Friday

Today was our 3rd winter day, the temperature got down to 41 degrees and topped out at 58 this afternoon. We had to bundle up each time we went out for a walk. We were freezing inside, too. John kept checking the thermostat, which kept saying it was 72 degrees in the house. The heat is set to come on at 70, so we got no relief. We're looking forward to a return to the partly sunny 70s tomorrow.

 

We drove to Weaver Park with Toby and then walked downtown. We kept getting distracted by all the activity downtown and walked more than we should have, but it made for a very tired puppy this afternoon.

Each street lamp is sponsored by some organization or business in the community, so each one is different and has a theme.

Sadly, we noticed some businesses that have turned over during the pandemic.

 

There was a Christmas market going on in Pioneer Park downtown.

We kept our distance but got Toby to interact with some folks along the way. It's good for him to be exposed to people, cars, bicycles, children, strollers, skateboards, scooters, etc. His natural personality is to be hesitant to new situations (people or dogs), but he warms up quickly once he feels comfortable.

 

 

Worn-out puppy

A cold 41 degrees and overcast on our first walk of the day.

Morning coffee and snuggle time.

Toby sleeping on my knee this morning.

The fence company salesperson came by this morning to give us an estimate for closing in the rest of the backyard. It was exactly what I thought it would be, but they are backed up until the end of February. We have a couple of weeks to think about it or consider another company. I've heard that pool companies are even more backed up (We don't want one of those!). It seems people are spending more time at home because of the pandemic and noticing things they want to do and have been putting off.

Our across the street neighbor made us a batch of her oatmeal and pecan cookies that we love so much. I think we like them because she makes them low in sugar. She called and said to come pick them up. She was busy baking! We ate all of them before dinner.

Another neighbor brought us ingredients for making Christmas potpourri: an orange, a sprig from their Christmas tree, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks, all wrapped up in a little bag with directions. That was a thoughtful idea.

I was in charge of Toby during Puppy Mania tonight (4-6 p.m.). The spurts usually last 10-15 minutes but they can die down and start up again during that 2-hour window. We took him for a walk around the neighborhood first; then I distracted him with his lessons (sit, shake, down, wait, come) and walked him in the house doling out treats every so often. This activity, in addition to tiring him out, teaches him to heal. Luckily, our house flows so there are multiple pathways to keep from getting too bored. He finally settled and played with his ball for a minute. He then tried to rope John into playing with him (his real play buddy), but we both kept saying "no" and redirecting his attention. It took several attempts, but he finally played by himself and soon fell asleep. I was exhausted too.

Miles walked: 6.2
Miles biked: 0