Another gorgeous weekend

Well, at least today was gorgeous. They're predicting a possibility of rain for tomorrow.

My laptop is off getting its power jack replaced. I'm hopeful I'll get it back next week, so I can start putting pictures on the blog again. The sky was so, so, so blue today. Deep, sunny blue, with gold leaves shining against it--just beautiful. I went out to buy a few groceries and get my hair cut, but mostly I was out with the dogs.

In part because they didn't get out for three days last week. It rained all night Thursday and all day Friday--we got 2 and a half inches, according to my rain gauge.

Before that, I was sick. At least, I think I was sick. It was very strange. Tuesday night I didn't get any sleep because I. Hurt. All. Over. Like having a fever, except I didn't have a fever, just joint and muscle pain. I got up and went to work Wednesday, figuring that I felt terrible because I hurt all over and hadn't gotten any sleep, but about 11 I announced that I felt terrible and everyone in the office said, more or less in chorus, "GO HOME." So I did, took some aspirin, and went to bed. It was a pretty day out, and I took the dogs out for about half an hour in the afternoon, but just felt too bad to sit out with them and went back to bed.

By Thursday afternoon I felt so much better I felt guilty about being home, and I went back to work Friday. I have no idea what it was, whether it was flu or maybe some kind of reaction to all the unaccustomed physical work of taking apart the compost pile, but I was sure miserable for about 24 hours.

I've finished the body of my nephew's sweater and started on a sleeve--ripped it out 3 times so far to get the pattern right, but I think I've got it now.

Between my being sick and the rain, I didn't get to work on walking with the dogs for three days. We went out this morning, and the missing days showed. Taenzer got overly excited about working and I had trouble balancing her between being too excited and getting discouraged. I need to think of a way to keep her on a more even keel. She also got a little snatchy about her treats. Normally she takes treats politely, but this morning I was surprised I had skin left on my fingers. As for Timber, we just weren't connecting. I finally stopped trying to get him to walk politely and just tried to get his attention on me. We'd walk a couple of steps, I'd ask him to sit, we'd walk a few steps back, I'd ask him to down, walk another step, ask for a sit-stay--anything to get him to focus on ME. I don't want him to look at me constantly when we're walking, of course, but I would like him to maintain some awareness that I'm on the other end of the leash and check in with me every so often. I accidently dropped the leash and he trotted obliviously off down the sidewalk, but bless his heart, he did turn around and come to me when I called him. He's a GOOD boy.

And oh yes: Taenzer turned six last week. My little fuzzy baby with the gigantic feet has grown up--for a German Shepherd she's hit middle age, and her chin is getting a little frosting. She's got the Valiantdale brains and eagerness to work; she's so sensitive and responsive--sometimes too responsive--she's athletic and sweet and comic, and she still has enormous feet. I prefer the classic German Shepherd coat and personality, and Taenzer doesn't have either, but they say that you get the dog you need, and there's no denying that I need her sweetness and her exuberance and her ability to make me laugh. She's not a classic German Shepherd, but she's her own wonderful self, and I'm very grateful to have her in my life, and I love her.