Our Quest

We had already completed several things today. The cars were registered, a new therapy ball bought, and speech therapy was done. It would have been fine to simply stay home, play in the pool and take a nap. But there was a tale told, a tale of snow cones. Snow cones to be sold by a friends sport team at the farmers market just a couple blocks away. It seemed simple enough............

Before I knew it 2:30pm rolled around. It was time for Trey to leave for work. A normal enough thing but today Squeaker really didn't want him to go. She hasn't seen much of Trey because he's not been feeling the greatest so I've been letting him sleep in the last couple days. Squeaker had a major melt down just by Trey putting on his jeans instead of PJ pants. As funny and cute as that is I started to worry. Would my plan of snow cones work out??

Trey left and Squeaker was not happy so I offered to take her on a walk. I figured we could walk to

Once outside it hit me how warm it was. Okay for August in Alabama it wasn't too bad. 86 degrees and 69% humidity. Which for just being outside playing or doing small things it fine. I was getting ready to wrangle a stroller and a dog. It was going to be hot.
the farmers market. Well I had forgot one precious rule, don't mention the "W" word unless you are willing to leave right then and there. Even stalling it took a grad total of 5 minutes to get Squeaker dressed, Zelda on a leash and all of us with a stroller out the door. The only problem was the market it didn't open until strictly 3pm.

I started to walk towards the farmers market. Hoping it would take longer than I imagined. I walked as slow as Zelda would let me. 7 minutes... that's all it took. I looked at the time 2:42... the market

1.5 Miles Total

was just across the street. There was no way Squeaker was just going to let me stand around for 18 minutes until everything opened. We needed to keep walking...

Since Squeaker knew the market and the church it is held at I figured it would be best to go up a few streets, cross and go around as to not pass the church. If Squeaker saw the church I knew she melt down, something I was not ready to handle. I turned right and head up the sidewalk.

Come to a great place to cross. It was on top of a little hill so I could see oncoming traffic on both sides. As safe as that maybe it freaked me out a little. Why on earth was I trying cross a busy 5 lane road with a stroller and a dog. With no light to help or even a cross walk. Then I remembered if I wanted those luxuries I would have walk no less than 1.5 miles up the road. And of course I would have to walk all the way back down. In the heat with a dog and a stroller. Okay so maybe the 5 lanes weren't the worst thing. I did pick a good spot.

I waited just a couple minutes for a break in the traffic on both sides. With Zelda close on her leash and a tight grip on the stroller we ran. Clearing all the lanes with no problem. Walking down that road taking a left and walking up the road the market was on. We had perfect timing. Just as we came up on the church it was 3pm. WAHOO!!! Not waiting.

Then another bump in our quest, a sign, "No Pets Please". This was not here the last time we came by. I knew we wouldn't be long but I had nothing to do with Zelda. We had walked it's not like I could open the windows and put her in the car for the 5 minutes we would be gone. Squeaker was begging to get out of the stroller, it hit me, put the Zelda in the stroller. People do it all the time, it will keep Zelda from sniffing people or food. Getting in the way or tripping someone. Just as I was settling Zelda into the stroller (she is not a fan), a volunteer came up and

offered to take her while I shopped. I asked if we could give the stroller a try first. The volunteer said it was perfectly fine.


I asked Squeaker to lead the way, just so see if she would want to look at anything and I could keep a hand on Zelda so she didn't jump out. Squeaker instinctively knew where to go for our Snow Cones. A short wait and 4 dollars later we had two large snow cones. We ran into a neighbor and talked for a couple minutes but we couldn't stay long. We had to get home for the precious window of nap time.

There was no going the long way on the way home. We came right out onto the street we needed the cross, 5 lanes again. And this time I didn't have the same vantage point. I found a spot and ran. It

Our worn out Zelda

wasn't as clean of a run this time. Thankfully the car in the last lane saw me and slowed down so I didn't have to worry about them. Another few minutes and we were home. VICTORY!!!

Soon after getting home we finished our treats and curled into bed for a nap with colored tongues. Some time you can just forget about the all the medicines, appointments, and illness and just do things like everyone else. What fun we had. :)