 Smoke.
Level 2 alert - means you can breathe, uncomfortably.
Moritz and I enter Missoula to visit Daniel. It is our
last visit before he is discharged and we visit Rolling
Dog Ranch, an animal sanctuary just off the highway on
his drive home to Great Falls. Daniel is excited to have
a venture out and meet all the animals, except the pigs.
We arrive at the hospital at 11 am and knock on room 20,
Daniel's room. After a minute we are invited in. Daniel
is finishing his physical therapy with a tenacious,
caring PT who really works him to become independent. He
is having difficulty returning to his wheelchair from
his bed. He struggles and suddenly looks up to see
Moritz.
"Now I am happy!" he exclaims. He loves Moritz. He
remembers he still needs to exert himself to reach the
wheelchair and to push himself properly into the chair.
It takes awhile. He is clearly frustrated. Once in, the
therapist reminds Daniel that many people face difficult
obstacles and overcome them and he can too. Daniel
barely pays attention as he is ready to play with
Moritz.
 Moritz, too, is glad to see Daniel as his tail swings
rapidly back and forth while he's nuzzling Daniel. I sit
down and explain to Daniel that Saturday we have a big
day visiting all the animals at the sanctuary. Steve and
Alayne, who created the sanctuary, have a wide variety
of animals that needed a home. Blind horses, overweight
pigs, abused sheep, deaf and blind dogs, sick cats,
donkeys and new arrivals from all over the country
arrive every few months. I tell Daniel that they invited
him to be their guest at the ranch. They felt honored he
would stop in.
Daniel listens, but he does not say much. I think he
does not know how to respond. But he knows this is a
special event.
I remind him to do his homework by visiting
rollingdogranch.org today so he can be prepared. Daniel
would like to take Moritz for a walk. I hand him the
leash.
In a whisper he commands Moritz, "Let's go, Moritz".
Moritz takes off and pulls the leash right out of his
hand.
Daniel laughs as Moritz wanders away down the hall. I
say, "Let's try again. You need to speak to Moritz with
authority so he understands you. If you want him to wait
say 'stay', if you want him to go with you say 'go' if
you want him to sit say 'sit'. Understand?"
 Daniel, still giggling, nods his head. Moritz returns
and we bring him to the left side of the wheelchair
where he sits looking at Daniel for instruction. This
time Daniel holds the leash tightly and in a forceful
voice shouts, "Go, Moritz". Moritz stands and I begin to
slowly push the wheelchair forward. Moritz looks at
Daniel and then to me and begins to nonchalantly walk
besides us down the hall. Daniel, a bit more confident,
directs me toward the doors to the outside patio. All
goes well, until Moritz sees the doors and picks up his
pace to get outside, dragging Daniel and me behind.
Daniel yells "Stay!", and lo and behold Moritz stops.
Daniel is delighted. On the patio I sit on a bench and
Joanne, his grandmother, joins us. Daniel is excited,
talking a mile a minute, explaining his new adventure.
Joanne is pleased. I am amazed. Moritz is lying by
Daniel, tail wagging, ready to go again.
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