by Sharon Lovering
When I was a kid growing up in Arlington, Va., one of our local weathermen taught me the meaning of “The Dog Days of Summer.” He called it the “triple H” – hazy, hot and humid. They’re called dog days because everyone lolls around with their tongues hanging out, not doing much because it’s too hot to move. August seems to have the majority of these days, so we’re using the August E-Forum to celebrate the Dog Days of August.
In this edition of “The ACB E-Forum,” we celebrate the bond between humans and their dogs, be they guide dogs or family pets. You’ll meet Nikki, a dog from Ray Campbell’s childhood; Charley, who chose Rita Reese-Whiting and her husband; Holly, Ron Milliman’s guide dog, who saved the day for an advanced macroeconomics theory class; Heidi, Peter Altschul’s first guide dog, who had a penchant for ice cream; Winnie, Shirley Manning’s guide dog; several of Toni and Ed Eames’ guide dogs (past and present); Penny Reeder’s dog, Willow; and many others. To balance it out, and appease my two cats, I found a delightful article in a 1987 issue about Harriet Fielding’s Siamese cat, Mehitabel, better known as Mitty. It is our hope that you will enjoy the stories readers share herein – preferably with a cold beverage of your choice. (Just don’t spill it on whatever device you’re using to read this issue.)