Desperate Barn-wives

These are the tales of the deperate barn-wives. Edie, Smidgeon, Ezra, and now Lion all reside in the usually sunny hill of Storybook Farm. It is not enough for these ladies to rest alone, they must endure the company of the ever-macho Billy and the "other" lady other wise known as Hairy Beast. Hairy Beast is a nursing mom who has the luxury or not, depending on how you look at it, having her son in the pasture with her. I say it's time to cut the apron strings! This baby is fast approaching his Mom's size. What mother wants to put up with the demands of her bullish son? Just say, "No!"
Meanwhile, Lion has recently moved into the neighborhood. She hails from Echo Farm... a place where her fellow friends were making pudding. She may be lonely, because she moved from a farm of 100-150 ladies to Storybook Farm. Surely, she gets undivided attention by Farmer Knisley, but it's a lonely night up in the pasture after the Hairy Beast bullies you into staying away. Get a backbone, Lion! Live up to your name.... before you are renamed Mouse.
Smidgeon is Lion's longtime barnmate from Echo Farm. They haven't seen each other for over a year now. Smidgeon's delight was quite apparent when Lion came to live at Storybook Farm as she literally danced around the yard. Ever seen a cow dance? It was funny!
Hopefully, these ladies will all get along despite the bully Hairy Beast. Perhaps she'll be moving on to another farm, who knows....

What are friends for?

I have been thinking quite a bit about friends lately. I have some really great friends! Being profoundly deaf has made it a little harder to listen in on conversations and to contribute to them as well. I often find myself just listening instead of jumping in. Anyone out there who thinks otherwise...let me know!!
Back to friends... I have a friend, Carrie, who is awesome! When we were in 7th and 8th grade I was into music, like most young kids are.... I can hear the sounds of the beats and the person singing... if I'm lucky, but I cannot understand what the lyrics are. So, back before lyrics were printed and before the internet... Carrie would write down the lyrics of certain songs that I liked. I helped however I could by stopping and starting and rewinding and playing back the song until she was sure that she got the word right. Over time, I had compiled a big binder full of lyrics. Many more friends helped me out and contributed their efforts. The one friend who comes to mind is Carrie!
So, thank you... Carrie... for being a great friend and writing down all those lyrics for me. Remember ??? Pour some sugar on me... oh, yeah... from my head to my feet....
Some things stick in your mind forever!

Ginny and Marlene Graduate!

The completion of our training as a Hearing Dog Team is attending the graduation ceremony. Check out the link below for time and place. Basically, it's coming up! It is an inspiring event where hundreds of guests gather to welcome new Assistance Dog teams and recognize their hard work. This graduation class is probably between 15 and 20 dog teams. They include service dogs, lap dogs, hearing dogs, social dogs, and therapy dogs. I hope you can make it! It is a special event in the life of an Assistance Dog team.
Spring Graduation Information

Baby Pigs

January 28th was a significant day on Storybook Farm. Dad called me to the barn just as he was finishing up milking for the night. He grabbed the veterinarian guide book, which was overdue, and we helped to deliver 11 baby pigs! What an inspiration! The mama was agitated and we gave her a little wine to help relax her. Wish I had that kind of relaxation with my girls. : ) Mahala's class named the three boys and eight girls. The names included Sparky, Padmay, Cheryl Crow, and Peter Pan.

Ginny and Me

Ginny and I recently completed training at the NEADS campus in Princeton, MA. What a wonderful experience! It was a lot of work, but we completed our certification test. Ginny and I are now officially a Hearing Dog Team.
She accompanies me to work at Franklin Pierce College two to three times a week. Another new adventure for us!
At home Ginny alerts me to the sounds that I have difficulty hearing-- a doorknock, tea kettle, microwave, telephone and also alarm clock. She is doing great! She doesn't know how much I need her, but she knows that I'll give her a good reward when she tells me about a sound.
Good dog, Ginny!