...trying to keep a calm and casual looking fireman facade on the outside but secretly I can't wait till Erica and Van arrive on the plane Saturday with my east coast granddaughter, Ka'mya. Not knowing if Ka'mya will except this gruff old man, Billy Blaze. Blaze rides around pedaling strangers in his rickshaw. Blaze also talks too loud, being around so much equipment noise when he was younger, he can't hear anymore. The suspense of not knowing if Ka'mya will like you as her grandpa, is yes a bit unnerving even for me. Contemplating the adventures Ka'mya and I will have during the next week brings back memories of when my own children were still young...
One of my proudest times when Erica was growing up is when she decided and talked me into helping her raise a Seeing Eye Dog through our local 4H Club. The want-to-be Seeing Eye puppy was introduced into our family when she was just a rolly-polly bundle of fur. "Sooner" had already been named by the Seeing Eye folks before she arrived in Oregon. Erica's job basically was to let the new, temporary member of our family, be a puppy for the first year. To let Sooner experience puppy things like chewing up Ericas' favorite tennis shoe toe, wetting on the carpet and chasing the cat around the house. Seeing Eye Dog rules expressly forbid the student master from hitting the Tasmanian Devil puppy with her hand or scolding using too harsh of a voice. It took great patience and determination from Sis while raising this puppy. While all the time when she was feeding, grooming and cleaning up after Sooner, in the back of Erica's head she knew she would not get to keep this new found friend. The second year was spent training Sooner the basic doggy obedience rules. Wearing the green "Seeing Eye Dog in Training" cape, Sooner went everywhere with our family. Sooner slept by Erica's bedside. Sooner was taught not to chase cats anymore and to be nice in public.
Finally the day came when Sooner had to be sent back to the Seeing Eye Dog training facility in San Rafel. Very few of the dogs that get sent back to the facility actually make it all the way through the constant training and personality traits that it takes to become a real Seeing Eye Dog. If a dog is not chosen to become a Seeing Eye Dog for one reason or another you get to have your dog back, to live its' life out with your family. So on one hand you hope your family pet fails and gets to come back home but on the other hand you want your trainee to succeed so she can go on and pursue her life as a service animal.
After several months, word finally arrives... Sooner has made the cut. She will become the eyes for a blind person. As a reward to the young person who raises one of these award winning dogs they are invited to San Rafel to present the new Seeing Eye Dog to the recipient. As a proud dad hiding in the back of the crowd that day, trying to not show tears. Boy that was a emotional moment for me watching my beautiful young daughter hand the leash over to Sooner's new master.
Finally the day came when Sooner had to be sent back to the Seeing Eye Dog training facility in San Rafel. Very few of the dogs that get sent back to the facility actually make it all the way through the constant training and personality traits that it takes to become a real Seeing Eye Dog. If a dog is not chosen to become a Seeing Eye Dog for one reason or another you get to have your dog back, to live its' life out with your family. So on one hand you hope your family pet fails and gets to come back home but on the other hand you want your trainee to succeed so she can go on and pursue her life as a service animal.
I don't know how more proud Blaze's Dad could have been of his grand daughter, Erica and her dedication in training of Sooner and then knowning that she would be giving up Sooner in the end. So then when the notice came and the family was invited to come to San Rafel, PaPa Lisle donated some money toward travel expenses and we had mixed feelings of being proud, knowing Sooner would be helping someone else but also how hard this would be for Erica and all our family. But what stays in my mind the most was the fact that PaPa Lisle was very ill and Erica made a point of bringing a handwritten "Thank You," card with a likeness of Sooner, pictures and told in detail the account of meeting the lady and telling Sooner,"Goodbye," on Tues. evening. So for a few days PaPa Lisle reread that note, showed it to all his friends and felt he had been able to contribute something which he hadn't been able to do otherwise, then he past away the following Friday. Little did Erica know that she had made his last few days so much more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteHow I remember the day that Erica came walking in the front yard with this little reddish/gold puppy in a green 4H vest that was way to big. Was in March near St. Patrick's and the inside of the puppy's ear were green, which made me think this was a silly thing to do. Turned out to be the antiseptic dye from having the ID tattoos. So for a time we got to watch little Sooner while Erica was at school and Sooner became house broke. She like to lay on a little rug that PaPa Lisle put his feet on, until one day I was ask to get them a bigger rug as she seemed to grow so fast. Sooner seemed to sense that PaPa Lisle had good and bad days, so would nudge his leg or lay her head on his leg, then lay down. But on the good days she wanted a pet or ask for a treat. When school was out for the summer we missed Sooner but she came often to visit and watched her progress and grow into her green 4H service vest. Also remember the last day Sooner came to visit and we said our "Good Byes," as she was going back to San Rafel. A short ime later, with tears in his eyes, PaPa Lisle ask for the small rug back.
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