But, as is usually the case, Leah found her soul mate almost instantly. After strolling down aisle after aisle of information laden tables and piles of free pens, she found her favorite booth...The Hamburg Fire Department. It wasn't so much the allure of firefighting, but rather her complete and total true love of "Sparky", the talking Fire Dog.
Leah has met Sparky before. I think the first time was a couple of years ago at the Erie County Fair. I never even saw him coming...but suddenly, here is this mechanical, remote controlled, talking Fire Dog...a Dalmatian (of course) decked out in a fire Hat and sunglasses, driving a fire truck AND (this is my favorite part) a hidden squirt gun!
I took Leah about 2.5 seconds to see him from afar, run full speed towards him, and launch herself towards him in a genuine bear hug...that was all it took...Sparky became her valentine.
Then, this past summer we were at the Hamburg Farmer's Market sniffing fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables and lavender scented soaps when suddenly...there he was again. He was commanding a gaggle of 2 to 5 year olds (as usual) and having a grand old time. This time when she saw him, the happiness in her eyes rivaled that which you might see in a brand new mother's gaze at her favorite person in the world. This time is was so much more...she remembered him from their first meeting more than a year ago! The excitement in her run and embrace seemed to say that maybe she had even been thinking about him and wondered if he was gone for ever...
This time, I noticed Sparky's "partner". A thin man with short brown hair and glasses wearing a set of headphones with a microphone attached and carrying a remote control. Obviously, he and Sparky have been working together for years because his performance was amazing. He knew how to be just far enough away so the kids wouldn't see him yet close enough so he could hear them and answer their questions. As soon as I saw him, I asked him to speak directly to Leah. She was standing in a group of a bunch of other kids...marveling at this talking dog! Suddenly, Sparky's head turned and tilted in Leah's direction and he said "Hello Leah! How are you today?"
You could have knocked her over with a feather! At a complete and total loss of words, she simply got down on her knees, wrapped her arms around his nck and whispered "Hi Sparky! I'm so Glad to see you! I missed you so much!".
So, this time, when Leah saw him again, she ran to him and began to chat like old friends who hadn't had a chance to talk for awhile....and then never left his side for 2 hours. Sparky followed my sweet little girl ALL OVER THE EXHIBITION HALL! She would say "Sparky?! Do you want to watch me go down the slide?" "Sure! he said. Leah took him by the paw and said "Okay...Let's go...I can show you where it is!" and began to lead the way. If Sparky got a little side tracked or slowed down, which happened pretty much every ten feet or so, Leah would turn around and say "Over here Sparky! Come here! We are almost there! You are doing really good!". At one point, I walked with her...a little further behind closer to Sparky's partner and watched in amazement as Leah and Sparky made their way around the building...inspiring laughs, winks, and claps along the way. (Maybe she'll be a politician someday?".
After a tearful and lengthy good bye, we headed home. On the way Leah asked if she could send Sparky a letter and a picture of her. It is posted below exactly the way she asked me to write it.
Dear Sparky ~
I LOVE YOU, Sparky and I’ll Miss You!
See You at the County Fair!!
From Your Number One Fan!!
