Me...the Wilderwood Representative!

This is me....hogging the air conditioner after a very exhausting walk! Foster Mommy and I represented Wilderwood Service Dogs at the annual "Walk for Arthritis" today. It was posted to be a 5K walk but when we finally got back to the starting point we found out that it was a 5 MILE (actually 5.4 miles!) walk and we were very, very tired and hot. They said there would be water along the way, so we started out without a water bottle for mommy and a water dish for me. At the first water stop we found out that the water was being served in dixie cups (very small dixie cups) and my big snout did not fit into that tiny little cup. Mommy tried pouring it into her hands, but that didn't give me much water! I am a pretty thirsty dog when I walk!

At the fork in the trail we had to choose between going on the "one mile walk" or the "three mile walk" and we decided that we could certainly handle three miles. We are used to walking together. We walked and walked thinking that the trail would lead us back to the starting point...but we finally reached the "half way/turn around point" point instead. Mommy was a little concerned about the length of this walk at that point because it seemed we had already walked a good distance...and we were obviously more than two miles away at this point.

With a big storm coming from the west, we decided we better get back to the church where the "walk" started. We came upon a very sweet lady named Annie who has arthritis. She was having a very hard time finishing the walk, so we walked with her until a nice policeman came along and gave her a ride back to the church in his "go-cart". There were several hills on this path, so I am glad that he was able to help her out. Another nice friend gave mommy a larger cup for me to drink from, so I was able to get a good bit of water down into my tummy to help me finish the walk.

We finally made it back to the church and everyone with pedometers said we had walked over 5 miles...not 5K's. That explained my very tired paws. I was glad to get back in the car for the ride home. I was really glad that mommy turned the air conditioner on "high" and pointed all the vents right at me! I kept my nose very close to them all the way home!