Hello Hamel

Hamel trail,
originally uploaded by jujuhoffpauir.

"Sorry folks, park's closed"

Hamel is flooded. This is what the park officials were telling me about last fall when I first approached them about the dog park idea here.

Every so often it floods.

The wide beach is submerged under the red river, and pockets of low -lying areas are puddles. The metal gate was down, so I couldnt drive through the parking lot to get a better view. I guess I could have walked, but I was kind of in a hurry at the time. But this is what it looks like today. There were a couple of fisherman, but I cant' see them in this photo.

But looking at this picture, you can see that this is OKAY with the dog park if it floods because we wouldnt want to build anything on the beach anyway. Just a water station right by the parking lots. This means a couple of water fountains made for man and his dog (I'll get a picture of it next week while I am in Austin at the dog park conference) and an open shower (not conducive for private couple showers). I'll grab a photo of that, too. The shower, not the couples.

So, you have this open arena and then trails that wind through those trees in the top of the photo. Trash cans, a bulletin board ("Free to a good home..."), and a sign declaring YOU ARE ENTERING A LEASH-FREE ZONE. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. KEEP YOUR DOG UNDER CONTROL OR YOU WILL PAY A PENALTY, PICK UP THE POOP OR YOU WILL DRINK IT FOR BREAKFAST, NARC BY CALLING 911, etc...

It's lovely, isn't it?