A Visit to the Dog Park...

There's a handsome bronze dedication plaque
at the entrance to the dog enclosures

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the Tennessee Valley.  Temperatures rose to near 70 degrees with a light southerly breeze.  Mary Ann and I decided it was the perfect day to be outside.  Over the last couple of weeks, she has been researching the location of dog parks in the area.  One looked particularly interesting because it was described as having separate fenced enclosures for large dogs and small dogs.  The name of that park is the Mill Creek Dog Park on Balch Road in Madison, AL.  We decided to take Bella on her first park outing.

After loading up the car with dog toys, snacks, water, and the other necessities of dog travel, we left the house a little after noon.  We had no trouble finding the place, as I had printed Google Maps directions.  We first parked in the parking lot at the southern end of the Mill Creek Greenway.  After asking a gentleman if we were in the right place, we realized that we could drive about a half-mile north on Balch Road to another parking lot closer to the dog park.  That parking lot has a porta-potty and ample room for probably 25 cars.  It also has a walkway under the Balch Road bridge over Mill Creek, so you don't have to cross Balch Road traffic with your dog.  Very well planned, indeed.

The park was a great success for us and Bella.  We all socialized very well.  The small dog enclosure was quite muddy, so the small dog owners rebelled and took over the large dog area as soon as it became vacant.  The variety of dogs was remarkable.  We will return soon.