Mr. Wally barks

It’s been a normal routine for most of the past two weeks, with the highlight being a very excellent Mother’s Day.  First off, I had an early walk to Home Plate and waited in the car for my guardians to rejoin me after their breakfast.    In the early afternoon we all went on an expedition to San Francisco’s Sunset District.

By way of background, one of my guardians has become interested in the stairs of San Francisco.  Yes, there are a lot of stairs…in fact, there are guidebooks pointing out some of those not to be missed.  On Sunday, my guardian who had the honor of selecting a stairway destination referred to Stairway Walks in San Francisco published by Wilderness Press, and off we went…

The Sunset District is just south of the Golden Gate Park, a 15 or so minute drive.  Sunset neighborhood names of  Inner, Central, and Outer Sunset suggest a certain uniformity and the architecture is largely consistent.  The street grid is east-west-north-south and the Pacific is the Sunset’s western border.  At its widest point, the Sunset is around 50 blocks, almost 3 miles.

In truth, there aren’t many stairs in the Sunset.  However, there is one good-sized hill in the area, and on Sunday we learned that it and its surrounding streets are a carve-out from the Sunset called Golden Gate Heights.  The hill is called Turtle Hill and there’s a park on top, Grand View Park.  That name is accurate!

We found the steps we were looking for and they are awesome!  The genesis of the beautiful steps is the surrounding community, which conceived, planned, and funded the

That’s me posing near the stairway bottom. Notice the fish!

wonderful mosaics on the 163 steps.  For the story, which is quite interesting, go to http://tiledsteps.org/Default.asp.

After summiting Turtle Hill, we enjoyed the grand view with our PB & J & pickle sandwiches and then

In foreground, one block of Golden Gate Heights. Beyond is the Sunset & Pacific Ocean with fogbank.

descended the many flights of stairs.  Our next stop would be GGNRA’s Fort Funston in the southwest corner of San Francisco.

Fort Funston is a favorite for all dogs – it’s big, scenic, and oceanfront with handsome sand dunes and a sandy beach.  Most remarkably & importantly, the National Park Service doesn’t mind if my peers and I are off leash!

At Fort Funston: I’d like you all to follow me!

It was my first ever visit there and we had a long enough walk – although I met a lot of dogs, visits weren’t that lengthy since most of us were primarily immersed in the fresh air, views, and smells.

Upon returning home, I benefited from a nice warm bath and then a well deserved nap…

As you know, I spend a fair amount of time in the Presidio, especially down near the Bay at Crissy Field. With a fine beach, views, and a large grassy field where I can go off leash, Crissy Field is one of my favorite places, as it is for my guardians and their family, neighbors, and friends.

This past weekend was a watershed for Crissy Field and a former elevated 5 lane roadway that paralleled Crissy Field just a few yards away, Doyle Drive.  I say former and paralleled because it was and did but doesn’t – beginning last Friday at 8PM and continuing until

View on Saturday of lots of machines & rubble - NE toward Crissy Field lagoon & E Beach

5AM this morning, with a large staff of people and machines working around the clock, Doyle Drive was torn down!

Constructed in 1936, Doyle Drive was the route most vehicles used to reach the Golden Gate Bridge.  It carried around 100,000 vehicles/day, and most of those were heading to or from the Bridge.

(Sidebar: Doyle Drive was constructed for Golden Gate Bridge traffic – the Bridge itself was completed a year after Doyle Drive in 1937, and a festival for its 75th anniversary is planned for May 27th. http://goldengatebridge75.org/ )

Doyle Drive will be replaced by a remodeled roadway, termed the Presidio Parkway.  The 6 year project began in 2009 and is planned to cost just over $1 billion.   See http://www.presidioparkway.org

View north Sat 4/28/12

Doyle Drive was 76 years old.  Improved seismic and traffic safety were the drivers of this project.

Much of my weekend exercise revolved around a couple of long walks to inspect the demolition efforts.  I did the longest on Saturday with one of my guardians and her sister, who was our houseguest for several days (and also is one of my friend’s, Cece, guardians).  The sisters mainly collaborated on family photos and archives when not studying recipes, cooking, or interacting with me.

For several days the demolition effort has been the biggest news around here, with TV shows broadcasting live and often using helicopters to supplement their ground crew.  On our walk Saturday, one of the local stations, KTVU Channel 2, approached my companions and me and filmed an interview with my guardian – it screened on the 10 PM news.

It was mega-fun to be part of such a major happening!

View south from former visitors center, across street from Crissy Field

Looking south from sidewalk alongside Crissy Field

As previously reported, my guardians’ friend, MaryLou, flew from Denver to be with us in late March.  We all had fun together, of course.  Following up, she surprised me (very pleasantly) by sending this original haiku, the first of its kind*:

      Wally

Glistening black oval nose,

Surrounded by wheat.

A frolicsome fur package.

//////////////////////////////////////////

That pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?  We had a really nice visit and I love the haiku – Thanks ML!

*subject = yours truly

MaryLou, bags packed, well positioned for a going away lick.

A fairly quiet 2 weeks in San Francisco, mostly because of my guardian’s pterygium operation on the 14th.

I recall it was the 16th when I escorted my guardians down to Chestnut Street’s Squat & Gobble for an early breakfast.  Jodie and her companions happened by and, after greeting me by name, visited a few minutes.  (I usually see them at Crissy Field, see photo)

Jodie & her two Russian Wolfhounds, Ann & Mousseline

Then the next day I was on Chestnut Street for St. Patrick’s Day – what a madhouse!  No beer or corned beef for me – just a couple of errands, some sightseeing,  and compliments from newly made “friends.”

On March 19th my companions and I walked to Roses Cafe for a nice celebratory lunch outside.  I like Roses because they always have a well stocked water bowl plus healthy treats.  Plus the people-watching is excellent.

Last Thursday my guardian’s dear friend, Mary Lou, arrived from Denver, staying until this afternoon.  It rained a couple inches while she was here (but we’re still way behind normal for the season).  This kept us inside sometime but we still had a really nice time – lots of laughs,  a few walks including a good one this morning down by the Bay, and a lot of small talk.

Plus we watched some basketball – I’m pleased Ohio State made the Final 4 and the Stanford ladies are in the Elite 8 – one of my companions and I will watch the Cardinal tonight with my paws crossed.

I’m hoping that Mary Lou will give her perspective…

I helped make a passerby happy on St. Patrick's Day! (@ Chestnut St. Bakery)

After 2 wonderful weeks in Laguna with William, Cece, other relatives, and Lynn, my guardian and I returned to San Francisco last week.  It’s nice to be back in town and to have the chance again for walks/romps on Crissy Field and also to assist in hosting several houseguests.  It’s been busy around here!

The SF Ocean Film Festival began last Thursday with the Opening Night party and continued until last evening.  This was the 9^th annual festival and friends came to stay with us from Seattle (Jan), Portland (Bill), and Newport Beach (Lynn).  Our guests, my guardians, and other friends saw lots of good ocean films and heard from many visiting filmmakers.  For my part, I had the fun of 3 friendly houseguests and a fair amount of quiet time when everyone was at the movies (11 film programs – see http://oceanfilmfest.org.)

Since returning, I’ve been down to Crissy Field several times for walks but haven’t been off leash yet – I got a haircut on Thursday and my guardians want to preserve my well groomed state for at least another few days.  But I soon expect to run leash-free on East Beach!

On the subject of Crissy Field, I’d like to provide a brief update on the GGNRA’s (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) Dog Management Plan process.  The Dog Management Plan process is an expensive multi-year effort involving thousands of citizens, tens of thousands of dogs, and scores of third parties including government agencies and dog-based communities and advocacy groups.   As an update, I’ll simply include below a letter I recently received from Frank Dean, GGNRA’s Superintendent:

(For the 4 page newsletter which contained this letter, here’s a link:  http://dl.dropbox.com/u/110878/GOGA%20DEIS%20newsletter_Jan2012.pdf)

I’m concerned about ensuring good off leash access for all dogs; my personal focal point is on Crissy Field.  For thoughtful comments as conveyed by one advocacy group, please see this letter:   http://crissyfielddog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/CFDG_GGNRA_DEIS_letter_0527011.pdf

Thanks for your interest,

Wally

P.S. Of the 4713 comments Mr. Dean refers to, one came from me – I’ll put my comments in a future post for your consideration.

I like poetry.

The extravagant splendor

of trucks and automobiles

makes a fleeting impression

on my mind.

Still thinking.

Monday, February 28

Hi, here I am at my home away from home in Laguna. It poured. It was sunny. It was scary windy. I was sad. I was happy. I ate a pink towel.

 Then, OMG! OMG! OMG! Oscar and William and their guardians came over! Reid had a birthday! There was cheesecake! My tail wouldn’t stop wagging!

Then they all left.

My guardian’s friend is here now. She smelled somewhat familiar so I licked her face and ears and her face some more. They called her Lynn. Whatever. I took her jogging.

My guardian told me to be very good because I am in charge. I already knew that. And I am very, very good.

Bye for now,

Wally

Do dogs have feelings?

Of course we do!

Today I’ve already had two nice walks in the neighborhood plus one in Tiburon with my friend, Bandit – when I see Bandit, anyone can tell I’m so happy to see him – as is my guardian.

This evening I’ll be lounging with my guardians in front of the TV as we all enjoy the final night of the Westminster Dog Show.

What a great day!  And Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hope your Valentines Day was a good one!

Your friend, Wally

Have you ever looked back after a vacation and felt that it was great to get away and now it’s also great to be home?  Well, that’s been my experience over the last few weeks.

After my last blog entry, my metabolism seemed to slow down and I found myself lounging around more.  Maybe it was the short days in January, a couple days of rain, or, most likely, a post-Judith letdown.  Anyway, I was in fairly slow motion and really pokey on many of my walks.  You may know the feeling.

Then around the 26^thmy guardians got me packed up and into the SUV, and one drove me

Ready for my trip to Sonoma on a foggy January 26th

up to my occasional weekend place in Sonoma.  I kind of sense the way, and when we turned off 101 to 37 I started getting excited.  And soon we were at my 2^nd home!

I didn’t know at the time, but my guardians were off to Portland and the Oregon coast for a long weekend with old friends.  When they returned, one was soon on a plane to Cleveland for important meetings and his sister’s birthday – the other guardian knew she’d be busy with stuff, so my weekend away turned into a full week!  Yea!

I love my second home and there’s something to do almost all day long.  The protocol is that we play together in a group for a couple hours each in the morning and afternoon.  Then at 1630 we all go into our crates and relax there ‘til morning…I guess I’m OK with that, no choice really…

Anyway, when my guardian came to pick me up after my 8 night stay, I was very pleased to see her, just as always.  Jumped into the car, slept while she had lunch in downtown Sonoma with Raleigh’s former next door neighbor, and then we motored home.  For the next several days I followed her everywhere all day – after my nice vacation, I was really, really glad to be home!!!  A couple days later my other guardian returned from Ohio and we picked him up at the airport.  I was so glad to be reunited…lots of licks for him too.

I’ve been back in San Francisco for only a week.  My vacation needs may be

Street view of me keeping an eye on things

changing because, I’m almost embarrassed to say, I’m already feeling like I need another battery recharge, a change of scenery.  I do wonder if I’m getting spoiled…

Up until now, with all the talk on privacy and the Internet, I haven’t revealed my 2^nd home.  But now I will!  It’s Vintage Kennel Club: A Dog Ranch and Spa in Sonoma County.  Check out the website, http://www.VintageKennelClub.com, and especially the staff page, which tells about Mike and Brian and their wonderful associates, a team I always enjoy being around 😀

My nose - good for sniffing gopher holes; my eyes, good for melting the ladies