Here is someone I know who is fighting for a passionate cause for pets…Sandy Hall owned Gibson, Guiness World Record Tallest Great Dane in the mid 2000′s.

She also supported my At Risk “TTouch for Teens” classes at Charis Youth Center in Grass Valley, where Gibson was one of my therapy assistance dog volunteers.

He also visited my own mother at her home when she was struggling with a compression fracture in her low back area.  She missed having animals, so he came and gave her great joy for Christmas!

Gibson was a star, and featured on TV on Oprah, Jay Leno, David Letterman and more…Sadly, he died of a fast moving bone cancer a few years ago…now his nephew, Brewster, is taking on the path of bringing awareness of this cancer issue with animals. Enjoy the video on this link to learn the story, and enjoy the photos of Gibson himself and the joy he brought to me and mine.

http://www.worldstallestpuppy.com/

Here is my history with dear Gibson, the wonder dog of compassion for humans and fellow animals:

In mid April, I made a journey to Phoenix, Arizona to meet up with dear friend, Eileen Szychowski (sha husky). Eileen is the amazing woman who, despite her own disabilities, created a therapy program in Scottsdale, AZ, called Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship. She developed a solid program that benefits not only the challenged clients who come there, but the horses who share in the teaching. In addition, she incorporates education of the surrounding flora and fauna on the facility ranch and a student mentorship program that keeps the energy rolling forward through the years of service to who want to learn to experience as much of life as possible. For 25 years, she worked to set the program up to be sustainable, even after her retirement two years ago. [www.camelot-th.org]

I have been brought in several times over the years to teach staff about Tellington TTouch and Centered Riding concepts. Each trip was as enriching for me as for the staff and horses involved in the learning sessions. To celebrate our years of friendship, we decided to head up to the Grand Canyon where we originally met.

When Eileen made a trip years ago to the Grand Canyon, she was stunned to discover that this international destination site was barely disability accessible. As a professional counselor in this field, she wrote a letter to the Grand Canyon, expressing her disappointment in these shortcomings. The outcome of that letter was that the Grand Canyon service got a grant and asked her to come be a ranger for a year and educate them in how to reach these accessibility goals.

She took on the challenge. She moved herself, her two therapy trained horses and a very special goose.

When I was married some years back, my husband and I visited the canyon for a week. I had been on the mule ride into the Canyon the day before, and was a bit sore. I saw this ranger woman standing at the entrance of the Yavapai Observation Station with wood crutches. My experiences up to that time were that permanently disabled folks used metal crutches, and injured folks used wood crutches…so I made some comment about her being another casualty of the mule ride. She looked me straight in the eye and said “No, I am disabled”. Gulp, what a moment of foot in mouth I felt! So I plunged ahead and asked more questions, and next thing we knew, we had more in common than not.

First and foremost, she was a horse lover, especially Arabians. We began to discuss bloodlines we knew and admired, and went on from there…oh you horse lovers, you know what I mean!

My husband, Paul, came up to me by then, somewhat irritated at the obvious horse conversation going on and no appreciating of the canyon happening…but he joined the conversation and next thing we all knew was the doors were ready to lock up for the night!

While Eileen was careful of her safety and declined dinner invites that night, I did appeal to her about my withdrawal problems of no horse contact for over a week and finally she allowed that we could meet her at the rangerʼs barn to help feed her horses. Paul and I were camping, but had a supply of cheese, crackers, wine and fruit to bring to the gathering. We spread out on some bales of hay and in spite of a cold, howling wind buffeting the barn, we spent several hours cementing a friendship that has continued to this day.

My husband, Paul, came up to me by then, somewhat irritated at the obvious horse conversation going on and no appreciating of the canyon happening…but he joined the conversation and next thing we all knew was the doors were ready to lock up for the night!

While Eileen was careful of her safety and declined dinner invites that night, I did appeal to her about my withdrawal problems of no horse contact for over a week and finally she allowed that we could meet her at the rangerʼs barn to help feed her horses. Paul and I were camping, but had a supply of cheese, crackers, wine and fruit to bring to the gathering. We spread out on some bales of hay and in spite of a cold, howling wind buffeting the barn, we spent several hours cementing a friendship that has continued to this day.

The weather was changeable the two days we were at the canyon, but one afternoon offered some wonderful lighting and shadows to help make fine photos of one of natureʼs great miracles…

On our last morning, Eileen spoke aloud of her wish to see a blue bird somewhere along the canyon rim that day…and on our last rim walk, in blustering wind, look what showed up on a branch just below the rim where we stood…

Our last morning the forecast was looking like snow…and sure enough, it began to dust the cars as we packed the truck. We took a chance to delay our trip back to Phoenix, via Sedona, to have a lovely breakfast in the magnificent old El Tovar hotel. It is a building rich in history of the canyon and its famous visitors. It also hangs some wonderful artwork as well.

As we headed out of the Canyon, we got to catch sight of some cow elk as they were feeding along the roadway.

Just so you know, while my sister has lived in Truckee for many years and has mastered the art of driving in snow, I am not interested in that job, so have avoided it for years. However, the trip home was now going to challenge that plan. The photo shows the elevation that we were excited and loving the view.

If I could have taken a hand off the wheel about 10 miles later, you would have seen a different view out the front window! Gale force winds blowing from right to left , snow devils rearing up along the road, and drifts beginning to cover my side of the road. I am good at dealing with trouble when the need arises, so I just handed over the outcome to the angels and drove as best I could. We made the drive very slowly and without incident.

It made taking a break in Sedona a special treat!

While not hot, it was warmer in Phoenix when we returned, so had another day of rest before flying home again.

I hope you all are as lucky as I to have a soul-sister kind of friendship in your life…treasure it!

Happy Travels, Tina