Visiting my Sister, Laundry Balls and Iowa the New Guide Dog

I flew from Pittsburgh to Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, in fact, and spent five days with my sister and her wife in their sweet place. Their house is beautiful and the love and care they both extent to it shows. A plethora of hydrangea, lush grass and friendly neighbors are proof the location is a gem.

The day before I returned home Cheryll did my laundry and while folding, I found a ball, what I first thought was a tennis ball, wedged in the sleeve of a shirt.

Cheryll told me it was a wool laundry ball, using a bunch of them in a load of wash or drying helps the machines work better and one does not need to dose one’s laundry with so much fabric softener or dryer sheets. This appealed to being better for my allergies and the environment and I could not wait to get home and try them for myself.

When I got back home, I ordered a bunch, sold in sets of six, and I must say, I am impressed. It cuts the drying time and keeps sheets, towels and blankets from twisting and not drying.

As it happened, my new guide dog, a black lab named Iowa, came into our lives upon my return, a week later. Little did I know if I dropped one, he would run off with it. The balls are a bit bigger than the size of a tennis ball, made of lightweight wool, and make no sound when dropped on the floor. I can only imagine what might be going through Iowa’s mind; the ball isn’t for me? Humans are weird.

Guide and service dogs are still dogs, and will have personalities, propensities and behaviors that while are not entirely what we expect, lend to their individuality. My second guide dog, Bailey, would greet me every morning with my slipper in his mouth. It wasn’t a surprise, then, when Iowa just could not help himself and took the ball.

thanks to Iowa’s sneaky ways I am more careful now and I count my balls with each wash and dry.😜

😉

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