Some toys get bought just to be destroyed

 Particularly true of dog toys.  There are the "almost indestructible" kind and the "bought to be torn to shreds" kind.  Here are a couple that landed in the trash can this week, thanks to Carl's "tender" attention.

One of them is called a "chuck it" ball, intended for indoor fetch.  But at its core is styrofoam, and once he's started to strip the cover, out it goes.  The other is the purple and orange football that was practically indestructible, but Carl managed to get the plastic innards to shred and begin to leak out the holes.  It was a crinkly noise ball, and Carl loves the crinkle noises.  Oh, well, Grandma will just have to order some more for his visit.

Sunday evening, Carl was grumpy.  It was hot outside, the trip to the Grandma dog park was too long ago, and Grandma wasn't paying enough attention to him.  But we made it through to bedtime, and he settled down to a wonderful sleep, which meant Grandma got good sleep, too.

Monday morning, we opted for a leash walk, and Carl was "mostly" good, but there was one other dog being walked on the other side of the street that he wanted to "talk" to, with his big booming barks.  The other dog walker opted to go a different direction, I gave Carl his doggie-sound signal, and we continued to a successful end of the walk.

Meanwhile, "the kids" toured the Badlands National Park on Sunday.  

DIL to be said she was lucky to get this shot early.  Son is not a fan of being photographed.  She said that partway through a meal on Sunday he stated "We've reached our limit of photos of me for the day."  Good job, Son, vocalize your limits.

But look at the different poses, from Toadstool, and now from the Badlands... different weather backdrops, too.  I forget who described Toadstool Geologic Park as being the little brother to the South Dakota Badlands... but in my childhood, I saw the Toadstool park first, then on a separate trip the Badlands... I think I've been out that way five or six times, but certainly not recently.  Three trips in childhood, one with my brother, and my husband and I honeymooned in Wyoming and South Dakota, too.  Good memories!

Home from the leash walk, Carl did another thing Diamond always used to do:  headed out in the back yard and checked the perimeter!  

Grandma makes potato salad for her lunch, but looks up what Carl can have.  So he gets a small bite of hard boiled egg, to lick the non-fat Greek Yogurt tub, and a few small bites of cooked potato before it goes in the big bowl.

Monday was also laundry day... washing the bedding, even though I know I will wash it again after Carl goes home.  Sometimes you just have to accept that this is how it is, you can't smell like a dog for another night!

Tuesday morning, Prisoner came to the sound of me filling his food dish in its hiding spot, rubbed up against my legs and purred.  He's going to need some serious de-burring after Carl goes home.  Here's his audition for feral cat status:  

Thankfully, Prisoner is a very forgiving cat.  I have yet to spot Rubia "in the wild" this trip, and I have to wonder if she's adopted another neighborhood family.  I would not put it past her.

On Monday, the intrepid travelers headed East across South Dakota, reaching Chamberlain, to visit the Dignity sculpture, then later the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.  Along the way, they had to find Sinclair Dino statues for Lacey to pose with.  You'd be amazed how many of them are scattered across South Dakota!

They made it to Sioux Falls by evening.  We shall see what today brings, but we're getting close to the number of sleeps his Daddy told Carl to expect.  One more sleep to go!

Carl's visit has been good for Grandma in so many ways, but she'll be glad to let the kitties have their house back.  Here's hoping all of you who might be following along are taking good care of yourselves, through this Summer (in the Northern hemisphere).  Today is a bit cooler here, and promises to be the most pleasant weather day of the week, so soak it up if that's true of your neck of the woods, too.  Hydrate, breathe, and nourish your body.  Then when the day is done, it will be enough for the day, so let it go, and rest.

Life is good.  Spark on!

🔥✨💖