Peaches is 14 and other fun

Well here we are sailing through January.  Seems like it was just the New Year, and now we've nearly reached the middle of the month.  While I wasn't ready to go back to work after the holidays, it was actually a pretty good week overall.

Monday was a long, exhausting day of work, but the dogs kept themselves busy.  Mina and Skateboard spent a lot of the day in the office with me bith playing and napping.

At the end of the day, the last thing I wanted to do was take the dogs for a walk, but I knew we needed to get some fresh air and exercise.  So we got into the car and headed to Fenner Nature Center.   

With the sunsets getting later every day, we were able to get in a nice walk in the snow before it got too dark.  It was just what I had needed.  I'm so glad we went!

We awoke Tuesday to a very special day, Peaches' 14th birthday.  It is crazy to think that it has been eight years since she came home with me and that we've been lucky enough to get so many years with her.

As she gets older, she is slowing down, having more issues physically, and dealing with more anxiety.  While overall she is still pretty healthy for her age, I can see the changes happening--the days she can't (or won't) jump into the car, the pacing, the restlessness, the need to clap to get her attention because her hearing and eyesight are failing her.  But inside that thin old body is the spirit of an adventurer.  And any day we can get her out for an adventure, no matter how small, is a good day for Peaches.

So to celebrate her day, we started our evening with a trip to Soldans.  All three dogs came along for the visit.  Then we headed to meet with a small group of fellow geocachers for an evening event at a local park.  

Next we drove to Preuss so that Peaches could make a solo visit to the store.  She got lots of love, treats, and plenty of time to smell all of the great smells.  She loved it.

Finally, we came home and took a short walk around the neighborhood before heading into the house for a birthday celebration complete with ice cream.  While it wasn't a day full of fanfare, I did my best to make it a special day for my special girl.

On Wednesday afternoon, Peaches had an appointment for her monthly Liberela injection.  I loaded all of the dogs into the car for drive out to the vet office.  The appointment was pretty quick, and then Skateboard got to meet some of the staff at Patterson's before we left.  He thought it was pretty awesome. 

After work, I took the dogs for a walk on the Sycamore Trail.  We don't walk here often, but it is generally pretty quiet, which was perfect for walking the trio.  Skateboard is a pretty good walker until he sees a person or a other dog, and then all he wants to to is pull as hard as he can to try to get to them to say hello.  So an empty trail made for a really nice walk.  The milder weather also made for a more enjoyable walk.  

On Thursday, I had to make a trip to FedEx Office for work.  Of course I brought the dogs along for the ride.  It was such a beautiful day with temperatures in the mid-50s and the sunshine peeking through the clouds occasionally, so I took advantage of being close to the East West Pathway to get the dogs out for a  lunchtime walk before making the drive back home.

While we have walked portions of this path on many occasions. I found a new spot to park and we headed west on a part of the trail we had never walked before.  It was so peaceful and quiet.  It was wonderful to be out enjoying the beautiful weather.  I was so happy we were able to get out to enjoy the day.  It was the perfect afternoon break.

Then we headed home to quietly finish the rest of my workday.   Skateboard was happy that I sat down on the loveseat to snuggle with him for a bit while I worked.

I also took advantage of the mild weather to get the Christmas lights all taken down from outside when I was done working, and the dogs spent a little time out in the yard.  Then I had an audience while I made dinner.  Rain moved in to the area in the early evening and the rest of our night was quiet and relaxing.

Friday's temperatures started out mild, but fell throughout the day as a cold front moved into the area. It was a gray and drizzly day, but still mild enough for the dogs to spend some time out in the yard playing. There were also rounds of wrestling inside, with some naps sprinkled in here and there.  

On Saturday Skateboard would be heading back to his other foster home, so after lunch, we made sure he had his very own ice cream party to celebrate his time with us.  It was a hit with everyone.

I had an extremely busy day at work, and when it was over, I just didn't have time to get the dogs out for a walk.  So I gave them each a Kong to keep them busy before dinner.  Mina and Skateboard played a little more after finishing their Kongs, and then everyone settled in for a nap after they ate. I'm glad that they relaxed so well so that I could get some things finished and could also find some time to relax after a long week.  

Saturday morning was quiet, but busy.  I had several things on my to do list.  Luckily the dogs cooperated and kept themselves occupied or napped while I was busy.

Mina got in some final rounds of play with Skateboard and then they laid together on the dog bed for a bit.

Before I knew it, it was 1pm and we were on our way to the shelter so Skateboard could return to his original foster home.  When I arrived at the shelter,  I was excited to learn that there was a couple interested in meeting this sweet boy.  While they didn't decide to adopt him, it was so good to have someone ask about him.  Before handing him over to go back to his original foster home, I made sure to give him a big smooch and top of that big old head. 

Then it was back into the car with the girls to drive to Farmington Hills for the night in preparation for travel to a work conference on Sunday morning. 

It was rainy on my drive, and then rain turned to snow.  We got out for a short walk before settling into our room for the night.  Then we headed out to visit Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona.  I had a nice visit and I stayed through dinner.  I loved seeing them all.

Then the girls and I headed back to the hotel and snuggled up in bed for the evening.   I had to turn in early to catch my morning flight to Phoenix. 

Since Canine College doesn't open until 7am on Sundays, I dropped the girls off with Tyler this morning before heading to the airport.  They'll spend some time with him this morning and then he'll drop them off for me.  I sure am going to miss them!

Next up I'll be catching a flight to Phoenix where I'll spend most of the rest of the week at a conference.  I'll be spending some time later today with Sidnee. She's going to get me out for a little fun around town before I'm stuck in meetings all week.   I can't wait to see her!

And as I sit here finishing up this week's blog only 20 minutes from my flight boarding, we were just notified of a flight delay until noon.   So now I get to spend the next 4 hours sitting at the airport.  Ugh!  Have I mentioned how much I hate work travel?!?

I guess I'm off to find somewhere to relax for the next few hours.  I hope you all have a good week!