Howl-o-ween at the Bark Park

Dude as the Sheriff of the Dog Park.

This afternoon was Howl-o-ween at the Bark Park. A few dozen dogs turned out, most of them in costume, along with their favorite people.

Of course, my dog, Dude, had to attend. After all, he's a regular at the park. Dude was a hit as the Sheriff of the Dog Park.

Believe it or not, Dude didn't mind parading around in his ghost bandanna, vest, sheriff's badge and cowboy hat. At first he wasn't too sure about the hat, but then he decided even that was okay.

Reggie dressed as a cow, complete with a cowbell.

I managed to get photos of a few of the dogs at the Howl-o-ween party.

Reggie, the black and white Cocker Spaniel, dressed as a cow. Reggie is one of Dude's favorite dog buddies. They enjoy running around the dog park together with Reggie in the lead. When Reggie gets tired he rolls over and plays dead.

Sophie in her poodle costume.

Sophie, the reddish-blond Cocker Spaniel, dressed as a poodle. Sophie is pretty much the queen of the dog park. She welcomes new dogs to the park and makes sure they understand the rules -- her rules. Reggie and Sophie live together and are regulars at the park. Sophie was a winner in her poodle costume.

Oliver as a Patriots Quarterback.

Oliver, the five month old Border Collie, dressed as a New England Patriots Quarterback. Oliver is one of the newer members of the dog park and certainly the most energetic of the bunch. He systematically wears out every dog that enters the park. Maybe Oliver should have dressed as the Energizer Bunny?

Dude enjoys playing with Oliver, but he can't compete with the puppy's energy level. Dude, at three years old, can play one on one with Oliver for about fifteen minutes and then he has to hand the puppy off to another dog.



Maggie the puppy in her devil costume.

Some of the dogs who attended the Howl-o-ween party were ones Dude and I had never met before. One was a puppy named Maggie who dressed as the devil and won a prize for the scariest costume.

One little dog won for the best "Diva" costume. Another little dog won for the most original costume dressed as a bumblebee. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of the little bumblebee. Another little dog was in jailhouse stripes. I didn't get the names of those dogs.




The "Diva" and the jailhouse dog.

I missed getting a photo of Dude's buddy, Lulu. She's an Old English Bulldog and was dressed as a bunch of purple grapes. I also missed getting a photo of Dude's puppy buddy, Thor, who was sporting a big bow.
Another dog park regular, Dexter the Boxer, was there to see the festivities, but didn't come in costume. Dexter was not at all pleased to see his buddy, Dude, dressed as a sheriff.





My Shani in her ghost bandanna.

I think the Howl-o-ween party was fun for all the dogs and their people too.

My older dog, Shani, wasn't interested in going to the dog park. But she didn't mind wearing her ghost bandanna and posing for a photo.

A Happy Howl-o-ween to all.



Dude and the Dog Park

Dude in action at the dog park.

My dog, Dude, is a sociable guy who loves going to the dog park. In fact, he's passionate about going to the dog park. So that's where we go most days for an hour or more of action-packed fun.

The meet and greet.

Fortunately, the dog park is only about a mile away from our house. So it's easy to make a trip over there once a day, when the weather is nice. Now and then, if Dude is insistent, we go to the dog park twice a day.

Two holes are better than one.

Twice a day? Believe me, some of Dude's dog buddies go to the dog park three times a day.






The goalie.

I've had dogs most of my life, but never one who loves the dog park. So this is a relatively new thing for me.

Dude is two and a half. Well, a few months ago I thought, Why not take Dude to the dog park? How was I to know this would become a big part of our daily lives?




Discussing the play.

Dude can be napping and suddenly he'll wake up and insist it's almost 3:30 and we need to make our afternoon foray to the dog park. I swear he can tell time and knows to the minute when he needs to let me know I have to get ready to head to the park.





Mixing it up.

If I take longer than a few minutes to gather up his dog collar, some bottled water, my wallet and car keys, well, Dude starts nudging me in the direction of the front door. If I dawdle too long he stomps his feet, barks and then starts spinning in circles at the door. At that point we absolutely have to walk out the door.




King of the Sand Hole?

At the dog park it's high-speed action interspersed with water breaks and a five minute rest period in the shade of the huge Magnolias and Naval Live Oak Trees.

Today I decided to take my camera to the dog park to get a few photos of Dude and his dog buddies in action. Today there were only eight dogs, but sometimes it's as many as fifteen dogs of all sizes and breeds.




After the game.



Lately, the big game is "King (or Queen) of the Sand Hole." Since we live close to the beach, our dog park has lots of sand and sand is perfect for digging. One or more dogs will dig a hole, or sometimes two. Then the game is on.

They confer with each other to plan their strategy. There's almost always a goalie or two. The winners change from one minute to the next.

To heck with chasing a Frisbee or tennis ball. This Sand Hole game is much more fun.




My older dog, Shani, would rather stay home.

I hope you've enjoyed the photos of Dude and his dog buddies.

A special thanks to the team: Harley the Australian Shepherd, Abby the Husky, Bella the Chocolate Poodle, Dice the Black and Tan, Abby the Golden and Dude. Watching from the sidelines: Morgan the Golden and Jumbo the Chihuahua.

Note: My older dog, Shani, doesn't care for the dog park. She'd rather stay home.

The Tranquil Days of Spring

My patio is the perfect place to sit and read.

This is the time of year I love the most, these tranquil days of spring, when the temp hovers in the 70s and only occasionally tops out the low 80s. My yard is an assortment of greens, from the palest celery shade to a deep forest green and everything in between.

These days I spend most of my time sitting on the patio, my feet up, listening to the songbirds singing their varied songs and reading or oftentimes just daydreaming.

The latticed patio is covered by a huge canopy of wisteria and the leaves shimmer in the gentle breeze.

It's hard to believe that hurricane season here on the Florida Gulf Coast is a mere two and a half weeks away.

Potted miniature Roses on the patio table.

As I'm writing this I hear the cooing of doves and the caw of a crow. Directly overhead another bird is chirping while a bright red Cardinal is perched on the wooden fence. The scent of Jasmine and Lilies sweeten the air around me.

I can't find the energy to do much of anything today. My dog, Dude, and I spent an hour at the dog park this morning where he ran around with an assortment of dogs, big and small. I read for a while when we got back home. Today I'm reading Luanne Rice's Secrets of Paris. It seemed like a perfect read for a day like today.

My Lilies that only just started blooming.

I should be writing today, working on one of my works in progress, but I'd rather just sit here and watch the squirrels play and the birds fly from tree to tree. It's one of those days when daydreaming is high on my list of things to do.

I swear that tomorrow I'll get back to my writing. If I could just get those voices in my head to stop daydreaming and get back to work. Honest, I need the cooperation of those voices to help me write and they're enjoying these tranquil spring days too.

Mandevilla on my patio.

I hope you all have a chance to just sit back and enjoy some beautiful spring days. The hot days of summer are just around the corner. In the meantime, stop and smell the Roses, Jasmine, Lilies and any other flowers now in bloom.