Cher meets Dumbledore's Phoenix - sort of

Cherelle looks a little confused and you might be too. Last we reported we were attending a HLAA Convention in Portland OR.  So where did this Phoenix show herself?  Well at the same place! This weekend another "convention" was being held. "LeakyCon Portland".  According to the website LeakyCon is a fan conference based on Harry Potter and everything associated with it. The convention center was filled with young people, many dressed as various characters from the world of Harry Potter. "Phoenix Keri" was nice enough to agree to have her photo taken with Cher for this blog. We had to act fast because as you know the Phoenix immolates itself before it rises from its ashes to begin a new cycle.

Then there was the painted cow..............................

This was also at the convention center. Cher was not too impressed. It didn't move, make any noise or have a cow smell. Oh well, she can be a tough critic at times.

She did work very hard during the conference. There were so many cell phones that made the same sounds as mine!  People kept forgetting to turn them off while in the workshops. Boy were they surprised when Cherelle tattled on them to me. It is difficult to give someone a dirty look when you are grinning with pride and doling out treats. 

She also kept busy being an ambassador for Dogs for the Deaf during the conference. Many people were very curious about her and wanted to meet her. It gave me the chance to talk about DFD and the outstanding work they do rescuing dogs from shelters and training them to help people. This afternoon after demonstration DFD Hearing Dog Bonsai had to leave, Cher stepped in to be the canine representative at their booth. 

But now we are both very tired girls so you may not read new posts for a few days. For those of us with significant hearing loss events of this type are exhausting. This convention a little less so than others because the workshops were captioned and "hearing loops" or infrared systems had been installed in the meeting rooms. If you are curious as to what are "hearing loops" and infrared systems go to Hearing Loss Association of America website www.hearingloss.org

Good wishes to all from me

Tail wags from Cherelle (aka Cher)

A little of this and a little of that.

What has Hearing Dog Cher been up to since the last post? A little bit of everything.  

While staying with one of my sisters (I have three) in Sunriver, Oregon, Cher worked the microwave beep, let me know when the oven timer went off when my sis Ann baked cookies and when I was timing hard boiled eggs.  I did not want to end up with eggs that I could bounce across the room!  She alerted me when she heard my cell phone vibrate as it sat on my sister's kitchen table.  Not even "normal hearing" Ann heard that!  It was a message from my husband saying " Call me".  Thanks to our girl I was able to call him very soon after he had messaged me.  

OK I know a few of you may be saying " If you can't hear well how can you call someone on the phone?" Excellent question.  When I had a land line phone and Internet I used a caption phone that paired the phone with high speed internet.  The caption phone company used a combination of voice recognition technology and transcription service to provide written captains of what the caller said. These captions were displayed on the phones's screen which was about the size of the small iPad screen. But alas, since we live and travel full time in our RV, I no longer have a landline or an Internet provider.  What 's a HOH (Hard of Hearing) gal to do?  Fortunately there is a company called "ClearCaptions" that can provide captioning service for outgoing calls that I make on my iPhone. Sweet! That is now how I make phone calls.  If only it could be done for in-coming calls on the iPhone. 

Maybe some time in the near future?

Since Monday Cherelle has found herself with me and Larry at a RV park in Tualatin, Oregon.  We are attending the national convention of the Hearing Loss Association of American (HLAA) which is being held this year not too far from here at the Portland Convention Center. Today was the first day of the convention. Cher and I are both wiped out tonight.  She saw a number of other Hearing Dogs and a few other service dogs today.  I will admit that she got off to a rocky start by barking at the first service dog she saw. Color me red faced! However once she realized that she had to share the convention center with other dogs she kept her cool for the rest of the day. She ended her busy day with the two of us doing a short presentation at a Dogs for the Deaf reception held at McMenamins-Kennedy School. (A former elementary school that has been converted into a hotel, movie theater and eatery.)

We will continue with more posts about our HLAA convention experience and any other side trip happenings over the next couple of days. 

Good Wishes to All from me

and Tail Wags from Cherelle

Hearing Dog to Smelling Dog.

 

June 9-12, 2013

Captain’s Log.....Just Kidding

We have been on the road for four days now. Here are a few highlights.

 

Cherelle and I made a pit stop at the summit of Tombstone Pass where she found a bit of snow. For any of you who may be curious about this Oregon mountain pass, more can be found by going to:  www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20130119/OUTDOORS/301190016/How-Tombstone-Pass-got-its-name 

 

We have had our motor home parked at Sisters/Bend Gardens RV Resort. Which is adjacent to the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. We arrived on Sunday as the annual Rodeo was winding down. Hearing Dog Cherelle becomes Smelling Dog Cher on our morning walks through the grounds.  This morning was a bit on the nippy side with little icicles hanging from the stands. Cold weather does not lessen our girl's enthusiasm for these walks though. She enjoys cold weather because the scents seem stronger.

 

Cher helped me on one of our walks when I started to head off where some heavy equipment was scheduled to arrive. A workman was calling to me to let me know I needed to walk somewhere else.
Of course I could not hear him but I saw Cher turn her head and I looked in the same direction and saw the man calling to us. Good thing as the poor guy would have had to run up to catch me in order to get my attention. He did not appear to be in any kind of physical condition for jogging.

 

Cher has learned to alert me when I forget to lock the safe Larry installed in the RV. A new sound for her. It beeps when the door is either left open or when the door is closed but not locked. Our refrigerator also beeps if not shut firmly, another sound she works for me. Yesterday when the timer I had set for doing laundry went off she let me know. Even though we are mobile, Cher still does what she has been trained to do. Let me know about important sounds.  She certainly earned her treats so far this week!

 

 

Warm Wishes from me
and tail wags from Hearing Dog Cherelle (aka "Cher")

Savoring A Moment

It would be an extreme understatement to say that undergoing a major lifestyle change can be stressful.  I could tell at times that Cherelle too was feeling some stress as our daily routine and rituals fell by the wayside.  However she has worked the sounds for me like a trooper. Unlike me she is far better at savoring a moment, letting go of the stresses.  She reminded me of this important lesson as we took a break and walked down our lane. She made a little side trip off the road to nibble on the tops of the rye grass in our neighbor's field. Literally savoring the moment as she chewed the grain and then bounced through the tall grass.  (We do have permission to romp on the property.)  And how can I not relax and smile when she rolls over and invites me to rub her underside at the end of a long day.

Today the tall grass is mowed, ready to be baled and our home is empty ready for the new family to move in. A few select special items along with the "essentials" are tucked into the 35 foot vehicle we now call our home. Cherelle and I have said our "goodbyes, stay in touch" to friends and acquaintances. I've reassured family members that they will get frequent updates and scheduled visits. Within a couple of days my husband will ease our rig off our property and the three of us will trundle down the lane for the last time.  Although our home is on wheels and our city of residence will be continually changing, Cherelle and I will still be a "Hearing Dog Team", taking the usual challenges in stride and encountering new ones to learn from and hopefully overcome.

Let the "Travels with Hearing Dog" begin.

Warm wishes, Karen
With tail wags from Cherelle (aka "Cher")