I guess I just don't want to waste time sleeping...

Iris in fused glass.

I woke up this morning around 5:30. It was dark. Very dark. I hesitated to even check the time on my phone. But, I did. I somehow managed to get back to sleep and managed to stay in bed until nearly 8:00! We managed to not be the first downstairs. That's a lot harder than it used to be. Now that there aren't any "family" horses in the barn, Fitzallen no longer hits the floor at 5:00 every morning. It's odd. I usually sleep in during the work week, stay up late on projects that require others to be asleep and reserve "early mornings" for weekends and vacation. It seems so backwards.

We spent the morning visiting Fire & Light Studios in Otto, North Carolina, where Fitzallen and her friend Pat have been creating some incredible glass pieces. They were picking up some pieces that had finished firing and picking out glass for their next round of creative expression. I can't wait to see what comes out next! Fitz says we have to let our Dallas friends know that her plates and bowls are for sale...

It's now week six since the motorcycle/truck collision. Amanda and I brought the mountain bikes to keep our options open for some activity to counteract the food. After a quick visit with my mom, Amanda took the dogs out for a walk around Buchanan Loop while I set out for a bike ride around it the other direction.

I figured that way Amanda could keep an eye on me. It was by far the toughest ride I've had since the accident - and, quite possibly, the toughest ride I've had in 10 years. The cold, my loss of fitness, and occasional bursts of pain from my ankle all conspired to make it a rough trip. That... and the occasional slip and slide when I found some snow. It was a real relief to make it back to the house and stand under the hot water of the shower. Weather tomorrow looks similar to today... 22 in the morning and a mid-40's high in the late afternoon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a little more heat in the air on Wednesday, but then it turns cold and damp again...

Shortly before dinner, we had a little scare. Fitz and Blaine's dog, Maggie (please note the frightening similarity to our late cat), had a seizure. At 6:00, she was running around in the yard. Thirty minutes later, she was standing by the kitchen door and started seizing. Fitz and Amanda ran off to the vet to see if they could find anything. Apparently, this was a repeat from May, so the vet passed along a bit of medication in case she happens into it again. We'll hope she goes a long time before it does... It really upset the other dogs... and her family!