Happy Halloween!

Today was a busy day. We started out getting up and I am feeling crummy. Stopped up in the head, a little achey, and think I'm coming down with a cold. :( Headed down to breakfast and ate, and asked Lisa if we could stop by a pharmacy for me to pick up some sudafed for me. Rei was also popping up a lot under the table so asked for some effective ways to get her to go down and stay. We worked on that and learned some good tips there! :)

Then for the morning, we went back to the horseshoe walk and started out walking the bottom of the horseshoe and beyond, doing traffic checks during all along the way. I was really suprised at how this time it didn't rattle the nerves like it did last time with Honey. I think it's because I know I can trust the dog now, having had Honey before. We bopped along very nicely and she really, really did well. I'll be honest, I'm VERY impressed with her guiding work.

After making our way down and back, we got back to the bus and Lisa told me that if I wanted to, she was fine with me doing the horseshoe solo. I said sure and away I went. Rei was spectactular, taking be between two trashcan lids that were only a foot apart and making sure I was cleared of them. There are three areas that there are overhanging branches that are low and they just clear my head in certain spots. This dog has amazing accuracy and hits the right spot every time so that there's just barely enough clearance, but I don't hit anything. She hup'd up nicely when asked to and is very, very good, slowing down at all the rough spots, taking me around the trash cans/lids in the way and so forth. We made our way all the way around and back to the bus. after knitting for a while, Valerie popped in and asked if anyone wanted to join the three that she had to walk all around the horseshoe, and I said sure, so got out again (having to untangle my yarn from the harness) and we took off again, catching up quickly to the group and then Valerie let me take off in front and we were gone.... Left them behind until I got to the sprinklers that were going over the sidewalk and Rei came to a dead stop. Instead of going out into the street and around the car, I waited for Valerie to come up and give the approval. And of course they stopped as I asked if it was ok, so we buzzed on through their and everyone loaded up on the bus to head back for lunch.

We came back and had lunch- minestrone soup and a large salad. Time went by too quickly as we went back to the gthering room to load up again to go to sayville and do country walks. This was actually a new place for me, as I didn't do it last time with Honey. On the bus once we got there, Rei just wouldn't settle down. She was up and down, up and down, and kept walking off towards the front door. I eventually took her out and she did pee, but even with going back in, she was still up and down.

Not too much longer, Valerie had me come out and break her again and then she was my sighted guide over to the pharmacy and Rei went along with too. We picked up the sudafed and headed back to the bus, where Lisa was now waiting. We then breaked Rei again and she did a #2 and harnessed up. We were working on country walks, where there is no sidewalk and the dog is trained to keep you up to the shoulder of the road as close as possible. She did really well, though she was distracted some by the trick or treaters that were now coming out and the dogs on leashes.

It was a little bitter sweet to see all the adorable kids trick or treating. At least Mike gave me a treat and took some pics of the kids and uploaded them into dropshots for me. :)


Here's my kiddos:


Alex has said for the last 3-4 weeks that he wanted to be a lady bug, so here is the lady bug:


and his wings/spots on the back:


Katie was a witch and Meaghan was Princess Jasmine. :)

Alex's school pictures came in too, which were just really awesome- taken by Wibur Tague Photography:



So back to the topic- this evening we had dinner- the whole class went together and chipped in to order pizza for us all and for the evening trainers. We all ate and since Suzi and I won't be attending the subway or city orientation walks, we were not required to attend the lectures. So thus we came back to get some zzzzz's.

From yesterday afternoon, coming home from the horseshoe walk- Rei snoozing with her chin on my knee:



so off until later and hope everyones day will go smoothly!