Took the hound to the new dog park this morning. At the last visit -- see Dog Park Almost Complete! -- most of the fences were up, but there were no gates. The gates are now in place, but they were mysteriously padlocked. Perhaps the dog park gatekeepers want to keep it officially closed until it's officially open.
So many people put so much work into getting the park constructed that there's probably a sense of ownership that causes them to want to delay turning it over to the rabble, i.e., people like me. I can't begrudge them that. If you've every been in a house full of kids on Christmas morning you know that the motivation to possess is a very deep seated instinct. In fact, our whole economic system is devoted to satisfying it.
The official dog park opening should be a grand old time. There was speculation that it could occur on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, following the monthly city council meeting. But with the Bush childhood home dedication at 2:00 pm that day and attendance expected by George H. W. Bush, wife Barbara, and First Lady Laura, (news report), that event will certainly command the local politicians' attention more so than a dog park dedication.
Here's a message for the dog park gatekeepers. Please stop reading now. Thank you for visiting this site, I still love you, and I look forward to your return in the future.
(Pssssst. Are they gone? Hey prospective park users, there was one gate left unlocked! But, you'll have to walk the perimeter to find it. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone!)
The parking lot is apparently a spot for late night liaisons. Dutifully complying with the sign which says to leave the park cleaner than when I arrived, I cleaned up the parking lot of a couple of beer bottles -- one of which was broken -- an empty peanut package, and an empty condom package. I picked up most of the pieces of broken glass because that stuff and barefooted canines don't mix well.
Let's try to reconstruct the scene of the crime. Guy gets lucky in the back seat. So lucky in fact, that he christens the bumper with a beer bottle. Broken glass all over the place. Then he looks deeply into his partner's eyes and says those three words, "Pass the peanuts."
Wait a minute, this isn't CSI Midland. Let's get back to the dog park.
For any of the dog park gatekeepers who disregarded my request for you to stop reading and who really want to protect the dog park, here's an assignment: Try to prevent people from breaking glass in the parking lot. Thanks in advance for your efforts. We would all appreciate it.
The next day - Follow up: Linda at Midland Animal Control said that the official ribbon cutting and opening for the park will take place at noon on April 22, 2006, and that patrons will be denied admittance until then. The reason given was that the park is not complete as water stations and waste receptacles are not yet in place.
It's going to be tough for them to let go. Those of us who use the baseball parks for dog parks, supplying our own plastic bags for refuse, will need to continue doing so until that grand opening.
Comments