Lego Land, Dogs and PVE
When we arrived at Paradise Valley Estates almost five years ago, I was amazed there were so many dogs, mostly small. The second thing I noticed was all the little golf carts used by PVE maintenance, housekeeping and security personnel. I saw a few residents had golf carts; some painted with their school colors, flying flags and decorated for the current holiday. In the ensuing five years, the residents’ golf carts have multiplied.
You might wonder where I am going with this. While visiting my great niece, I sat beside her toddler son as he played with his Lego village, laid out with roads, houses, little cars and miniature people. I watched him race the cars and move the little people around.
In my imagination, I was back in my exercise class lying on the floor doing pushups or pumping hand weights. As I watched the little golf carts zooming around and residents walking their dogs, I was back in Lego Land. There was Paul in his little red “skate” car off to some appointment. Then Elizabeth and Bob walked by with their neighbor’s two pups. Trailing behind was Bill with his two miniature dogs. One has a limp but keeps up with her sister. As I did one more set of overhead presses, Hal came into view with his new reddish puppy Mango whose little short legs moved in sequence reminding me of a mechanical dog or a pacer horse.
All these pups keep my mind off the fact that Kelli has just called for 20 more leg lifts. I don’t glance at the clock because Ginny in her new green golf cart has come into view with her terrier Finn sitting in the seat next to her. My mind drifts off during Tai Chi for Arthritis as I remember when Deirdre was walking Henry just a few months ago. Henry was a white Labradoodle and almost blind but walked proudly beside his mistress. Just a few months later he died. It was sad, but I hear they have a new puppy, another Labradoodle, named Valentino. Although he weighs just over two pounds now, as I finish up Tai Chi, I can imagine Deirdre taking him for a walk soon.
Leaving the Community Center, there is Cassie, Don and Sandy’s adorable dog, doing her dance on her two back legs for a small child visiting his grandparents. Drifting back to Lego Land, I spy an addition to our fleet of tiny black electric cars, one that is white. I see Karel in her new candy-apple red mobile chair riding along Constitution Avenue with her new pup Corwin running along the side, black and white locks blowing in the wind. We have every type of transportation and animal in Lego Land!
