"PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISY "- I NEVER READ THE BOOK- I WAS TOLD ABOUT IT...- A WOMAN LEAVES HER KIDS WITH A LONG LIST OF WHAT THEY MUST NOT DO WHILE SHE RUNS TO THE STORE- WHEN SHE GETS BACK THEY HAVE NOT DONE THOSE THINGS- BUT THEY ATE THE FLOWERS..
TWO POTENTIAL DISASTERS YESTERDAY - BOTH WERE POINTED OUT TO ME BY THINKING CAMERA PEOPLE AND TEH COPY AND PASTE FUNCTION FROM BOTH COMMENTS ,AND FACEBOOK...
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I LOVE BEING ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE ENJOY THIS PLACE AND TEH ANIMALS-- AND ALLOW ADULTS TO MAKE SOME DECISION S ON THEIR OWN,---- MOST SUNDAYS I SIT VERY CLOSE TO PUPPY HILL AND WATCH AS PARENTS LET THEIR KIDS IN WITH THE PUPS... BUT THIS PHOTO WAS OF A VERY SMALL CHILD IN WITH OUR CUTE LITTLE PUPS -- NOW WEIGHING 100 POUNDS---AND ONE PUP WAS REACHING OUT WITH A PAW- AS TEHY OFTEN DO...THE PUP WAS ON A RAISED PLATFORM... EYE LEVEL.... HE MISSED THE CHILD'S EYE BY A HAIR.-- THE MOTHER WAS RIGHT THERE... BUT HAD NO IDEA THAT THESE WERE NO LONGER CUTE LITTEL THINGS BUT MONSTERS WITH TOENAILS--THANKFULLY MEGAN SAID THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD THEIR RABIES SHOTS- BUT ONE SCRATCH BY AN UNVACCINATED PUP IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM--WOULD END UP AS A GREAT DANE DOG BITE-WHICH WOULD CAUSE TEH INSURANCE COMPANIES TO HAVE A FIELD DAY AND EITHER CANCEL OR INCREASE OUR BILL.
EXPERIENCE COMES FROM BAD EXPERRIENCE--- DO I NOW NOT LET KIDS IN WITH THE DOGS.? WHAT A SHAME... BUT IT MAY COME TO THAT...
AND THEN MARCH MUD MADNESS- USUALLY WE RIDE OUT THE MESS BECAUSE DRY MUD IS ALOT EASIER TO HANDLE THAN SOGGY TONS OF WATER LOGGED GOOP. THIS IS NOT ANY ONE PERSON--IT IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM.... I CAN NOT BE EVERYWHERE- I THINK I HAVE CURED INTERNS WITH LONG FLOWING HAIR AND ELECTRIC SAWS AND DRILLS- UNTIL A NEW BUNCH COMES AROUND THAT NEED WATCHING.
THIS EXAMPLE IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG--- THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT SHOVELS - USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES-- MY GRAIN SCOOP SHOVEL IS ABOUT 18 INCHES WILD-- USED FOR LIGHT FLUFFY SNOW AND DRY SHAVINGS KIND OF MATERIAL--- THEN THERE IS THE STEEL 6" WIDE.. POINTY NOSE WITH A PLACE TO PUT YOUR FOOT AND PUSH THE NOSE INTO SOIL FOR HOLE DIGGING. TO COME TO SOMEONE FRUSTRATED AND STRUGGLING TO DIG A HOLE WITH A GRAIN SCOOP CAUSED ME TO RUN TO THE T TENT AND CRY. PEOPLE MEAN WELL-- I CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH CHECKING ON EVERYTHING EVERYONE DOES... NOR DO I HAVE TIME OR STRENGTH TO TEACH TEH CORRECT USE OF EQUIPMENT - FROM THE SHOVELS TO THE TRACTORS... I JUST CAN'T. I GOT TOO OLD,.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SOLUTION IS---I HAVE RULES -- WHICH WORK TIL SOMEONE GETS CREATIVE--- THO I WORSHIP CREATIVITY, NOT WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE SAFETY ,THE MIS USE OF EQUIPMENT, OR WORSE YET... DANGER TO THE ANIMALS. - IT MAY SOUND PERFECTLY LOGICAL TO PUT A RUG OVER AN ELECTRIC CORD - HIDE TEH CORD SO NO ONE STEPS ON IT....... IT IS THIS KIND OF CREATIVE THINKING I JUST CAN NOT ALLOW.
NOW.... THAT WET MUCK IS SO HEAVY THAT TO TAKE IT TO BRICK ENDS FARM WOULD REQUIRE 1/2 LOADS BECAUSE NEITHER MY CAR'S BRAKES OR THE HYDROLIC SYSTEM OF THE DUMP TRAILER COULD HANDLE A FULL LOAD. I MAY JUST CALL MASTERSON CONSTRUCTION WITH HIS MASSIVE EQUIPMENT .. WE COULD HAVE DONE IT WITH OUR EQUIPMENT IF IT WAS DRY...
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SOME DAYS IT IS TOUGH TO REMEMBER I STARTED ALL THIS SO I COULD HAVE FUN AND PLAY WITH DOGS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER PEOPLE.
LIKE ASHER....
Hi Carlene and SDP!
Asher and I are quickly wrapping up our second year of law school and will officially be one year away from graduation next week! This last school year has been the toughest yet, and I’m more thankful than ever to have had Asher by my side through it all. We’ve been staying pretty quiet these last few weeks as I’ve been studying for final exams, but I’m looking forward to gearing up for a fun summer in NYC in just under a month!
Looking for housing in the city – as well as in Rhode Island upon our return in August – was so much more of a struggle than I anticipated. As most of us know, landlords are required to allow service dogs to live in housing, even no-pets-allowed housing, but I’ve been appalled at the lack of methods of enforcement the law provides when a property or landlord simply doesn’t care. I’ve been so privileged to work with some of Rhode Island’s most experienced housing attorneys in the course of my studies last semester, and it’s mind-blowing to me that even with easy access to legal help, my housing frustrations continue because there’s so little relief for people who use service animals (or, for that matter, wheelchairs and other equipment) and need accommodations in housing. We’re left to do nothing but ask landlords to do the right thing, and that unfortunately hasn’t been very effective. I can sympathize – I suspect that many landlords are wary of ill-mannered or destructive emotional support animals and just want to protect their property – but I’m disappointed and frustrated that legitimate service dog teams are left to deal with the fallout. Asher and I have found housing for our internship in the city, but I’ll be keeping my current apartment over the summer to ensure that we have a place to come back to for our last year of school.
But, if there’s good news in all this, it’s that we’ve stumbled across this problem now and I happen to be in the right profession to help fix it, at least on a local or state level. Law school is so strange to me in the sense that though we still have a year to go, it’ll be time to start making post-grad contacts and plans in just a few months. As you and some of our followers might remember, Asher and I traveled to Washington, DC last October where we met and had a successful interview with our summer employer during the Equal Justice Works conference and career fair. EJW is a national organization that works to connect law students and graduates to public interest careers in many different areas, and especially values students that can show a personal connection to legal causes they care about. I just learned a few days ago that I was named onto the EJW National Advisory Committee for a two-year term beginning this summer, so Asher and I will travel to regional law schools regularly and back to DC a couple of times a year to represent the northeast and help generate more student interest in public interest law. Not only am I excited that our advocacy will reach farther than our home in Rhode Island as we emphasize the importance of public interest law for underrepresented individuals like myself from a first-person perspective, but I’m also thrilled to work on a more personal level with EJW because the organization offers an exciting post-grad fellowship that I have my eye on which could give us the opportunity to help a lot of people in my same predicament. I think getting involved with EJW’s work now can only help with those future aspirations!
As I sit here and think about the big plans we have, both this summer and beyond, I think back to what my life was before Asher and I know I never would have done the things we’re doing today without him. Asher helps me physically every day, and we both love adventuring out to new places whether that means a short stroll or navigating a busy airport to travel across the country. I wouldn’t be nearly as mobile without him. But Asher has also changed me so much as a person and continues to do so. It started with the class vote onto Barrister’s Court during our first year at our law school prom, but that was clearly just the beginning as we’ve found ourselves traveling and exploring alone, landing my first-choice disability rights internship this summer right in the middle of New York City, and now being selected to represent the northeast on the Committee among the country’s most accomplished public interest law students. I can tell you that I wouldn’t have tried for any of that on my own. The confidence that Asher gives me every day has overflowed into other areas of my life in such significant ways these last two years, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here together.
I’ll never be able to properly thank you all for such a life-changing gift that continues to enrich my life in so many ways every day, but I hope that our work and advocacy in the legal field can eventually pay it forward and improve others’ lives similarly to the way mine has been.
I hope you and the rest of the staff and volunteers are doing well – we think about you all often and hope to see you soon!
So much love,
Erica & Asher
