Bree loves Christmas. Lots of food, people she loves, presents, lots of food, relaxing, sleeping, lots of food.

Christmas is a really special time at our house. Not sure if dogs realise what it's all about, but they certainly get excited. Bree is no exception.

The photo above was taken recently when we decorated the Christmas Tree. Bree didn't seem worried. After all, she is a dog with many lights.

Under the Christmas Tree this year, we have a small treat for Bree - well actually there's two presents for her. One is her favourite treats, peanut butter flavoured sticks, which we call "Turkey Gurkey". The other I'm not so sure. It's from the kids.

Bree and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and thank you for the wonderful support you have all provided throughout the year. We hope to see you in the new year with some new articles about Me and Bree.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Bree never ceases to amaze me……

There can be no doubt, guide dogs do an amazing job. They are a visually impaired person’s eyes, ears, and stomach (in Bree’s case, and I’m sure a lot of other Labrador guide dogs too). They are also a visually impaired person’s constant companion. When I was organizing to get a guide dog, the trainer matched me with Bree because my family and I are quite active. We enjoy going to the beach, caravanning, going for long walks, and I enjoy running. I was also keen to partner up with a dog who would encourage me to get out in public more and be more engaging.

For six years, Bree has stomped the pavement with me and been my constant shadow when I was participating in Parkrun. Rain, hail, or sunshine, she would wag her tail and put one paw in front of the other.

I guess dogs are like people. Age catches up and injury is inevitable, especially if you are an active dog. About six months ago, my wife and kids noticed Bree was limping a bit. I had noticed her gait had changed a little too. I took her to the vets and the news wasn’t great. She had aggravated her Anterior Cruciate Ligament or ACL. I remember the vet took one quick look at her and said, “She’s done an footy player’s injury.”

I went home with a container of anti-inflammatory tablets for Bree and strict instructions that she do light duty. In other words, stop being a bouncy Labrador.
After a few weeks, and the family and I constantly stopping her from running around the house and back yard like a lunatic, she was good again.
Things were back to normal, or so I thought. Recently, she exhibited the same limping gait. Back to the vets we went and this time, they didn’t muck around. They did an x-ray and discovered the ligament on her left back leg was torn, quite badly and needed surgery.

Bree has now had her surgery. I’ve been told ACL operations for dogs have advanced recently. She was able to come home on the same day of her surgery. Right now, she has six to eight weeks of rest and recovery. I’ve been told, the first week or so will be sore and painful for her, and she won’t be able to run around like a headless chook. Chances of success are pretty high so I’m confident I will get Bree back to normal in no time.

There is going to be a few changes which I’m not too excited about. Obviously, life still goes on for me. I will still need to go to work. When I do, and Bree is looked after at home, I will have to stomp the pavements on my own with my cane and no other shadow next to me. It’s definitely different after relying on a guide dog to return to using the cane. On top of that, you don’t get to have the adventures like I always had with Bree.

Fingers crossed she comes back to work soon. I will miss her.

So, what have I learnt?
​
As reluctant as I was to get a guide dog all those years ago, I am inextricably linked to Bree. We make an unusual but effective team, and I can’t wait till she returns to normal action.

Do dogs get bored? Bree certainly does, and she’s not shy about telling everyone.

Bree never ceases to amaze me…

When you spend every day with a dog, there are things you observe which make you shake your head. As a guide dog, Bree has been trained to tolerate many different scenarios, such as large crowds, loud noises, and food distractions. She’s been trained, but sometimes the training goes out the window, especially the food distraction bit.
One trait she has which is amusing is she moans and groans at the most auspicious moments. She can tolerate sitting or lying in the same spot on the floor for about one hour before she lets you know she’s bored.

The first time I encountered this was when I was attending a day-long workshop. The workshop was intense, with extended periods of sitting down and listening. The timing of a comedian, Bree moaned very loudly right when the facilitator asked a question.

Another time was when I was working as a facilitator. Every time my co-facilitator spoke, Bree would let the world know she was absolutely bored and wanted things to move along so she could do more interesting things.

In my current employment role, I attend Board meetings and they can go for a few hours. On odd occasions, there’s a low, strained moan, like the sound of a balloon slowly going down.

My favourite incident was when my wife and I went to a community meditation class at our local library. For me, meditation is generally hit and miss. Sometimes, I get distracted with the gentle sound of the air conditioning, whereas other times, I’m off with the fairies, completely relaxed.

At this one time, I decided to lay on the floor, rather than sit on the chair. Bree lay next to me.

The sessions can go for twenty or thirty minutes. Bree thought better and decided half way through to set off the loudest moan I have ever heard from her, in a room completely silent. Then she decided to do some dog yoga and proceeded to do some lunging stretches, disrupting the whole class.

I haven’t been for a while, but if I did, I think I’ll leave Bree home.
 
So, what did I learn?
​
Some dogs have a short tolerance to boredom like humans. Bree takes it to a whole new and entertaining level.

Through Bree, I have been introduced to many people in my street. One such visit could have ended badly for Bree.

Bree never ceases to amaze me…

We are incredibly lucky. We live in a wonderful street with an eclectic collection of people, heritage, and culture. Not only is it one of the prettiest streets in town (I know, but I’m also bias), it really is a lovely place to live. For the most part, everyone is friendly, and we all look out for each other. There is no denying, I stand out like a sore thumb having Bree. Occasionally, I get stopped by my neighbours to have a small chat. Most of the time, they’re curious about Bree and the wonderful work she does.

The neighbors have also got to know her in diverse ways. Bree is an adventurous dog who loves exploring. No matter how many times you tell her not to go through the driveway and into the front yard, she can’t resist it.

As she has got older, she has become more bolder and gone exploring further. Once we found her down the end other street close to the highway. Another time, and this one frightened me. I was home alone with Bree, and I took her outside for a toilet stop. She normally walks around me, does her business, and then returns to the back door. This day, I assumed she was behind me, and I went in. Half an hour later, I was frantically looking in every room, calling her name and no response.

I thought she had wandered out the driveway and down the street. How was I going to look for her if I didn’t have a guide dog to help look for her? Just before I called for someone to come round to help look for me, I saw her sitting outside, near the back door.

The funniest one was when she snuck out through the front door as visitors were leaving. My kids and I went knocking on neighbour’s doors.
​
A few weeks earlier, we had new neighbors  with a large family move in a few doors down. I knocked on the door and a little girl, no older than five with two front teeth missing answered the door.

I asked, “Have you seen a big black dog?”

She replied “Yes, that’s my dog.”

Oh dear, how was I going to get out of this one. At that very moment, Bree bolted out the front door straight up to our house.
I remember is hearing the little girl yelling after Bree “Come back Princess!”

Let me tell you, I was relieved I got her back.
 
So, what did I learn?

Any time I take Bree outside, I have her on the lead. She’s a smart dog but sometimes, she’s too smart for her own good.

What do you get when you cross a taxi, a sneeze, and an egg? A recipe for a hilarious situation, all thanks to Bree

Bree never sneezes to amaze me…

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling, and the rain was falling sideways. To sum it up, it was a horrible night.
I had just finished a meeting and it was late. Rather than annoy my wife and make her go out in the cold to pick me up, I ordered a taxi. I was told over the phone there would be a twenty-minute wait.

Hiding in a small lean to of an office block, Bree and I managed to stay semi dry, until finally the taxi arrived.

Now, guide dogs are legally able to travel in taxis, as well as other public transport. As usual, she sits in the front with me, on the floor. Although there is a legal requirement for taxis and other public transport organisations to allow a guide dog to travel in their cars, I understand there are some taxi drivers who may feel uncomfortable having a dog in their car. Generally, I will disclose over the phone when ordering a taxi that I have a guide dog. This night, I didn’t.

I approached the passenger door, and the door was locked. The window was opened an inch and the taxi driver was frantically saying to me he couldn’t take me. Feeling wet and miserable, I pleaded with him. Reluctantly, he gave in, but said I had to sit in the back.

I asked him “You want me to sit in the back ......and the dog in the front?”

With more agitation, he said “No, no way. Both of you in the back.” So, we complied.

When I’m in a taxi, I try and start up a conversation with the driver. I’ve met some wonderful taxi drivers over the years, listening to their stories. This night, the taxi driver was not moving an inch. He sat as close to the steering wheel as possible, refusing to look at me, and especially at Bree.

We went along, and the rain got heavier. The windscreen was all misted and I had no idea where this guy was taking us. We turned a corner, and then suddenly Bree did an explosive sneeze. I will just digress here. When Bree sneezes, it’s very loud and shocking. If you’re not expecting it, it can be a little scary.

Anyway, back to the story. A second after she sneezed, the taxi driver made a noise which reminded me of a chicken laying an egg. I asked him if he was ok. With an octave higher, the taxi driver said he was ok.

We eventually made it home. I paid the fare, and the taxi driver didn’t look at us for the whole time. Within a second of jumping out and closing the door of the car, he was off like a bat out of hell.
 
So, what did I learn?
​
Best to notify when booking a taxi, I have a guide dog. Might save someone crapping themselves.

The measures we had to take to stop Bree from licking her wound.

Bree never ceases to amaze me…

Touch wood! I’ve been incredibly lucky when it comes to Bree’s health. Aside from eating odd things and throwing them up where she’s not supposed to, she’s got away with things, despite being an active working dog. Two years after having her, we were walking through some bushland not far from home. As usual, Bree went everywhere, sniffing every plant, bush, flower, odd garbage. You name it, she would have to inspect it with her nose.

When we returned home, we noticed she was sitting on her bed in the loungeroom, chewing at her front left foot, above her paw. We couldn’t see anything but obviously, something was irritating her. We cleaned it up and decided to watch her, hoping it would get better. By that evening, it did not. Her leg was soaking wet where she had licked it, and she was walking funny on that front paw.

The next morning, I woke her up, and a small patch of her leg was completely missing any hair. During the night, she had chewed all the hair around a spot the size of a fifty-cent piece. When this was discovered, the only thing we could do was to take her to the vet. What they discovered was a small grass seed had lodged itself in the skin. They removed it easily, but there was another problem. Dogs will clean just about anything. Bree couldn’t resist licking her leg where they had removed the seed, even though the leg was bandaged. The vet suggested Bree wear a cone for a few weeks. This would prevent her from getting at the sore.

Bree is an expressive dog. Her face and her body language tells you when she’s happy or sad. The expression I registered after putting on the cone (and you can see from the photo above) was absolute humiliation. The tail went between her legs and the head was drooped down. She was not happy. What also made it difficult for her was not being able to eat normally. I did remove the cone when she had her morning and evening meals, but she couldn’t forage for food. This was especially useful because she knows she’s not supposed to do this.

What made it more humiliating for her was, I still had to go to work, and I couldn’t leave her home alone. Reluctantly, and perhaps embarrassingly, she went along with me to work with the cone for two weeks.

I have never seen a happier dog, when after two weeks, the leg was healed, and I was able to take the cone off her head permanently.
 
So, what did I learn?

Dogs do have a sense of pride, and Bree was embarrassed bumping into other dogs while she wore the cone.

The unfortunate rewards of having a guide dog. Bree attracts people by just being a dog

Bree never ceases to amaze me…

It’s incredible when I speak to other people living with disability and the fact that they feel invisible in the community. I have experiences that myself, especially when I use the cane.
​
In one instance, I was walking along in a shopping centre with my cane, and I was nearly bowled over by three different people who actually said “Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
Don’t get me wrong. I like being a little unnoticeable. I have never felt comfortable being the centre of attention. I think a lot of it has to do with confidence. I don’t think I’m the only one who suffers from this, however at times, I would like to be noticed.

One of the biggest things I had to get over when I first got Bree was there was nowhere to hide with a guide dog. It’s a bold statement, telling everyone you’re blind. I have a friend who uses a wheelchair, and he totally understands where I’m coming from.

Despite the obvious image of having a guide dog, people are quite creative about how they approach the subject of me being blind. “What’s your service dog’s name?” they sometimes ask. I understand. They don’t want to appear ignorant, but I would never be insulted if someone came out and said, “What’s your guide dog’s name?”
The best one I ever had was jumping in a taxi and the taxi driver asking, “Is that a blind dog?” I couldn’t resist and said “Yes, she is. I’m her guide.”

An aspect of having Bree was made obvious to me by my wife one day. We went to the local public swimming pool. I tied Bree to a bench under some shade and went in for a swim with my wife and kids.

About five minutes later, we were in the middle of the pool and my wife said, “Have a look at Bree.” I couldn’t, it was too far, so I asked what was happening.

​She said, “She has three young women in very skimpy bikini around her, patting her.” My wife was extremely disappointed. Technically, I don’t let anyone just pat Bree without my consent, but in this situation, what was I meant to do? I said to my wife I should talk to the ladies. There was no way my wife was going to allow me to sort this out.

Meanwhile, Bree was lapping up the attention.
 
So, what did I learn?

If you no longer want to be invisible, get a guide dog. Then again, women notice the dog, not me.

Sometimes, things fall into my lap. One incident allowed me to skip lining up for hours

What can I say people....?

Since June 2018, there has not been a single day where I have been separated from Bree. From the time I get up to the time I go to sleep, she has been by my side – except for one period of about two weeks.
 
As a family, we have always enjoyed camping and travelling. The idea of travelling abroad had always appealed to us, especially my wife. A few years back, we decided to go on a cruise to New Caledonia. Unfortunately, if I decided to take Bree along with us, we would have had to put her in quarantine for two weeks, which was the whole holiday period. Because of this reason, we resorted to leaving Bree home with my in-laws. I think Bree was excited about spending time with nan and par who spoil her like a grandchild.
 
Minus Bree, I had to go back to using the cane. The cane is so much more concentration, but far less distraction. It has no tendency to look for food like Bree. I will admit, it took me a few days to get used to the idea of not having Bree make some of the decisions.
 
On the morning of our departure, I remember arriving at Circular Quay in Sydney and seeing this huge, white ship sitting there. It was a spectacular site. I had never been to Sydney before as well, so my eyes were wide open, taking in as much as possible. One thing I didn’t like was lining up like sheep in a run, waiting for officials to check our passports and tickets before boarding. I don’t really like lines.
 
Waiting there for about five minutes, and then a small man, wearing a uniform of a ship official, came over to me and said, “You guys can come with me to the assisted services line.” My mouth hit the ground. Before I could answer, the rest of my family were following the man, leaving me where I was. When I finally realized we no longer had to line up, I hurried after them. Both my kids yelled out to me “We are so lucky you’re disabled dad.”
 
We were the only ones in the new line. For a moment, I thought we were going to be searched to drugs or something. Two minutes later, we were at the buffet restaurant, overlooking the long line of people waiting to get on board.

So, what did I learn?

I consider myself someone who thinks everyone should be treated equally. When opportunities come to you and it goes against your principles, stick your principles, and enjoy a moment in the sun. Doesn’t happen always.

What happens when humans and nature collide? Nature always wins!

What can I say people …?

Years before I got Bree, and even before I got the cane, I was able to move around the community with no real mobility issues. Granted, my eyesight wasn’t fantastic, but it was miles from where it is today. An incident occurred down the street that made me think perhaps there might be a problem.
 
I was walking past the local shopping centre. There wasn’t a huge amount of people or traffic, however it was certainly not a ghost town. I came around the corner of a building when a bird crashed into my face.
 
You’re probably wondering if I’m pulling your leg. I can swear with my hand on my heart, the bird flew straight into my face. Both bird and I were knocked to the ground, a little stunned. I had a gash on the side of my head, profusely bleeding, whereas the bird was sprawled on its back, seeing stars.
 
An elderly lady had seen the whole incident and, not caring about how I was feeling, she was genuinely concerned for the bloody bird. She looked at me and said, “You walked into the bird.” Shocked at her statement, I picked myself up, put my handkerchief to my head and walked home.
 
When I got home, I walked into the lounge and my wife and her sister were talking and having a cuppa. They saw the handkerchief covered with blood and were concerned for me. I blurted out “A bird flew into my face!” I have never heard two people laugh so much in my life. I can understand the absurdity of the situation now, but at the time, I couldn’t believe that a bird got more sympathy than me and that my situation looked incredibly funny to other people.

So, what did I learn?

When I walk with Bree nowadays, any sounds of magpies or plovers makes me very nervous.

In public, I get a lot of assistance from strangers, but sometimes, my family forget I am visually impaired.

What can I say people …?

It is true, in public, strangers will bend over backwards to assist me. This can be great sometimes, whereas at other times, I feel like people think I’m incapable of looking after myself. As a proudly independent person, I like trying things before asking for assistance.
 
What fundamentally grounds me is my family. Don’t get me wrong, they help me in a lot of ways, but in others, they forget that I have a disability. They have also told me that from time to time.
 
We were invited to a function where we had to listen to some speeches and after the formalities, they had finger food and drinks. For about half an hour, my wife and I spoke to some of the participants, while my kids stuffed their faces with the absolutely amazing food. I have a theory about kids and food. Anything free is like Christmas to them.
 
Anyway, at the end of the day, my wife and I were talking to the event organiser and thanking her for inviting us. In a flash, my wife spun around and yelled to the kids to move it and get in the car. In the blink of an eye, my wife and kids were gone, and Bree and I were left standing by the door.
 
I didn’t move because I was in an unfamiliar venue, it was dark, and Bree was busy hoovering all the crumbs off the floor. We stood waiting there for about five minutes. Now, my wife doesn’t generally swear but on this occasion, she let it fly.
 
What had actually happened was she jumped in the car, with the kids and drove home. Once they got into the garage, both kids asked where I was and that’s when my wife realised I wasn’t in the car. With this realisation, she drove back to the venue, swore and apologised to me and then helped me to the car to go home.

So, what did I learn?

When it comes to my family, and we are leaving a venue, I now make a big song and dance so that they remember to take me along with them.

​When Bree and I are doing the Parkrun and how Bree tends to go on a whim and change direction and takes me through bushes.

Bree never ceases to amaze me….

One of the things I am most proud of doing is joining Parkrun. Parkrun is an international event held everywhere around the world on a Saturday morning at 8am. So, what happens is there’s a set 5km track which participants either run, jog or walk. It’s an excellent way to mix with different people in the community, whilst getting more active.
 
I joined parkrun in February 2019 after talking to a mate over dinner who had been a part of it for a few years. I remember saying to him that I would love to do something active but blind people can’t run.
 
Two days later, he rang me and said he spoke to the local organiser and there was a volunteer who would jog around the track with me. Feeling unsure, I said to my friend that I would give it a go.
 
What turned out to be an activity to get more active has opened a lot of things for me. I have been able to make new friends, connect with a variety of people in the community and also get fit. Each week, a different person would volunteer to run with me, which was great because it gave me a chance to learn their story.
 
At the start, I didn’t run with Bree. Guide dogs are trained to guide, however guiding in a running or jogging scenario is outside of their normal skills. After participating in Parkrun for about six months, I began by walking with Bree around the set 5km track. Other participants take their dogs and Bree loves to mingle with them, which can be a problem when I need her to focus. As time went on, she became better at guiding me and I would quicken the pace, to the point where we were running around the track in about half an hour.
 
On one particular day, she decided to take things on a whole new level. At the Parkrun  event I participate in, the track is concreted, with bushes on one side and a big blue lake on the other. It had rained the night before, so the grass and concrete were still wet. When it rains, it’s a little trickier for Bree to guide me because there are many smells.
 
The first kilometre was fine but then I noticed she was sniffing towards the grass more and more. There was a part in the track where it veered to the right. Bree chose to go left, and naturally I followed. Very quickly, I found myself in the bushes and almost up a tree. I was so grateful she didn’t choose to turn right sharply because we would have ended down an embankment of nearly 50m and into a big blue lake.

So, what did I learn?

It’s hard to say what I learnt. Whenever I run with Bree nowadays, I am very cautious. I challenge anyone to run with a dog blindfolded.

Asking for historical fiction audiobooks, only to receive raunchy erotic tales.

What can I say people …?

Years ago, way before I got a guide dog. Even earlier, before I got the cane, I was visited by the new local co-ordinator for the Royal Society for the Blind. The new person was friendly and very enthusiastic about introducing me to new adaptive technology that would, not only make my life easier, but also more enjoyable.
 
One of these items I was given on loan was a device called the Navigator. The Navigator was a device which allowed the user to plug into a set of headphones and listen to audiobooks or music. It was about the size of an old fashion mobile phone, with no screen, but it had about four or five buttons which allowed the user to go to the next song or choose a chapter in a book. It sounds complicated but the user, even blind, took only about half an hour to master it. All the songs or audiobooks sat on an SD card which could be installed easily.
 
The Royal Society for the Blind also had a service where you could choose from a list, the type of book you wanted to listen to or the genre and they would install it for you onto an SD card and send it to you.
 
The first time I filled out the form, I wasn’t too fussed about the author or the title of the book, however I wanted to choose the genre. I am a huge historical fiction reader. I absolutely enjoy anything like Bernard Cornwell or Patrick O’Brien. Stories that teach me about a period in history gets me interested, and I tend to go off and research about that period even further. So, on this occasion, rather than focus on specifics, I choose History as my preference.
 
About two weeks later, there was a small parcel in the mail. The SD card had arrived, and, in a letter, I was told that seven books were installed in the genre I chose. I was very excited, installed the SD card into the Navigator and looked forward in anticipation when I went to bed to listen to wonderful stories about the Ancients or Medieval Europe or Russian Revolution.
 
What I got instead, and sadly, I can’t remember the titles, were seven erotic stories. I can honestly say it wasn’t really what I expected. I would also like to say that the excitement I had in anticipation to listening to historical books changed tempo.
 
I rang the Royal Society for the Blind the next day and spoke to the person who installed the books for me. It was discovered that my request had been mixed up with another client, an elderly lady who had a secret passion for erotic stories. I’m afraid she would have been disappointed with the history stories sent to her.

So, what did I learn?

I learnt that there is a whole genre of literature I have never considered listening to. Interesting to say the least.

The trials and tribulations of picking up dog droppings when you're visually impaired.

Bree never ceases to amaze me….

I have often been asked by people how I pick up dog poo when I can’t see it. For those of you who have dogs, try and pick up some with your eyes closed. It’s like playing minesweeper.
 
The biggest problem I have is colour. Unfortunately, the way I see colour is a little skewed so when there’s a doggy deposit on a nice green grass, it just blends in with the grass.
 
When I did my guide dog training many years ago, I was surprised there was a bag you can purchase which is designed to sit on the end of the dog and the droppings go straight into the bag. The difficulties I can see with this idea is, sometimes a dog doesn’t announce when they need to drop one. I have enough trouble picking the dam thing. Imagine trying to put a bag on the end of Bree. She would be utterly confused.
 
In most cases, I deal with it quite ok. She has a pose, and her tail curls at the top indicating she has a present for me. I stand by her side and then once she finishes the withdraw, I bend down and pick it up with a bag and put it in the bin.
 
If I’m at home and it’s late at night and I can’t see it, or if it’s raining, I will just leave it and pick it up later. If I’m out and the same thing occurs, generally there is someone with me. Very rarely have I had to do it somewhere late at night on my own. God help me if that had to happen.
 
I have often wondered if Bree is the only dog who does this. When she finishes doing a number 2, she will move aside, letting me pick it up and she will start scraping her back legs in the grass. Often, I get a mouth full of grass and dirt. Does anyone have a dog that does that?
 
The most memorable dog poo incident I can recall was when Bree and I went for a walk. It was a particularly windy day and she decided to go when we were about halfway into our walk.
 
I put my hand into the bag, bent down to pick up the s!@# and then as I went to grab it, the wind blew the bag away, leaving me with a hand holding a mushy poo. It was the worse walk I have ever been on. Bree was even embarrassed to walk with me.

So, what did I learn?

Always ensure you have the plastic bad firmly on your hand before you pick up the toxic nugget.

Many acts of kindness in the community. How someone went in a round-a-bout way to help me.

What can I say people….?

Prior to getting my guide dog Bree, I used a white cane for about two years. A cane is far different to a guide dog. For starters, no s!@# to pick up. I will describe in a future blog how a blind man deals with picking up dog s!@#. A guide dog takes you round an obstacle, or they should. A cane identifies where obstacles are. It is a far more mentally straining exercise.
 
On an occasion, I was doing some shopping and I had come out of a shop near a round-a-bout. I stood there with my cane, trying to decide whether I wanted to return to the shop and purchase something. A car pulled up at the round-a-bout.
 
A middle-aged woman, well I can’t really see quite well but she sounded middle aged, called out to me “Oi, need a hand?”
 
Firstly, I couldn’t see if she was talking to me. Then she called out “You with the stick!” When I realized she was talking to me, she had jumped out of her car, walked over to me, grabbed my hand and frog-marched me across the other side of the round-a-bout.
 
She was very proud of herself and said “There you go mate. Now you can go where you want to go. Where ya off to?” I replied, “I was just trying to decide if I want to return to the shop I was in on the other side of the round-a-bout.”
 
The look I got, and I saw it, because she was close, looked like I had done a big fart. She grabbed my arm this time and dragged me back where I was originally on the other side of the round-a-bout, jumped in her car and sped off.
 
I have never heard a middle-aged woman swear so much in my life.

So, what did I learn?

​For those of you wanting to assist someone who is visually impaired, we appreciate it, but often, you're creating more work for both of us. I won’t stand on the side of a round-a-bout looking like an idiot anymore.

I love going to the cinema. Bree enjoys going too, but not for the reason you might think.

Bree never ceases to amaze me….

I have often been asked what I can see at the cinema. You rely on other senses when you have only five percent vision. It’s amazing when you lose one sense, the others get stronger. I have an acute sense of smell and my hearing is pretty good, except my wife thinks I’m deaf as a post. Selective hearing is a trait all married men acquire out of survival and necessity. Ooooh, just felt my wife drilling holes into my head with her stare.
 
When you go to the cinema next time, or even when you’re at home enjoying a cuppa, close your eyes and listen carefully and try and pick up sounds or observe different smells. It’s amazing what you notice.
 
I enjoy going to the cinema. I usually go with my wife and my kids, and Bree of course. I enjoy hearing my kids laughing at a funny scene. I get a buzz out of listening to other people’s reaction. There are parts of the movie I may not follow, but usually someone fills me in, or I just join the dots and make my own sense of the story.
 
When I took Bree to the cinema for the first time, I was worried about how she would behave. In most cases, she can tolerate about an hour laying on the floor. After that, she gets restless and starts to stretch and moan. I’ll tell you in another post what she did at a meditation class.
 
I can’t remember the first movie I took her to see but what surprised me was how calm she was – or so I thought. I had her on the harness and I did feel her move around, but not far away. She had managed to get under my seat and under the seat in front of me.
 
After the movie finished and the lights turned on, my wife and kids told me that where I was sitting, there was a two-metre radius of carpet with absolutely no popcorn.
 
Whenever we go to the cinema and drive into the carpark, Bree gets excited in the car because she knows the building.

So, what did I learn?

Dogs enjoy using all their senses at the cinema. In Bree’s case, she uses smell and taste. Then again, those two senses are the most important if you ask her.

Ever wondered how I mow the lawn with only 5% vision? It's not easy, and it can sometimes create some unusual situations, bringing me closer to my neighbours.

Would you call me a domestic god?

In my effort to still remain active, I try and get out and cut the lawn, however it can be a real challenge. In most cases, it has to be like a rocket launch – perfect conditions with no shadows and plenty of sunlight. Sometimes, you don’t have control over that.

One day after work, my wife and kids were not home yet, and I was feeling pretty enthusiastic. I went out to the shed and wheeled out the trusty Victa lawnmower, filled it up with fuel and went to cut the lawn.

Generally, I get home latish, and by the time I started mowing on this particular day, the sun was starting to cast long shadows. For some weird reason, I decided to cut the back yard first before the front. That all went ok.

By the time I started the front yard, the shadows were very long, and the sun was about to touch the horizon. Using all of my 5% vision, I persevered.

There’s a patch of grass over the other side of the driveway and there is no fence dividing us and the neighbour’s yard. I was cutting away, when I had a funny feeling I was on someone else's yard. I stood there for quite a while, scratching my head, trying to work out where my own front yard was.

Who happens to rock up in my driveway at that precise moment? My wife and kids, wondering why I’m cutting the neighbour’s lawn. My wife gave me a raised eyebrow look (and you don't need to have any vision to see that, right guys?) as if to say, “Please explain!”

Nowadays, I make sure I mow the lawn when there is sufficient sunlight. I'm sure the neighbour would have appreciated me mowing their lawn, but not my wife.

So, what did I learn?
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Don’t even attempt to cut the lawn when there are long shadows. There’s a good chance I might accidentally cut the neighbour’s lawn and have some explaining to do. Best to leave it for the next day when the sun is bright and shining.

Bree’s very first camping experience. What made our experience a little uncomfortable, thanks to Bree.

Bree never ceases to amaze me….

My family and I love camping, and before I got Bree, we would try and get at least four or five camping trips a year. Having a guide dog was not going to slow my camping experience down, however Bree nearly managed to put my family and I completely off camping for good.
 
I was assured by the instructors that I could take Bree camping, and they believed she would be like a duck to water. So, with that commendation, we planned to go to a nice camp site not far from town as a camping baptism. I actually did not expect Bree to do the thing she did.
 
The place we went was quiet and very pretty. Aside from us, there were only three other campers. We were near a small stream and close to some farms. It felt very relaxing.
 
I had only had Bree for about two weeks, and I thought we were bonding quite well. I made a mistake by not tying her up. Sure enough, she decided to go exploring.
 
She went in the direction of the farms, under a fence and into a horse paddock. To my whole family’s utter shock, she started to eat horse poo. By the time we got to her, nothing could make her come away from her culinary delights, she had eaten quite a bit. The smell was unbelievable.
 
I tried giving her dog nuts and water to get rid of the smell, but nothing worked.
 
A guide dog is quite expensive, so leaving her outside overnight, though tempting, was out of the question. We were all cooped up in a small caravan and Bree was breathing heavily. It smelt like a horse stable. We opened the windows and no amount of fresh air wanted to come in.

So, what did I learn?

When camping, it’s better I leave Bree on a lead.