November 2015 – Graeme Innes

I love travelling with the boss. I get to go for a walk with him each morning – he usually goes with Maureen. So many good smells here in Adelaide, but quite dry and hot.

He spoke to the Disability Justice Plan Symposium this morning. They are doing some great work here. And I got to sniff the leg of the Deputy Premier – I suppose that is an honour.

Then off to the airport again. People keep wanting to grab the boss’s arm and push him around. Makes it really hard for me when he can’t give me harness directions. I really don’t get why people do that – they wouldn’t like it if someone pushed them around like a piece of furniture.

Wow, we’re flying to Brisbane and then to Cairns today. That’s another 2150 km, making a total of 3520 km for the week.

At Brisbane airport they have a dog toileting room. Great idea, but they’ve put fake grass in here. Don’t they know my nose works 500 times better than theirs. I’m not toileting on that. What’s wrong with a big tray of sand or dirt. Some humans just don’t get it.

Cairns, warm. Great. Much better for the old arthritic hips. Hope we stay a while.

Friday 20 November

Nice walk again early this morning, except that I kept getting swooped by a noisy minor – well the boss thought he was being swooped, but it’s not all about him. I don’t get birds – can’t they work out that I do not have the capacity to fly, even if I wanted to. So there is no way I am touching their nests. Oh well…

Life Without Barriers board meeting today. They’re a nice bunch, and it’s a long meeting, so I get to catch some more Z’s. I think they laugh at me a bit when I snore – they should hear the boss.

They’re handing out Christmas presents now. The boss gets a nice tie and a stubby holder – well done, he needs some new ties, I’m getting a bit bored with the old ones. And look, they’ve given me a bone – how good is that. What a thoughtful mob – recognising how much work I do getting the boss from place to place. You should stay on this board boss.

Oh, this is different. We’re catching a shuttle bus now. A bit tight between the seats when I’ve still got my harness on Boss. And these metal floors – what’s wrong with a bit of carpet.

We’ve arrived at . Nice! And the apartment here is lovely – ground floor so the boss can just let me outside when – you know…. Don’t worry boss, there’s no side fences to this yard, but I’m not going anywhere. As long as you keep feeding me I’m staying around.

Saturday 21 November

We must be staying here for a while. He installed the Apple TV this morning. Maureen probably told him to.

Oh well, the music he plays certainly beats his own tuneless rendition of Summertime, and the livin’ is easy

Or “cricket on the radio.” If I here that one just once more I’m into some serious shoe chewing. That would get him worked up.

Now I shouldn’t be nasty to him – he’s just let me out the back and given me my bone to chew. Back in a while folks – got to get your priorities right.

Mmmm that bone really hit the spot – thanks LWB. He only gives me dry food so it’s nice to break out occasionally. And because of my wheat allergy I have to watch what I eat or my ears get really sore. Still, if he takes me to the beach I might get some salt water in them – that seems to help. I wish Rachel were here – she takes me to the beach and the park much more than the boss does.

Anyway, full tummy, time for a sleep while he writes. Always writing – I never get a chance to use the computer and keep my blog up to date.

Woops, I’ve been caught. He’s discovered my blog on his blog site. He doesn’t seem too concerned though. He won’t like it if my blog gets more comments than his – ummmm, I’ll have to watch that.

Sunday 22 November

Yep we’re definitely staying. He’s got the boardies on this morning. Wonder what we’ll do up here.

Looks like another quiet day for me. He’s writing again. I’m getting the feeling that there are a lot of speeches coming up for the international day. Should be good – people always drop nice crumbs at those type of events.

YIPPEEEE Maureen and Rachel arrived this afternoon, and Rachel has a friend with her. Two teenagers – I feel runs on the beach coming up. Only problem is they went off to the restaurant for dinner and didn’t take me – that happens a bit when the boss is with the family.

Monday 23 November

We went out today. Caught the shuttle into Port Douglas and did more shopping. Maureen and Rachel are much better shoppers than the boss. Although when he’s in the super-market by himself I can get away with more sniffs at the meat fridges if they’re down at my level. Oh well.

It’s pretty hot up here for a dog with as much hair as mine. Being black doesn’t help. And I can’t stand still on the hot bitumen – it burns my feet. OUCH.

Back to the apartment and air-con. Thank goodness. The air-con in Maureen and Graeme’s bedroom is activated by a movement sensor. They haven’t caught me yet, but if I run in there quickly while they’re not in the apartment I can turn it on. Then I lie just outside the door on the cool tiles and I’m pretty chilled. I could get to like this lifestyle.

They went for a swim in the pool after lunch but didn’t take me. I’m sure the boss could argue he needs his guide dog to show him the way in that pool. Sometimes he just doesn’t try hard enough on my behalf.

And then, when it cooled down later in the afternoon, that beach walk I’ve been waiting for. And off the harness. EXCELLENT.

Rachel and her friend kept chasing me out of the water. They keep mentioning something about stingers, but I reckon with all my hair I’d be ok. Any how, they’re not having it. A couple of rolls in the sand were nice though. There are some great new scents down here which I checked out, and I managed to eat something on the beach before they could stop me. Pretty good all round.

Tuesday 24 November

Rained last night. They have serious rain up here. No sprinkles or light showers. It just drops in buckets. Noise woke me up in the night, and it takes a lot to do that.

Another quiet day. I’m enjoying it.

They went to the Wildlife sanctuary today and had Lunch with the Lorrikeets. The boss said I couldn’t go. The two places I am not allowed are zoos and the surgical wards of hospitals. It’s something to do with cross-infection, and possibly upsetting the other animals. I’m getting a bit bored with being left in this apartment by myself. And then they went in the pool again without me.

Still, Maureen and the boss took me for a walk on the beach at night. That was fun. And on the way to the beach, because the path is quite dark, I got to show both of them the way. Pretty awesome.

The moonlight on the beach tonight was beautiful. I kept out of the water – may be there is something in this stingers story. But just running along was fun. And in the dark I can run just far enough away so that Maureen can’t see me – like to test the boundaries a bit sometimes.

Wednesday 25 November

They went out without me again this morning. I know, it was only to pick up a rental car. But they could have taken me. Anyway, I’ve given them a little reminder that the “home alone” scenario does not always play out well – I tipped over the garbage bin and went through the contents. Some quite tasty things to lick in there.

The boss and Maureen were appalled when they got back. But I had a nice time, and chewed most of the packets to get what was left inside. Rachel came in and pretended to be angry as well, but I know that really she thought it was quite funny. Oh well, they’ll think twice about leaving me alone again.

We drove to Mossman Gorge today. Not far from where we are staying, and once you get up into the gorge it is beautifully cool. It’s a national park, so I have to stay in harness. But Rachel persuaded the boss that it would be ok to take me down to the water and let me have a walk in it and a long drink. That has got to be some of the freshes water I have ever enjoyed.

There are a lot of ants and insects up there which bothered me a bit, but apart from that I really liked it. A few tourists had dropped some crumbs amongst the rocks, so I helped by cleaning them up. Don’t want the wild life up here getting used to the wrong types of food do we.

They left me in the apartment again this afternoon, but after being out in the heat of the day I didn’t mind too much. Just popped into the bedroom and turned on the air con and it was beautiful. Anyway, the boss is talking about going sailing, and I’m not keen on boats. Then something about watching cane toads race – I think I can skip that.

Thursday 26 November

Quiet day inside today. The boss is writing again. I feel a lot of moving around coming up next week, so I’d better get my strength up. I might have a look at his calendar when I go on the website to post this blog to see what we will be doing.

A journal of the life and travels of Graeme Innes from the perspective of his guide dog Arrow

Monday 16 November

Wow, the boss has finished writing that bloody book. I saw him boasting about it on Twitter. About time too. I’ve been doing far too much sitting around and sleeping on the balcony while he wrote that.

It must be huge – he’s been typing for days. Hope he gave me a starring role.

Oh well, at least he did a lot of work on it when we were down at Gerringong last week. I liked it there. Maureen talked him into taking me to the beach a bit and letting me off the lead. And then Rachel would just come and steal me and take me to the beach. I like being with the boss, but it’s all work work work.

At least with Rachel I get to have some fun. All work and no play makes Arrow a dull dog you know.

The book has caused me to think. I’ve decided to start blogging

– damned if I’m going to let the boss have all the profile. I’ll sneak it on to his blog site – probs he won’t notice. And if he does I’ll tell him it will help with book sales – that should get him off my case.

Tuesday 17 November

Oh my goodness! The boss is packing the bag. We just got back from the South Coast and it looks like we are on the road again.

I wonder how far we are going this time. Hope I get to ride in the back seat of the car so I can look out the window.

I watched very carefully. He’s just made up eleven dog dinners.

This could be a big one. And damn it, he didn’t drop a crumb – note to self, jostle his elbow more often.

Wednesday 18 November

I heard the zipping this morning after he and Maureen came back from their walk. He’s showered and dressed – nice suit today but no tie, probably means its meetings rather than speeches. I wish he’d just let me look at his calendar so that I knew what to expect. I wonder if Hey Siri works with barking or loud doggy panting. Might try that if he would ever leave me with the phone.

And we’re off (very excited tail wagging) It’s harness on so it’s a taxi. Damn I don’t get to look out the window. But I can sleep down here on the floor. Hope no-one runs into the back of our taxi like they did yesterday. That gave me a fright and I may have disgraced myself with the little expression of wind I let go. Don’t think they minded too much. Boris our cab driver was more concerned about looking at the back of his car. And the boss is used to my breaks of wind.

Oh I know this place. We’re at PwC. Some sort of meeting. The carpets are nice to lie on here, but the boss and those PwC people do talk a lot. Oh well.

And we’re off again. Another taxi. And it’s the airport. I love flying. Can spread out on the floor of the plane, get admiring smiles from flight attendants and passengers, and the carpet is just crumb heaven. Great.

We’re off to Melbourne. 720 km. I’m going to count them this time.

Another taxi, and a café. Meeting – cafés seem to be the boss’ meeting place of choice. More crumbs.

Now across the road and into the Treasury building. This must be important. Oh Department of Education bureaucrats – with some old friends amongst them from when the boss was Commissioner.

He’s talking to them about the Programme for Students with Disabilities. He’s quite articulate when he gets warmed up you know. I didn’t even snore.

Another taxi and the airport again. Wow, that security guy just pointed and said over there three times before he got it and used left and right. I must be invisible.

This time we’re off to Adelaide – another 650 km. That’s 1370 km for the day. Not bad, but I think tomorrow might beat it.

Does this guy ever stop? He’s dropped our bags at the hotel and now off to a late dinner with colleagues from tomorrow’s conference. Doesn’t he realise an old dog needs her beauty sleep?

Nice hotel though, good carpets. I hope he takes me for a walk in the morning.