More on the Barnstable Dog Park

Friday, Grigri and I cleaned the lane north of the airport on Route 149 because I was curious about a site proposed for the first Barnstable Dog Park. This is a beautiful place to walk on a warm April afternoon with the sun slanting down across acres of green. It's apparently currently in use as a police dog training facility.

The lane is a sandy vehicle path like the ones we used to run around on with bare feet in the summer in our neighborhood. Sadly, now most are paved. It leads through brush to an opening at the north end of the airport where there's a remote controlled aircraft launching site, operated by a club. On Friday two guys were trying to get a rather large helicopter up but I didn't see them succeed at it. Looks like fun though.

Although I know there were objections to this site as a dog park because the lane is narrow and it would take some work to develop parking, I thought it was a fantastic place and I'll definitely be back soon to explore further. The things I like about it were that it was far from any homes so barking or traffic would not annoy anyone and there are plenty of trails nearby to work off excess energy before entering the park. Whether this site becomes a dog park or not, I'm happy to have found it. One thing about Cape Cod… there's no dearth of beautiful trails and beaches to enjoy, and Aussie Pet Mobile of Cape Cod is doing our best to keep them clean.

FYI - The Committee for Barnstable Dog Parks welcomes new members and contributors. We meet the last Thursday of the month at the Hyannis Senior Center at 6:30. Next meeting would be May 26th.

The Woods Are Asleep

The wind was howling off the Sound this morning but in West Barnstable the warm sun made up for the wind chill and we hiked and cleaned the Otis Atwood loop off the Osteville/West Barnstable Road. The trail was much cleaner than when Grigri and I walk it in summer. Either that wicked wind blows the trash away or there are just fewer folks out and thus less litter. I have been out of town for two weeks and thought I'd be seeing some green shoots, but there were few. I'm wondering, when will we see fiddlehead ferns in the market? I checked Lamberts and Shaws on the way home but no fiddleheads yet. I found a recipe that I want to try out when they come, courtesy of The Heart of New England, an online magazine.

Makes 4 side dishes:

1 pound fiddlehead 2 tablespoons olive oil Butter (optional) 2 cloves finely chopped garlic (optional) ¼ cup pancetta or bacon, cut into ¼ inch cubes (optional) Kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper Trim the dark ends from the stems and wash the fiddleheads in a coarse strainer using a strong stream of water. Place them in a large bowl of water and swirl them around, rubbing off the thin flakes of chaff on the ferns. Drain and dry in a kitchen towel, rubbing off any remaining chaff. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium – high heat. Add the bacon or pancetta, if using, and cook, stirring until lightly browned. Add ferns and garlic and cook, covered, for 3 – 4 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 3 – 4 minutes or until they are tender but still are slightly crunchy. Add salt and pepper to taste and swirl in some butter if you wish. Serve immediately. If you make extra, they make an interesting addition to a mixed salad or soups and stews. Because they are fully cooked, add them at the last minute to hot dishes. Any way you serve them, you will be enjoying a true New England treasure.

We're Aussie Pet Mobile Cape Cod!

My husband, Jan, our little dog Grigri and I are Aussie Pet Mobile Cape Cod, an environmentally conscious mobile pet grooming service that offers more convenience for you and less stress for your pets. We serve dogs, cats and their "fur parents" from Provincetown to Duxbury. Concerned about the environmental degradation we're facing globally we decided to act locally. When we're not keeping your cats and dogs clean and cute, we'll do our part to keep our beaches and trails clean too. This blog is about our adventures in grooming the dogs, cats, trails and beaches of Cape Cod and the South Shore. We'll also cover local pet friendly events and ideas to have more fun with your pets. Join us and if you see us on the beach or trails, come on over and say hello - we'll give you a $10 off new customer coupon.