Two anecdotes reside in the back of my mind. One told by Sue ... about how proud she was of Stitch doing an extended Sit in a puddle during a competition. The other told by Debi Davis ... recounting running a garden hose over the roof to simulate rain while training her Paps (Debi lives in the Mojave Desert). Both of these wise trainers anticipate contingencies and prepare for them.
I aspire to do no less with Lily.
Ah! The best laid plans......
I had SUCH ambitious plans for Lily and me today! Service dog training in four different environments and in the rain. But I wasn't expecting this kind of rain. And wind. And cold. That was all supposed to have passed last week.
It's a reminder not to be married to a plan! Yet...it's not noon yet. Who knows what the rest of the day may hold?
What this does remind me of, though, is Shayla's and my first trip together to San Francisco, several years ago. There, too, we were faced with wind and rain and cold. But Shayla was an experienced service dog and we were there with others. We had plans and that day we followed through.
It was a trip of "firsts" for Shayla. Her first flight, her first ride on Fast Rail (the BART), her first ride on a cable car, her first time wearing a raincoat all day long (yes, a fleece lined raincoat!). I had Shayla, a backpack, a raincoat and an umbrella.
We were wet tourists. At mid-day we spent two long, leisurely hours drying off and warming up in front of a fire in a lovely restaurant for lunch. Shayla snoozed.
The drizzle continued so we made a decision to taxi back to the BART station (our hotel was in Oakland) but there were so many of us that we split up. It's a good thing, because Shayla and I were soon the "poor cousins". Taxis would slow down, see the dog and speed away. No matter the ADA. No one wanted a wet dog in their taxi.
However, I wasn't down and I wasn't out. I was determined! Out of necessity Shayla and I made our way down the street to a large hotel. We went inside and I asked the concierge for a taxi.
He stepped outside into the rain and whistled his taxi whistle. In a moment one came around the corner and screeched to a halt. The concierge opened the taxi door and Shayla and I stepped out from the hotel directly in to the taxi. Ta da!
Now, if the wind and rain will just lighten a little, Lily and I will venture out for some good "rain" practice. Just in case we ever find ourselves in San Francisco!
