Springing foward into March

Welcome to March!  We're already over a week in to the month, and so far it's been a pretty typical start.  This is the time of year in Michigan that you never know what to expect from Mother Nature, which makes every day an adventure!  

We started the week with temperatures in the mid-30s, which isn't bad this time of year, but a blustery wind sure did make it feel colder!  

Mondays are always busy at work, but for some reason this Monday seemed even busier.  I didn't even get a chance to take a break for my lunch until almost 2pm.  By then, we all really needed a break, and since I thought some fresh air could do us all some good, I decided to make a trip to Soldan Dog Park.

It was a quiet and peaceful visit, and the girls got to burn some energy before I had to get back to my busy day of work.  It was just what I needed to finish the day with two happy girls.  Because of their good mod-day adventure,  we were able to have a quiet evening at home after I finished my day.  

Tuesday the temperatures reached the low 40s, but after some morning sunshine, we settled in for a rainy day.  The girls were excellent all day long, so when the day ended and I had to make a trip to Old Town, of course I brought them with me for the ride.  For their patience, they were rewarded with a trip to Preuss Pets.

Thankfully, the rain had slowed to just a few sprinkles by the time we got to Preuss, so before going into the store, I took the girls for a walk through Old Town.  It felt great to get some excercise and let the girls get in some good sniffs along the way.

We made our visit to the store, picked up a few treats, and then headed out toward the car.  I decided since the rain was still just a sprinkle, we'd take another quick walk around the block, and then I made them pose for some pictures in front of the store before loading them into the car and heading home. 

I woke up Wednesday to some beautiful sunshine and the feeling of Spring in the air.  I started my day with a doctors appointment and let the girls come along for the ride.  With the recent rains and temperatures mainly staying above freezing,  most of the snow had melted, and when I got home from my appointment,  I noticed the little tops of my crocus just starting to pop through the ground right next to the last of the snow.  Last year at this time, they were already in full bloom, but things are definitely more normal this year.

After getting a little work done, I decided to take an early lunch to get the girls out for a short visit to the park before rain moved into the area for the day.  With the temperature already at 53 degrees, it was a perfect late morning visit before the rain.  I was enjoying it so much, I barely remembered to get a couple of pictures. 

Thursday started with Peaches' annual vet visit for vaccinations, bloodwork, and a senior exam.  We also had a good discussion with Dr. Jason about the progress we're making with her anxiety and possible alternative solutions.  She didn't love her visit, but she was a good girl, and overall she's pretty healthy for an old lady.  She was definitely happy when we were finally able to leave, and she was pretty wiped out from the experience, so it was a quiet Thursday while I worked.

At the end of the day, I had hoped to get the girls out for a little adventure,  but that was not to be.  So off we went to the dog park for an evening run.

The girls were sassy and playful, and they played and ran and had the best time.  We stayed for a longer visit than we had the rest of the week, and left shortly before sunset to get home for dinner. 

For some reason both girls had a bout of silly playfulness later that evening and Peaches even brought me a toy to play with her.  She used to love her stuffies, but we went through a time when she didn't seem very interested in them any more.  Recently, she seems to be enjoying them again, and I love to watch her flop around like a puppy, even if it is only for a very short time.

Friday seemed like the longest day of the whole week, and my work day ended with a 4pm meeting so when I was done for the day, I was ready for a break.  Mina was ready for me to be done too!

A little weather system was moving into the area, so it felt dark and gloomy at 5pm and I wasn't sure what we were going to do to get out excercise for the day.  I didnt really want to make another visit to Soldan Dog Parkand didnt really know where to head for a walk.  

Finally I decided to just make the drive out to Eaton Rapids to visit the Island City Dog Park because I knew we'd have it all to ourselves, and I would be able to have some good rounds of fetch with Mina while Peaches explored all of the new smells.  It had been in the mid-30s most of the day, but we arrived as the temperatures were falling a bit and a little snow began to fall too.  Despite the spitting snow, we had a nice time.  After coming home and having dinner,  the girls snuggled in for the evening.

It was a cold but sunny start to my Saturday as I headed out to the shelter for our dog walk.  I arrived a little earlier than normal and pretty quickly I had seven dogs harnessed and ready to go.

We have some really nice dogs at the shelter currently and they were all so excited to be out on our walk.  It was cold, but not windy,  and everyone enjoyed our 2 mile walk and happily headed back into their kennels for a treat and a nap when we were done.

When I got home, we all ate lunch, and I debated on what the girls and I would do for our afternoon fun.  I wasn't up for any big adventures and wanted to be home to watch some of the Big Ten Women's Basketball tournament, so we settled for a trip to Soldan Dog Park again. 

While Mina played ball and explored, Peaches made friends with some of the other dogs there and had some really great games of chase.  I wish I had gotten video of her playing with a 6 year old German Shepherd and a young Australian Shepherd.  She was having so much fun!  

On a couple of occasions Mina became obsessed with tennis balls frozen into the ice on the edge of the pond and tried valiantly to get them unstuck.  But her biggest trial of the day was attempting to retrieve a Chuck-it ball just out of her reach on an ice shelf.  She swam out to where the ice stopped her on numerous occasions, trying to figure out how to get that ball.  She did her signature demand bark, sharing her frustration on not being able to reach it, and she stood in the water wondering if anyone would come to help her. 

Eventually, with all but her head emerced in the water, she was somehow successful in stretching past the ice shelf to reach the ball.  My little dog who won't go into the water here to retrieve a ball in warmer weather learned the perseverance pays off, and, at least for a day, decided maybe swimming wasn't such a bad thing.  She was rewarded with several rounds of fetch as we left the park with the brand new ball she had claimed as her own.

The rest of our day was pretty quiet while the girls napped and I did some planning for some upcoming trips and relaxed watching basketball.  It was a sunny, but cool day and i really enjoyed all of the sunshine. 

Last night before going to bed, I happily moved all of the clocks forward an hour as we sprung into Daylight Savings Time.   Tonight, our sunset is at 7:38pm!  I love daylight savings time.

The girls slept in today and I have spent a quiet morning reading and writing while they nap beside (or on top of) me.  

With temperatures heading into the 50s today, a later sunset, and a little time in my schedule for some fun, we'll be heading out soon for an adventure.  I'm not exactly sure what that's going to be yet, but I'm sure we'll enjoy it.

The forecast this week looks great with 50s and 60s...and maybe even a 70 degree day late in the week so I'm looking forward to getting outside more.  We may even get in a little extra fun next weekend.  I hope you have a great week too!