The first thing you notice about Francine Gravel is her enthusiasm for life. That is quickly followed by her keen wit and confidence.

She is engaging, keeps eye contact, and has the natural instincts of a teacher – which she most certainly is.

You have to drill down deep to discover she is blind.

And in August, at the Guide Dogs for the Blind in Boring, she took care of that
little problem.

It was graduation day for the young guide dogs, and Gravel picked up the
harness of Jaylee, an 18-month old lab and golden mix, who had matriculated
at the local school.

“It’s amazing,” Gravel said. “Think of it. Jaylee goes to university for a few
weeks and gets a degree. Imagine.”

The pair united a few weeks ago at the school and began their personal
relationship mixed with the training regimen.

“We’ve learned so much about each other in just a few days,” Gravel said.
“But there’s a lot we have to put together.”

Things to surmount include convincing Jaylee that Francine is her master.

They have to learn each other’s pace, and rhythm, and Jaylee has to get used
to Francine’s voice and hand signals.

Proof that the relationship is on track lies in the recent trip they took together.
“We’ve already been to the mall, and she loves it there,” Gravel said. “She
was great on the escalators and with the stairs and revolving doors. It’s a
good thing she likes the mall. After all, we’re both girls.”

Jaylee is Francine’s third guide dog. Her first, Calvin, was retired in 2006 to a
50-acre farm in Canada, where he became “the squire of the land.” Calvin was
followed by Holly Ann who suffered a premature death at the young age of 6,
caused by leukemia.

“Calvin and Holly Ann were impeccable guide dogs,” Gravel said. “But
between Holly Ann and Jaylee, it’s been quite boring for me. I missed the
contact with other people that the guide dog attracts. Not many people want
to talk to a cane.”

On Aug. 14, Jaylee took her first airplane ride – destination Montreal, Canada
– where Francine lives and works as a teacher of students with special needs.
“She will still have lots to learn,” Gravel said. “She’ll have to learn the streets,
buses, light rail, and of course the coffee shop. And, the way to the hair
stylist. That’s very important.”

Gravel lost her sight at birth. She and her twin sister were born premature,
and they were robbed of their sight.

But the determined Canadian woman was undeterred. She went on to Quebec
City University, and ultimately earned a masters degree from Boston College.
She has been a teacher since, a career that now spans 33 years.

For Jaylee’s puppy raiser, graduation day was bittersweet. Sarah Smith, 11, of
Rogue River – and her father Marc – presented the dutiful lab to Francine at a
tearful ceremony.

“I’m happy and sad at the same time,” Sarah said. “Jaylee means a lot to
me.”

Sarah understood her role when taking on the puppy raising of Jaylee.
“They said I would have to give her up one day,” she said. “And I said, ‘I
understand.’ Of course, at the time, I just wanted a dog.”

But future recipients need not be worried.

“I want to raise more,” Sarah said. “I love animals.”

So Sarah returns to Rogue River and awaits another raising opportunity.
And thanks to Sarah’s great work, and the trainers at Guide Dogs for the
Blind, Jaylee and Francine will be roaming the streets of Montreal, makingthe
occasional stop at the local coffee shop on the way to the hair stylist.