It is warming up here. Yesterday it felt nice enough to get Yates out for a walk. I made sure he had his boots on to protect his paws and that it was warm enough to feel comfortable that his ears and tail would not get frostbite. 

Often I will put on my FM neck loop that sends a signal to my implant processors that have a built in telecoil to catch the signal. I plug the FM loop into my phone and wear the loop around my neck. With this system I can listen to my favorite tunes when we walk. (For you hearing readers, this is what I use in place of ear buds or a headset.) My processors are set to deliver  50% telecoil signal and 50% microphone signals so that I still get environmental sound. My audiologist felt it was important to not shut out the environment completely and a 100% telecoil setting would do that. Even so, on this day, since Yates and I had not been on a walk for a few days, I decided to leave the music off and just listen to Yates and the world. 

Yates was a little reluctant at first about getting his boots put on. With encouragement and cookie rewards, he cooperated. When all four paws were covered, he stood up and seemed ready to get outside and walking. The sun was shining and with no wind, it felt pretty good to be out of the house. 

Out the door and on our way, we headed towards the neighborhood school where I knew the path and sidewalks were dry. On the street we stayed close to the curb and in the snow to avoid ice. Once we got to the dry path, we picked up our pace and Yates trotted along. Without music to distract me, I listened to our walk and there was a new sound. Clop, clop, clop, clop, clippity clop, clop, clop, clop – it sounded like I had a little pony trotting beside me! Enjoying his walk and briskly stepping along, it was Yates boots as they tapped the dry pavement. Oh how fun! Something new, something different and a reminder of my Joy in Hearing! I smiled to myself and savored the sound.

As the days get warmer, Yates will wear boots on our walks until it is 20 degrees above as that seems to be the temperature at which he doesn’t display cold paws by stopping and holding them up. We will clop, clop, clop along, listening to our own little song of walking in the neighborhood – grateful for dry paths and the varied sounds of life-making music.