Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Spring: Confusing with a Chance of Bellyrubs

I've never given much thought to the four seasons. They don't require much thought, really, they just happen, one right after the other. But having Ray does make one think about things from a slightly different perspective.

The current season, spring, especially gets me thinking about how adaptable is a blind dog. I cannot imagine what it must be like to deal with such a rapidly changing environment without having a thought process to decipher and understand it. I realize that every season has its challenges, but spring for a blind dog must be particularly confusing.

My mind boggles at the thought of navigating through a backyard that erupts into a mess of perennials that grow, bloom, and die within a couple of months. Well-memorized paths change from clear-sailing to creepily narrowed by daffodils that mysteriously appear and then disappear. Familiar mud changes to spongey ground covers with ankle-tickling flowers. Zoomy bees appear out of nowhere. Large swaths of bare ground become covered by a variety of two-foot-tall vegetation. Stuff is, all of a sudden, everywhere.

Spring is a bit of a conundrum for Ray. It presents a challenge but, as always, there is a definite upside; along with the nice weather and the emergence of plant-life comes the emergence of people. Yesterday, it took Ray and I an hour to walk around the block. A good percentage of that time was dedicated to Ray getting bellyrubs from his various friends.

So if one was to ask Ray his favorite season, I'm fairly confident that he would reply: "It's the confusing one with all the bellyrubs." Because, in the end, what matters the most to Ray is not the obstacles but the contentment that comes from lying in the warm sunshine on a nice day getting a good bellyrub.





8 comments:

  1. I love that Ray has so many friends it takes you an hour to circle the block! :) Belly rub season really is the best one. :)

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    1. It's absolutely amazing how many people I know because of Ray. Of course, I don't know most of their names but they all know Ray's.
      And part of the reason it takes an hour to get around the block is, once Ray goes down for a bellyrub, he gets comfortable and doesn't want to get up again. Prima donna…

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  2. Sounds like a wonderful season for any dog, sighted or not. I never thought about how daffodils or crocus' would affect (effect?) a sight impaired dog. Ray really is a wonder dog. Happy spring Ray (and Juno, Harvey, Jean & Gregg)

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    1. Thanks for the spring-time wishes. We are all happy it has finally arrived. It was a loooooong winter.

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  3. Dogs are amazingly adaptive. As a person who is not amazingly adaptive. I love how they adjust to whatever comes their way. I sympathize with Ray's challenges, but at the end of the day, I imagine he falls asleep remembering the belly rubs. It's awesome to have so many friends on your block. :)

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    1. We could all learn a thing or two from dogs, couldn't we? And as for friends on the block, I really owe a debt a gratitude to my dog for getting me out and about. I have made so many friends (both here and abroad) since I became a seeing-eye human.

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  4. I agree with Ray! I’m content to lay in the warm sunshine on a nice day, albeit without the bellyrub.

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