Frigid Winter Days

We've had another quiet and uneventful week since I last wrote.  The temperatures have continued to be frigid and just the thought of spending much time outside makes me cold.  So while we didn't get outside for big adventures every day, we tried our best to get out most days.  

Most afternoons were spent with the girls staring out the window as they keep tabs on the comings and goings in the neighborhood.  It is one of their favorite things to do while I'm working.  I also continued to keep them busy with Kongs, snuffle mats, and other brain games which keep them happy during my workday.  But even with lots of fun and entertainment, some days Peaches would prefer to sit and stare at me until I agree to play fetch or allow her to sit in my lap for a bit.

We were thankful to get out for a nice, sunny walk along the Lansing River Trail last Sunday, taking the trail from Mt. Hope Cemetery into Scott's Woods and back.  There were plenty of things for the girls to sniff, and while the trail wasn't busy, we did see a few people and the girls were able to get some pets and love along the way.  Both Peaches and Ruby are always happy to get some attention from anyone who is willing to give it.

I enjoyed the sunshine and being in the woods.  Despite the cold, it was a wonderful day for a walk.

Ruby was still in heat at the beginning of the week, but thankfully she is at the end of her heat cycle and no longer needs to wear her fancy little diapers.  She never bothered with them over the three weeks she had to wear them, but I know she didn't love wearing them either.  Not having to remember to take them off for her to go outside and then chasing her around to get them back on when she comes into the house has been a wonderful change of pace for me.  We still have a month until her spay surgery, but the time is growing nearer that she'll move on to her forever home.  It will certainly be strange not having her around since she's been here since the first week of November.  We're just making the most of her time here and getting out for as many adventures as we can.

Peaches enjoyed some great naps and goofy napping positions throughout the week.  She doesn't nap as much as normal with Ruby here, but she certainly makes the most of her nap time!

After a long day of waiting for me to get done with work, the girls both need their snuggle time.  Many nights are spent with one or two dogs on my lap for at least a chunk of the evening.  Eventually they will each get their fill of lap time and will move on, Peaches taking her place on the couch and Ruby deciding on the best of the dog beds for her to settle in for the night.  But I enjoy the snuggles and extra warmth on these cold Winter nights.

Peaches really takes her job as neighborhood watch seriously, and you'll find her here, watching out the window almost every afternoon, with or without Ruby.  She wasn't happy that I disturbed her on this day and didn't offer her a treat.  

While I continue to have car issues which have kept us closer to home, I can't get away with not giving the girls at least a short ride in the car.  The stare down from Peaches and Ruby's insistence that I let her outside only for her to then sit next to my car make it impossible to not get out for a drive every day.  They always seem happier after a ride in the car too, even if they don't get an adventure at the end.  Hopefully by the end of the week I should have a fully functional vehicle again, but I think I might miss the quieter, slower-paced days I've enjoyed over the last few weeks.   

Although it has been cold, or probably because of it, we haven't had much snow recently.  That definitely has made it nicer to get out for our walks through the neighborhood because the sidewalk are mostly clear and we're able to get in a good 2 1/2 to 3 mile walk at a nice pace before it gets dark.  As we near the end of January, I've noticed the longer daylight hours.  In the dead of Winter, seeing the sunset and then watching the lingering daylight (which lasts until around 6pm) makes those cold walks through the neighborhood a lot more tolerable.  It's crazy to think we're less than two weeks away from the exact middle of Winter, but it's exciting to know that each day we get one day closer to Spring!

We started this weekend with a nice walk on the North Country Trail in Lowell.  Due to the cold, blustery weather today, we decided to do a shorter hike and ended the day with 3.2 miles on the trail.  Ruby and Vanessa took the lead and Peaches was not very happy when I made her stop and wait for me to take a picture or two, but I love these pines.

The section of the trail in the pines was only a short portion of our hike, most of the hike took us down a section of road, through a neighborhood in downtown Lowell, and then along a very small section of the Lowell River walk.  I've walked this section of the trail many times over the years, but Vanessa had not, so we completed this section together and now can mark it off as complete, as we continue our trek North on the trail.  We've hiked 6 miles of our Hike 100 challenge for the year and have a longer road walk section planned for next week.  Over the next couple of weeks we should complete the road walk section South of Lowell to the Kent/Barry County line where we ended our hike last year.  That is pretty exciting to me.  Very soon we'll be done with the trail in Lowell and will start getting into some areas I have never hiked.  I look forward to see these new part of the trail.

After a good hike and some geocaching, the girls insisted on eating dinner very soon after we arrived home and they have been happily snoring away ever since.  It's amazing what a good day of adventure can do!  It was a perfect, quiet Saturday evening at home.

My Sunday plans will keep us home to check some things off my to-do list before the work week starts again.    I love a good Sunday at home and I'm hoping to get some things done early so we can get in some good snuggles and some time to relax.  I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and great week.  Keep warm and stay safe!