Sunday

It was 63 degrees on our early morning Toby walk, but the wind was blowing 20 mph. As we have done since the street repair project began, we took Toby in the golf cart to Stirling Park to walk, trying to avoid all the fresh petro-chemicals in the asphalt. Dogs absorb chemicals through their pads, shortening their lives. 

Our trainer can be downright philosophical at times about a dog’s life. She speaks often about how short their lives are and how few decisions they get to make about their lives. For her, dog training is about keeping them safe, extending their lives, and enriching their lives.

From our midday walk—Toby scattering the ibises.

Left and right 

Our tub mat came today for the second bathroom. The suction cups on the bottom remind me of bubble wrap the first time you step on top of one. (There’s always our walk-in shower if this doesn’t work.)

Today’s cold wave made us turn off the ceiling fans and, oh my! What dirty blades. So we set about cleaning all 7 fans. Our cordless vac made quick work of it. One of us had to hold the rickety 10 foot ladder.

Chilly days are great days for house projects and online shopping. I finally ordered a rain jacket for walking Toby. I’ve been needing one for years but never got around to getting one. The one I ordered is a Columbia jacket that is lightweight with a hood. It’s so much easier to walk a dog in the rain when both of your hands are free and you don’t have to carry an umbrella.

Late this afternoon, we took Toby in the golf cart to Highlander Park. It was 62 degrees and the wind was blowing at 21 mph. We were freezing! The sun popped out long enough for me to get this picture.

Luckily, tomorrow will be 65 and sunny, without the wind.

Our second Amazon delivery came with licking mats for Toby. Our trainer says they are great for calming and distracting dogs. You fill them up with yogurt, peanut butter, or baby food and put them in the freezer. We’ve used them to help Toby in the shower. But we needed more to rotate when needed.

We got invited to a Super Bowl party, but we didn’t even know who was playing or that it was today. The hosts live behind us and over one house. They are young and just starting out.

They’ve done a great job with their outdoor space, outside the pool enclosure. The host gave us a tour because they’ve added all this since we were here last. He also built a 12x10 shed and added electricity and A/C. They both work from home a lot and needed separate spaces. We met some more new neighbors and talked with others we already knew, all of whom were inside on this cold winter night. All the new people said they see us outside all the time. One woman said one day she saw us four times in one day: walking in the neighborhood, walking the Pinellas Trail, riding in our golf cart downtown, and shopping at Publix. We left before halftime, exhausted.

Miles walked: 8