I decided to try running in the evening after I woke up, taking Zeus with me as a security measure since it's pretty well full dark when I wake up. (Only about 9:30, but still Quite Dark.) I didn't try and go very far, since I figure he needs to work up to some distance just like I did. So we did barely a mile, but he seemed to enjoy it. I also discovered that one's pace is much faster when there's a 90 pound german shepherd pulling one along.

So, I think I'll end up with a "mix" of times when I run--some mornings, some evenings. Tuesday mornings have always been my best times for running, because it's my day off and I can hit the road at about 6am, or as soon as it's light enough to see the potholes. It's still fairly cool by then. I'm not sure if I'm going to reach my 4 mile goal by July or not. I think it's going to depend on the weather.

When I was at the shelter the other day for Zeus's heartworm check, I saw that their "Dog Of The Week" was the other dog that I'd been looking at besides Zeus down there. If you remember, when I'd talked to Janice, the animal care lady, she'd told me about two dogs that might suit me, Duke (who is now Zeus) and Rhythm. Rhythm is a very adorable german shepherd mix, a female with a sweet temperament, and not a vicious or aggressive bone in her body. A wonderful dog, but not what I was looking for, which is why I went with Zeus. But it was so sad to see that she was still there, three months later. One of the workers down there commented that there just aren't enough people who want to adopt older dogs. "We need more people like you," she said. I, of course, didn't want a puppy, so Zeus was perfect for me. But I tell you, I was sorely tempted to take Rhythm home with me, just to get her out of the shelter. It's simply not possible though. Zeus is about as much dog as I can handle, plus he's just too dog-aggressive to have another dog in the household. I hope that everyone who reads this, who is ever thinking about acquiring a pet, will check out the local shelters first. And please check out the full-grown animals too. Most of them are sweet and wonderful, and have been abandoned or surrendered for absurd reasons.

And in a bizarre corollary to all of this, I found out the other day that the dog I'd originally been thinking of getting, the doberman-rottweiller mix, isn't working out with the people who took her. Or rather, she's not working out with the dogs they already have. Sigh. Once again, there's just no way for me to take her now. I hope that the people who took her will find her a good home, and not take her to the shelter.

I'm having some trees removed from my yard today, and others trimmed and repaired. Needless to say, Zeus is having absolute fits at all these strange men in his yard, as well as all the loud noises. He keep running from window to window, barking furiously in that ultra-menacing-deep-I-want-to-eat-you bark of his. "You're not going to let him out in the yard, are you?" the tree men asked with trepidation as they watched the slavering beast at the window.

After a couple of hours though, I did bring him outside on the leash so he could see for himself that all was well. He sniffed everything thoroughly, and after that he relaxed a lot and just watched them all carefully from the window without all of the barking.

Later in the day I brought him over to my parents' house, since I was quasi-babysiting my niece for an hour or so. We took Zeus for a walk, and I was terribly proud of how good he was with her. They hit it off immediately. I even let her hold his leash for a while (after she pleaded with me) and he walked perfectly for her, and was totally well-behaved--an admirable thing since she weighs about 40 pounds, and he weighs more than twice that. I was right there, ready to grab the leash should he do something untoward, but he was very good. It was a relief to see that he doesn't have a problem with children., and actually does quite well with them. Good Dog!