Small town Girls visit the big "D"

As we slowly check things off Peaches' bucket list, new things are quickly being added to make sure she really doesn't miss out on any possible adventure in the time she has left.  An added advantage to checking things off and adding things to her bucket list is that the girls and I are being given the opportunity to revisit some of our favorite people, places, and things as well as to add new adventures to our life experiences.

One item(or actually four separate items) is for Peaches to visit beaches of all 4 of the Great Lakes in Michigan.  This is a feat not even I, as a life-long resident of our Great Lakes State, have accomplished.  We have crossed one of those Lakes, Lake Huron, off of her list with our trip to Mackinaw City a few weeks ago and I'm sure she'll get a chance to see it again in a non-frozen state when we make our next trip North.  I also already know where she will visit Lake Michigan and Lake Superior- both in more than one location since the girls and I have many favorite beaches on both of those Lakes.  But Lake Erie in Michigan, that's a goal none of us have yet accomplished, and with that goal in mind, I began to do some research late last week to plan our weekend bucket-list adventures.

After much research, what I have found is that my options for taking the dogs to Lake Erie in Michigan are pretty limited, but thankfully, though limited, not impossible. The one State park that has Lake Erie access doesn't allow dogs on the beaches or in the water and the Metropark which allows dogs does not allow swimming in the lake and dogs aren't allowed on the trails. Both a bust. Finally I found one small little lake access area that is dog-friendly and looks to be the place we'll finally all reach our goal of visiting Lake Erie in Michigan, but it doesn't appear to be somewhere that will make for a full day's adventure.  So I decided to delay that trip until later in the Spring and find some other things that we can do in conjunction with that beach day. 

Belle Isle

During all of that Lake Erie research, one place kept popping up on the map, and so it was decided.  We were going to head Southeast to the big city of Detroit and visit Belle Isle.  With lots of paved areas for walking as well as a dog-friendly nature trail, it seemed ideal.  Plus, after a good hike with the girls, I could make a visit to the Aquarium while they rested up for the next adventure.  I had never visited Belle Isle and was excited for our adventure.  While preparing to leave for the day, I decided to text Nicol to see if she would be available and interested in joining us on our trip-I know she can't resist a trip to an aquarium!  It was quickly settled, she'd be joining us for the day and I was excited for the trip!

Just a bird dog and a bird

After a quick stop to meet Nicol in Novi, we were off on our Saturday adventure.  We arrived at Belle Isle, and with Nicol acting as our navigator, we made it to the parking lot near the nature trail and lighthouse.  Of course, as is always the case with three GSPs, there was much excitement as we all climbed out of the Jeep in this new and interesting area.  And there was even more excitement as we passed Blue Heron Lagoon and all of it's swans, geese, and ducks. 

Blue Heron Lagoon 

With the Lagoon on one side of the trail and the Detroit River on the other, it quickly became clear to me that I was under-prepared for this adventure.  Due to the recent snow melt, rain, and high water, the paths were mud-covered, and in some locations, under water.  This would normally not be an issue since I am generally prepared on any adventure with at least 2 pairs of boots, extra pants and socks, a towel for the dogs, and other adventure necessities.  But for some reason, on this day, I was not prepared at all, comfortably wearing my jeans and tennis shoes...after all, we were going to Detroit, not the UP, right?.  My daughter, on-the-other-hand, was fully prepared with water-proof hiking boots. 

The Detroit River and Canada

Boy did I feel like a fool!  How could I be so unprepared?  But we were there and I was determined to make the most of our day, so I powered through, following Nicol's advice on when to avoid an area and doing my best not to get pulled into the mud by two very happy shorthairs.  Maddie and Peaches were having a great time sniffing and exploring and paying no attention to the fact that I was attached to the other end of their leashes. 

Lucky for us we found some gravel covered portions of the path that were dry.  Although the path reached a dead-end and we had to return to the parking lot through mud and high-water.

After a nice 3 mile hike, it was back into the Jeep to see what else we could find.  We headed to the public beach for a view and quick picture of the Detroit skyline followed by a quick stop at the Carillon.  Then it was on to the Aquarium.

Detroit Skyline

Nancy Brown Peace Carillon

Aquarium and Conservatory

With the girls comfy and settled in for a nap in the Jeep, Nicol and I headed in to visit the aquarium and conservatory.    The aquarium is small, but I still found it worth a stop. We learned some new things and enjoyed our time watching the fish, starfish, rays, eels, reptiles and amphibians.

Coral

Fresh Water Sting Ray

Then we headed outside to walk over to the Conservatory to explore the plants. I know Nicol was happy to see the palm trees.  It was definitely interesting to see all of the different tropical trees and flowers.  I especially enjoyed the corpse flower, which I had heard of, but had never seen before. 

Bananas

Interesting Bark on this one

Corpse Flower

After seeing all there was to see in the Conservatory, we headed back to the Jeep for one more stop with the girls near sunset point.  I wanted to be sure to get a picture of them with the Detroit skyline in the background.  But as is the norm with my crazy girls, the perfect picture was not meant to be...thanks to the geese floating by on the River and all of the other distractions.  But, hey, we gave it a try! 

It was now time for our Belle Isle adventure to end, but after all of the excitement at Sunset Point, the girls were anxious for one more chance to explore somewhere new.  So as we headed out of Detroit, we made one more stop at the William G Milliken State Park.

Peaches checking out the Lighthouse

Maddie and Peaches doing a little rock climbing

Imke exploring with Nicol

The Marina

I wanted to give the girls one last chance to stretch their legs and explore before we headed home.  I knew with this one last stop, they would settle in nicely for the drive.  We made a quick walk around the park stopping in a few spots to enjoy the beauty of the day and then, with this one last adventure complete, we headed back to the Jeep to head home from our fun-filled day.  I am so glad I got to spend such a great day with all of my girls and can't wait until our next adventure!

Time to head home

Mackinaw City Winter Adventures

I sit here on this Monday afternoon watching the US men's curling team take on the Canadians in the Olympics, with the bed unmade and the floors unswept, surrounded by happy snoring pups.  Today Peaches is at the vet for her spay surgery and the girls and I were up early on this President's day holiday to drop her off.  We've been out and about since we left the house this morning and it's been quite a busy day for us all.  We're now home and the house is awfully quiet without Peaches in it.  So the girls are taking advantage of the quiet moment without the youngster here by taking a well-deserved nap and I'm taking advantage of some well-deserved down-time for myself.  I don't really understand the purpose of President's day, but it is nice to be sitting at home at three in the afternoon on a mild February day doing nothing but watching the Olympics.  We really have made the most of the entire long weekend, actually. 

Nap time.  Imke thinks Maddie makes a good pillow

Although I had really wanted a UP Winter adventure this weekend, several factors prevented that from being a realistic goal.  But I've been away for so long and I needed to feel some Lake air, experience some blue ice, and get the girls out for a little Northern Michigan North Country Trail adventure.  Also, we have several items on Peaches bucket list that we need to start working toward that require a trip North.  So it was decided and Saturday morning it was into the Jeep and off for an adventure.

Lake Huron

In my opinion, there's nothing quite like a good road trip North.  Up US-127 through several small towns, St. Johns, Ithaca, Alma, Mt. Pleasant, Clare and then into Roscommon County past Houghton Lake and Higgins Lake.  We generally make a stop somewhere along the drive because once Maddie has the chance to get out of the car and sniff around in a new area, she'll calm down for the remainder of the drive.  We then reach I-75 and are only an hour away from our destination.  We make a stop at Gobblers in Waters for lunch and of course the girls get a bite too.  I have to admit that once I get to Gaylord, I really start to get excited.  And then there she is as I come around the curve my first sighting of my old friend.  By the time we get to our exit, the girls know where we are-I think they can smell it in the air.  Maddie is up and barking with excitement and Imke will begin to pace and whine.  

Peaches at the Mackinac Bridge

We make this same trip almost every time we go North.  Off of the highway at exit 338, right at the light and into the parking lot of the Credit Union for a stop at the ATM.  Then a straight shot down the street into the park-the Bridge and Lighthouse in front of us and all of us excited to get out and stretch our legs.  Peaches was just as excited to be there as Maddie and Imke.  

The Mighty Mac

Mackinaw City is so much different as a Winter Wonderland than it is during the normal tourist season.  I love to visit in the off-season because there are generally no people and the views are just as beautiful.  The Bridge is a beautiful sight in every season. 

Walking on Lake Huron

Plus the blue ice formations and the ability to walk on a frozen Great Lake are both amazing things to experience.  Peaches was very happy to be out exploring the beach and Lake.  We've now crossed visiting the Bridge, visiting Lake Huron, and walking on water off of her bucket list. 

Hitting the NCT

After some time at the Bridge and walking around the beach, it was time to put in some miles on the North Country Trail.  Peaches is hoping to join us for most of our 100 miles this year and what better place to start than the Northernmost point of the trail in the Lower Peninsula?  And we were off for a great hike.

Birch tree along the NCT

And even though most of this trail is along sidewalks and paved paths, it still has all of the beauty of Northern Michigan.  The trail was fairly clear so no ice cleats or snowshoes were needed and we made good time getting in a few miles.  

Mackinaw Crossings Mall

Then we headed back to explore downtown Mackinaw City.  It was so peaceful and quiet as the snow began to fall.  We even saw some friends.  And before leaving I had to buy some chocolate too!

But my favorite part of this trip...and of most of the trips I make... was just getting out with the girls and exploring all there is to see in this beautiful State we call home.  The things that Mother Nature can create are awe-inspiring and I am never disappointed by her amazing abilities.

The "ice tree"

Not  happy I was making her stay for a picture!

Behind the scenes-real life with 3 GSPs!

Then with our time in Mackinaw drawing to an end, we headed back toward the Bridge for one more chance to explore the beach and one last view of the Mighty Mac before heading home.

One last sniff

By the time we were ready to leave, the fog had moved in and the view of the my old friend was gone, but I know she's still there..awaiting my return on our next adventure.

One on one moments

Last weekend,  I did something I haven't done in a long time and, frankly, I don't do enough.  I took each of the girls on a one on one outing with me.   With all of the snow and, therefore, slippery or unclean sidewalks which threatened my ability to make it home without falling multiple times, I figured it would be safer.  But it still wasn't a decision that was easy for me to make. When you have two or three dogs to exercise and entertain, plus you have a life, it's much easier(or at least way less time-consuming) to get dragged around the neighborhood by three dogs for 2 or 3 miles than it is to take them each for a walk individually.  I mean, can you imagine taking each dog for a  3 mile walk every day?  That's 9 miles and 3 hours of my time.  And if you've ever been anywhere near my house when I've tried to leave on a walk with just one dog while leaving the other behind, you'd probably agree that just biting the bullet and taking them all is a better plan.  The way Imke and Maddie react to seeing me walk away with one of them while leaving the other at home to wait...well it's utterly pathetic.

But today, I decided I had the time, energy, and desire to spend some individual quality time with each of the girls.  I do love to spend the alone time with them and see each one get a chance to show their unique personalities. It's always interesting to see how much differently the act when they are out on their own versus in a group.

To avoid the horrendous and pathetic displays of woeful dogs feeling left behind, I decided rather than just leave for a walk from the house, I would drive each of them somewhere away from home for an extra special outing.

Peaches day started with a car ride and then some time at Petco.  She was in need of a new collar so it made sense to take her along for the trip.  I'm not sure she's ever been in a pet store in her previous life, but boy did she enjoy her time there today.  We walked around as she sniffed at bags of food and treats and toys.  And then she saw the live birds and she was ready for the hunt.  I gave her a little time to watch them flit around before I made her move on.  We don't want to scare them to death, after all.

She made friends with a cattle dog puppy and got treats from the nice lady that worked at Petco and she learned the joy of the cashier giving out treats too.  After leaving the store, the plan was to get in a 30 minute walk.  So off we went around the Frandor Shopping Center, Peaches happily trying to go into each store as the automatic doors opened for her as we walked by.  She greeted as many people as she could along the way because Peaches loves people!  Soon enough we were back in the Jeep where she got a special treat and then we headed home.   Overall a successful outing.

Yummy Treat

When we got home, the first dog to greet me at the door was Maddie, so I decided her adventure would be next.  Into the Jeep she went and off to Soldan's for a walk around the store and some time to explore all of the awesome smells. Maddie loved her time in the store and even snuck a couple of special treats while we were there.

I want them all!

After our trip to the store, it was time to head to the park for a fun little walk in the snow.  Maddie LOVES the snow.  If given the choice of walking on the nicely plowed path or off of the path in a foot of snow, she'd pick the deep snow every time.  So when we reached a fork in our path at the park and could continue on the nice and clean path or follow the unplowed path, there was no doubt in my mind which one Maddie would choose.  And off we went down the unplowed, untraveled path with Maddie happily jumping through the drifts of snow and weaving back and forth.

Maddie loves the snow

And of course as we walked along, we had to make several stops along the way to check out what might be hiding in that snow. And she's always ready to pounce!

She gets such joy from a good trounce through the snow that you can't help but be happy to be around her, even if you are freezing!  She's just always so happy to be out experiencing life.   I have learned a lot from Maddie and her great attitude toward life.  We should all embrace the days with such gusto!

Fun in the snow

It was now time to head home and get Imke for her fun day with mom.  Of all of the girls, she is most well-behaved and easiest of the bunch.  I always enjoy my one on one time with her.  With her food allergies and limited diet, we skipped the pet stores and headed right for the park for a nice long walk.  Unlike Maddie, Imke is a path follower, so if there is a plowed sidewalk or a set of tracks to follow, that is where she will go.  So even though we went to the same park as I had with Maddie, we took a completely different path.  Imke is slower and more focused on her walks.  It is always a straight path with nose down to the ground and generally right beside me.   She walks with purpose, as if she has a job to do and her tail wagging continuously.  She is happy to be doing a job...no matter what that job is-even if it just standing still for mom to get her picture.

Snowy walk with Imke

After walking a couple of miles, meeting some new people and their dogs, and finding something very dead to sniff, I decided to let her off leash for a run at the snow-covered softball fields at the park.  She went to work right away, sniffing away to see if there had been anything interesting there.  And then it was off for a jog and sniff around the perimeter of the field.

Although she doesn't run like she did when she was younger, I always get so much joy from watching her little old lady run.  It reminds me that no matter how old and frail she gets, there is still a puppy in her heart and that just makes me smile.

With our outing over, we were back in the Jeep and heading home.  She loves a good ride in the Jeep and before we made it home, the window was down and her ears were flapping in the wind.  She was one happy old girl!

My Co-pilot

Overall it was a hugely successful and enjoyable day for all of us and I was very glad to have gotten to spend some quality time with each of my girls.  I was reminded how important it is to spend time with each of them and give them a chance to shine all on their own.  I have decided that this is something that I need to do more often and can't wait until I get a chance to do it again!

How long is forever?

As many of you know, I picked up my current foster, Peaches, from the Roscommon County shelter early last month.  Peaches was surrendered to the shelter when her owner went into an assisted living facility and could no longer care for her.  I learned from the shelter staff that she had lived in a home with another dog that had died from cancer just a couple of months before Peaches was surrendered.  What many of you don't know is that after arriving at the shelter, Peaches had a mammary tumor removed and that tumor was found to be cancerous.  

Freedom Ride!

 Most county shelters aren't set up to deal with a dog with serious health issues like cancer and in many cases a dog with cancer would probably be euthanized.  Thankfully the staff at the Roscommon County shelter decided to contact a rescue to see if someone else could help and of course they reached out to ISR.  When I received the email asking if I would be willing to foster Peaches, of course I said yes and happily traveled the two hours North to bring her home with me.  Although I had seen the mention of cancer in the original email, it wasn't going to stop me from bringing her into my home and giving her a chance at life.  I didn't even give it a second thought.  Rather naively, probably, I assumed that there would be some sort of treatment plan and she'd get healthy and go on to live a good long life with whatever family was lucky enough to adopt her and make her a part of their family. 

Unfortunately, when Peaches had her follow-up visit with our local vet, chest x-rays showed that the cancer has spread to several other mammary tumors and has metastasized to her lungs.  There is no treatment available as chemotherapy doesn't work on mammary cancer in dogs.  Peaches was given a terminal diagnosis...with an estimate of 2 years to live.  Two years.  When thinking about an older dog, an additional 2 years seems like a lifetime.  But for Peaches, who is only six, it's just downright unfair.

Surveying her kingdom

Peaches has a zest for life and loves to run.  She is a silly girl full of personality and you certainly wouldn't know that she is sick from the way she acts.   She came into my home very happy to be here, although a little timid and unsure of her new surroundings at first.  But that is totally understandable.  She has now settled in nicely at my house with all of us here and she loves to run and play with our neighbor dog and with her buddy Bentley.  She has even gotten my silly old Imke to play a bit of chase, even if it is only for 30 seconds.  Peaches looks and acts like most normal, healthy, six year old GSPs.  She could definitely use a little work on loose-leash walking, but hey, what country dog knows how to walk nicely on a leash?  Other than that small issue, she is a well-mannered, well-trained, very sweet and lovable girl. 

Peaches has been through a lot of loss and change over the last few months.  I don't want her to have to go through anymore.  So when asked recently if we wanted to be her hospice foster or as some people call it, her forever foster,  I said yes.  It was not without hesitation though.  I did not hesitate because of the cancer or because I don't want her here; I  hesitated thinking of all of the other dogs that I wouldn't be able to help while she is here  But then I thought of the one dog I would be helping and that made my decision easy.  She deserves a place where she is happy and comfortable, a place with stability and love and adventure.  

I have decided that Peaches will stay here, as my hospice foster until we see the zest for life leave her eyes and, as our vet Dr. Gill stated so well when Jake was sick-when I can see she no longer wants to just be a dog.

Friends

So we aren't going to be sad or feel sorry for ourselves and we're not going to slow down, not while she has life left to live.  She seems to have had a pretty good life up to this point and I'm going to make sure she goes out with a bang.  That's where you come in...I've decided to be cliche' and make a Peaches bucket list.  First on that list is a visit to the UP and of course she'll be joining our 100 mile North Country Trail hike challenge this year.  I have some other ideas too, but I'd love your suggestions on things you'd like to see Peaches do.  And who knows, maybe she'll even get her own Instagram account so you can follow along on her adventures.  I don't know how long forever is, but we're going to make the most of it!