Dark of the morning

 

This photo was taken about 40 minutes before sunrise on Saturday, looking east.  The deep purple attracted me.

Back on relatively "normal" Ember time on Saturday.  We tried something new, letting her ride along while I took recycles to the center.  I didn't load up all the recycles, just part of the corrugated cardboard.  But she did great, staying in the car while I took four trips to the bins.  Then we went through the pharmacy drive-thru to pick up my eye-drop prescription.    

We got out on a leash walk Saturday afternoon, once the hu-mom was convinced the sidewalks around the block were dry.  We had some issues at the corner that decides to go home or go into the park.  Ember did not want to come home.  Mom won, but was not happy about how, and ended up wondering if Ember was scared of something at a couple of the spots where she resisted.  Mom, you could do a better job of reading your dog!

Once we did get home, Ember sulkily started in on the leather couch, taking down the baby gate that she had respected all day until then.  Late in the day we drove through Scooter's (that's a regional coffee chain).  I have got into a rhythm, where she only gets the whipped cream pup cup every third or fourth trip, but I get the hot mocha every time.

I am happy that Ember has found her voice to signal she needs out of the crate for a trip outside.  So far, she has not abused this ability to "call" Mommy for help.

On Sunday, I awoke and got up early, to take a shower and prepare for the day.  I had ordered groceries for pickup Sunday morning before I went to bed Saturday night. In my mind I was thinking, "socialize the puppy" and take her along, even though pick up time was 9 a.m. when she would normally be napping in her crate.

I played it by ear.  We needed a calm down drive in the dark before mommy's own breakfast.  Mommy fell asleep with a puppy's head on her lap, and in the end, chickened out and put the puppy in for her nap before going to pick up the groceries.  I was kind of glad I did because the weather had started to spit some kind of frozen stuff at us.  40% chance the weather app said.  Oh, well, win some, lose some.

Ember, for her part, pawed up a chunk of ice from the splash pad under the downspout on the Northwest corner of the house/garage, and proudly carried it up to play with it on the deck.  

Unfortunately, she also discovered the raised dog bed in the family room (next to the leather couch she's still working at deconstructing) has legs and a frame. She thinks these things are appropriate chew-things, so Mommy had to put the dog bed away in the pantry, behind a closed door.  Sigh.  

On the good news front, the muddy mats I had gradually put down underneath her hot zone towels seem to have converted into hot zones themselves, and she's not chewing on them as much. 

I continue to do "practice" runs in the car with Ember, and we did three on Sunday.  I feel a bit behind the curve with this form of socialization due to her earlier experience with motion sickness.  

None of Sunday's trips involved getting out of the car.  The first was just a "calm down" ride.  The second was a second trip to the grocery store.  I was considering the possibility of running into the grocery store and leaving her in the car while I did, but I judged it as being a bit too busy.  The third was to a local high school, where my son and DIL were bringing the foster kiddo and his brother (even though the family has been reunited, they help out with transport for this activity) for basketball practice.  We didn't get out of the car, but the boys came over and we rolled down the window so Ember could wag her tail and lick their hands, and they could pet her.

As a reward for being so good waiting in the car, we went to Scooter's drive thru, where she got her puppy biscuit.  The weather is getting colder with Monday predicted to be even chillier.  

Ember has taken her time with this particular pig's ear.  It has taken her four days before finally consuming it!  I think the ones that are curled up on the edges invite a little more play time before consumption.

Keep on choosing to live your life!  Sparkle onward!