A change of plans and a little February fun

I'm sitting here this Sunday afternoon in a very quiet house.  Maddie is sound asleep in her cozy cave, Peaches has made herself comfortable in the recliner, and Paige and I are sharing 1 and 1/2 cushions on the couch.  As I look out the window, a light snow is beginning to fall.

We've had some really strange weather this week, which has been the trend for the month of February this year.  We've had more rain, freezing rain, and ice than I can ever remember having in any Winter I've experienced.  It makes it hard to get the girls out for much fun or even just a good walk around the neighborhood.  But we're making things work, and thankfully, Peaches and Paige love to run and wrestle and play inside.  It makes for a much less quiet atmosphere at home, but they are pretty fun to watch, and once they have a good bout of playing, they settle down nicely for a good snuggle.

We had originally planned to leave town this weekend for a fun Winter adventure in the U.P. with our friend, Vanessa, but Old Man Winter and Mother Nature had different plans for us!  Unfortunately there are widespread snowstorms, ice, and high winds across the State of Michigan, so our better judgment prevailed, and we decided to stay safe and stay home for the weekend.

Our only real adventure this week happened yesterday.  We were lucky to get some warmer temperatures for the day and it seemed like a great day to get out for a good, long hike.  Vanessa joined us for our fun-filled afternoon and, true to form, she brought us goodies.  The girls were very excited to have someone different tagging along and Paige and Peaches both felt like they should be able to climb into the front seat to ride on her lap.  Sadly for Peaches, Paige's smaller size makes it a lot easier for her to be a lap dog in the car. 

We headed out toward Historic Bridges Park just outside of Battle Creek with three very excited girls.  And boy were they happy when we arrived at the park and started our hike.  The trails were a bit snowy, but melting, and the warmer temperatures made for a nice walk.  We even figured out part of the trail that I had had problems with previously, so the next time we head back we'll have a new portion of trail to walk.

After 5 miles on the trail(and not one picture), we arrived back at the Jeep just as the rain began, and after a special pupcake snack, everyone settled in for the drive home.  It was a nice day out on the trail and I'm glad that Vanessa was able to join us.  I know Paige was happy to have a new friend because on the drive home, she once again settled in on Vanessa's lap for a good nap. 

We had a quiet night at home last night and everyone slept in this Sunday morning.  While we've had a couple of doggie wrestling matches and we've taken a couple of rides in the Jeep, for the most part the girls have been quiet for the day while I try to get caught up on things like bills and taxes and other fun paperwork.    By this time next week, it will officially be March, and we are just weeks away from Spring.  We're hoping that soon Paige will find a family of her own and the girls and I can get out on some more late Winter and early Spring adventures that we can share with you.

I hope you all stay safe, warm, and happy during our little Winter storm. 

Looking for love

It is Sunday afternoon and currently very quiet at my house; the perfect time to sit down and write.  We have had a quiet and fairly uneventful, routine week.  Paige and Peaches continue to start each day with a good wrestling match before I head to work and, when it is safe to do so, I get the girls out for a nice walk each night.  With the icy sidewalks in the neighborhood, this has been more of a challenge lately, but I've found ways to avoid the slippery sidewalks and still get out for a walk. 

Monday night after a long day at work, I was excited to come home, do a little snow removal, and get the girls out for a walk.  As we inch our way closer to Spring, I am so happy for the longer daylight hours because it makes after-work walks so much easier.  I drove home ready to get the girls ready and to go out for our walk right away, but unfortunately I came home to a poor little Paige with diarrhea, which created the need to clean a crate, do a load of laundry, and give a dog a bath.  Thankfully she tried very hard to not to make a mess and the crate cleaning went fairly quickly.  She was not a fan of her bath though!  After the crate clean-up, I still had a driveway and sidewalks to clean of snow before we could get out on our walk. 

By the time we were finally ready for our walk, it was dark and I didn't want to take a chance of slipping on ice in the neighborhood, so I loaded the girls up and headed downtown for a walk around the Capitol.  I was glad I did because it was a beautiful night at the Capitol and the girls had a great walk!  After a busy night, I headed home with three tired girls.

Tuesday, Maddie got a little one on one time with mom and got to go for a visit with our friend Chastity.  She loves going to visit Chastity at work because she always gets special treats, some ice cubes, and a chance to visit with lots of new people.  She made several new friends and got lots of love.  It was a good day for Maddie.

Thursday the temperatures were a bit warmer and the snow and ice on the sidewalks melted which made our walk much easier.  We had a great long walk and enjoyed the warmer temperatures.  The girls did a great job on this walk and were happy to get out for some much needed exercise after a cold and icy Wednesday.

After our walk, we made a trip to the Pet Supplies Plus for a special treat.   We spent the rest of our Valentine's day evening snuggling.  Paige is a master at hogging my lap and Peaches was off pouting somewhere because she believes that my lap belongs to her.  While she hasn't liked sharing her mom, she has been a good girl with Paige and they really are doing well together.  They both love to play and wrestle and it's been great having Paige around to keep Peaches feeling young. 

Friday night the girls were treated to an ice cream party because Paige was scheduled to meet a family on Saturday morning.  I made everyone practice their sitting skills before the ice cream treats and they waited nicely while I took a couple of pictures.  Excitement and chaos ensued shortly after this as I prepared their special treats and everyone enjoyed their ice cream.  We were now ready for Paige's meet and greet the next day.

We were up early on Saturday morning so that Peaches and Paige could get in one good wrestling match before Paige and I headed out the door for our drive to the Detroit area.  We arrived to meet her potential new family and they loved her, but their beagle did not.  We tried to see if we could make things work, but the poor sweet beagle just did not like Paige's in-your-face play style.  So it was back into the Jeep to start the trek home.  On the way home I also did a home visit for the rescue, which worked out perfectly since it was right on the way, and we ran several errands along the way.  Paige was a good co-pilot for the day and I know it won't be long before she has a home of her own.  After a busy day, we were glad to come home and get some quality time with Peaches and Maddie. 

It is President's day weekend and I had plans to try to get out for some Sunday adventures, but after a long and exhausting week, we are enjoying a peaceful day at home instead.  There was our customary morning wrestling match and some time outside, but the girls are all peacefully snoring away right now and I am enjoying the quiet day at home.   Now it's time to do a little cleaning, take a quick trip to the store, and then settle in for the day at home, watching Cash Cab on the Game Show Network and working on planning some future adventures.  Hopefully we'll get out for a short adventure close to home tomorrow, we have some big fun planned for next weekend, and we have a Spring vacation coming up in just about two months that I've been researching.  So much fun to come!  I can't wait to get out on some real adventures to share.
  

Mid-Winter Woes

We have been having some really crazy weather over the last couple of weeks from below zero temps with record setting windchills to 50s with rain, sun, snow, ice, sleet, and freezing rain.  After the really cold temperatures we had, we were fortunate to get a really beautiful and warm Sunday last week so that the girls and I could get out of the house for some fresh air.   And any time we get weather like that on a weekend while we're at home, we head for the North Country Trail.

We were surprised to be the only ones out enjoying the afternoon in Marshall.  The trail was fairly clear at the start, but we did experience some rough spots along the way.  I was just thankful that despite the crazy pulling girls attached to my arm and all the birds we saw along the way, I didn't fall once!  The scenery was beautiful, and I was so happy to be out enjoying the 50 degree temperatures.

After our nice hike, we headed home to watch the Superbowl.  It was a great way to spend the day.

We started our week with Paige's trip to the vet for her check-up. It was a pretty exciting place for her and she loved all of the people!  She had a good report from the vet and can officially be adopted now.   Now we just wait for the perfect family to come along and fall in love!

We have spent time this week working on some obedience skills.  Paige has a little bit of a mischievous side and likes to find ways to get herself in trouble, but she is working hard on learning good behavior.  She's getting better every day.  Our biggest accomplishment this week was learning sit, and she has become quite a pro at it.  We're now working on stay, with much less success.  Life is way too exciting to sit still for long! Maddie and Peaches are enjoying the training sessions because they know all of the tricks and still get to practice and get treats.  It's a good way to exercise all of their minds in the really cold temps when we can't get outside for a walk. 

Even Bentley got involved in the fun one morning.  And Paige is happy to show off her skills any time there is food in my hands, but she is also learning to sit and wait to come in from outside.  She is a pretty quick learner and I'm excited to see what skills she'll learn this week!

 

Most of this week, we haven't been able to get out for many walks, so we are all getting a little stir-crazy.  Even though the temperatures were in the low to mid 20s, the sun was shining Saturday afternoon, so the girls and I headed down to Albion for a hike on the Riverwalk.  The trails were clear, the sun was warm, and the girls were excited to be out exploring.

Everyone was a little extra crazy since we hadn't been out much during the week.  Peaches was not on her best behavior and was especially disappointed with me when I made her sit down and listen to me.  She was showing her stubborn side a lot on this walk!

After our little talk, all the girls cooperated much better on our hike back to the car.  We hiked 3.1 miles and now have nearly 14 miles toward our 100 on the NCT for this year.  

We had a nice drive home, stopping for dinner along the way, and then settled in for the night to watch the Michigan vs. Michigan State hockey game. While I enjoyed the game, the girls preferred to get in a good nap.  Paige was particularly comfy! 

We spent our Sunday at home, spending a quiet day inside.  The girls snuggled in for a good long nap while I kept myself busy doing a whole lot of nothing. 

We don't spend many days like this so it's always nice to get a chance to relax and rejuvenate.  I was surprised at how well Paige settled down for the day.  And Miss Maddie was sound asleep, snoring away for most of the day.  Peaches was off pouting because Paige had stolen her spot on my lap.  Poor Peaches!

We did get out this afternoon for a quick walk around downtown as the snow began to fall.  It was a beautiful afternoon for a snowy winter walk, although Paige isn't much of a fan of snow on her paws.  As I sit here now, two of the three girls are snoring away, so I'd say it was a very successful weekend.  

A special note:  Earlier this week, we had two losses in our circle of friends and family.  

My uncle Jim, who has been married to my Aunt Ellen for 61 years, passed away on Tuesday.  He was a good man with a family who loved him very much and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.  Sending lots of love to my cousins, Becky, Bob, and Julie and especially to my Aunt Ellen.  

In addition, our friends Barb and Tom lost their beloved GSP, Charlie, on Tuesday as well.  He was suffering and in much pain, and they made the difficult decision to let him go.  He was far too young to die and will are very saddened by his loss.  We enjoyed the times that we spent with Charlie and we will definitely miss having him around for our play dates.  It will be strange not having both Imke and Charlie around when we get together again in the Spring.  

God Speed to both Jim and Charlie...heaven gained two amazing angels this week.  

Colds and Cold Weather...and lots of Wrestling!

I am writing this on a Saturday night, not my normal time for sitting down to write, but currently there are three snoring girls at my house and I figured that this might be the only quiet moment I get.  So I'm taking advantage of it.

Maddie, Peaches, and Paige have successfully made it through the extreme weather we had this week. 

As you can tell, Paige is settling in nicely with the girls.  With over 7 inches of snow on Monday and  additional snowfall on Tuesday followed by temperatures staying below zero on Wednesday and Thursday (and windchills reaching more than -30), it was not a good week to be an active dog who likes the outdoors.  You'd also think it probably wasn't the the best week to bring a new youngster into the house.  But I actually believe it may have been one of the best times to bring Paige here. 

Luckily, the weather stayed nice enough for the first day and half that Paige was here that she was potty trained before the snow and frigid weather arrived.  She was not thrilled with all the snow that arrived on Monday, but she would happily follow Peaches and Maddie outside every time that they went, even if she wouldn't leave the patio.

I came down with a nasty cold over the weekend and I was home sick from work on Monday and Tuesday, so this was very regularly my view throughout the day.  While I rested on the couch with Maddie, Paige and Peaches would engage in frequent bouts of wrestling or chase throughout the house.  Eventually the wrestling would slow down and the girls would decide it was time for a nap.  And when that happened, I would inevitably end up with Paige on top of me.  She's lucky she is so cute and so tiny.

She was a pretty good nurse and we took many long naps together before it would be time for another round of pick on Peaches.  Peaches has been amazing with Paige and I'm thankful for her because she was able to keep Paige busy when I couldn't.  They have had a lot of fun this week and I know that Peaches is enjoying having a young, fun-loving friend to play with her.

Whenever Paige got to be too much for her, Peaches would let me know, and then it would be time for a kong or bone full of frozen goodies.  Paige loves to hang out in her crate with a treat and settles down nicely when she's in there and then Peaches was able to relax and enjoy her treat too.  Maddie and I preferred to continue to nap during these quiet moments!

While I was not back to 100%, I was well enough to head back to work on Wednesday.  Every night when I came home, I was exhausted from a long day and still feeling sick, but it was so much fun to watch Peaches and Paige play.  After dinner, there would be toys tossed, wrestling matches, and all other sorts of fun, but when it was time to relax for the night, all of the girls happily joined me on the couch for the night.

I just love how Paige will snuggle right up to Peaches...she has learned that at this point Maddie still isn't ready to snuggle with her.  Maddie takes a little longer to warm up to new fosters and has made that clear to Paige-although it took a lot of Maddie giving her all of the "leave me alone" signals, and me reinforcing it, in order for us to convince Paige that maybe she should back off a bit.  Paige hasn't completely given up on trying to get Maddie to love her, but for now Maddie still isn't ready.  It will happen though and eventually she'll decide Paige is okay to snuggle.  For now, she'll just have to settle for me and Peaches.

Now that warmer weather has arrived and I'm feeling much better, I'm hoping we'll be able to get out for some adventures tomorrow.   Chances are good that Paige won't be here much longer, so we have to show her some fun while we can!  I'm looking forward to getting outside for some fresh air and a good hike before we come home to watch the Superbowl.  I hope you all have a relaxing Sunday and a good week.  

Deep Freeze Adventures

As I look out the window today, it is interesting to think about this Winter and how it hasn't been a normal Michigan Winter at all.  In Mid-Michigan, it seems as though the temperatures have been above average and the snow levels have been below average for most of the Winter, but from what I am hearing, that is about to change.  This week we have had some bitter cold, freezing rain, and snow, but over the next few days the forecast looks even worse. Predictions for 5-8 inches of snow on Monday followed by temperatures with highs in the teens and single digits...and current predictions of a high of -3 on Wednesday-YUCK! But it's all just part of life in Michigan and, since we love living in Michigan, we just learn to embrace it.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day gave us an extra day off this week and we took full advantage of the day.  Peaches had her annual vet exam first thing Monday morning.  Peaches is always a little nervous when we get there and was watching the door for the scary doctor who was going to poke and prod at her...and I couldn't get her to look at me, not even for a treat.

Once we were done at the vet, we took advantage of the day off to get in a little Peaches and mom cold weather adventure- a trip to get her nails done at the Michigan School of Canine Cosmetology and then went to visit our friend, Chastity. 

After an exhausting morning, we headed home to spend some time relaxing with Maddie and Bentley.   It was a pretty tough day!

Maddie had her annual exam this week too.  While she and Peaches are both very well behaved and enjoy seeing all of their friends, neither of them love going to the vet.  As soon as we were in the exam room, Maddie placed herself right next to the door, ready to escape as soon as possible.  With the exception of Peaches' cancer, which hasn't really started to show any signs other than an occasional cough, they are both happy, healthy girls.  Here's to hoping things stay this way for awhile and we don't need to make any other vet visits for the next few months!  I could use a little break!

With the cold temperatures and icy sidewalks in the neighborhood, we haven't had the chance to get out much this week.  But, after a fairly quiet week at home, Friday arrived with the prospect for some big weekend adventures. I had arranged to help with a home visit for ISR in Battle Creek and was excited to combine my rescue work with an opportunity to get the girls out for a little adventure on the North Country Trail while we were there. 

So off to Battle Creek we went.  With the windchill below zero, I knew I had to dress the girls in their jackets and limit our time outside.  When we arrived in Battle Creek, we had about 30 minutes before our home visit was scheduled, so I figured that was the perfect time to stop for a quick walk at Historic Bridges Park.  With the snow and ice, and the girls need to take a potty break, we didn't get far, but even a 1/2 mile on the trail was better than nothing. 

Once I had completed the home visit, I realized that we still had time and plenty of daylight for another quick walk on the trail, and so we were off once again to Historic Bridges Park.  We took a different route this time and we were out trudging through the snow for another 30 minutes with a -8 windchill to get in another mile. 

We had added 1.5 miles toward our 100 for this year, and I had two happy girls who had enjoyed a little adventure in nature.  It was a good way to start our weekend and I didn't have to feel guilty leaving them home Friday night as I headed to Durand to watch my niece play basketball.

Saturday morning we woke up ready for another adventure.  We were going to be bringing a new foster home with us and we were going to combine her transport with a chance to get out on the North Country Trail again.  While I had originally thought we would be making the drive all the way to the shelter in Allegan County, we were lucky that a trainer at the shelter was able to bring her to us.  So we arranged to meet in Lowell, another town right along the trail. 

With the temps in the teens and no windchill, it was a great morning to get out for another walk.  We arrived early for our meeting, so we headed in to Lowell to spend a little time on the trail. 

Peaches was so excited to run around in the snow and was weaving all over the place.  Maddie stayed closer to me, walking directly in front of me on the trail for most of our hike.  But as we turned to head back to the Jeep, both girls found lots of good things to sniff in the snow covered grass.  While our time was limited again, we added another mile...trudging along through the snow and enjoying the beautiful scenery. 

We quickly headed back to the Jeep, loaded up, and headed to the carpool lot to meet Paige, our new foster.  Peaches patiently waited in the front seat for her new friend to arrive.  While I had planned on heading back into Lowell for another walk once we had Paige, that plan changed quickly as soon as I met her.

Paige is the tiniest GSP I have ever met, weighing in at a whopping 39 pounds, and I didn't have a harness that would fit her, so there was no way we could go out for a walk.  Instead, I loaded her up in the Jeep-she was too scared to jump up on her own-and we headed home.  She rode pretty nicely in the Jeep on the way home, and while Peaches was acting a bit jealous because her mom was petting someone else, by the time we made it to Lansing, they were snuggled up in the back of the Jeep.

I have a feeling Paige may have had a rough beginning to her life.  She came to the shelter, found as a stray, and no one came for her.  She is so sweet and really just wants to be loved.  She wiggles any time she sees a new person.  Her manners need some work, but she is crate trained which has been helpful. She has the cutest little ear that sticks out sideways because it is missing part of the ear-I'd guess from an injury or maybe frostbite.  She had cherry eye when she arrived at the shelter, but thankfully they repaired that at the same time they performed her spay surgery.  She appears to have had a litter of puppies too.  She wants so badly to be friends with Peaches, but she isn't quite sure how to play, yet.  Instead she drops to her belly and rolls over onto her back any time Peaches play bows, but that has improved somewhat in the 24 hours she's been here.  We are working on the basics of potty training, learning not to jump up on things all of the time, to give me some personal space, and we'll start some commands tomorrow.  With all of her vet work done already, she won't be here long so I've got limited time to make an impact, but I'll do what I can to prepare her for her next chapter.

Paige is a ball of pent-up, anxious, GSP energy having been in the shelter for over a month, but as I write this she is curled up next to me on the couch with her tiny little head resting on my leg.  Even Peaches isn't quite sure how to handle this crazy youngster, but she is doing a great job of trying to teach her appropriate doggy behavior.  I'm pretty proud of her.   Maddie has just tried to avoid the craziness and stay out of the way if any shenanigans begin. Everyone seems to accept that she doesn't want to be bothered and respects her wishes.  She is definitely the reigning matriarch in our home now. 

I'm hoping Paige will start to settle in a bit and feel less anxious over the next few days, and hopefully she, Peaches, and Bentley can have a good wrestling match during the upcoming deep freeze.  It should be an interesting week with the weather we're expecting and three crazy brown-spotty girls in the house, but life would be dull without them!

New Year, New Adventures

Hello and Happy Sunday!  I know it has been a bit since I last wrote, and for that I apologize.  We've been busy with life.  So this week, I just want to give you all a little update on what we've been up to over the last couple of weeks.

We ended 2018 and began 2019 in one of our favorite places, Copper Harbor.  With an abundance of amazing places to explore, the adventures there are endless no matter what the season.  We enjoy getting a chance to explore our favorite summer spots when they are covered in snow and ice.  No matter what the weather, we always enjoy a day at the beach and Hunter's Point Park never disappoints.  It is amazing in all four seasons. 

The best part about being there in the Winter is the solitude.  The entire time we were out exploring, we never once saw another person.  It is the kind of place where you can really be at one with nature and alone with your thoughts.  I can't imagine a much better place to spend a Winter's day, especially when there is no wind.  The ice formations are ever changing and always spectacular.  

With no one there for us to bother, it was a great time for Peaches to be able get in a good run and some off-leash practice in the parking lot.  She thoroughly enjoyed herself!

After a good adventure and the attempt at a good picture of the girls together, they were ready to head back to the Jeep and then to our room to warm up and rest up for more adventures the next day.

While in Copper Harbor, we were able to get out for a good hike out toward Manganese Falls.  We had gotten a good amount of snowfall overnight and the fresh snow always makes the girls happy. 

One of Maddie's favorite things to do is stick her head in the side of a snowbank to see what she can smell.  Peaches was just as enthusiastic about sniffing around and I'm pretty sure that some small critter had been there recently.  They had the best time!

We continued our walk around the Harbor that morning in some pretty blustery weather and got in a good hike before the blowing snow really moved in for the day.  After a good workout for all of us, it was nice to get back to the room and snuggle up and watch the snow fall.  

And before we knew it, it was time to head home from our Copper Harbor Adventure.  But any good trip to the U.P. should include a stop along U.S.2 for a run on the Lake Michigan Beach.  Someone had recently been through on a bike and the girls were very interested in the new smells!

With the ice forming along the shore and the sun shining.  It was a beautiful day to stop...and like I said earlier, any day is a good day to be at the beach!  After a good walk along the shore, we were back in the Jeep and heading home.

Back home, it was time for Maddie to have a recheck for the yeast infection in her ears.  While she doesn't love going to the vet the way Imke did.  She is generally happy to see the people there.  She will wag her little tail and nuzzle up to them to get a little extra love.  She has also become a favorite with some of the staff there and she got to visit with some of her friends.  Unfortunately, the yeast infection hadn't cleared up and she had to have a good ear cleaning and some medicine put into her ears while we were there...and she was not a fan of that!  Hopefully she'll forgive the two vet techs who helped her out because she was not happy with them when we left!  

Now that we had entered the new year, it was time once again to start another North Country Trail 100 mile challenge for this year.  Last year, my goal was to complete it with all three girls together, and we did just that.  This year, I'm going to do my best to complete all 100 miles with both Maddie and Peaches, but who knows what the year will bring.  No matter what happens, I'll be out on the trail working toward those 100 miles!

For our first hike of the year, we headed to one of our regular hiking spots, the Marshall Riverwalk.  It was a beautiful sunny day and the girls were happy to get the chance to splash around in the river in January.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and there were lots of people out using the trail.  As a matter of fact, we had never seen so many people out on this trail.  It made it a bit more challenging with Peaches and her leash reactivity toward other dogs, but we still had a great time and started the year with 2.6 miles on the trail.  I even took the time after our hike to try out a new restaurant while we were there and I can't wait to go back for another hike.

On January 6, we celebrated a very special day, Peaches birthday.  It has been one year since she came into our home and I decided we would use that day as her birthday.  She is now officially 7 years old and, thankfully, still going strong.

Because we don't know how many birthday's she will get with us, I decided to make this one extra special.  Our first stop was Pet Supplies Plus for a little shopping spree.  She was excited to pick out a new toy and some treats and sat nicely for the cashier to give her a treat.

It was a nice day, so next we drove downtown for a walk along the Lansing Riverwalk.  We got in a nice walk and enjoyed the sunshine.  I don't think she was very happy that I made her stop to get her picture though.  

After a day of fun, we headed home for an ice cream party with Maddie and Bentley. Overall, I think she had a pretty great day.

The day after Peaches birthday, I ended up at the vet with Maddie who was suffering from Vestibular Disease.  It came on very suddenly after I got home from work on Monday.  Her eyes were darting back and forth and she was unsteady on her feet.  While there is no cure, luckily it is something that resolves itself with time and, luckily for us, although she wasn't 100% back to herself, Maddie was feeling much better in just a couple of days.  She has now completely recovered and is back to her silly self, but boy was it scary while it was happening! 

Thankfully, Maddie was feeling well enough the following weekend that we headed out to Albion to add a few miles to our 100 miles on the NCT.  We enjoy the Albion Riverwalk and it is the closest portion of the trail to home, so it's a great place to go and add some miles.  It was a bit chilly, but we had a good time and got in another 3.1 miles for the year.  After a good adventure, it's always nice to come home a spend some time with friends!

In an effort to make healthier choices this year, and in order to keep Peaches and Maddie active during the Winter months, I'm trying to get out for a couple of different adventures with the girls every weekend.   Since we had spent Saturday on the North Country Trail, Sunday we decided to spend some more time on the Lansing Riverwalk.  We found a great softball field along the walk where I can let the girls get in a good off-leash run and then we can hit the trail for a couple of miles before heading back for one more run before heading home.  Peaches has really been enjoying the chance to really run.  I had forgotten just how fast a healthy, young, GSP can run.  She is amazing to watch.  It is also pretty funny to watch the difference between Peaches and Maddie as they run.  Some day I'll have to get some good video to share.  It's really a treat to watch them out there just enjoying the space and freedom.  

Finally this week, Winter has decided to make an appearance in Mid-Michigan.  It began to snow a bit on Thursday and we got a lot more snow Friday night into Saturday morning.  The girls really do enjoy the fresh new snow.  It's always an exciting walk after a little snow fall.

Yesterday, as the snow fell, I had the pleasure of heading out to the shelter for our Saturday morning dog walk and I got to walk this guy.  Ozzie is a Doberman Pinscher and he is absolutely gorgeous-although I couldn't get him to stand still long enough for a good picture.  I was excited to be able to walk him because I have a special place in my heart for these beautiful dogs.   He gave me a good workout as we trudged through the snow on our 1 1/2 mile walk and I gave him a little extra love before putting him back in his kennel so I could head home to spend time with my own girls.

After getting home from the shelter, the girls and I headed out into the snow so that they could have a little adventure before enjoying a relaxing snow day at home.  I took them out for a ride in the Jeep and a good run at the park, picked up a little Capital City BBQ, and headed home to watch the Michigan Basketball game.  Maddie was very interested in my lunch...and I might have shared a bite or two with her. 

Today the temperatures have dipped to some dangerously cold levels, so we won't be going out on any adventures, but the girls are happily snoring away as I write this.  I know Peaches will get restless later, but indoor games and maybe a wrestling match or two with Bentley will have to do.  Don't worry though, more adventures will be headed our way soon!

Hoping you all have a safe and warm Sunday at home!