In case you're wondering where the cats are...

 

The Prisoner is hiding in the tall grass / bushes, of course.  I could hear him before he made himself visible.  This is near the spot where I put out food for him.  He complained loudly to the management but would not accept an upgrade in his accommodations, as that would put him inside with the d-o-g!

Prisoner does not appear any the worse for wear.  I have yet to spot Rubia.  But the food does disappear.

Can you spot the food dish? 
It's blue; if you're blue/green color-blind you might miss it.

I won't go out and cut the brush down until after Carl goes home, as it's "cover" for the felines.

Back to Carl adventures

Sunday morning, Carl and his Grandma went to the same dog park as on Saturday.  We went even earlier, just at 7 a.m.  Grandma is carefully watching how Carl carries himself, especially the left rear quarter.  He was favoring it a bit yesterday morning, then seemed to "shake it off" and continued his zoomies.  This morning, it looked at one point in the romp (about half way around the first loop) as though he was favoring it, but then proceeded to chase around with the other visitors.  We (Carl and Grandma) checked the paws carefully on the return home.  Nothing amiss, no thorns or wounds.  And he's walking OK now.  Just a "keep an eye on it" situation, at this point.  Not to be a hypochondriac on behalf of the dog, but he is in my charge.

Carl just chilling at Grandma's house.

Carl has adopted a new habit this visit.  He has taken up a behavior that Diamond used to good effect... see Grandma at the computer?  Poke your nose under her mouse hand and gaze into her eyes with a pleading expression.  "Remember me?  I'm wholly dependent on you, and I'm bored with you sitting at that keyboard, or playing with your phone.  Let me outside.  Come play with me!"

It works just as well for him as it did for his predecessor.  😁

So Grandma takes boring photos and videos of her chill houseguest.  She throws the ball.  She works on the command to keep his paws on the deck, not the rail.  We have now survived four of seven sleeps.  Only two of them were interrupted by trips outside in the middle of the night.  Meanwhile, "the kids" have toured Sylvan Lake (hiking the whole loop) and Custer State Park.

On Sunday Carson (neighbor boy) came by to mow, and fortunately I noticed before letting Carl out.  Sunday's a pretty normal day for him to do so, and I had a sharp eye open, just in case.  Carl only barked a little, and I was proud of him, watching through the window.  I later had to put the bark/training collar on as he went nuts when the neighbor across the street put his weed whacker into action, and the other neighbor across the street was out rocking that little 2 month old son on his front porch.

The math nerd in my brain does this with dates:

I was born a scant number of days after my mother's 23rd birthday.  Three years ago Sunday I attained the exact age in days that she was the day she died.  That milestone was overshadowed by the huge event of my brother's passing, just a scant number of days later.  Yes, having a nerdy math brain does weird things to one's contemplations!

The day proceeded to get hot, and grandma took a nap between getting updates from the road trippers, who hit the badlands of S. Dakota today, triggering thoughts from my geology class in college.  The place they have been to so far that has changed the most in the past 60 years?  Has to be Wall Drug Store.  

May your Sunday blessings last the week long.  Remember to breathe, hydrate, stay in the shade and get your rest, if the weather where you are is anything like the heat we're getting here!

Life is good.  Spark on!  🔥✨💖