A St.John's Story: The Bus Driver

Now here is a good one: Paul Stewart and Partner start to board a Metro bus in St. John's Newfoundland and they're stopped at the step by the driver.  "You need papers for that guide dog." she demands.  Papers?  Papers? says Paul, a little in shock really.  "Otherwise," says the Metro driver, "How do I know he's a guide dog?"

Isn't Partner very clearly a guide dog? He's a big black dog in a harness held by a blind man.  Does St. John's have a problem of blind people slyly smuggling non-guidedogs across the city in Metro buses? "The harness is supposed to be blue," says the driver, and she after some discussion she adds, "I will let you on this time, but you should call Metro and get your proper papers."

Paul is calling Metro,  but he doesn't intend to get any papers.  I said he should have told her that he thought the harness was blue! :)

"I don't like the feel of this town," says Tagalong Paul, "I'm heading for Corner Brook on Monday."  That's why they call them buskers, from the Spanish 'buscar' which means "to search".   Woody Guthrie wrote, "The musicians play a little while and then say 'It's getting a little dead around here, let's go busking.  Find a livelier joint.'"

Day 8: St.John's, Newfoundland

St.John's:
Paul and Partner have set up a base-camp at the Extended Stay in St.John's, Newfoundland; the two arrived yesterday from Mount Pearl and spent today busking in the streets of St.John's.


"The Gander news interview should come out in the paper tomorrow morning," Paul tells us from his hotel, "the weather is a bit cold and cloudy, but there are many buskers"; the pair plan to stay in St.John's until early next week, then head out for Corner Brook.

A Message from Newfoundland

Paul is in Newfoundland -- after a few days in Grand  Falls and then in Gander for three days, tonight he is is in Mount Pearl, the twin city of St.John's.

The Busking Tour has so far made writeups in the Gander and Grand Falls newspapers and Paul had a radio interview on CBC Grand Falls; Rogers cell phone coverage isn't all through Newfoundland yet, no coverage in Gander or Grand Falls, so it's a little hard to stay in touch.

off to see Canada, so to speak

"Tagalong Paul and dog Peanut off to see Canada, so to speak" :

Mike Strobel (Toronto Sun) writes:

Tagalong Paul is off to see Canada.

Or at least hear, smell, taste and touch it.

Tagalong Paul Stewart is blind as a bat.

'I need a change of scenery,' he tells me.

Why bother? I ask him.

Don't the Rockies, the prairies, the oceans and Dundas St. W. look pretty much the same to a blind guy?

'I can see it, Mike,' he says. 'In my own way.

'I'll see it when I meet people, when I spend a little time in a new place. I can smell the ocean and the fresh air, I can hear the quiet.

'And I'll see it all through the dog's eyes.'

Peanut, a black lab cross, perks his ears. Paul usually calls him 'partner.'

Against a wall is Gerie, Paul's faithful guitar. There's not much cherry left in her wild cherry finish.

Tagalong Paul, Peanut and Gerie. Three amigos. Untold adventures await them.

'Travelling across Canada is my life's dream,' says Paul, 55. 'I wrote a song about it.'

Country song, of course, on his CD, On The Road of Life."

The Journey Begins!

Paul and Partner are packed and ready and off to the airport!  Heading out on the 1pm flight to Newfoundland where they will being their epic cross-Canada busking tour in support of the Guide Dog Foundation.

Rhodie is FOUND!

Prayers do get answered! Rhodie is home!

He's a little weak and too hoarse to bark, but he's well and he's home.  Our neighbour's dogs heard him and the dogs lead them down by the river where they found Rhodie alive and well, tangled in the riverside brush.  They brought him to our yard and checked on him until we got home.

Rhodie probably hadn't been in the river long or the dogs would have noticed, and he is still quite clean despite being wet from river; they fed him and gave him fresh drink, and he's resting now with his paw on May's lap.  We had left for the evening and had closed our gate, so he had been returned to the neighbourhood and found his own way home, but he would not have been able to get into the yard; the river at the end of the street would be the nearest fresh water, or perhaps he followed the river in search of the banks by our street to find his way home. We may never know.

He seems in good shape, and his rescuers must have thought so too or they would not have walked him over and let him into the yard. We have made an appointment for a good hot bath and grooming for him tomorrow after the veterinary checks him out and gives the OK.  Rhodie's back legs are quite stiff which could be from the lack of medication for the week, but he does not appear to be in any pain.  Rhodies has already spoken to Paul  on the telephone, which is the most excellent news Paul could have to launch him on his tour!