2020 and I'm Still Here!

It has been awhile since I posted. I've mostly been busy laying in the sun. I'm doing fine, if a bit grayer and creakier, as I approach my thirteenth birthday. I know The Pandemic is stressing everyone out but I rather like having Boy#2 home from college and all the extra walks. Hope you are all doing OK.

Lots of love,

Carmella

Shake Those Booties

Today's topic must be The Cold, as the State of Minnesota is pretty much closed today and tomorrow. And why not? Frozen flesh in minutes is pretty daunting. Though I imagine Minnesota school children are staying plenty warm dancing jigs.

I am not a cold weather dog. I'm just a southern-born, hound mix. When I boarded the Kentucky rescue van, back in the autumn of 2008, I had short, short fur.

My adoption photo.
Back then, I had very short fur and a gorgeous, muscular physique.
Feel free to comment that I still retain the latter.

Needless to say, when I got to Minnesota, I got right to shivering and growing some more fur. But even after six winters in Minnesota, I just don't have the undercoat of say...my neighbor Johann.

Johann has an impressive undercoat, which he needs help disposing of each spring.

There are certainly dogs better suited to arctic temperatures than me. Here are The 20 Best Cold-Weather Dog Breeds according to Outside.

My favorite is the Tibetan Mastiff.                 credit

Today is too cold for my guys for walkies so I am making due with backyard forays and pacing the house. That is not to say I want to wear my stupid dog coat, as I have made perfectly clear in my previous post: Dog Coats are from Hell.

But staying warm its not just about fur. If it was, we'd all have feet like an arctic fox.

Arctic fox foot

Carmella's foot

Looking at my lovely paw pads, you might think I need to wear booties to keep my feet warm. You would be WRONG.

You might be thinking, well, those tough sled dogs wear booties so Carmella must really need them. You would be WRONG. Those hardcore racing dogs wear booties to protect their paws from the abrasive snow but they do not add warmth. Dog feet stay warm the same way penguin wings and dolphin fins stay warm.

When humans get cold, their bodies shut off the extremities to protect vital organs. Since dogs (and penguins and dolphins) are more sensible than that, we have evolved a different system than humans. Scientists call it a "rete mirabile" or "wonderful network" of veins in dogs' feet and legs that work as a heat exchanger, warming cooled blood to maintain a constant temperature.

Using electron microscopes (and very cooperative dogs), Japanese scientists found:

"that the very close proximity of the arteries to the veins in the footpad meant that heat was conducted from one blood vessel to another. So when blood in the paw's veins cooled on contact with the air or ground, warm blood pumping from the heart - through the neighbouring artery - transferred its heat. The blood was therefore "warmed up" before it returned to the body - preventing the dog's body from cooling down, whilst also keeping the paws at a constant temperature." Pet dogs keep their feet from freezing by Ella Davies, Reporter, BBC Nature

So cancel that Amazon order, your dog does not need booties to get through the winter. Although a patch of sunshine would be nice.

YouTube compilation of dogs in booties

Hot Dog on the 4th of July

Boy#1 and Boy#2 are at summer camp. I am not. They promised to bring back stinky BWCA/Quetico goodness. After portaging canoes, maybe they won't complain so much about long dog walks.

Not that there isn't a lot to complain about this week with temps cracking 100 here in Minnesota. The humidity is thick and the morning breezes remain wimpy so it makes sweating species pretty unhappy. Panting is tougher too as this technique also relies on evaporation to be effective. But I make do.

My Susan is a little crazy with time with her family numbers so depleted. So we have been hitting the walks to the tune of 5-6 miles each morning. Today, we hit day five of this inspired routine - which is way longer than Susan's normal attention span. I think she is also picturing the elevations of their upcoming trip to Glacier National Park (I get to go to the dog spa for the two weeks).

Today was so hot and humid that we saw only one other dog out along West River Road. It was moving slow. There were plenty of cyclists - including Dave - who generate their own breezes. The joggers looked more pained than usual.

The key to survival in the heat is, of course, lots of water. Not immersion in water - that is a horrible idea. Minneapolis parks often have these torture areas:

Those spraying spigots are terrifying. But the baby primates seem to love them. Luckily dogs are not allowed in wading pools so Susan doesn't get any stupid ideas.

I prefer my water lapped up.

Check out this very civilized dog water fountain
at Wabun Park in Minneapolis!

Stay cool and have a happy 4th of July!

Mississippi Moment

We finally got out for a decent walk today. Susan's stomach flu is but a distant memory - although she says stir fry will not make an another appearance for awhile. The long weekend means the whole family is home which is heaven. The thermometer got back up near freezing, the sun came out and the wind died down so we headed out for some air. 

My Cosmo dog coat still stinks but it does work. Most people tossed salt out for the ice which really burns my paws. But I suppose if Susan breaks a hip on the ice then our walks would be pretty lame. This is the season of my three-legged hop which makes people stare - but I need to rotate paws to warm them up. Sometimes Susan warms them up for me and picks out the ice, which is nice of her. I don't want to make a fuss or I am afraid someone will try dog boots on me again. Not funny.

We made it down to the river. There's a nice path leading down to the shore from East River Road. The traffic drone all but disappears when you drop down behind the bluff and you see the river from a different perspective. Usually the mighty Mississippi is a grand, distant scene of barges and bridges. In the winter, down on the shore, it is glistening ice, dark water, chuckling ducks, and dripping ice falls. We sat down on a bench by an open spot of water to watch the ducks and geese.

There were dozens of mallards and Canadian geese hanging out and enjoying the afternoon. The water looks calm but ducks and geese zoom downstream and paddle hard to go the other way. Once they saw I was on a leash they went back to their business. 

All of a sudden they hollered QUACK QUACK QUACK and bald eagle swooped down on a batch of them. It wheeled around and made another dive at one young lady. She dove underwater at the last second. The eagle flapped away empty-taloned. It made me glad I'm not a toy breed!

See that black buoy behind me?
That is near the spot where the eagle almost grabbed a duck. QUACK!

We headed back up the bluffs to the city, dinner and a toasty warm house.

Susan Barked (and wagged her tail)

As noted previously, my Susan attended an open house to check out the final draft of the St. Paul Parks & Rec's plan for the future. She came back home, told me all about it and sent in her feedback. What a good girl!

Dear Parks & Rec,

I had the pleasure of attending the open house at Hillcrest last Wednesday for the Parks & Rec Plan. I appreciate the low key atmosphere you created to share the plan and provide opportunities for discussion. I look forward to seeing it move forward as we better address the changing needs for our Parks & Rec system.

A robust,freely accessible parks and rec program is the sign of a healthy, vibrant urban community. My family includes two adults, two teenage boys and an active dog and we are heavy users of the metro parks and rec centers.

We are fortunate to live right near Aldine Park. Over the 14 years we have lived here, we have visited the tiny park several times a day on our dog walks, to play on the playground (when my boys were younger), to throw frisbees and baseballs, join pick-up softball, skate and even do school projects (moon observations). I believe having open spaces in urban neighborhoods is essential and this park played a key role in why we bought a house where we did. I was pleased to see that park location "gaps" have been identified in the Parks & Rec Plan and that new parks will be added so everyone has easy access to a neighborhood park.

My family also uses the Jimmy Lee rec center for swimming, walking on the indoor track and the fitness center. We love the improvements. We hope the fields are cleaned up and reopened to serve the neighborhood soon.

I love the move to make our city parks more natural. Urbanites need a connection to nature. Prairie plantings, rain gardens and other sustainable practices are good for the world.

I do not support public fields like Dunning getting turned over to private managers if this means fences, advertising and limited availability. Public parks should be readily available to everyone. We need more sandlots for kids and casual groups not shiny, groomed fields reserved for the few. OK, shiny and groomed for everyone would be my first choice.

I support adding more dog parks - both smaller social areas and larger areas where people and dogs off-leash can roam and be out in nature. Different-size dog areas serve different purposes and I hope that planners understand the need to balance these. Merely adding a little fenced yard to a park like Newell to fill the "add a dog park quota" would be a shame. I hope to see a large area a la Battle Creek Dog Park included in the plans along the river down by Hidden Falls and Crosby Farm. A Newell dog park would be sweet too, of course. 

As a new dog owner and new to off -leash dog parks, I was quite surprised to discover that dog parks are great social gathering places for people too. The amount of community you find for yourself while your dog rips around is amazing. Our twice-weekly outings to Battle Creek or Arkwright have become a pleasant social part of our week. I meet and talk with diverse types of folks that I would never meet in my normal nose-to-the-ground routine. In this highly divided, classist world we live in, dogs are an amazing social icebreaker and glue.

And this community makes for good stewardship of the land. Dog people police each other - subtly and directly - to clean-up, learn/practice dog park etiquette and support each other to socialize the dogs (and people). You couldn't ask for a better model of how a diverse bunch of citizens can use a public area in heavy concentrations (and there is a LOT of traffic) with very little oversight.

I would be interested in being involved in the parks planning process -- perhaps for the riverfront, if you are looking for someone who loves cross-country skiing, hiking, dog parks, playgrounds, picnicking, biking and just getting out in nature. I am intrigued by all the puzzle pieces that the multiple perspectives and interests bring to the table. I applaud all your efforts for coming up with lots of possible solutions!

Bravo, Parks & Rec!

-Susan 

Good girl! What a good girl! Susan gets a treat!

credit and recipe Truffle Tarts

Bark, If You Love Parks

Needing to wash away the bitter taste left by last night's election results, my Susan is heading out tonight to attend an information open house on the final draft for St. Paul's Parks and Rec’s new system plan.

She wants to speak up for us about more off-leash dog areas - although all aspects of public parks are pretty appealing. From community gardens to disc golf to hiking paths through natural areas, a robust parks and recreation system speaks well of the livability of any urban area. What I know: people and dogs are happy in parks.

Battle Creek Off-Leash Dog Park south social area

Dogs aren't invited to hearings. Dog owners aren't very vocal as a group. So dogs and dog owners aren't really seen as key players in park planning, despite our huge numbers as regular users of citywide parks and paths. But thanks to the hard work of a few persistent dog owners, the new system plan states:

"More off leash dog area are needed. Off leash dog areas are recommended for Lilydale, portions of Newell or Marydale Park, Downtown (Landmark Plaza and Mears Park- small dog “relief ” areas; Pedro Park and or Lower Landing – small to mid-size dog park), Central Corridor and along the Mississippi River."

Battle Creek Off-Leash Dog Park

Even you can't make a information open house, read the system plan and let St. Paul government hear your feedback. Good government only works when everyone speaks up -- not just the haters and the yappy dogs.

Public Viewing of Draft - Community Open Houses
A draft of the System Plan will be brought to the community in November. Residents will have an opportunity to see the results of work that was done following the community meetings and comprehensive analysis that was completed over the spring/summer months.

Anyone may attend any of the five planned community meetings. Attendees will be able to share comments about what they think of the plan, and following the completion of all the meetings, the plan may be tweaked prior to a final draft being presented at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on December 8 and to City Council in January 2011.

All open houses will be held from 7 PM – 9 PM. The dates and locations for the open houses are:

• November 3 - Hillcrest Recreation Center, 1978 Ford Parkway
• November 8 - Phalen Recreation Center, 1000 East Wheelock Parkway
• November 9 - Wellstone Community Center/El Rio Vista Recreation Center, 179 Robie Street East
• November 15 - Oxford Community Center/Jimmy Lee Recreation Center, 270 Lexington Parkway North
• November 18 - North Dale Recreation Center, 1414 St. Albans Street North

THANK YOU!

Twin Cities Dog Park Map

When we were at the vet, we picked up this free map of Twin Cities dog areas. It shows the Twin Cities area and the locations of all the great dog places like dog parks, shelters, and clinics -- as well as a few "necessary" evil ones like dog washes and animal control.

If you can't find a free one around town, you can buy it online from Hedberg Maps for 60 cents.

detail of map

On the other side, the off-leash dog areas are listed with all their addresses, amenities and permit requirements.

back of map

Minnehaha Media makes sponsor-supported free maps. Check out the selection of other maps. They have maps of farmers markets, orchards, walking trails, arts, dining... way cool stuff for pups and people. 

This mapmaker deserves a seriously tasty treat!

Little Brown Dog, Big Old Trees

After a romp at Battle Creek Dog Park, my Susan and I often walk the asphalt walking/biking trail east of either dog park gate. It is lightly traveled and meanders for about a mile and a half over gentle hills, around marshes, and through meadows and woods. We always look forward to saying howdy to our two favorite trees that flank the trail as we head back to the car.

To a little brown dog, these elderly cottonwoods feel like the Gates of Argonath from the Lord of the Rings.

It is hard to capture the massiveness of the trees* in a flat photo. I wonder how old they are and how these two escaped progress. Cottonwoods grow fast and can live up to 100 years. I hope these two stick around for awhile.


* 10/3/10 We measured the biggest one shown above and it is nearly 9 yards (about 8 meters) around!    

WAIT.

When my Susan and I are out on walks and bound together by a leash, she tries not to yank on my collar too much. This is appreciated as my collar is around my neck.

I let Susan do the checking for traffic (I take care of sniff patrol) and we trot across most streets without stopping. At busy streets, she always says, "Wait." and I stop and wait - thus preventing being yanked back onto the curb by that pesky leash. But better that than get flattened by a Prius.

Yesterday we approached a particularly busy intersection near a university. There were no other pedestrians around. So I was startled when a loud, authoritative voice - not Susan's - said:

"WAIT."

I was so surprised I sat right down. Imagine my embarrassment when I realized it was a talking stoplight...very unsettling.

It talks. 

Get Out of My Pond

Yesterday was only a so-so weather day, so it was pretty deserted at Battle Creek Dog Park. After four times around the off-leash area, my Susan and I headed out on leash to walk the trails. One of our favorites is the asphalt trail that loops around for about a mile and a half through gentle hills. You meander through woods, meadows of wild flowers, and marshlands.

As we approached one marshy area, we heard splashing and quack quack quack behind the cattails. Not surprising, as there are always wood ducks and mallards paddling around in the open water. As we rounded the bend, we spied the ducks who were clearly irritated and swimming with purpose.

We saw a splash and realized there was something furry right on their tails. It was swimming hard, lunging at the ducks. The ducks out-paced it without too much effort. But it kept leaping out of the water to gain on them. The result was a tidy little flock of ducks paddling around in circles. Quack quack quack. It looked like a dog and sheep at a herding demonstration.

I wondered if this furry, little herder was a new member of the Border Patrol - perhaps the Border Patrol had branched out from border collies to chase pesky waterfowl. But this fella wasn't wearing an orange life vest.  And the ducks really weren't all that impressed - it was just a big rodent after all...

Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

Bark, Birch, Branches, Berries, and Bark

Here are some pretty shots from our Sunday photo shoot at Battle Creek Dog Park.

Get it? Bark. Ha ha ha.

Battle Creek Dog Park

Battle Creek Off-Leash Dog Park is a slice of heaven in Maplewood, Minnesota. The spacious 35 acre area is recently fenced. There are also miles of lovely multi-use trails outside the dog park for leashed walks. Battle Creek is a mix of open fields of wildflowers, groves of sumac and birch, pines and even some huge cottonwoods. 

The off-leash area contains two social area fields and several ponds nestled in rolling hills. There is plenty of room to play with others or stroll in solitude. Recent improvements include lots of benches, clean poop bag boxes, trash cans and wood chips for the paths. 

Battle Creek Off-Leash Dog Park is located just south of 94 (near 3M). Travel south on McKnight Road and then turn left at Upper Afton Road or Lower Afton Road and park in one of the lots. The dog park area isn't signed. But check out the map below for the parking lots to get your bearings. 

The red line is the fence (roughly).

There are three gates to access the dog park and 

one gate to access a pond area.

The numbers correspond to the photos and descriptions below.

1. North dog park entrance gate

from the Upper Afton parking lot.

2. North dog park entrance gate. 

3. Bridge and seasonal stream just past north gate.

4. North social area field.

5. Once of the many trash cans and 

clean poop bag mail boxes 

located throughout the park 

and maintained by volunteers.

6. Northeast corner of north social area looking west. 

My favorite place to rip! 

click to enlarge to see my fine racing form

7. North social area looking east.

8. Benches and chairs in north social area.

9. Western path from north social area 

going south towards the big pond.

10. Big pond with marshy wetlands (and mud), 

looking south.

11. Big pond, looking west.

12. Small pond in the middle of the dog park.

13. Western path going southwest

towards southwest gate.

14. Southwest gate. 

Neighborhood access but no parking lot.

15. New bench at the south social area.

Bench looks north.

16. Older bench on hill overlooking south social area.

Bench faces south.

17. South social area. Looking north.

18. Southeast gate 

up the hill from Lower Afton Road parking lot.

19. Path going north from southeast gate.

20. Side gate leading to fenced pond area on the east

(not an entrance to the park).

21. Eastern path going north.

22. Eastern path. 

Go left for north social area. 

Go right for north gate.

23. Entering north social area looking west.

24. Center path, going south.

25. Center path, going south. 

Veer right to large pond.

26. Center path, going south

27. Center path, going south.

Tired, muddy and happy Carmella.