Adventures around town

What a busy week we had!  My work days have been so busy, that our mid-day walks haven't been happening like I wish they would so that means more walks and adventures after work to make up for it.

On Monday we drove to Preuss Pets to do a little shopping.  It made for the perfect opportunity to get in a walk around Old Town and I decided to take a walk before going into the store to burn off a little energy.

Preuss has a lot of things that are very interesting to the girls and I don't take them there often, so they are always excited when I do.  Peaches especially loved this fish tank.  She also completely forgot how to act appropriately while we were there.  She tried to steal treats, she knocked over so many things, and nearly took the finger off of one of the employees who asked to give her a treat.  Thankfully Mina remembered her manners so I didn't look like the worst dog owner ever.

I bought some training treats on our trip, and I decided to take a second walk around Old Town after we left Preuss to practice our manners.

Thankfully they were more well behaved on our walk and I was able to get some nice pictures of them. 

We had a nice, peaceful walk which we all enjoyed very much.

And we made a stop for ice cream on the way home.  

Tuesday the girls spent a lot of the day outside. I was busy again, but I did take one short walk with the girls and enjoyed my crocus.  

After work, I was trying to figure out where we should go for our evening walk, and while I was driving aimlessly around town looking for that perfect spot, I decided we'd stop at Mt. Hope Cemetery.   It is a great place for a walk and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. 

I was able to get the girls out for a lunchtime walk on Wednesday and another short late afternoon walk.  I was glad I could do that since I had to go to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walking club.

We walked Rhydon and Bora Bora who were both really nice dogs.  It was a nice walk and, thankfully we made it back to the shelter before rain moved in for the night.

Thursday I was able to get the girls out for a walk on my lunch again, and I was glad I could because after work I had plans for dinner with Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona.  Our dinner was an early celebration of Nicol's birthday which is coming up this week.  She wanted Chinese and so I picked up takeout from our favorite spot and we ate at their house.   

This was Fiona's first time having Chinese food and she definitely approved! 

It was a quick visit, but it was nice to see them all.

Friday after work I met my parents for dinner in Owosso.   I thought I'd have time to get the girls out for a walk before leaving Owosso, so i brought them along with me, but dinner lasted longer than I expected and by the time I left the restaurant, the sun had set.  

I decided before heading home I would take the girls into the Tractor Supply and Pet Supplies Plus which were in the shopping strip behind the restaurant.  They sniffed and got some love and treats from employees at both spots, and then we took a walk around the parking lot before getting back into the car to head home.  It wasn't what I had planned, but they got out and seemed content with their adventure. 

We woke to a rainy Saturday morning with the promise of rain most of the day.  Surprisingly the girls were happy and content with a quiet morning at home, but I knew we needed to get out for some excercise despite the rain.

I loaded them into the car and we made a couple of stops.  Our first stop was in Okemos for a short walk on the Hartrick Trail.  Our walk was shortened even further when we reached a spot in the trail that was flooded and the rain had picked up to a petty steady pace.

We then headed to the Sycamore Trail for another short walk.  The rain had slowed down so I thought we'd see how far we could go and once again, our walk was stopped by flooded trail.  

We got back to the parking lot and the rain had completely stopped so we continued on along the trail in the opposite direction.  We ended up walking nearly two miles, but never got much farther than a quarter mile from the car.  We finally had to call it quits as the rain began to pick up again.

We got home and ate a late lunch before I had to leave to pick up a special guest visitor.

On Friday night, I learned about this little guy who had shown up at the shelter, turned in as a stray.  I asked if he could spend his stray hold at my house and was told he could if he hadn't been claimed by the end of the day Saturday.   So after a busy afternoon in the rain with the girls, I picked him up from the shelter.  He is just 4 months old and he'll find a home quickly, I'm sure.

I'm calling him Karl, and Mina is thrilled he is here.  He is a little nervous and unsure of things and he isn't always a fan of her obnoxious play style, but after a very crazy Saturday evening, they finally settled in for a quiet night.

They spent Sunday morning alternating between wrestling on and napping on my lap while Peaches got the whole sofa to herself.   Pretty sure she was very happy about that.

I then got brave and took them all for a walk.  We made it almost a mile pretty successfully

It was a gorgeous afternoon for a walk.

And then they snuggled some more.  Peaches was just happy they weren't jumping on her!

They got in more wrestling before I left them home and took a drive with Peaches to get groceries.  We both needed a puppy break! And after putting away groceries, we headed out for another walk. After all of the playing and the nearly three miles of walking, I'm hoping for a quiet night 

Karl is a very sweet boy with a few naughty habits, but I know with the right family, he is going to grow up to be a great dog.  This is the first foster I've had since Hershey died last year and is Mina's first foster.  She's going to need some work and I'm not sure she's the right fit for every foster dog, but she just wants to play so much!  I think she'll get better with time and experience.  

I will say that this experience has reinforced for me just how great Imke and Maddie were and how lucky I was to have them to help with so many foster dogs over the years.  I hope some day Mina will be just as good as they were, but if not, that will be okay too.  I love the little stinker and she's going to be awesome in her own ways.

Winter's End

The weather this week was just what I'd expect for the last week of Winter.  It was a crazy combination of snow followed by mild sunny days, then rain followed by frigid cold with snow squalls.  On the colder days we did multiple shorter walks and on the milder days we got in some longer walks, but no matter the weather, we were out every day.

Our Monday lunchtime walk was snowy, but was a much needed break from my work day.  I try to find some different routes for our walks in the neighborhood, and Monday we headed in a direction that is not one we frequent, so the girls really enjoyed exploring and sniffing all of the new smells.

My poor crocus were buried by the snow on Monday,  but they are hanging on and remind me daily that Spring is near.

By Tuesday most of the snow had melted and the sun was shining.  The temperatures were mild enough that the girls wanted to spend lots of time outside during the day.  

When they weren't playing with the neighbor dogs, they were happy to sit here and enjoy the day while I worked from the dining room.   Mina caught me taking this picture through the window. 

Since is was a beautiful sunny day, I decided to take the girls for a walk on campus along the Red Cedar River after work.  It has been a while since we walked on campus and it was a lovely evening walk.

I was especially excited to find these pretty little flowers in bloom.  It was a very pleasant, unexpected surprise. 

Wednesday the girls were excited to spend more time outside throughout the day.  I think they are as ready for Spring as I am.

Wednesday after work Peaches had a follow-up appointment with our vet.  It was originally scheduled as an appointment for her second cryotherapy treatment for the growth on her neck.  We also used it as a follow-up from her trip to the emergency vet.  She was not happy to be there!

Her first cryotherapy treatment was very successful, and the second treatment was only needed for a small spot which is now looking great and healing well.

Our discussion with Dr. Gretchen regarding potential neurological issues was also helpful and informative.  While we can't know with 100% certainty without seeing a neurologist for an MRI, the exam Dr. Gretchen performed leads us to believe that Peaches' issue was most likely caused by pain from back issues, probably a degenerating disc.  

This isn't something uncommon in dogs of Peaches' age and, due to her age, surgical options don't really exist, so we are just going to monitor her condition and manage pain as needed.  No more all day doggy care stays for Miss Peaches, but she can still play with her friends and live a full life with me ensuring she gets periods of rest too.  

Honestly this was probably the best outcome for her.  And I'm happy to say that she's been 100% back to normal this week.

After Peaches' appointment, I headed to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walking club.  We walked some really awesome dogs and I fell in love with Jynx, a 10 month old Malinois.   I'm happy to say she was adopted this week!

Thursday was a gloomy day and the girls spent more time inside during the day.

Since it was rainy, my lunch was spent playing inside with the girls.  Immediately after work, Mina decided to climb onto my lap for snuggles.  This is a great way to get rid of some of my work day stress.  I didn't want to move, but I knew we all needed a walk.

By the time we were ready for our evening walk, it was raining, so I decided we would head to the Mall to do some power walking indoors.  We had a great walk of just over 2 miles and the girls were very well-behaved.  

 

The Mall closed at 7pm, but we wanted to keep walking, so we headed outside to walk the perimeter of the Mall and got in another mile.  We had a really nice walk and I was glad we had been able to get out despite the weather.  Sadly, on Friday the Mall announced they are no longer dog-friendly, but I'm glad we got in one last walk there.

Friday I had an extremely busy work day, and while we did get out for a couple of walks, I didn't get any pictures of the girls.  I also failed miserably in celebrating St. Patrick's Day with them, but I got these adorable pictures of Fiona and Picasso from Nicol.  

Vanessa and I had tentatively planned for a hike on Saturday, but our plans changed late Friday.  I was happy to have a Saturday at home.  While I thought I may take the girls out for an adventure close to home, the frigid temperatures with near zero windchill and occasional snow squalls quickly changed my mind.

We did take two longer walks and one quick walk around the neighborhood, but we spent a majority of our day snuggled up watching a variety of Big 10 winter sports.  

In addition to basketball and hockey, we watched the Michigan Men's Gymnastics team vs Illinois and the Big 10 Women's Gymnastics tournament and I discovered that Mina is fascinated by gymnastics.  It was the perfect way to spend our final Saturday of Winter.

We had a beautiful sunny Sunday and the girls and I got out for a nice 4 1/2 mile late morning hike.  While it was a windy day, the sun definitely kept us warm.  When we got home, the girls got to use their food dispensing toys for lunch and we did some short training sessions and then we spent the majority of the rest of our day snuggling again.  It was a wonderful end to our weekend and to our final weekend of Winter. 

Sadly, I wasn't able to visit Fiona this weekend, but she is officially 11 months old today and Nicol sent me pictures.  I can't believe we're just a month away from her first birthday!

We say goodbye to Winter and usher in Spring tomorrow and I couldn't be happier.  The girls and I have a lot of fun planned for the next couple of months so we can take full advantage of my favorite season.  It is the best time of the year for some adventures!

Happy Spring to all of you. I hope you have a wonderful week.

The ups and downs of being a dog mom

After enjoying a fun weekend in Chicago last weekend, Monday arrived and it was time for the real reason for my trip...a work meeting. 

The girls would be spending the night at a local boarding facility, but not before I could get them out for a morning adventure. 

The plan for our morning walk was to take a short drive from our hotel to the Catherine Chevalier Woods for a walk along the Des Plaines River.  However, when we arrived, we found that the trail was closed for restoration. 

While we couldn't walk on most of the trail, we were still able to spend some quality time exploring the park and even got to take a short walk along the trail.  The girls were happy to be in the woods.

Since we weren't able to get in a long walk at our first stop, I was hoping to find another spot for a walk along the way as we drove back to the hotel. 

Luckily I was able to find this great spot along the River and off we went to explore. The water in the river was high and eventually we had to turn around because we had reached a spot in the trail that was flooded, but with the two stops combined we had been able to get in a good adventure for the day.  

We spent the rest of the morning in our room at the hotel.  I did some work while the girls watched me.  We all ate lunch before I had to check out of the room and then I loaded up the car, took one more quick walk around the hotel property with the girls, and then took the short drive to the boarding facility to drop them off for the night.

The rest of my Monday afternoon and my Tuesday morning were spent in meetings, but 1pm Tuesday arrived quicky, and I had the girls in the car ready to head home by 1:30.  But we still had one more thing to do before leaving Chicago. 

I had arranged to meet Rozi...a K9 with the Chicago Police Department, and her mom/handler, Officer Gina Ibarra.  I've followed them for years on Instagram and was so excited to finally get to meet Rozi, Gina, and her other GSP, Woody!   Rozi is a trained bomb sniffing dog and a pretty typical GSP.  What an honor it was to meet all of them!  The girls got to meet Officer Ibarra too, but I didn't get any pictures.  It was the perfect end to our trip to Chicago. 

Our travels out of Chicago and through Indiana went smoothly, and we made it back to Michigan with no delays.

After being cooped up in meetings all morning and then in the car all afternoon, I knew we had to get out to stretch our legs once we were back in Michigan, and a stop a Warren Dunes is always a favorite. 

 

It was sunny, but cold and very windy, so our stop wasn't a long one, but we were able to get in a nice walk along the beach.  The girls were most excited about all of the sea gulls we saw.  I was most excited to be the only one on the beach!

 

Of course I couldn't resist getting some pictures of them while we were there.   Even though it was cold, I'm never disappointed with a stop at the beach.

I expected a quiet and uneventful drive home, but just a few miles before arriving at the house, Peaches started experiencing some issues.  She was wobbly when standing, drooling profusely, shaking, and she even vomited once.  I knew as soon as we got out of the car at the house that I needed to take her to the emergency vet.

We spent the next few hours there with Peaches being monitored.  They asked lots of questions, ran bloodwork, and did chest x-rays.  While they were sure the most likely cause of her issues was that she had gotten into some sort of stimulant, there was no way to know what it might have been, so the best they could do was to make sure her kidneys and liver were functioning normally and there wasn't another underlying cause like cancer.

Thankfully her bloodwork and chest x-rays came back normal and the tremors she had been having were lessening.   They gave me the option to leave her overnight for monitoring or to bring her home and keep an eye on her here.  I chose to bring her home.

They gave her some anti-nausea meds before she left and when they released her, she burst out of the door, obviously feeling better, although definitely still not back to her normal self.  They sent her home with muscle relaxers and told me to bring her back if anything changed.

Mina was a good distraction while I waited and we were both happy to see our Peaches again when she got back to the car.

While there is also the possibility that she may have had some neurological issues happening and may need further testing, I'm waiting to consult with my own vet before making any other decisions.   Thankfully once we were home, she finally relaxed and slept well through the night snuggled up with me in bed.

After a long night, I was glad to see Peaches feeling much better on Wednesday morning.  Although she still wasn't 100% back to normal, she had some spunk and wanted to run and play every time I let her outside.  I did my best to keep her calm and to limit her activity for the day, though. 

Mina was extra gentle with Peaches all day, and a large part of my work day was spent like this...with a laptop and two dogs sharing my lap.  

Since Peaches seemed to be doing better, I was happy to be able to get out to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walk.   I got to walk Diglett.  What a nice dog he is.  

Thursday was another day of trying to limit Peaches' activity and Mina took full advantage of the extra snuggle time.  She's such a good ball!

By the end of my work day Thursday, I could tell that both girls were in need of a walk, so we headed out for a slow hike through the woods on a trail outside of Eaton Rapids. 

After the week we had had, it was some much needed time in a quiet and peaceful spot.  The timing was also good since we were expecting snow to move into the area late Thursday into Friday, and I didn't know what that would mean for our Friday walks.  We had a great time in Eaton Rapids and I even picked up a pizza for dinner while we were there.   

The snow arrived late Thursday and moved through the area pretty quickly.  By Friday afternoon it was no longer snowing and almost all of the snow on the driveway and sidewalks had melted.

After a long and very busy day of work on Friday, the girls and I met Vanessa at Fenner Nature Center for a nice snowy walk in the woods.  It was good to see Peaches back to herself, rolling in the snow at every opportunity and just having the best time.  It was a wonderful walk for us all.

Saturday was a day for running errands.  We made several stops and eventually made a stop at Nancy Moore Park for a nice long walk.  The sun was glorious and it was a wonderful day to be outside. 

It snowed again overnight Saturday into Sunday, but just enough to cover the grass.  The girls spent some time out in the yard while I did some work around the house, but eventually we were able to settle in for a quiet afternoon of snuggles.  It was a productive but low-key Sunday and just what I needed to prepare for the week ahead.  Hopefully it will be quieter and less stressful than the week past.  

Today we moved the clocks ahead and will have more daylight at the end of each day.  The days get longer, the birds are slowly returning, and Spring is on it's way.  I thought this picture of the Crocus in snow perfectly represents where we are in the transition between seasons.

I promise to keep you updated on Peaches next week, but for now I can say that she seems to be almost 100% back to normal.   I'm really relieved because I'm not ready to say goodbye to my cancer surviving miracle dog yet.