<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-size: 13px;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><p>Here it is for Marsha and anyone else who hasn't gotten it yet.</p><p><br></p><p>From: Deanna Noriega <<a href="mailto:dqnoriega@gmail.com">dqnoriega@gmail.com</a>><br>To: <a href="mailto:sitting.duck@springmail.com">sitting.duck@springmail.com</a><br>Cc: <a href="mailto:Tuchyner5@aol.com">Tuchyner5@aol.com</a>, Sally Rosenthal <<a href="mailto:sanford.rosenthal@comcast.net">sanford.rosenthal@comcast.net</a>>, Marcia <<a href="mailto:marciajwick@gmail.com">marciajwick@gmail.com</a>><br>Subject: April submission<br>Date: Apr 19, 2019 3:14 PM<br>No, the problem was that my computer has gone completely mad. I couldn’t find it anywhere. I am on my laptop which doesn’t even show my complete manuscript in dropbox. I finally got my desktop to talk to me but couldn’t git my outlook program to run so had to transfer what I needed to a thumb drive and move it to this laptop to be able to work with it. I am so sorry everyone! I will attach it and paste it and address it to the group1 address and to Leonard, Marcia, Sally and hope every one gets at least one of the messages! If you get two, just delete one! Somedays I really hate computers! They make me realize that 70 is just too damn old!<br>Hugs,<br>DeAnna</p><p>er 26.<br>Everyone Needs a Little Dark Chocolate in There Day<br>When I arrived back at the Seeing Eye to train with my eighth dog, the trainer who had trained Griffin told me he had a German Shepherd he thought would be perfect for me. I explained that I didn’t want to put another shepherd in to the hostile work environment my agency posed for any dog who was the least bit vocal. Shepherds are natural talkers. They have a wide range of squeaks, yodels and woofs for any occasion. I wrote the following essay about this characteristic desire to communicate when I was still working with Griffin. Conversations with My Guide Dog(It was first published in the Anthology Two Plus Four Equals One, By Kathy Nimmer)</p><p>First of all, my dog's portion of this conversation is expressed in grunts, squeaks, snorts of disbelief, tail thumps and let us not forget, various positions of those lovely German shepherd ears. So this record of my half of our dialogue is not simply the ramblings of a disordered mind. Then again, perhaps you might not agree if you too don’t get into conversations with the nonhuman members of your family. </p><p>“Good Morning to you too. I am sure it will be a wonderful day, and I know you need to run outside as this house doesn’t provide indoor plumbing for dogs, but I think it’s raining and I need shoes and a raincoat. So please stop dancing around until I get myself together. </p><p>You could wipe your own feet before coming in all muddy you know.” </p><p>“I know you are highly intelligent, you did graduate from one of the best dog guide training programs in the country. So how come you always manage to get your front paws tangled in your leash like this? </p><p>No, I don’t believe you were trying to play cat’s cradle.” </p><p>“You must know that eating grass or kitty excreta will give you gas, so why do you always look offended when you are the one fumigating the room?” </p><p>“I love you, but I don't like being used as your napkin when you have dunked your muzzle in your drinking bowl. </p><p>–-No, I don't think water does taste better when imbibed from a toilet! </p><p>I just know so and don't have to try it!” </p><p>“Shaking fur all over a restaurant isn't funny. It isn't another way to say I’ll be seeing you again.” </p><p>“I don’t own the whole sidewalk or every place we go in to conduct business, so don’t think we have a right to be first. Now, I know that putting your cold nose on them makes people move, and let us get to the front of the line, but we can wait our turn.” “</p><p>“Yes I understand that he said something rude to you, but it's his yard and you are a professional, so just walk past and ignore him.” </p><p>“No, you can't take your toys with us, you are working! Behave yourself or I'll put this harness on the cat!” </p><p>“Yes, we are shopping again, and the object isn't to go in one door and find the exit as fast as we can and no you can't just pick up things and expect me to pay for them.” </p><p>“I brushed you this morning and you don't have fleas, so stop scratching and jangling your tags like that! You are interrupting the meeting!” </p><p>“Wake up, I know the sermon was extra-long, but snoring is impolite.” </p><p>“Yes, that's your dinner and I know mine looks better, but yours is well-balanced and nutritious. Besides, it costs more than a dollar a pound, so it must be good.” </p><p>“You are very smart to remember this place, but we aren't going there today.” </p><p>Don't huff at me, I am not being ridiculous and yes I do too know where we are going and it isn't back the other way! </p><p>“It isn't alright to chase the neighbor's cat out of your yard just because it isn't our cat.” </p><p>“Because it is on the floor doesn't make it yours. So give it back right now!” </p><p>“Yes I know where the dog biscuits are and you are not getting another one. Your harness is getting tight.” </p><p>“I know everyone says you are beautiful and clever, but you don't need to thank them all for the compliments. Let’s get going! Dog <br>Biscuits aren’t free. You have to work for a living!” </p><p>”Hey you, yes you in the dog suit! We’ve got a bus to catch, so put down the ball and get your harness on!”</p><p>“You can too fit under an airline seat! Okay, you win, being half in my lap is reasonable when you get scared.” </p><p>“Yes, you are the bestis dog in the whole world.” </p><p>As always, my school took my concerns seriously and matched me with a totally different dog from Olsen.<br>I have placed below the journal I kept when I returned for my eighth visit to The Seeing Eye. <br>Seeing Eye Journal<br>11/27/09</p><p>I am going to write short entries to track my efforts to begin the process of transitioning for the 8th time with a new dog. I am struggling to deal with the ending too soon of the bond I have developed with Olsen. <br>I haven't let myself get excited. I dwell on the here, this minute, get it done and don't think about the pain that is with me. Sweet Olsen, It was only two years we walked in tandem. I shouldn't feel your absence like a yanked wisdom tooth leaving the bloody hole where a tooth should be. <br>Saturday I will be driven two hours to St. Louis, board a plane to Newark and be taken to a place that has welcomed me seven previous times. For almost three weeks, I will have beautifully prepared meals. A maid will clean my room. I will work hard and be exhausted by the struggle to learn to read the language of motion in synchrony with another. It won't be you and I will have to fight to move on. I will meet another writer whom I know only by exchanged e-mail. I will walk in all kinds of weather and be matched with the one who will share my life's journey for an indeterminate time. We will explore the shape of our natures and begin to build the bond that will tear another hole in my heart when it too ends. I will be attending class once more to train with a Seeing Eye dog. </p><p>11/28/09 </p><p>Then And Now</p><p>I was just out of high school when I first traveled to New Jersey. Having never flown on a jet plane, I thought of the journey as a fabulous adventure. Numerous pet dogs had been a part of my childhood, so it only made sense to join my steps with a canine friend as I set off to conquer the world. <br>Now I am a grandmother who still finds it hard to believe she has actually become a grown up. The trip is much the same as it was the very first time, one of excitement, anxiety and anticipation. Of course there are differences, like a room to myself. Different amenities like a Moshi talking clock and fancy satellite radio are in my room. </p><p>11/29/09</p><p>New friends and old companions.</p><p>Ralph Malatesta gave me my lovely Griffin, he isn't my instructor this time but he does have a beautiful gentle shepherd in his string that I got to play with. Ralph says he is mine if I want him, but I can't put myself or him through the heart break if he too starts to alert bark. So no big gentle shepherd, no dainty little shepherd girl either. <br>My instructor, Sue M. says my new dog has a name that starts with the letter R. She says he is unusual. I tease her that she is planning to give me a Sharpei named Rambo. Rollo? Roscoe? Reno and Rondo are possible too. She says that four of us have dogs with names ending in the letter A. One dog's name ends in an O. When Sue keeps saying he when telling me things about my prospective dog, I guess the chances are that the O is mine. Not too many male names typically end in a letter A. </p><p>11/30/09</p><p>My favorite!</p><p>Reno! Will you take a gamble on me? Little labby boy with eyes of gold and dark chocolate fur. Who wants milk chocolate, when you can have rich dark chocolate? It is loaded with antioxidants to keep me young. No, the bed is mine, yours is the matt in the corner. Our first walk is different. You are smaller but you have a nice pace and pull. No, you can't play with your leash or chew your tie down cable. It’s okay if you need some time to decide if you can take me on as a friend. My heart is ready for you so I can be patient.<br>12/1/09</p><p>The Hokey pokey<br>[stopped[<br>We can do this, I know you are worried. Sue is still back there, just trust me and I will try to trust you back. Oh, I must not be doing this right. My shins are stiff and ache with each step. I must be unconsciously walking tentatively with tense muscles. Today is only our first full day together. “Put more enthusiasm in your voice please. Don't step out in front of him, let the boy move first, click and treat.” I don't remember it being this hard to learn to dance before, but I know it must have been. Last park and this grandma will need to get some rest to keep up with the coco puff puppy.</p><p>12/2/09</p><p>I am alive!</p><p>This morning I am actually rested. I had no trouble sleeping. You woke up when I got up once in the night to beat the heating register with your tail. No sleepy labby boy you. Maybe I am a little tired, but not exhausted. Sixty-one isn't quite so long after nineteen today. I may actually feel like I can make it. Lukas taught us the concepts of the clicker last evening. As always he made me laugh and feel like I was in the presence of one of my insane brothers. Love and friendship never dimmed by time and distance are a part of coming here. So many faces are gone, Judy D., Pete L. and Doug R. are just the latest friends to have moved on to a life outside this enchanted Shangri La, where human and canine animals learn to combine forces to become greater than they would be separately.</p><p>This time there is dark chocolate and one nut to make an Almond Joy. Ouch, I caught my heel on a raised slab of sidewalk and took a sliding header on our trip in town. Poor chocolate is worried and isn't pulling into his harness. I think the issue is that I am wandering around the building leading the coco puff puppy without even a cane to tell me where the stairs are. I am using my feet to explore the floor. That would also explain the shin splints I am having. Tense muscles ache because I am not walking relaxed. I asked Curt to send my walking shoes instead of these boots with heavy treads. I don't need snow boots since the sidewalks are clear for now. I've got to get my act together to make progress. It feels as if I am doing the soft shoe shuffle while Reno is trying to waltz.</p><p>12/3/09</p><p>One foot in front of the other.</p><p>We were choppy in our movements, but I managed to follow and let him lead without rushing his moves. It wasn't perfect, but at least we were finding the beat and if not quite in step, we were hearing the same tune. Jennifer from the Colorado School role model team is here and got a shepherd male. She is working in Alabama but still makes it back to Colorado often. Jerry was in my class with dog three, and he too has a shepherd. Don got the shepherd I worked with on Sunday from Ralph's string. Bonnie has a cute little lab and Tessa a medium sized female shepherd. None of them are in my team under Sue. In my group, there are two people from New Jersey, one from New York, and one from a suburb of Boston. My class picture is going to be interesting since we will have one black lab, one golden retriever, one yellow lab, one dainty shepherd and the coco puff. The December training group is made <br>up of17 people who are returning for successor dogs. <br>I had a chance to catch up with Tula, who was in my first class. She was between her junior and senior year at college and I was an entering freshman when we first met. She volunteers to assist people in class getting set up in the computer room. She is still working the shepherd she had two years ago when I was last in class. Like many shepherd handlers, she says she would never accept another breed. <br>Sue, my instructor, says she understands the difficulty of going from a lab to two shepherds and then back to a lab. I think my biggest issue is the change in size. There is a difference in how the two breeds move, but my last three dogs were close in height. After three large dogs I am working with one who is at least three to four inches shorter. He does have a bouncy walk rather than the flowing walk of my two shepherds, but the shorter height is also matched with a decrease in body length. Sue has given me a shorter handle which brings me closer to his shoulder when we walk and that is helping. At least it feels more like the usual two left feet issues whenever you have to learn to read the body language of a successor dog.<br>My instructor left after dinner and we worked with Lukas <br>To use the targeting technique with a clicker to start patterning our dogs to the smaller dining room for tomorrow. Reno got upset when tapping the bell with his nose didn't make it ring so he could get a treat. He grabbed the bell in his mouth and tried chewing it. This target behavior is going to be useful to teach new tasks. Each dog has a basic skill set when they are placed with a handler, but a lot of customizing takes place to teach additional tasks specific to their blind person's desires. </p><p>12/5/09</p><p>Oh Solo Mio<br>We did our first solo today and it went relatively well. There were a few miscommunications. I lost my partner Tulia for a few minutes while she dealt with an unplanned park time. Reno doesn't have the confidence to be decisive when I need to move over, but he is happy in his work. I tried a simple modification on the harness to take some of the play out of it until we get our new harnesses. This is sure a quiet class. Maybe because we are for the most part aging baby boomers. Jen is probably the youngest at thirty-five.</p><p>12/6/09</p><p>The visit</p><p>Today was so busy. We got to sleep in an extra hour, and the time flew by. We were issued our dog boots, bell and after lunch some were able to practice obedience and learn about their puppy. I had visitors. Robin and Thomasina raise puppies at Rutgers University. Robin has a puppy taking his mid training town walk. She decided to drive down a day early to visit Jen and me. She brought Nyla bones for our dogs and a plate of gingerbread men and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. It was wonderful to have visitors and to meet someone I have enjoyed reading messages from for some time. After dinner, I got my puppy's statistics. He is going to be 19 months on the 29th. He was born March 29th 2008, a couple of days before I was matched with Olsen. He has nine siblings and his parents are Barney and Marlow. He was raised in a family of three children by the youngest, a twelve year old boy. They lived in the country and had other dogs and a cat. He weighed a pound at birth. He is a great puppy and scored well on all his important tests and was gentle with his toys. Tomorrow we are back in town working our dogs and making more progress in winning them from their instructors.<br>After dinner we worked on food distractions. Sue walked past each of us tossing garlic bread sticks down on the floor in front of us. One pup caught it in midair. Others dived after the treat and were corrected until they could remain sitting quietly beside their handler. My pup wanted to hide. He pressed his forehead against the back of my calf and was drooling. He wanted the food but also wanted to avoid the temptation. </p><p>12/7/09<br>A Longer Route</p><p>in the morning we started the Elm street route which is pretty long and did some freelance work to practice escalators, revolving doors and narrow crowded aisles. I had a chance to buy some light weight socks to make my street shoes more comfortable and some bath salts to do some hot soaks for sore muscles. It was a pretty good day. I need to work on my voice when giving commands. He is happier with a more forceful style than I used with the timid shepherd boys.</p><p>12/8/09</p><p>Observers</p><p>Today we have a class of O&M students visiting. We also have an apprentice instructor who stays with us all day under blindfold. She works with a dog and has her meals with us like another student. Seeing Eye has made it a policy to bring in students studying mobility so they can understand the dynamics of guide dog work if they ever need to orient a dog user with a new environment. Each instructor works their dogs under blindfold near the end of training as a readiness test. Apprentices experience living under blindfold for a week to understand how a blind person might feel. <br>Roger Taylor was manning the lounge this morning and it was great seeing him. I don't think he knew who I was at first, but after he remembered coming out to work with me and Gentry with our llama He even remembered to call me Quietwater when I hugged him as I left the lounge. I am still having some trouble getting the pup to find the curb and to stop at the up curb. We did some nice work around barriers and he is not at all dog distractible. We went to the courthouse and worked on lots of twisty turns through people, up and down stairs. I am still off on my following and reading his body language. At this point most of the problems are mine. We got our harness pieces in the evening and had a lecture by Lukas on the principles of clicker training and how it can be used. </p><p>12/9/09</p><p>My Shoes and His Boots<br>I got my extra shoes from home yesterday. It looks like Curt didn't want to take chances, and sent four pairs. Add those to my three pairs of boots and one pair of airport moccasins, and I have more shoes than good sense! I lent one pair of snow boots to Bonnie since she didn't have any with her. The weather has taken a turn toward real winter. <br>Jim and Tulia will leave on Monday and get a couple of days of work in their home areas. Both live here in New Jersey, so that will give them freelance work at home. They will go in to Manhattan on Sunday to fit that in before leaving us. Irene is also going to leave ahead of the rest of us with follow up provided at home in New York City. <br>Reno is a lovely, gentle, funny pup with excellent work skills. We will be using our new harnesses by Friday, so I will need to be putting a lot of time in oiling today. I managed to get the first coat on last night before heading to bed. We take our class pictures tomorrow. <br>We took the train a short way. Reno trembled while we waited inside the station and I wondered if his tight short coat was not enough protection in the cold. We went to Pet smart instead of taking a bus this afternoon. This gave us a chance to work on sniffing, dog distraction, and close aisle work. I bought Reno a collar tag brass bone with his name and my phone number on it, a propeller squeak toy for Christmas, some oatmeal baking soda shampoo, ear and teeth wipes. He did beautifully at all of the challenges including sitting quietly near the cat enclosures, walking past hamsters and birds. Actually all of Sue's dogs did a great job with only Luka sniffing dogfood bags and Simba breaking a sit when a large lab charged him. Reno was quiet, mannerly and totally focused on me through the whole time. We got our vet lecture this evening and I sandwiched in some boot practice and obedience. Reno acts like the boots hold his paws glued to the floor. I put them on him for a short time yesterday and he lay on his side claiming to be in force field restraints and unable to stand. When I fixed his dinner, he clomped in slowly and started to eat. I was able to lift each foot and remove the boot while he ate standing on three legs. This evening he walked slowly and carefully to and from the lounge three times. I made a cup of decaffeinated tea, got my harness pieces to oil and returned empty feed pans to the counter. He says the boots are magnetized or gravitic to walk on the outside of space ships.</p><p>12/10/09</p><p>Smiles</p><p>Our Elm Street solo is tomorrow. I worked in team with Irene, who uses a support quad cane in her right hand. She is matched with Simba, the large golden retriever. It was crowded out there with us overtaking and getting tangled with Bonnie and Cathy from Ralph's group. There were also some dog distractions, some obstacles blocking the side walk and quite a bit of pedestrian traffic. <br>When we returned, there was time to get my laundry back upstairs, put my new harness together and change for our pictures. Sue teased that she looked like a slob compared to us all in our finery. This afternoon Pam and I will be working together I think. I've changed back from my velvet skirt and vest to burgundy sweats for warmth. It is chilly, but sunny which is much better weather than the rest of the country is experiencing.<br>After lunch, the whole team of five of us went to Wahl Mart. Reno is really good at following particularly when it is Sue he needs to keep track of down the aisles. Pam, Tulia and I waited in McDonalds while Jim and Irene went in to the store first. We ordered coffee and tea while we waited for our turn to shop. Pam was the adventurous one who went to the counter to order for the three of us. She had the frustration of being told that the straws were over there by the napkins. As we sat enjoying our drinks, a mother and child passed behind my chair and the little one begged to pet the dogs. His mother dragged him on saying "No, they have germs." I wasn't sure if she meant us or the dogs. <br>When it was our turn, we went to the handicrafts section to buy yarn and knitting needles, hand lotion, and small zip lock bags for me. Tulia needed cookies and place markers for a poncho she is knitting. Then we went to house wares to look for a kind of silverware holder for Pam and she ended up buying a magazine about soap operas on television. She has quite a bit of useable vision, but of course that doesn't mean it is enough to travel safely. <br>Tulia, Jim and Pam all had their vet visits today. I am busy writing a skit about how the dogs view being matched with a person. Of course, they don't understand the process at all, so this is just some light humor to entertain myself. I am not using any actual dogs or people in this class as characters.</p><p>12/11/09</p><p>Changing Partners,</p><p>I was teamed with Pam for the solo on Elm and it went very well. The new harness is working as I had hoped. I thought it would enable me to feel more of Reno's movements. As my ability to follow him increases, his confidence improves. <br>After lunch, Sue took us to The Shops on Pine, which is a sort of mini mall of small arts shops. There were a lot of hand-made items with dogs but most of them were out of my price range. We went to another shop near the crossing of South Street from Dehart. It sold wind chimes. I found a beautiful box with a dragonfly on the lid for a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law Terry Lynne. Pam was looking for earrings. She couldn't find what she wanted. I had asked Curtis to send me some of the ones he makes for GDUI. They have closed down the catalog and I thought the small shop off the lounge that sells Seeing Eye items might like to stock them. The public can enter from the street and students from the lounge. I got back the sample ones I had shown to Pepper for consideration for the shop. Christen Lake wants two of the pairs of shepherds, but I still had the fresh water pearls and one set of plain Labradors. When we got back to the school, Pam decided to buy the last set of German shepherds. I got a skit written, but couldn't get the computer to cooperate to print it from my thumb drive. One station isn't talking at all. One refuses to see the drive and another has zoom text instead of a screen reader loaded. I was able to send a copy to Lukas and have inserted it here.</p><p>School Days</p><p>The scene opens with four dogs comfortably relaxing under a table in the dining room at Seeing Eye. Roxy is a petite German shepherd, Arthur a larger shepherd with black predominating in his coat. Milo is a lab golden cross with the golden silkiness to his fur. Heidi is a small black lab.</p><p>Milo: "Roxy! Who did you get? I got this older lady who talks baby talk to me! She looks like a real softy. Bet I can wind her around my little paw in no time! You know as a cross, I have my golden retriever daddy's charm and the determination of my Labrador mama! She doesn't stand a chance!"</p><p>Roxy: "That sounds cool Milo. But if I were you, I'd wait to work on her until you go home and there aren't any trainers around to set her straight. Mine is this guy with huge feet. He doesn't seem to know what to do with them. He has already stepped on my paw twice and it's only been one afternoon. Still, as a shepherd, I did expect to get a person who requires real talent in his guide."</p><p>Arthur: "That is true, we shepherds either get someone who needs a lot of looking after or one who will require professionalism in his guide. I have a lawyer working for the government--very hush-hush you understand."</p><p>Heidi: "Boring, I got a guy who keeps missing his mouth. Boy am I going to clean up! Heh heh heh. Um Roxy, I don't see your litter mate Rocco."</p><p>Roxy: (Sigh,) "I warned him that if he kept peeing on his trainer's shoes he wouldn't get picked in the first draft. He might make it next month if he can learn to control his squirrel addiction. The trainer has put him in the 24 step program. Oh here comes my kennel mate Silka. I am so glad she got a match."</p><p>Silka: "I made the cut! I got this chubby lady with interesting smells on her shoes. I detected cat, horse and I think llama. That trainer Dave Johnson has one of those and I've smelled that scent on him before. As a golden, I don't know if I would like living on a farm. There will be all those burrs and stuff to get tangled in my pretty fur. Anyone want to trade? I can slip my tie-down tonight. We could make the switch and see if they notice the difference. How about it Milo?"</p><p>Milo: "It would be fun, but since I'm a male and you're not, I don't know how long we could keep up the joke. But hey, it might be a blast to try."</p><p>Arthur: "Last night, they brought in an older fellow who was coming home to retire. He kept me awake half the night talking about the real world. Personally, I think it will be interesting to get on with my career. I have walked the streets of Morristown so many times I could do it in my sleep. Even going in to The Big Apple gets stale after awhile.</p><p>Silka: "I can hardly wait! I'll miss my trainer though."</p><p>Roxy: "Me too, I didn't eat tonight because the thought of leaving her behind and having to take charge of big foot all on my own seems a little scary."</p><p>Heidi: "No skipping meals for me thank you. I can hardly wait to get out of here with all these trainers watching. My ambition is to fill out the extra folds in this oversized labby hide of mine."</p><p>Arthur: "Let's have a little professionalism please. As graduates from the most prestigious Ivy League of dog universities, we have a proud tradition to uphold when we go forth."</p><p>Milo: "Sure, Sure, don't get your tail in a knot, we will uphold the dignity thing, but what I am really looking forward to is the freedom part!" Sleeping on beds, chewing up socks and let us not forget counter surfing here I come!" Oops, heads up, everyone look sharp, here comes a trainer."</p><p>This peek into the under the table scene has been brought to you courtesy of Dog-house Productions starring the Hambone Players. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.</p><p>12/12/09</p><p>Slow Saturday</p><p>Irene went to New York this morning and brought back bagels for everyone. The rest of us went out in the afternoon to do country work. It isn't really country, but suburban streets with no sidewalks. We walked in the gutter. There was a lot of snow still and some ice. The sun was shining though, so it wasn't too bad. I was again teamed with Pam. I finally got the computer to read my drive with Russell's help. He teaches technology in Washington but lives in Idaho. I talked to Vicky C. and her husband when they came to visit Bonnie. She gave me Alice Z.'s contact information. Alice was in class with me when I trained with Griffin.</p><p>12/13/09</p><p>Sunday down day.<br>Jim and Tulia went to New York. It was turning very cold and Tessa and Jen fell on the leisure path. It had started to rain by morning park time so I chose not to try walking the leisure path. In the afternoon, Chris Sutton came over with a power chair and we were able to give Reno some time to get used to it. Later Sue used a manual chair in the lounge to try to get his unease down some more. <br>I missed several phone calls and talked to Mike T., and left messages for Ron and Lisa B. I have spoken to my dear friend Kae, and written a letter for my puppy's raiser. I hope he will understand that Reno will be loved and enjoy many adventures.</p><p>12/14/09 </p><p>The homeward Bound</p><p>Today Jim, Irene, and Tulia left for home. Pam and I had our vet visits and Pam had her exit interview. Then we went for a long walk in Morristown with lots of poles, dumpsters, and other obstacles. In the afternoon, we went for another long walk and revisited the courthouse. Our comfort level is improving as our dogs begin to read us better and our communication grows. The thing to remember is that these dogs are still green and need a lot of praise and feedback. Less training is done on teaching them to find things like stairs. Inside, Outside, are still taught. Other changes include the bringing around of both the dinner and the breakfast feed pans in the afternoon. One is put away in a drawer or closet for morning. Shannon is taking students out by twos after last park for night work. Our class lectures are given to us on an MP3 player which makes it easy to listen to them while we wait our turns to practice routes. Most training groups average four students to one instructor. We are no longer asked to dress in business casual for lunch for the benefit of visitors. We don't address our instructors by Mr. Mrs. or Miss followed by a last name. Few donated dogs of unusual breeds are being accepted and trained. More emphasis is placed on freelance work to fit the dogs for the varied situations they are going to experience once they go home. <br>The Christmas trees went up today. It appears that the staff brings toys and food items in for distribution to the community. The toys go under the tree. Margaret keeps the food in her office. I think there is also some sort of book drive going on too. Michelle Drolet is back from vacation, which, means there was no session on losing a guide since she was gone. I was surprised they didn't distribute the CD or anything. Targeting and click and treat techniques are being taught as an optional tool. One of the instructors taught some of us how to play with a dreidel and we participated in a lighting of the Chanukah candles.</p><p>12/15/09 </p><p>The endless day</p><p>After breakfast, Sue Tom and I worked with Reno on wheelchair desensitivity. We made good progress. Then it was off to the city where we walked our feet off. Crowds, subways, city buses and walking past as many city notable locations as our feet could stand. Pen station for escalators, time square, Columbia Circle, 34th St. and Fifth Avenue. We walked past Tiffany's, Bergdorf's, Macy's NBC and ACB studios. We did some Christmas shopping in the kiosks at the edge of Central Park. We encountered Rolling racks, street vendors of soft pretzels, hotdogs, and Broadway tickets scalpers. There was Christmas music, singers, horse drawn carriages giving us a traffic check. We stopped for lunch before tackling the eight blocks to the Port Authority to find the car for the drive back to the school. After dinner and the lecture on dog attacks and harassment, park time and some night travel in Morristown. Reno did it all with a wagging tale and a sneezy nose. Several of the dogs in class have caught some kind of cold. Sneezes and reverse sneezes abound. The vet checked several of them and none are running fevers or have gone off their food. She thinks it will run its course and clear up in a couple of days.</p><p>12/16/09</p><p>The Last Day</p><p>Pam Sue and I walked a bit in the country but it was really cold. I started packing. Dr. Cohen sent Reno a good-bye card and box of homemade dog biscuits. He also got a series of drawings from one of the children in his puppy raiser home. He has obviously imprinted several hearts on his way to me. In the afternoon, there was a trip to town for Pam to have her nails done and some walking for the Reno and I to work on curbs followed by Hot chocolate and buying funny pasta for presents. The shop had a rack of packages of pasta in the shapes of dog bones and paw prints, shapes for girlfriends and cats. <br>Shannon wanted us to have our packing done so she could weigh bags. Naturally my big case was too heavy and my small one was light. We worked to even it out. I had to get a box to mail home the snow boots and extra jacket so the rest would fit in the suitcases. I got Karen to check my bags online and print out the boarding pass. I had my exit interview, which gave me a chance for goodbye hugs for old friends Jim and Ginger, a kiss on the cheek from Lukas. Tomorrow it's time for this lady bug to fly away home.</p><p>12/17/09</p><p>The rest of the story</p><p>I was up early to finish jamming things in the smaller of my two cases since that is the one that is under the weight limit. I sat on it to get the zipper to close. I had a last breakfast with Pam, Tessa, Butch and Rob. Then there was A trip to the airport with an apprentice named Kaylin and Butch. Our gates are two apart. We found seats between them. Butch is flying to Wisconsin and his flight is delayed, so I am actually the first to leave. I am in the bulkhead row with no one else; Reno sits up or rests his head on the seat beside me. He trembles and drools a bit. I carefully ignore his unease and try to seem calm and assured. When we land, I slip his harness on and accept my carry-on bag from the stewardess. We quickly leave the plane and I sit at the gate waiting for a meet and assist person to arrive. My cell phone lets me talk to Curt and when I am finally allowed out of the secured area, he finds us and we collect my bags and leave for the two hour drive home. Reno meets the family at home and we begin the rest of our lives with a slow gentle introduction to my grandchildren, two family dogs and cat. The next day we are off to the office for a half day ending with a restaurant meal with co-workers for our office party. Except for one friend who is still smarting on my behalf for the loss of Olsen, all are impressed with the Reno puppy. Jill says he isn't as pretty as Olsen. She too loves German Shepherd Dogs. We are still slightly out of step, but have only each other now to try to make the communication flow easily and naturally. A birthday party for my grandson is going on upstairs, and we will soon go to meet and greet, but I hope to keep Mr. Chocolate calm and well-mannered as this is part of his job description. The magical door of the safe zone the Seeing Eye provides with its trainers has closed and the world awaits. We step off together to discover what it holds for our almond joy team.</p><p>Reno had lovely amber golden eyes like Tammy. He was as gentle as Teddy, as sweet and cuddly as Griffin with a loving joyful personality. <br>One of the first things he showed me was that he thought he was a lapdog. I came in from a training trip and clipped his collar to the tie down next to my bed. When I woke from a nap, I discovered he had slipped out of his collar and moved up to curl against my back with his head on the pillow. When I asked him what he thought he was doing, he wagged the end of his tail apologetically.<br>When he returned home with me, he charmed everyone we met. At a dental appointment, he worried when I made a noise while having my teeth worked on. He climbed up on the foot of my dental chair and stretched out to place his head on my stomach and wrap his front paws around my waist. <br>At staff meetings, he often got bored. If I was busy taking notes on my braille notetaking device, he would quietly standup and put his head in my lap. One front paw would follow. Then, he would put the other front paw up there too. Eventually, with his chest and front half in my lap, he would get one hind paw up there as well. When he tried to get the remaining hind paw up, he would run out of room and go sliding off on the floor with a thump. <br>Reno loved squeaky toys, wrestling and most of all cuddling. When he found the demands of my job too stressful, a break for a cuddle and a bit of praise got him back coping with the noise and confusion of being a political disability advocate.<br>He guided me on protest marches, helped me cross and recross the exit of the state senators’ garage driveway while we protested the end of session without dealing with the health needs of the disabled. He guided me along with three other blind people to Washington D.C. He only worked five years because he was extremely timid and eventually his tremors when frightened and his<br>reluctance to be harnessed told me it was time to let him move in to a new career. He is now working with my friend who does respite and hospice care. His affectionate loving nature is much better suited to bringing comfort to the terminally ill than it was facing the challenges of complex traffic and the rolling thunder of summer storms. Even when he was cringing and shaking with fear, he never left me in the lurch. However, I could see how much it cost him to bravely soldier through. Because my dogs give me so much, it is my responsibility to return that gift by knowing when it is time to let them hang up that harness. My Little chocolate taught me to think of the needs of others even if it means toughing it through a difficult situation for me.<br><br><br></p><blockquote style="color: black; padding-left: 5px; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; margin-left: 0px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid;">-----Original Message-----
<br>From: Marcia Wick <marciajwick@gmail.com>
<br>Sent: Apr 22, 2019 12:06 PM
<br>To: "C. S. Boyd" <sitting.duck@springmail.com>
<br>Cc: Critique Group 1 <group1@bluegrasspals.com>
<br>Subject: [Critique Group 1] I still need Deanna's piece
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">If anyone can forward it to me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thanks, Marcia<o:p></o:p></p></div></group1@bluegrasspals.com></sitting.duck@springmail.com></marciajwick@gmail.com></blockquote></div></body></html>