Spring has Sprung!

My oh my, how the last two weeks have flown by!  With moving Karl to a new foster home, Easter, and prep  for a big work event as well as travel for the event, I knew that I may be slightly delayed in writing last weekend, but I underestimated just how busy I was going to be or the curveballs that would come my way.  So today we'll catch up on it all.

Peaches and Karl both had appointments at Patterson's. Peaches' appointment was hopefully her final cryotherapy treatment. I decided since Karl is nervous in new places and around new people that I'd bring him along for the visit so he could get more comfortable there before his own appointment.   

Even though he had been there just 24 hours earlier, when we returned to Patterson's for Karl's appointment, he was still nervous.  Luckily Dr. Jason is kind and patient and Karl is a sucker for stinky treats, so he was able to get his check up and final vaccinations which were needed for him to cross the border into Indiana to move to his new foster home. 

We had plenty of rainy days during the week, but rainy April days lead to beautiful green grass and spring flowers, so I don't mind.  

Karl and Mina spent hours playing every day and I spent a lot of time working to prep for a big work event, and before I knew it Friday had arrived.  We would be making the drive into Northern Indiana to meet with Karl's new foster family.

I loaded Karl and the girls into the car Friday morning and off we went for a little adventure.  We had about a 2 hour drive and I decided to make a quick stop for a nice walk along the River walk in Marshall along the way.  It was a little under half way to our final destination and a good point to let everyone stretch their legs and get in some good sniffs so the remainder of the trip would be quiet.

We arrived in Auburn and spent a little time there introducing Karl to his new foster family and then I loaded him in their van and with one final hug and a reminder to be a good boy, he was off.  According to all of the updates I've seen, he is doing great with his new foster family and has made good friends with their 10 month old puppy.  

I know Mina enjoyed having a playmate and when timing is better, we'll definitely get her another foster friend.  I'm just glad I was able to be a part of the little guys journey. 

After getting Karl safely into the hands of his new fosters, we had time for some adventures.  While we were in the area, I decided we'd make a visit to the Mid-America Windmill Museum.  

The grounds are dog-friendly and this is just my kind of place to stop!  It was an interesting stop and the girls and I all thoroughly enjoyed our visit here.

It's been a long time since we've made a real roadtrip and it was nice to get a small taste of that again.  I've missed hitting the road outside of Michigan and seeing some new and quirky sights.

We drove around and made some other quick stops and then we ended our trip with a visit to South Side Diner in Goshen for dinner.  It was a great end to our fun day exploring Northern Indiana. 

I woke up on Saturday morning with plans to do some work since I still had lots to do before leaving for my big work event.  After spending a couple of hours working, I needed a break, so the girls and I headed out for some fun.

Of course our trip to Old Town meant a visit to Preuss' too.  The girls love going to Preuss and we got extra lucky because they were having an Easter event which made it even more fun.  Although Peaches' favorite part of any visit to Preuss is the fish.

After an exhausting trip to Preuss, we made a relaxing visit downtown and a quick stop at the Capitol.  It was a beautiful day.

Easter was another beautiful day and the girls spent the morning outside enjoying the day.  Of course the Easter Bunny made a visit with some goodies for them as well.  

After a busy morning at home, it was finally time to hit the road.  Our first stop was an Easter party with the Johnston family relatives.   This is the family of my Great Grandma Struck, and we have gone to this party many times throughout my lifetime.  There was good food and good conversation and it was nice to see some family that I don't see often.  

After the party, we made a quick stop at my parent's so the girls could get out and stretch their legs.  I didn't get any pictures, but Peaches always loves her trips to grandma and grandpa's, and I had to reminder her she's not as young as she used to be.  All of the running and sniffing was good for them and they enjoyed our stop, but it was time to hit the road again.

With the car loaded full of stuff, the girls settled in for the drive North.

It was almost 7pm by the time we arrived at our Airbnb near Mesick for the night.  We took a short walk and a little drive and then settled in for the night.  I needed to rest up to prepare for a couple of busy days ahead.

Monday morning arrived and I worked for a few hours until we had to checkout of our Airbnb.  Since I had made the drive North on Sunday, I had a few hours to get out with the girls to explore on Monday afternoon.

We found the North Country Trail and Manistee River Loop very nearby and took a short walk in the woods before heading West to spend some time along the Lake Michigan shore.

We hiked the Elberta Dunes trail to a beautiful scenic overlook. 

And I saw my first Spring wildflowers of the season. 

Then we headed to Elberta Beach. It was a really perfect beach day and because it is still April, we had the whole beach to ourselves.  In a few short weeks this beach will be packed with tourists, but I was happy to share the peacefulness of this place with just the girls.

It had been a wonderful day in Northern Michigan, but it was time to make the drive to Crystal Mountain to get settled into our room and get a little more work done before dinner with my team.

We got checked in and I unloaded the car and did a little work before getting the girls out for one more walk before dinner. 

They settled in nicely while I met my team for dinner and a little down time before our big event the next day.  

Because our visit coincided with the off season, the resort was so peaceful and quiet.  I've never seen it so quiet and it was perfect for me.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent busy with our conference, while the girls hung out in the room.  Of course they got out for their daily walks and they even got to meet some new people, but they definitely spent more time alone than usual.   I can't say enough just how proud of them I am.   They were so good!

We took the scenic route for our drive home Wednesday afternoon, but after all of the prep work and actual event, I was pretty exhausted and ready to get home so we didn't stop much along the way.  But the girls were excellent travelers.   Mina definitely proved to me that she is going to make an excellent travel buddy.  She's really learning to love a good road trip and that makes me so happy. 

We arrived home and I was surprised by how much things had changed in the few days we were gone.   I guess the 70 and 80 degree temperatures really helped things move along.

The Magnolia are blooming all around us, as are many other flowering trees and bushes.  The tree leaves are unfurling and the grass is so green. 

This is absolutely my favorite time of year and the best part of Spring.  

Unfortunately, I've been sick since Thursday and haven't been able to really enjoy the weather, but the girls have made the most of it while I've been resting. 

And on a rainy Sunday, Mina spent some time snuggling with me.  I'm feeling much better than I was and will hopefully be able to get out with the girls to enjoy the beauty of Spring before it's gone. 

The most exciting part of the coming week is that little Fiona will be celebrating her 1st Birthday.   How is that possible?!?

Life with puppies

Happy April!! It has been an interesting week living with two puppies.  While Karl spent the week adjusting to and settling into our routine, we all had to adjust to him being here too.  Mina is happy to have a friend, and I'm hoping she'll learn from this experience so we can foster more in the future.  Peaches would prefer that we not have another puppy in the house, but has slowly begun to warm up to him.  

He is a sweet boy, but he needs training and patience to build his confidence.  We're working on his confidence and training, which is progressing well, but he still has a lot to learn.  When he's not moving around, he prefers to spend his days in my lap.  

I spent a lot of my work days with a puppy on my lap because it was the best way to be productive.  

With Spring now in full swing, the weather fluctuates between warm and sunny to cold and rainy almost daily, but I have started to see signs all around that the world is coming back to life.

With the change in the weather, I've been excited to get out around town more for our evening walks.  Longer daylight hours make it easier for some weekday evening adventures too.   

On Monday we took our evening walk at Fenner Nature Center.  It was a beautiful evening for a walk, and Karl and the girls had a great time.  We saw lots of birds, including an owl, and plenty of deer, but I was most excited to hear the return of the music of the peepers.

Tuesday evening we headed to the Horticultural Gardens on campus for our walk.  While most perennials aren't yet blooming and the annuals haven't been planted yet, I enjoy walking there in most seasons.

We even found a little color with some early spring flowers.   

I have been trying hard to get some good pictures of Karl out on our adventures, but he doesn't always make that easy.

I was especially happy to see the Lenten Rose all in bloom, and we even found some pansies. Both of them are clear signs of Spring. 

I tried valiantly to get a picture of all three pups together, but this is the best I could do.

Wednesday morning Karl's stray hold at the shelter ended and he became available for adoption.  We took some time for extra snuggles.

Wednesday was also Nicol's birthday, and as I do every year, I had the day off.  While Karl was heading into the shelter for the day to potentially find a new home, the girls and I were planning to head out for some geocaching adventures. 

Before dropping Karl off for the day, we got out for a quick walk on the Hayhoe Trail.  We also made a stop at Biggby for a pup cup.

After getting Karl comfortable for his day at the shelter, the girls and I headed out for some fun.  

While the day started gray and blustery, after a short period of rain, the sky cleared and the sun came out.  While it was still cold and windy, we enjoyed the blue, sunny sky.

We spent our day traveling around Williamston, Webberville, and Stockbridge and getting out for some walks and some geocaching.  It was a wonderful way to spend our day.

After a fun day, we headed back to the shelter to pick up Karl for the night.  

Karl had a busy day at the shelter and made several friends while he was there, including Minkus.  Even though he had made lots of friends, he was very happy to see me and to go home.

Thursday morning, Karl headed back to the shelter for his neuter surgery.  It was a quiet day at my house without him.  Without a puppy to fill the day, the girls were happy to spend much of their time outside.  

Karl's surgery went well, and when I picked him up from the shelter at the end of the day,  I completed the paperwork to pull him from the shelter and he officially became an ISR foster dog.  He'll be staying with me for the next week until he moves into a more long-term foster home with the rescue.  

We had a lazy Friday evening of snuggling while I tried to keep Karl calm as he recovers from his surgery, however neither Karl nor Mina understand that he shouldn't be wrestling and rough housing.  It was a LONG Friday!  

On Saturday we made plans to spend time with Vanessa.   She needed some Peaches and puppy love after sadly having to say goodbye to one of her cats, Otto, on Friday afternoon.   

The weather was cold and rainy, so we thought we'd just do indoor stuff, but after a stop at TSC, the rain cleared up enough for us to get outside for a walk and we headed to Meridian Baseline State Park.  We were also able to get out in a few other areas to do some geocaching. It was a nice afternoon of adventures.

After dropping Vanessa off, we made a stop downtown on our way home for one more quick walk before the rain started again. 

Then it was back to the car to head home for the night.  Despite my efforts to keep Karl calm, there were lots of Saturday night wrestling matches followed by some short naps. 

After a two hour wrestling match to start our day this morning, Peaches let Karl climb into my lap with her for his morning nap and she didn't even grumble at him.  That was a first.  

There have been lots of wrestling matches, games of tug, and games of chase today.  Karl is getting more brave outside, and while he had no interest in going more than a few feet from the porch previously, he is starting to venture further and stay outside longer.  He may even have had a breakthrough with Peaches who joined in on the play today with some barking, and she let him jump and play bow without any grumpy old lady reaction. 

The girls have spent lots of time outside today which gives Karl some time to rest and me some time to do some stuff around the house.   But anytime everyone is inside, if I'm sitting down, I usually have two dogs on my lap.  It's not a bad way to spend a sunny Sunday. 

I'm hoping for a quiet and uneventful four day work week and will enjoy the last few days of having a puppy in the house before we send him off to his next foster home on Friday.  Then the girls and I have a busy couple of months of adventures ahead of us.  I'm ready to get out and start exploring!