This story in Monday’s Daily Herald surprises me.
Not because of its subject matter, but because of its timing.
August is known as “dog days.”
It’s not only usually hot and muggy, but it is a time when there is not a lot happening in a lot of communities.
Most areas don’t have community colleges and city councils trying to sneak a minor league baseball field into town without significant discussion about finances and a chance for the public to ask penetrating questions at a public meeting of the board making the proposal.
So, here’s the Daily Herald doing a story on dog parks.
One person called them “bark parks.”
Great idea.
I got some pictures of the dog park at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Lippold Park.
This was before the maximum flooding occurred.
It was empty, but flooded.
The first indication was a sign with a happy dog that said,
Town
At the entrance to the area, there’s a sign informing people to pick up the doo-doo.
I’m told most dog owners do. Park district employees pick up anything left every morning.
The article takes a look at Lake in the Hills:
“’The dog park is one of the busiest parks year-round and the wear and tear is more extensive than at any of our other parks,’ said village Parks and Recreation Director Trudy Wakeman, who estimated as many as 50 dogs use the Lake in the Hills canine park daily.”
It also reports Lake in the Hills has taken in $20,000 in permit revenue from the park since its 2005 opening.
The golden retriever in the car looks like it would rather be somewhere else. I’ll bet he would rather be swimming. The golden retriever shaking water off, by the way, didn’t go swimming in Lippold Park.
It had just finished swimming in a delightful little pond in front of a friend’s home northwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The one below, however, is at Gate 7 in Lakewood.
Yes, I know what the CCAPOA sign says.
The man leaped first.
Someone had to show the dog what to do.
So far, the Crystal Lake Park District doesn’t have any dog leaping and swimming places.
I’ll be the McHenry County Conservation District doesn’t either.
All photographs may be enlarged by clicking on them.