatures.  The windows are now open and we'll be heading off to bed soon.  It has been such a nice weekend.  

It's hard for me to believe that Labor Day has already come and gone and that Summer is quickly drawing to a close.  Next weekend is our final weekend of Summer 2026, so we'll have to do what we can to make the most of it and the rest of this week.