Hey, Geveret!

Boy, is it hot! I can't seem to get up the energy to do anything except sleep all day. Even Nuala, who usually likes being outdoors, has found that the floor in the bedroom is cooler and goes in there to sleep most of the day, too. I pester Bracha to give me ice whenever I can, and she always seems to be making more and more of it. And when we are in town I'm awfully glad to have my shoes. The sidewalk is so hot that even trotting along is uncomfortable, and standing at the corner waiting for the light to change makes me prance about.

I pulled Bracha over to the edge of the sidewalk where the doors to the stores are. IT's shady over there and there is always cold air blowing out. For once she didn't make me go back in the center of the sidewalk again and decided to go into one of the stores and started looking at clothes. Hooray! Cool air! I'd just settled down on the nice cool floor when it came.

"Allo, Giveret!"

Here we go again.

"Excuse me," says Bracha with deliberate casualness. "Are you talking to me?"

"You can't bring a dog in here."

"She's a guide dog for the blind."

"I don't care. It's forbidden."

Bracha got me up and marched over to the counter. This was no sales person. This was the store owner. She whipped out the little card with the law written on it and presented it to him. "If you don't let me shop here because I don't see and have a guide dog with me, you are discriminating against me. Here's the law. You're welcome to read it."

The owner insisted. "But what if she ruins something in the store?"

"She won't."

"Yes, but what if…"

"She won't damage anything. People damage things, but my dog won't." Bracha didn't stay to listen. She marched through the entire store, pretending to look at the clothes. Then she walked right past the counter again, said thank you politely to the owner, and marched out the door. I was glad she didn't buy anything in there. Why should she give that man her business when he doesn't want me in his store? I have a feeling she won't go in there again. Boy, if we had a Shekel for every time someone says I'm not allowed somewhere, we'd have enough money to buy me a new Kong!