Opal is a good looking dog. I’m her ‘mum’, so naturally I think she’s drop-dead gorgeous. I have an interesting theory on why strangers find her equally beautiful. It’s simple, really. She sticks out because of her harness (and me attached to the end of it). People notice her on buses and in restaurants and [...]
Actually, traditional parades do not appeal to me. They are loud and crowded and frighten Opal. (We accidentally wandered into the Pride parade last year and she was blasted with silly string and streamers. The whistles and loud music didn’t help either.) A parade we do enjoy, or at least tolerate, is the monthly shopping [...]
It is no secret that I have a tenuous relationship with the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). I’ll grant that they have good O & M instructors (Orientation and Mobility), but my praise stops there. I am grateful that they taught me good caning skills. That’s what they do best, are supposed to [...]
My friend has a son who is in a Scout project. They are collecting old eyeglasses which will be processed and distributed to people in developing countries who would otherwise not be able to afford corrective lenses. If you have a pair or two (look in that sock drawer!) somewhere, consider mailing them to the [...]
One of the most valuable pieces of advice that I learned from our instructor while training with Opal at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind in Manotick, Ontario, was: ‘Always sort your dog out’. Let me explain. Guide dogs are, in the end, just dogs with special training. They are vulnerable to the same desire [...]
THIS FROM MARKETWIRE: “On April 21st, Canada Post issued its first ever Braille stamp featuring Guide dogs. The domestic rate stamp will have the denomination in both print and Braille. The stamp is being issued to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Association for the Blind which is also being recognized with a [...]
I first noticed something extraordinary when I started appearing in shops and on buses with Opal, my Guide dog; people had a totally different response to me….they were friendlier, more helpful, more apt to interact, and more cognizant of my blindness. This sad reality left me with mixed feelings. I was conflicted; I loved my [...]
Earth Day is coming up on Tuesday. While most churches carried on with their typical fair today, the Universalist Unitarian church of Halifax’s celebrated Earth Day. It began with Raffi’s ‘Big Beautiful Planet’ song, followed by opening words from the UN Environmental Sabbath Program. The Gaia singers performed and coaxed the congregation into rather lovely [...]
Yesterday started out like any other day. I stumbled out of bed at 5:30 after Opal gave me her usual wake-up kiss. We normally greet the day before most everyone in our building. I like that. The air seems fresher then and the city is quiet, except for the resident crows and the sound of [...]
Guide dog schools often have a breeding program. Dams and sires are retained to breed pups that will one day become Guide dogs for the blind. At least, that’s the intention. From the moment the pup is born, it will be evaluated to determine its potential as a guide dog. If the pup meets the [...]
Opal has been my Guide dog for two years. It has suddenly hit me that we are 1/4 through her working life. This realization both shocks and frightens me. It seems like “we’ve only just begun”.. as the Carpenters crooned long ago. The frightening part is that I can not imagine my life without her, [...]
Why go through the agony of going to a traditional court, when you can access the Court of Public Opinion? In recent months, I have slogged away in an attempt to force our local transit company to publicly announce what they have been saying to me behind closed doors… (actually a series of correspondence through [...]
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