Puppy Lover’s Poem

Golden puppy Sprocket

We just re-discovered this poem written by D. Lyman whose family stayed at Dog Bark Park two summer’s ago. Our puppy, now 10 months old and 75 pounds heavy looks mostly like a grown golden retriever, yet he’s still very much a puppy in spirit & has not tired of chasing butterflies or birds.

My Puppy

His gentle puppy breath, so warm and skunky sweet.
Paws that trip and stumble over everything they meet.
Liquid eyes, not quite focused, filled with purest trust.
And when he sleeps, sweet puppy dreams, legs that kick and thrust.

Sometimes he’s slow to understand, but he only wants to please.
It’s just his mind that wanders after everything he sees.
A bird or butterfly, each a strange and new delight.
And every blowing leaf is a challenge to a fight.

His body trembles with excitement each time I speak his name.
A harsh word from my mouth fills his heart with grief and shame.
Every moment I’m away is a lifetime in his mind.
A more selfless love, a truer friend, I will never find.
—————————–

While writing this blog our puppy Sprocket has finished a favorite activity, shredding a cardboard box into tiny pieces scattering them throughout the house of course! Job completed, he’s now napping on the cool tile floor until some other enticing play opportunity catches his fancy.

Fall 2009 Newsletter

In this newsletter:

New Outdoor Art

Scarecrows

Customer Photos

Social Media/Blogs/Reviews

Vacation Info/Reservations

Dear Friends of Dog Bark Park,

No, we’ve not run off with a pack of stray dogs. But, we have strayed from being in touch with you. Our last newsletter was back in February & we’ve missed writing.

This past winter was both a delight and a challenge. A delight because of our new puppy, Sprocket, who is now 9 months old. A challenge since Dennis suffered through an extended illness.

This summer was our busiest season ever. We’re deeply honored that guests have arrived from all corners of the country and world to experience Idaho’s famous big dog. Meeting and visiting with everyone enriches our lives tremendously and makes long days a pleasure.

New Outdoor Art

When Dennis’ health returned along with warm weather in late May he sprang into creative activity. Before long, what appeared to be a haphazard tangle of steel rods and plywood was transformed into a 12-foot tall stucco coffeepot resembling the ceramic CorningWare ones of yesteryear.

Why a coffee pot for our outdoor art gallery? Well, it does coordinate with our retro giant toaster carving. And, the cornflower pattern Corning coffeepot is an iconic American household object that blended technological advances of the time (1950’s-1970’s) with pleasing design & superb functionality.

We are hoping to collect each Corning cornflower coffee & tea pot model made. So far we have 6 different ones. If you have a model not shown in thephoto we’d love to hear from you.

Eventually the collection will be displayed inside the big coffeepot, which may become the world’s tiniest coffeepot museum! We’ll highlight the story behind Corning’s cornflower pots along with personal vignettes from coffeepot & teapot owners. Also included will be the path that led us to create the big coffeepot for visitors to enjoy.

Scarecrows

When Fall arrives in Cottonwood, Idaho, so do scarecrows. They appear at businesses and in yards all around town. We enjoyed making Miss Canine Scarecrow from studio “finds”. Sprocket contributed the dog-bone bowtie from his stash of toys. Standing at the entrance to our parking lot, Miss Canine hopes to scare away any crows or cats that attempt to trespass as Halloween approaches. She also cheerily waves a welcome to all beings of the humankind.

Customer Photos

We appreciate receiving photos from Dog Bark Park visitors or from recipients of our dog carvings. We share a few in each newsletter.

Last summer a classic car group scheduled a pit stop at Dog Bark Park and we permitted this pretty car to drive across our lawn for a unique shot.

Young Hunter’s picture was snapped as he enjoyed a picnic lunch with Wooden Grandpa & his wooden grandchildren. Hunter’s big sandwich is dry as a board since it’s a wood carved concoction!

If you wish to share photos for future newsletters just e-mail them to us & be sure to include a little background about the picture.

Social Media/blogs/reviews

It’s a brave new world out there in the social media realm. And we’re entering it one paw at a time! We post several blogs each month & also upload most of them to Twitter and FaceBook. Recent articles have been about special area attractions & activities, behind the scenes info about our breakfast foods, ways we conserve & recycle, etc.

Options to connect are:

• http://dogbarkpark.wordpress.com
• http://www.twitter.com/dogbarkpark
• http://www.facebook.com/dogbarkpark

We also invite you to post a review of your experience at Dog Bark Park at any of these sites:

• http://www.dogbarkparkinn.com
• http://www.iloveinns.com/innreviews.php?write=34423
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/UserReview

Vacation/Getaway Planning/Reservations

We’ll be hibernating the big dog for the winter in early November. Reservations for next season are already coming in. If your thoughts include travel to Idaho we’re happy to provide itinerary ideas.

Dog Bark Park Inn Bed & Breakfast – Where Being in this doghouse is a GOOD thing?

Website: http://www.dogbarkparkinn.com.

E-mail us at frances@dogbarkparkinn.com

Telephone 208 962-3647.

Enjoy all the splendors of Fall & be well.

Dennis J Sullivan & Frances Conklin        2421 Business Hwy 95 at the Dog,  Cottonwood , ID 83522

Dog Bark Park Inn – Bed and Breakfast and World’s Biggest BeagleWhere being in the dog-house is a GOOD thing!Visit our website: http://www.dogbarkparkinn.com

Email: frances@dogbarkparkinn.com
For Reservations 208-962-3647

Idaho Leaves will be Falling Soon

While our maple leaves are turning crimson & gold,  temperatures are falling from crisp to cold.   Record lows are forecast for the next few nights. At Dog Bark Park today’s high was only 36.  With winter coats &  bright sunny skies the day was pleasant though for tending to outside Fall chores. 

Here’s hoping our Halloween jack o’lantern won’t be seeing any snows like this for awhile.

Grinning no matter what the weather!

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s an interesting recipe for preserving the color of Fall’s fleeting foliage. Here’s how: 

1. Pick small branches when leaves are in their fall prime & right away place stems into water.

2. Boil one part liquid glycerin (available from pharmacies) and two parts water for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat & let the solution cool.

3. Remove branches from water and pick off curled or damaged leaves.

4.  Mash the stems with a hammer.  This will increase absorption of the glycerine solution.  Or, use a sharp knife to cut length-wise slits in the stems. 

5. Stand stems in the solution and place container in a dark, cool place for a few weeks for the solution to be absorbed.  In a couple of weeks you should be able to feel it on the leaves.  Remove branches from the solution & wipe leaves with a soft cotton cloth.  Place in pretty containers or scatter across a table top or mantle.  Note: colors may deepen somewhat over time.  Enjoy the leaves for several seasons.

We’ll be issuing a very long overdue e-newsletter in a couple of weeks.  If you’d like to receive a copy click here, or subscribe by visiting our home page, lower left column.

Scarecrow Canine makes Appearance

It’s Fall, the air is crisp, harvest on the prairie is completed & out come scarecrow decorations in Cottonwood, including a special one at Dog Bark Park.

Scarecrow Guard Dog on Duty

This Saint Bernard-ish lady scarecrow has a chainsaw carved head, wood shavings stuffed body, dog bone necklace & cheerily waves to passersby.   

Stay away crows & cats - Humans are welcome!

 Scarecrows decorate downtown & around town in Cottonwood each Fall.  This year the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce will name a Best of the Best Scarecrow, awarding the winning creator some chamber dollars to spend locally.  Each day more decorations appear in town as the calendar ticks closer to Halloween.