Rain!

Well, it is finally raining.  There hasn't been much rain lately around here, and wouldn't you know, Mocha and I were out in the dark this morning for an early walk when the rain started.  We were about halfway through our walk when we started to notice a few drops.  Then the rain began in earnest, and we were totally soaked when we got home.

This picture is from last fall, but you get the idea!

Mocha got her drying, though, and now she is back in bed.  I think we're going to wait until daylight from now on for our morning walks. 













On an exercise note, I went to a race-walking clinic at the end of August.  There were several instructors there, and the attendees got to try race-walking.  The presenter said that race-walkers can go faster than "power walkers", but so far I haven't been able to do that.  I probably don't have the technique down yet.

Mocha's New Toys

I haven't written for a while.  I haven't been running since March, and since then, I've been power walking to try to keep my cardiovascular fitness up.  I'm going to start writing more about that, and other ways that I exercise.

In the meantime, Mocha has gotten some new toys.  They are from the Bark Box gift that her Aunt Kathleene gave her.

Here she is on her bed starting to work on the sunflowers.

She is standing guard over her magic bus.  

The bus is now flat and de-stuffed, but the sunflowers still have some life in them!

Over the weekend, I walked on a flat trail for 3.47 miles.  It was fastest pace since I've been walking, and I'm sure that was because there were no hills.   It felt good to walk in a different location.  Afterwards, we went out to brunch at a bagel shop to re-fuel.

Happy Monday!

Lots of Dogs!

Today on our morning walk, Mocha & I saw lots of dogs!  First up was Tucker, a well-mannered Golden Retriever.  For some reason, Mocha doesn't like him.  We were on the opposite side of the street, and I tried to distract her, but she gave a little growl and acted up. 

After that, we saw Jack & Puggy taking a walk with their parents.  They are both barkers, but we were kind of far away from them, and we waited until they were even more distant before we continued. 

We could hear barking in the distance, and I think it was Puggy and a little white dog that was out in its yard.

Soon we passed by a house where 2 German Shepherds live.  They are fairly new to the neighborhood, and we hadn't seen them before.  They were not barking, and Mocha didn't give them much attention.

Then we came to the yard with the barking little white dog.  Mocha ignored that one too.

Next, we saw Sydney across the street.  Mocha has seen her a lot, and we know her mom, so Mocha just looked at her and was good.

So all in all, a pretty good walk, even though it was a doggy morning!  Now for some rest...

Painting Day

Today I will be painting again, and that means relocation of Mocha's bed!  I have moved it into the office where she will get sunshine in a little while.  So far, the relocation has taken:

bed relocated temporarily

On the walk this morning, I saw 2 deer in a yard.  Mocha was oblivious.  The deer were watching her, waiting for her to notice them, but did Mocha see them?  Nope, she was too busy sniffing the ground.

Got to get started on my painting soon - it will be good to have it completed!

Painting

I'm in the process of painting the bedroom, and Mocha is all discombobulated!  I moved her bed to the opposite corner of the room (temporarily), and I thought she was okay with it:

Temporary relocation

She was fine until bed time.  After lights out, I heard her get up and come around to where her bed used to be.  So I said, "I'll fix it!", and I moved her bed back to the normal location for the night.  Now I'll have to move it again to do the second coat of paint on that wall!

Mocha likes to lie in the sun, but sometimes, there can be too much of a good thing:

Too much sun

Today is another sunny day!  Still cool right now, so I'm going to paint early and hike later.

Monday

Today started out with a 1/2 circle walk for Mocha.  She didn't see any friends, just some squirrels and some good sniffin' from overnight visitors.

When we got home, she was ready for her morning nap.  It's tough to sleep when it's sunny outside.

Trying to get some sleep

Later when she was out again, a man across the street (doing some work for a neighbor) asked how old she was.  People often mistake her for a young Rottweiler because she is small.  So I told him she was 8, and he said he had won a stuffed Rottie toy at Hershey Park last weekend!  She went over to him and allowed him to admire her.

After that, she was ready to find some sunshine inside, instead of being out in the actual sunshine.

Sunshine is good

She watched me paint for a little while, but that was so boring that she went downstairs and, you guessed it, took a nap.

Mocha J's Sunny Day

It was a sunny day for Mocha.  She doesn't like to go very far on her walks when it's sunny out, or should I say hot.  She likes the winter sun just fine.

Mocha started off her last walk of the day by sitting by the coreopsis:

Mocha looks like she's squinting from the sun!

We walked down the street, and she stared across at her  nemesis' yard (she always has to check and make sure she see's him if  he's out).  No such luck today.

Fredo's yard

 

 

 After that, we walked back home, and she was a hot girl:

After her cooldown, she will be ready to eat.

Rainy Day Nap Day

It's a rainy, cloudy day - perfect for a long nap for Mocha J!  She had a very early walk, in between the heavy rain times.

She got to see Sydney yesterday (and was not a polite girl).  She has been better with Pookie, and she is fine with Dexter and Maddie.  But I realized recently that Mocha would probably be quite content if she never sees another dog.  She is a people dog, not a dog's dog.

A few turtles have been laying eggs in our yard, and Mocha was sniffing them out.

She saw this one, but dad didn't let her get too close.

Happy June!

Challenging Walk

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've written.  Since I'm no longer a runner, there isn't as much to write about.  Power walking is great - I'm starting to look forward to my walks, just like I used to look forward to running.  I keep track of animals that I see on my walks - something to keep my mind busy.

Mocha has been healthy.  This morning we had a challenging walk though - lots of dogs out so early!

First, we saw Max, the Schnauzer.  She always reacts to him a bit, but I had my distraction treat ready, and kept her mostly focused on me. 

Then we saw Pookie on the other side of the street, just as Ann was running towards us.  Mocha loves Ann, and was getting a butt scratch.  However, that pesky Pookie was still on the other side of the street, so Mocha was looking over that way.  She escalated a little, and I corrected her.  Ann was still with us, and we talked a while before she continued on her run.

Next up - Max again (we were heading in opposite directions, so we passed him again).  This time, I was able to distract Mocha early, and she went on her way with no growling.

Almost home, and here is Bella off leash, and Pookie coming up the street again.  I managed to distract her from Pookie this time, and Bella just ignored Mocha, so we were good!

Whew!  And I forgot to mention, it's SUNNY today!  Yay, sun!

Cloudy Wednesday

Today it is cooler and cloudy.  Mocha & I went for an early walk, and on the way back home we saw Pookie.  She is a neighbor dog that has been reactive when she sees Mocha, and of course, Mocha reacts back at her.  But today, Pookie, with a few soft words from her mom, kept walking and ignored Mocha.  I looked over at her after she had gone by, and she was calmly walking and wagging her tail. 

I can't say the same for Mocha.  She reacted as she usually does (fur up, huffing, wanted to cross the street towards Pookie).  I gave her a correction, but it took a while for her to calm down.  But maybe now that Pookie doesn't show any interest in Mocha, things will change for the better.

I need to ask Pookie's mom what she did to that girl!

On the walking front, I've been doing a power walk every other day.  My goal is for my pace to be under a 15 minute mile, and yesterday I did a 14:31.   I'm happy with that.  Still miss running though.

Rainy April Day

I was surprised to see it raining this morning when Mocha & I headed out for our walk.  Not cold though!  That's very good.  This month has been windy and colder than normal so far.

Mocha had a few dog experiences yesterday.  We saw Pookie on our first walk.  Pookie has the same coloring as  Mocha, but is shorter and stouter.  Pookie reacts to other dogs the same way that  Mocha does - suspicious and wary.  It's hard to get them to continue on their walks, but  Mocha did pretty well.

Later, we saw a young-looking chocolate lab-looking dog, and it wanted to cross the street to see Mocha, who was quite interested also.  But the chocolate lab walker kept the dog on the other side of the street, and Mocha kept going with me.

My friend Holly got a new puppy -  Eva is her name.  Holly's kids and husband really wanted a dog, so now Holly is a dog mom. 

I hope the adjustment (for people and dog) goes well!

Mocha's Adoptiversary

Sunday was Mocha's adoptiversary!   We've been her parents for a whole year already. 

Here's how she spent her day:

 She got a new toy - and as you can see, chicken has been cast aside!

 Taking a break from chewing her new toy.

Focused and ready to go for a walk.

All in all, a good day for Mocha J!

I've been walking a lot - my knees are better, but I can tell that if I tried to run it would make them worse.  So walking it is. 

Bad News About Knees

On Monday the 14th, I got an excruciating pain in my right knee.  I had just been sitting on the floor with Mocha, and somehow my knee all of a sudden exploded with pain.  I couldn't put weight on my right leg, couldn't straighten my knee, and basically had to limp around in pain.

This continued to the next morning.  It was a little better, but still very painful.  I started taking some ibuprofen.  Days went by, and it continued to improve little by little.  At the same time, the left knee wasn't perfect either.  Needless to say, I didn't run, but somehow managed to take Mocha on her walks.

I decided to make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor to find out what my knees are up to these days.  I had been diagnosed with arthritis in 2007, and since then I've been able to manage pretty well.  I used to say that most days I didn't even know I had arthritis.  I attribute this to the 4000 mg of Omega 3 fish oils I've been taking every day.  But something snapped.

My doctor's appointment was yesterday, and the new X-rays showed that I do have arthritis in both knees (not news), my cartilage is very thin behind the kneecaps, and I have 2 bone spurs on each knee, one of which has broken off.

The doctor advised.....   no more running!  I was upset.  I don't want to make  my knees worse, though, and I don't want to have a joint replacement any sooner than necessary.  So I won't run.   I will walk, bike, lift weights (but no squats or lunges).  I will try to minimize further damage.

As for good news - the weather was really nice yesterday, and Mocha & I went for a short trail walk.

More good weather today - maybe we will go again.

Mocha's Vet Visit

Yesterday Mocha had her wellness check-up - it's been almost one year since we adopted her!  She weighs more (58.1 pounds), her skin is healthy, she doesn't have any worms, but she still tests positive for Lyme disease.  The vet says that is normal, and that maybe in another year she will test  negative for that.  We had her on a course of medicine when we first got her that was supposed to eradicate the Lyme.

Mocha saw three dogs at the vet - one very big one (Great Dane).  I think she was wondering how a dog can get so big!

When we were ready to come out of the exam room, there was a black dog in the waiting room that started barking at her.  She was going to give it right back, so we went back into the exam room and I shut the door.  We waited in there instead of out in the waiting room.

Next time we tried to leave, there was a little Puggle in the waiting room that started barking at her.  She didn't care about that one, so we paid our bill and left with no further uproar.

As far as running goes.....  not good.  My right knee acted up in a big way on Monday afternoon.  It was so painful that I couldn't even bear weight on it.  I've been icing and taking a few ibuprofen, and it is better, but not 100%.  I still can't straighten either knee completely.

So I made an appointment with an orthopedic dr. to find out exactly what is wrong - is it just the arthritis flaring up, or something else?  I will go next Wednesday to start that process.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (yesterday)!

A Better Run

Another cold morning, and a better run - my knee seems almost back to normal, but my pace has slowed.  I didn't have to take any walk breaks today, but my uphill pace was like a turtle's.  Anyway, I'm just glad to be back out there.  I hope my knee won't give me any more problems for a while.

Mocha wore her jacket on the walk this morning - it was only 27 degrees, and the wind made is feel like 20, according to Smashrun.com.  We saw Dexter and she did a growl at him, but was it a play growl?  Did she say, "Hey, Dexter, let's play!"?  Maybe...

It's Cold Again!

After a few nice days (spring tease), it is cold again.  And very windy - that makes it feel even colder.

Mocha & I  went to a different section of the trail today, and had a brisk walk in the cold wind.  When we got home she had lunch and found a sunny spot:

After that, she went back to her bed, and got thirsty.  She didn't want to get up, though...

As far as running goes, my knee is better - not 100%, but okay to run/walk.  I got out yesterday for an early morning run with Ann.  First time that early in over a month!  I was able to run more than I did on Sunday, but still took some walk breaks.  The declines were the hardest on my knee, so I walked down most of the hills.

Knee Pain

Ever since last Saturday, my left knee has been painful, swollen, and I have not been running.  I think it is an arthritis flare-up, and I've been icing and foam-rolling it.  It is starting to get better, and I hope to be able to run on Sunday with Ann. 

On smashrun.com, the website that tracks runs and compiles statistics, I only need one more run this month to get my  "in it for February" badge, and I want to at least get that!

Mocha's eye is better - it only took 3 applications of the drops for it to clear up.  She & I were happy about that!

She got to see her friend Larry yesterday, and he gave her lots of rib rubs and affection.  His dog Cooper wasn't out, so Mocha was happy about that - sometimes she has to let Cooper know that Larry is paying attention to HER, and Cooper should not get in the way!

Another Eye Ulcer?

I noticed last evening that Mocha's right eye seemed irritated - it looks like she scratched it, just like she did to her left eye a few weeks ago.  I still have the eye drops and pain pills that the vet gave her last time, so I started Mocha on those.

I think she needs to be more careful when we go to the trail - she gets tracking on a scent, and walks through sticker bushes before I can stop her - and she probably forgets to close her eyes!

If it's not better by Monday, I will call the vet.  Hope my girl is okay soon!

Running has been possible - just very cold, until today.  It was warmer, and Ann & I finally got to run together again.  On weekdays, she has to run very early due to her work schedule, and since it's  been so icy/cold, she's been using her treadmill.  But today, it was nice, not icy, in the 40s.  We had a good run.

New Stuff for Mocha

A couple times when we've been out for an evening, we've noticed when we got home that Mocha may have been taking shelter under a round skirted table.  We keep a pillow under there, and the evidence we're going by is that the pillow is out from under the table when we get home.  Not chewed, just out of the way, possibly so a medium-sized dog could fit under the table.

Dave suggested that maybe she wants a crate again, so she'll have a safe place to go.  I agreed, and replaced the round table with a covered crate. 

What a cozy looking place!  But so far, not used by Mocha.  We're going out again soon, so we'll see if we can tell that she used it.  Maybe check for dog fur, because even if she goes in there while we're out, she will meet us at the door.

Another new item for Mocha - her aunt Kathleene sent her a sweater.  She tried it on, and it fits and she likes it.

A for Awesome, that's my Mocha!

More Snow

I just realized I haven't posted anything for February yet!  Up until yesterday, we were in the melting stage from the big snow we had the weekend of January 23/24.  Mocha & I went to the trail for a walk yesterday, and it was mostly clear.

Most of the snow was gone!

Today is a different story - more snow is coming down and 4-6 inches is predicted (I think - that could have changed by now).  The birds out back are trying to get to the feeders - at times, it is a mob scene.  The redwing blackbirds are there, and a also saw a pileated woodpecker for the first time this year.   This pictures just shows the birds in the trees...

As far as running goes, I have been able to run outside, just not at the trail.  The trail that I usually run on still has quite a bit of snow on it.  I prefer to run on the neighborhood roads which are now clear.  Let's hope that today's snow doesn't stick to the streets.

Mocha & Maddie

The snow is still here (and will be for months), but at least the whole width of our street has been plowed.  I ran outside yesterday for the first time since last Friday.  It was good to get out.  Don't know how long it will be before the trail is runnable again.

Mocha got a new collar - she is ready for Valentine's Day!

She loves it.  What a girly-girl.

Today, I am helping with Maddie (friend).  She is quite the puller on a walk - until she gets tired, which is after about 1/4 mile.  Neither Mocha nor Maddie really like the snow...  it's hard to find a place to go - there's just not much grass showing!

Too Much Snow

The big snow storm hit over the weekend - 24 inches or so here.  Mocha was not thrilled with it.  She didn't want to "do her business" even though Dave had cleared out a patch of grass for her.  She is quite stubborn when it comes to where to relieve herself.  She can hold onto all of it for quite a while. 

Finally, she was able to get out and about (at least a few houses in each direction), and she found someplace acceptable to go.  Today we walked down the middle of the street on our usual walk, and she is now okay with the snow.

We saw Dexter (old dog down the street).  Dexter's mom and I were talking and the dogs were waiting patiently.  However, Dexter must have been cold and wanted to go home, so he started barking his old man bark.  Mocha didn't like that, but I told her it was a "play bark". 

More shoveling today - summer's just around the corner, right?

Getting it Done Before the Snow Storm

Big snow scare - blizzard warning goes into effect in a couple hours.  So I wanted to get in a run before all the snow - who knows when I'll get to run outside again?

I did the same route as Wednesday, and I did it even faster!  The wind chill made it feel like 17F, according to Smashrun.
I had to call my friend Holly first to get a pep talk - I wanted to run, but I needed a little encouragement.  She had run at 22F, and she told me I should do it.  So I did. 

Mocha & I went to our usual trail and got in a quick walk.  I thought I saw a couple snowflakes when we got there, but it hasn't really started yet. 

Here's hoping the storm will be less severe than predicted.

Cold Walk and Chickens

Today Mocha & I went for a walk with her uncle to a place Mocha had never been before.  It was a hilly and cold walk, but at the end, she was rewarded by getting to see chickens!

She was VERY interested in them.  She stuck her nose right up to the cage, and lucky for her, no one pecked her.  I'm pretty sure she had never seen chickens before.  She has a toy chicken that she  chewed up, starting with the belly.  Maybe she was thinking these chickens might be tasty!

Running news:  I ran at 25F and a wind chill that made it feel like 18F.  I didn't know about the wind chill before I left.  It does make me run faster though - all I can think about is getting home and warming up.

Big snow scare in place for Friday - hope it goes another way!

Jacket Day

Today it is very cold here - it was 18F when we went for our morning walk, and got up to 23F (and windy) when we went to the trail.  Mocha wore her jacket today for both walks.  She looks very pretty in it:

Ann & I were going to run around noon, since we thought the temperature would be better (25F we were hoping), but since it was still so windy, we walked with Mocha instead. 

We also collected some pine cones for Ann's porch decor.  

Hoping to run tomorrow before the really bad weather (snow) comes in this weekend.  Maybe the weather-guessers are wrong. 

Cold Outing

It is very cold here today:  20F when I got up, and only up to 26F mid-day.  In spite of this,  Mocha & I did our usual walk and a trip to the trail.  By the way, it is also windy.... brrr.

We didn't see any other dogs at the trail, but we did see a few people, dressed for the weather, walking.  We didn't stay long, and when we got home, Mocha found her patch of sun:

I am hoping that tomorrow morning will be a little warmer, since it is a running day.  At least we don't have snow or ice!

Cold Cold Cold

Very cold morning run today!  At least there wasn't a wind chill.  I ran pretty well, and got home while it was still dark out.  Mocha was waiting for me, and wanted to go for a walk when I asked her.

We did a quick one, since it was so cold - no dawdling today.  We saw her friend Cooper, who had his jacket on (smart boy!), but we didn't stop to talk.  Mocha & I both wanted to get home to our warm house. 

I had made coffee before I left, and was glad to enjoy its delicious warmth!

Eye Ulcer

Last Wednesday, I noticed that Mocha's eye was red, partially closed, and watery.  I took her to the vet, and she was diagnosed with an ulcer.  The vet said she would treat it as a traumatic injury, and gave us some eye drops and pain meds.  If it didn't clear up in 3-5 days, other scenarios would be considered.

Well, today I took her back in for a re-check, and her eye is all better!  She hated getting the drops, but they worked.  And the pain meds were always accompanied by peanut butter, so they were something to look forward to.

She was good at the vet today.  We had to wait a while, and she spent her time observing the other dogs in the waiting room.  She got very relaxed and was lying on her side for a while. 

Now she's home and here she is, eye all better:

After the vet and before coming home, we went to the trail for a walk.  We went to a different part of the trail than we usually go to, and there were lots of new smells, sights, and sounds.  We didn't see any other dogs.  Mocha is now cozy and taking her afternoon nap.

Cold Morning Run

Good morning!  I ran today at 7:00 with Ann.  It was 33 degrees, but the wind chill made it seem a lot colder!  In spite of that, I had a very good run.  I had enough energy, even though I started out feeling hungry.  It was sort of light out when we started - I'm glad the days are getting longer now.  We didn't see any other runners, which is unusual. 

Before the run, Mocha was awake, so we went for a short walk.  As soon as we came out of the garage, she saw Max (Schnauzer) across the street, and started to get agitated.   Max doesn't pay much attention to her, since he is deaf, and may not even know she's there unless he sees her.  I got her to calm down before we continued on the walk, and today we went the opposite way than we usually go; otherwise, she would have been following Max the whole time, and trying to pull me along.

Now Mocha is back in bed, and I'm going to undecorate the Christmas tree today.