The View From Here: Live in Front of a Studio Audience Edition

So I've discovered me new favorite thing: performing in front of an audience of children. The human and I had a little extra time before work so I got to do my favorite stick chasing activity. Slowly this crowd of children gathered watching me. They got to learn a little (always ask before touching dogs!), they got to pet me, and best of all, they got to cheer for me as I ran back and forth.

By the time it was time to head to the office I was exhausted. I slept clear through the end of the day!

Performing live in front of a studio audience

Can you fly too?

Bet your ears don't do this!

Come play with me.

Chicken three ways

I have a confession to make. I love chicken. My favorite preparation these days are dried chicken strips. My human keeps an enormous bag of them in the closet. When a strip comes out I've been known to engage in every trick I know--at one time--to get said chicken strip. They are delightful. If you've not tried them, I highly recommend it!

Recently I've been noticing a plethora of chicken bones strewn about the roads and sidewalks of Cambridge. Have you noticed them? Hardly a week goes by without discovring a chicken bone somewhere on the sidewalk. Being a somewhat dangerous food item, my human has developed an uncanny ability to spot them. Sometimes I spot them before he does. Since he has been pulling them out of my mouth I have developed my own uncanny ability: I hide them in my mouth and chew when he isn't looking. The crunch always gives me away.

I wasn't fully prepared for the next preparation of chicken that I was to discover. The human and I had a long break between patients. Since the gates of Harvard Yard are currently locked I couldn't engage in my favorite activity of squirrel chasing. I know, there are squirrels everywhere. The ones in the yard are more trusting so I can sneak up closer, and usually I get more of an audience which I appreciate. At any rate, we struck out on some of the lesser traveled roads. We were going to head over to the MIT campus and see what their squirrels were like.

We approached the MIT campus from the river and stumbled upon a a small public park. The satellite image shows an aerial view of the scene we happened upon.

What did I find here this past Thursday? Chickens. Live ones. Apparently those in the know have known about these chickens for awhile. We were planning on walking through the small green park when the human spotted several chickens clucking about. What was even more amazing was who was in charge of these chickens. Behind the fence was a beautiful and friendly pit bull. The chicken, working hard to escape my hungry mouth (like the human would ever let me eat one!), jumped over the fence and sat on the pit bull's back and clucked at me.

What a sight!

We captured a few cell phone images for your viewing pleasure.

The View From Here: Saturday Morning Edition

Do I really need to get up?

Maggie takes a Holiday Stroll

at Fort Hill Park in Lowell, Massachusetts

Yesterday was a super busy day for me. I spent about a half an hour outside of of Hannaford Grocery Store greeting customers and passing out a little therapy dog love. I went to a place near the grocery store called Fort Hill Park (click here to learn all about that adventure). Then early in the evening it was time to head out to Nashua New Hampshire for their annual Holiday Stroll. One of my humans had volunteered to help set up a local church for some of the festivities.

Large public crowds like this aren't for dogs who aren't accustomed to being around a lot of people. It really was a bit too much for me. Thousands of people milling about created all sorts of distractions. My favorite was the "street food". I found it delicious, my human however found himself exasperated prying chicken bones out of my hungry little mouth.

Eventually my human scooped me up as we strolled down Main Street. This was much better for me: my short legs and strangely long body is a very inconvenient body type.When I was up at eye level I was able to scan the crowd for those who were most in need of my therapy dog attention.

The best was a few moments I shared with a young gentleman in the crowd. He was in his early 20s and at the holiday stroll with his father. It appeared that he had some sort of developmental disability. He saw  me and told me what a gorgeous dog I am. His father prompted him to ask my human if he could pet me. Before the human answered I stretched out from my humans arms and pressed my nose against the young man's face. He pet me for a bit, he spoke with the humans for a bit, and we were on our way.


Isn't it easy to wish someone a happy holiday?

Free Therapy

Here I am between providing therapeutic kisses outside of Hannaford grocery store.

A Day in the Life of a Therapy Dog

8:30am: Ready for more coffee

9:30am: Ready for my morning walk

9:35am: In the garage by the scary door that slammed on my foot once.

9:36am: Hurry up and open the door.

9:40am Surveying for something good to eat

9:41am: I'm told these aren't food.

9:45am:  spy with my little eye...

9:46am: ...a mid-morning snack?

9:55am: Magnolia Wigglesworth reporting for duty.

10:00am Time for a nap.

12:00pm Anyone want to play?

1:00pm: Time for another nap.

2:00pm: Demonstrating unconditional positive regard.

3:10pm: Something smells good.

3:11pm: Yes, that's it. I see it.

3:12pm: Squirrel!

3:30pm: Pausing to inspect Harvard Yard.

3:33pm: Squirrel!

4:00pm: Magnolia Wigglesworth reporting for duty.

5:15pm: An unexpected walk along the Charles.

5:20pm Play things!

6:00pm: Back to work.

9:00pm: Too tired to walk down the steps. Carry me please.

9:30: Ready to be transported home to an undisclosed location.

Skipping School

Seeing that my transportation was broken this morning, I had no choice but to stay home from school. Like any teenager, I like to live it up when I get an unexpected day off. Here are my results: 

Winter Walk

Who knew snow made a good toy?

Tastes good.

Wait a minute, is this thing sturdy?

Hey, it broke!

Just a minute. Squirrel?

No dogs? What?

I don't see anyone looking.

Who turned on the lights?