November is upon us.

We have moved into the time of year when it's dark early,  the weather is unpredictable, and spending time outside can require much more effort.  This is not my favorite time of year, in fact, it is one of my least favorite, ranking second only behind the month of January and it's bitter cold.

So far we've been lucky, since we have only received a dusting of snow, and the temperatures have, for the most part, remained above freezing.  Our Fall colors have seemed to stick around longer this year too.  We have nearly reached the middle of November, and I haven't yet had to rake.  But all that is about to change, and  Winter will be here soon enough.

The good thing about November is that it is good weather for taking a nap or snuggling up with a warm dog.  Maddie loves a good snuggle session.

We have also been taking full advantage of the milder temperatures we've been experiencing,  Maddie is thriving with our current temperatures.  I've found that temperatures in the 30s and 40s are ideal for her.  She has had an extra bounce in her step and has been able to take longer walks.  Peaches and I have both been happy to see that Maddie is keeping up with us. Plus it's so much fun to watch her when she is so happy.

We have enjoyed this Fall as we've continued to find places where there are still leaves remaining.   The walk along the river is one of the places in Lansing where leaves remain so we started our weekend there on Friday evening.

It was a beautiful night for a walk and Maddie went strong for about 2.5 of our 3 mile hike.

Also, there is something special about the November sky.

While our weekday adventures are generally quick and close to home because of the early sunset, we are using the weekends to continue to make progress toward completing our 100 miles on the North Country Trail.

Saturday was sunny and in the low 40s, so we loaded up the Jeeps and headed South to Albion to see how far we could hike.  This time of year you have to take advantage of sunny days because they become fewer and fewer.

This recent reroute of the trail in Albion has been a favorite section of ours over the last several weeks.  It is quiet and surrounded by fields and a small wooded area.  Typically we are the only ones out on this section of the trail too which gives me the opportunity to let Peaches get in a little off-leash time and a run through the woods.  The joy she experiences out there just makes me smile and I'm so proud of her for listening so well.  I'm really thankful for her former owner who obviously spent a lot of time with her to make sure she was well trained.  Sure does make my life easier!

We have watched the color change here over the last month and it is amazing what a difference 4 weeks makes. The leaves here are almost all gone. I'm sure they all will be gone by next week.

We had a great time on the trail yesterday and completed 4.25 miles.  We are now 6 miles away from completing our 100.  My goal is to be finished by Thanksgiving.  I'm confident we can do it!

The Fall also means sports and other activities for my nieces and nephew.  Earlier this week, I headed to Mt. Morris to watch Sidnee and the Chesaning Volleyball team compete in the District Championship game.  Unfortunately they lost in a hard fought match, but I was glad to be there for her final high school volleyball game.

On Saturday night, I went to Chesaning to see Brezlyn perform in her first play.  It was a production of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and she played Susan.  She did a great job and really enjoyed the experience.   She's already talking about trying out for the Spring musical!

We're expecting our first significant snowfall of the year tomorrow.  While I'm never really ready for snow, I know we will embrace whatever comes our way and find a way to get outside and enjoy our time together.  

Leaf Peeping, Fall Fun, and Final firsts: Part 2

A year ago tonight I took Imke on her final walk. A Year ago...how can that be?  It was just the two of us on a nice slow stroll around the neighborhood.   We went at her pace as she enjoyed all of the smells of Fall and I enjoyed being in the moment with her.  I remember that walk so vividly, the smell of the air and the colors of the leaves, the kids who stopped us so they could pet her and watching her little old body slowly meander down the sidewalk.  I remember when I got home thinking how much I had enjoyed that walk and how much I appreciated getting that time-being forced to slow down and really enjoy just being there, in the moment, with her.  At that time I didn't know that would be our final walk together, and I'm glad that I didn't because I probably wouldn't remember it so fondly. 

As we have gone through the last couple of weeks, we have had several final firsts...first moments,  experiences,  events, without her.  And it has been hard. It's been hard because she loved this time of year and she loved all of the fun we would have trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, dressing up and waiting for the kids on Halloween,  walking in the woods, and all of the new smells a mid-Fall rain brings.

I have tried hard to keep us busy and to take advantage of all that Fall has to offer.  We have spent lots of time out enjoying the Fall colors and the North Country Trail.

Maddie and Peaches have been thoroughly enjoying all of our Fall adventures and I'm so glad to be spending quality time with them.   They make me smile and I just love how much they embrace each moment of life.  We could all learn a lesson from them  on how to live joyfully.   I'm lucky to get a first row seat to their lives.

We had a great time decorating for Halloween and carving pumpkins.  Peaches enjoyed the special treats she got while helping me carve the pumpkin.

Halloween  was so much fun!  The girls were excited to dress up.  They know that those costumes mean something fun is going to happen.

Peaches spent the whole evening watching for and greeting our ghouls and goblins.  She loved it and got lots of love and attention from the kids.  Maddie spent the night napping.  It was a good night.

Halloween was always Imke's favorite Holiday and this was my first Halloween in this house without her.  I believe that getting our first snow of the year on Halloween was a sign from Imke letting me know she's okay, and I'll be okay too.  She would have absolutely loved a snowy Halloween night!

On Friday night,  I spent time with my family celebrating my parents 50th anniversary.

Over the weekend, we even took time to visit some new areas, find some new trails, and eat some ice cream!

While I have enjoyed all of our Fall fun and adventures this year, each experience has been a reminder that Imke is not here, and she never will be again.  While I know it will get easier over time, I also know that each Fall I will remember the joy it gave her and smile.

I have only a couple more firsts left...our last night together and the anniversary of her leaving us.  I can't believe it's been almost a year.  I still miss her so much...I'll always miss her.

Leaf Peeping, Fall Fun, and Final firsts: Part 1

Over the last couple of weeks, the Mitten has really been showing off her Fall finest.  I first noticed the show as I traveled for work nearly two weeks ago and, once I saw the beauty, I just couldn't get enough.  While I know Fall last 3 months, what we all love about Fall, the warm sunny days and all of the beautiful colors, is really fleeting.  So when the colors arrive,  I think it's important to get out and fully experience Fall to its fullest.  And for the last 10 days, that's what we've been doing.

Fall has always been a favorite time of year for the girls.  The scents of Fall and all of the critters out preparing themselves for Winter are both pretty exciting for them.  Plus this change in seasons really has seemed to help Maddie.  As she has gotten older, she has really become less and less tolerant of heat and humidity, so these cooler days have given her a little extra pep in her step.  It doesn't matter if we're close to home in Lansing, or out in the woods, the girls love it all.

In addition to getting out on daily walks to enjoy the weather, we also got out for some time with my family to watch my nephew, Mason, play football.   While the Indians didn't win, it was nice to get out for a little football on a nice Fall evening.  

We have also been busy enjoying the Halloween season.  There are so many fun things to do for Halloween and the girls really enjoy the activities too.  The Friday before Halloween is always celebrated with the Howl-o-ween doggie trick or treat event in Lansing's Old Town.  We have been attending this annual event every year since it started and it is always a hit.  As soon as I get out the costumes, my house erupts in excitement and this year was no different.  I had the girls dressed and in the Jeep heading toward Old Town in no time because I wanted to get there early, before the crowds.  An event crowded with dogs is not ideal for Peaches, but I didn't want her to miss out on the fun.  We arrived just as trick-or-treating started and headed off to see how many of the 28 locations we could visit. 

I had determined that if Peaches wasn't handling the crowds well, I would put her back in the Jeep and allow Maddie to finish on her own, but Peaches did surprisingly well.  The day was not without challenges, but it was good to practice some good behavior skills with her and she was so excited about all of the people and treats that she ignored the other dogs for most of the time.  As we finished the trick-or-treat route, I noticed that the crowds of people and dogs and grown...and I had never seen so many people out for this event...so I needed to find another route back to my Jeep.  So off for a little trek down the Riverwalk we went.

We met a newly wed couple out for some pictures and enjoyed a nice walk along the river and finished at the Turner Dodge House where we stopped to get a couple of pictures.  Peaches was just happy to be out enjoying the day!

After a nice walk, we headed back to the Jeep for a quick stop at Preuss' pet store.  This is a hub of activity for Howl-o-ween and not a good place to stop with Peaches, but I wanted to give Maddie a little one on one time so she could enjoy greeting other dogs and getting a little extra love.  This was our first Howl-o-ween without Imke and some mom and Maddie time was important to help me through it.  It was such a great time and I was so proud of both of the girls for doing so well.

Ever since getting back from Hawaii, all I have wanted to do was head North for a Fall color tour.  While I knew it was unlikely to happen, I kept trying to figure out a way I could make it happen.  Then I remembered something I had seen for a Fall color tour that I could do right here in mid-Michigan, and as a bonus, most of the tour followed the general direction of the North Country Trail.

So last Saturday morning, despite the possibility of rain, we headed out to see what we could see.  After a nice drive down M99 through Eaton Rapids and Springport, we arrived at stop number one-Albion.  It was comfortable and dry as we started our hike down a new section of the trail there.  With the threat of rain, there weren't any other hikers out, so I did something I rarely do and gave both of the girls some off-leash time.  Peaches was leaping and bounding up and down, through the grass and into the cornfield.  She was having the time of her life.  Meanwhile, Maddie plodded along at her own pace. a few feet behind me, but enjoying her time out on a nice Fall day.  We made it to the cemetery in Albion, did a little geocaching, and then headed back to the Jeep.   By the time we got back to the Jeep, we had completed 2.9 miles- a great distance for Maddie. 

We then loaded up in the Jeep to head West to Marshall and enjoyed the colors along the way.  The colors along the country roads were outstanding and I was enjoying the tour thoroughly.

As we hiked along the Marshall Riverwalk, we enjoyed some Fall colors as well as some spooky Halloween displays which had been set up along the trail.

As we neared the end of our hike here, it began to sprinkle.  Luckily the trail here is pretty well covered in a canopy of trees, so we didn't get very wet.  After 1.7 miles on the trail in Marshall, it was time to get back in the Jeep and continue our journey.

By the time we reached Kimball Pines in Battle Creek, there was a pretty steady rain coming down, but we weren't going to let that deter us from getting just a little more time on the trail.  So off we went.  We didn't go far and ended up finishing only a mile here, but at the end of the day , we had knocked out 5.6 miles. Overall it was a very successful day!

 

As we were leaving Kimball Pines, I notice a Biggby across the street and decided I had earned a hot chocolate and planned to get the girls a puppacino.  Boy were they in luck because this Biggby location was dog-friendly, so they got to come inside to enjoy their treat.  I think the employees were just as excited as Peaches that the girls came for a visit!

We took the scenic route home from Battle Creek and enjoyed the beautiful color along the way.  What a great day we had together!

I have more great adventures to share, but not enough time to share them all tonight, so we'll say good night for now, but watch for Part 2 in the next couple of days.

Home again and Harvey

I've officially been home from Hawaii for a week now and boy were the girls happy to have me home again!  I sure did miss them while I was gone.  Poor Maddie struggled most of all with me being away and I have promised her that I will never leave her for that long again. 

I know that Peaches missed me too, because she was extra clingy this week.  It was certainly nice to get home and feel all of the love from these two. 

All I have been thinking about since I got home is finding a way to get up North before all of the Fall Color is gone!  While Fall is in full swing here in mid-Michigan with cooler temperatures, our first frost of the year, the final tomatoes harvested from my garden, and probably 30-50% of our trees covered in color, there is nothing like the Fall colors in the UP and Northern Michigan.  And while I prefer Spring, I do love the beautiful colors of Fall, and this is the time of year my girls love best.  There is nothing better than a fall day in the woods if you're a bird dog!

This week has been spent catching up on all of the things that fall behind when you are out of town for 11 days.  I've had plenty to do both at work and at home, plus I had a day of work travel this week and will have one day of work travel weekly over the next several weeks.  In addition to my normal routine, I was happy to be able to find time to make it to Chesaning for my niece Sidnee's final home volleyball game and Senior night.  I expect that the activities of my nieces and nephew will fill more of my time over the next few weeks.

As I adjusted to being back in the Eastern time zone and having to get up for work every day, it hasn't been easy and I've come home exhausted at the end of each work day.   So I was extremely thankful for a nice Saturday at home yesterday.  I got a lot done around the house, and we even got out for a nice walk on the North Country Trail near Albion, but I just can't shake that need to head North.

After reading a Fall color report stating it was peak color along the Lake Michigan shoreline north of Petoskey and along M119 and the Tunnel of Trees there, I thought I'd make a day trip of it and head that way for a couple of hikes with the girls, some beautiful Fall color, and some amazing views of Lake Michigan.  Unfortunately, I woke up with a migraine today, and while I'm starting to feel better now, there was no way I was able to make a trip this morning.  In the end, it is probably better that I just stayed home, but I am hopeful that maybe next weekend we'll be able to get on the road for some time in the northern woods and that there will still be some color left to enjoy.

The best part of the week, though, was having a foster puppy for the last few days.  Harvey is an 11 week old GSP who came to Michigan and ISR from a horrible situation in Ohio.  Earlier this year several dogs were pulled from a backyard breeder there and rescue has just been waiting for the court case to end so that they could start moving dogs into rescue.  Harvey is one of several puppies who were moved to Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin as fellow rescue groups try to assist the Ohio Shorthair rescue with all of the dogs affected by this situation.  Harvey has a permanent foster home, however, his foster mom needed to leave town for a few days so I was happy to be able to bring him into my home for a few days while she was gone.

Harvey is sweet and adorable and I was excited to have a puppy in the house.  But no one was more excited to have a puppy around than Peaches.  She and Harvey played and played and by the time he left yesterday, he was her constant shadow.  He loved to play with her, chase her, follow her around the yard, and snuggle with her every night.  It was so cute to see them together.

Maddie, on the other hand, wasn't very excited to have a puppy around the house.  She was slowly adjusting to him, but I now know for certain that bringing a puppy home at this point would not be a good idea.  My sweet old girl would prefer the quiet peacefulness of life without a puppy and she deserves to live out her golden years without an annoying puppy driving her crazy!

Harvey went back to his foster home yesterday, and it has been a very quiet Sunday here.  The girls can tell when I'm not feeling well and so they've been quietly napping and allowing me to rest and recover from my migraine.  Thankfully, I'm feeling much better and will hopefully be able to get outside to enjoy some of the beautiful sunny day we're having.

Now that I have officially wrapped up my 50 State travel, I just wanted to share my certificate and official membership to the All 50 States Club.  It's still hard to believe I'm done!