Holding on tight to Summer.

Last Sunday we welcomed September, and with it, we began to prepare ourselves for the coming change of seasons.  Lucky for us, it was Labor Day weekend, and we had a long weekend to enjoy.  I had plans for some fun, a little work around the house and yard, and some relaxation.  While I thought we might actually be productive on Sunday morning, instead I had a quiet and relaxing morning at home until the girls got restless, and I knew I had to get them out of the house.

I was trying to figure out where we should go, and since I was craving a cider slush, I decided to head out to Uncle John's Cider Mill.  They have a nice farm trail around their property and it seemed like the perfect spot to get the girls out for a walk.  While most of the people there that afternoon parked and jumped on the hay wagon for a ride out to the sunflower fields, we avoided the crowds by following the farm trail.  We did make a quick stop along the trail at the Zinnia and Sunflower fields, but we spent most of our time out in the orchards. 

Many of the apple trees were just loaded with apples and they were beautiful.  We even found a nice patch of wild blackberries along the edge of the property, so I had to pick a few for a snack.  We had the whole orchard area to ourselves, and it was wonderfully peaceful.

The farm trail is set up as a 5k course and is used as a cross country course for local schools, but I was glad that it is also open for the public to walk.  We didn't quite do the full 5k, but we did most of it, and the girls really enjoyed our walk and all of the new smells.  After our walk, we drove across the road to Phillips Orchard where I purchased a cider slush and some baked treats for the drive home.  We took a slow wandering drive home and thoroughly enjoyed our day.

After being busy the rest of the weekend, we slowed down a bit on Monday.  I did some work around the house, but mainly we just relaxed and enjoyed some quiet time at home.  It was a pretty perfect Labor Day.

Since I have so much vacation time that I still need to use this year, I had decided to take Tuesday off as well and extend our long weekend one extra day.  I started the day with a doctor's appointment and then the girls and I headed west for a little fun in Holland.

We had lunch at a local pizza place with a group of geocachers and then headed out for some walking, geocaching, and sight seeing.  The river walk was a beautiful spot for a nice long walk and we all really enjoyed it.  It was such beautiful weather, and there were no crowds.  The perfect kind of day. 

We also checked out the Wizard of Oz statues outside of the library while we were in town.  The girls weren't very cooperative in letting me get their picture. As a big Wizard of Oz fan, I thought these statues were pretty awesome.  

 

After our short visit here, we took a walk around the neighborhood here and picked up a few more geocaches.  

Then we walked across the street to the park where there is a giant Wizard of Oz book on display. 

Our walk through the park led us to the Hope College campus, and of course we had to check out campus a bit.  I love college campuses.

Then we found a cute little park along the river where there was a small windmill and some other art installations and interesting information.  With this final walk, we had walked about 5 1/2 miles, and it was time to start our drive toward home.  We made one final stop along the way at a nice dog park, recommended to us by Tom and Barb, so that the girls could get in a good run and some more sniffing before the drive home.  They had a great time at the dog park and it was a great end to our day's adventure.

Wednesday arrived, and it was back to work for me.  The girls were pretty quiet most of the day, thanks to all of the fun they had had on Tuesday.  They made a few trips outside to lounge in the sun, but spent a majority of the day napping while I worked.

After work, I headed out to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walk.  We walked four dogs.  Wild Watermelon and Silver Spark are my favs.  They are both energetic and fun dogs who really love their time on our walks.  It was an excellent walk.  After I got home, I took the girls for a quick mile around the neighborhood before eating dinner and settling in for the night.  

The best part of this week is that, in addition to the long weekend, I also took Thursday off to go to the Detroit Zoo with Nicol and Fiona.  Fiona and Nicol visit the zoo pretty regularly with the family membership I got them for Christmas last year, and Fiona loves her time at the zoo.  I have been wanting to join them, so I was happy and excited for this trip.

Fiona was so much fun on our visit, and I saw lots of interesting things.  The butterfly house was definitely a highlight.

We also enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit, which will be closing for the season this weekend.  Fiona loves the dinosaurs.  

After visiting the tiger, she wanted to snuggle the tiger statue.  She was sure he needed someone to snuggle him and take a nap with him.

She also loved the elephant statue. Sadly there aren't any actual elephants at the zoo to see.

After walking nearly 3 miles around the zoo and seeing lot of cool animals, we made a stop for some lemonade and french fries before we ended our day in the penguin house.  The conversation while we ate was fun, and I love how curious this little girls is.  My favorite was when she asked "Mama, what means angry?"  And watching Nicol explain it to her was awesome.  

I love watching the penguins and could sit there all day, but sadly our zoo day had ended and it was time to head home.  When we arrived back at Nicol's house, it was time for Fiona's nap.  She asked if I would read her a book, so we headed upstairs where we read three books before Nicol came up to put her down for her nap.  Then I headed downstairs where Picasso was ready and waiting for the walk I had promised him.  So off we went for some grandma and Picasso time.  We had a nice two mile walk and he was pretty happy to jump up on the sofa for a nap when we got home.  And then I got in the car to head home.

I arrived home in time to get the girls out for a visit to the Farmer's Market.  Lucky for us some of our favorite vendors where there this week. We stopped for my egg rolls, bought a mini loaf of blueberry bread, and then visited our Fur Real dog treat friend, who of course spoiled the girls with lots of treats and pets.  After a couple more stops to grab a few veggies that I don't have growing in my own garden, we headed to the car.

And then we made the drive to Eaton Rapids so the girls could burn some energy at the Island City Dog park.  We were there a little over an hour, and left just before sunset.  By the time we got home and I fed the girls a late dinner, it was 8:45pm!  It had been a long, full day, but I had had so much fun.  It was a perfect late Summer day.

Temperatures dropped over night, and Friday was a cool day.  The girls spent quite a bit of time outside while I worked.  It was a busy Friday of work, and boy was I glad when the day ended!  I had no energy, but I knew the girls needed some exercise, so off we went to the Dewitt dog park.  The girls were having a great time, and while I hadn't planned on a long visit, we did stay longer than I thought we would.  It was a crazy busy evening at the dog park and there were more dogs there than I've ever seen.  At one point, the group counted 20 dogs in the park.  Once it got that busy, we made our exit and headed home for the night.

Saturday morning was even colder than Friday, and I had to put on long pants, socks, and shoes for a Saturday morning shelter dog walk.  I got to walk my buddy Wild Watermelon for the full walk, but also took Madge, pictured above, and Butch, not pictured, for short walks.  Ben, pictured below, also got out for a walk with our walkers.  He's a sweet 8 month old puppy and he is so loveable.  It was a great Saturday at the shelter.

Before heading home, I stopped at the Mason Farmer's market for a few things, made a quick stop at the Holt Farmer's market, and then made a quick trip to Aldi.  Then I headed home and did a little work around the house. I wanted to get some stuff done because our Sunday plans include attending the ISR rescue reunion.  I had debated whether or not I'd get a hotel for Saturday night and drive part way, and by 2pm, I had decided that is exactly what I wanted to do.  

I struggled to find a hotel along I-94 through West Michigan and Northern Indiana, which is my normal route, so we expanded our search, and I found the perfect spot in Elkhart, Indiana.  I reserved the room, packed quickly, and we hit the road.  I avoided I-80 by taking some backroads through Michigan which were much more enjoyable and only added about 5 minutes to my trip.  I arrived at the hotel, checked in, and took advantage to the free food in the lobby which was set up because it's a Notre Dame game day.  

While I was grabbing my snacks, Mina took it upon herself to make sure the bed was safe for us all.  I just laughed when I walked into this when I got back to the room.

The girls waited patiently while I looked for a good spot to take them for a walk...well they mostly waited patiently.  Peaches was very ready for some fun!

We found a beautiful park along the river for our walk.  It was quiet and it was a bit chilly, but we really enjoyed this spot.

The setting sun made the scene along the river even more beautiful, although pictures just don't do it justice. 

We finished with a short walk down Main Street in downtown and of course I had to get pictures in front of the Elk statue...

and the heart.

And one final Elk Statue before we walked back to the car.  Mina was so over all of the pictures!

Elkhart is a cute town and we enjoyed our 2 1/4 mile walk.  But it had been a long day, and I was starving, so we were off to find dinner.  

I had seen this drive-in when we pulled into town on the way to our hotel, and it's only a mile from where we are staying, so I decided I had to try it out.  

It gave me some Clyde's vibes, but also reminded me of the old-school A&W's of my childhood.

I pushed the button to make my order, and it arrived by car hop on a window tray.  It was a good burger, but I've definitely been spoiled by Clyde's.  The fries were excellent though and the service was great too.

And the best part was the free pup treats that they offer to all dogs that visit.  The girls loved their little treat, and then laid nicely in the car while I finished my dinner.  And then we headed back to the hotel for the night.

The girls are great at settling in when we travel, and I'm go grateful for that.  We are going to relax and enjoy our Saturday night in this big comfy hotel bed.

Now that we're about half way to the reunion, we have a little flexibility this morning, so we'll take it slow and probably find a spot to stop along the way for a walk.  I'm really looking forward to the reunion and seeing all of our volunteer friends, and the girls will have a great time too, I'm sure.  

I'm excited about the fun raffle baskets a brought along, including the one full of garden goodies.  It is going to be a great day!

We already did a mile walk this morning before breakfast, and now the girls are going to rest up for the drive while I get ready for the day.   

We have a pretty quiet week ahead.  Thankfully, the Summer weather will be back, and I'm happy about that, although last night was our final sunset after 8pm for the year which always makes me sad.  It's just so hard to get anything done after work when its dark so early.  I'm working on embracing September; I guess we'll just have to wait to see how that's goes. 

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!