Paws on the Street Part Thirty – Visitation – Staycation – Please? Only a Summer Cold

By Patty L. Fletcher and: Chief Seeing Eye® Dog Blue

07/19/2022

Sunday, my daughter Polly, Son in Law Nathan and six amazing grands arrived with lots of happy times planned. One thing we were all looking forward to was visiting with one another.

Those of you who follow mine and Blue’s goings on know, Blue and I have been working extra hard on Blue’s visiting skills both in and out of harness.

Well, let’s let it be known, all that arduous work paid off in a Big, Blue Doggy Way!

Yesterday, after they’d all spent the morning enjoying one of our many amazing and quite gorgeous parks Polly and Nathan dropped the kids back at the rental and dashed over to pick Blue and me up.

We’d been texting back and forth, so knowing they were close, I decided to take Blue to relieve one last time. Though I can easily relieve him anywhere, I prefer, when possible, to relieve him at home.

Anyhow, as Blue and I were turning right and starting up the hill to one of the spots I’ve designated a park area for him Polly and Nathan pulled into a parking spot in the lot just to our left.

Though Blue was between them and me, when she called, “Hey mom!” and I turned to speak, he stood still awaiting my next command.

Once I’d told Polly what I was doing, I turned commanding, “OK Blue, forward. Hup Hup! Park time.”

Blue went bouncing up the walk with only a brief look back asking, “Hmmm? What’s up with that van monster and those two legs?” However, we got going on autopilot and before I could stop us, had turned toward the dumpster.

Quickly turning us, I said, “Ho! Blue! Right! Right! Let’s go to park time. Sorry, no dumpster right now.”

For Blue going to the dumpster is a great source of pride because we can get to it from various directions, and he’s mastered everyone.

Once he’d taken care of his necessary, Blue bounced from foot to foot while having his harness buckled back into place and Woosh! No sooner than my hands took harness and leash, he was dashing back down the hill to the interesting van. He didn’t know fur sure, but he thought it might be important.

I went along for the ride, for Chief Seeing Eye® Dog Blue was on the case and wouldn’t be denied. Knowing he had things well in hand, I was happy to follow along observing my Big, Blue Dog’s awesome behavior as we flew.

Sensing we were drawing close to the van again, turning my body from waste up in a slightly right-hand direction I stated firmly, “OK Blue, Hup, right. Hup, Hup, Right.”

Once I had him going to the curb I urged softly, “Good dog, show me that curb.”

Let me make clear, “Show me that curb” is not a Seeing Eye command.

I found, there are times when Blue can become easily distracted and keeping a low dialog with him seems to help him focus on nothing else but me. (Whatever it takes).

Anyhow, when we stepped down and I gave permission for Polly to pet and say hi, as I was getting ready to say, “OK Blue sit. Rest.” He sat, straight, tall, and proud like the little gentleman I always knew lived inside the pup.

Polly was pleased and I nearly cried with pride. Sitting while being greeted especially by someone new is hard for my big bouncy guy so I was quite happy.

When Blue saw Polly had opened the backdoor of the van, Whoosh! Back on overdrive, Blue dashed passed causing me to adjust the side-mirror and when he stomped overtop Polly’s foot removing her sandal as he went a moment later, she called, “Oh boy! Blue flat-tired me.”

“Sorry.” I called back. “Told you he was a bit bouncy.”

At first, I was embarrassed but Polly seemed unconcerned, so I relaxed and began to enjoy visiting.

On the way back to their rental we chatted about everything and nothing at all. It was so wonderful to see Polly and Nathan, I couldn’t believe it and Blue was sneaking loving by sticking his head into the front seat. He really did start melting hearts the moment we met up in the parking lot.

When we finally arrived at their rental house after a stop at Starbucks where I was introduced to iced vanilla Chai Tea, (sure could drink one of those now), after I’d gotten myself and Blue out of the van Polly asked, “Would you like me to guide you, or will he follow?”

“He would follow but I’d like a chance to see how things are, so I know more what to tell him.”

I took her arm and stated, “OK Blue, heel.”

Although excited and pulling just a tad, Blue behaved well going up onto the porch and through the door.

I let Polly get passed and in front of us once we were through the door and had Blue follow through the house.

I decided, if we could follow her through a new place full of kids and toys we could go anywhere. 😊

As expected, Blue did fine only getting slightly distracted once. Soon, we were settled with me on the couch and Blue laying in the floor with the kids starting to come and say hello.

It quickly became apparent that Blue was going to enjoy the kids in a big way and shortly after I decided he was going to do fine, I removed his harness and allowed him to lay in the floor being careful to keep the leash around my wrist.

At first, Raven, who is almost two was unsure of the big dog in the floor but once he saw others hanging out down there, he slowly decided to give hugs. Then, once he got started, he didn’t want to stop. It was great.

It was great when Blue got to get out of his harness and give a big, bouncy wiggle. It was great when he went from person to person stretching his leash as far as it would go one way and then another. And it was Rockin’ hysterical funny when Blue figured out Raven the tiniest of the two legs might be the one to hang out with because it turned out he had no worries about handing out extra food.

“If it was such a wonderful time, how come you’re sitting at your desk writing in stead of visiting again today?” You’re wondering.

Good question.

Answer, possible COVID Exposure.

For the past few days, I’ve been suffering with what I was fairly sure was a summer cold. I’d told Polly about it and because I wasn’t feeling sick, and it appeared Lucy might have the same thing we didn’t have me test.

While this was going on, I was being lazy with email and didn’t catch an important note from a friend until I finally sat down early this morning to catch up.

While rubbing my stuffy nose I opened an email which read something like this…

“Hi Patty, I’m just writing to let you know after I saw you last week, I started getting sick and have tested positive for COVID.”

For a moment, I only sat there in disbelief. I’d snuggled the kids they’d all petted blue who lays on top of me every chance he gets, and Raven had even come and sat right beside me. So had several others during the afternoon and of course me and Polly hugged right there in the parking lot after she’d been introduced to Blue.

“Gods, I’ve contaminated them!” I wailed.

I sat there, tears running down my face, trying to figure out how to tell Polly this news.

Finally, after I’d gotten the worst of the shock through my system, I decided to tell her straight out. Dictation, my stuffy nose, and upset weren’t playing nice together so, I finally recorded a message.

As soon as the doctor’s office opened, I called KATS to see what they had available for trips today, took a 12:30 slot and then called the doctor’s office and made an appointment.

Now, here I am at just after 5 in the evening, no doctor has returned my call with test results so I’m sitting here in quarantine a very unhappy camper.

Please pray the test comes back negative and that someone takes the trouble to phone back this evening.

Well, this is an incredibly sad, pent-up Patty and her ever faithful Chief Seeing Eye® Dog Blue who wants to see the tiny two legs saying,

May Harmony find you and blessid be.

*Author’s Note*

Currently all my works are 50 percent off during the summer winter Smashwords sale at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1056347

About Patty L. Fletcher

Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.

To learn more visit: https://pattysworlds.com/

PS. The friend who wrote me had no idea where they may have come in contact and was not sick when we were together. So, they had no way to know either.