I love cross country skiing. It’s exhilarating, it tests your balance and skill, and it’s fun. Sharing my life with my guide dogs is all inclusive. It doesn’t begin when the harness goes on and it doesn’t end when the harness comes off. Put those two things together and the next step becomes inevitable. Skiing…
Entering the house through the front door, I headed down the hall to my bedroom. After dropping my books on the desk, I changed into jeans, boots, and a light shirt. Grabbing a carrot from the fridge, I went out the door of the glassed-in porch. As soon as he heard the door slam, Buc…
When we bring home a new dog from The Seeing Eye, the instructions are clear. Keep things quiet. The dogs have been through a lot of changes in their short lives and the idea is to make the transition to their new home and new life as smooth as possible. Once in my home…
It was a dark and stormy day. It was the day I was going to The Seeing Eye to train with my sixth dog. The Delta Airlines app said the flight was still on time. James Spann wasn’t raising any alarms . . . yet. So, I hugged my Quan dog, told him he was…
Last Winter, Quan had a series of seizures. It was absolutely terrifying. I took him to the vet and called the school where he was trained. The consensus was to wait and see. I remember being told that, sometimes, a dog will have a seizure and never have another one. Unfortunately, this is not what…
“Suicide.” There, your computer didn’t blow up. Your phone didn’t burst into flames. If you want to empty a room in ten seconds flat start talking about suicide. While I am honest and open about my own suicide attempt, I am keenly aware that this honesty might be difficult for you – depending on…
In ordinary circumstances, Seeing Eye® dogs are trained to walk straight down a sidewalk and stop when they encounter an intersection. Recently, Jim, Quan, and I went for a walk around Bar Harbor. Towards the end of the walk, I felt Quan veer away from the sidewalk and into the adjacent park. We learn a…
June 6, 2022, is the 78th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy during World War II, also known as D-Day. In this article, we explore the growing alarm as, one after another, secret code words of the invasion began showing up as answers to crossword clues. Escalating Concerns In April of 1944, the London Daily…
There are many solemn ways to remember and honor those who have died in service to our country. There is the tradition of Taps Across America. At 3:00 pm, local time, Americans pause and listen to the 24 notes of taps. Another tradition involves the humble poppy flower. Since ancient times, the poppy has been…
Last week, we climbed a mountain. It was Schoodic Head and it was quite the challenge. I climbed with my guide dog, Quan, leading the way. Jim had our pet dog, Soldier. Soldier is getting up there in age and petered out as we neared the summit. “Want to go to the top on…