Woofin' in the Worth

Well, we got lucky yesterday... had some nice Texas weather, it was one of Chris' days off, and we had a little time on our hands.  My suggestion?  Heading to the dog park to let Mr. Wilbur have some doggie social time.

I always feel bad for Wilbur as we walk through our condo building every day; he's a lovable giant that most people are happy to see, but there are the occasional "holy crap he's big" reactions.  Yes, he's bigger than I am... he can pull me, yank me, drag me... all to go running up to someone to say HI or beg for treats.  He's a pup that suffers from "I have no idea how big I am and how I scare some people with my enthusiasm".  So it's really nice to have somewhere to go to let him off his leash and let him do his thing.

If you've never taken your best friend to the Fort Woof Dog Park, I highly recommend it.  Yes, you will have to watch your step and avoid poop piles (there's always some owners everywhere that don't pick up.... SO RUDE by the way and pretty disgusting), but relatively speaking, there's very little to watch out for compared to the size of the park and the number of dogs.  Most people I've seen always clean up and always watch their dogs to make sure they're behaving.

The park is situated just outside of downtown Fort Worth, so it's super convenient for us.  Even though downtown is very pet friendly and Wilbur and I enjoy lots of walks around town, again, there's nothing that can replace "no leash time" and the socializing he experiences at the dog park.

Chris and I were shocked at how much energy Wilbur had yesterday!  Usually it's about 10 minutes of hard-core running and he's pooped.  But I think we could have stayed all afternoon and he would have been fine.

I love this dog park for lots of reasons:
1. It's close & convenient
2. It's HUGE
3. There are benches, picnic tables and a covered area for people to sit
4. There's a water station for the dogs
5. There are separate sides for large breeds and small
6. The people and the dogs are always very friendly
7. It's a giant, wide-open space for running and playing, but there's also obstacle course equipment if you want to get technical with your dog

Show your local Fort Worth support and check it out sometime!  Your doggies will love it!  Maybe we'll see you there sometime ;-)

Don't you ever get tired?

If you're like me, you need some motivation for workouts. I have come to realize in the last few years what the absolute best motivation is for going on a daily run... a dog. Now, I don't have a dog... ok, well officially don't have one yet. I do have Mr. Wilbur, Chris' pup, that I am now step-mother to, and believe you me, I love that dog as if I were there from day one. But I don't have my own dog, like one I picked out or was given to ME. Since my brother and I never experienced having a dog as kids, he got his own a few years ago, leaving me as the last remaining person on earth that's never owned a dog. Enter, Cozmo... a super lovable, super excited pup from a local Austin shelter. He's my 2nd dog... or my nephew if you will ha! Cozmo is a daddy's boy... goodness he loves my brother! It's pretty cute how he's perfectly content lounging with Chris on the sofa. But... he really is a ball of energy! And he is my workout motivation. Those adorable puppy dog eyes are killer, from the minute I get up in the morning, every time I'm in town. It's kind of funny how quickly going for a run becomes my priority, because who wants to make the sweet puppy dog sad?! Not me.

So yesterday was an interesting day, weather-wise, in Austin. After high winds & rain in the morning, it cleared up in the afternoon to reveal a gorgeous few hours of sunshine, cooler temps & lower humidity. Even though we went for a morning run, Cozmo & I cut it short when the rain started coming down. So of course when it cleared up, he was all over another walk. So we went... dang those puppy dog eyes, but bless you pups for keeping my lazy butt moving! Until the day I have my own "running partner", I will be thankful for every chance I get to enjoy the great outdoors and some exercise with Coz, the friendly pup :-) Here's some pictures from our beautiful evening walk yesterday!