Well, here I am again, mired in schoolwork. Yes, there are times when even my life is truly uneventful. But, a few hours chained to my computer, or pouring over the surprisingly uninteresting details of witchcraft in early modern Europe, are nothing compared to the soul-crushing boredom that my dog Mango endures while I am attempting to be a student.
In all honesty, sometimes a short walk is the highlight of both of our days. But hey, St. Petersburg was made for walkin’ – at least that’s what Mango tells me.
Now, I know you’re all grumbling right now. A walk? In Florida? In June?! But I can assure you that I am not crazy; I hate the heat as much as anybody, and possibly more than most. But, dogs don’t need less exercise in the summer, and frankly, neither do we, so I am going to share with you my secrets for a happy life with your dog as we enter into the brain-frying months ahead.
Firstly, there are pockets of this town that stay relatively cool. (Of course, by relative, I mean that the alert levels for heatstroke are downgraded from red to orange. But, without a membership to a dog-friendly gym, that’s as good as it gets.)
My old favorite is Crescent Lake. One of the finest parks in St. Petersburg, Crescent Lake offers tennis courts and a playground (for you crazy kids), and over a mile of paved, lakeside foot path. The lake is really more of a pond – okay, a retention pond – but it’s clean enough to fish, apparently, and allows for a righteous breeze to keep you from passing out. Mango’s favorite part, of course, is the dog park, which is a decent size, and attracts a good crowd of mutts in the evening. When you’re pooped from your walk, you can sit in the shade while your dog socializes.
If you’re into this kind of thing, dog owners are fairly sociable creatures themselves. They never tire of relating their puppy’s wacky antics, useful house-training tips, or salacious dog park gossip. A recent trip provided this little gem (and I am actually not making this up): “Yeah, that German Shephard’s always got diarrhea…I don’t know what they feed her, but I wouldn’t let your dog get too close.” Fascinating.
Personally, I like to turn up my iPod and look anti-social, but that’s just me.
The Vinoy Park/ Northshore/ Spa Beach area is probably one of the most beautiful places in St. Pete – it’s certainly, in my opinion, the finest thing about downtown. We like to stroll along the water, admiring the view and contemplating just how lucky we are to live here, and Mango likes to play “tight-rope” with the sea wall. So far, no Coast Guard rescues, but we take a cell phone just in case.
When Mango’s really wound up, though, we take her to the dog park there – which is absolutely enormous. The dogs at the Northshore park seem younger, hipper somehow- a little more cosmopolitan, if you will. I guess that’s city dogs for you. There’s also a fair helping of show-quality Weimaraners and Vizslas from Old Northeast, but they don’t seem to mind rubbing paws with slobs like Mango and me.
Of course, even Mango likes to get out of the city now and then, so my number one secret for staying cool with your dog (and really, if you haven’t heard of it by now, shame on you) is Fort DeSoto’s Dog Park.
Mango actually starts heaving and salivating if I drive even vaguely in the vicinity of this place. All of her training is left on the mainland – all bets are off at the beach. Only a small section of the beach is open to off-leash dogs, but as it turns out, most dogs can’t read. Mango, in particular, has no love for the boundary markers. Non-dog people take note: If you don’t want a big ol’ mess of sandy, wet and stinky slobber spraying onto your family picnic, it is best to avoid this area – by at least a mile or two.
But for dog owners, Fort Desoto is really the saving grace of summer. If you’ve got a “runner,” like Mango, you can actually still enjoy all the glory of the beach breeze and salty air at the adjacent fenced-in park. There’s even a shower, which I’ve found comes in handy, and can save you money on your water bill. Hey, why not get some leverage out of those property taxes?
So, do not despair, Floridians, in the dog days of summer (groan). There’s still plenty of fun to be had. Just drink lots of water, get out to the parks, and move your mutt.
Published in The Gabber Newspaper, Gulfport, FL 6/7/07
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