Best of Badin Festival

Our guide dog group got to go to the Best of Badin festival this morning in Badin, North Carolina. This festival is not a big event, but it is enough for us. There are a lot of people, food, other dogs, vendors of all sorts, games for kids to play, and a LOT more distractions that were sure to keep us on our toes.

When we first got to the meeting, we practiced some puppy push-ups to get our minds going and to also help relieve some of the puppy wiggles. We practiced for about 15-20 minutes and then took a break to let us dogs get some water. While on the water break, mom got each one of us dogs induvidually and ran with us to help get even more of the wiggles out. She had as good a time as we dogs did getting to run with her! Since she is all healed up from her surgery a few weeks ago, she is able to run and play and boy is she glad about that! (So am I for that matter).

After that was over, we all decided it was time to go into the festivities for the exposure part of the outing. We were all excercised, focused, and now ready to work. There were a lot, and I do mean a lot, of things on our exposure checklist that we found at the meeting today like: people (young and older), food (on the ground and in peoples' hands), balloons, flags flapping in the wind, someone in a Smokey the Bear costume, other dogs, there was a squirrell that I thought I wanted to chase, loud noises from the vending areas and stage area, a train ride for the kids, golf carts, kid play areas (blow-up play areas), and so many more things to name. It was a great outing for us! While the Badin festival was not a large area, it was still packed full of things we need to be exposed to. It was a little hot today, but we need to get used to working in the heat of the day. At least there was a breeze to cool it down a little.

We stayed there for a couple of hours and after we got to see all that there was, we decided it was time to leave. I was tired from the meeting....I slept the whole ride home! Mom thought it was funny that I was so worn out by that meeting. I think we all had a great time....I know I did!

It was a good day. I hope all you readers and followers had as good a day as I have. Will blog again soon.

Love,
Cameron

P.S. Mom talked to Jesse, Hugh's forever person, today and she was so happy to hear that he had received his photo album in the mail containing pictures of Hugh growing up. He loved it! He wants to meet with mom and dad when they go down to Florida to take me In-For-Training. He may even come to Walk-A-Thon next year. Mom and dad are planning on attending since they have not been in two years. What fun it will be!