| We parked in front of a low building that stood behind a row of flowers and wind chimes and a sidewalk full of golden retrievers. �Meet your new friends,� Mom said, as we all sniffed noses and butts. �We are going on a therapy visit today.� Therapy visit? �Is this why I went to class two weeks ago to show off how well behaved and gorgeous I am?� �Yup,� Mom answered. �That�s exactly why. You are a card-carrying therapy dog now with a turquoise leash,� she added, snapping on my special leash and opening the Wind Chimes gate. The color of my leash matched Mon�s tee shirt. Mom led me through the front door, down a hall and into a room full of people. Some people�s eyes lit up and they smelled excited to see me. They held out their hands and patted me gently on my head and back. Some people told mom that they had had a collie when they were young and tears came to their eyes. Some people grinned and grinned and reached for me and grinned some more. Some people drooled. Some people moaned. Some people looked blankly at the golden retrievers. Some people slept through the entire visit, though, and I was not allowed to nudge them awake. �Mom, the sleeping ones will be so disappointed to have missed me,� I said, looking at the dozers on the couch. �When we come next time,� Mom answered, �maybe these people will be awake.� Mom slipped cookies to some of my new friends and they slipped them to me. I thought that was very generous; I had expected my friends to eat the cookies themselves. I made so many new friends that I lost count. I made more new friends than there are steps up to the third floor of my house. I made more new friends than all people in my dog training class. Fortunately, Mom had more cookies in her pockets than I had new friends in mine, and we didn�t run out of either. The golden retrievers helped, too. They were working as advance men to let my new friends know that I was just around the corner and would get to their part of the room as soon as I could. I worked every bit of that room and another room as well. I loved making so many people happy. I loved being petted told how beautiful I am. I loved the cookies. I can hardly wait to go back next time and wake up those couch people and talk them into giving me cookies, too. Sailor, the Furry Friend therapy dog |
| WIND CHIMES Part 2 |
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