October 29 - Guide Dog Goes Cruising

Did you know that guide dogs can also enjoy the cruise experience? I didn’t know this until our recent cruise when we met Rana, a beautiful Golden Retriever. She was on board with her owner and handler, Chuck, and his wife Peggy. When Lyle pointed them out to me, I immediately hoped that I would get an opportunity to speak with them.

Over the course of our ten-day cruise, this happened several times. I learned that Chuck and Rana were experienced travellers. My first question was to ask where Rana did her business. After all, the decks of the ship were all smooth, clean and polished. Chuck explained that the shipping company provided a small grass patch of either real or artificial turf, at the back of the ship. Of course, he had needed to notify the company ahead of sailing time that he would be accompanied by his service dog so that all this could be arranged. Naturally enough, only certified service dogs would be accommodated in this way. 

Rana seemed to take the whole experience in her stride and was indeed one of the better behaved guide dogs I have encountered. Full credit to Chuck for her daily training and also to the Seeing Eye School in New Jersey for her initial training. Chuck also had only good things to say about this particular guide dog school.

After hearing the accommodations Holland America had made for Chuck and Rana, I also have praise for the cruise line. I had registered as a legally blind passenger and once again I was happy with our own cabin assignment. We were allotted a cabin just at the bottom of a stairwell and elevator. I had no need to count down a myriad of doors to find our room. It was simply the first one as we rounded the corner. I also found the staff in the dining areas very helpful. Lyle and I are already looking forward to the next time we can enjoy a cruise experience.

The picture below is of Chuck, Rana and myself.  It was taken on gala night and so we are all looking quite spiffy!

Chuck, Rana, and Sue

October 26 - White Cane Reconnections

It has been five years now since I did my series of walks across Canada using my white cane and meeting other white cane users. When I have the opportunity to reconnect with people I met as part of that trek, I still get quite excited, and so it was when our cruise ship stopped in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

When Lyle and I were in Sydney five years ago we met with a group of people from the CCB group there. CCB stands for Canadian Council for the Blind and there is a very active chapter in Sydney. In fact, the national president, Louise Gillis is part of the group, as is Christina Lewis who is a board member. As well, several of the group are part of a blind curling team. Each year this team participates in the blind curling tournament held in Ottawa during white Cane Week. In 2012, the team walked away with the Bronze placement and when we met with Chris this past week, she informed me that they had done the same in 2016. The team is the only all female group to participate in the tournament.

When we met with Raymond and Chris in Sydney, I was pleased and not too surprised at how easily it was to slip into conversation. The connecting thread of visual impairment is a starting point of mutual interest. I listened as Raymond and Chris told us of the efforts of their local CCB group to promote and awareness of people who are blind or partially sighted. Raymond, who has struggled with the challenges of partial sight for most of his life, has been especially active with fund raising among the local businesses. Chris, as well as being a CCB board member, is part of the curling team.

As well as speaking of issues specific to Sydney, our conversation then strayed to other trends and challenges facing people with vision loss. I was grateful to both Raymond and Chris for meeting with us and also cheered with how easily it was to reconnect with other white cane users across the country. Somehow or other this connection with other people who have similar challenges with vision loss helps to break down barriers of isolation  and of being the only one in the crowd.

In the picture below, I am sitting with Raymond and Chris having coffee and conversation.

Raymond, Chris, and Sue having coffee

October 18 - Charlottetown

My friend, Shirley, says that life on a cruise ship is quite decadent, and I think she is right.  Good food, good entertainment, and no responsibilities - what could be better!  There are also great places to see on the way.

Today we are in Charlottetown, the birthplace of confederation, and of course, home of the fabled Anne of Green Gables.  We were in Charlottetown five years ago at the height of the summer. and I found walking around the city a little difficult.  At that time the crowds were out in full force.  Now in the fall it is quiet and we have a full day to explore the city at our leisure without the crowds.  People have been friendly and it is relatively easy to find our way around. 

The first picture with this post shows me standing with my white cane beside the welcome sign at the port. The second is "Sue of Green Gables"!

Sue in front of big sign

Sue of Green Gables!

October 16 - Quebec City and Clean Pumpkins

We are in Quebec City and as we walked around Old Town there were many pumpkin displays.  They were all as clean as a whistle because unfortunately for us the weather forecast of 100% chance of rain proved to be 100% correct!  The pumpkin displays and everything else was washed clean by the rain.

There are two pictures with this post.  In the first one I am standing in front of some pumpkins.  In the second one I am standing outside the Chateau Frontenac.

Sue and pumpkins

Sue in front of the Chateau Frontenac

As a postscript, I want to tell you a funny story.  Last night as Lyle looked over our balcony there was no rain but a very heavy fog. He commented that he couldn't see anything - not even the water in the St. Lawrence River. I said that it was probably the way I saw most of the time.  Now comes the funny part. Lyle said that he guessed that we were both in the same boat.  I laughed because we were indeed in the same boat - figuratively and literally.  We are on a cruise ship!

October 8 - Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here and with it has come a change in the weather. Some of you might be celebrating the new season and others might be more like me, and commiserating. Winter isn’t my favourite season and autumn certainly heralds its arrival. I think that one of the reasons for my attitude is that I find it more difficult to get around. I have noticed a difference even in these past two weeks.

In our town there is a paved walking trail beside the river. In the summer, I am usually able to negotiate this alone and without the aid of my cane. I stick to the very right side of the trail, and with my partial vision I can usually distinguish between the grey of the paving and the green of the grass. I can tell when I veer off the path when my right foot feels the softness of the grass instead of the hard pavement. In the fall, all this seems to disappear.

I was quite happy when two weeks ago the leaves on the trees had changed to a golden splendour. I was not as happy when the first wind stripped those same leaves from the branches and landed them in thick heaps along my walking trail. The edges of the path were no longer distinguishable. I could no longer tell if I was walking on leaves, path or grass. A second wind has now blown most of the leaves off the trail, but with its own regularity, I know that winter will soon bring snow.

But...I have titled this post Happy Thanksgiving so I won’t grumble any more. We will have family with us for the Thanksgiving weekend and I will cook the traditional turkey. Not everyone can be so fortunate. I am counting my blessings and wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving however you choose to celebrate it.

In the picture below I am standing on the walking trail with a golden haze of autumn leaves in the background. 

Sue with autumn leaves