Friday

It was a lovely morning on Dee Dee's first walk around 6:15 a.m.; the wind was blowing around 7 mph, and you could smell the water from the gulf. In the dawn's early light, the flowers looked amazing--just in time to celebrate the 4th. Around 7:30 a.m., we had a brief rain shower.

We drove to Honeymoon Island to take a walk on the beach. It was overcast and we were afraid that if we took the bikes it would rain. John said it won't rain if we take the car. He was right, of course. We walked on the dog beach; it was before 10:00, so it wasn't too crowded. We plan to avoid the beach and causeway this weekend because of the crowds, and, of course, the virus.

The surf was up.

Since we saved time taking the car, we decided to wash it while the temperature was still mild.

We had a big lunch: turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, and a side bowl of navel orange slices, tangerines, avocados, strawberry yogurt and walnuts. After lunch, Dee Dee and I caught up on the news.

We took a quick bike ride downtown, but first ran into our neighbors in the street. I think everyone is tired of being cooped up. It was good to laugh and joke about the pitfalls of so much togetherness.

Dee Dee saw her doctor in the afternoon. He wanted to see her before he left for his two-week vacation in case he needed to drain more fluid from her chest or make any other changes. He opted to do nothing in light of her recent spate of good days. He said he always dreads taking vacation because inevitably one of his patients will need him while he's away. John and I exchanged knowing looks, since both our fathers are ministers and we know how death and sickness wait for no man . . . or woman. When people need a doctor or a minister, they can't wait. He assured us that he was only a phone call away and that he would make referrals if needed while he's away. So, we left with pill refills and some reassurance that he also thinks she's holding steady.

The doctor said she had gained a pound but could stand to gain some more weight. He suggested vegetable oil on her food or buy some high calorie dog food. He said that usually the dogs he treats need to lose weight. He said to let her eat all that she wants. We assured him that we were.

biking: 6.5 miles

walking: 3.5 miles