cold cold days

Hi everybody:

You know by now that this past weekend was one of the coldest we have come across in a while. Mr Wheelchair Daniel had invited Chris to watch football with him. Apparently that was not on TV, but at courtside or however you call it with football. Sorry, I am more familiar with tennis vocabulary.

Chris and I got up really early, because outside there was a huge car. She looked at the outside temperature and found that it was -10° celsius. She decided that she didn't want to come out of the football watch as Frosty the Snowman, so later she called Daniel to say that we weren't coming.

Had I known that I was to be dropped off at Basti's place (Daniel's family dog), I would have cheered there and then.

 

So we stayed at the heater and got roasted, as Chris calls it, until she received an SMS from Daniel inviting her for coffee at his parents' place. It was really cold in his car when he picked us up. I jumped in like a rocket and gave him a huge happy kiss. I am allowed to kiss Daniel, because he has accepted that that is my means of communication. Chris still cannot be convinced that licks are good.

 

Basti greeted me, and Chris was greeted by Daniel's parents, and then we settled in the livingroom. There I spotted a major temptation. The kitchen is very easily accessible, there is no door to be shut. So I took several tries to enter that treasure place. At first I ran in but got called byck by Chris. Then I casually got up, walked around, took a long route along the back of the livingroom and slowly made my way to the kitchen. Chris also noticed that and called me back, and I had to lie still by her sofa, wasn't even allowed on it. Basti walked around and looked at me. But at one point Chris discovered that I was hungry, so she fed all the treats from her clicker bag to me, and even gave some to Basti. We had a feast, that much is for sure.

 

The next day it got even colder, and Chris only took me for walks twice. It got as cold as -15 °, so yesterday in the morning she put on an extra layer of clothes. Today she says it is warmer.

 

And before i leave to go see the friend tomorrow, it is human Christmas time, and Shadow and his friends were celebrating Yalda last night. So whatever you are celebrating, we wish you loads of yummy food, many presents and a lot of fun whatever you are doing. Chris sends hugs and I send licks, Yours, Hapoo.

I am really getting older!

Hello everybody:

 

It is set now, I am getting older. But I am also getting spoiled.

Mr Wheelchair hasn't been at work for a while now. I keep looking out for him, so I can guide Chris towards him and pick up my pets. One of these days at work without the Mr Wheels another lady came, and we walked to pick up Chris' coat. Then a man accompanied us outside, and they talked about the way walking between the gate and the entrance door.

Two of the colleagues who are blind use their canes, and they have trouble locating the entrance door. I know now why I am there, Chris says with me walking these distances is so easy. They were talking about setting up a line that can be felt with the feet or the cane, and they needed Chris' input. Then they went back upstairs and Chris kept on working. In the afternoon I met the same lady and her friend in the room in the back wing where we usually go for the morning meetings. The humans had coffee and talked, and then Chris and I walked home - or so I thought.

 

when I announced the right turn towards the stairs that lead to our home indirectly, Chris praised me, turned me around and told me to walk on I thought she doesn't know what she's doing, but for once she did. I found the traffic light for the streetcar crossing, got praised and told to walk on, and then I knew where we were going. I raced to find the right turn, stopped at the first entrance way of a house, flew to the second and ran up the stairs. Mr Wheels opened the door, we took the elevator, and he was waiting upstairs to finally greet me. I smelled the parent's dog and got to see him in his computer and bedroom, where he was still busy doing something. Then we went into the livingroom, and soon the doorbell rang. Of course I barked until the person was upstairs. I wanted to go and impress him with my noisy voice, but Chris didn't let me. Mr Daniel wheelchair brought two boxes of pizza - I wish I could have gotten a bite, but in this Chris is unbreakable - no food when she is intending to eat it. Okay, I agree I don't share mine either, but she doesn't want it either. After they had finished, Chris told me that I could lie on the couch, and that was fantastic. I stretched out there and rested my head on Chris' knee and took a wonderful and relaxed nap. When you have your head on her lap, she cannot escape with you taking notice of ht.

When it was time to go home I really found the way all by myself, and Chris was really proud. I even showed her the traffic light again and then ra home. it was freezing cold.

 

Yesterday we finally had snow on the ground, but I tossed in it and walked in it and that was it. I remember when I was younger I danced with joy when I saw the white cover on the grounde. But I think I am getting old, I need no more huge jumping.

Allright, Chris wants to turn off the computer and then get ready so we can go to work, cheers and see you later, Hapoo.

So many children!

Hi everybody:

 

Now it has been quite a while, but here we go, I have to tell you about an adventure. Exactly a week ago Chris and I got up early. She had breakfast, but she took time getting ready for work. And when she did, she had one additional bag in her hand. She did not harness me up, but instead we walked a few steps until a car stopped and Chris was greeted by a colleague. They put me and the bags and themselves into the car, and then off we went to a street I have never known. We then entered a quiet building and a room, where Chris put all her things around a chair. Then we sat on a couch, well at least the ladies did, and talked. Then finally we walked back into the room, this time it was full of many children, a lady and a man.

Chris started talking and listening to all the kids, while I stretched out by her side.

She talked about how she can write and read with her fingers. Every child had a little pad on which they shaped their initial letter. And then one by one five of them came forward to pin letters on their pads, and put together they shaped my royal name. Then the kids sat down, and Chris took the noisy braille writer out of her bag. She showed them how she can press down the keys and thus generate those mysterious points on the paper. and then she showed them the slate and stylus, which used to be her companion on trips before the notetakers. Finally she showed them how she can type into her laptop without a monitor, and how it talks to her. She noted down everybody's name and had it spelled to her in either English or German..

And then she had me sit beside her, and all the children were so eager to pet me, it was fun. One by one they came, offered me their little hand for a Hapoo kiss and gave me a quick scratch on the head, even the lady did. And then they all sat back down and asked Chris many many questions, which she patiently answered. She says she was their teacher for a little while.

And then they all sang a song for her. Finally Chris received presents, which she was very delighted about. She got a Christmas star, made without a single drop of glue, and a CD, and a little set of Christmas decoration wich smells like the trees in the forrest. And then all the kids ran outside, and Chris and the lady and I followed slowly. Chris nad a little talk with the man, who had quietly been sitting in the back of the room all the time, and then we all left. The lady, Chris' colleague and the mother of one of the children, took us home. We ran outside, Chris dashed through the apartment like there was no tomorrow, and then we ran off to work, where where I finally had the chance to relax.

 

A few days later she took out the braillewriter and typed the children's names, and then we took the paper to the colleague. She came back and reported that the children were really eager to find their names.

Have a good day everybody, I am having one at work, cheers, Hapoo.