Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Dog Blog: Notes on Walk


I walk Cooper and Bella through my old Central Area neighborhood where I grew up.   Cooper’s a young shepherd and Bella, a white-faced setter.   Our walks weave the streets as I talk with them about the grade school and Immaculate Church I attended.  On the way, we pass the nun’s house, now a multi-family apartment. 

We turn north along 16th Avenue and I continue with stories of trick or treating from Jefferson to Union Streets.  Reaching Spring, we descend to 15th where the City installed a small park.  
Bella rests a moment as she’s older and panting.  Cooper patiently searches the grass knowing her companion needs a short break.  I give each a treat.

I diverted from the route one day and took them down to Seattle University where they play  the grass across from the St. Ignatious Chapel.  Catalina and I  married there three years ago in July.  We’re only two days from our anniversary. The dogs love the area where we held a family and friends picnic after rehearsal.

We cross 12th and heading across Columbia near the Langendorff Bakery.  I’ll leave a note describing this to their owners.  The day after, I get a return note telling me that my descriptions are providing a history of the area.  I’m encouraged to mention several personages like Judge Richard Jones and Charlie Greene  who grew up close by.

Normally, I take the dogs over to Union Street and we climb to 17th where a block of elegant, old apartments still survive.  They are as beautiful as I recall from the time I attended kindergarten at T.T. Minor across from them.  I remind Cooper and Bella that as a paperboy, I’d pick up my papers in a still-standing garage in the alley behind them.

We’re on our way back to the house as we travel southward to Columbia.  New townhouses wedge
between older remodels.  The neighborhood has been face-lifted and current residents breathe new life into the urban setting.  Tenants garden the curb medians so they fill with hollyhock, daisies, tomatoes, climbing peas and vegetable and flower assortments.  I’m told the neighborhood banded
together to create bee pathways.  An interesting urban concept encouraging the continuation of life.