So here's the short of it, 
Sophie is just right for this time in my life.

And here's the long.

 Alan and I have had 3 dogs together, and they've all had very distinct and great personalities. And it seems like each has been just right for the time of our lives.

Sophie keeps me company every day.  Almost every evening we take a walk around the circle.  Sometimes we go around 2 times - sometimes more.  Most of the time she's not on a leash.  She walks at her pace and I walk at mine.  Sometimes I go faster, sometimes she is the one going faster.  She stops to sniff at all sorts of interesting smells, chases squirrels, and plays with any of the circle dogs that happen to be out at the same time. She's learning to sit when I give her that command even if she's several feet away from me.  I do that so that if a strange dog or a person who seems fearful of her comes into the circle.  She sits for me and I can get her on leash in just a flash.  We're making progress on that!  When I'm ready to come in, I just have to say "Sophie, Home", and she heads home from wherever she is on the circle (I'm exaggerating a bit - this happens only about 3/4 of the time now-but she's making great progress.

While she's home during the day and not busy with some other self assigned task, such as patrolling the fence or barking at whatever she thinks might need barking at, she often hangs out in the front room fireplace.  It's a non-working fireplace, and it's always been a favorite spot for our dogs, and she really does enjoy it.

When I come home in the evening or from being out on a shopping trip, Sophie will meet me at the back gate.  If I have more than one trip to bring things into the house, she'll "help" me by walking with me.  Running away doesn't even occur to her; she's too busy with her job of making sure I make it to the car and then back into the house!

Then there's breakfast.  We eat breakfast together every morning.  Whatever I'm having, I just make her some as well.  She eats oatmeal, eggs, yogurt - whatever - then eats her dog food!  As the weather gets warmer, we'll do this ritual out of the patio!  At supper time, she's not so interested in eating, but she's always in the dining room just keeping us company and waiting to help me in the kitchen.  In the evenings after I'm all done and sit down for a bit of time with the computer, she stretches out and naps nearby - but only after she's had a beef short rib.  I keep them in the freezer and thaw one out every night.  She just loves her meaty bone.

When I finally make it to the bed - as I'm going to do in just a few minutes, she comes right along and spends the night on the floor just in reach.

What a gift!  What a beautiful companion. 

So here's the short of it, 
Sophie is acting very strangely today.

And here's the long.

Alan said that Sophie stayed outside almost all morning.  He says that she usually goes out for 15 or 20 minutes at a time coming back in when the weather is this chilly.  Then this evening when I took her out she really didn't want to walk.  I was visiting with a neighbor and didn't do a lot of walking myself, but she's usually nosing all around the circle visiting her friends or sniffing to see who's been in the territory whether I'm walking or not.

Today she stayed right by my side, then when I didn't come in when she wanted she went and sat by the front door.  Then when I still didn't come after about 10 minutes or so she came out and sat right in the front yard.  She's been wanting to stay right near me all night tonight.  I wonder if she's worried about me?  I came home about 1:00 this afternoon and after I grabbed a bite of lunch I took a nap - since she never sees me sleeping unless it's night maybe she thinks I'm sick again??

I'm fine - I hope she's not the one that's feeling poorly. Right now she's in her usual place napping while she waits for me to get ready to go to bed.  Love that Sophie...

So here's the short of it, 
My breakfast routine.

And here's the long.

I like to have Bob's Red Mill Organic Extra Thick Rolled Oats for breakfast most mornings.  I like the heartiness and fiber in the extra thick variety. I make them with a 1 part oats and 2 parts water ratio. If I'm the only one eating I use a 1/2 cup of oats and 1 cup of water. I add a teaspoon of brown sugar and a pinch of kosher salt to the water before I dump in the oats. On school mornings, they get started before I jump in the shower and then turned to the lowest setting - they're ready when I get back to the kitchen.  

When they're done, I get two bowls.  One gets about a quarter cup or a little more of oats and the other gets the rest.  They (both) often get topped with some chopped almonds or other such (I keep the chopped nuts in a little jar right next to the stove for just this purpose.  Then each dish gets a bit of milk poured in over the hot oats. I also pour a little small bit of milk (or cat milk) into one of those tiny measuring bowls.  At the table - I get the big bowl of oats.  Sophie gets the small bowl on the floor next to my chair. Lola gets the little bowl of milk or cat milk up on the divider between the dining room and living room.  That's a nice, good breakfast routine.  Not every morning, but certainly most working mornings - Sophie and I really like our oatmeal...

I really enjoy raisins in my oatmeal, but I haven't quite figured out how to do that without having to make Sophie's separate from mine, since raisins are so toxic for dogs. And while I'm really glad to make enough to share with her, I somehow can't see myself getting into the habit of cooking her a breakfast of her own on a working morning! Sometimes I do use other dried fruits in the mix - like cherries, or apricots, or that dried fruit mix.  Those are nice variations that keep me faithful to my oats routine!

I have a hard time always finding these oats in the stores.  Even our specialty markets don't always have just exactly these.  I haven't had success getting any stores to carry this specific variety even when I've asked either.  Maybe they just get confused - they get the organic but not the extra thick, or they get the extra thick but not the organic, or maybe they get the organic, extra thick, but also gluten free which is about 3 times as expensive.  So I just order them by the carton online.  I order about every 2 or 3 months and keep the extra bags in the freezer.  It has worked out just great and really encourages me to stick with the oat routine!

So this morning it was good to have oats and good black coffee with Sophie and Lola.

So here's the short of it, 
Sophie went to the vet today.

And here's the long.

Today was Sophie's bi-annual visit to the vet.  Alan and I took her together since she's been so unmanageable and so afraid of the car.

We took Alan's car. I remembered to put on her very strong harness so I could hang on and control her movements.  Sophie allowed me to lift her right into the back seat!  Now she didn't help get in and she was very passive (like dead weight) as I tried to put her in. But she didn't resist! She wanted to  get in the front seat with Alan, but I sat in the back seat with her and held on to her harness.  It seemed like my grip on her really helped her calm down quite a bit. So even though she was drooling all over the place, she rode very nicely.

Our appointment was with Dr. Carter - our neighbor who often visits with Sophie on her walks and who from time to time has doctored her a bit out in circle!  Ashton, his daughter, is also working at the clinic and got to take Sophie in and assist in her exam.  I think having the two of them helped keep her calmer.  She did really well in the appointment including having her ears examined, getting her shots, and even having her temperature taken - but she did not like having her anal glands expressed.

On the ride back, Sophie was wonderful again! I'm hoping that this is a sign of things to come and that car rides are going to become much better for Sophie making them much easier for us!

Oh, by the way, she's gained 10 pounds since June, and we are supposed to help her lose a bit of weight.  I suppose she and I will both tackle that in the morning.