Zip’s Dog Blog (2.0)

Guiding Eyes is on Twitter and I’ve added them recently to my ever growing Twitter list. My first post from them was
their request for Puppy Raisers pictures of the youngsters in the program. I wanted to blog it immediately as several
puppy raisers do read here but alas I didn’t get to in very timely so it’s a few days old now. What I did manage
timely was to visit with the Guiding Eyes belated Holiday party so that I could demonstrate a little of my skill but
mostly so Dad could tell them how much I mean to him. When called to talk he left me behind and strolled to the end of
the hall using his antiquated cane. “Tap…tap…thunk…tap…tap” is a far less friendly sound then the pitter
patter of Guide paws. He asked if anyone wanted to pet his cane before extolling the many virtues and shortcomings of
the cane. It’s really a tremendous tool he says which only magnified his level of praise for me when he explained how
much more efficient, warm and wonderful I was in doing all the tasks of the cane and more. Soon afterwards but not
soon enough for my liking he called me to a heal and we were the team again to explain the benefit. It was good fun
and there are some great people there many of whom we got to speak with at length. Puppy raisers are an incredible
group so to those of you reading here or telling others about it – thank-you for raising pups to become Guides for
people like Dad. Thanks particularly to people like Bill LeBlanc and Pat Graham for giving us invitations to join the
local Puppy Raisers and share company with so many excellent and welcoming folk.

That morning we had a good walk before the meeting and as we did the Framingham loop not too far from our home it meant
we had no sidestreets and thus an easy job for me. Frequently when we take this loop I like to ask Dad if we can jog
and he almost always obliges. Now I have to tend the icy patches carefully, keep tight within reason to the road side
and of course be attentive to the branches and other hazards for his trusting gait beside me. Sure we officially
understand that Guide School does not encourage us running together and it is only in carefully selected locations we
do this. That said, Dad was listening to a book on his Victor Stream and so as I slowed up he paused the player to be
sure he heard the footsteps of the jogger ahead of us which had caused me to slow our pace. He gave a hearty “Good
Morning” to the jogger who wished us the same and asked if Dad wanted to pass. Dad explained that he thought so but
hadn’t ever done such so just wanted to give a heads up and with that he gave me the “Hop-up Quinn” which I readily
took and moved out a bit to have room to pass as I picked up the pace. Apparently having not looked at us, the man was
a little surprised by us and asked Dad if he was blind and then clarifed with “totally blind?!?” He then laughed to
himself as we were passing and moving onward. When Dad asked about the laugh he explained that he expected a little
ribbing when he got home to his wife and explained that he had been passed by a blind man and his Guide Dog that
morning on his run! Not something which happens to folks very often I guess…but look out when Quinn is around.
Freedom!!

I suspect some of you are curious about the title so I’ll catch you up to date on some of our activities. Dad has his
Bardic appreciation and one aspect is apparently the birth date of Robert Burns, the Bard of Scotland. So on Monday of
this week he donned his kilt, had a few folks over to the house and shared a toasting with his new Quaiche as well as
Haggis and home-made Scottish Oatcakes. Surprisingly almost everyone tried the Haggis and generally all liked it.
Tracy’s Oatcakes were also well appreciated and thanks to Lori Pigeon for donating not only an as yet unused towel kilt
but some very well appreciated “Haggis cookies” which are a commercial Oatcake for appreciating the Haggis. Next year
there’s a crock pot Haggis recipe from Teresa which will get some serious consideration.

Tuesday we headed out to Ye Olde Commons for the Will and Rowan Bardic which was an excellent evening and great way to
wrap up the Burns celebrations. Rod drove us out, dinner with Cathy and Rod was fun and then the fun of many too
rarely seen friends and plenty of good music. It’s a good warm up for the Spring Bardic here at our home on March 20
so get your invites if you haven’t already and come appreciate how strange my Dad and his zany friends prove. Rumors
of Haggis Jacobian are dubious but not denied as of yet.

We’ve had a lot of other adventures already in the new year but I’d rather close by sharing a tale of my dedication.
We aren’t talking about Greyfriars Bobby work here but I still think I’m fairly impressive. Many of you are already
aware of my legendary aversion to water. Thus in the deluge of rain from recent days it may interest you all to know
that I leash lead Dad to the step that goes onto our new, mostly finished, porch. The rain deflector on the roof is
one of the missing items and as such the water drips rather heavily at that point – at least when a weird January
monsoon is rocking Nashua. Leash leading is harder because you can’t push on a rope as the saying goes and so Dad only
really knows I’m leading when I’m pulling and thus has to interpret a slack leash more carefully. Still I need to be
precise in showing him the step so imagine the annoyance and frustration as I stand with my head directly under the
drip so he can figure out I’ve stopped, tap the step and then make the step up safely. Only after he does this can I
move out of the drip which I so dislike. Now that’s loyalty and dedication!

Thanks for still reading along with me, hello to Jessie a young lass getting ready for her trip to Guiding Eyes in
July for her first Guide Dog. At the young age of 17 she’s done impressively and is really excited about getting to
read this blog from the early start way back at Guide School to present. Hopefully we can help her prepare a little
and later she can bring her pup into our home state!

Be Well!
the Mighty Quinn