Ken Matthews Garden Center Dog Days, Yorktown, VA

Today and tomorrow are Dog Days at Ken Matthews Garden Center in Yorktown, VA. Throughout the garden center there are various dog rescue groups and the Peninsula Pet Pantry. There was a silent auction. And lots of sales!

Naked butt PG at the sign, ready to go in the door. She waits patiently for the little black dog to come out.

Sammy enjoyed going through the garden center, looking into the gazing ball. Do you think he was telling the future or making a wish?

PG got a few drinks at the various fountains in the center. Maybe we need one of these in the backyard by the grape arbor.

Everyone at the garden center is very friendly and loved the dogs blingy collars. I think dogs are allowed and welcome in there at all times--but this one weekend every summer they invite in all the rescue groups and do the fundraising for local pet charities.

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Fidos After 5, Richmond, VA

Once a month during the summer, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens opens up the gardens for people to bring along their dogs in the evenings. It's called Fidos After 5.

They also have wine tastings, serve food at an outdoor tent and have a band. Tonight it was California night and they were serving California wines.

They have free blankets for the dogs to lay on. Although Sammy didn't want to lay on the same blanket with PG!

We walked through the gardens after we finished eating and drinking. It was hot but there was a breeze and we really enjoyed the gardens.

Wish you were here,
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Sandy Bottom Nature Park, Hampton, VA

This evening we went to Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Hampton. This is a beautiful park to take a walk in. There are a number of trails from about a mile long to five miles long--so you can take a short walk or a long one. We usually go on the Lake Trail--which goes around Sandy Bottom Lake for about a mile.

This is a nice shady walk with lots of interesting things to see. There is a wildlife rehabilitation area that is home to a blind deer.

You do have to watch for snakes. I've walked here for years and I've only ever seen one snake. It wanted to get away from us as much as we wanted to get away from him!

There are a couple little bridges. You can see turtles and birds in the lake. There is also a shady dog park at this park--but I'm not crazy about dog parks. So I usually just walk the dogs on the trails and skip the dog park.

There are some quirky things at this park, too. There is a little flower garden with some flower pot people!

And finally, Sammy and PG's favorite part of this park--there is a small "beach" where the dogs can wade into the lake. Sammy usually jumps and splashes like a little kid in the first puddles of spring!

Wish you were here!
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Williamsburg Farmers' Market

We went to the Williamsburg Farmers' Market this morning. It was a good morning to attend--a little overcast, not too hot and not very crowded. You can attend this market every Saturday morning from 8 till noon. It's free to park at the Francis Street parking lot.

Lots of corn, melons and tomatoes! Must be summer! Our van smelled like basil all the way home.

PG & Sammy found this wire and moss poodle who they thought was very interesting! She had many other wire and moss creatures, too--a little bunny rabbit that would have made an interesting display in a yard with a greyhound. There are lots of other real dogs at the market, too. And there is a stand at the market that sells home made dog biscuits. PG liked the tuna one--Sammy liked the peanut butter one.

 Lots of pretty sunflowers at the flower stand!

After walking through the market, I take the dogs on a little extra walk down Duke of Gloucester Street. It makes for a nice morning in Williamsburg.
Wish you were here!
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Passion for Paws Picnic & Wine Tasting, Suffolk, Va

This afternoon we went to an outdoor picnic and wine tasting at River Stone Chophouse in Suffolk. It was a fundraiser for the Suffolk Humane Society.

It was very hot and humid but we made the best of it. Dogs laid on their pillows while we ate homemade hot dogs, potato chips and pasta salad. We also did a charming wine tasting--they had all wines named with animal themes--14 Hands Hot to Trot, 3 Blind Moose, Herding Cats, Goats du Roam, Rabid Red and Bitch! The organizers had asked us to do a freestyle demo but it was really too hot for that. The dogs would have been lethargic and not in the mood to perform. Wouldn't have been any fun to watch.

The statue cow was the only animal that didn't have its tongue hanging out from the heat!

Sammy and PG were fighting for pool rights! It's my turn now! No, it's my turn!

Sammy met his doppelganger there! He and Chloe had the exact same markings--right down to the smart mark in the middle of their foreheads! That was so cool to see! The guy who owned Chloe said that people had told him she had greyhound in her but he didn't believe it. Now he does!

Big thanks to Brian and Teresa from River Stone Chophouse.
Wish you were here!
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Hampton, VA

What do you do with your dogs when it's over 90 degrees outside and too hot to take them to a park for a walk? You take them to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World!

There is lots of space inside to walk around in air conditioned comfort. There is an indoor aquarium with bass and catfish in it.  The sales people are all friendly and want to pet the dogs. Sammy and PG even went up on a few boats to look around!

But when it's time to go--where's PG? I can't find her anywhere!

Wish you were here!
Joyce
Sammy & PG

Lure Coursing at Bennett's Creek Park, Suffolk, VA

This morning we went lure coursing at Bennett's Creek Park in Suffolk, VA. Once a month the SHOT group, Sight Hounds Organization of Tidewater, holds practice runs at this park and they invite anyone who wants to try their dogs at the lure to join them. It costs $2.00 per run. You don't have to be a sight hound--any dog can run. There were boxers, labs, even a Yorkie!

 Here we are getting out of the van. We brought along a lot of water--but it was still hot! The dogs were watching the lure in the distance.

 Sammy lost sight of the lure when the lure took a hard right angle turn. Then he realized that I was far away from him; and he ran so fast back towards me. By then, the lure caught up with him so he was able to chase it again.

PG ran a lot better than Sammy but she didn't take the turns very tight so she didn't run as fast as he did. She was very excited. We will go back again in the fall when it's not so hot. The park also looks like a good place for taking walks. There is a disc golf course that goes in the fields and through the woods--and that looks like a good path to walk on.

Wish you were here!
Joyce
Sammy & PG