Sundays by the River

The last Sunday in February brought the tiniest hint of the possibility of spring. This year's groundhog did not see his shadow, the traditional sign of an early spring, but I'd assumed it was because there was so much snow on the ground that he refused to leave his den! But perhaps he was right after all.

We love Sundays in spring. After an entire week of getting up at 5:30 am, on Sundays we lounge in bed till at least 10:00. We'll rise for some coffee and cereal and kibble (yes, for the dog!) and then we may head back to bed for a while. At some point we'll manage to drag ourselves as far as the sofa but are then forced to lie down on it for a while due to the exertion :)



Eventually we'll shower and watch some late morning news. We'd probably go back to bed but when the weather is beautiful we just can't stand to be home all day. So, off to the river promenade we go!

Manhattan is an island and we're on the north east side of it, literally a block from the east river. There's a beautiful promenade that spans nearly 20 blocks north and includes Carl Schurtz Park. There are lots of benches to sit and watch boats on the river. Other benches are situated under shady trees and are great for people-watching. There are enclosed off-leash dog runs, both for large and small doggies and bike riding is allowed on the promenade. We love it there!

Hadley, our doggie, doesn't care for the dog run. She loves people and prefers to be on our laps or by our feet as we sit on the benches. Thus she can wag her tail at people walking past and garner herself quite a bit of human attention. We can't say we blame her. The small dog enclosure is dirty and frequently filled with poorly socialized little yappers. There's nipping, growling, humping and generally poor behavior while oblivious owners chat amongst themselves or on their cell phones. Dog walkers also bring their charges here and deposit the dogs in the run while they remain outside. That's a violation of the run's rules but no one is there to enforce. Humans are also not allowed inside the run unless they have a dog but that rule, too, is frequently violated by an odd character. He's clearly a man, extremely tall, but wearing a long curly black wig and very heavy makeup. Um, we'll just stay out of the dog run.

Back on the benches there's lots to see. Lovers walk by holding hands, couples push strollers, joggers run past and dog owners strut their furry friends up and down. From mutts to pedigrees, St. Bernard's to Chihuahuas, everyone seems to have a doggie. We watched as two different dog trainers attempted to teach their charges to walk on a loose leash. One, a black standard poodle lived up to it's reputation as the second smartest breed and learned quickly. The other, a stubborn Cockapoo, didn't graduate that day :)

We finally drag ourselves away and head back. Between the river and our apartment is our favorite outdoor cafe where dogs are welcome. It's a bit past lunch by now which means the crowds have dissipated and we'll find a table. A bowl of cool water for Hadley and a delicious late lunch for us as we relax and enjoy our meal and each other. We finally head back home in the late afternoon and now it really is time for a nap. We're exhausted, you know!