We all need a boost sometimes

Happy Sunday, friends.   As I sit here writing this today with Maddie snuggled up against my leg, her chin resting on me knee, my heart just melts.  There isn't much better than Maddie snuggles.  It really is her way of showing love.  She's always had a lot of love to give and I am happy to be a major recipient of it.  I know I'm her person and she loves me best and that is pretty special.

We continue to plod along through our Summer enjoying our time together and making the most of our days.  After the great weekend we had last week, I have watched as Maddie began to slow down a bit more, little by little, day by day, throughout this week.  Mid-week always seems to be the hardest for her, and this week was no different, but this weekend has been harder too.  I find that her mobility is best first thing in the morning (she even waddled down the hall to hide from the vacuum cleaner this morning), but her ability to move on her own continues to decline.  She needs a boost to get up more frequently and many times she needs a leg to lean on as she moves along or a helping hand to make sure she doesn't tip backwards on her potty breaks, but she is still standing and moving on her own at times and I'm always happy to offer her a little extra support whenever she needs it.  After all, if the tables were turned, I know she'd do the same for me.  

While we still have time left, the reality of our lives is that that time gets shorter daily, and it becomes more evident every day that we are growing closer and closer to the end of our time together.   And while that makes me sad, I won't let sadness consume me and tarnish the days remaining.  There will be plenty of time for grieving later...for now we will just enjoy each other's company and live in the moments we have for as long as we've got.  

I don't share this for sympathy.  In fact I don't want anyone to feel sorry for us because we have had an amazing life together.  And this special time at the end is just another part of our story.  Her life now is slower and comes with some old lady aches and pains, but she still experiences excitement and joy, and she still wants to do dog things.   So I'll give her a boost whenever she needs one and continue to live each day the best that we can.

The weather this week has been some of the best weather we've had all Summer, so we made sure to get out and take advantage of it.  The stroller has gotten a lot of use this week as we look for places, both old and new, with paved paths for our nightly adventures.  We visited a local park that we hadn't been to in quite some time, even though it's less than two miles from the house, and the girls were pretty happy to be there.  There were softball games and pick-up basketball games and kids on the playground.  It was nice to see the park alive again after last year, and we enjoyed our walk despite nearly being carried away by mosquitoes when we reached the shady, wooded portion of the park.   

Wednesday Maddie had her weekly laser therapy appointment and Peaches joined us for the ride.  Peaches enjoyed a nice little walk around the parking lot and then waited patiently in the car for Maddie to get done with her appointment.  

Maddie was spoiled by the staff and I was once again told by yet another staff member just how much everyone at Patterson's loves my old girl.  I love knowing that they love her and spoil her and take such good care of her.  They're the best!

Wednesday night we took a stroll around the neighborhood and had a nice 2+ mile walk.  Once again, Maddie and Peaches thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  It was one of the best walks we've had in awhile.  After we got home the girls wandered around the yard a bit before heading inside for the evening.  

On Thursday, we spent the morning outside before the warmer temperatures really moved in to the area.  The girls each spent time doing their own things, but eventually Maddie ended up right next to Peaches in the yard.  Peaches was on the hunt for our friendly neighborhood toad; Maddie just wanted to be close to Peaches.  When she got too hot, she'd come back and sit with me in the shade on the patio, but she was really enjoying the sunshine that morning.  It was a good way to start our day.

Thursday evening we went out to search for our daily geocache and take a nice, quiet walk on campus.  Setting some geocaching goals for myself has really helped keep us going when some days I'd rather just stay home, and I'm currently on day 233 of a streak, working my way toward a 365 day geocaching streak.  It's crazy to think that I've found at least one geocache every day for the past 233 days, but even crazier to think I have 132 more to go to reach a full year.  It's been fun and kept us busy and given me the opportunity to find some new areas for us to explore, so I've really enjoyed it.  I know that the girls have enjoyed it too.  It's amazing the things I have seen and learned because of geocaching. 

Friday I was beat!  It had been a busy week and I was ready to have a quiet, relaxing evening at home, and with some rain moving in for the night, I was definitely going to have that opportunity.  But first the girls and I took a ride around town for a bit just to get them out of the house before settling in for the evening.  We came home and had dinner, and then Maddie and I snuggled up on the couch to watch a little tv.  I was thankful for the opportunity to just spend that time snuggling with her.

Saturday was a special day as we went to visit our friends Tom, Barbara, and Sherman.  I knew the girls would love the chance for this visit and that Tom and Barb would be happy to see them too.  When we arrived, Shermie and Peaches had a good game of chase, but that quickly ended and Maddie and Sherman spent much of their day near us on the patio as we visited.  Peaches, on the other hand, was excited to be in a new place with new critters to hunt and lots of new smells.  She stood at the fence watching for any movement, and would periodically come up to the patio to check in, and each time would drag a tennis balls off the patio and into the yard only to leave them wherever she happened to drop them.  By the end of the day, the yard was littered with balls. 

Eventually it was time for us to leave, but not before Shermie and Peaches got in another good round of chase.  It had been a good day and an excellent visit.  We look forward to our next visit when it's a bit cooler and Sherman and Peaches can play chase a bit more.  

As we headed out of town, we made a quick stop at the Lowell Riverwalk to check out the new Showboat and make sure the girls took one last potty break before the drive home.  It was a hot one out there, so we quickly loaded up the car so Maddie could relax in the air conditioned comfort.  We also made a quick stop for ice cream at Ball's before hitting the road because no trip to Lowell is complete without a stop there!

We took the long way home along the back roads because back roads are always better than the highway, and we made a couple stops along the way.  We didn't actually spend any time at the Ionia State Park, but since we were driving by, I wanted to get the girls picture with the sign...and we got swarmed by the mosquitoes.  Boy am I glad we didn't have plans there!

We found a few geocaches along the way too.  Peaches was happy to help me search while Maddie waited in the car.   

I decided to pick up a pizza for dinner from Detroit Frankie's, a new wood fired pizza place in town, just to try it out.  The people there were very friendly and the pizza came out to me quickly and then we headed home to eat dinner and settle in for the for the night.  We had a really good week of adventures and ended our fun-filled Saturday with a night at home, Maddie and I snuggling once again as a storm moved through the area.  The girls slept soundly after the excitement of their Saturday while I watched the Olympics to end the night.  

We've got lots of fun things planned for the rest of our Summer because my little old adventure dog is still excited about car rides, walks in her stroller, and new adventures, and we're going to adventure on as long as Maddie wants to keep going.  As she slows down, we'll always go at her speed and we'll continue to take Maddie-friendly adventures for as long as we can.  We all enjoy the time we spend together and look forward to sharing more of our fun with all of you.  

We love our Michigan Summers

After many rainy, gray days to start our Summer, the warm, sunny, beautiful weekend weather we had this weekend made it feel like Summer had finally arrived in Michigan.  It's really been a tough start to Summer around here because the weather just hasn't been good and all of the cloudy, gray days haven't allowed us to fully take advantage of the longer daylight hours, which are one of my favorite things about Spring and Summer.  Since the long Summer days are getting shorter every day, I felt like we were really missing out on the opportunity we normally get to enjoy the warm, sunny evenings on the patio.  I'm glad to say they are back, although still challenging, since the mosquitoes are now out in full force!  Hopefully with the continued improvement in the weather, we'll see a decrease in those pesky little buggers!

Early last week, the girls were the recipients of a special box of goodies from a follow rescue volunteer who recently lost her dog.  Laurie is always so thoughtful and we appreciate that she is so kind and generous in thinking of us when she has extra treats to send our way after such a great loss.   The girls were thrilled with their special delivery and it was a wonder surprise for them on a rather dreary day.  

As the rain continued early in the week, our adventures were once again relegated to rides in the car.    While these rides make them happy, the inability to get out and do more is wearing on us all, especially on Peaches.  But she's being such a good girl and I appreciate her for that.  

Wednesday is Maddie's weekly appointment for laser therapy.  Maddie loves these appointments and was anxious to get inside to see her friends when we arrived.  She never waits patiently, but this time she walked right up to the door to lie down and wait for someone to take her inside.  She was definitely ready for her appointment!  She is always so happy to be there, I'm sure it's because they spoil her rotten.  I know she's a favorite of much of the staff and that she is well loved by them all.  I'm sure that she gets far more treats than she needs at every one of her appointments too.  But I can't say no to that adorable face either!

Since the vet's office is still doing curbside services, I am able to bring Peaches along with us to these appointments and walk around the parking lot allowing her to sniff and explore while Maddie is in her appointment.   This has been a great way to get Peaches out for some exercise and fun without being slowed down by Maddie.  It may be a short adventure, but it is a change of pace from the rest of our week and I know she enjoys it.

I even got the chance this week to have a little dog-free adventure, which is extremely rare for me these days.  I had the opportunity to help the animal shelter by transporting three ducks and three bunnies to their respective rescues.  This travel took me out of town for a couple of hours and gave me the opportunity to get some volunteer time which is something I have really missed.  It was a good day for a drive and the ducks serenaded me with quacking all the way to the first stop at the Michigan Duck Sanctuary and Rescue.  

After dropping off the ducks, I had a short drive to the rabbit rescue, but a bit of a wait before I could drop them off, so I picked up dinner at one of my favorite Northville area spots, The Rusty Bucket, and paid with a gift card I hadn't had the chance to use yet.  It was a special treat which I truly enjoyed.  The bunnies and I sat in my car in the air conditioning while I ate my dinner and once I finished, I headed over to drop them off at the Rabbit rescue before I headed home alone.

The girls got to ride to the shelter with me the next day when I returned the crates that had carried the ducks and bunnies, and boy was there a sniff-fest in the back of my car.  It was lots of excitement for two little hunting dogs.  I always love to see how excited that get about things like that, but it really made me smile to watch Maddie sniffing away.  Not much else on her works well, but that nose  still works like a charm.  

We had had a rather quiet week followed by a very quiet Friday evening at home.  I made dinner using some fresh veggies and herbs from my garden and we took a quick drive just to get out of the house for a bit, but it was a rather uneventful day to end a pretty uneventful week.  Thankfully we had weekend plans that would change that and get us out for some fun.  

I love Summer and it is always too short, at least in my opinion.  During the last few weeks, it seems that I have continued to find reasons why we can't do things or go places.  The weather hasn't cooperated, Maddie isn't moving around well, we had other things to do.  I have made one excuse after another to justify to myself why we couldn't get out and should just stay home.  But then I remembered something I had said last Summer and that, along with how much I enjoyed our adventure last weekend, was all it took to change my perspective on this Summer.

Last Summer I was sure that I wouldn't get another Summer with Maddie. I was certain she was going to be gone by now.  But she's not.  She's still here and she still loves a good adventure.  And none of us are getting any younger.  Each day arrives with the opportunity to make it the best we can and each day we are given is a blessing.  I was reminded that I need to make the most of these Summer days while we can all enjoy them still.  Life is too short and some of us are nearing the end.  So we're going to have the best Summer we can.  For Maddie, for Peaches, and for me.  And so this weekend that is exactly what we did.

Saturday morning we met Vanessa and headed out on an adventure.  I had an endpoint in mind and a couple of stops along the way, but we were just going to wander down M50 through some Michigan farmlands and small towns, geocaching along the way and getting the girls out here and there for some short adventures.  And that's just what we did.  We made stops at parks and small towns, we let the girls wander, and we had a wonderful time enjoying our day.

We made a special stop at Luna Pier to check out Lake Erie.  The girls weren't allowed on the pier or on the beach, but they got out for a quick sniff and a couple of pictures before we continued on our way.  The best part of all of our stops along the way was watching Peaches get to be her goofy self and seeing Maddie slowly meander around at each stop.  They both got to enjoy themselves and that's exactly what I had wanted to see.

The main attraction and last stop of our day was Sterling State Park.  I had never been there and wanted to check it off our list of State Parks we have visited.  I didn't know what to expect from this park, and frankly, I didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised.

There were some great paved paths through the beautiful Lake Erie Marshes. The scenery was beautiful and we saw some really awesome birds while were were there, including one of the bluest birds I'd ever seen.  I still don't know what kind of bird it was, but it was beautiful.

Vanessa pushed Maddie in her stroller while I got to walk a very crazy Peaches and we all had a very enjoyable time exploring.  We had had a full day of adventures, the girls had gotten to see some new places, they got some love and a special treat(walleye) from Vanessa, and Vanessa and I had found several geocaches for the day.  It had been an excellent day for us and for the adventure dogs!

As we left the park, I stopped for the obligatory picture with the park entry sign, and then we were on our way home.  What an awesome Michigan Summer day it had been.

We all had a great night's sleep on Saturday and woke up ready for our Sunday.  I worked in the garden and around the yard while the girls spent time just enjoying some time outdoors.  By late morning we came inside so I could do a little housework and laundry before leaving the girls so I could run some errands.  When I got home, the girls got to enjoy their licky mats with peanut butter, something they both very much enjoyed. 

Before I knew it, dinner time had arrived, and I decided to use the last of a grubhub gift card I was given to order dinner.  I was excited to see Goodfellas Deli was open on a Sunday evening and allowed pick-up using Grubhub, so I decided to check them out.  I ordered a sandwich, headed out with the girls to pick it up, and then headed down to the Capitol to sit on the grounds on a very quiet Sunday evening enjoying my dinner.  It was the perfect, peaceful Sunday evening.

After I finished eating, we took a short stroll around the grounds and, of course, I made the girls stop for a picture.  

We took the long way home and stopped at Twister's to pick up an extra treat in celebration of National Ice Cream day and had an ice cream party when we got home.  It was a wonderful way to end our weekend and celebrate the Michigan Summer.  

We'll be continuing this trend of getting out for some weekend adventures so we make sure we make the most of our Summer together.  I owe it to Maddie, and I owe it to myself.  Life is short...gotta live it up while we can!

Summer Days are here again

It is hard to believe we're already three weeks into our Summer.  While this Summer certainly hasn't gone like I thought it would for us, we are settling into our daily routine and are trying our best to make the most of it.  The crazy thing about our Summer has been the weather we've had.  After a very dry start to the year, Mother Nature really seems to be trying to make up for it now.  We've had plenty of rainy days and lots of hot and humid days too.  Neither of those are ideal weather for getting out with the dogs, especially since Maddie doesn't tolerate hot and humid days well, but we are doing what we can to make the best of every day.  

Both girls continue to enjoy time out in the yard every day, Maddie rubbing herself in the bushes or wandering around the yard sniffing for new and interesting scents and Peaches on the hunt for our friendly garden toad or barking to chase away the neighborhood squirrels, stray cats, and strangers.  Even on the hot, humid days, we have enjoyed our mornings outside before coming inside for quiet afternoons of the girls napping.

Most of our weekdays are spent the same way, outside in the morning, a mid-day lunch, and afternoon naps followed by dinner time after my workday is complete, more time outside, an early evening car ride, and then home to settle in for the night.  

Occasionally we have a change to our daily routine, like the days that Maddie heads to Patterson's Veterinary Hospital for her weekly laser therapy.  Peaches gets to come along with us as a reward for being such a good girl as we deal with little old Maddie and life's challenges of living with an old dog.  This week after Maddie went inside for her treatment, I got Peaches out of the car to walk around and explore a bit because she needs a change of pace as much as I do.  I was excited to find some yummy berries while we walked around the parking lot and picked a few for a delicious snack.  

Maddie's appointments don't take long, but Peaches was so happy that I had let her explore while we waited.  She really enjoyed herself and I got a very rare smiling picture of her.   

Another favorite pastime for the girls lately has been watching me eat.  Maddie has become a regular beggar and is always hopeful that some food will be tossed her way.  I don't like to encourage this behavior in general, but honestly, I'm happy to see her excited and happy, so I let it slide.  And sometimes I even share a bite or two.   Could you resist those adorable faces?

While we had really been enjoying our time outdoors every evening, that changed suddenly on Thursday with the appearance of swarms of mosquitos.  I hadn't noticed any of those annoying little bugs previously, but now I can't go outside without being swarmed.  They are everywhere and they are relentless.  Even with bug spray, they are swarming around me and the dogs which makes for an unpleasant time, so we have spent much less time outside the last few days.  I hope things get better soon so we can return to more time enjoying our yard because I know that Summer will be over before we know it.  

Whether or not we can spend time outside, there comes a time almost every night that Maddie insists on taking a car ride.  It starts with her pacing in the house which leads Peaches to jump up and insist on going outside, and when I let them out, Maddie immediately walks to the car and stands there, waiting patiently for me to help her up.  And when Maddie demands a car ride, Maddie gets a car ride.  

Some nights those car rides lead to a new park or other place to explore, like the night we ended up in a very flooded park on the Looking Glass River in Dewitt.  Some nights we just drive.  It may be a short ride close to home or it could be a little longer drive, maybe down some dirt roads in the country with the windows rolled down so that Maddie can soak in all of the smells and Peaches can stick her head out the window.  These car rides generally end up somewhere that allows me to find a geocache as well and sometimes they end up with a stop at a local ice cream shop for a peanut butter shake and maybe a doggy sundae for the girls.  I know that both girls enjoy these drives, but it really is the joy on Maddie's face as we drive along that makes me happy and so willing to take these nightly drives.

Even though we are taking nightly drives, we haven't been out on a real adventure recently, and I was starting to feel like we all needed one pretty badly.  The daily grind of caring for someone is exhausting and becomes so consuming of your life sometimes that it's easy to neglect taking care of yourself, and I am guilty of allowing this to happen.  Days can become focused so much on Maddie and her needs that the challenging days can seem completely overwhelming.  You can feel alone, exhausted, and even hopeless at times.  It becomes easy to forget the good moments in each day and to remember what "normal" life is like.  

Since I had a graduation open house to attend on Saturday, and a long drive to get there, I decided we were going to take the opportunity to make this into a little adventure.  The weather was perfect and I found a nice route using back roads with some places to stop along the way.  After packing everything we'd need for the day, the girls new some fun was in store and settled in very quickly for the beginning of the drive.  

Our first stop was a roadside park that honored Austin Blair, Michigan's Civil War governor.  It was an interesting stop for me since we've seen his statue in front of the Capitol building 100s of times.  Maddie waddled along and seemed to enjoy our short stop at this park.  I know Peaches enjoyed the stop too because she was too busy zooming around to sit still for a picture.

We stopped at this cute little park in Addison to explore and once again, Maddie waddled around pretty well.  Peaches was thrilled that I let her run free.  This park was in a very small town with no one else around, so I figured it was safe to give her the chance for a good run.  And boy did she take advantage of the chance!  They were both pooped by the end of our visit and gladly posed for a picture.

We made several other short stops that had historical significance in Michigan.  Maddie had had enough adventure and stayed in the car for most, but Peaches got out for a few more.   We eventually made it to the graduation party, and the girls happily settled down in the car in the shade and a nice breeze to relax while I was there.   Finally it was time for us to start our trip home.  Both girls were awake for most of the drive and I could tell that they were both happy that I had taken them out for some fun.  

After getting home and feeding them dinner, both girls settled in for the night.  For the first time in weeks, we all had a great nights sleep.  We slept soundly through the night and even slept in this morning.  With the cooler temperatures, I was glad to have the windows open and a fan blowing some cool air into the bedroom.  We were so comfy that we snuggled up in bed and enjoyed a peaceful Summer morning lying there reading and doing crossword puzzles.  It was such a nice break and I felt so refreshed.  

It was a gray, rainy Sunday. and after a relaxing morning, I did some cleaning and ran some errands with the girls.  But for the most part, we had a quiet, rainy day at home.  After the week I had, a nice weekend adventure and quiet Sunday were just what we all needed.  Now we can start the week rested and ready for whatever the days bring. 

Independence Day Fun and Traditions

Happy Independence Day weekend!  The girls and I have been enjoying a (mostly) quiet weekend at home away from all of the crazies who headed North for the long weekend.  While I'd love to be closer to a Great Lake, especially with the heatwave we are currently experiencing, I am happy that we avoided all of the crowds.  It has been pretty quiet around town and we've enjoyed some time outside, splurged with trips for ice cream, and enjoyed some small adventures.  Today we had lunch at a local park and walked slowly around the small grassy area near the picnic tables.  While this wasn't any big adventure, it was a change of pace and got us away from home and out of our normal routine which all of us really appreciated.  It was a nice ending to an overall good weekend.

After spending the morning of the 4th out in the yard to take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures, I knew that they girls needed to get out for some fun.  I had planned to take them to the parade in downtown Lansing, but somehow I missed that it was taking place on the 3rd, so instead, we headed out to Eaton Rapids for their Independence Day celebration instead.

It was hot and crowded, but the girls enjoyed the short walk we took from our parking spot and all of the attention that they got from the people seated around us.  Maddie decided to climb out of the stroller and lie down next to Peaches for part of the parade and both of them were really happy that they got out of the house.  Peaches wasn't quite sure about the noisy firetrucks, especially when they started spraying us with water.  But she survived and enjoyed the rest of our time there.

On the way home from the parade, I made a stop at Dairy Dan's to get a small doggy ice cream for the girls to share and added the soft serve to the licky mats that I had already prepared with a little yogurt, peanut butter, and spray cheese.  It was the perfect after-parade, cool-down snack for them.  

We spent a little more time outside in the evening, before all of the fireworks started, so we could enjoy the fresh air and watch the lightning bugs.  There was a nice breeze and the neighbors put on a small firework show in their backyard with some small, kid and dog-friendly fireworks, which we enjoyed.

We then moved back inside to continue a 17 year tradition of eating cheesy popcorn while watching the fireworks.  This tradition started the first year we had Imke and Jake when we used to go to fireworks with family.  It's always made the firework experience a more positive one for any dogs that might be in the house during the 4th of July holiday.   And while we haven't been able to go to see fireworks in person since Maddie came along, we have continued the cheesy popcorn tradition, and I'm sure it will continue for many years to come.  

We had a great July 4th and, while it was less adventurous than some of our past holidays, we all enjoyed our time together and the girls slept great the rest of the night!  I'd call that a really great day.

I was glad that we were able to enjoy some 4th of July adventures because the rest of our week had been pretty quiet and uneventful.  The weather hasn't been very adventure friendly with rain, storms, heat, and humidity, and, honestly, Maddie isn't up for any big adventures anymore.  So our adventures for the foreseeable future will mostly be short, easy, and close to home.  

We were happy to get out for a walk with friends along the Lansing Riverwalk last Sunday.  It was a much needed chance to get out of the house and spend some time with some of our favorite people.  It was especially nice for Peaches to be able to get a good walk and explore without being slowed down by Maddie and the stroller.  

Adventures like these are good for the girls for both their physical and mental well-being. While Maddie physically isn't able to do much, she is still alert and excited about any opportunity she gets to get out with us.  She always sleeps so much better after a nice car ride and ride in the stroller and it makes me happy to see her sleeping so contently after we've been out and about on a Maddie-friendly adventure.

This week, I have noticed her walking get slower and more wobbly and she tends to need help getting up a little more often than she had, but that doesn't mean that she still isn't enjoying her life.  She lights up when I get out treats or when I start to prepare her dinner ,and watching her circle like a shark in the kitchen while waiting for her meal to be prepared and then seeing her eating them with great enthusiasm just makes me smile.  

She is also always up for a car ride, and she will follow me to make sure I take her with me any time I get my shoes on and grab my purse.  She is so content sitting in the car as I drive, it never matters where we go or even if she gets out of the car, she is just happy to be along for the ride.  So on many of our hot and humid days when it is too hot for much else, I will load the girls into the car and just take a drive.  

We've also been trying to get out of the house in the mornings when the weather is still comfortable before the heat of the day arrives.  Many days this means I set up a little home office on the patio so the girls and I can all get some fresh air.  Peaches will run around the yard searching for any critter who may have decided to invade her yard before finding a sunny spot for a nap. 

Maddie prefers to wander slowly around the yard without getting too far from me before settling in on her dog bed to watch the world go by or to take a nap.  Most of the time we're outside she is alert and looking around to make sure she doesn't miss any excitement.  I've really enjoyed these beautiful Summer mornings outside with my girls.  These will be days I look back at and remember fondly some day.  

After spending the morning outside, the girls come in to eat their mid-day meal before snuggling up together for the afternoon.  While there are several other places that Peaches could find to relax, she has regularly chosen to lay next to Maddie on the dog bed almost every day lately.  

Earlier this week, I had an experience that made me feel very much like I was being judged for some of my choices with Maddie.  People who don't live with her and don't see her on a daily basis, but somehow think that they have any idea what our daily lives are like or the choices that they would make if they were in my position.  But after I stepped back from that moment and evaluated my personal choices, I know that I wouldn't do anything differently than I am doing now.  

Then yesterday at the parade,  I heard an older gentleman make a comment about her to his wife.  All he saw was a broken down old dog who had to be pushed in a stroller and then wobbling slowly along with her new help 'em up harness, with a large lipoma on her back, and I'm sure he thought that I was doing her some disservice by forcing her to continue living.  But I see the sweet old girl who wants to stick her nose out the window while we're in the car, the girl who was excited to make new friends with the kids at the parade, the girl who walks slowly around her yard sniffing all of the new smells every morning, the girl who still finds joy in the simply things in her every day life.  And I feel sorry for that older gentleman because he clearly doesn't understand love or sacrifice.  I wonder if someone will care enough for him to make sure he is happy and well cared for as he nears the end of his life.  

As we go through both good and bad days, I will do whatever it takes to make sure she is well cared for until the end.  I am sure I will deal with judgement from others...and sometimes that makes me hesitate to get out with the girls.  But I can't let the uninformed opinions of others keep me from allowing Maddie to live her best life and enjoy every minute she has left.  And while I know that the end will come, I also know with certainty that it isn't here yet.  We will keep plugging along, day by day, until the day she stops enjoying life...until she no longer wants to be a dog.  But until then, we will adventure on, even if those adventures don't take us far from our own backyard.  I know without a doubt if the roles were reversed, Maddie would do the same for me.  

In the meantime, I also will continue to make time for Peaches as best as I can.  We were happy to get out for a quick walk, just the two of us, around the neighborhood while Maddie one evening.  It was great to be out with her one on one and she had a great time.  While we can't do this often, we will do it when we can.  

She also has plenty of entertainment with the four-legged friends at the neighbor's house.  She and the puppies there love to play chase along the fence.  Meanwhile, Maddie watches the fun from the comfort of her bed.

And Peaches' most recent entertainment comes from the toad that she discovered in the garden.  She has spent many hours outside just waiting for that toad to make a move away from the garden.  I have no doubt that if it does leave the garden eventually, Peaches will catch it.  

I am grateful right now for long Summer days, plenty of sunshine, and a fenced backyard so Peaches can get plenty of exercise without the need for long walks.  She is pretty content to spend time outside keeping herself entertained with the comings and goings in the neighborhood as long as we play some games of fetch and she gets out of the house on car rides with me and we take the occasional short adventure.   

I am also grateful for every day I get with Maddie.  Her joy and love of life is s wonderful thing to see every day.  My greatest wish is for others to see that joy too and for them not to feel sorry for her, but to see just how much she loves life and how lucky she is to love and to be loved by so many.  As one of the Vet assistants said to us after an appointment recently..."she is a national treasure."  I couldn't agree more!