Zip’s Dog Blog (2.0)

Where have I been has become a question to my Quinbox and it is time I
finally answerred the considerable speculations. I have not in fact drowned
despite the ludicrous rain levels of this soggy month. I am indeed quite
well despite the complete absence of a June post until this, the final day
of the month. I’ve been busy is sucy a weak reason and it hasn’t been a
shortage of topics or activities either. Simply put a pooch sometimes just
would rather smell the roses than click away on a keyboard - especially
without thumbs for the spacebar.

So rather than make up excuses I hope to appease you all with a few details
of the month now preparing to fade away and a sharing of my intent to make
it a little more regular in the near future and steadily beyond.

Let’s share the good health news which has some folks, Dad particularly,
nervous as Mey-June arrives and my intestinal fortitude has been questioned
in the past. Dad switched me over to the advanced no-grain Canidae version
of food with the intent it may balance me such that a spring allergy isn’t
in the risk factors. Whether the food or other reasons are involved I had
no such detriment this year and I love my new food so it’s all systems ahead
full steam on the new food. We get it from Pet’s Choice in Merrimack, NH
which also has the largest selection of my other favorite pastime - Play!
Super-Hedgie, football Squeekie and of course the Wishbone nylabone. They
really have an amazing selection and Dad even found a new and better Charlee
Bear dispenser to help ensure my rewards keep flowing at the pace I keep
earning them.

In the interest of earning them, we had a weekend “Gather” for the SCA
(Society for Creative Anachronism) Clann O’Choda of which Dad happily joins
company. I’ve got many friends here too and despite the ominous nature of
meeting in East Lyme (yep origin of Lyme disease) CT, the Yale Outdoor
Center is a beautiful and quiet camping site on a small but fun lake. We
had a great cabin beside the lake and nestled in the woods we made many
strolls around and between the main hall where everyone gatherred for
feasting and socializing. and the rest of the camp. The canoe ride was a
little intimidating at first but I soon nestled onto my towel and slept
while Dad and Tracy rocked the boat and worked hard to figure out a system
of paddling almost straight to the destinations. This was still far more
restful than by exceedingly and attentive watching of Dad immersing himself
in water for a swimming period. I definitely didn’t want to join him unless
he needed me but everytime he went under I remained concerned until he
re-emerged. Only once he was safely back on dry…err…dock…did I relax
more completely. The rest of the time I was crouched in a position I could
leap into the water and save him if he needed it…I mean really, realy,
really needed it.

The path from said main hall to our cabin is a large rock strown, bumpy,
twisty and frustratingly challenge for all in the broad daylight. Since
it’s always completely dark for Dad I had the challenging duty that many
choose to evade at night anyhow. On Saturday night though I had double duty
as Tracy did a tandem connection to Dad’s belt so I could lead them both
down the perilous path. I thought this was neat and made for a nice reward
after the fun morning play session they’d given me in the woods. Jaji
encouraging a duck game led me to my own stuffed duck toy hunts and that was
a fun interlude on the day. Ultimately Quinn’s have decided we really like
sitting out by the sounds of the lake and relaxing on leisurely mornings
where there is no other sounds but the call of nature in her various and
visible forms which flood all three of my primary senses, sight, scent and
sound. It was a smorgasbord of sensation and I want to do more of it so
listen up Dad and let’s get to those Mountain hikes you suggested for this
summer!

The National Commercial for VISA is looking steadily more promising and we
are allegedly filming at the end of July. I’m definitely a feature of the
video as I support Dad’s fanaticism of friends and football. We still
cannot share full details but if all goes well you may all get to see me
many more times as the commercial will air throughout the NFL season all
over the country. They may even feature my Charlee BBears which means I’ll
be getting some of those! Sure I earned some last night Guiding Dad around
downtown but I really earned them yesterday morning when I seemlessly
navigated the toughest downtown crossings from CVS to the Dojo with comfort,
ease and my patented wiggling. I’ve donethis a few times now so Dad really
doesn’t need to do anything as I proudly show him how well I know the route
and the crossings. He’s proud of my taking this burden off him - so much so
he forgave me for the face full of wet flowering shrub which hung lower over
the sidewalk than usual due to said wetness. What’s a morning flower shower
anyhow! If the route is normally safe and clear for his tall frame then is
it my fault water lowers it down to his head height while I’m busy tending
the speediest route to breakfast??!

Ok, I’m going to wrap up with a tale of Dad and my tail. Apparently the
proof of my happiness is available even at 3 a.m. while I sleep. Dad awoke
to a thudding sound which he allegedly learned was my tail. I was sound
asleep and wagging my tail hard enough to continually thump the floor. This
Sleepwagging phenomenon is not a sleep disorder in dogs but a delightful
expression of loving life. Discussion of this led to an amusing discovery
as well. When people say wag, I wag even harder. This is because I wag
when I’m happy and this makes people say the word so I’ve learned to
associate the word wag with happy. This means hearing it makes me happier
and I’m in an infinite loop of wagginess. I’d figure that more thoroughly
if it wasn’t early in the morning around these parts. So I leave you with
that wagging notion and a reminder to come see my home where the new Quinn
wall graphix are a centerpiece of the new decor in the Pats room! Thanks
again to Chris White (Gamer Graphix), Lonnie Paxton (hey, how about the away
trip to Denver?) and of course for Tracy who did the installation of said
decor. Talk to you all soon!

Mighty Quinn

He’s gone! Dad has headed off to End Game with Chad. He’s leaving me with
Tracy, Teresa, Bren and Jen for the entire weekend while he heads out to the
LARP. Sure we ‘might’ rendezvous with him at the New Hamshire Association
for the Blind Walk-a-thon Saturday morning but I suppose that depends on the
TGIF results tonight.

We have a new carpet in the Pats room and it’s fully Quinn tested and
approved. Bill and Romeo arrived on Tuesday after lunch to haul out the
last remaining furniture fragments and create a gigantic play area for Quinn
where many a Pats crowd has gatherred in the past. I wasn’t too sure about
all that as I wasn’t up for a move but the upstairs remained our Master
Suite and so I stayed up there with Dad while much hammering commenced. I
know why they had to take every picture off the wall…except for my Gamer
Graphix shot with Lonnie and Dad! Anyhow, when the work was done there was
a potent new carpet smell and a freshly installed launch pad for the Mighty
one. When Dad gave the go-ahead I quickly did a full out puppy spaz around
the new surface and then encouraged him to break out Captain Uncle Jeff’s
Monkey Glaw tug o’ war and put the full test into the mix. This carpet is
ready for full scale use. Last time a Carpet was laid down on this floor
the Patriots won back to back Superbowls…I’m just sayin’!

Tuesday night we did the Humane Society dinner at the Common Man in
Merrimack. Good food for a good cause and much thanks to Kat and Chris for
letting us join them. They also made known to me that I get to be the ring
bearer at their September wedding while Dad has to stand beside Chris. No
Pats game crossover is promised!
Wednesday I took Dad to the Doctor’s and then Thursday was Karate and the
Board of Directors at NHAB. I’ve been working pretty steadily and gainin
fame with rumors of the Visa/NFL commercial possibility growing steadily.
So I have to peruse the Screen Actor’s Guild website and see if there’s a
charity there appropriate for our efforts on said commercial.

All that has to wait though as there’s a weekend commencing pronto. Have a
great time everyone and let’s see what happens when I get a weekend free
from Dad’s ever observant eyes…err ears?

THE Mighty Quinn

I’m preparing to settle into my wicker bed piled high with Patriot Blankets
and set directly in front of an open window in the Bedroom Suite of our
home. There’s a fantastic breeze blowing me the evening newspaper of doggy
scents as I reflect on a few things. It is Memorial day and Dad was
celebrating the Memory of his prior Guide who passed away on May 24
(yesterday), 2005. You can read a bit of his feelings on his tribute page
at:

http://www.patriotzip.com/ostend.htm

Memorial Day is a fine opportunity to reflect on the past though
hopefully in the more celebratory way which allows appreication of all the
positives brought in living and living memories rather than just the pain of
parting or the grief of much missed absent parts of our lives.

Memorial Day also marks the commencement of summer and we celebrated with
a barbeque that brought the Ladies (kiri and Lady) as well as many human
friends of Dad. Summer was clearly upon us with the weather today and all
last week while we were travelling. I took Dad to Washington DC in order to
help him work as part of the Collection Development Advisory Group for the
Library of Congress’ Talking Books Program. This is his second and final
year and the final trip to the Capitol. He was elected to chair the
committee and that meant more distraction for him and absolutely no impact
for me! It was a very successful trip for our work together. I think he’s
finally learned to appreciate how well I know what I’m doing, how to speak
clearly in my language when he wants something from me and how to let me
shine as I shine best in my job and exuberance for life. It began with an
airline trip and I’m generally accepting of the routines necessary for such
things. first I skip the long line as I think is my privelege and show Dad
the counter. Then the humans on the other side slowly realize I’ve brought
Dad to them and they can resolve their awareness of my presence as humans in
such positions rarely think to look over the counter and see me. Eventually
they get it, gawk appropriately for a brief bit and suddenly become the
wonders of efficiency necessary to send us zipping along the airport to the
security lines. Here they place us in a special line typically and struggle
to figure out how they want to handle my arrival. Usually Dad has to update
them on various parts of the process though they do seem to be getting
steadily better. Dad puts me in a sit-stay while he is walked through the
fancy doorway wich rings when metal is found. Surprisingly they are slow to
realize I have metal on my harness and in my collar so after Dad gets to the
otherside despite their typically awkward ministrations, I can end the look
of concern which marks my observance of their efforts and switch to the
prancing pup who returns to ensure Dad’s led safely. They of course let me
have my greeting before informing me I have to be patted down in case Dad
has asked me to hide contraband of any sort. Usually I think this is simply
an excuse for one of their more canine inclined to give me a little lovin’!

I’ve really figured out these airports in which we walk down a long tiled
hallway until we find the counter Dad wants, we find a seat near there and
he marks it with Charlee Bears (Go Dad!) which is a nice coincidence as I’ve
generally mentally marked it for more than just the treats but don’t tell my
human, he doesn’t need to know this. While Quinn’s do not get much liquid
at these times under the premise I’d rather be a little thirsty than a lot
in need of a plane doggy lawn patch, Dad doesn’t limit himself and sooner
than later the wafting smell of coffee brings him forth from his morning
doldrums and he begins to air scent albeit rather amateurish in approach. I
take over and guide him to the appropriate coffee fountains and then take
him back to the exact seat we recently departed. If, as this time, someone
has taken the seat I give them the Quinn glare and find one nearby as Dad
really seems to prefer his seats empty.

Eventually they call us forth for pre-boarding and invariably ask if Dad
will need help. I tell them that this is why I’m here and off we go to
showcase my talents as I lead Dad down, warn him he’s too tall for the
airplane door, that he needs to step over the gap and both must be shown me
before I’ll walk. Then we startle a Stewardess and quickly convert it to
luxury accomodations in the bulk-head where there’s a trifle more room for
me. Simple and done! For those curious, I do not struggle with airplanes
and when you’ve got my massive jaw yawning potential the ears aren’t a
problem at all no matter how quickly we ascend or descend. I typically
sleep through the take-off and might raise my head on the landing if the
turbulence is truly torrid.

Once in DC it was a short matter to hail a Taxi and get to our hotel.
Since it was the same as last year I recalled it immediately and gave Dad
the perfect guidance to the elevators, restaurant, guest services counter as
wellas my favorite relieve spot. All went completely smoothly and this time
we learned the trick of the elevators so the fact they have different
sequences on their button panels didn’t cause us to go to the wrong floor
even once. I never missed the room despite the lack of braille on the rooms
and our stay there was marked only by my management of all sidewalks and
crowds with ease for whatever mission Dad selected. Trader Joe’s - two
blocks, four crossings and no problem! Starbucks, two blocks the other way,
three crossings and didn’t I mention I can air scent better than him? How
about 12 blocks to have dinner along the Potomac in the midst of the
Georgetown campus? - no problem! Even last year’s navigation of the
National Library Service building was a snap this year as I learned it on my
first trip and never looked back despite stairs, twisty hallways, myriad
doors, security check points and all that - count on Quinn because I’ve got
it under control. Dad didn’t even have to pause in his conversations with
folks as I just seemlessly took him where I knew he needed to arrive. I
work hard and deservedly play hard with lots of power saving and/or
wriggling in the middle. I think I definitely represent the potential of a
Guide and Dad’s effusive praise was almost rivaled by the many kind words I
received from his conference friends. Renee was a particular favorite and
while she missed me at my playing best, she did convince Dad to let her be
the gifter of the Bear of Charles. I’d talk more about the conference and
many fine folk met but I’m already overlong and haven’t even touched upon my
visit to the Cloisters in Manhattan, Uncle Rick’s Birthday Visitation in
Connecticut, a Rhode Island tour of Tracy’s Sister’s home for a visit to
support Robin and Sandy (Sister and Mom for Tracy) or the pre-cookout on
Friday to start our Pennsic planning with Ben, Kara and Scotty. Yes all
these things have been in the last week as well as moving everything out of
the Pats room to prepare for the new carpet install tomorrow. it’s been
busy and I’m not quite getting enough home time as my springint from the
airport to Tracy’s car evidenced on the return trip. I was definitely
enthused and eager.

So what about the Cloisters? I’m sure you could all readily google it
and that might be wise but from my vantage it was a lot of rocks and statues
in a building that required me to be attentive except when they lounged int
he many Gardens complete with watery centers that brought many birds to
gather. We skipped the Falconry demonstration which had my attention and
hopes high but I did pose with a Lion from a Medieval Monestary which put me
in touch with history. The photo will come shortly but ultimately while Dad
was pleased old rocks just don’t excite me in the same way. You want fancy
art just come and see my Gamer Graphix wall photo which now properly adourns
the homestead. It’s so impressive the folks thinking about casting us in
the Visa-NFL commercial asked us for a picture…oh that commercial is
another story as well!

It’s late and I’ve barely had time to write nevermind catch up on sleep.
Thanks for the quick listen, good luck to Aunt Bet’s George who hopefully
comes home from the hospital after too long a stay - we kept up remotely and
hope to get more good news tomorrow.

Woof!
Quinn

and it’s free for all of us - my favorite price!

The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on
it daily so they can meet their quota of getting FREE FOOD donated every
day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute to go to
their site and click on the purple box ‘fund food for animals for free’.
This doesn’t cost you a thing.

Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to
donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Here’s the web site! Please pass it along to people you know.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

***
On a quick Quinn front, Dad may have neglected to mention that I backed him
out of an intersection crossing of some import. I don’t like backwards and
would choose forward dashing if there was time but this was the right choice
and he had to deal with it. Crossing Kinsley street which is a 2 lane one
way road, there was the start of traffic on main which started our crossing
but they weren’t very busy. Thus when a parked car on the far lane suddenly
started up and pulled out rapidly, I had to back us out of the crossing
since they didn’t seem prepared to respect us or the red light…good
praise, no Charlee Bears on him…Bad Dad!

and for the humor mongrels amongst us:

Dad and I had breakfast with a retired Police Officer the other morning who
shared a fun tale. He took a bit of Umbridge (not the Harry Potter type) at
the bumber stickers which said: “Bad Cop, No donut.” He made his own
sticker which went on their clipboard for after pulling over and ticketing
deserving folk who also had the donut sticker:
“Bad Stereotype, No Warning.” Sometimes there is a proper justice in the
world!

Woof,
Quinn

Greetings and Salivations one and all!

I have been a bit remiss once again but it’s in part because Dad has been
keeping me so very busy. I have so much to share this may take a bit but
let’s start with Oprah and Puppies Behind Bars. Thanks to Barbara for
nudging me on the reschedule because while Puppies Behind Bars is my
origins, they no longer are working with Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
Instead they have a nifty program to help support US veterans and there is a
feature on the Oprah Winfrey show tomorrow (May 14). I hope many of you
have the chance to take a look and/or listen and remember they are part of
why I’m the Mahvelous (t.m.) Mighty Quinn.

May Day is sometimes a call for help and that’s not really necessary at
this juncture. It is also a testament to the fact it’s my first post in May
and we are already nearly half way through the Month. It has had some
impressive aspects let me tell you. A few weeks ago Dad took advantage of
the good weather and as we were at his Dentist (boooooooring) for some of
the work on his implants, he decided we’d walk home. This is an interesting
choice as it’s a walk he never attempted with the Ostend-tacious prior pup.
We were going pretty well through all of it which has me feeling proud when
the wood chipping work crew on Robinson Road set us awry. They
‘inadvertently’ sent Dad down a different street for our safety…without
mentioning they had turned us down a street after going around their truck.
As it was a new route t his led to some interesting complexities but
eventually Dad fired up the GPS and it only added an hour to our ultimate
trip timer. Still having walked entirely home from the downtown and now
from random places around the city we are comfortable we can walk from
anywhere. Doing all this while Dad’s moth is sore might not have been
optimum but no May Day was required.

We did have Mother’s Day and I hope the many Mom’s out there had a fantastic
day of it. I have had a host of folks adopt me for a day before Dad took
over the role full time. We celebrated by heading out to Parker’s Maple Barn
in Mason, NH and this Surgar Shack was lots of fun for Gram, Tracy, Dad and
the Mighty Me. In a surprising coincidence Dad was talking about how Coffee
is much better tasting in Ceramic which doesn’t work so well for travel
mugs…until the gift shop deliverred the Ceramic travel mug. The logo
suits him, though not me, as it states proudly: “I took the Road Less
Travelled - now Where am I?!”

I have also unearthed the Nashua River Rail Trail which is an old
Railroad converted into a hiking trail that runs through the woods from
Nashua (NH), through Dunstable, Groton and Ayer (Mass).. We took John,
Beth, Kiri and Lady with us but they couldn’t walk long enough for my
preferences and we turned back leaving the road for another day. Still I
had a great walk with the Ladies and that alone is always worth it.

Each day for the last two weeks Dad has taken the trip into downtown with me
and we’ve been doing work after work tending things. We had his new Doctor
appointment, Pepe’s Hearing Aid repair, varous lunches and of course the
many Karate trips. He’s been doubling up to prepare for our trip to
Washington DC which departs Tuesday and returns Friday. I’m very excited
about the chance to get Dad touring the city again this year because now we
are in peak working partnership and have no limitations.

In less dramatic news I’m starting to become the Frisbee Catching Dog
(Flying Squirrel) and ournewly manicured lawn has become the constant daily
playground - life is good for the Mighty Quinn. Also, no knocking on wood
but so far the May dangerousdigestion times have not required a May Day
either.

Ok - one last time I’m going to plug my Walk-a-thon. NHAB and I really
could use the last surge of help to make our walk a success. Come join our
team, sponsor us or sponsor someone on our team. The goal is to help a
needy and worthy organization. Go to my link at:

http://tinyurl.com/quinn-walk

Thanks and Be well! Next time I’ll tell you about my potential Visa
Commercial for the NFL, trip to Google HQ?!? and the NH Optometrist
Convention… Busy - busy!

Good luck to Tracy’s Mom and Sister who are still battling the challenges of
their Cancers

My goodness the life of a Quinn can get busy at times and that’s one of the
best parts of this luxurious life as a dedicated tail wagger. When last we
left our intrepid Flying Lab I was test drivin’ new (to me) cars and being a
sports pup. Today my Soccer dream came to an end as our string of beautiful
days did finally get us out with my new soccer ball. What we learned is I
can open my mouth wide enough to pick it up with my bite but that my four
primary teeth slip into the ball and get…well…rather
embarrassingly…stuck. Sure I can dribble with my snout but there’s just
more panache to mouthing when you’ve been bred for 540 generations to do
just this. Well sure I’ve been bred to be a Guide Dog but that’s more like
54 generations and the power of ten is Mighty. Anyhow after several
attempts the mission for Pele and New England Revolution Fandom dwindled. I
still love the soccer ball but Dad apparently has only limitted patience for
helping to pry the ball off my teeth. Impressively the ball never did pop.

So back to the new vehicular world, I am now the proud owner of a room with
a view. Tracy got herself a Saturn View and I’ve got the Lab lap of luxury
in several seating options. For the shorter treks I am prone to climb in
and curl ad Dad’s feet par usual. For slightly longer treks I take
advantage of Tracy’s 4′11″ ‘height’ and curl up on the floor behind her seat
with my own doors which Dad gets for me like the Gentleman he can be. For
trips with low luggage I hop in the way back compartment and just bask in my
very own room with a view out the back window should I feel so inclined -
which usually isn’t the case. This is a Mighty leap upwards and downwards
but being the young and agile pup, this isn’t (much) of a problem. Congrats
on the new vehicle Tracy and hopefully the All Wheel drive makes the winter
snows easier…and more hopefully those snows should await next year!

Last week was a tough week with Tracy’s Sister, Robin and Tracy’s Mom,
Sandy, both getting simultaneous biopsy confirmations for cancer. Early
stage apparently means surgery, radiation and chemo should have them right
as rain but it was a stressful week. Tracy had to undergo the process to
ensure she was safe and it took the full spectrum for her to get the all
clear today. ZX-rays, Ultra Sound and then finally an MRI all have finally
assured us Tracy is all clear!

So what’s with the subject Quinn? Wll on Saturday we packed into the View
and headed on a surprise mission to Derry, NH. There we went to a farm
which for 11 years was home to one of Dad’s favorite poets. The Robert
Frost farm is a pretty fun walking trail and we had history lessons,
Scottish connections and a few select poems to augment the nature trail
hike. Pretty ironic to read “Two Birches” on property which clearly had a
plethora of wind-blown limbs throughout. Just to set the record straight, I
did miss a limb at the height of Dad’s noggin but to be fair I’d been force
marched through some swampy terrain and was constantly navigating over the
dangerous terrain of shin level limbs. I was attentive after the miscue and
given the challenge level still earned a Charlee Bear or three. Better
still we sat atop a field and in the windy warmth of the record temperatures
(since some date in the 1800s!) and let me chase the flyin’ Squirrel! This
soft frisbee dog toy was never so fun as on the Frost farm. Dad and Tracy
put a stone wall stray back onto the wall and seemed full of themselves, Dad
taught Tracy part of a Karate orm while standing on the sunny hillside but
I, I took the path less travelled by and that has made all the difference.
Coming soon to the picture section will be a candid photo of me at work in
the Wilderness - someday ages and ages hence I shall be telling this with a
sigh — no, really, I love to sigh.

Sunday we made the journey to watch the Elephant Man as performed by my very
own bud, Chris Woods. He was fantastic as was the entire cast and the play
was pretty cool overall - even if the Quinn seating was a little narrow for
my preferences. I only groaned once throughout the performance but the real
fun was after the play when we had dinner on the decks of the Peddlar’s
Daughter and caught a bit of the Cast Party. I didn’t ask for any
autographs but I did soak up my share of lovin. I really have taken to
meeting people and Dad’s pretty solid at ensuring those opportunities. It’s
that tail waggin thing again - makes it clear I love my work and life which
makes Dad in turn wag his metaphorical tail.

Again there’s so much more like my dat at Mine Falls with Robbie, Evan and
Janie. Yes, I can retrieve children even and I loved loungin in that big
field with Dad. Then there was Advocacy Meetings in Concord with Amy
Nichols and another of my favorite Pups in Sheeba. Still there’s more but
for now, it’s nearly nap time and I have one more cool service announcement.

A quick Quinn note about my origins in the Puppies Behind Bars program.
While they have changed their primary focus from Guide Dogs to the Veteran
Service Dogs, they remain a fantastic organization and you have a chance to
watch a little of this process:

PBB will be featured on Oprah May 6th!

Spread the news to family and friends and watch Glenn Close introduce the
reunion between Sergeant Allen Hill and Frankie and Frankie’s inmate raiser
at the Fishkill Correctional Facility.

In February 2009, Sergeant Hill and Frankie were paired through PBB’s
program, Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us. The program
provides service dogs, free of charge, to wounded veterans returning from
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click here to check for show time in your area.

In addition, find us online at www.oprah.com

Thanks to PBB the Mighty Quinn began his Mighty March to Guide Dog
Greatness. We’ll probably watch Oprah as a result…hopefully you have the
chance to do similarly.

Mighty Q
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors - and rather fine rompin’ grounds

Last week I got to go out with Dad, his buddy Web and Web’s daughter Jillian. After a tour of ‘Smokey Bones restaurant’ challenging my olfactory prowess, we left the restaurant with Dad and the guests talking about ‘hoop.’ Dad hasn’t ever played hoop with me and didn’t realize I must have had some time with Prison Ball or been the best natural he’d ever seen. I’d heard stories that Modi could play a little defense but as the pair of basketballs hit the court I began to play defense in my excited Quinn fashion. I didn’t overdo it but I know the drill and was ready to dart in and steal a dribbled ball when the handler wasn’t cautious enough. Once the ball was on the ground I would plow my body through it in Soccer fashion. Dad recalled the soccer playing antics of a dog, Stubby by name, belonging to his elementary school friend, Lee Brooks. Stubby could steal the ball, dribble around you and run the ball into a goal and past defenders with ease. I didn’t get my chance to showcase too much as it was a basketball, the courts were unlit and there was no soccer goal in sight. I did convince Dad he needs to get me a soccer ball and head out to the goals at Mine Falls. Ostend says Air Bud, Air Bud - Golden Receiver and Air Bud World Pup are worthy watches but being the Golden Lab not Receiver I say get out and play rather than watching the pretty boy play.

So what’s this about Flying Quinn? Well this weekend was beautiful and we were out in the backyard with Crazy ball and I was doing the flying, leaping Quinn tricks while Tracy snapped some candids. These should be hitting the blog pictures of a Quinn blog near you soon - probably tonight even!

Last Friday I got to hike downtown Nashua and the Peddlar’s Wharf Boardwalk as Dad and Kara searched unsuccessfully for the outdoor table season. They settled for an Organic Sandwich shop named Seedlings and we ate on the shores of the Nashua River at the Fountain park which didn’t have the fountain up and running. We then hit the Mines Falls park and despite a slight indescretion which Dad had to bag it was a great hike. It seems the change in my diet to an advanced Canidae (no grain fillers) has adjusted some things and while I know it’s better for me Dad better learn my schedule is adjusted and long walks in the woods are going to challenge me.

Today we hit the Pheasant Lane Mall for a Dad and Quinn Solo mission. I love when those things go well and there was a slightly amusing tale. After showing Dad I did know the stairs pretty well, he wasn’t sure which way to find our destination. I walked a full circle of left turns as we were on an inner island rail that overlooked the first floor. If he tells me to go left I’ll do that even if it means we walk in a circle. I gleefully showed him the stairs after a full circle and he suddenly caught up with his error. We then went to a store nearby and he asked for directions on how far to the store he wanted. A very friendly Lady who had a chocolate lab (vintage 3 years old, female, groomed last on January 7th…granted I’m mostly making that up but my nose *IS* too powerful). We found the place and an hour later Dad asked me to show him the stairs but I chose to show him the same happy Lady who was so helpful. We stepped into her store and she asked how our trip had been while Dad slowly figured out we weren’t at the stairs. So perhaps it wasn’t paying exact attention to his words but when is introducing him to a friendly Lady a bad thing? She asked and did get to pet me btw!

I know there are a lot more adventures like the great Tracy car hunt which has had me getting into and out of more cars than I could have imagined but it’s fun and the test drives aren’t too bad except for the breake testing parts. Anyhow, all done for this quick post - didn’t even have time to talk about my trip to Camelot and getting some time with Freya’s Mom. Dad will have to get on the visit so I can meet up with the young golden Lab pup! Plus there’s the promise of a woods hike to a vantage overlooking an eerie hidden gem - Gilette Stadium emerges through the trees on a hike she likes to take…sounds cool enough to motivate Dad!

Mighty Quinn

Some of you may note there is now a Quinn 2009 option in the links for this
page and that has the links to pictures of Lonnie and myself. You can even
see Dad without the decapitation which is somehow part of that thumbnail.

On April 15 not only are Taxes certain but so too is the opening of the
outdoor table season here in Nashua. From our favorites such as the City
Room and The Peddler’s Daughter to Martha’s Exchange and Jackie’s diner.
The sidewalks now possess added obstacles but also excellent retreats for a
Quinn to perch and study the world whilst Dad explores some form of
refreshment. Dad has yet to savor such a place but has plans to do this
very thing with Kara today and then to set off on some fun woods hike. This
means the time for blog entries is short but has enough for one fun report.
Our routine post walk play sessions have been vastly augmented all week.
The emergence of the back-yard into the play has become fundamental. Sure
the various toys get a little dirty until the lawn emerges full force but
Dad employs a towel and I’m really getting to stretch these legs in some
full out running which can’t occur in the house.

Also I must confess the three amazing Tug toys hand crafted by Uncle Elias
have all proven impervious to my destruction…but I’ve not yet given up the
Tug. Thanks again Elias/Jeff!! Now can you make a tug of war cake out of
Charlee Bears?

MQ

I’m not here to boast or brag…well mostly. I spent some time exploring
the pagesof tiny url and found a much easier method to get people to our
walk page. It’s totally accessible so I don’t know why Dad didn’t do it
earlier:

Dad’s Page directly:
http://tinyurl.com/quinn-walk

Our team page:
http://tinyurl.com/danb93

Or the NHAB Walk page Direct at - oh nevermind, you’ve got the two most
important to us for now!

Without intending to overload your browser work, I thought I’d give you the
direct link to Lonnie’s Charity page:
http://www.activeforcefoundation.org/

No more links for you today but the odds on my picture with Lonnie appearing
here tonight are very high. It would have been done yesterday but I was off
to rescue Pepe from his hearing aid and then to do a sleuth mission with Dad
and Tracy as we want to help Teresa celebrate her Birthday on April 19.
That used to be the day Dad was a little mopey about having said a final
Farewell to Modi (link withheld due to my prior promise!). Now he’s aware
of a happier connection on that date so Modi gets his due of course but
there’s good news there as well.

Speaking of Birthdays, Happy Belated to Erin who just celebrated in style.
She’s one of the conspirators who ensures I get my Charlee Bear quotient
during Pats games. She also does a lot of work for the NH Food Bank though
as promised no links here - just a well wish!

Some of you may recall the tale of my walking past the hospital and
struggling to convince the Construction workers I had matters in hand and we
were going to get past the area to the Audiology Doctor. We do this to get
my Dad’s Father a working hearing aid. So yesterday as the sunny but
slightly brisk weather was ideal for walking, we set out on the bus to be
dropped at a stop near to the street we needed. GPS activate and soon we
were passing that same construction zone. We managed well enough and after
a quick fix of the hearing aid I led Dad back through the area, across some
tough Nashua intersections and to the bus station so timely we caught a
quick bus to Green Briar to visit Pepe. Hearing Aid restored we had a
quality visit and then walked past the tough route to catch a shorter bus
route - not a short bus thank you very much you errant thinkers. When the
driver picked us up he said, “Whoa, how did you get up here?” He was amazed
we had coverred all that ground in the time since he picked us up near the
house and that’s not counting time to fix the hearing aid and a 40 minute
visit with Pepe! Dad smiled and said “It’s all in the dog!”

Hope you enjoy the short post for now - more steadily I’m sure as I’ve found
ways to distract Dad and get to his computer.

Charlee Bears for all!
Mighty Quinn

Hello all,

I was forwarded an article on a highly controversial topic. It was very
well managed by the NY Times and worthy of a read. The issue in short is
the use of a broad range of animals for a broad range of disability
assistance. I’ve got some candid opinions but first the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/magazine/04Creatures-t.html?_r=1&fta=y&pagewanted=all

As someone who rests a bit on the efforts of many folk before me paving the
way of accessiblity, I have to think very thoroughly on how or when I’d want
to deny access to someone with a Service Animal. I do bleieve there’s a
burden to attempt the most reasonable solution in the Service Animal world
and when factors are given quality consideration a proper answer can be
made. While I personally prefer a Guide Dog for many reasons, I well
understand the benefits of the miniature horses and their considerable
lenthier working career. I can see the reasons for such though if the
person in question is going to be travelling routinely on airlines is that
their best choice? Could the woman with severe agoraphobia have found a
service animal without higher risks as a better solution? There are great
areas and there are clear cut areas. A seeing eye Gorilla would be
unreasonable and a safety concern from my quick review and hopefully the ADA
will find the means to strike a balance which ensures reasonable needs and
accomodations remain at the heart of accessibility law.

Randy
& the Mighty Quinn