We had no idea what we were getting into when we got Bodie. As a couple who were newly married and new residents of Danville, we were excited to add a four-legged addition to our household but got more than we bargained for.
Little did we know how much this yellow Lab would change our lives. Before she had turned a year old, Bodie had successfully eaten all of our sprinkler heads, which, of course, killed our lawn.
She cried throughout the night until one of us eventually broke down and put her at the bottom of our bed. She ate shoes, dug holes, devoured chocolate and, just when we thought we were incident-free, she ran through our sliding glass door at full speed.
We didn’t think she would make it to her first birthday. Luckily she did, with a puppy smile and a trail of expensive vet bills and a re-landscaped back yard. Now she is 3.
When Bodie was about 5 months old, I started taking her to Danville’s Hap Magee Ranch Park Canine Corral, an expanse of green grass and hillside where dogs can roam free to play, chase Frisbees and enjoy the sunshine. In other words, “dog heaven.”
At Hap Magee I’ve gotten to know a close-knit crowd of people I never would have met were it not for my dog. What started as casual greetings turned into full blown conversations about anything and everything – from good restaurants in town to sports to real estate, our families and, of course, our dogs. I had just moved from San Francisco and my husband Matt from Sacramento, so we didn’t know a soul in Danville. What turned into a sporadic activity for my dog became a standing date – every Friday at 4:30 p.m.
My dog became known as “Bad Bodie” and I was “Bad Bodie’s owner.” Like any embarrassed parent, I wanted my dog to have proper dog park manners but that proved difficult. She would bounce all over the place, run around with reckless abandon, lie in the water trough as if it were a hot tub, and, of course, beg for treats, which she still does to this day. Nothing like trying to smile and ignore your dog as she’s kicking up mud and knocking over small children.
Before I knew it, Bodie and I were spending hours at the park in the evenings, enjoying the warm summer nights and great conversation. Vicki and Dennis Hughes were the first people I remember meeting. They have two chocolate labs, Rocky and Ruger. Their well behaved dogs entertain themselves by seeing who can catch the Frisbee first. Matt tells me that Bodie’s “retriever” is broken, as she expresses no interest in returning balls or sticks while at the park (or anywhere else, for that matter). Vicki, a fiery redhead, has a contagious laugh, a great sense of humor and knows everyone at the park as well as their dogs. Dennis, aka “the dog whisperer,” has a constant pack of four-legged fans following him around the park and he occasionally slips them treats. My dog is always first in line. We’ve become friends, and while at their house Vicki and Dennis’ dogs have shared the family swimming pool with Bodie, improving her swimming skills considerably even though we can’t get her to jump off their diving board. Yet.
Cheryl Birnie, another dog park regular, is proud owner of Spike and Sadie – two Labradors who are always sporting the latest dog collar fashions. Sadie “the big fat lady” loves to laze around on the grass (she’s not much of a runner), while Spike chases tennis balls for hours, returning them to everyone BUT Cheryl. We talk about the latest movies we’ve seen, the best mystery books out, strange behaviors of dogs and their owners, and any other topic of the day.
On Friday afternoons, I rush home from work, drop my stuff, pack some snacks, grab the leash and dog, and head for the door. When I drive up to the dog park gate, Bodie gets jumpy with excitement as she sees other dogs and their owners approaching the park. These afternoons with friends are a perfect ending to a stressful week.
Dave and Lesley Sweeney always arrive at the park on Fridays with Jack and Bailey, two spirited golden retrievers. Lesley and Dave share stories about their two grown children and the joys and pains of a home remodel. Like the others, they love the sense of community at the park.
Bob West, who just turned 70, is as much of a character as his dogs, Mellie Kay and Koa. If Chewbacca were a dog (IS Chewbacca a dog?), he would be Koa, a Leonberger whose bark is much worse than his bite. Bob always looks forward to Friday nights at the park, when Hap Magee is bustling with dogs of every breed imaginable and friends join him in a joke or a laugh as the crowd of regulars grows bigger. Bob is our version of “Norm” from the television show “Cheers” – always happy to see a friend as well as make a new one.
Christy and Chris Slye laugh and chat with the crowd while Laszlu, their big, white Hungarian guard dog called a Kuvasz, sits and enjoys the scenery.
Over the last year and a half, we have experienced puppy births and dog and owner deaths. We’ve dog-sat for each other, attended one another’s barbeques, and discussed treating different dog ailments. We’ve shared stories about our families, celebrated birthdays, recommended house painters, landscapers and doctors to each other. The same kind of things people do with children, except our “kids” happen to have fur.
Tomorrow is the first Friday of October, and I’m hoping it doesn’t rain. I don’t want to miss watching Bodie dash across the lawn of Hap Magee toward a group of people and dogs who smile and greet us as we approach them. The same group of people and dogs who make us proud and happy to live in Danville.
