So here's the short of it, 
I have a great story to share about a dog. 

And here's the long.

Yesterday at our Professional Development I met a dog.

One of our retired and wonderful teachers is going to do a bit of consulting for this year's Facing History  Project and she came to the training yesterday.  When we took our morning break, she left for a bit and came back with this beautiful dog named Angus. I want to tell you his story and a bit about hers.

Angus is a Golden Retriever and Newfoundland mix.  He is a big (80 pound) black and golden dog. I grabbed this picture online because I didn't get a picture of Angus himself. Angus doesn't have the white, but looks quite a bit like this dog.

A few years ago, at this teacher's school there were twins who were blind. One of the girls had Angus who was a specially trained left sided seeing eye dog.  When the girl suffered an injury to her left shoulder and was no longer able to use a dog who was trained for a left handed person; she had to get another dog.  Angus was eight years old at that time and he was considered too old to go as a service dog to another owner.  In the meantime, our teacher retired to her large farm to take care of her husband who had become ill with cancer. Her husband passed away.

And it came to pass, that as Angus was looking for a new home, our teacher friend was coming to terms with the loss of her husband their lives crossed paths again, and he came to live with her.  He has spent the last year out of his harness and learning a new way to live.  He still thinks that he is supposed to be near his owner all the time and doesn't really like being away from her.  So he spent most of the day stretched out at her feet.  She says that this summer she's going to introduce him to the water.  Because he was trained to serve a person with no sight, he was taught not to go near the water.  I know it will be a strange experience for him, but I imagine that it will be filled with wonder as well because of his breed mix.

It was such fun to meet Angus.  And it was such a wonderful feeling to think about these two souls coming together to spend their retirement years as companions.