Letter of Thanks

Below is the text from a recent Letter to the Editor of our local paper (The Oregonian).  I don't know if it will be published (I don't read the paper), but I thought you might enjoy reading it here.  Bryson, the Guide Dog in the letter, was actually raised in our Puppy Club.  Go Team!

As we get closer to the time when our dear little Honeydew heads off to puppy training "college", it is a nice reminder that we are doing this for the right reasons.

April 7, 2009 

Terrence L. Blosser, Pataskala, OH

Letter to the Editor The Oregonian

To Whom It May Concern:

As a recent Guide Dog for the Blind graduate  I want to take a moment and share a reflection of my experience with all of you.

I was accepted for the Guide Dog for the Blind program.  I arrived in Portland on March 9^th, 2009.  From there, I went to the Guide Dog for the Blind campus in Boring.  I stayed there until graduation and flew home on April 5^th, 2009.

 I was matched up with my new guide dog, Bryson, a yellow Labrador Retriever.  He and I trained, as a team, throughout parts of downtown Gresham, the suburbs of Gresham, downtown Portland, the suburbs of Fairview, at the Clackamas Town Center Mall as well as a few other sites.

I could not have asked for a better environment for training.  All of the people that we encountered were absolutely wonderful.  They were very understanding and compassionate people.  I truly feel that we could not have asked for a better place to receive training.

While there, it became very obvious to me that the people there also are very proud and supportive of Guide Dog for the Blind (GDB).  Many volunteer at the GDB campus, many are puppy raisers and many make financial contributions to Guide Dog for the Blind.  I was truly humbled to learn all of the generosity exhibited by the Oregonian people.

At my graduation, a young girl talked about raising money for GDB by donating all of the proceeds from her lemonade stand.  A Brownie troop raised funds from their Girl Scout cookie sale.  A Girl Scout troop also raised money for the program. 

In closing, I say: To all of the people and merchants in Gresham, Portland and the surrounding areas, I want to say “Thank You” for being understanding, compassionate and warm towards us Guide Dog for the Blind students.  Words alone cannot express gratitude that I feel.  I will always remember my stay there with fondness and appreciation of the people of Oregon.

To all of the volunteers, staff, instructors at Guide Dog for the Blind, I thank you all for a pleasant experience.  Everyone was understanding and very professional.  Bryson and I have bonded very well.  I look forward to a nice journey with Bryson at my side.

If anyone is interested in helping this wonderful organization, please go to their website; www.guidedogs.com

Regards,

Terrence L. Blosser

Get Well Grandma!

This week, Honeydew had the difficult job of supervising Glenn while I was out of town (I was at my parent's house in Bend while my mom had knee surgery).  They even had to go to puppy class without me!  (which I hear involved "role playing", one of Glenn's most favorite activities! Haha, not.)  It appears Honeydew did a good job, as all of the critters, including Glenn, were happy and healthy upon my return.  I sure did miss them.

Honeydew had an exciting adventure while I was away - she went to the open house for a new Guide Dogs for the Blind office located in downtown Portland.  Honeydew went with another member of our puppy club.  The event was very crowded and there were a lot of other guide dog puppies there.  It sounds like she had a blast and was relatively well behaved.  Whew.  Always stressful when someone else takes her...wondering if they are going to think "my goodness, your dog is completely out of control."  Glenn said Honeydew came home, ate dinner, and then immediately passed out on her bed for the rest of the night.

Honeydew hopes her Grandma to feels better soon...and thanks her for the juice bottle, she is enjoying it immensely.

Lastly, you might enjoy this adorable video of a very sleepy Guide Dog puppy!

Puppy Love....

Honeydew's best friend is Bodine, one of our cats.  The two of them hang out together every night, often following each other around the house in endless circles.  Honeydew loves to give him kisses on his head, and Bodine likes to weave between her legs.  True BFFs.  Of course, every now again Bodine decides that he has had enough and the claws come out...but Honeydew is pretty good at evasive maneuvers (as you can see in the last picture).  

Spring has Sprung!

We got in trouble with Grandma for not posting Honeydew update for over a week...so I snagged this picture of her in the back yard by the plum tree that started to bloom today.

Birthday Girl!

Honeydew turned 1 year old today!  I can't believe how quickly the time has gone.

In celebration, Honeydew brought cupcakes to share with her friends at work (she did the sprinkles herself).  Lots of folks came through to wish her a happy day - lots of wiggles, tail wags and belly rubs!  She is currently passed out on her bed - an exhausting day apparently.

Pictures of Honeydew and her birthday cupcakes...and hanging out chewing on a bone at work.

St. Paddy Dew!

Today our puppy-raising club marched in a neighborhood St. Patrick's Day parade.  It was a great little neighborhood event.  It has been pouring rain all day yesterday and this morning, so we were dreading the outing.  Apparently, they have held this parade for the past 19 years, and it has never rained.  Amazingly, blue sky and sun came out while we walked...only to start pouring rain again afterwards.

Honeydew did fairly well during the parade, but there were a lot of dogs (both in the parade, and as spectators) so she was very geeked up and excited the whole time.  Her head was swiveling so fast from side to side to look at all of the pups that I thought it was going to just spin off her neck!

The photos are of the festivities.  

1) Honeydew looks particularly pitiful in her festive hat.  

2) Glenn helped carry the club banner.  

3) A group of Irish Wolfhounds (I have always wanted one of those) was ahead of us.  There was another large group of Greyhounds.  At one point all of the dogs in both of these groups started howling...it was hysterical.  Of course, the Guide Dog pups aren't allowed to vocalize, so they just stood there looking at these other loud dogs like they were nuts.

4) A picture of Honeydew's parade route view.  

5) Honeydew was so pathetic looking in the hat that I had to wear it instead.  Sucker!  Glenn refused to wear it.

Hundvalp Honung...

...means "Puppy Honeydew" in Swedish (or at least that is what I learned on the Google).  :)  

Tonight our puppy club social event was a trip to IKEA.  We had to wander through the store to discover answers to hidden questions (like how to say "berry" in Swedish, etc.).  It was a great place to visit with the pups because they have so many little rooms set up that it was like walking the dogs into 15 different homes (bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, etc.).   

Honeydew was supposed to go home from IKEA with another family, and their dog "Leo" was going to come with us for a few days.   We do these puppy trades every so often so the dogs learn to behave with new people and get different experiences.  

3 of the pups in our club, including Leo, were supposed to go back to the Guide Dogs campus to begin formal training on the 20th of this month, but tonight Leo's mom learned that he needs to go back this Sunday instead (they had a spot open up at the last moment).  So, we decided not to do the swap so that Leo's mom can spend these last few days with him.  Honeydew is stuck with us for now, the poor girl.

Honeydew is going to be 1 year old soon (March 18)!  Tonight we got the a-okay to allow her to sleep on a dog bed on the floor by our bed.  The Dew REALLY wants to sleep on a bed instead of her kennel.  She often runs downstairs to get into one of the dog beds when she knows it is time to turn in for the night - and then gives us this pathetic "Pleeeease can I sleep here? look at what a good girl I am."  So, to celebrate this new development we went and got her a new dog bed on our way home from IKEA. Tonight she gets to sleep in the big girl bed...because, as much as we hate to admit it...she is getting to be a big girl now.

Pictures are from our tour through IKEA.