Valley Forge Park, PA meetup?

[cbshuman]

Donna,

It was great to meet you and your sweet Hunter this afternoon. It was nice for Hunter that there wasn't too much doggie activity and he could acclimate himself to the new park. I just wish it had been a bit warmer so Chase didn't get so chilly so soon! Hopefully Sunday will work out for all. I will watch the weather report…..

Val,
We missed you and your two pups!! Donna & I were there until 2:15pm when the dogs (at least Chase - Hunter has a nice warm coat!) began to shiver a bit. Hope everything was o.k. with you, and something just came up. We were worried that you had gotten lost. Hopefully we can meet you on Sunday.

Cindy

[Lorraine]

Donna, Cindy,

Sorry I wasnt able to make it today!! I was thinking about the playdate all day, wanting to be there more than anythng.

I saw that Val didnt make it. Perhaps she got lost???? I hope not!! Finding the entrance to the park isnt always that easy. The first time I was there I parked in the back of the WaWa parking lot and walked down the hill.

Anyway, I still plan on being there Sunday morning and will keep an eye on the weather. If its REALLY cold or wet, we may need to reschedule since Kaya hates the cold/wet too!

Lorraine

[Natalplum]

I'm so sorry guys. I didn't realize I scheduled my annual GYN appointment at 1:20 yesterday. I scheduled it a year ago and complete forgot until they called to confirm.

I would love to meet you guys Sunday. I'm actually working on Saturday so this will work great.

[dmr999]

Hi Cindy, Val, & Lorraine,

First of all, it was really nice meeting Cindy and Chase yesterday at Lambert Park. Chase is just so adorable and sweet! Sorry he got a bit chilly towards the end, but he seemed happy to be there. Hunter came home really happy too, so I think he enjoyed it (though he didn't participate as much as I'd like). Cindy, thank you very much for bringing directions to the Phoenixville and the Upper Providence parks. It would be interesting to try them some time.

We will be there again this coming Sunday morning at 10 (weather permitting).

Val, because it might cause you some confusion, I'd like to mention that there's no sign that says it's "Lambert Park." Cindy mentioned to me that part of a sign was vandalized, so nothing indicates the name anymore. On the windy driveway/road up the hill to the park, you will see a sign that says something like "Henderson High School Athletic Fields," and just beyond that you will see a visual sign indicating a dog park is up ahead. Oddly, at the base of the driveway, there is no sign whatsoever, though there is a little turning lane into the drive. At least that is what I see the way that I come. As Lorraine mentioned, another option is to park in the parking lot of the adjacent Wawa and walk the short distance down to the park.

Hope to see Cindy and Chase again this Sunday and to meet Lorraine, Val, and your companions.

See you soon,
Donna

[cbshuman]

Hi all,

I plan to be there as well on Sunday, but am keeping my eye on the weather. It is supposed to be dangerously cold on Friday, but haven't heard if temps will moderate by Sun.

Val:
If you are coming from the Downingtown exit of the turnpike, and coming south on RT 100, watch for a Wawa at a traffic light (Greenhill RD) - go straight at that light and watch for a median left turn lane immediately past the Wawa. That is the turn into the park and it is not marked (easy to miss) Just drive up the hill past some athletic fields and at the top you will see the small fenced in dog park area.

Hoping for a warming trend!
Cindy

[Lorraine]

Donna, Val, and Cindy,

Looking forward to our meeting this Sunday. We should definately watch the weather. If its too cold we may want to postpone. Kaya hates the cold, but I'm just getting over a respiratory illness so I dont want to over do it. At this point I think Kaya would run around in any weather, she's stir crazy. I KNOW she'll LOVE meeting new friends and seeing Chase.

Lorraine

[Natalplum]

Wish there were an indoor dog park! Let's wait to see if the temps dip or not. Not sure if you read my last thread about Shilagh getting extremely cold very quick. She would certainly not be able to take a long visit at any dog park in these conditions. Hopefully it will warm up. Although I'm enjoying watch the snow fall this morning

[senji]

Hi all. I haven't been on in a while…We have a 5 month old baby, but we also have 3 b's. We are in Narvon PA. Almost in Chester county but actually in Lancaster County. I probably can't do a cold weather meeting with the baby but if anyone plans anything in the spring I'd love to be included....thanks, Stacey

[Natalplum]

Hi Stacey! Welcome back. We would love to meet you and your B's. We can certainly schedule a spring doggie date. Wow, 3 Basenjis. That's amazing. Congrats on your new addition. I'd love to see pics of your furry babies.

[cbshuman]

Hi all (and welcome senji!)

I do have some indoor park info, but it probably won't work out for tomorrow (too short notice)

Yesterday, Chase & I went to check out (and for him to be evaluated as to his "acceptibility") Canine Creature Comforts in Malvern, PA (near corner of Rt 30 & Rt 401). It is primarily a dog daycare place, but on Saturdays for a nominal fee (I think it's $10 or $15 for an hour) you can bring your dog to play in their inside facilities. The good thing is that your dog has to be pre-approved, so all the dogs are assumed to be socialized (that's the evaluation part)and vaccinated. The bad thing is that I wasn't crazy about the facilities or staff. I wouldn't use them on any kind of regular basis for day care. But for an occasional romp with friends when the weather is as inclement as it has been, it would do. There was a huge number of dogs there when we went (these were daycare dogs) and I would assume they get alot of dogs for these Sat sessions. So, I don't know how conducive the space would be for our b's to play together - and there is definitely not enough room to run (in fact, they discourage that pack-running thing! - a favorite activity of my b!) Check out their website, www.caninecreaturecomforts.com

The other place I know of in the area is the place we board our dogs when we travel, Wagsworth Manor in Chester Springs. They also have a Saturday playdate thing, and they have fabulous facilities - both indoor & out. For this place you just have to bring your current vet record with you - no pre-eval needed. But I called them this morning to see if they'd be playing indoors today, and they said they were playing outside! So it's not necessarily an indoor option after all. www.wagsworthmanor.com You have to pull up their calendar to get a brief description of the Sat Stay-and-play. Again it is for one hour, and a small fee.

We ended up going to Lambert Park today. It wasn't too bad. Sunny & no wind - though only 13degrees! There were only 3 other dogs there (nordic breeds, of course!)and Chase was fine but he did begin shivering after about 30 mins….

So we will be there tomorrow morning, if anyone else is interested in braving the cold. If it looks like it may warm up later in the day, we may postpone our visit tothe afternoon - maybe 2pm? If anyone thinks they'll be there, let me know if the afternoon works.

Cindy

[dmr999]

Hi,

Although it probably makes more sense to go to the park tomorrow afternoon, the best time for me to go is tomorrow morning at 10.

If any human or basenji prefers to go later when the temperature rises a little, I certainly understand!

I hope to see you there tomorrow. If not, I hope to catch you the next time.

Stay warm everybody.

Donna

[cbshuman]

I checked the weather. It's supposed to "warm up" into the mid 30's tomorrow afternoon, so I think I'll wait til then to take Chase to Lambert Park. I'll be there at 2 - giving plenty of play time before the "big game"!

Hope to see you then, if not, let's stay in touch and try for another date.

Cindy

[Lorraine]

Cindy, I will try to make it at 2pm. Looking foraward to temps in the 30's.

Lorraine

[cbshuman]

Anyone interested & available to meet this weekend? Weather looks best tomorrow (Fri) or Sat. Also looking like the weather will be good next Fri & Sat. I'm willing to meet at any of the parks we have been considering on this thread (West Chester, Phoenixville or Oaks) Also, if you're interested, Wagsworth does a FREE Saturday stay & play (which just means you stay with your dog while they play - rather than dropping off for day care). Chase had an unexpected "sleepover" there Monday night - brought him there to play just for the afternoon & then couldn't get back because the roads were so bad from that unexpected storm. We missed him, but he LOVES it there - a treat for him & a little break from him for our sweet little (neurotic) border collie!

Cindy