Spiffing -up Dog Eden

Volunteers have been pruning low hanging branches & raking up ground liter in prep for chipping and shredding. Skipper Richard S. mowed the grass on Monday ( in both the new and original area). It's looking real good. More importantly, our pets are benefitting from the added space & setting. I sure notice a positive change in my two guys.

Today, at the restore, picked up some heavy duty lumber that can be used for simple benches. Over at GoodWill got a smoking deal on four white, plastic out-door chairs.

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Today, in Seattle Times, interesting story about saving baby wildlife.

Racoonigan at Sarvey Wildlife Care Center
Also see our local wildlife rehab org

It's a beautiful thing !

It's a Superior Dog Park. It's an Arboreteum. It's a Zen garden.
It's 0.86 of an acre.

Thanks to spirited effort by a hardcore of skilled volunteers, the fence expansion was done by 2 PM. Forty five minutes later seven very grateful dogs were checking it out.

To those who wanted to pitch-in but couldn't make it; ease your guilt by sending in a donation for needed supplies. We will be purchasing more PooP bag dispensers and "pick-it-up" signage.

Special thanks to the City of Blaine's Parks Board for the expanded space and to Pacific Building Center for the Right-Stuff.

Special thanks to ALL those who made it happen.
Savor your Accomplishments.

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Kudos to photographer Barb Shelton.

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Dog Park Expansion, progress report

* Weather is forecast to be cloudy & in the 60's for fence expansion day, Sat- June 20th.

* The new steel-gate posts and the corner wooden post are set in cement.

* New fencing material has been delivered.

* Will be attaching wire fence-to-posts with EZ clips. Slicker than twisting lock wire. See illustration.

* Appreciation to Blaine's Pacific Building Center for providing material at "cost".

* Many thorny Blackberry stocks around the perimeter have been slain.

* Today, Darell C. & me "pulled" 16 existing "T" post & repositioned them.

|-|-|-| See you on Saturday between 9 AM and 3 PM. |-|-|-|

June 20th is definitely the day for Fence Expansion

Left -- pounding posts, Middle -- Schmoozing, Right -- lunching

Images above are from the initial fence installation in Oct 2007.

Essentially, The "small dog enclosure will be left in place, and the remaining fence line relocated & expanded ( a lot). Partisans will be coming and going as they please from 9 AM until mid afternoon. Lets hope the weather is decent.

Some prep work will be done ahead of time so that production work on Saturday should go smoothly. There is no brush to clear nor gravel to spread. We will be carrying material, raking up stuff fallen from the cedars, Placing & "pounding" fence posts into the ground. Finally, the wire mesh fencing will be attached to the posts. In between, there will be lots of schmoozing. The park has both sunny & shady areas. Dogs are OK, but remember only the smaller area will be enclosed. I'm leaving mine at home.

== Please pitch-in by doing whatever you feel comfortable doing. ==

Chef Gou Cheng will be catering the event with her special menu. I'll bring a cooler filled with Ice & bottled water. You too can surprise all with additional goodies. See you there!

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Drieks Serengeti:

The pond has hatched a new crop of dragon flies , water striders skate to & fro, bullfrogs croak in satisfaction, and an 11 duckling navy patrols the shores.

Today, by the newly mowed Dierks Field we watched a flock of about 20 Canadian Geese decend and land to investigate browsing opportunites in the fresh stubble. In ten days, we & our companions, will admire what the Seasons offer from a truly unique sanctuary.

Sincere thanks to all how made it happen.

Dog Park Fence Expansion Date

Consensus is weighing heavily toward Saturday the 20th of June.

Will confirm this no later than the 13th of June.

I did not realize that, during the month of June, we are competing for volunteers with a Blaine urban trail improvement project, co-sponsored by City's Parks Dept and the unaffiliated NWPRD2.

Savvy volunteers will surely choose working under the cool shade of Skallman Park's cedars rather than agitating gravel in the dust & heat of Blaine's mean-streets.

* * Pick a day to expand the fence * *

~ ~ We have sufficient funds.
~ ~ I've sourced, priced, but not yet purchased the fencing material.

~ ~ The "T" post puller tool works pretty slick.
~ ~ We only need to agree when to do the work.

Naturally, no one time will suit all. May I suggest any one day during the weekends of June 13th or June 20th, { the 21st is Fathers'Day}. June 27th would be cool too; the following Friday is July 4th.

A consensus based on your responses and advice will determine when & how the deed will be done.

Please contact me using any of these ways.

~ ~ Adding a comment to this blog.
~ ~ e-Mailing me at 20.10@comcast.net

~ ~ e-Mailing this blog at ByGosh@gmail.com.
~ ~ Calling my residential tele number at 360-543-7883
~ ~ Knocking on my door at 1218 Mitchell Ave

. . . . . ( SE corner of Mitchell & Cedar).

This blog and my e-mail list may not be reaching all those willing to pitch-in, so please contact other friends & partisans and let me know your preferences. ( Druids please note, the 21st is Summer Solstice.)

Hearty thanks to all who have contributed to Blaine Grateful Dogs.

Park Expansion Update

• The fence post puller arrived tonight, got to check-it-out to tomorrow. ( Not available locally.)
• Negotiated the lowest possible price for expansion fencing material.
• In The Park, adjacent to large trees, I tested for & marked root-free post locations.
• Cordial contact was made with the Chairperson of Bellingham Grateful Dogs .
• The bank added / authorized my signature on our Blaine GD account.
• The next issue of Bellingham's GD newsletter will make reference to this Blog. ( Jean was happy to have additional content.)
• Coordinated with NWPRD2 about procedural matters. ( Know thy Place. )

We still need about $100 to purchase materials. Please see the left margin of this page for contribution instructions.

After supper there were ten pooches playing in the park.

Most adored was the pup "Super Duper" Cooper, a very young-n-tiny, Mini Schnauzer/ Jack Russell mix. Coop was confidently showing-off his stuff to the bigger boys & girls .... Just last week Coop felt more comfortable in the smaller, safe harbor section, but the park helped him get over that! Richard and Gou brought four friends, and Nekx & Frekx took me along.

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Today, I put adds for used fencing stuff on "Craig's List" & "The Echo" .

• 50, 6' , heavy duty , studed "T" fence posts
• 250 feet of 4' , 14 guage, wire mesh, fencing

If you've got any, we can use it for the park's fence expansion.

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Your contributions have helped the parks fence expansion come closer to fulfillment, but we are still $125 short. So do what you think is right.

Donations can be made to: "Garteful Dogs off-leash Blaine".

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Sunny day at Skallman

Nikkō

It was a beauty day at Blaine's off leash park. Got to meet old & new acquaintances. Met my first Japanese Shiba Inu named Nikkou. Other visitors were "Bob-n-Bill", Buttons, Bowie and "The world's cleanest Little White Dog".

Darel C. & me took accurate measurement & discussed fence placement for the park expansion. Darel offered his "post pounder " for the fence construction. We could use two such devices on construction day so if you have another please let me now, so we don't have to rent one.

We are still about $200 short.

Your contributions will make it happen.