<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Excellent<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">DeAnna sub for April<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Hi everyone, I needed to pull something together
for a reading on Saturday. I was supposed to read something humorous, so
reworked some things and produced the following.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Shadow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Good evening, this is DeAnna Quietwater Noriega,
author of Fifty Years of walking with friends. Actually, it will be 53 years
that I have shared my life with Guide dogs in July. One of the things I have
learned is that getting to know who each dog is and the way they think is key
to becoming a good guide dog handler and partner in an excellent team. Today, I
want to take you with me in getting acquainted with a new canine friend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Here she comes now. She is a little black lab
with a case of the wiggles just entering the room. “What is your name
young lady? Yes, you in the dog suit!"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">"Oh! Sorry! I didn't know you meant
me when you said K9! I'm Shadow and this is my girl, Cecily. Last
semester she took an oral interpretation of children's literature class, so I
know K. stands for kitty and I haven't seen even one kitty, let alone nine of
them here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> “How do you like being a guide dog?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">“Oh, it's really hard work! At college,
people used to get out of my way, but when we went to Conventions, you had to
watch out for swinging sticks and nobody moved to let you get by! But a
lot of them wore shorts and summer clothes, and I figured out that if you put a
cold nose on their bare legs, they jump<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">ed and you could get through.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">That’s funny.</span></u></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">“It must be different living with a blind person
and having to look out for her all of the time.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">“Well, I trained for this job and I like being
able to go everywhere with her. I feel sorry for those poor dogs who have to
spend all day guarding their yards and barking rude things at me as I go by. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">I sure know what that is like.. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">I think they are jealous seeing me walking down
the street in my uniform. They wish they had a job like mine as a professional
mobility assistant. It is a little harder these days because my girl mostly
doesn’t leave home much. Part of my job is to take care of her mental health
and I think she is suffering from agoraphobia. I do try to cheer her up and
take every opportunity to get her to play with me. There is nothing like a good
game of tug or catch to cheer a person up. I am a little confused about this
Covid thing. My Cecily has begun to wear a muzzle when we go walking. I wonder
if she is afraid, that she might bite someone. The people we pass wear muzzles
too. When we approach them, she makes me step off the sidewalk and move several
paces into the grass. We no longer go shopping or to meet friends. She spends
more time on her computer and phone. The things we need are delivered to our
door. I have to bark to alert her to get them. It’s lucky I am a versatile
assistant, because except for taking her out for exercise, I don’t get much
work requiring my professional training. I miss getting together with our
friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Despite all of my skill in dealing with her
mental health, I fear her agoraphobia and hostility towards other humans
doesn’t seem to be getting better. I am also puzzled why she goes into this
indoor rain room every day. She washes off all her own great smell which is
absolutely my favorite, and then tries to disguise it even more with funny fake
flower ones. Why would anyone want to stand in the rain on purpose?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Great description of a shower. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Also the complaints of not smelling natural is
probably right.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We were almost late today coming on the
computer. See that bulge in Cecily’s coat pocket? That’s my new
ball! We were walking and had to go past the place where people hit
lovely fuzzy balls with these webbed paddle things and I saw a ball just lying
in the middle of the sidewalk. I wagged my whole rear end I was so
pleased someone left it there for me and scooped it up. Cecily must have
thought it was something to eat because she stopped and put her hand under my
face and said “out!” I gave it to her and she must have wanted to play
because she threw it down the street. I ran after it and Cecily came too
because she was still holding my leash. I didn’t know she could run so
fast. I caught it on the third bounce and Cecily said, dumb dumb
dumb. I don’t think she meant me though because she was hitting herself
on the head. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Funny.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">She said out again and I thought we might play
some more, but she put my ball in her pocket and we hurried to get home. Oh
goody, I see some cheese and crackers on the floor over there with my name on
them! Cecily must have dropped them from her lunch.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">"But Shadow, aren't you supposed to ignore
food on the floor? Won't you get in trouble?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">"I've learned that if I dive for it, Cecily<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">puts that horrible, nasty Gentle Leader on me,
but if I lie down like I am being a good girl and stretch my neck, I can get it
no problem. So, if you will excuse me, I need to go clean up the floor before
Cecily steps on the cheese and grinds it into the carpet, then I will need a
little nap. Bye-bye!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Funny.</span></u></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">“There you have it. What a guide dog thinks
about in these times of isolation and community connection via computer.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div>