Off We Go!

(Told through guidedog Vivi)

Surely she sees me standing on the step waiting for my morning walk. But she is listening to something on that thing in her hand she says is a phone, and she’s smiling at something inside her head again. If I could read her mind I’d be sure she’s thinking of people I don’t know that she calls Mama, Daddy, Larry or Mammaw and … oops, there’s this dog she calls Brownie. I bet he’s not as pretty as me this Brownie dog, but he wags his tail hard and scratches fleas. Somebody needs to buy him some flea medicine.

Now she’s singing. I wag my tail too, hard enough to hit the front porch wall, but she keeps on singing. I go over and lick, lick, lick and she hugs me and promises me a walk in just a little while. 

“After the trash trucks are gone,” she says. They are really noisy, those trash trucks. They drown out that thing she holds in her hand that makes noise and they drown out her singing. I lay back down at the top of the steps and work hard to zero in on her thoughts. Can she think and sing at the same time?

I guess so because now she’s thinking about little children she calls Kevin and Christi. I know a Kevin and a Christi but they are grown up people. 

Christi and Kevin as children

And … oops, there’s this other dog they call Princess. I’d like to play with Princess. I think about Stella, my best friend and wonder where she is. Is she with that Christi person and Taylor? I love Taylor and that person Brittany… I wonder when they are ever coming over to play.

Stella

More friends! 

There’s a squirrel sprinting across the yard! I stand up and stare but don’t dare run off the step or she’ll quit singing and yell at me. 

 

Oh boy! She’s standing up and opening the door for us to go outside but … she passes right on by my leash without stopping and goes into the office. Surely not another long day of her working! I lose hope and know I’m probably fixing to snore.

What was that?! She’s standing up and changing shoes! This is a good sign. I try to lick her feet to be sure they are clean before she slips on that shoe but she pats my head and says “get back silly girl,” just like she does when I pounce on her pillow so she can’t get in her place in bed at night. She’s getting a doggy bag from behind the door, rolling it up small, and sliding it in the front of that thing she calls a bra. 

I think we’re just about ready for a walk when she turns around and goes into the room where that big water bowl is that she won’t let me drink out of. She closes the door and I lay down at the front door, still hoping. Finally she comes out, forgets she already has a bag and gets another one, then laughs and puts it back. Now, it’s time for sure! She picks up my harness and my leash! I’m so excited I jump around and try to lick her face, reaching up as high as possible. She tells me to stay or we’ll never get that harness and leash snapped. I can’t be still and keep on doing my excited dog dance. The leash gets snapped and I stand beating the front door with my tail. She picks up that thing she says is a phone, grabs two pieces of sugar free peppermint, opens the front door, closes and locks it and there goes that squirrel! Oh I want to chase him in the worst way! Instead I do another little happy dance as I realize if I chase that squirrel I’ll be grounded for the rest of the day and she’ll just think, sing, and play or work and I’ll never get a walk. I remember just in time to stop at the curb. She steps down, I concentrate on everything around us but mostly what might be in her way. We’re clear for take-off! Off we go!