Northwest Denver Undressed

--> Jun
14

It’s Finally Summer in Denver!

Those who know me well know I’m a summer girl. I have to force myself out the door when it’s below 70 degrees - and I come alive as the thermometer reaches toward 100. A lot of my friends thought I was nuts when I moved from dry, temperate, bug-free Denver to hot, humid, home-of-the-mosquito Alabama, but I tell ya, it was bliss for me (you just stay inside during the hours of 4:00 and 6:00pm when the mosquitoes come out to feed). But anyway, here I am back in my beloved Denver and it’s SUMMER! Yay!!! It’s time to play!

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES

Patio Dining- I love to sit outside on a shaded deck or patio, sipping a margarita. You, too? Here are a couple of links to some “Best of” outdoor dining spots in Denver.

• http://denver.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2005/outdoor_dining
• http://www.gayot.com/holiday/outdoordining/denver.html
• http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=5&pid=14

My all-time favorite is Highlands Garden Café- but only when I have a bunch of dollars burning holes in my pocket

Dog-Parking  - Since my last Denver summer, I have three new dogs in my household. We moved from a country home on four acres to a city home on, uh, 4,670 sqft, so going to the dog park helps my country dogs burn off some excess energy. My favorite is the one at Berkeley Park (roughly I-70 & Sheridan), mainly because it’s just up the street from me. But there are others! Click here for a list. If you ever want a dog-parking partner, just let me know! I’d love to hook our furry friends up.

Rollerblading - When I lived in Alabama, I SO missed the bike paths in Denver. I didn’t realize that other cities aren’t criss-crossed with roller-bladable trails and paths the way Denver is. My preferred spot is Sloan’s Lake, but I can be easily convinced to drive over to Confluence Park to pick up the trail there and cruise thru the city.

Did I mention how much I LOVE the Summertime???

--> Apr
23

Found a BARF (Bones and Raw Food)Resource near Northwest Denver!

When I moved back to Denver with my three dogs, I immediately noticed I had a problem. At my Sweet Home in Alabama, my dogs had 4 acres to, um, poop in, but here in Northwest Denver, they have something like 1000 sqft… maybe. Not a big pooper-scooper, I decided to give the BARF diet (Bones & Raw Food) a try because I’d read that it significantly reduces the poop factor. TMI? Oh well.  

You can read more about BARF here.

Well, we’ve been BARFing for a few months now and it’s going well! My dachshund’s skin problems are all but gone, the dogs all seem healthier and more energetic and  oh yeah, the poop-factor is unbelievable. I’ve only scooped once or twice - seriously! The stuff just dries up and blows away, I guess. And of course, the dogs LOVE their new diet.

I’ve been feeding them mostly chicken, but am worried because Ziggers has been wolfing down her chicken wings whole. Doesn’t seem to bother her, but I’m a nervous mom.  So I read that you can buy a meat grinder and grind up the meat, making it safer, but… I’m not in the meat grinding business and don’t really wanna be. What to do, what to do?

I found a little butcher shop in Wheat Ridge called “Rocky Mountain Meats.” Hmmmm… I wonder if they could grind some meat up for me?

Well, apparently, Rocky Mountain Meats is THE place for BARFers! As soon as I uttered the words Dog Food, the owner showed me an entire freezer full of ground up meat especially for dogs! Bones and all!

Cost? Like… $1.29/pound! You can get Wild Game or a Chicken/Turkey mix; I bought some of each. I’ll let you know how it goes over.

--> Apr
20

I’m Addicted…to the Dog Park in Northwest Denver

I have a new addiction. The Dog Park at Berkeley Park - around 46^th & Yates.

Why do I say “addiction?” Because… imagine the collective energy of 100+ happy dogs racing around the (fenced-in) park, with their 100+ owners proudly overlooking the scene. It’s a rush. Probably something like the rush you get when you shoot illegal nastiness into your veins (no personal experience there though).

On my first visit, I stood in the middle of the park, all by myself, laughing out loud as I watched Baba and Ziggers make new friends, hump old ones and then collapse for a moment or two out of sheer exhaustion, only to spring back to life and begin again.

Feeling a little blue? Head for the Dog Park. Call me - I can be there in five minutes.

I’m addicted.