Saturday turned into a long, long day. It started out with a trip to Home Goods. We were looking for a baking stone and a wooden peel. Home Goods didn't have one. So, we continued on to our lunch date with Amy at the
Red Mesa Cantina (best Mexican food!). We arrived early and went to the Publix to see about a baking stone (no luck, but they did have some odd pan that guaranteed browning that Fred wanted to try). On the way back, Fred went to drop off the pan and I took Her Royal Highness (HRH) in to the Cantina.
When we went inside the hostess took a look at us and said, "Inside or out?" and then answered her own question. "Outside?" She starts to walk us out to the patio (seen below in a photo from their website). I start to say something about being able to sit inside, but thinking that it is a nice day, go along for the ride.
Outside is PACKED. There are two tables open. She takes us to the table that is opposite a table with two standard poodles at it. Standard poodles being the big kind of poodle (60-70 pound range). These black hooligans were none too pleased when we walked up and immediately leaped to their feet and gave voice to their displeasure. I looked at the hostess and said, "This won't work."
I walked back toward the restaurant with the hostess bringing up the rear. I turned to her, "Since she has her coat and can be inside, I think it would be better for everyone if we got a table inside." She half heartedly waved to the empty high-top table as we passed it, but I was headed for the inside and she had really given up at this point.
After lunch we went to Lowe's where HRH was billed and cooed over. There was a couple who stopped us and commented on how lovely she was. They said that their sister was disabled and had a working dog and that HRH was doing a great job. They seemed really tickled by her.
After Lowe's it was on to the grocery store: Publix. We have now been out and about for 5 hours. HRH has been a dream dog. Lovely manners, walking like a sweetie. You name it, she is doing it.
I have the cart filled up with groceries and we have run into the Lowe's couple in the Publix and smiled and nodded at each other. HRH is holding her own until the avocado incident.
I had picked out some avocados for Fred to make some guacamole (he is the guacamole king!) for my tea party on Sunday, but he said my avocados were too soft and he wanted all new avocados.
"Fine. I'll wait over in the bakery." I took HRH with me and the full cart to wait in the bakery. HRH look up at me and then she did the flop.
FLOP.
Then she grabbed the leash in her mouth and started to chew it. I yanked it out and said, "No!"
She hopped up and tilted her head and then it came out. Like a clear, pure bell. A perfect note. A single bark. And like a roomfull of zombies who smell a fresh brain, all heads turned to look at me.
I turned to look at Fred. "Fred!" I shouted over to the produce department. "We are out of here!"
I think I saw the Lowe's couple laughing, but I was moving too fast to be sure.
Like her namesake, Her Royal Highness (HRH) Berkeley, (HRH Queen Elizabeth II is shown above in one of her smashing tea party outfits (delightful yellow suit with matching yellow sun hat rimmed with several large pink flowers)) is no slouch in the fulfilling her royal duties department. Jingle the leash and proffer the coat and HRH is up and ready to lead whomever into society. Secretly, I think she wants a little hat with flowers, if only to munch on occasionally. So it was with great spirit that that she greeted Thursday, a day filled with errands and rushing about. Not quite what QEII has to endure, but none the less is a full day for a guide dog in training. 
Our first stop was at Clearwater Cruises. Jennifer and Laurie have been amazing at helping us prepare for our 20th wedding anniversary (and mom and dad's 55th wedding anniversary!) Mediterranean Cruise!! I had to stop in and get some in person help and I brought HRH along with me. She was so well behaved that I let her go out of coat so Laurie and Jennifer could give her some loving. As opposed to QEII, who was caught sleeping in Germany in 2004 at an official engagement, sleeping during an errand is encouraged for our monarch. I highly recommend Laurie and Jennifer at Clearwater Cruises if you need to book a cruise. They have been wonderful. 
Our next stop you might think was the St. Pete Museum of Fine Art. Unfortunately, we only had time to explore the grounds outside the museum as we had a tight schedule to meet and were expected for lunch in 30 minutes at Red Mesa Cantina. 
It was a lovely day and I couldn't resist capturing her lovely visage against the backdrop of the huge cotton silk tree with its gorgeous red blooms. But as I was trying to set up the shot something fell on my head. I clapped my hand to my head. "Holy crap! A bird pooped on me." I am speaking to HRH of course. Out loud. In the middle of the day while there are other people walking up to the tree to take a photo. My fingers start to slide around and I'm trying to find out if it is bird poop or not. I'm also trying to get closer to HRH who is looking longingly at the little boy who is now climbing the tree. "Not your boy, my dear." I try to shove my iPhone into my pocket, look at my fingers for poop, glance at the sky for marauding, pooping birds and also lean down to pick up her leash. I teeter a little. HRH shoots me a glance. All around me I hear pops and bombs and splatters. I realize that this tree is just one giant oozing tree of nastiness. It's red flowers only a decoy to get you under its canopy so it can release its spit upon you. I don't have bird poop on me, I have tree spit on me. Better, but stickier. We. Are. Out. Of. Here. I grab her leash and march off just as a nice lady is walking up and about to offer to take a photo of the two of us under the spitting tree of red devil flowers. I smile and stalk away. Beware, my smile says, beware. The real purpose of stopping off at the museum grounds was so that HRH would have a grassy spot on which to relieve herself. She did not. She was much too concerned with the way things smelled, or the red flowers, or the way the sun sparkled on the water. I find that if the setting is not perfect, there will be no peeing. Finally, we met Theresa at Red Mesa Cantina and got a nice booth where we were able to chat and relax. HRH was able to indulge in her napkin fetish, as you can see below in the perfectly placed bite marks in my paper napkin. I hear Elvis does the same thing, only Elvis is a napkin grabber. 
And then we went home. Royal duties over for the day.
