One of the benefits of having Buddy is that he makes me walk.  He only weighs 14 pounds but he is very powerful.  He has the ability and willingness to whine for HOURS.  And since his favorite thing is walks, he whined a lot.  Until he got me trained.  Once we were up to four walks a day, the whining stopped, unless I was a bit late heading for the leash.  I don't know where Buddy keeps his watch but he is very committed to staying on a schedule.

This morning we had an early morning pee walk.  That technically should not be necessary, since he has access to a lovely fenced yard, but he prefers a different view.  Later we were having a destination walk - we drive someplace and walk.

This morning, Buddy was very excited to be in the car.  On our way to the dog park he was so excited, he whined and barked continuously.  Ignored pets, favorite treats...just whined.  No drooling, no anxiety, just excitement.

I couldn't stand it anymore so instead of going to the dog park we went to the much closer Lake Mary Event Center.  It was closed so we had the place to ourselves.  I was surprised to find furniture set up on the terrace and everything open.  What a lovely surprise.  We'll happily go there for future walks.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of the sand hill cranes.

What is a Travel Blog With No Travel?

 I started this blog to keep in touch with the people I love "at home" when I joined the Peace Corps.  Then "at home" became Samoa, Malawi and Myanmar.  Then it morphed into just a journal for me.  A way to remember my travels, mostly.

Since March 22, 2020, I've been home. At first, staying safe at home, being very cautious.  Then, needed a new roof after a storm.  That led to interior/exterior paint, new windows, new carpet, new appliances and some other minor remodeling.  Most of the stuff I'd planned to do after the world cruise.  The windows were very much needed and a bonus that I paid for with some of the refund I got from the WC.

As others started going back to life as usual, I kept my old, fat self home, safe.  Then I went to the dentist to get a chipped tooth taken care of.  I chipped it in Brazil so it was past due.  But that dental visit led to a series of visits to the dentist, periodontist and endodontist.  All but one tooth issue will be resolved this week when I get three permanent crowns installed.  

As infections rates started to rise again and with no pandemic plan/cure in sight, I decided to get a dog.  Buddy, formerly known as Pesos, was found abandoned in Orlando.  The people who found him named him Pesos.  They contacted Pet Rescue by Judy in Sanford FL who took him in.  They got him medical care (including neuter and microchip) and put him with a foster family.  

On September 9, 2020, I met Buddy for ten minutes, paid for him and took him home.  The vet thinks he's a two year old Chug (Chihuahua/Pug mix).  Our first couple of weeks together were complicated a bit since I had cellulitis and a surface blood clot so walking was difficult.  

In the month since then, Buddy and I have been getting to be friends.  I'm going to be posting more again, but given the pandemic, the topic will most likely be my adventures with Buddy in Central Florida.