A quiet week at home

It has been a pretty uneventful week here.  The girls and I have laid low and stayed close to home most of the week.  It was just one of those weeks where none of us were motivated to do much...maybe the mid-Winter blues set in a bit.  And the weather wasn't spectacular, which always makes it easier to make excuses for not getting outside.  Since we've kept pretty busy this Winter, I figured taking a couple days off to just stay home and relax was well-earned.  

Monday the girls had their annual vet appointment.  I don't normally take them both at the same time, but I was glad that I did this time.  It easier for me to take both currently since we're still not allowed into the building so there is no time spent sitting in a lobby trying to keep Peaches still and trying to keep Maddie from greeting everyone that walks by.  I did laugh a bit at the new vet tech who came out to take both girls into the building for their appointment as Peaches dragged him forward while Maddie held him back...and he just kept repeating to himself  "Peaches is pink, Peaches is pink", so he wouldn't forget which dog was which.  Thankfully I didn't have worry about any confusion once they were in the building since most of the vet techs and vets know the girls well. 

As I was waiting for the girls to complete their appointment, the big snow storm that we were expecting overnight moved in to town and I sat there and watched the snow accumulate.  

I had a long list of items to discuss with the vet and we were there at the vet for over an hour.  By the time the girls were done, there was a fresh two inches of snow on the ground.  We drove home slowly, avoiding the highway, and I stopped to pick up a quick geocache and some dinner on the way home.  We arrived safely at home, the girls ate their dinner, went outside for their evening potty break, and then we settled in to watch the snow fall.  

By the time we woke up the next morning, we had gotten somewhere between 8-10 inches of snow.  While it was a lighter, fluffy snow, it was deep and I wasn't looking forward to the shoveling that I was going to have to do.  I started work for the day with plans to get out on my lunch to shovel, but I was pleasantly surprised mid-morning when I heard a snowblower out front.  I looked out the window to see my nice neighbor, Bill, clearing my sidewalk.  I am so thankful for Bill because he cleared my entire length of sidewalk and my driveway, saving me the work.  After he finished my sidewalk, he continued on down the block, ultimately cleaning all of the sidewalks and driveways in our entire block.  What a blessing he is to have around for us all!

It was cold and blustery Tuesday and I had no idea how clear any of the sidewalks would be in the rest of the neighborhood, so we stayed home and stayed inside for the evening.  The girls got to eat dinner in one of their favorite ways, a treat ball, and Peaches and I had a good round of fetch before we all settled in for a quiet night at home.  

Wednesday night we stayed in our neighborhood for our walk for the evening and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the sidewalks throughout the neighborhood were.  That is a rare occurrence every Winter, but I think the excessive amount of snow we had gotten encouraged more people to get out to clear their sidewalk this time.  We were able to walk a 1.25 mile loop with Maddie and only had one small stretch of sidewalk that wasn't clean.  It was a nice walk and I enjoyed seeing the deep snow all through the neighborhood. 

Thursday and Friday we spent quiet days at home.  It snowed a bit more both days and so instead of trying to find somewhere safe to walk, we just spent some time out in the backyard and played a couple of fun games.   

Friday we got to try out the new slow feeder bowl that I had ordered for Peaches to make eating dinner a little more fun and challenging for her.  On a night when we can't get out as much, a bowl like that definitely helps to make her work her mind more.  This bowl was just one of a few new games I bought for the girls to keep them busy and entertained.

After a quiet and uneventful week, we were happy to get out for an afternoon snowshoe at Fenner Nature Center with Vanessa on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  The temps were in the upper 20's, and with the sun shining and no wind, it was a beautiful afternoon to be outside enjoying some Winter fun.  

While Maddie got very excited about our trip to Fenner, once we were there, she didn't go far before she was ready to turn around and head back to the car.  We dropped her off and continued on to complete a nice 2 mile snowshoe through the woods and grasslands.  

Lots of other people were out enjoying the day as well, but we had the trails mostly to ourselves.  I was pretty excited to see a Barred Owl along our hike and we saw a few of the many deer that call Fenner home.  It had been so nice to get outside to enjoy some fresh air again!

When we got home, the girls got a late afternoon treat and got to try out their new licky mats.  I think that they were a big hit. 

After dinner, we all settled in to enjoy our Saturday at home.  While it had been a quiet week without a lot going on, it had been a good week with a much needed rest.

After a quiet start to my Sunday morning, the girls and I will get out for a walk soon and then I have plans to work on some projects around the house.  I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and a good week!