For the past two evenings, we’ve loaded up the girls and headed to the dog park. Usually, taking the dogs to the park means socializing—meeting new dogs, making new friends, and letting everyone burn off some energy.
Lately, though, the dog park has been surprisingly quiet.
Both evenings, we were the only ones there. So, instead of a crowd of unfamiliar dogs, our girls’ social circle consisted of themselves and a few of the neighbor’s dogs. And honestly, they didn’t seem to mind one bit.
The park’s grass has gotten quite tall, which may be part of the reason we haven’t seen many other dogs. It looks more like a little meadow than a typical dog park right now. Our girls, however, think the tall grass is wonderful. They love having something new to sniff, explore, and run through.
Bindi has been especially entertaining to watch. She prances through the tall grass with such enthusiasm that you can’t help but smile. She seems to think she is walking through her own private field, occasionally bouncing along as though she has somewhere very important to be.
Lily takes a completely different approach. Rather than racing through the grass, she usually prefers to walk along the fence, taking her time and checking things out. She seems perfectly content with her little routine, following the fence line and investigating whatever catches her attention until she sees Coco and heads off in her direction.
And then there is Coco.
Coco has one thing on her mind when we visit the dog park: fetch.
She loves chasing after her ball, but the tall grass has turned the game into a bit of a treasure hunt. Sometimes she takes off after the ball only to have it disappear beneath the grass. Then comes the search. She’ll sniff around, look this way and that, and try to figure out where her favorite toy has gone.
The tall grass may make things a little more difficult for Coco, but it hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm.
Watching the three of them reminds me how different their personalities are. Bindi prances, Lily strolls, and Coco fetches. Each has her own way of enjoying the park, and somehow it all works together.
There is also something comforting about these quiet evenings. After everything our little family has been through recently, it feels good to watch the girls simply be dogs—running, exploring, sniffing, playing, and enjoying the freedom of an evening at the park.
We may not have had a busy dog park filled with new friends, but we had something just as special: three happy girls enjoying time together.
Sometimes you don’t need much to make a good evening.
Just a little sunshine, some tall grass, a tennis ball that occasionally disappears, and three dogs who are happy to be together.