Amazing Dog Subculture...and New Hampshire Seafarers Arrive

Maggie eyes the ball her new pal Hershey the Chocolate Lab has at Sunset Park's morning play group.


 


Yesterday morning we got Maggie duded up in her best leash and headed for the 9 AM dog play group at Monroe County’s Sunset Park—the one on Sunset Street (nearly everything on the Florida Bay side of the Keys has “sunset” woven into its name). What did we find? 10-12 dogs running and jumping—all giggles and grins!  The owners were wandering about throwing balls and Frisbees or sitting and chatting in a neat circle of portable chairs under a fabulous spreading tree (mangrove…oak?  Don’t know yet.)

We’d barely closed the car door and a friendly fellow came to greet us. We introduced him to Maggie and he invited us to come and meet everyone. In a nanosecond Maggie was running with the other dogs—never looked back! Soon we were in the loop about all the dog-friendly parks and off-leash play groups in the upper/middle Keys and turned on to the best dog-friendly restaurants—there are lots! I’ll do reviews as we go along.

Steve called from his cell to give their ETA on the run down the Intracoastal from Fort  Lauderdale to Islamorada and, amazingly, we spotted their boat from our deck! Now we know the Intracoastal stretches along in front of the house, though it’s a ways out.

After they got settled in their slip for the month, we had to go back to Snapper’s for Happy Hour—awesome faux margaritas (tequila sours with salt) for $2.50.

Bud had 40 lb. Maggie on one line and Steve's 40' Carver cabin cruiser on the other--what a guy!

When we picked Steve and Noreen up we noticed another nearby dog park and decided to try it this morning.  It was the same thing!  Owners sitting around chatting and having coffee while their dogs played—like the other park, most were regulars, but all very welcoming and more tips on restaurants and beaches were flying around along with the dogs. Poop-baggies are apparently provided at most parks (though we carry our own, of course) and I can say that the parks are spotless! There seems to be a very active and wonderfully friendly canine subculture down here—makes me wish New Hampshire could get in the groove.

For everyone out there who is NOT gaga about dogs, I’ll be writing about other stuff.  Steve and Noreen’s being here will surely give me more material. Tonight we have a hot game of dominoes scheduled!