Happy November

Without a vehicle, our November adventures have been limited, but I am trying to keep the girls happy and active any chance I get.  To start off the month, I decided to try something new and decorate a fall-themed tree.  I've seen another in my neighborhood on our daily walks and was inspired to give it a go myself.  I am really happy with how it turned out and it definitely makes the days in my home office a little more cheery.  The only problem...Maddie has decided she wants to rub her head in the branches on a regular basis, just like she does with the trees outdoors.  This has never been a problem with Christmas trees in the past, but life with Maddie has always been a bit unpredictable.  She nearly knocked the tree over one day while I was on a Microsoft Teams meeting for work, so I turned off my video and pulled her out of the tree.  Never a dull moment!

The girls have settled into a good routine and with all of the nice weather we've been having, they have spent lots of time outdoors every day.  We need to take full advantage of 70s in November every chance we can!  Melanie and Peaches love to be outside exploring the yard or playing with the neighbor's new puppy.  And after a bit outside, they come in and settle in nicely.

Plus after a day full of fresh air, lots of play time, and a good walk, they like to spend the evenings snuggling.  

In an attempt to really enjoy the weather and get the girls the exercise they need,  I've been taking Maddie on walks by herself so we can go at her pace and then taking a separate walk with Mel and Peaches.  One day we even discovered a new park within walking distance of home, right along the river.  It was beautiful and I can't believe I wasn't aware that this place even existed.

Melanie has also been enjoying some nightly snuggle time with Maddie, I just can't stand how cute they are!  Maddie has been so good with the puppy, and honestly, Melanie has been gentle with Maddie too.  It warms my heart to see.

We're also grateful for a weekend adventure with Vanessa and yet another new park we have found to explore.  

Over the weekend, in addition to an adventure with Vanessa, I was able to wash and air dry all of the dog beds, do some yard work and leaf clean up, and even got the outdoor Christmas lights up while wearing shorts in November.  

I have definitely enjoyed the reprieve from cold weather and the ability to take some really nice walks around the neighborhood and feel productive...all while waiting to figure out my car situation.  But nothing lasts forever and colder temperatures moved in mid-week.  However, we didn't let that dampen our spirits because Melanie had a very exciting meeting scheduled with a family.

So after a good walk and lots of special treats throughout the day, we partook in our adoption eve tradition of an ice cream party.  The girls really love that tradition and thoroughly enjoyed their special treat.

Wednesday morning arrived and we prepared for the drive to Battle Creek to meet Melanie's potential new family.  Vanessa joined us for the trip and she and Peaches walked around the park while I spoke with the family.  Of course, Melanie charmed her way into their hearts, and after completing the adoption paperwork, she walked away without one look back, headed to Illinois for her new life.

I had taken the day off and couldn't imagine not taking some time to get out for a little fun and exploration with the girls.  I had spent some time looking for a couple of places to visit and do a little geocaching along the way as well. 

There aren't a lot of areas to hike in the counties in southwest Michigan.  Most of the area is just very small towns surrounded by farmland.  But I looked at my list of most beautiful spots in each county and found what I though would be a good place for our first stop-the Rawson's King Mill County Park, the most beautiful spot in St. Joseph County.  

We arrived only to find that the park is technically not dog friendly, but there was no one else there and it was a tiny park, so we got the girls out of the car for a little walk and exploration.  The park is very pretty and we saw a beaver and some goats during our short walk.  

Our next stop was the Langley Covered Bridge.  It is the longest of Michigan's remaining covered bridges and was listed as one of the top 10 things to see in the county, so of course we had to stop.  

We made a few other short stops during the day.  One of my favorites was Culbertson Cemetery, the cemetery in the middle of the road.  It was a cool little spot.   This was our last stop on our journey south and it was now time to start heading back toward home.  

We made a quick stop for lunch at a gas station advertising hot sandwiches and chicken dinners, and while the chicken sandwich left much to be desired, the potato wedges were delicious.  Our journey continued until we reached Nashville where we needed to stop for a geocache and some ice cream from Mooville.  

We arrived at home shortly after 5pm and the girls ate dinner and then settled in for a quiet night at home.  It's definitely been a bit quieter without Melanie here, but I've heard from her new family and she is settling in well.  They adopted a second pup from the rescue on Thursday(which was the plan all along) and the girls are settling in together nicely.  I love a good adoption success, but this is one of the best.   Just look at how cute they are!

After a quiet Friday the 13th, we were excited for a Saturday geocaching adventure with Vanessa.  We explored some parks close to home and did a little bushwacking through the woods.  

In total, we walked just over 3.5 miles and spent a great Fall afternoon in the woods. We finished our adventures with lunch at my favorite taco truck.  It was a great day.

The next few weeks should be quiet around here as we move into the late Fall and the Holiday season.  I'm not sure what our adventures will look like as we move toward the Winter, but I am really looking forward to the peace of the upcoming season with my girls.   Hard to believe that we are less than two months from the year-end.