April is when we have the International Guide Dogs Week (26 April to 2 May). This is when the whole world takes notice of the wonderful work we, the Guide Dogs, do to help our Vision Impaired Human to get around.

 

April is also when daylight savings finishes and we get an extra hour of daylight in the morning. Lindy can now see the footpath to run with the FIT group. I on the other paw, just keep on sleeping on.

 

In this issue:

-         MS Mega Swim on the 1^st and 2^nd May

-         International Guide Dogs Week (26 April to 2 May)

-         Violin Lessons

-         Blind Courage Cycle from Perth to Sydney

-         Dawn Service on ANZAC Day

 MS Mega Swim on the 1^st and 2^nd May

Lindy’s training is going really well. She managed to swim a whole 2 kilometers without hitting the lane rope. If you are in Canberra, come and cheer her on at the AIS Swimming Pool at 12 noon on Saturday. She is on target to swim for at least 2 kilometers in that hour.

Thank you to many of you who have donated to Lindy and her FIT team for their MS Mega Swim. They are leading the charge in the donation department for raising funds for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis. If you wish to donate and have not done so, you still have time. Just follow the link http://events.megaswim.com/?lindyhou

 

Apart from supporting a good cause, you can also take the opportunity to get a tax deduction for 2009/2010 tax year.

 International Guide Dogs Week (26 April to 2 May)

This is one week of the year that we, the Guide Dogs, get to be recognized for the work that we do for our Human Handlers. My 4-legged work mates and I are sending out the message to the public about “Please do not disturb” us while we are working.

 

How come you humans don’t walk up to a police officer and pat he or she on the head while they are in uniform. And yet you come up to us, the guide dogs, and pat us on the head while we are in our uniform! Sometimes we wonder what you humans are thinking.

 

We also try to educate the public about keeping their pet dogs on the lead and not to let them walk right up to us while we are working.

 

Jay, a Canberra lady, had to retire her guide dog a few days ago as her dog is now too traumatised to work, after being attacked by an off-lead dog. Apart from costing $30,000 to train a guide dog, there is also the time and emotional cost for the handler and trainer. Luckily for me, my nearest nasty experience was when I was confronted by a large off-lead German Shepherd. He left me alone after circling Lindy & I a few times. I still remember how shaking Lindy was that day. I pretended to be brave!

 Violin Lessons

I have been busy checking out the Guide Dogs Reference Manual and can’t find anything about supervising music lessons. Well, I know when I took on this job with Lindy that she did mention about extra duties. However she didn’t say anything 6 years ago about wanting to learn violin!

 

Lindy’s family bought her a violin for her BIG birthday. It is something that she had always wanted to learn since she was a little kid. So being the wonderful Guide Dog that I am, I will just lie here and put up with the awful noise!

 

That violin thing is only just starting to make some sensible noise now, and I overheard her teacher say that Lindy will be able to start playing some tunes next week. Oh please! Please! I can only put up with the noise for so long.

 

I certainly will demand a big bonus at the end of the year to compensate for all these extra duties.

 Blind Courage Cycle from Perth to Sydney

Lorin and Dean Nicholson have embarked on an epic tandem bike ride, “Blind Challenge” to raise $300,000 for Vision Australia - $1 for every person who is blind or has low vision in Australia. They also aim to create awareness of the significant abilities of people who are blind or have low vision.

 

The Brisbane-based siblings departed from Perth on 29 March with their pilots John and Grant for their 4000km journey across Australia. They reached the Sydney Opera House on Monday 26^th April.

 

On Friday, 23^rd April, they rode from Gundagai to Canberra. Lindy rode out to Yass to meet the boys with her pilot Elton and rode in with them. Lindy’s was just a 110km round trip which is very short compared to the 4,000km they are riding!

 

The group then met another 8 tandem and single bikes just on the outskirts of Canberra City . The pelaton then rode the last 7km to Garema Place with police escort. This is possibly the largest gathering of tandem bikes in Canberra.

 

The diary of their journey can be viewed on http://www.blindcourage.com/

 

Please support the riders and the work of Vision Australia by donating through :http://www.blindcourage.com/?page_id=91

 Dawn Service on ANZAC Day

For those overseas readers, ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

 

Lindy & I attended the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial on Anzac morning. We got up at 3:30 am and caught the shuttle bus to the War Memorial. This is the earliest I have ever got up but I definitely wasn’t going to let Skinny Harper (the Long White Cane) take my place. We were with Lindy’s nephew-in-law, Stephen, and his daughters Georgia and Lilly who are 7 and 5 years old. John, Stephen’s friend, helped me guide Lindy through the crowd.

 

It was a beautiful morning with a sky full of stars. We were among the 20,000 people who attended the service. The service only took 30 minutes but it was one of the most moving 30 minutes that Lindy & I had experienced.

 

I was amazed to see how many young people were there to commemorate the men and women who gave their lives for Australia. When we had the minute silence, you could have heard a pin drop among the 20,000 people.

 

The lady who sat next to us on the shuttle bus, told us that her father was in the Light Horse Brigade during the 1^st World War. When they came back to Australia, they were not allowed to bring their horses back. They had to shoot all their horses before they left. It certainly brought tears to our eyes. Lindy gets sad when I am not well, let alone…..

 

ANZAC Day certainly is not a day to glorify wars, but rather a day to reflect and commemorate. If only the human race could be nice to each other!!

 

On this note don’t forget:

 

“Be nice to each other and treat others like the way we want to be treated”

===========================================================

 

Woof Woof

 Harper Hou

+61 (0) 2 6156 2964

+61 (0) 402 113 836

harperhou@optusnet.com.au

www.lindyhou.com

I love March because this is when I get my birthday present. There is no better present for a Black Labrador then a huge bone. For those of you who don’t know, I am now eight years old, that is 56 in human years. I am finally older than Lindy, however I am not sure what she means when she says I still have a bit of maturing to go!

 

Since my last newsletter, I have been busy helping Lindy celebrate her birthday. I guess a huge milestone needs a whole month to get through.

 

In this issue:

-         Paws Camp for Dogs

-         MS Mega Swim

-         Training for Canberra Half Marathon

-         Speaking experience at KL

-         Website updated

 Paws Camp for Dogs

Early this month, while Lindy went to the Gold Coast for a family holiday, I was enrolled in the Robinson’s Paws Camp for Dogs.

 

This is the K9 version of a fitness program. It is like Boot Camp for humans, except this is a lot more fun! We, Robbie the white Labrador  & I, get to run through the bush and swim in the creek. Instead of being yelled at by the instructor to go faster and harder, instructor Rosemary just whistled for us to go to her for treats whenever we slowed down too much. Maybe the human Boot Camp instructors can take a lesson from our Paws Camp and hand out chocolate treats at the end of each work out.

 MS Mega Swim on the 1^st and 2^nd May

Lindy has joined the FIT (Females in Training) 24 hours Mega Swim team to raise money for MS. Oh! Don’t be alarmed, she is not going to swim the whole 24 hours. She will be one of the 24 FIT members who will swim an hour each.

 

This will still be a feat for Lindy as she has never swum for an hour non-stop. The last time she did a long swim was before I was born, back in the early 90’s when she was able to see. Now she can just make out the black line in the pool (sometimes!)  Doggie Bets is taking bets on how many times she will swim into the lane rope.

 

The MS Mega Swim aims to raise funds for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis. MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system and affects over 18,000 Australians. We were surprised to find out that the average age of diagnosis is 30 and MS affects three times as many women as men.

 

Some of us probably know someone who is affected by this condition. Lindy knows two people, a cousin and a Triathlete friend. If you would like to support Lindy and her FIT team or to find out more about the Mega Swim, you can go into the following website.

http://events.megaswim.com/?lindyhou

 Training for Canberra Half Marathon - 2^nd May

Lindy has been busy training for the Canberra Half Marathon. Di, the president of FIT, has been her main guide with the help of many other FIT members. When it is really dark in the morning, Di and Lindy hold on to a short rope so Lindy does not head off into the bush or have another lake experience. Once it is light enough and the surface is OK, they can drop the rope and Lindy just follows another runner in the group.

 

Thanks everyone for doing such a great job as this certainly relieves me of guiding duties while she is out running. I have actually checked out the Guide Dog Duty Handbook and have not found the bit about being a Running Guide Dog.

 

There is talk at the Doggie Park about what Lindy is up to as she is doing the MS Mega swim, training for the Canberra Half Marathon and is still seen on the tandem bike around Canberra.

 

Alright! Alright! The cat is out of the bag. Yes, she is going back to do triathlon – the sport that she first took up in 1989. Back then she was having more and more trouble seeing the balls in squash, softball and hockey, so she decided triathlon was the go. She had to learn to swim and got herself a bike. Back then no one told her that it helps to be able to see well to corner and go down hill properly. She finally had to stop her triathlon because of her reducing sight.

 

It has now been 14 years since she competed in an Olympic distance triathlon. It was the 1994 World Master Games in Brisbane. Lindy has set her sights on the Ironman! Her ultimum goal is the Hawaii Ironman in October 2011. However there will be many stepping-stones along the way.

 

I get tired just listening to Lindy making her plans, but I will try to keep you informed of what is going on.

 Speaking Experience at KL

Early this year, while I went to the Carter’s holiday farm, Lindy went to Malaysia to speak at the Prudential Malaysia Insurance Company’s National Conference.

 

It was a conference for 5,400 people. I was a bit nervous for Lindy, as this is the largest audience she has faced without my help.

 

Lindy has spoken to larger audiences such as the Thank You Speech on behalf of the Paralympic Team in front of Sydney Town Hall after the Beijing Games. Then again I was there to help her.

I am glad that Lindy’s Presentation in KL was a success. She received great feedback from Charlie Oropeza the CEO of the company.

 

His comments were:.

“It was very inspiring to hear how you managed to rise above the challenges that you faced. This could have been a “heavy” presentation. Your humorous

and down to earth delivery was very effective.  We will keep you in mind for future engagements and share your information with our colleagues around the

region”

 

This certainly is a great way for Lindy to launch her Speaking Career. Her next talk will be at the Capital Region BEC Networking Breakfast on the Tuesday 6^th April. The details is on the following website.

www.crbec.com.au 

 Website Updated www.lindyhou.com

Lindy’s website has been recently updated. It now has a number of video clips. My favorite one is of her Sky Diving. You can all share her experience through the video. Lindy may not be the prettiest Sky Diver around, but I am still proud of her. After seeing the look on Lindy’s face, I am glad that I didn’t have to guide her through the Sky. I would have passed out once we jumped out of the plane!

 

Other clips are

-         Lindy’s Promo

-         Interview with Lindy

-         SBS World News

 

The most important part of her website is the Blog that contains all my previous newsletters.

 

===========================================================

 

“Attitude determines success”

 

Woof Woof

 Harper Hou

+61 (0) 2 6156 2964

+61 (0) 402 113 836

harperhou@optusnet.com.au

www.lindyhou.com

“Gong Xi Fa Chai”Happy Chinese New Year From Harper & Lindy For those of you who didn’t get my newsletter for a few months, you have not been struck off my distribution list. My typist, Lindy has been too busy to type it for me!!! The biggest event in 2009 was our move from Sydney to Canberra. I can’t really call this a Sea Change, so I have had to settle for a Lake Change! I don’t mind being away from the beaches, as Lindy & I have already taken advantage of the numerous Dams and Lakes that Canberra has to offer. See the section below on the FIT Christmas breakfast for our water adventure. Apart from the move, there are a few other significant events that happened in 2009 for Lindy (& sometimes for me!!). They were:Tandem Sky-Diving for Lindy & ToireasaLindy Cycled 3,200 km from Cairns to MelbourneFormation of the Para-Cycling CommissionUS visit – Lindy spoke to the Rotary ClubLindy Completed the City to Surf without tripping over FIT Christmas Breakfast Water AdventureNew Year’s Eve at the Opera House So far this YearLindy spoke at the Prudential Malaysia National Conference in Kuala LumpurAustralia Day Ambassador at Manilla (Tamworth Regional Council) A Lake Change2009 certainly marked a new chapter in Lindy’s life. We moved from the “Beach Comber” house in Beacon Hill to a town house in the suburb of Page in Canberra.  This was a “Sea Change” with a difference. Instead of moving to the sea, we moved away from the sea. The swimming pool that I enjoyed at Beacon Hill has now been replaced by a little kiddie’s pool. At least it is big enough for me to lie in and flap my paws. However, it is not big enough for Lindy to get in while I am in it, and besides, this is MY POOL and I am not going to share it.  It has been fun for me to be down here in Canberra. I get to see the kids very often - Lindy’s great nieces and nephews, all 11 of them. The great thing about the little kids is that they are good at dropping food on the floor. I, being a wonder dog that can multi-task, always takes up the extra duty of cleaning up! Oh, I nearly forget to tell you that my new street name is Chewings Street. How appropriate it is for a Labrador Guide Dog!! We have settled into our house in Page. At least I have finished unpacking my toys and treats, but Lindy still got a few boxes left to unpack. Apart from being busy looking for trades people to fix fences, taps, doors, etc and install air conditioning, Lindy has still had time to settle into the Canberra sporting community. She has joined the Females In Training (FIT) Club and also joined Pedal Power for bike rides. There certainly isn’t any shortage of pilots who want ride with her. Lindy has also started running. The bike path near home has a broken white line that she can just see. This enables her to run without a guide. She just has to avoid the peak hour bike traffic. I have offered to guide her but she doesn’t seem to like “Doggie Intervals”, the sprints between trees!  Australia Day Ambassador DutiesWhen Lindy received the invitation from the Tamworth Regional Council, we thought we had to get out our cowboy hats and learn to sing Country Music. Then we thought we would have to go to the Phillipines, as the town was called Manilla! However, after checking it all out, we finally found out that we are going to Manilla, in the Tamworth Regional Council area. It is 45km out of Tamworth, the Country Music Capital of Australia. The Australia Day celebration was held at the local swimming pool with over 200 people in attendance, with the town population of about 1,500 people. I was not very impressed with Lindy when she turned down the invitation by the pool manager for me to swim in the kiddies’ pool. All was forgiven however, when I was taken to the local river for a swim afterwards.  As usual, Lindy gave an enlightening Australia Day address. She mentioned what Australia Day means to her. The best part of her speech was when she spoke about me and how I guide her around. She even told people what happened on the plane to Tamworth! After Lindy took my harness off, the stewardess was very excited. She knelt down on the floor and was patting me, when the next passenger got on the plane. The passenger commented, “Oh my goodness, she is praying already and we haven’t even taken off”. New Year Eve at the Opera House For the last few years, Lindy had wanted to see the New Year’s Eve Fireworks from Sydney Harbour while she still has some sight. Her friends found out that the New Year’s Eve Concert at the Opera House allows patrons to stay at the Opera House after the concert to view the Fireworks.The view from the Opera House was amazing. Lindy enjoyed the fireworks and I had a great sleep while all that festive activity was going on. My motto is “Take time out to have a nap”. A smart Guide Dog always takes the opportunity to nap and the noise didn’t bother me, as I treated it as background music. The trip home was relatively smooth as we waited as least 45 minutes after the Fireworks finished before walking from the Opera House to the railway station. We only had to face the pedestrian traffic near the station. We were home by 2:30 am. We certainly would recommend this as the way to see New Year Eve Fireworks (especially for a Guide Dog) without being out all day to get a good spot. FIT Christmas BreakfastThe Females in Training (FIT) Club has many organized trainings and activities. One of those activities was the Christmas Breakfast. It was held at the farm of one of the members. It was one of the Saturday morning runs when I was invited to go along. As soon as I arrived, I took the invitation to have a run around the farm and jumped straight into the dam for a swim. Lindy didn’t quite approve of my action and ran after me. After I got out of the dam, Lindy turned around to join the other runners but unfortunately she walked straight into another pond! Well! There were two people standing next to her, but neither of them realized that Lindy couldn’t see the pond in front of her, as she thought it was just the lawn. We know how to take advantage of the numerous dams & lakes that Canberra has to offer!=========================================================== That is about it from the Black Labrador Guide Dog from Chewings Street, however I will just leave you with the following thought : “Always greet people with excitement”Woof Woof�
Harper Hou+61 (0) 2 6156 2964
+61 (0) 402 113 836
harperhou@optusnet.com.au
www.lindyhou.com

I have just returned from four weeks annual leave. I spent it with my 4-legged friend, Tyson while Lindy rode her tandem bike from Cairns to Melbourne.

 

Lindy and I are home now for 8 days before she takes off again to the United States with her family. I will stay with the Gould family this time for two weeks. This will be my last holiday for the year, as I will have used up all my annual leave and long service leave!

 

It is great to spend time with my friends and check out different dog parks. We often meet new friends and have different dogs to play chasing with. However, one thing about being a celebrity dog is that people still recognize me wherever I go!

 

I haven’t got a lot to report this issue, so I will let Lindy tell you about the Cairns to Melbourne ride.

 

Bike for Bibles - Cairns to Melbourne Inland Ride

Rosemary and I rode a tandem bike, along with 12 other single bikes, from Cairns to Melbourne & covered a distance of 3,242 km. The ride took us exactly 4 weeks, with 4 rest days during this period. 4 vehicles, 10 road crews and many churches supported us along the way & during the month-long ride, the temperatures ranged from 1 to 44 degree C!!

 

The longest day was 207 km taking 7 hours 59 minutes on the saddle, while the biggest day for climbing was 2,086 meters, when we rode out of Cairns on the first day. The total time spent on the saddle for the month was 124 hours and 30 minutes, with an overall average speed for the whole ride of 26.3 km/hr. 

 

One of our roadies, Graeme Keast, has a very good website, where he has reported the whole ride, with photos and comments. For those of you who would like to know more about the ride, this is certainly worth having a look at. Note: there are other blog entries after the one about the ride, so you may have to look further down the site. The website is: http://granomad.blogspot.com/

Some of my memorable moments on the trip were:

Guided Outer Reef Tour

With an instructor, I had a personalised snorkelling guided tour of the outer reef. I was able to have a close examination of the reef. The instructor gave me an in depth description of the natural habitats. It was a most enjoyable hour as I was able to relax & take in what I could with my limited sight, without worrying about having to find the boat to get back to Cairns!

 

Getting Lost in Roma

In Roma, we stayed in a church hall that has a separate building for the toilet. Before I went to bed, we came up with a system for me to find my way to the toilet & back. The system consisted of leaving the light on at the toilet block, as well as leaving the light on outside the church hall.

 

I had no trouble finding the toilet block, however the back door light for the church is only a security light and it had turned off by the time I had to aim for it on my return! I got totally lost and found myself standing on the side of the road wondering what to do next. I was going to flag down the first car that drove past to ask for the direction back to the church hall! As I was pondering how the driver would react to someone in pyjamas standing on the side of the road with a white cane, I heard people calling out my name. I was saved from spending the night on the street.

 

Someone had seen me going out to the toilet and when I didn’t return for a long time, decided to come looking for me. When she couldn’t find me, she alerted the rest of the group and a huge search party set about looking for me.

 

As we were spending two nights in Roma, many new strategies were suggested to ensure I didn’t run away again. One consisted of a retractable rope & another, a cowbell. Thank goodness none of these were needed, and I spent the next night safely.

 

“Behind the Scenes” Tour of Dubbo Zoo

With my very limited eyesight, I have very little chance of seeing any of animals at the Dubbo Zoo. A “behind the scenes” tour was organised for me by one of the other cyclists. I got to pat a rhino, nearly step on an echidna in their enclosure and receive kisses from the elephants.

 

It was great day out for me as I got to feel the animals and I learnt a lot of interesting information from the zookeepers. 

 

The whole bike trip has been full of many new experiences, with a wonderful group of people who are friendly, thoughtful and helpful. I certainly didn’t go hungry at any stage & I only got lost once (see above)! I didn’t lose anything along the way, as even my socks kept finding their way back to me!

 

Thank you to all those people who have sent in their donations. The money raised will certainly be put to good use through the Bible Society projects.

 

===========================================================

That is about it from the Black Labrador Guide Dog from Beacon Hill.

I will write again after my next holiday.

 

“Prepare to push beyond our comfort zone. Achievements are made because we are prepare to push beyond the limit that we impose onto ourselves”

 

Woof Woof

 

Harper Hou

harperhou@optusnet.com.au

www.lindyhou.com

 

News from Harper the Guide Dog

March 2009

“Unbelievable - Tandem Ride”

 

When I tell my 4-legged friends that my life is full of excitements, I really mean that! Just last Sunday, we drove to Picton and met up with Toireasa and her family. I was real excited to see them and was a bit upset when Lindy and Toireasa got on this little aeroplane with a whole bunch of people without me. I sat around the picnic table with the rest of the Ryans, Gallaghers and other friends and waited. Instead of seeing food being placed on the table, Lindy and Toireasa appeared from the sky with someone on their backs carrying two huge tablecloths without any food on them. I was told later that it is calls a parachute. They both had a huge grin on their faces and couldn’t stop talking about their “Tandem Skydive” experience. Well, to tell you the true, none of that make sense to me. Why would anyone, certainly not a smart Guide Dog like me, jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane. I will let Lindy describe to you about her jump in the next issue of  my newsletter and you might even get to see some of the footage! I can tell you now from all accounts, she definitely is not the best Skydiver around. Since the last newsletter (February), things have been very hectic.I had a short holiday at the end of February while Lindy went to Cambodia to give a key note speech for Prudential Insurance at their Asia Pacific Regional Conference. We then helped launch the Powerhouse “Living in a Sensory World” Exhibition and also celebrated International Women’s Day by giving the speech at the Manly Council Women’s Day Breakfast at Manly Golf Club. More importantly, I starred in the Guide Dog NSW/ACT training Video. My role was to walk Lindy to the Golden Harbour Chinese Restaurant in China Town, be greeted by the manager and then take her to the table. At the table, two blonde-haired girls were waiting for me. I love any role that allows me to be among food and other guide dogs, especially the blonde ones. The purpose of this training video is to educate restaurant owners and managers that Guide Dogs are allowed to go into restaurants. Watch the upcoming newsletter for details of the video premiere, when I get to walk down the Red Carpet. (I like to dream too!) Now I am off again for another holiday because in April, Lindy is going to ride a Tandem Bike from Cairns to Melbourne. That’s right !! -  a distance of just under 3,200 km.   I definitely will not be publishing any newsletter in April nor will I have a chance to answer any emails while my secretary is away. However, you can always call or text Lindy on her mobile.  Living in a Sensory World: stories from people with blindness and low vision 

This exciting exhibition explores the world of the blindness and low vision community and celebrates their achievements.

 I took Lindy to the Powerhouse Museum for the launch of the exhibition on Wednesday 4^th of March. Lindy was asked to represent people with blindness and low vision from this exhibition and gave a short speech. I was pleased to share the stage with Minister Peter Garrett. As a politician, Peter actually gave an enlightening speech. He recounted the story about how his grandfather used to volunteer his service to the blind community by translating books into Braille. I am glad that there is so much more technology available now so Lindy does not have to depend on brail books, as her Braille the alphabet is really slow. Fortunately for all of you, she uses the Screen Reader calls JAWS to help her type up this newsletter.  Lindy and Toireasa have their 2006 World Championships medal and World Champions Jersey on display at the exhibition. An interview with them both is also being shown on the TV screen. You can have a look at the interview through the Powerhouse website http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/living/exhibition_videos.asp. Bike for Bibles - Cairns to Melbourne Inland RideWhy is it that recently Lindy has been spending more hours on the bike than before she retired from Para-Cycling? She tries to explain to me that she is doing this Charity Ride that requires her to sit on that little seat for hours on end to get her from Cairns to Melbourne. I can’t understand why she doesn’t just catch a plane! Maybe there are some special coffee shops on that Inland route that she is not taking me to! I guess I just have to be satisfied with a holiday instead. In the mean time, I will just give you the facts.  Lindy and Rosemary Robinson, from Canberra, are doing the Cairns to Melbourne Bike for Bibles Ride on the tandem bike. They are going to cover 3,192km. I am sure they will manage to tick over the 3,200km mark on the computer just by going to the coffee shops. They will ride with another 15 cyclists on their single bikes. No, they won’t have to carry all their food on the bikes because they will have a support team of 10 people to feed them.  They will start on Sunday 5^th April from Cairns and finish on Saturday 2^nd May in Melbourne. The longest days are 205km, 203km and 194km, with another three days covering the distances of 150 to 190km. There are four easy days under 100km, with the shortest day being 84km. The remaining riding days are all between 100 and 150km. With all this riding, they get to have four rest days to catch up on washing and coffee shops! If you want to know where they are stopping each night and how far they are scheduled to ride each day, just check out the Bible Society NSW website.http://www.biblesocietynsw.com.au/Events/cairns_melbourne This ride is to raise fund to support a number of Bible Society projects including Literacy Education, Health & Hygiene etc in a number of Indigenous Communities in Northern Australia. =========================================================== That is about it from the Black Labrador Guide Dog from Beacon Hill, I will write again after my holiday. “It is not the challenges that we have to face in life, it is how we face these challenges that determine the quality of our life”  

Woof Woof

 Harper Hou02 9905-26230402 113 836harperhou@optusnet.com.auwww.lindyhou.com

Happy Australia Day

and

Happy Chinese New Year

From Harper & Lindy 

I had a wonderful Christmas break with lots of food and drinks. Well actually Lindy and I had lots of food. In the drinks department, no matter how hard I tried, I only managed to find water in my bowl! I am sure the Guide Dog handbook does not mention that Guide Dogs can’t consume wine or beer during the festive season.  We had a great start to 2009 with Australia Day and Chinese New Year both falling on the same day. As usual I was the Australia Day ambassador, even though Lindy’s name is officially on the list! I love this duty, because I get to go to the Convention Centre at Darling “Harper” (Harbour to others but I think it was really named after me!) for the Australia Day Lunch. The full report on the Australia Day Festivities is below. This newsletter also includes:  - Australia Day Ambassador Duties - Chinese New Year Festival - Guest Speaker at the International Women’s Day Breakfast (6^th March) - Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum featuring Lindy and Toireasa  Australia Day Ambassador Duties 

The Australia Day Ambassador Duty began with the Launch at Sydney Luna Park a week before Australia Day. I always use this opportunity to contribute to the cleaning up process. After all, I think it is my duty to ensure the function floor is spotlessly clean despite Lindy’s disapproval of this added duty.  There were some great speeches and I learnt that the Australia Day Ambassador program began 20 years ago. It all began because someone from a country town wrote to the Australia Day Council requesting a celebrity to come and give the Australia Day address. The letter said “we can’t bear to hear another speech from our Mayor!”  Nancy Bird-Walton, the first Australian female Commercial Pilot, was among the nine ambassadors that year. Sadly, Nancy passed away a couple of weeks before the 2009 Australia Day. Her last flight was with the Angel Airline. She made a great contribution to Australia, both in and out of the aviation industry and many will certainly miss her.  Lindy and I went to the Bombala Shire Council for the Australia Day celebration. It was also the Wool and Wood Festival. I saw the wood chopping and sheep sheering competition. Lindy made sure her Australia Day address did not sound like one from a Mayor!  We also attended the Harbour Cruise for the Chinese Community. Although Lindy did not have to give the Australia Day address that evening, she gave a short Thank You speech on behalf of the Celebration Committee. 

Chinese New Year Festival

This Festivity began on New Year’s Eve with a Family Banquet in Canberra. This is another great opportunity for me to bond with all my four legged cousins. More importantly, the mealtime with ten children under the age of ten certainly gave me the opportunity to sample the wonderful Chinese cuisine! As much as I love my Purina Salmon Dinner, I love to sneak in some variety as it fell from the children’s table.  One of the Chinese New Year customs is to give out red packets. This means good luck and good fortune. Somehow I missed out on getting one of these packets. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year!!  Back in Sydney China Town, we went to the Australian Chinese Community Association Banquet where lots of community leaders attended. Once again, there were lots of foods, entertainment and speeches.  On Sunday evening, we joined the Chinese Women Association (CWA) for the Chinese New Year Twilight Parade. The Parade went from Sydney Town Hall to China Town. Some 2,700 people participated in the Parade. Since this is the year of the Ox, the Parade was lead by a Giant Ox, followed by the Chinese Ex-Serviceman’s Association.  The CWA were the next group, as they are one of the longest established Chinese Associations in Sydney, with a 52 year history.  The streets were lined with people all the way to the Entertainment Centre. After we got to the end, we saw the other eleven giant animal lantern floats came in. There were also Martial Art Groups, Community Groups and many different Chinese Performing Groups.  Clarence Street Cyclery sponsored the Beijing Bicycles Coolies. Photos can be viewed on the Clarence Street Cyclery Website www.cyclery.com.au . Janelle along with staff from the Cyclery, dressed up as Coolies riding bikes full of merchandise and were kept busy making deliveries to China Town. The well-lighted bikes with precision riding were a real hit among the elders of the Chinese Community, as well as the non-Chinese spectators.   The involvement of Australians from non-Chinese backgrounds showcased the integration of all Australians. By integrating cultures, knowledge and history in this Land of Oz, we can certainly make this a great place to live.  This initiative by Sydney City Council may well be extended to future Chinese New Year Parades. I am sure other community groups will also adopt the parade format for their celebrations. The evening was capped off with fireworks over Cockle Bay at Darling “Harper”.  

International Women’s Day (6^th March)

 Manly Council will celebrate International Women’s Day with a breakfast at Manly Golf Club. Lindy will be the guest speaker at this breakfast. Come along and celebrate this day with great food and company.  The proceeds from the breakfast will go to the Manly Warringah Women’s Resource Centre. The staff believe in women’s rights and equality. They provide support and advocacy for women and children on the Northern Beaches. Their programs and services aim to empower women to take charge of their own lives.  Lindy is donating her speaking service for this breakfast. For those of you who live in the area, how about organising a group of friends or work colleagues and booking a table to celebrate this day for a great cause.  Date:   Friday 6^th March Time:  7:30 to 9:00am Venue:            Manly Golf Club Address: 38-40 Balgowlah Road, Manly Cost:   $30 per head            Table of 10 for $300 Booking and information:                Shelley Gardiner 9976 1749           

email shelley.gardiner@manly.nsw.gov.au or check www.manly.nsw.gov.au  

In addition: Everyone attending will also have the opportunity to sign up for a free surfing lesson on Sunday 8th March 2009! I hope I can also sign up for a Guide Dog Surfing Lesson.  Living in a Sensory World Exhibition at the Power House Museum

Lindy and Toireasa feature in this exhibition with their 2006 World Championships medal and World Champions Jersey on display. An interview with them both is also shown as part of the stories from people with blindness and low vision, on the TV screen. My interview was not shown, as their budget did not cover a Doggie Translator! 

This exhibition will be officially opened on the Wednesday 4^th of March at 5:30pm. Lindy has been invited to speak at this opening. I don’t really mind listening to Lindy’s talk; it gives me another opportunity to have a Dog Nap!  Following is the Vision Australia promotion information on this exhibition:(copyright Vision Australia)  =========================================================== If you’re in Sydney during 2009, don’t miss ‘Living in a sensory world: stories from people with blindness and low vision’, an exciting exhibition Vision Australia is jointly presenting with The Powerhouse Museum.  Today, thanks to developments in education and training, technology, legislation and social change over the past 140 years, Australians with blindness or low vision are able to fully participate in every aspect of life.   This exhibition gives visitors a window into the world of the blindness and low vision community and celebrates their achievements. It features objects from Vision Australia’s heritage collection, compelling accounts and examples of new technologies that are increasing the independence of thousands of Australians.  ‘Living in a sensory world’ also aims to educate the museum visitor about eye conditions and how people with blindness or low vision experience, as well as offer an insight into how Australians who are blind or have low vision learn, work, play sport, create art and carry out everyday household tasks.   Objects on show include a cylindrical rotating braille map created by Australia’s RF Tunley in the 1940s; Sonicguide glasses from the 1960s, which used sounds to identify objects; a Taylor slate from the early 20th century that assisted people who were blind to learn maths as well as examples of modern technology such as a phone that can capture text in image form and read it aloud to the user.   The exhibition will feature braille and large print labelling and audio guides (which can also be downloaded from www.visionaustralia.org) are also available.  The exhibition will run in the museum’s Australian Communities Gallery throughout 2009. After this year-long run at The Powerhouse, the exhibition will tour regional centres.   For information about tickets, museum opening hours and accessibility, as well as audio or braille guides, call 1300 84 74 66 or visit www.visionaustralia.org .   The Powerhouse Museum is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day.  Tickets can be purchased at the door. To contact the museum call open call (02) 9217 0111. ===========================================================  That is about it from the Black Labrador Guide Dog from Beacon Hill, however I will just leave you with the following thought :  “be loyal to those who care for you”  Woof Woof  Harper Hou  harperhou@optusnet.com.au www.lindyhou.com 

Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year

From Harper & Lindy

2008 has been a wonderful year for Lindy and I. Lindy and Toireasa won Silver and Bronze at the Beijing Paralympic Games and I had a long and well earned holiday in Sydney.

Just as well I had a nine weeks holiday. I certainly needed that rest to prepare for the hectic schedule that Lindy had me doing after her return from the Games. There were Award Dinners, Welcome Home Reception, one being the NSW Ambassador for the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign, as well as giving a number of speeches. In doing all these, we travelled to Canberra, Sunshine Coast, Orange, Melbourne, Tamworth and in and around Sydney.

If this is what retirement from Para-Cycling is all about, I think Lindy needs to get back into training so I can have a rest!

Some of the Highlights for 2008 are;

- Beijing Paralympics

- Welcome Home Reception at Sydney Town Hall

- Cyclist of the year – Female Para-Cycling

- NSW Ambassador for the Don’t DIS my ABILITY Campaign

Beijing Paralympic Games

Apart from winning Silver in the 3000m pursuit and Bronze in the 1km Time Trial, Lindy & Toireasa also got 4th in the 20km Road Time Trial and 4th in the 70km Road Race.

Even if I had missed the ABC broadcast, I still would have known how they went. Lindy has spoken enough times about her Beijing experience to make sure I really know what happened! As much as I pretend I don’t care, I am really proud of them both. Just hearing the excitement in Lindy’s voice, I know it was worth all the many early mornings that I had to take her to training and even when I had a morning off, I still got woken up when she got ready for her early morning training sessions. Life is certainly tough for a champion Guide Dog!

Welcome Home Reception

One of my proudest Guide Dog moments, with a bit of help from Toireasa, was to accompany Lindy up to the top steps of the Sydney Town Hall. Lindy was extremely honoured to be asked to give the Thank You speech on behalf of all the NSW Paralympians at the Welcome Home Reception. Apart from saying all the thank you’s, she also mentioned that “Paralympians are no different to the Olympians, we train just as hard, but we also have to face greater challenges than our counterparts.”

Cyclist of the Year - Female Para-Cycling

Lindy & Toireasa finished their Para-cycling with another win. This time it was at the Cycling Australia Award Dinner in Melbourne. They got to share the evening with some of Australia’s best cyclists in Track, Road, Mountain Bike and BMX. They were awarded “Female Para-cyclist of the Year”, while The Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy for overall Cyclist of the Year went to Anna Mears. For once, Anna’s thank you speech out did Lindy’s in length.

In her speech, Lindy thanked their sponsor Clarence Street Cyclery’s, coach Tom Skulander as well as all the organisations and people who had helped them along the way. She also said “This award is not just for Toireasa & me. It is for all those Para-Cyclists who dare to take up the challenge”.

Lindy thanked Toireasa for her friendship and turning every pedal stroke with her &
said they wished they had started a special fund to collect a dollar for every time someone said “the one on the back is not peddling!” If they had, they would have retired from Para-Cycling as millionaires!

Lindy also mentioned that the 3rd of December is the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). It is the day we celebrate the achievement of people with disability and the contributions they make to our communities. Achievement is not necessarily winning a gold medal or becoming the best in the world. For some people, facing everyday life challenges is an achievement in itself. People with Disability aim to make the most of their Ability, so they can achieve their personal best in both sport and in life.

NSW Ambassador for the Don’t DIS my ABILITY Campaign

3rd of December each year has been declared by the United Nation as the International Day of People with Disability. The NSW government promoted the Don’t DIS my ABILITY Campaign. This is a month long celebration to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with Disability through over 150 events. Through this campaign, we aim to gain acceptance and understanding.

We certainly went to our fair share of these events. We were at the launch for the International Day at Martin Place, and spoke at the Department of Housing and the Department of Sport and Recreation morning tea. We went to the screening of the “Blind Hero”, a documentary about the Australian Blind Cricket Team and many other events.

At Martin Place Lindy was interviewed and shared with the audience her life of as Paralympian. Just as well she told them what a wonderful Guide Dog I am, so I didn’t feel so bad when I couldn’t join the Assistance Dogs for the Dog Square Dance. Just like Lindy who has two left feet, I also have three left paws. Anyway, dancing is not on my job description.

As you can see, 2008 has been a wonderful year and I can’t wait to see what 2009 will bring us.

Have a great Christmas & I will woof more stories to you next year.

Harper Hou

harperhou@optusnet.com.au
www.lindyhou.com

Monday 1st    Team departs for Beijing

Saturday 6th  Opening Ceremony

Sunday 7th     1 km Time Trial

Tuesday 9th   3 km Pursuit

Friday 12th     20 km Time Trial

Sunday 14th   70 km Road Race

Wednesday 17th   Closing Ceremony

This is the last newsletter before I go on my two months holiday. That is right, while Lindy is off to Pre-Paralympic training camp in Queensland and Perth, and then the Paralympics in Beijing, I will be on my well earned holiday. I certainly need this time to recover from all hectic days I have been having lately - those early morning training sessions and late night functions. On top of that, I am still supposed to perform guiding duties through the day!! Lindy won’t be accessing her email after 27^th July. She will try to update the blog as often as possible on her website www.lindyhou.com.  However you can text her on 0402 113 836, and if you would like to be on her mobile Message List, please send me an email with your mobile number by Friday 25^th July.

    Important Paralympic Dates 

Monday      1^st Sep       Team departs Sydney to BeijingSaturday    6^th Sep       Opening Ceremony Sunday       7^th Sep       1km Time Trial

Tuesday     9^th Sep       3km PursuitFriday         12^th Sep     20km Time Trial

Sunday       14^th Sep     70km Road RaceWednesday        17^th Sep     Closing Ceremony 

    ***  Auction Item – Tandem Skydive  *** 

Treat yourself to an experience of a lifetime or get a great Birthday or Christmas present for someone special. Come and enjoy a tandem skydive at Sydney’s premier skydiving venue, The Sydney Skydiving Centre at Picton. This tandem skydive has been donated by Paul the professional skydive cameraman, who is also our wonderful Taxi Driver. The Skydive will be recorded by Paul, using 2 video cameras, for the ultimate record of your jump.
This Skydive Package retails for over $500 and will be auctioned at the Afternoon Tea (see details below). If you can’t make the afternoon tea, you can still make a bid. Just let Lindy know before hand.  

  Supporters Farewell & Fundraising Afternoon Tea

Sunday 27^th July An Afternoon Tea to send off Lindy & Toireasa will be held at the Dee Why Scout Hall. This will be a great opportunity for you to come along and wish them the very best at Beijing.  Better still, this will be an even greater opportunity for me to see what food I can consume while no one is watching! Being a Labrador, I just can’t help it! 

Come along and bring your family and friends. Enjoy a great afternoon of fun and entertainment. At the same time, raise some money toward their expenses on their quest for Gold at Beijing. DetailsDate:          Sunday 27^th JulyTime:                    2:00 – 5:00  pmWhere:       Dee Why Scout Hall   19 – 27 Arthur Street Dee Why Cost:          Bring a plate of finger food  or make a contributionDrinks:        Tea & Coffee provided    Bring your own cold drinks Fund Raising Activities·     Raffle with many great prizes ·     Photos taken with Lindy & Toireasa·     Auction Items Entertainment:

Krystel Keller

Renowned Blind Singer / Songwriter will be performing as a farewell to the pair 

RSVP:        by 25^th July to give an indication of numbers  and if you are bringing a plate.                   harperhou@optusnet.com.au                   tel: 02 9905 2623 I would just like to leave you with this little message until my next post Games Newsletter.  “It is not the challenges that you have to face in life, it is how you face these challenges, that determines the quality of your life.”  Woof Harper Hou  0402 113 836 (Lindy)www.lindyhou.com   

National Track Championships                                                                                                                                                                                                              Lindy & Toireasa just completed a week of exciting racing.                                             The pair won the 3000m pursuit & came second in the 1 kilometre Time Trial    Toireasa also won Bronze in the Women Scratch Race on her single bike.