So here's the short of it, 
I'm back "out front" with Sophie.

And here's the long

What a dog!  Sophie must have mind reading capabilities or something. She's been pretty patient about not having her outside time in the evenings since I broke my ankle. I let her go out "on her own" a few times - I don 't really like doing that, even though she's pretty good about staying in the circle.  And I was able to talk Liga and Valdis into taking her around the circle a few times. But going out with me especially when I take her "off leash" is the best. Anyway, she's been good about seeming to understand that I couldn't take her out.

I didn't get home early tonight. But as soon as I got in the door, she wanted to go "out front" - that's the command I use to let her know we are going out the front door to walk in the circle.  She was dancing around and behaving as though she absolutely understood that this afternoon was different and that there was no reason that I couldn't take her out for a walk. It was really pretty precious.  We went out - yes when I finally said "out front" she was SO excited.  And I walked for the first time since my fall. (oh except for that one time before I realized that I was not supposed to be really going for a walk in my boot).  I only made it around the circle twice.  I am so out of shape!  Sophie spent her time playing with Cutie Pie - her Labradoodle friend; Charlie, her golden retriever friend; Zoro, her very old beagle friend; and finally Winston, the young shepherd mix who lives in a yard with an invisible fence.  She goes into Winston's yard and plays very nicely with him.  They run around the bushes and into and out of the back yard.  Winston never goes out of his space and Sophie is really good to play with him. BUT she did not come home when I asked her to .... we'll have to work on that some more. But she and I are both really glad to get back into the routine of a good walk before the end of the day unless the weather is too wet.

So at the end of the day you can just know that Sophie and I will be "out front".