A food truck for dogs. I want to say that’s peak … I don’t even know what a dogfood truck is. But it seems pretty extra.
ByGD
How to Appreciate Public Art
This giant block of ice was placed in Occidental Park as part of a public art project several years ago. You might question whether a block of ice counts as art. But it was midsummer, so every time you walked by it looked a little different. It was so unusual to see a giant block of ice that everyone stopped to look and wondered if they could touch it. Complete strangers struck up conversations about it trying to decide if they liked it or hated it. Even the dogs were intrigued, and had kind of the same response. Is it something to lick or something to pee on?
ByGD
The Universal Dog
Few species are as diverse as the dog. From chihuahuas to Irish wolfhounds, dogs have been bred into almost any variation humans can imagine. There are at least 200 official dog breeds in the U.S., and one international organization recognizes 344. But for all their variety, there is a universal dog. Whatever you start with, if you let dogs mix freely, this the dog you’ll get in a few generations. I took this picture in Qingdao, China. But I once owned a mutt that looked like this in the U.S., and I’ve seen his doppelganger in India and Thailand. I have no doubt I could find this dog anywhere that stray dogs roam. He’s the universal dog.
ByGD
Naming Ghosts
Sometimes I take a bunch of concert photos and don’t have time to go back and tag them all with names. Especially at festivals. I think this is Aubrey Bramble (what a great name) performing in Golden Gardens at Bumbershoot 2014. Golden Gardens is a great name for a band, especially one that sounds as shimmery and ethereal as this Seattle band. Golden Gardens sounds like a metaphoric name for heaven.
But for me, Golden Gardens is the park with the largest off-leash area in part of town. There are few things more neurotic than an urban border collie, so for nearly ten years, I drove there literally every day to spend 30-45 minutes throwing a ball. That piss-soaked corral was my third place, rain or shine. I knew more local dogs by name than humans.
The heavenly music of Golden Gardens is hard to reconcile with my muddy memories of rambunctious canine joy. But if all dogs do go to heaven, I know mine is at Golden Gardens.
ByGD
What Have I Done for You Lately?
Photo Gratisography.com
Well, I’m back at the government work, editing construction project management plans. But I have found time amidst all that excitement to write a few things that I hope you’ll enjoy or find useful.
Here’s what I’ve written lately: