August 31 - Amber’s Guide Dogs

After last week’s rant about irresponsible dog owners, I started to think about dog owners at the other end of the scale. In particular, I thought of my friend, Amber. Amber is young and totally responsible in the care of her canine guide. Amber is completely without sight and is now the owner of her second guide dog, Bear. Her first guide dog, Tommy was retired a year ago. I asked Amber to write a bit about her dogs and following is what she sent to me:

Bear is from BC Alberta Guide dogs, the same school that Tommy was trained at. He is two and a half years old and is quite the teddy bear.  His favourite past time is lying on his bed chewing on one of his many bones, or carrying his squeaky toys around my apartment making as much noise as he possibly can.  His energy level is a fair bit lower than Tom’s was but he has some get up and go when he gets really excited or sees someone he loves. This summer we were lucky enough to spend a couple of months at home in Alberta on our farm and it will take some getting used to going back to school for the both of us in the fall.

I like to call Bear the master of stairs, doors, elevators, and benches.  Given his slightly lazy personality he is happy to find any bench and elevator in our vicinity in order to avoid as much work as he can, but he loves exploring and finding new places so will also take me to every door he sees if he is able.  As for stairs, he has increased my confidence so much in the past year that I’ve had him because he is not afraid to take me up to stairs and balance me on the way up or down them, as well as find me a railing if there is one available.  He has the most beautiful golden eyes and he is constantly being told how gorgeous he is, and he sure knows it!  Kids and babies fascinate him and he checks out every stroller on the bus if he gets the chance.

With Tommy as my first guide dog, I was quite aware that he set the bar very high for my next companion.  Bear has done a fantastic job of jumping right level with that bar. They are perfect compliments of one another, things that Tommy excelled at are usually something that Bear struggles a little with, and things that Tommy was hesitant on are Bear’s superstar points. Tommy was my perfect match from day one that I got him and I told people every chance that I got that I didn’t think I could love a dog any more than I loved Tom.  I have found though that Bear has snuggled himself right up beside that spot in my heart for Tommy and they are both additions in my life that I don’t know how I ever lived without them.

Their opposite appearance and nature, black and yellow, smaller and larger, hyper and calm, has helped me to not only become confident in areas of my life that I struggled, but has helped me become more confident in those that I already was as well.  Having to help Bear through his struggling points, having been led so confidently by Tom, helps me to strengthen these areas for myself because I have to show him how to be confident. I can’t stress enough how well of a pick both of these puppies were for me and have all the gratitude in the world for BC Alberta Guide dogs superb training and matching program.

August 18 - Dogs

Some people think that I don’t like dogs. This isn’t true! However, I don’t like the idea of dogs running loose on a walking trail and for this reason, I often feel upset with dog owners.  When I am walking alone, it’s all very well for the owner of a dog on the loose to call out, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly,” or perhaps, “It’s all right! He won’t bite you.” These comments do nothing to alert me to the actual location of an animal that might or might not be bounding straight towards me. For all I can see, it might be a little yappy dog trying to bite my ankles, or perhaps a slobbering one who will try to lick my knees, or as happened on one occasion, a huge beast who came bounding towards me and was big enough to put his paws on my shoulders as he leapt up at me. No human call had preceded this, and I was surprised enough to nearly lose my balance. In fact, any of these moving canines on the loose could easily trip me.However, that is enough of the dogs off  leash on walking paths which are posted for dogs to be on leash. My second complaint about dog owners concerns those pet owners who neglect to pick up after their animals. It is really nasty when my cane hits a fresh mound of do-do. Are these dog owners blind in that they don’t see what their dogs are doing on the trail? I have never come across this phenomenon with guide dogs whose owners are actually blind.  So, yes, I do like dogs and most other animals, but some owners...well, perhaps not so much. My thanks to all the dog owners who consistently do the right thing.

August 11 - At Lake Louise

It was a beautiful day when Lyle and I drove to Lake Louise with my sister, Jill. The view of the lake with the mountains in the background is quite spectacular. Of course, these days my vision of the lake is restricted to memories of days when I could see, but even this didn’t detract from our enjoyment of the afternoon.

I have been having a little trouble with my knee so for some of the time I sat on a bench while Lyle and Jill walked the lakeside trail. It was so relaxing sitting in the sunshine and listening to the cacophony of voices as tourists from nearly every part of the globe passed by my spot on the bench. It was hard to imagine that there were so many, many different languages being spoken. It seemed to me that English was almost in the minority.

When Lyle and Jill came back from their walk, Jill wanted me to take her picture.  Lyle offered to do this, but Jill was fairly insistent that I be the one to take the shot. She said, “It’s always more exciting when you take the pictures, Sue. I never know what you are going to get in the frame! “

 So, I laid my white cane on the bench and held the phone as Jill instructed.  “It’s easy ,“  she said.  “You just press on this part of the screen and keep your fingers away from the top edge where the camera is.”  Then you can point the phone towards my voice.”

I did as she directed, but I guess I had a bit of a heavy hand. With my first attempt I took one hundred pictures. Jill was quite surprised, but patiently went through the instructions again.  This time I managed an almost perfect shot. I have added it to this post.  The picture shows Lyle and Jill standing side by side with the lake and mountain in the background. Apparently the picture is almost perfectly framed.

Sue's photo of Jill and Lyle

 Jill said, “That’s amazing!  You take pictures equally as well as someone who can see! Well, perhaps not all the time, but sometimes even better.”

 I must admit that I enjoyed this photography experience. I also wondered what the passers by were thinking as I put my white cane to the side and moved forward to hold and aim the little camera. The experience reminded me of the photography display, Sight Unseen, at the Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. It was fun to do something different even if I couldn’t see the results.

August 4 – A White Cane or a Colored Cane?

A white cane is a symbol of blindness, courage, and an independent spirit.  At least, this is what I read when I first started using my own white cane.  I liked the symbolism.  What happens then if I exchange my white cane for a colored cane?

A couple of years ago my sister, Jill, told me of a blind friend who used a green cane.  Then, just last week my friend, Norma, who is also blind, phoned to tell me she had a new mobility cane.  It was pink!  Not only that, the first time Norma used her pink cane, other people told her that she was color coordinated.  She happened to be wearing a pink t-shirt at the time.  Norma was pretty excited by this and let’s face it, there is not much about being blind to be excited about.

Now comes the dilemma.  If the white cane is to be used as a symbol of blindness, will we now need to re-educate people as to the significance of colored canes.  Ambutech (www.ambutech.com) supplies a variety of colored canes.  There are ten colors in all, and canes can be ordered in different lengths with varied tips.  Canes can also be ordered made from aluminum, graphite, or fibreglass, depending on the strength, weight, and durability required by the user.

Some younger blind or visually impaired people prefer colored canes because they reduce the stigma of blindness. I am torn with this because after all, a cane is still a cane.  Will I continue to use my white cane so that other people can identify me as someone who might need some extra assistance because of my visual challenges, or will I take the plunge and order a colored cane?  Nothing ventured, nothing gained!  I think I will take the plunge and order a colored cane for myself.  I do like green!