A treat while waiting in my world

If you have come early to the airport to get through security, and the airport is not particularly busy so security takes about half a minute, and your flight is one hour delayed, it could be boring.

As we were waiting, a group of puppy raisers for Guide Dogs of America came in to give their trainees some experience of the sights and sounds of an airport. There were eight beautiful young dogs and eight enthusiastic puppy raisers. Puppy raisers very generously raise these dogs to give them up, giving them their initial training in behavior and socialization, familiarizing them with situations in public places, teaching them to remain calm no mater what as facilitators assess them for the needed temperament. This group gather for outings such as this one on a fairly regular basis.

That calm no matter what part seems to be working well.

After spending a half hour or more in the terminal waiting area, this dedicated group went on their way to their next learning adventure.

That's what happenend to liven up My World this afternoon. To see what's happening in other parts of the world, visit the My World site.

This Way to the Future...

We've spent quite a bit of time in Spokane in the last month doing Grandma and Grandpa duty, so I've had quite a few pictures from Gonzaga campus, Mt. Spokane, Ft. Wright, and South Hill. As we'd drive around taking kids to music or gymnastics or school, I spotted a lot of images I would have liked to shoot. I think I need a week in Spokane just for taking pictures.

I posted the main entrance to the Gonzaga Administration Building a few weeks ago as This Way to Education. Back there again after Mass on another Sunday, I caught this shot of my granddaughter headed to school. Well, maybe in a few years. After all, might as well keep up the family tradition.

This Way Thursday
paths, roads, signs and travels
and other related marvels--
found here.

Weekend Reflection--St. Ignatius again

I posted another version of this view when things were frozen a couple of weeks ago.

But the weather has turned warmer, and St. Ignatious looks out on the scene right side up and up side down now.

James hosts Weekend Reflectiosn at Newtown Daily Photo.

This Way Thursday--This Way to an Education

When I first entered these portals some years ago, Gonzaga was not so well known as it is today. We did have a great basketball team in the Big Sky League, playing other schools of similar size from Oregon, Montana, Utah. Basketball has brought my alma mater into the national spotlight, but the solid education provided is still the main feature of the university.

In our time, the new statue of St. Ignatius and its fountain pool would have been in the traffic of Boone Avenue. The whole stretch of Boone through campus was closed to traffic and made into a bricked pedestrian area a number of years ago as the University grew.

I remember checking into a hotel on the ridge west of Spokane with my parents and looking down over the city for my first glimpse of the spires of St. Aloysius (fondly called St. Al's) the parish church which is an enduring symbol of Gonzaga University. As a terrified seventeen year old about to embark on the great adventure of college, I was not sure I didn't want to crawl back into the car and go home.

High school seniors are pondering college entrance forms and scholarship applications at this time of year--waiting and hoping for the thick envelope full of additional forms to fill out instead of the thin one with the single "I am sorry...." sheet. Hopes, studies, struggles, friends, independence...what an adventure looms ahead for them!

This Way Thursday--look here for other paths.