Waiting for Spring

Sunday was a gorgeous day and after spending much of the week couped up indoors, while Charlie recovered from his surgery, it was a perfect day to take a long walk to the dog park.

But to our dismay, when we arrived at Heurich Park in Hyattsville, it was way to muddy, or whatever you'd call water-soaked gravel, to have any fun.

I felt bad for Charlie and for the many other dogs and owners who came to enjoy the dog park, but instead found a soggy mess.

There's got to be something that can be placed in outdoor dog parks, so that when it snows and rains, you can still play out there with your dog without getting so dirty.

It's essential, I think, for dogs to have the opportunity to run around outdoors without a leash. I'm glad that the county has provided dog parks so that they can. Yet, I wish the material used would be better suited for inclement weather.

Yes, there are indoor park options, but I went to Little Rascals on Georgia Avenue Friday and i wasn't impressed. You pay $5 to have your dog run around a room that's brightly-painted cement.

Although Charlie got the chance to play in there for about 20 minutes, we were notified only moments after we went in that he would have to go through a temperament test, which included being boarded in doggy day care for 6 hours, to play in the indoor dog park.

The good news is when the weather is better at least then I can explore some more metro area parks and maybe go hiking with Charlie at Rock Creek Park or somewhere else.