Morning of Day 6 --Mom's Point of View

Lt. Chris Hinton, Morongo Reservation

Morongo Casino

Guide Dogs of the Desert Entrance

View from Guide Dogs training facility.

Neighbor camper with puppy, Jazz and gift of fruit.

Sorry about the orange and lemon intrusion at the end of the dedication blog; Drew, just lock me out of the van while you are filming! We were sent off with the good wishes, hugs, prayers and fruit of a fellow camper after she cooked Drew's oatmeal. Lt.Chris Hinton of the Reservation Patrol met us at the gate to Morongo to escort us through the reservation. He is retired from the Marines, having served in Lebanon, the First Gulf War, and Somalia. We are grateful for the privilege of running (driving) across this special piece of land. Cool weather and Drew is running so well that he decides to do 12 miles before breaking for lunch. As we start up route 62, I see a sign for Guide Dogs of the Desert. I love dogs--miss you Moxie and Ruff--and decide to check it out. We meet the Director of Canine Operations, Bob Wendler, who was a dog-handler in Viet Nam. His three sons are also serving in the military. Guide Dogs of the Desert has at least one class each year just for military vets. It was founded in 1972 and gets much support from Lions Club. You can email Bob Wendler at bwendler@gddca.org or go to the website http://www.guidedogsofthedesert.org/   Drew should be rested soon and we'll continue north on Twentynine Palms Highway (rte 62).