This year’s July 4th preparations were the busiest I’ve had in a long time. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Chelmsford Dog Association tent at the Country Fair, and thanks to the volunteers that staffed it. The early morning rain cooled the pavement enough that we were able to have Violet (a lab-whippet mix) and Minnie (a pitbull/boxer mix) walk with us this year. Lucy (a rottweiler) decided it was a better idea to hang out in the back seat of Lee & Rosie Marchand’s Cadillac. This year we almost made it to the end of the parade before running out of candy and dog treats (a vast improvement over last year, when we ran out just before Rt. 495). No kudos to me for forgetting to bring any decorations for the car, the stuffed dogs or the camera-fortunately, we had some back-up, and I think we looked pretty cool anyway.
At a few points during the Country Fair on Thursday the crowds were so thick with moving people it seemed like they didn’t dare get out of line to visit a vendor for fear of not being able to get back into the sea again. I saw quite a few dogs, most handled the crowds very well. Quite a few appreciated the water we had out for them. Some tried to get at it, but were pulled away by their owners who didn’t even look down to see what their dog was doing, and were flowing with tide of the human sea. Phil Stanway stopped by to proudly show off a leashed Jerry. I gave him a treat and off they went-a man and his dog, back into the sea. Hmmm, sounds like a book my son read in Freshman year of high school.
Will Wagner got to do a user review on a sample pet waste bag called “It’s Your Doodie”. The cloth bag clips to you or your leash, and has a pocket with a metal grommet that you can pull clean bags through, and a separate pocket you can stash the bag in after its been filled. He found the overall design worked pretty well, as it conceals what you’re carrying. The grommet idea didn’t work too well, as he found it easier to just pull a bag of the roll, and he would prefer to line the other pocket with a ziploc bag just to be sure nothing escapes, including the odor.
Now to get back to planning dog park design, and starting to plan for our third Howl’ween Dog Costume Show and Trade Fair. We had a request from parents of practicing athletes to hold the show on a Sunday when there’s not as much practicing going on so more kids can participate with their dogs. So this year’s show will be on Sunday, October 14. More information will be coming.
Enjoy the heat wave!
P.S. We have our photos up!
