Beautiful Fall Weather

For the second day of fall, it's another beautiful day!  Mocha & I now go for our walk when it's still a little dark out.  This morning we just missed seeing the new puppy of the neighborhood, Kentucky.  He is about 4 months old.  Mocha got to see him from across the street one evening during her walk with Dave, and she didn't get agitated at all.  I think she is used to puppies, and doesn't find them threatening.

Last evening while we were having some deck time, a deer friend came to visit.  Mocha is very interested in deer, and she will sit and observe them while they are feasting on our plants out back.   I will try to get some pictures of deer!  All my pictures are from last winter.

Running was great yesterday.  Another cool morning, just a little more humid than Monday, I think.  Saw a deer on the run too!  It was at the side of the road, and since it was still dark out, Ann & I didn't see it until we were very close.  It ran away when we got too close for comfort.

Mocha J's Last Day of Summer

Mocha seemed fine this morning - until we started on our walk.  Then after just a short distance, she started walking slowly, and I could tell she was in pain.  We went quite slowly, and after a little while, she seemed to feel better, but still not normal.

After we got home, she got right in her bed in the kitchen:

She didn't want to eat her breakfast yet.  I gave her a pain pill with some peanut butter and that made her feel better (was it the peanut butter or the pill?)   When I went upstairs she ate her breakfast!  and felt better the rest of the day.

It was cloudy and a little cool today for the last day of summer.  Mocha had a little bit of deck time, and got upset with a neighbor's dog who was barking.  Usually she ignores that dog.  

Anyway, the highlight of  Mocha's day was definitely the peanut butter!  Hope she feels okay tomorrow...

Good Run!

The cooler weather made for a good run today!  I felt energetic, even though I had done some yard work yesterday and I thought my legs might be tired from that.  But I felt good!  No walk breaks.  Long sleeves and shorts weather.  Love it.

Mocha felt better on the walk today - she didn't seem sore until we got home, and I noticed she walked up the steps slowly as if she was sore again.  I hope she can relax and take lots of naps today so she feels even better this evening.

Here is a cute new picture of her:

Cooper & Mocha

Today Mocha saw her "friend" Cooper on the family walk.  He is a nice boy, about 3 years old.  Mocha was mean to him once, and he has never forgotten it, so here is Cooper looking nervous with Mocha nearby:

Mocha is now calm around him, since she knows him, but I don't think he will trust her any time soon. 

By the time we were almost finished the walk, Mocha seemed to be sore again.  She had a pain pill when we got home, and is now lying on her kitchen bed.  I hope she feels better soon!

Sore Joints

Mocha started seeming a little sore yesterday (in her joints), and by this morning, she was even worse.  She had trouble going up the 2 steps from the garage into the house after her walk (short one), and she was obviously in pain.  I called the vet to see if I could give her aspirin - I forgot how much.  The vet said up to 2 baby aspirins 2 times a day.  But I was on my way to the trail to run, and I didn't give her anything right then.

When I got back from running, Ann came in with me, and Mocha was on her bed in the family room.  She wagged her little stubber tail vigorously, but didn't get up.  Ann & I went over to her and gave her lots of belly rubs and attention.  When she did get up, she seemed to feel a lot better!  I am so glad.  I will wait to give her any meds until she seems sore again.

She wanted to go out in the yard, and even had enough energy to pull me.  That's definitely a sign of a dog that's feeling better!













On the run today, it was a little more humid than it had been this past week, and I was noticeably slower (3 walk breaks).  But it was good to get out to the trail again instead of running in the neighborhood.

Trail Walk

Today, since it was so nice out, Mocha and I went to the trail for a walk.  This means a car ride.  She is good about getting into the car - I have a crate in the back for her - but she never really settles down during the drive.  She likes to stand up and sniff out the windows the whole time. 

Once we got to the trail, a little dog was just leaving, and we didn't see any other dogs while we were walking.  We saw a Great Blue Heron flying - a little girl was running, and I think she startled it, so it flew a little ways, and then it came back in the same direction in had come from.  Then it flew away again, and I saw it heading away from the marshy area.  I love to see them - I only wish I had taken my camera.

Mocha was ready to go home after a short walk.  It seems like she doesn't relax and enjoy herself.  I hope that can change over time.

Something Scary

Today we had a family walk - Dave came with us.  One of our neighbors down the street has inflatable football players that he sets up on his lawn - and now it's football season!   Mocha had never seen these before, and she hesitated when she saw them.  She walked by them very carefully, slightly crouching, checking to see if they were going to move.   This neighbor also has flamingos lining the lawn.  I think it was the football players that got to Mocha, though.

What a brave girl!  She got by the scary football players!  I gave her treats for being so brave.

Better Run

Yay -  today it was cooler (65 degrees) and less humid than it had been in a long while.  I felt much better on the run.  No walk breaks, and a faster pace.  Love it.  Now I feel sure that most of the time when I have a hard run and have to take walk breaks, it's because of the heat and humidity.

Mocha and I had another loose dog encounter today - it was the same JRT that was loose a few weeks ago.  Today it didn't try to approach us, but did bark at Mocha from across the street.  She got agitated and tried to pull toward him.  After a little while, he trotted around to the back of his house, and Mocha & I were able to continue our walk.

I wish people would keep their dogs home and not let them escape to harass others! 

Snake

Today I found a young black snake in the basement!  I got it into a paint bucket, took it outside, and released it.  Last fall I found a snake in the house 3 times.  I think it was the same snake that kept coming back.  I hope this one doesn't keep returning!

Mocha was upstairs, and didn't get to see the snake.  She has seen larger ones outside though.  She does smell them - our other dog Ozzie never seemed to smell reptiles.  Mocha has a very good sniffer!

Slow Motion Run

Today at 6:00 a.m. (my normal weekday running time), the air was loaded with moisture - it felt like a steam bath outside when I opened the door.  I started out slow, and got slower.   I felt like I was running in slow motion.  This is the time of year when I always welcome the cooler fall temps - I think tomorrow the heat wave is supposed to break. 

Mocha was a late riser this morning!  Usually when I come back from running, she is on one of her downstairs beds (yes, she has 2), and she has usually eaten her breakfast.  Today, though, there was a note on the counter from Dave that Mocha had stayed in bed!  I went upstairs to change my shirt, and she was awake, but not up yet.

We went for our walk - no excitement today.  I had seen Pookie (who gets agitated by Mocha) on my run, so I was pretty sure we wouldn't see her.  And no one else was out and about.  Mocha ate her breakfast when we got home and is now making little growly noises at the top of the steps.

Labor Day run

Today is Labor Day, so since my running partner was off, we went to the trail like we do on weekends.  It was pretty busy there today - lots of dogs, runners, and walkers.  My niece also joined us.  I felt pretty good, but had to take 2 walk breaks up hills.  I still had the same finishing time as I had last time with no walk breaks, so I probably started out too fast.

The weather was pretty nice - cool when we started out, and then it felt hotter when we were done (and all sweaty!).

The most interesting dog on the trail (to me) was a Rottweiler mix - looked like Mocha somewhat, but taller.  The reason I think it was a mix is because the body was not as stocky as a full Rottweiler would be.  I also saw a lab puppy - full of energy and so cute!

My walk with Mocha this morning went well - we saw Bailey, a golden retriever, on the other side of the street.  Mocha looked back a few times, but didn't get bothered at all.  She is definitely improving!

Breakthrough?

Very exciting morning walk!  There was a loose dog down the street.  First, he and Mocha just looked at each other, and then the dog came trotting up to us.  He approached Mocha's butt, and proceeded to sniff.  Mocha accepted that - she did not growl, raise her hackles, or act upset in any way!  Then the loose dog just went on his way.  This was new - I had never seen Mocha behave so calmly around another dog.  I hope this is the start of similar behavior with other dogs.

Mocha is helping Dave in the garage this morning.  She likes to help by lying in the sunshine.

Cat!

Mocha J saw a cat on the walk this morning!  It saw her too, and crouched by a storm drain to see what the doggy would do.  Mocha looked at it, but didn't get agitated or act like she wanted to chase it.  We kept walking, and the cat stayed by the storm drain, in case it would have to make a quick escape!

Trail run today - the trail is not in great shape - lots of erosion and bumpy places.  But the good news is that I ran the whole approximately 4 miles with no walk breaks.  It is still humid, but slightly cooler.  Saw lots of cute dogs out today, lots of Labradoodles, and some normal dogs too  :-)

Iced coffee when I got home!  Hooray for Labor Day weekend!

Hard Run and Easy Walk

This morning's run was very difficult - I took 4 walk breaks, and felt pretty tired.  It was very humid again, and 70 degrees.

When that was over, Mocha and I went out for our walk.   Someone had set off a car alarm, and many barking dogs were complaining about it.  Mocha was a little huffy-puffy, but calmed down after we got past the barking dog houses.  Then we saw the puffy-collared dog heading home.  Mocha is fine with that dog, because it is calm.  She gets much more worked up if a dog is barking at her, or acting up in any way. 

The other day in a post, I mentioned Mocha's "nemesis".  Let me tell you more about that.  Clark is a Labradoodle puppy, very cute and non-threatening.  For some reason, Mocha took an instant dislike to him.  She acts like he is the evil invader of her territory.  Poor Clark, just an innocent boy.

I have discovered that Mocha likes it when I sing.  She gets all happy and excited (in a good way).  So I will sing to her a lot!  

Three Dog Day for Mocha J.

Usually, we don't encounter any dogs on our morning walk, but today we saw 3!  That is a lot for Mocha, who is still a little worried when she sees other dogs. 

First we saw the dog who had been wearing the puffy neck collar.  Now it is no longer wearing it, but I don't know that dog's name, so that's how I identify it.  Mocha was calm when she saw that dog.  She just looked at it a couple times, and kept walking with me. 

Next, before we had even gotten very far from that dog, Max the Schnauzer was coming down the street.   Max and his mom crossed to the other side of the street before we had seen them.  Mocha looked at him a couple times, but didn't get agitated.

The third dog we saw was Pookie.  Same coloring as Mocha in a smaller package.  Pookie also gets agitated with other dogs, so that is not a good combination with Mocha.  Pookie started barking at her, and she got her fur up and pulled toward Pookie.  They kept walking, and I waited for Mocha to calm down before we kept going. 

Anyway, 2 out of 3 good reactions is not bad for Mocha J!

 

Humid morning run

What a humid run this morning!  Now that it is dark when I begin my run at 6:00 a.m., I wear a reflective vest.  Today was such a sweaty run that the vest was completely wet when I got home, even though I had a top on under it (of course).  I ran the whole way with no walk breaks, so that was good.  Ann (my main running partner) and I were kind of quiet today - sometimes it's hard to have a good conversation when you're concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other on hills!

Then home to Mocha, and a good walk.  Saw a dog from down the street who had a big bumper collar on recently (post-surgery maybe).   The dog no longer has that puffy collar on, so hope all is well.  Mocha is getting calmer about seeing other dogs, but right now she is making little growly noises at the top of the stairs - maybe she hears her nemesis  outside.

Best part about all this - I was very hungry when I got home from the run and then the walk, and I had my usual delicious breakfast of Cinnamon Kashi cereal with walnuts and a peach on it.  The peaches have been so good this summer!  And a good cup of coffee as well, that I'm still enjoying.