Dog Outing In Lakeside

Last Sunday afternoon I made myself go out and do a thing, after being holed up for a week with a nasty cold. I took Hazel with me into Lakeside for a couple beers at Little Miss Brewing and a short walk at Lindo Lake Park. It was therapeutic! It didn't hurt that the day was unseasonably warm and sunny, around the high 70s/low 80s.

Hazel loved it at Little Miss Brewing, and so did I. She got lots of pats and general attention. I got 2 delicious beers- a mexican style lager with infused lime and... Something Gold Something Something, I forget. They were good, whatever they were.

Then we went over to the beautiful Lindo Lake County Park right by downtown Lakeside. The last time I went there was back in 2005 or so, when I originally moved to Lakeside from Alaska. I swear it never looked this good, and I wonder if it has been massively renovated since then. I (mis?)remember it being very basic- just a short trail loop around the lakes.

Anyways, it's gorgeous there. There's a community center there (which was closed), tennis courts, lawns and picnic tables, a gazebo at the center of a land bridge between the lakes. Not to mention lots of geese, Canadian and otherwise, mallard ducks, etc. And lots of people with their families. Little kids chasing geese around, which was alarming. Geese are normally very onery and like to chase you back and fight you! These didn't do that, thankfully. Although that might've been funny to see. Anyways...

One lone goose seemed to be stranded in the gazebo, just standing in one place and staring at the dude on his phone getting stoned. It would barely move. I think I even went in there for a little bit and it just barely acknowledged me. I didn't press my luck with this one by coming close to it. I was to try that a little later when I walked Hazel along the side of the gazebo, on a path between it and the lake. Two geese floated over to us as we were walking, with Hazel trailing behind me. They seemed friendly and curious until I let Hazel walk in front of me and approach them. A quick change in their posture was enough to signal me to reflexively pull her back and reverse course 😂