Bring to Me Your Sorrows

Today was a revelatory day.

It started very ordinary.  I brought in a peanut butter pie for a co-worker. I talked with students and worked on administrivia.  When all at once I thought that Corky and I should go for a walk about.  

I loaded up with treats, because my boy doesn't work if there isn't a treat involved.  We started out with some stair work and went up two flights and down some hallways.  He was very good.  When the treats are around, there is no one better.

We started down the stairs and out into the open air.  Corky was ignoring the acorns and focusing on me.  He was so awesome.  We were headed  towards the vending the machines and I saw there were some middle division girls there getting some food.  One girl in particular had spotted us and her whole expression brightened and she began to step toward us.

But then, she realized that Corky had his coat on and she dropped her head and turned back to the vending machines.

I started to walk on by.

But there was something that made me stop. 

I looked at her.  I crooked my finger.  She ran over to me.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something," I asked. 

She was looking at Corky. I continued, "Corky is having a problem jumping up, so I was wondering if I get him to lay down, if you would pet him for me.  Can you do that?"

She nearly jumped straight up. "Oh, Yes!"

"Great!" I unhooked Corky's coat and with the treat I got him to down.  Then she begin to gently pet his neck and head.  Corky was in heaven.  

"I miss my dog," she said.

"Where is your dog?" She didn't answer.  She continued to pet Corky and her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh. Did he pass away?" She nodded.  "I'm so sorry." 

She continued to pet Corky and I gave her a treat to give him. 

"Corky is a really sweet boy, isn't he?" She nodded.

Close-up of Corky's sweet face.

We left soon after, but I think we took a bit of her sorrow with us and left a bit of Corky's sweetness in its place.

Corky at School: Library Duties and All School Convos

Library Dog

Corky has been having a great time at Berkeley.  He is learning all about the library and what he needs to do to be a good library dog.  We recently had a big promotion for Valentine's day called Blind Date with a Book where all of our outstanding books were covered in paper and you had to check them out without knowing what book you were getting.  It only indicated the genre (it was wildly successful!).  Corky was very instrumental in this promotion by not eating the paper hearts off the circulation counter and not knocking the books off the display counter.

Mrs. Fletcher, Mrs. McLean and Corky standing in front of the very colorful Blind Date with a Book display area in the Jean Ann Cone Library at Berkeley.

All School Convo Dog

We also had an all school convo to welcome us back to school in January.  Corky attended and did very well.  We tried a seat near the top so the sound wouldn't be too loud for him.

Mrs. McLean and Corky sitting in the stands near the top of the bleachers.

The all school convo is a bit of an extravaganza.  And we are all crammed in together in the bleachers.  My thought was, sit up high so that the noise wouldn't be so loud.

Good idea, right?

No.

Corky doesn't have a good settle.  He likes to wander and walk and ponder the world.  He is a curious dog and where Dewey would be bored in 30 seconds and fall asleep, Corky is fascinated by life.

"What was that sound? Did someone move their arm? Is that a bagpipe I hear?"

So there was no settling for Corky.  There was lots of moving back and forth.  There was periodic settling and some poking of Dr. Leonardo in the back, which he kindly said wasn't a problem.  (Thankfully, Corky also gave him lots of loving.  So, I suppose that made up for it.  Corky really seems to love Dr. Leonardo.)

In the end, he did finally finally settle down.  

Close up of Corky's face.

But seconds after he did, we were dismissed.  Sigh.  Isn't that the way it goes?  A small victory is still a victory.