Posts about Ingrid the Labradoodle and Gunter the Chiweenie.
We moved to Houston! Sort of …
Like many law firms, Eversheds is encouraging everyone to go back to the office at least a few times a month. The problem is that we don’t have an office in Dallas (yet!) so “popping into the office” means a four hour drive down to Houston.
We had a bit of a storm here in Dallas back in February. First it snowed, and then we got near-zero temperatures that overwhelmed the state’s power system.
Half of our apartment building lost power for 3 or 4 days. Our unit had a couple hours of power each day before plunging back into darkness for 12+ hours. Several of our neighbors were sleeping in their cars to stay warm. We also had a moment where a fire alarm forced everyone into the pitch-black hallways and outside into the cold.
I spotted these guys on a dog walk near downtown Dallas. Not sure whether these are actually Shetland Sheepdogs or some other mix, but they were cute either way.
Not pictured — Gunter glaring at them from my side.
I love that the new buildings in the gayborhood come standard with dog spas and dog parks. However, getting people to pick-up after their pets seems to be a problem everywhere.
Our building’s dog park is filthy enough that we don’t play fetch with Ingrid for fear of her plowing into the poop piles. The fencing is also spotty enough that it is far too easy to lose a ball, which I learned the hard way.
One amusing thing about my dog walks in Oak Lawn is that there always seems to be a pair of brooding eyes following me — the neighborhood is crawling with black cats.
I am not sure whether these cats are feral or actually belong to my neighbors. However, someone is definitely maintaining food and watering bowls for them, which sometimes cause massive swirls of birds to pop-out suddenly from fields along the sidewalks.
We’ve had unseasonably cold weather in Dallas recently — days in the low 40s and evenings in the 30s. Everyone’s pressed, especially Gunter, the Chiweenie.
Gunter hasn’t gone on strike yet and refused to do his business outside (like he did in Minnesota), but after a few minutes outside he’s standing by the edge of the dog park, glaring and shivering.
A dog spa is not something I think about when apartment hunting, but it always turns out to be one of the amenities that I use the most. I love being able to wash and dry the dogs without completely destroying my own bath or clogging the drain for weeks on end.
Ingrid the labradoodle got a bath this past weekend — there’s something strange about Dallas that causes her to smell way worse than when we lived in Washington DC, so I wash her almost on a weekly basis now. (I am not sure if that’s a lot or not).
Ingrid the Labradoodle getting a shower in our Dallas apartment building.
Ingrid the Labradoodle getting a shower in our Dallas apartment building.
Ingrid the Labradoodle getting a shower in our Dallas apartment building.
Ingrid doesn’t mind the water at all, particularly because she always get treats as part of the process. However, drying is another matter — she’s terrified of the dryer and prefers to air dry on a walk. This usually works out until we run across mud patches. Then there’s a risk that the bath process starts over again. 🏃
We were really organized while packing for the big move from Washington DC back to Dallas, but somehow still managed to misplace all of Gunter’s clothes.
This wasn’t a problem when we first moved (because it was 100 degrees) but the approach of fall means that it is time for fashion… so I had to tear up the entire apartment to find Gunter’s clothes.
The search was worth it because Gunter’s sporting his iconic look again. 👕
The nice thing about the cooler temperatures is that we can actually take the dogs on longer walks without Ingrid completely overheating.
These are some shots from a recent walk to Victory Park, which is about as far as we could walk from Oak Lawn before the heat gets to the dogs (and us!) Now that the temperatures are closer to 80, the rest of the downtown Dallas area becomes a possibility.
The next challenge is ending work early enough to take long evening walks before it gets dark. We haven’t figured that out quite yet, but it’s on the to-do list this week.
Ingrid and Gunter in Victory Park, Dallas.
Ingrid the labradoodle in Victory Park, Dallas.
Ingrid the labradoodle in Victory Park, Dallas.
Like many other cities, Instagram-ready murals have proliferated around Dallas. This “ride it like you stole it” mural is in the Design District, specifically in an open lot called the “Design District Playground” that has several other rotating murals and exhibits.
I think this mural is awesome, but I am not sure about the sketchy tin man water tower in the background. 🥫
I love the murals in Deep Ellum. Here’s Gunter the Chiweenie with one of the several murals featuring kids. He’s also in an unusually good mood in this picture — maybe the kids are having a positive effect. 🎈
Out of all of the potentially scary things in the gayborhood, I did not expect that my labradoodle would be terrified by a faded Disney princess beach ball.
Ingrid has not growled and snarled at something so fiercely since that awful camouflage car in Washington DC.
It look her almost five minutes to muster enough courage to inspect the ball. I was thoroughly amused.
However, a truly terrifying thing happened about two minutes later as we started walking toward Cedar Springs Road — we startled a flock of pigeons feasting on one of the many piles of cat food in the neighborhood. The pigeons all flew toward us and almost clipped my head!
Ingrid was far less pressed by the birds than the ball, so maybe this was just karma for me laughing at her. 🔮
We’ve had a gallery wall in almost every apartment since our last stint in Dallas, and this time around it is no different.
The latest iteration of the gallery wall has a hodgepodge of new wall art, vintage album covers, diplomas, and even a family photo or two.
The dogs don’t seem to mind it, so I guess it’s a success?
Dallas sidewalks are notoriously bad — either filled with junk, deteriorating, or, filled with plants apparently.
Sidewalks in Oak Lawn in Dallas.
Sidewalks in Oak Lawn in Dallas.
It’s by the far the most pleasant nuisance in the neighborhood. And, not many people walk in this area so it probably doesn’t bother many people.
I recently ran into this adorable French Bulldog puppy at a breakfast spot. As always, the type of person who brings a dog into a food establishment is remarkably consistent.
But this is one was so cute that I didn’t mind this time.
I don’t know if I’d ever want a Frenchie — I think I prefer larger dogs, despite being the current owner of a sassy Chihuahua mix, or perhaps, because of that.
I always remind my friends that Dallas is a major American city and not the rural, oil-rig dotted cow town from TV, but there is randomly a “ranch” of sorts right outside of downtown.
The “Fuel City Ranch” is attached to a gas station with a 24/7 street taco stand on the banks of the Trinity River. The small ranch has longhorn cattle, a donkey, and a zebra.
The zebra and longhorns were thoroughly disinterested in us (probably because it’s 100 degrees), but the donkey came over in hopes of getting some illicit snacks. He was disappointed.
Ingrid the labradoodle was surprisingly not freaked out by Mr. Donkey (unlike the Deep Ellum sculptures). The donkey sniffed Ingrid, double-checked for treats, and then trotted off.
Ingrid the labradoodle at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas, Texas.
Zebras and Longhorns at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas Texas.
Tacos from the Fuel City gas station outside of downtown Dallas.
At least the tacos were good. 🌮
You can visit Fuel City Ranch at 801 S Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207.
It’s official — the labradoodle is terrified of the bird sculptures in Deep Ellum. I think it’s something about the curved reflective surface.
After some barking and growling, she eventually got over it, but it was hilarious.
Ingrid the labradoodle and a creepy bird sculpture in Deep Ellum, Dallas.
One thing that I did not miss about Dallas is that Texas summer heat.
Gunter the chihuahua is faring way better than Ingrid, my labradoodle, but neither lasts very long if the weekend dog walk starts too late. The Dallas heat is less of a problem during the weekdays however, when I spend most of my time cycling while working.
Fortunately, the low humidity here makes the heat tolerable, but my freshness is still constantly compromised. We are getting a much-appreciated break from the 100-degree days tomorrow thanks to some toss-off storms from Hurricane Laura. It’s strange that it takes a literal hurricane to break this heat wave, but I’ll take it.
The heat and related pit-stains return this weekend though, which is why we are setting our alarms earlier this time around. ⏰
This is perhaps the most Washington D.C. PSA ever. I’ve seen several of these COVID-19 safety PSAs in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, and agree that wearing a mask for Ruth Bader Ginsburg is totally worth it.
There were also less-successful PSAs about some dude named Ryan.
Washington DC COVID warning.
It’s been a very rainy summer in Washington D.C., and sometimes we get caught in the showers.