Thursday

We drove the golf cart downtown after lunch and walked Toby to the marina and then up Victoria Drive to Weaver Park and then back downtown on the Pinellas Trail. It was mostly cloudy and 82 degrees.

Oleander bush blooming along the waterfront on Victoria

The clouds and breeze made for a very comfortable walk.

 

Toby was supposed to be in this picture, but he bolted at the last moment, hence the frown.

We sat down on a bench at Main and the Pinellas Trail to give us and Toby a break. A lady sat down at the adjoining bench and struck up a conversation. She was 87 she said and happy to be out walking. She said the last two years have been tough for her because of COVID restrictions. She’s been in Florida since high school when her parents moved to the state. She graduated from Ft. Lauderdale Senior High, and has lived in Dunedin 45 years. She asked how old Toby was, and was surprised when I said almost two. She said he acted so much older. The whole time we were talking I had him either sit or stay in a down. He was tired from walking; nevertheless, I can see that our training has practical benefits.

Good news: the Weaver Park restrooms are now open again after the successful bee removal, otherwise known as restrooms #2 and #3 of my family’s summer rental.

Here's a picture of the restrooms and the summer rental (on the left in green) beside it for my family. That's the Pinellas Trail in the foreground.

John took some pictures of paintings that people place on their Pinellas Trail fences.

Two of our neighborhood friends drove up on a motorcycle beside us in the golf cart as we waited for the long light to cross Main Street. We were all out joyriding. They walk and bike ride as much as we do and our paths often cross.

This morning, after our Toby walk in the neighborhood, we decided to take the golf cart to Winn Dixie while Toby napped. Other than Nature's Patch on Douglass and the Dunedin Fresh Market on Patricia, there's no golf cart access to full service grocery stores. However, we saw that if we parked at the Post Office, the Winn Dixie plaza is right next door, a short walk away.

So, we perused the store and picked up some BOGO items.

We rigged up some cargo netting that I had originally planned to use for Toby's bike trailer. It worked nicely to secure our groceries. It's possible to use a golf cart to do grocery shopping, we concluded, as long as you don't mind Winn Dixie and you don't mind carrying your groceries next door to the Post Office parking lot. We can’t get closer than a mile to Publix.

After our grocery trip, I took my bike to Weaver Park to exercise before lunch.

Purple blooming tree from this morning's early walk.

Toby being chill.

On our last neighborhood walk with Toby, two children, about 8 and 11, came to greet Toby. We have been in their home, so they know us and Toby. Their dog, Leo (miniature schnauzer) and Toby like each other. Anyway, they asked to pet Toby, which is something we’ve been working on. I said, yes but only when I get him to sit. He sat, and I said now you can pet him. They stepped forward and gently stroked his face and head. I had treats ready and rewarded him while he stayed in a sit. I was so proud. It was textbook smooth. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Kids can sometimes scare dogs, and Toby gets spooked easily. Their mom came out and called them for dinner. As they scampered away, Toby stayed in a sit and watched. I had to coax him to move on.

Miles walked: 7.7

Miles biked: 5:45