So, that's that. The bloom is off the rose, so to speak. Jillie's pleasure in eating rice for breakfast and dinner, fortified with a packet a day of the veterinarian Forti-Flora to enrich her gut biome just doesn't appeal to her any longer. She enjoys the chicken soup in the rice and the cooked chicken, and picks that out, leaving the rice fortified of course with the Forti-Flora.. It's the Forti-Flora she has lost patience with. Jackie's interested in what she leaves over, but he's in no need for it.  She wants to eat her ordinary food and can't figure out why we're being so mean to her. 

 

Her appetite is as robust as ever, she's ready to playfight with her brother any time. She seems happy and comfortable, and as obnoxious as ever in the ravine, barking at everyone to let them know she's there. But the problem of diarrhea persists. She's no longer getting us up at night, though, to be let out, and that's a positive.

I don't think I'd have been very responsive last night to that kind of demand-appeal. Last night I was in sick bay, too. Stomach upset, intimate interactions with a very specific bathroom fixture, aching muscles and tired, very tired. We went up to bed earlier than usual and once ensconced in bed I felt a whole lot better. And then, in the morning I felt like death warmed over. For whatever reason my hands and fingers were very uncooperative; fingers felt like unobliging sausages with no inclination to bend. Finger calisthenics followed until that passed.

 

Some nausea followed and I still felt unlimbered and tired. So today, I promised myself would be a quiet day of no energy expenditure whatever. We decided on an alternative breakfast so as not to get the puppies' hopes up too high. Soft-boiled eggs for Irving, scrambled eggs for the puppies. The softly scrambled eggs went well with Jillie's rice. And Jackie had his as a separate treat after his kibble. As for me, I was able to eat a normal breakfast; fruit, toast, cream cheese, tea. Nos so bad, after all.

 

Out we went in the early afternoon, hauling down a new pair of winter-intermediate coats for the puppies. A cold day after all that blissful mild weather and ample sun. And the wind made it feel ferociously cold. Which likely explained a notable absence of other hikers out on the trails. We did meet a new person and her two dogs for the first time. She had a Golden mix and a Great Dane puppy, a beautiful, graceful female puppy that wanted to play with our two.

And now, Irving has a new member of his Ravine Cookie Club!

 

Back home I cooked up a fresh batch of rice for Jillie, which delayed their after-hike treat somewhat. And then I thought about dinner. I'd prepare a fall harvest vegetable soup at the very least, and since I had bought a package of smoked trout, Irving might decide on having that. The day is unfolding as it should. And it helps that I feel much improved over last night.