The Spooky Season begins

 

Well, October has arrived and with it comes a month of Fall colors and spooky season fun.  I'm not really into being scared, but I do love the Halloween season.  I love to decorate and to join in some local Halloween fun with the girls.  So last Sunday, I headed out to the farm to pick up some of the items I needed to get started with decorating in the front yard.  

I thought it was a great idea to combine the trip to the farm with a trip to the dog park in Dewitt since they are only a couple of miles apart...forgetting that two dogs, two corn stalk bundles, and a bale of straw might not fit too well in the back of my car.  Ultimately everything and everyone fit just fine, they were just a little cozier than normal.  And I learned that Mina can make herself comfortable anywhere.

On Monday, I had a busy morning of work preparing for a big meeting on Tuesday.  It was going to be a busy couple of days with work travel and meetings, but luckily the girls were able to come along with me.  I love when the hotels we are using for our meetings are dog-friendly!  

I packed up the car and made the drive to Troy mid-afternoon on Monday to avoid traffic, and once we were settled into our room, I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing up my work for the day.  The girls made the most of our hotel room and had a great wrestling match while I worked. 

Before it got too late, I found a nice park nearby to take the girls for a little adventure.  I thought this was a very sweet memorial to a lost family member.  

We took a lovely walk around Firefighter's Park and enjoyed some pretty views.  It was a warm evening and the park was full of squirrels which made it an extra fun walk for the girls.   I couldn't resist getting this picture of Mina and her super long tongue.

At the end of our walk, I was pretty proud of how nicely the girls laid down for a picture.  I think this is one of the best pictures I've ever gotten of them.

Before heading back to the car, I stopped quickly to check out the Firefighter's Memorial at the park.  What a nice spot.

After our walk, I had to make some copies at Staples and pick up my dinner before heading back to the hotel.  Once we got back to the hotel, Peaches put herself right to bed.  She definitely approved of the hotel bed.

Tuesday morning we were up extra early to prepare for the day ahead.  We got out for a 1 3/4 mile walk in the dark before breakfast, then the girls got in a little wrestling match while I got ready for work, and we took another quick 1/2 mile walk and potty break before I got the girls settled into the room for the day and headed off to work downstairs.  

The girls did an excellent job all day quietly sleeping the day away while I worked until the cleaning staff knocked on my hotel door-despite the sign that said " Pet in Room-Do not Disturb"  That disruption woke my sleeping Mina.  I could hear her barking in my room from across the atrium. Luckily the timing of that disruption was good so I could get the girls out for a quick potty break.  They settled back in the room for a bit while our meeting finished, and when the happy hour started they got to join me about mid-way through.  Both girls were very good getting to say hello to both the hotel staff and our advisors.  Mina seemed to be right at home in the middle of it all.  

After a very long and exhausting day, the girls and I needed to get out for some fresh air, so we headed back to Firefighter's park for a quick walk at sunset and then picked up some dinner on the way back to our hotel.  

The rest of our quiet evening was spent relaxing in our room, and we were all ready for bed early.  I'm so glad we don't do meetings like this more often.

I spent Wednesday morning visiting some advisor offices and catching up on work at the hotel before checking out and heading toward home.  It was another beautiful day, and was most likely our final 80 degree day of the year.  

When I got home, I spent my lunch in the garden.  I was pretty happy with my little harvest.  

After work on Wednesday I headed out to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walking club.  While I was there, I met Coachella, a little hound mix who is shy and very nervous at the shelter.  I couldn't get her harnessed to walk her on Wednesday, but after our walk I spent about 40 minutes just sitting on the floor in her kennel with her giving her treats.  By the end of the night, she was definitely more comfortable with me.  She is such a cutie!

Thursday, the weather took a turn with cooler temperatures and rain arriving for the day.  After being stuck inside all day because of the rain, the girls were happy when I got them into the car and took them to the farmer's market.  It was pretty quiet due to the rain and several of the normal vendor's weren't there, but I was happy to still get my eggrolls and a chocolate chip cookie as well as some honey.  Only two more weeks until the market ends for the season.  What will I do with my Thursday evenings then?

We also took a walk through Soldan's before leaving to head home.  After a quick walk and a little time out in the yard, I had the girls sit in front of the fall decorations for a quick picture.  Such good girls.

The weather since Friday has gotten cooler and we've had regular rain showers mixed with some beautiful sunshine each day.  Luckily the girls could spent a lot of time outside during the day on Friday because my work day was extra busy as I finished up loose ends from my time out of the office earlier in the week and prepared for my week of vacation.  It was a boring day with no adventures.

Saturday morning, I was excited that we were able to get Coachella out of the shelter for our Saturday morning dog walking club.  With help from the shelter staff, we were able to get her harnessed and she thoroughly enjoyed her time out of the shelter.   In true hound form, she spent a lot of the walk with her nose to the ground.  This little girl is so sweet.  

After dog walking club and a couple of errands, we were ready for some fun.  Luckily Happy Feet Pet Rescue was holding their annual Howl-lo-ween event at the REO Town Marketplace.  

This is such a fun little event with vendors and some fun activities set up throughout the marketplace.    In addition to the vendors, the stores in the Marketplace handout dog treats and there is also a cute themed photo area, but I can never seem to get Peaches to calm down enough to get a picture.  Peaches' favorite part of the day is always the "pup-kin" pie eating booth and all the random strangers handing her treats.  Mina seemed to enjoy the pool full of balls, kongs, and other toys best and came home with two tennis balls from that fun.  Both girls love that they get to meet lots of other dogs.

After visiting all of the stores and vendors and partaking all of the fun, we went out to visit the few stores in REO town that were also giving out treats for the day.  This was such a typical Fall day with sunshine and moody, dark clouds in the distance.  On our final stop of the day, Mina even came nose to nose with a cat.  I wasn't sure how that would go, so for everyone's safety it was a quick stop with no picture.

The girls came how with a pretty good haul for their work.  

And I even came home with a few treats, too.

By the time we got home and had lunch, it was late afternoon.  It had been a busy day of fun, but I had had things I wanted to get done so after lunch I spent some time in the garden.  The forecast showed that temperatures would be dipping into the mid-30s over night and there was no frost warning, the weather service said that there was the chance of some patchy frost overnight.  I picked anything that was ripe or almost ripe, including the last few green beans and the final beef steak tomato of the season.

I also pulled the basil plants.  This one is currently in water waiting to be turned into pesto.  The other basil plant is in a pot in the garage so I have a little more time to deal with it.

I pulled out the plants that no longer had any veggies and did a little garden clean up before tucking in the rest of the plants for the night, just in case we got any frost.  They got covered for Sunday night too since we once again had lows in the mid-30s, and the rest of this week they are going to soak in as much sun as they can, hopefully allowing more of the tomatoes and tomatillos to ripen before the final harvest and garden clean up happens sometime in the next week or so.  

After finishing up my work in the garden, I decided to take the girls for a ride and go raspberry picking.  The u-pick raspberry farm is on the other side of town, and I've been wanting to get out there to pick a few pints of raspberries.  With the end of the season near, it was time for me to finally do just that.

On our way there, I noticed the clouds getting darker, and I ended up in the raspberry patch during a light rain, but I was prepared so it was no big deal.  I was the only crazy person out in the patch late in the day while it was sprinkling, so I think my timing was perfect. 

The berries were beautiful with so many left on the vines to still ripen.  I picked 5 pints of berries and then called it a day.  While that doesn't seem like a lot of berries, it is the perfect amount for me to eat some fresh over the next couple of days and then freeze the rest for something delicious this winter.    I just have to say that these are some delicious little berries!

The weather for Sunday was supposed to start out sunny with the potential for some rain to move in in the afternoon.   I wanted to get the girls out before any rain could move in and I wanted them to be well-exercised for my busy afternoon.  I decided that a trip to the dog park was the perfect thing to make sure they got lots of exercise and had some fun, plus it gave me an excuse to stop by the farm for some of their fresh made doughnuts.  While there we met Molly, a three year old GSP who loves to play frisbee.  There were a couple other frisbee dogs there too, and for a while Mina showed no interest in the Frisbees-she is ball lover after all, but something about Molly's frisbee got her interested, and soon after Peaches got involved with the frisbee fun too.  Santa may need to bring them each a Kong Frisbee for Christmas.

Mina had some good rounds of fetch and chase with Molly and Peaches spent lots of time exploring the park like she always does.  It was a good start to the day.

After a quick stop at the farm for a bushel of sweet corn, which I'm splitting with Vanessa, and some warm strawberry doughnuts with vanilla glaze, and a quick stop for a short walk at the Capitol Building, it was time to get home to get to work with my long list of to-dos. 

The rest of the day I was busy cleaning, paying bills, organizing, and starting to work on the final prep for all of the fruits and veggies I currently have, all while watching the Lions game.  I also finished up my Fall decorating which needed a few final touches. I still have lots to do with the veggies and fruits, but that work will be done over the next couple of days.  I felt like I had an extremely productive day and when I sat down for a quick break before dinner, I ended up with a puppy snuggled up on my lap.  I decided that was my sign that I had done enough for the day and settled in for a relaxing evening.

I have this week off from work and have lots of things I plan to get done while I'm off.  The decision to stay home for a big part of the week wasn't an easy one for me because I really wanted to head North, but I have so much to get done that it just made more sense to use this time to be productive.  I promised myself that we would also get out for some fun and we do have a short trip planned later in the week which should be fun.  Meanwhile, I'm off to get to work on making veggie stock, applesauce and apple butter, and some sauces with the tomatoes, in addition to freezing tomatillos and raspberries.  The freezer is slowly filling up with a bounty of goodness for the Winter.  Temperatures are barely going to make it to 50 today, so it seems like the perfect day to just stay home.  Hopefully the girls will forgive me for not taking them on any big adventure.

I will end with this cute video of Fiona which Nicol sent to me earlier this week.  She is loving the Halloween season and all of the fun decorations.  Her new favorite word is "spooky."  She is such a character!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and I look forward to sharing more of our Fall and Spooky season fun with you next week!

September's end

While we have completed the first full week of Fall and we have reached the end of September, it hasn't really felt like Fall yet.  The weather was rainy and cooler earlier in the week, but today and the next few days are looking much more like Summer with warm sunny day.  However, I know it won't be long before it really starts to feel like Fall around here..  The colors are just starting to pop out around Lansing now, and after mid-week it looks like more Fall-like weather is on its way.  I know it is inevitable, but I sure am making the most of the nice days while we can.

Last Sunday I was busy around home.  I enjoyed some time in the garden doing clean-up and picking tomatoes, tomatillos, beans, and basil and trimming back the tomato plants as they begin to die back. Despite the fact that it is nearing the end of the season, the garden is still going strong, and I spent a lot of my day working on roasting tomatoes and prepping other items for the freezer.  

I did take a break mid-afternoon to attend an event that the Happy Feet Rescue was holding so I could go pet some cats.  I don't have the opportunity to spend much time with cats since the girls aren't really cat friendly, so I thought this would be a nice way to cuddle a cat and take a break from all of my garden work.   

Since it was nice outside, the girls spent much of the day out enjoying the yard and happily napped when they weren't outdoors.  They were very good girls and I got a lot done.

Monday arrived, and with it, a busy work week due to upcoming work events and work travel.  Because of my busy schedule on Monday, we didn't get out for any fun adventures, but we did enjoy a nice walk around the neighborhood and saw our first real signs that Fall is on its way.

After another busy day of work, Tuesday we headed downtown for the Fall Fest at the Downtown Lansing Farmer's Market.  The Farmer's market there never has many vendors, but they had some special activities going on and I thought we'd check them out.

We made a quick walk around Reutter Park and the market area.  The girls were pretty excited about all of the new smells.  We stopped to get our picture taken which was part of the event, but I have no idea where they were sharing the pictures, so I don't have a copy.  We grabbed a free pumpkin and quickly stopped to see what vendors were there.  

It was a cool and drizzly evening, but after dropping the pumpkin off at our car, we walked over to take a walk around the Capitol Grounds.  With the gray skies, rain sprinkles, and pops of color, it certainly felt more like Fall.

We walked from the Capitol Building to the Michigan Supreme Court Building before heading back toward Reutter Park.  

When we got back to the park, it was 6:45pm and they were beginning the clean-up to close down the Market at 7pm.  We took another quick walk around and I let the girls stop to check out the petting zoo farm animals from a safe distance.  They were both pretty excited about the farm critters, but they behaved pretty well.  I was shocked that Peaches didn't event bark once.  

Before leaving, we got to grab a couple more free pumpkins which will get added to my Fall decorations which will be going out this weekend.  

Wednesday arrived and after some final event preparations, it was time to head out for a night in Toledo.  Since the hotel where our conference was being held was dog-friendly, I decided to take the girls along instead of boarding them for the night.  Not only does it save me some money on boarding fees, but it gives us the opportunity to get out for some fun in a new place too.

Traffic issues and road construction made our drive to Toledo about twice as long as normal, but we arrived safely.  Since we hadn't gotten a chance for much of a break during the day, we headed South of Toledo to the town of Waterville, Ohio(about 8 miles from our hotel) for a walk on the North Country Trail.

A couple of years ago, Peaches and I visited this town and I had no idea that the North Country Trail was just down the road.  When I discovered that the trail was there, we definitely needed to go check it out.  

The trail in this area runs concurrently with the Buckeye Trail which is maintained by the State of Ohio.  This portion of the trail runs along the Maumee River and follows old tow paths from the days when boats were used to transport goods down rivers all over the country.   

The paths are straight and through some very pretty wooded areas along the river.  Some areas are paved and others are crushed gravel.  Nicely maintained and easily walkable, the trail was great for getting in some miles quickly.

We walked a total of 5 miles that evening, starting with a 3.5  mile hike in Farnsworth Metropark.  After a short break to grab a couple of geocaches and to stop at a geocaching event just a 1/2 mile away, we got back out on the trail to get another 1.5 miles.  We would have gone farther, but the rain was turning from a light drizzle to something a little more steady, and the daylight hours were quickly coming to an end.  

It sure did feel great to be back out on the trail again and especially to be able to check out the trail in a new area.  While I have hiked the trail in Ohio in the past, this area was new to me, and this was Peaches and Mina's first time on the trail in Ohio.  

We ended our day driving back to the hotel, grabbing dinner to go nearby, and settling in to do a little work.  The girls got in one good wrestling match before eating dinner and settling in for a quiet night.

We were up early Thursday morning so that I could get the girls out for a nice walk before I had to leave them behind for me meeting.  We had a nice nearly two mile walk in the dark before breakfast, and thankfully before the rain started too.  The girls had breakfast and another wrestling match while I got ready for work, and after a quick potty break in the rain while I took some of my stuff down to the car, they settled in for a nap in the room as I headed back downstairs to work.

This is the first time that I've left Mina uncrated in a hotel room for more than a few minutes and she did an excellent job.  I did hide the pillows in the closet when I left because she LOVES hotel pillows, but I knew she and Peaches would be very good girls, and they didn't let me down.  

They both enjoyed a Kong mid-way through the day and then I had to get them out of the hotel and settled into the car for a little bit after checking out of the hotel.   I'm pretty lucky that they are such good travelers and that they just go with the flow no matter what I throw at them.

After our meeting ended, we had a 2 1/2 hour drive ahead of us to get to Ionia to watch Brezlyn play volleyball.  Before leaving Perrysburg, I made a stop at the Speedway gas station to get a drink and to let the girls out of the car for a potty break and to stretch their legs.  That Speedway was a regular stop for me for years when I used to travel with Jake and Imke to visit Nicol in Kentucky so I knew it was the perfect place to get the girls our before getting on the highway.

We had a little traffic on our drive home, but nothing too significant, and we made it to Ionia just in time to see the start of the volleyball match.  It was a quick match and Chesaning lost, but I was glad I got a chance to get there to support Brez. 

Since the girls had been so good all day, they were rewarded with a walk on the rail trail that runs through Ionia before we headed home.  I got to pick up a few geocaches along the trail and we walked just about a mile before it was time to leave.  It had been a very long day and I was ready to get home.  Boy was I proud of how very good the girls had been all day.  

Between catch-up from being out of the office for a day and a half, preparing for my next meeting this week, and just having a lot to get done overall, my work day on Friday was incredibly busy.  The girls were able to spend lots of time outside, but we only got out for one very short walk.  

After work on Friday, I headed to Chesaning for the home football game against Ovid-Elsie.  It was originally supposed to be Senior night and I wanted to make sure I was there to see Mason.  While there were changes to the Senior night celebration, I was still glad to be there to watch the game.  It was an excellent game which Chesaning won 28-19, and Mason even scored a touchdown.  

While the girls didn't get out much on Friday, we made up for that on Saturday morning by participating in the Parkinson Hero Walk held by the Michigan Parkinson Foundation.  We arrived early so that I could get in a little pre-walk walk and the girls were crazy with excitement. We walked around campus and got in about 1 1/2 miles before the walk started.  

The girls were still crazy and very happy to be out for the 5k walk.  They were on high alert for squirrels and dragged me the whole way.  But it was such a beautiful day to be on campus, I didn't even care.

At the end of the walk, they got to visit with their friends Arlo and Brooks.  The boys did such a great job with the girls and the girls were very patient with the boys.  Arlo loves Peaches and made sure to get into a picture with us.

 

Brooks loved Mina, and Mina loved Brooks because he had applesauce on his face.  She was very sweet with him, and we had to capture a picture of them together because it was the first 5k fundraising walk for both of them,  I'm pretty sure that they'll both walk in many more over the years.  

Overall, the girls and I got in about 5 1/2 miles yesterday and when we got home around 2pm, Mina immediately went outside to lay in the sun.  The weather was so perfect, and the girls spent a good amount of time enjoying it quietly in the yard.  We ran back out quickly to pick up a late lunch, and then I settled in to an afternoon of coring and cutting apples for applesauce.  I now have several containers filled and ready to put into the freezer for the Winter.  

I still have plenty of apples to prepare and I'm looking at some different things that I can do with them including dehydrating some.  I also need to make a trip out to the garden to pick tomatoes and tomatillos again, and I need to find time to make pesto to freeze for the Winter.  I have lots to do and could use an extra day to get it all done, but I also want to do something fun with the girls to take advantage of our amazing weather today.  Somehow I'll figure out a way to get it all done!

Looking ahead, we have a beautiful week of weather coming.  This is probably the end of the 80 degree temperatures for the year, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.  So now I'm off to the farm to pick up some Fall decor items and then a stop at the dog park with the girls because Mina could use a good run.  Maybe some of my prep work will just have to wait until the rainy and cooler days ahead.  

I hope you all enjoy our beautiful weather and have a great week!  
 

Summer's final hurrah

We spent the last week making the most of the warm weather and beautiful end to our Summer.  I can hardly believe Summer has come to an end and the gorgeous weather we've been having makes it even harder to grasp the reality that colder days are coming our way very soon.  But for now, I'm happy that I can still wear shorts and sandals!

Last Sunday after a quiet morning at home, we made an afternoon visit to Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona.  Mina tends to get overly excited when we visit them normally, but she was pretty calm this time.  Both girls were very good and I was so happy to get a picture of them with Fiona...and it wasn't even planned!  

We had a nice walk with Nicol and Picasso while we were there, i spent time reading to Fiona, and we had a great visit, and then we saw a beautiful sunset on our drive home.  It was a wonderful way to spend our Sunday.

Monday was a little chilly in the morning and as soon as I put a blanket on my lap, Mina climbed up for a little nap.  I guess we're entering the time of year she loves to be a lap dog.  I do love how snuggly she can be.

After work on Monday, we drove to Mason for a geocaching event at Hayes Park.  I saw a huge Bald Eagle eating roadkill on my drive there.  I sure wish I could have gotten a picture.

We found a couple caches while we were at the event, visited with our fellow geocachers, and then took a nice walk around the park before leaving. 

After the event, I spent a little more time geocaching around the Mason area with the girls.  Before I knew it, it was nearly sunset, so we ended our evening with a nice walk around downtown Mason.  The sun shining on the courthouse at sunset was so beautiful. 

Tuesday was beautiful day for the final Farmer's Market on the Capitol grounds for the year.  I took an early lunch at work so that the girls and I could visit before it got too busy.  

We had a great walk around the grounds, picked up a couple of items, and then headed to the food trucks to get some lunch.   I enjoyed my lunch sitting on the grass and when I was done, we walked back to the car to head home and back to work.  The girls had had a great time and spent the rest of the afternoon napping while I worked. 

Tuesday is also the day that Fiona turned 17 months old.  I love this picture of her that I got from Nicol. 

Wednesday after work, I headed out with the girls for a quick stop at another geocaching event in Patriarche Park, and we stumbled into a fundraiser for the Capital Area Humane Society.  For a small donation, the girls got a treat and I got a Polaroid picture of us together.  I would have donated without the picture, but the volunteers insisted.

After our quick stop at the event, I drove out to Mason for the Wednesday night Dog Walking Club.  We had an excellent walk with four dogs.  Afterwards, I took the girls for a  sunset walk around Mason.  It had been another busy but fun evening.

Thursday I had an afternoon work event in Grand Rapids.  I did some work that morning, and then before I had to leave, I took the girls for a quick walk around the neighborhood. 

While I had hoped to be home in time to make our normal Thursday Farmer's Market visit, I didn't make it home until after 7pm.  I knew after a long day home alone the girls would need a walk.  Since it was nearly dark by the time we were ready to go, I took them for a visit to Soldan's and a short walk and then we came home for a little fun in the backyard and a late dinner in their Kong Wobblers.   Mina had a short burst of energy after her dinner, but they settled in for a quiet night pretty quickly.  I was grateful for that. 

I thought they might be a little crazier than normal on Friday while I worked, but they surprised me and were pretty quiet most of the day.  I even caught them sharing the dog bed and snuggling. 

Since they were so good all day, I took them for a visit to the Dewitt dog park after work.  I hadn't planned on a long visit, but they were having so much fun, we stayed for almost 2 hours.   Mina made friends with all of the dogs there and chased the ball endlessly, while Peaches explored on her own  until the number of dogs dwindled and some smaller dogs showed up.   I wish I would have gotten some video of her and how happy she was playing with a two year old beagle.  It was pretty adorable. 

I started my Saturday morning with a geocaching event helping clean up a local Park and Ride.  It was a quick clean-up so I decided to head to the shelter to get a dog out for a walk.

I walked Topanga who thoroughly enjoyed her time out of the shelter.  She is such a sweet dog.

After my volunteer time at the shelter, I got out with the girls for a visit to the Mason and Holt Farmer's Markets.  They are pretty popular at both places and are always so well-behaved.   

The afternoon was spent doing some geocaching and enjoying the gorgeous weather and pretty farmland views.  These views are quintessential early Fall.  

Before heading home we made a quick visit to the dog park so that the girls could get in a good run.  We had the whole place to ourselves and spent about 30 minutes there before heading home. 

Once we got home, I had a whole list of to-dos to work on, starting with a trip into the garden to pick some veggies.  I was pretty pleased with the roma tomato harvest.  All of these tomatoes came from two plants.  I still have lots of tomatoes to pick and will be making another trip to the garden tomorrow. 

I roasted several tomatoes which I'll freeze for future use and diced several which have been frozen for use this winter.  

I also got a few tomatillos which have also been roasted and the last of the green beans for this year.  I may have had more if a little brown spotty dog hadn't been sneaking into the garden and eating them off the vine.  Silly girl!

I have lots more work to do in the garden and more veggie prep and freezing to work on today.   It's exciting to see the freezer filling up with garden goodness for the Winter. 

Well, I'm off to get to work on all things I need to get done.  Hopefully the girls will be happy with a quiet day at home so I can get through my list. Wish me luck!