A couple of totally different thoughts...
My sister from another mother is retired military. Thanks to her time in GW1, she has PTSD. Because of that, she has specially trained dog, Cally. This dog is amazing, and she has allowed my sister to live a normal life, doing everything she wants to do.
My issues are different (we All have issues, get over it!), and I don't need the level of support that a dog such as Cally provides. But I do need the emotional support of my dogs and have been told than an ESD (trained) would be helpful for me.
I already have THREE dogs. Couldn't one of them become an ESD? Realistically, let's look at this. Piper is 10, and until her health became such an issue, I do believe that with some training she could have been certified as a Professional ESD.
Tyson is the youngest, and I believe he, too could become a PESD, if we could find a trainer to work with us. He already acts as an amateur ESD. I keep looking for someone who could provide this.
Tripp? I love him, he adores me, and he's Very Smart. However, I am his Emotional Support Human. There isn't enough training in the world that could make him a PESD. He's too intense, too wary of other people, too excitable. It's just not in his personality. He's likely to nip someone if he perceives them as a threat.
left to right: Piper, Tyson, Tripp
Piper looks put-upon (she often is), Tyson looks alert and ready, Tripp looks... a little too alert and ready (okay, he looks Nuts and he often is)! Oh, the intensity of Tripp's stare. It gives him away.
On to other things on this Cold and Blustery day.
It was 9 degrees F this morning, with wind howling about. There is Nothing I need so much as to make me go outside in this. I'm not letting the pups stay outside long (more than five minutes) in this either. Tyson is wearing his coat (he loves it).
One of the things I've always enjoyed is wood-working. Over the years I've learned my limits and discovered that making walking sticks is quite rewarding. Perhaps this spring when I "start" some sticks, I'll actually remember and take photos of the whole process.
I've made several of them and given them away as gifts. However, I've been looking for something to make that I could sell. These might be it. Below are photos of one I made for my friend, Mary for Christmas.
The first picture shows the top of the pole. I braid leather string for the loop, and put a leather wrap for the hand grip. I use the same leather string to hold the wrap in place. The pole itself has Mary's first initial carved in and at the bottom of the pole I carved a simple round, capped it with a copper under the rubber cap.
There is a lot of sanding to make the entire pole as smooth as possible, while leaving as much of the character of the wood intact. The pole is finished with multiple thin coats of spar urethane, sanded with 500 or greater grit paper between coats.
It is amazing that this started out a long stick that I might have cut for kindling for the stove, and instead became this lovely walking stick. The darker color is from leaving the wood outside to "weather" for a couple of years, the wood "develops" as it ages. I think it's lovely.
All of this takes a considerable amount of time, which keeps me out of trouble. Usually!
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