Photoessay #884 - Canine Corners

I thought my mother might enjoy going to a dog park, they must have one in Rockford. My mother loves dogs, especially when they play and interact with each other. They might have one with easy access where you could just watch. I'm always looking for a gimmick in Rockford.

So I look up on the net and seems that the Rockford Park District administers two dog parks, one looks reasonably close to my mom. So, last Friday afternoon, my sister and I go check it out. Somehow we fit it in.

Plain looking but that's not very important. But, empty! Not one person, not one dog. What's up with that? My sister points out that it's late October and the day's a little rainy. But not hard and not when I shot the picture. Where is everybody? Again my sister explains that in the midwest people don't go out when the weather's not nice. What? All those young dogs are all going nuts, I know it. And the weather's not bad. Hey, I know that it gets REAL cold in the midwest.

Meanwhile this week, even today, it's raining and cold and windy but Teddy and I've visited our local dog park. Mountlake Terrace Dog Park's pretty small and local. But every day, EVERY DAY, people and dogs are there, I'm counting them. Even though it poured until well into the afternoon today, at 2pm, 5 people were there and 6 more people came in the next half hour. Chilly but Seattle people come out anyway.

Yesterday, Teddy and I enjoyed some of the regulars Tara (boxer), Porter (lab pup), Luna (white german shepherd) and Drake (husky shepherd mix). Little mud but it's November, what do you expect? I spoke to Drake's owner and asked weather would keep him away. He looked at me blankly, didn't know what I meant. If it's not completely pouring down rain or gale force winds, outside activities are on. Even then, put on your rain jacket and your hat and come on down.

They have rules in the Rockford Dog Park, you have to purchase a $25 membership or a $3 daily fee. Also proof of vaccination. Anybody can come to our dog park.