The dogs days of Summer.

Happy Monday friends!  I don't know about you, but for me this Summer seems to be just flying by and soon we'll be 2/3's of the way through the season.  We are slowly seeing the daylight hours get shorter and the temperatures at night getting cooler.  After a very hot and humid beginning to our week last week, we had a nearly perfect Summer weekend.  I was happy to be able to turn off the air conditioner and open the windows and to comfortably spend more time outside with the girls.  We have more hot days ahead of us this week, but I never complain about the heat because I know soon enough Winter and it's cold temperatures will be here.  For now we're celebrating the dog days of Summer while they last!

Last week we spent a lot of time on Campus.  It has been so peaceful without students.  Summer is always the best time to visit campus in my opinion, but it's been even quieter than normal due to changes on campus due to Covid.  However, that is all about to change as students will soon be moving back to resume a more normal Campus life once again.  So we are taking full advantage of the peace while it lasts.

With it's wide sidewalks that are bike/handicapper accessible, it is the perfect place to take the stroller.    It's also so big and there are so many beautiful places to walk, every day can be a new adventure for the girls and I don't get sick of seeing the same scenery every day.  

Each night I've made sure that Maddie got some time out of the stroller to explore a bit.  On the really hot days, she especially enjoyed the time she spent just laying in the cool grass.  Peaches was also happy to spend some time in the grass!

We experienced some pretty exceptional sunsets on our visits.  The beauty was enhanced by the smoky air from Canadian wildfires.  I always love a good sunset.

On one of the more humid nights last week, I wasn't sure I was going to convince Maddie to move from the grass for our walk, but eventually she decided she'd let me load her in the stroller.

We headed out for our walk in a part of campus that I'm not very familiar with and found some pretty interesting sights.  These columns list donors to the university and are actually quite pretty.

We also found a cute little garden with some interesting artwork and a nice fountain.  We stopped for a bit to enjoy the area and chat with a nice couple who was there enjoying their dinner.  

In addition to beautiful trees, flowers, and artwork, campus is full of gorgeous old buildings.  I always love to stop and admire the beautiful old buildings and think about all of the people who have passed through their halls and the history contained within each one.  

After another nice long walk, we were once again treated to another beautiful sunset on our way home.  This picture doesn't do justice to just how beautiful it was.

In an effort to make the most of our Summer, and honestly to make the most of whatever time we have left with Maddie, I decided to take Wednesday afternoons off at work from now until Labor Day so we can take some small afternoon adventures.  While I had no specific plans last week, I was hoping to find something fun to do. 

Our afternoon started with a trip to the vet for Maddie's laser therapy.  Peaches was very happy to be there with me waiting for Maddie to finish her visit.  While we waited the weather turned as some storms moved through the area, and I wasn't sure we'd be able to get out to do anything.  But once Maddie was back in the car, I made a plan and off we went.

I wasn't sure what the weather was going to do, but we headed the short drive North to Carson City to do a little geocaching.  The great thing about geocaching is that even on a rainy day, you can find a way to have some fun without getting too wet.  Lucky for us, the rain passed before we arrived in town and we were able to get out to find several caches and to take a few short walks while we were there.

We spent a couple of hours on our geocaching adventure before we turned toward home.  I made a stop at Phillip's Orchard on our way home to buy some day old donuts, a cider slushie, and 10 pounds of fresh Michigan peaches.    We had such a nice time and it was great to be able to just get away for a few hours mid-week.  

On Thursday, we made our way to Dewitt to buy some Michigan Blueberries.  While I had hoped to pick some blueberries myself this year, I found a farm that sold already picked berries for only 11 cents more per pound that U Pick at another local farm.  For only $1.10 more for 10 pounds, I was happy to buy the already picked berries, especially with the extra hot and humid weather we were having.  While we were in the area, we made a quick stop at a local park before heading home for the night.  

With cooler temperatures on Friday, I decided that we'd make a trip downtown for our nightly walk.  We hadn't been down there in quite awhile and Friday's are usually pretty quiet.  This Friday was clearly the exception.  With a Lugnuts Baseball game and lots of people out and about, downtown was buzzing.  We had a nice walk around the stadium and chatted with a few people along the way.  

We had a really nice walk around downtown and ended our Friday night at the Capitol Building just before sunset. 

It was such a beautiful night and we all really enjoyed our walk and time at the Capitol.  I always love seeing it with all of the lights on.  

Saturday we once again headed to campus for our walk.  With the lovely temperatures, I was ready for a nice long walk and I had found yet another new area to explore.  The Sanford Natural area is right along the River and seemed like a great place to take the girls for a walk in the woods.

While technically, I don't think Maddie's stroller was allowed in the natural area, no signs strictly prohibited it and so I lifted it over the fence and loaded Maddie up so that the girls could both enjoy some time in the woods with me.  

Maddie even got out of the stroller to sniff around on her own and check the area out before we left the natural area to continue our campus walk.   It was such a great time for all of us.

Sadly, as we walked around campus, we noticed a lot more people and several people starting to move onto campus.  In just a couple of weeks, I know campus will be busy once again.  But for now, we're making the most of our visits there.  On a positive note, my niece Sidnee will be moving into the dorms on campus to start her time at MSU this Fall.  I'm excited that I'll get to see her a little more often and I'm hoping we can have some regular walks together once she is here.

After a very busy Saturday, the girls were pooped and we had a very quiet evening at home.  It was a great way to end our week of fun.

With all we had done throughout the week, I decided that a nice quiet Sunday at home was just what we needed.  I spent time in the garden, mowed the lawn, did some yard and house work, and spent time freezing blueberries and prepping some other garden items for the freezer.  It was a great day at home which ended with a really delicious one pot creamy chicken pesto pasta for dinner.   

I think Maddie approved of our quiet day at home too.  It was a wonderful Summer day for a nap to rest up for another fun-filled week of Summer fun.

Summer Heatwave

We are currently in the midst of a Summer heatwave here in Michigan.  Temperatures over the last few days have been in the upper 80s and low 90s with humidity over 70% and dew points in the 70s.  Last night I was watching the weather as potentially severe storms moved through the area around midnight, and the actual temperature was 83 degrees with a "feels like" temperature of 91 degrees.  83 degrees with oppressive humidity at midnight is crazy!  And it doesn't look like we're going to get much relief over the next couple of days.  While I love Summer, this weather makes it really hard to enjoy any time outdoors.  Thankfully the temperatures over this coming weekend look like they're going to be much more comfortable.  

Along with the hot, humid weather we've been having, the last week has been a busy one for me, so our outings have been limited.   Last Tuesday I worked my first election.  It's something I've always thought I'd like to do and I'm really glad I did it.  I'm also looking forward to working future elections.  The best part is that I was able to work at my own voting precinct which is less than a 1/4 mile walk from my house.  I was able to work my normal job in the morning and then make the 5 minute walk to the precinct to start working at 1pm.  Working close to home was great because I was close enough to walk home for my dinner about half way through my shift and spend most of my break at home with the girls.  I was glad that I was able to check on Maddie and that I didn't have to worry about her while I was gone.  It was a good first experience.

We continue to try to find new areas to explore around town that are stroller friendly.  Campus is a great place for stroller friendly adventures, especially this time of year when all of the students are gone.  It's quiet and the sidewalks are wide and handicapper/bike friendly which makes them great for pushing Maddie around in the stroller. 

There are lots of pretty places on campus to walk, and we've spent a lot of time on campus over the years, so I was pretty surprised to find a spot on campus that I didn't know existed.  This little hidden area took us through a lovely garden full of beautiful summer flowers.  It was quiet, peaceful, and lovely.

We had such a nice walk in this area, I look forward to going back again and spending more time here.  I bet it will be gorgeous in both the Fall and Spring.

Continuing with my plans to make the most of our Summer, I had planned a fun little adventure for me and the girls to explore a new area on Saturday.  I had recently learned about a few parks along the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair and thought it would make for a nice, stroller-friendly adventure.  

Our first stop of the day was at Palmer Park in St. Clair.  There is a nice park with a boardwalk right along the river and the freighter traffic along the river is pretty impressive.  Maddie was feeling pretty sassy that morning and insisted on walking on several occasions, so we weren't getting anywhere fast, but I was so happy to see her feeling great and enjoying her time.  I know that being close to the water was a really big part of her excitement.  

This awesome little park was quiet, but there were several people along the boardwalk sitting on benches or in the grass watching the freighter traffic.  So many of them stopped us as we walked along so that they could say hello to the girls and chat.  Peaches and Maddie both enjoyed all of the attention that they were getting.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of the big freighters and I could spend a lot of time in this park enjoying the view.  Maybe someday I'll pack a lunch and head back to spend a few hours there.  

We left St. Clair and continued our journey South.  We drove M29 along the river and made a couple of quick stops along the way.  While we didn't spend much time in Algonac, we did enjoy our stop at the State Park and would like to go back to spend more time there some day too.

We made it to New Baltimore in the early afternoon and found the dog-friendly Ruedisale Park just outside of town.  This park is on the Lake St. Clair and there was a nice breeze coming off of the lake.  We found a nice shady spot and set ourselves up near a picnic table in the shade.   

I found this rubbermaid container full of toys on the picnic table and thought it was such a sweet way of remembering a pup that had enjoyed this park during it's lifetime.  Peaches was pretty interested in this container of fun and we took advantage of a ball and a couple of stuffed animals while we were there.

The best part of our stop was the opportunity to visit with our fellow ISR volunteer, Laurie, and her husband.  They live in New Baltimore and were both excited to get a chance to spend some time with the girls and get some GSP love.  They recently lost their GSP, Georgia, and sent the girls a box full of goodies, and I knew that getting some GSP love from the girls would be the best way to repay that kindness.    And of course they showed up with a special treat for each of the girls.  We had a nice visit and the girls got lots of love and Laurie took an awesome picture of me with the girls so I will always have a wonderful reminder of our special day here.  

We left New Baltimore and started our travels toward home, but we still had one more stop to make.  We were going to be driving right by my friend Janie's house and I was excited to get a chance to see her and for her to get a chance to meet the girls.  

We had a great visit with Janie and I'm so mad that I didn't get more pictures, but Maddie was happy to make herself right at home there.  Peaches was happy to make a new friend with Janie's dog Oliver and they zoomed around the yard in a good game of chase before Peaches settled in to sniff and explore every inch of Janie's back yard.  I really wish I had gotten some video of Peaches and Oliver playing or the sweet moment that Oliver and Maddie had, but sometimes when you are just living in the moment, pictures don't happen.  I'm just glad that Janie was able to experience my crazy girls first hand and we got a chance to catch up .  And now I know if we're in the area again, Peaches has another friend for a fun playdate!

I had had a busy weekend with a Friday night wedding and our Saturday adventures, so after spending some time in the garden on Sunday morning, we spent a quiet day at home.  It was a much needed day of rest after a busy week.  

While the month of August has started out a little slow in the way of adventures, I have lots of fun planned over the course of the rest of the month so we can make the very most of every single Summer day we have remaining.   I am reminded daily in my life with Maddie that we don't know how many days we have left, so we're going to make sure that no matter how many days that is for us, we're going to enjoy them.  

Special moments happen every day...are you paying attention?

Life.  It's an adventure.  It's fun and exhausting, happy and sad, fulfilling and, at times, frustrating.  It is a wonderful thing, life.  As we plod along day after day, I don't think we realize just how lucky we are for each day we are given, for each moment we have.  In the grand scheme of things, all of our lives are just a small blip compared to the vastness of time, and yet, it is also miraculous and wonderful to think of the ways in which we can have an impact on time, on the future, on our fellow human beings, and on all of the other wonderful creatures here on Earth with us.  Maybe our lives won't make a lasting impact and live on in the history books, but our lives make an impact on those around us every day-our family and friends, and even complete strangers, and we can be fondly remembered with love.  And in the end, that's pretty amazing.

A dog's life is much shorter, but no less impactful in my opinion.  I've learned a lot from some pretty special dogs over the years.  I have traveled thousands of miles in the company of dogs.  We have explored amazing natural wonders, sat quietly in nature, visited big cities, and explored so many amazing places, and I've always loved watching them explore the world with interest and excitement.  Each new place brought joy and excitement.  Each new place offered the opportunity to meet new friends and to make someone smile.  Watching the world through their eyes, I've learned about life and love and, most importantly, I've learned how important it is to greet each day like the great adventure it is.  For that, I am thankful.  

At the end of April, I wrote about Maddie and the struggles we were having at that time, and I honestly wasn't sure she'd make it to the end of May.  But here we are entering August, and she's still here with us.  She's slower and less steady on her feet than she was, and sometimes she needs a little helping hand to get up or get around, but she is still approaching each day with her special sense of adventure.  She still loves life, refuses to miss out on an adventure, and is as stubborn as ever.    And she still makes me smile every day.  I have really enjoyed this Summer with her, despite the challenges, or maybe because of them.

While Peaches and I have had to adjust our normal routines and adjust to living life at Maddie's pace, it has been nice at times to have to slow down and to really live in the moment.  It really has forced me to notice to the everyday, mundane moments that make up life and appreciate them more than I would normally.    I have had several days this week that were nothing special, and yet they are days I never want to forget.  

One of those days was early in the week when we loaded up the car and headed out to Gump's BBQ to pick up lunch.  The girls love going there because they always get a visit from Gump himself with some special treat, usually some pulled pork or bacon.  Peaches knows the route now, and as soon as we turn onto Elm Street, she whines with excitement, and this day was no different.  I went in to make my order and as soon as Gump saw me he grabbed some bacon and headed out to the car.  I followed him this time so I could open the back hatch to allow him to feed the girls and make it easier for Maddie.  But neither of them were going to settle for sitting patiently in the car, and since it was near closing time, I let Peaches explore the grassy outdoor eating area in front of the business.  Maddie wasn't going to be left behind and, after eating her bacon, wobbled around exploring too.  The girls were a hit with everyone that was there at the time (one customer and her daughter, Gump, and an employee) and we had some great conversations about dogs and how special they are.  There was so much joy in this simple moment, I almost forgot to pay for my lunch!  But I went back in grabbed my food, paid, and then the girls and I headed home to continue our day.  It wasn't anything special, and yet it was such a wonderful and special thing to see them both so happy and enjoying life.  

Another one of those days was Wednesday at Maddie's weekly vet appointment for laser therapy.  Once again, it wasn't anything special, and yet somehow, these are exactly the kinds of days I want to remember.  Peaches sat nicely in the back of the car with the back hatch open as I unloaded Maddie and got her ready for her appointment.  I couldn't have been more proud of Peaches just lying there so nicely and watching the world go by, never even thinking about jumping out of the car. 

Meanwhile, Maddie wanted out of the car to take a potty break and explore.  We wobbled around the parking lot waiting for the vet assistant to come get her, and eventually she sat down, happily waiting to see her friends.  Finally the staff member came to get her to take her inside, and I had to capture this sweet picture of him helping her slowing make her way into the building.  Once again, a precious memory of what our life looks like at this point in time.  It also makes me happy to see the wonderful care that our veterinary staff take with my special girl.  They are the best!

We had some special snuggling moments throughout the week too, but none sweeter than this one.  Maddie sure does love to snuggle, and she sure does love Peaches.  

While the weather at the beginning of the week was HOT and humid making it harder to get out for very long with the girls, the end of the week brought us some relief and some really wonderful sunny and 70 degree weather.  These are the days I love to get out and explore, and I was happy to take the girls out for some fun.

With the perfect weather and the MSU students still gone for the Summer, I thought a nice walk on Campus was in order.   Campus is huge and has lots of areas to explore, so we checked out some spots we hadn't been before as well as some old, familiar places.  I probably shouldn't have taken an apple off this tree, but I couldn't resist the snack!  It was a beautiful tree and full of fruit which sadly, will probably just got to waste.  

We stopped a Cowles house which is University President's residence on Campus and the oldest building on campus.  It is a beautiful area to take a walk, and the girls were loving it there.

While I tried to get some nice pictures here, Peaches was distracted and Maddie decided that she wanted out of the stroller to explore on her own a bit, and so I got her out and both girls spent some time in the grass.  Once again, another simple moment in our every day lives, but a good reminder of the simple pleasure of lying in the grass on a Summer evening and taking in the scenery that surrounded us. 

Eventually I got Maddie back in her stroller and we continued our walk.   We explored the area around Beaumont Tower and then sat down for a little break.  

We chatted with a few passersby and the girls got some love from them which made them both very happy.  They weren't impressed by the group that walked past without sharing their ice cream, though.

We stopped at this cool Oak tree which is well over 100 years old and was struck by lighting many years ago, but despite the fact that more than half the tree is gone, it preservers.  Peaches is sitting inside of what would have been the trunk.  It's pretty cool to see in person. 

Friday night, we spent the night at home enjoying a quiet evening on the patio.  I made dinner using some of the fresh veggies in my garden which I decided earned us a trip for ice cream, but other than that, we spent the evening together outdoors until the mosquitoes forced us inside.  It was a wonderful way to end the work week and start our weekend.

We went out to run a few errands and pick up a couple geocaches on Saturday, but spent most of the day at home.  We had plans for a fun day of geocaching along the Saginaw rail trail with Vanessa on Sunday, but after going only about a half mile on the trail, we turned back to the car because the mosquitoes were so bad.  That will be an adventure for another day when the bugs and brush die down a bit.  Even though it was only a mile walk, both Maddie and Peaches enjoyed some time walking along the trail.  

Once we were back at the car, we adjusted our plans for the day and still had a great day of geocaching fun.  I'm pretty sure the girls had fun too, even though they didn't get out as much as I had expected.   I think they are always happy just to be included in any adventure.  We got home, had dinner, and then the girls crashed for the night.   

I was also pretty excited to get out into the garden and get pick some more of my veggies tonight.  My little garden is providing me with some wonderful fresh vegetables and it makes me so happy to see all the wonderful thinks I can grow.  I also know that these veggies will provide me happy reminders of Summer all Winter long.  It was a wonderful end to a good week of every day moments and good memories with my girls.  I look forward to making lots more special memories together during the coming weeks.