YOWSER! It's SUMMER!

Yesterday was a beautiful day, but today is even more so! Summer has come to the Pacific Northwest- even if its just for a few days.

Yesterday I really overdressed! I was dressed for winter with all my MCS protective layering and I was roasting and about ready to pass out from the inability to regulate this excessive heat from my body and layers. I had Thane in his coat, but stripped it before we even got on the bus to head out.

Today I woke up feeling like death warmed over. I had planned to go to New Seasons today but after not getting up until nine coupled with toxicity from dealing with the bank, dealing with the issues associated with re-training my body to the regular harness, and dealing with the heat- I decided we would just attempt to take some new photos of the two of us with the timer that I have the steps memorized for and then take a run to pick up my meds at the local pharmacy outdoor pickup window.

With about forty to fifty pictures snapped, we got about three good ones. LOL It is getting much harder for me to ascertain placement of camera and placement of us in order to get us both in the picture- not to mention my inability to judge when the picture will be going off now. I thought I would share one with you all though since I know I have people following the blog that are very visual folks and sometimes wish there was more than the banner picture of Thane.

Photo Alt Text: Thane looks up at me with eye contact as I hold my left hand in our *stay* sign

Our newly planned outing for today  was a good situation to give my backup chair batteries a good little run. It's dry out and we were not going indoors so I liked the circumstances for doing that without getting it too toxic. I felt the air outside the door to determine how to dress. I put on just one pair of light-weight thermals along with my new organic cotton low impact dyed pants, which are now actually quite big for me (giggle), I grabbed my light-weight pull over organic sweatshirt, harnessed Thane up without his coat and off we went.

I knew by the time we exited the complex that I had over dressed. I was wearing much lighter attire than yesterday, but it was also almost noon by the time we got out of here. I was planning to do the shorter route, but Thane really wanted the long way so I gave in. He was guiding pretty good until I nearly clipped him on a turn. I need to work on the turn programming without altering the forward and reverse speeds. He quickly set back into his normal guide pace with a good pull for me until we got to a spot in the sidewalk of flooding. I had anticipated that would be dry today since it did not rain yesterday. I was not happy about taking my backup chair with new bearings through there. Thane walked through the dirt himself as he very slowly guided me through the yuck. Then off we went at our more normal clip.

When we arrived at the the sidewalk for crossing and entrance to Bi-mart, drivers were being plain rude refusing to stop for us. Thane finally had enough of that and stuck up for us MAKING them stop. Don't get me wrong, he was not dangerous in his decision, but had he not done that, we'd probably still be there. I hate Bi-mart weekend shoppers!

The parking lot was not much better than the crosswalk was. Thane decided today we were going to take the path of least resistance. He guided me across the lot going parallel to the main street before taking me towards the store. This area of the lot is always less used and just a safer approach when its busy since Bi-mart is one of the stores that built access to their store around the model of *everyone drives a car*. I was proud of his decision process. He seems to be so much more in tune with this type of decision making since we came so close to being hit.

No one was at the prescription pick-up window when we arrived so Thane got some good resting time in shade while they finished helping someone at the indoor counter. He was quite warm and really appreciated that break. I definitely have to get on a design for a cooling vest that can work with Thane's new harness design.

I have a great idea in my mind- partially in the fabric design and partially thanks to my friend Sharon at After Gadget blog for reminding me about the easy conforming freezer mat that I had planned to get for Thane this summer.

The short route trip home was pretty uneventful until we got to our front door. I took off his lead and handle outside so that when he entered he could get some water if he wanted. I have had to work hard with Thane in regards to his acceptance of other children since his first encounter with my neighbors *mean* grand-daughter two years ago. I did not know they were here today; otherwise I would have taken Thane inside while still on lead mere for proactiveness. You know the methodology, set them up to succeed!

My neighbor  has been told by management to not allow her to interfere with us or other tenants, but this has not stuck. We still have to manage her ourselves. No positive instruction works. No firmness works. No telling her to go back to her grandmothers apartment works for long. The only thing I have found to work is acting as though I am unaware she is there- even when I am aware. This works in situations where Thane is in a better situation- protected by my position (at least partially any way) in relation to his and where she is at-  like today when he was able to escape her by mere millisecond timing of my opening the door just as she slipped past on the rear end without me realizing it and kicked at him. She missed because Thane has lightening speed that she doesn't have.VBG

We have made huge leaps and bounds in the area of children which is just so awesome. He now gets excited when he sees the boys in an apartment across the parking lot from the dumpster. I know I will ALWAYS be what some may consider  as over protective when it comes to her, but after how badly it affected his work around children, I have to put our partnership over her. I'm just glad that today there was not anything to have to re-work with him where other children may be concerned.

We could come inside and reflect on the beautiful outing we took- on how well Thane remained calm in the presence of my neighbor's grand-daughter and of another thing I discovered in keeping his pull nice and even paced- talking to my dog! I don't always keep up conversation on the road as we travel through town because frankly the more I talk in the mask, the faster I become oxygen deprived. For such a short outing though, periodic conversation- especially in that last homeward stretch, really paid off!