BY JOELLEN COLLINS
“Summertime and the living is easy” is one of my favorite lyrics from one of my favorite musicals, “Porgy and Bess.” I find myself humming that tune whenever I contemplate the joys the Wood River Valley affords me at this time of year. Last week there were three – count ’em, THREE – events in the same evening, all of which I wished to attend. I was tempted just to miss all of them, but made a reluctant decision to attend one while feeling guilty that I couldn’t do all three.
So are the joys of sunshine, lovely evenings, good visitors and the amazing attractions here this time of the year! One thing, though, that I probably enjoy the most when the weather is warm and I can get out with my doggies and enjoy the grass, the breezes and the clear skies of summer without slipping on ice or fearing winter’s woes is to take them to what we lovingly call the dog park, the former and still undeveloped golf course off Warm Springs Road. If I just mutter “dog park,” my two white fluffs wag their tails (even more than when I return home after even a brief absence) and head toward the door and their leashes.
The long stretch of grass, the shade of the boundaries, and especially the proximity of a plethora of dogs of all types provide a true paradise for our canine buddies. Of course, I also feel a sense of delight being in the midst of other “dog people” – a pleasurable reminder of this friendly community. There are times when I take my dogs elsewhere to run unfettered away from traffic, and I also keep my leashes near (as well as doggie waste bags) to uphold my end of the bargain and the pleasures of having my “best friends” with me in nature. For a resident of a condominium with no backyard, this dog park has been heaven-sent.
By the time this column is published, the fate of our access to this stretch of bliss may be decided. While some bewail the thought that the Warm Springs Ranch development may, indeed, have to proceed, thus closing down our blessed gift, I must add a note. Through the generosity of the current owners of the property, so many dogs and dog lovers have enjoyed the rare delight of a place of beauty and amenities such as doggie bags, trash cans and stretches of safe running. I thank them for the kindness of their allowing us to be on that property during these many past periods of fording the processes of development.
After a long life of experiencing ups and down, I have learned that the phrase “This, too, shall pass” doesn’t just apply to the negative things we wish to forget but also to the intense and special things that we treasure. I would like there to be available doggie parks forever, but acknowledge and am grateful for what we have been given.
