A Day in the Park

Today we went to Golden Gate Park. We haven't been there a while and I didn't realize I missed it so much. We went to the Polo Field and saw all the geese out there again. That's where Pops got the idea for the painting you see here. Cool, huh? Don't I look bad like a wolf? Heh heh... sometimes I feel like a wolf, like the time I chased a deer. Boy, if only Pops would let me go at these geese. They'd be history. Or a good meal.

Sometimes people ask Pops, "Is he a wolf?"

Pops always tells the truth (dang!) and says, "No, he's just a dog."

"JUST a dog," he says. Hah! One of these days I'm gonna bare my teeth - just to scare the shit out of them. I know Pops has been real tempted to say "yes" a couple of times but he doesn't want us to get in trouble with the law, know what I mean? Yeah, guess we don't want to spoil the good thing we got going here.

Golden Gate Park is cool. Pops and I like running into the reg'lars, like Mr Alexander - Jacob is his first name - he's been walking the Park since way before I was born. He's always in a good mood. Guess it feels good to be out there walking. I know how that feels. He always says "Happy Tuesday!" or Wednesday or Thursday, or whatever the day is. He never gets it wrong. And Pops has such a hard time remembering what day it is. Sometimes he and Pops give each other a big hug. I wish he'd give me a hug!

Then there's the lady who lives in a camper. We see her parked at different places in the Park "The cops all know me and don't bother me," she told Pops. "I keep quiet, clean up after myself and don't let my dog run around messin' up the place. I work, you know."

"What do you do?" Pops asked her.

"I temp for offices on the Peninsula. The agency calls me whenever they need me, and I get dressed up, clean up at the rest rooms here. Hell, they don't know! I do good work. They like me. I told my daughter, I don't wanna live in a house."

Oh yeah, and there's that Russian couple wo ride their bikes through the park. They're old and not as strong as Pops and me, but strong for their age, and you gotta give it to them - they're out there everyday. Pops thinks the lady must have been a racer at one time, " 'cause she's got real good form," he says.

And there's that Latino couple who walk along the Great Highway all the way to the Sutro Baths. Sometimes they see me and Pops walking and they say, "No bike today?"

Oh, the absolute best person was that nice Russian man with the same name as Pops - Leon. Leon LOVED me. He always greets me before he even says hello to Pops. "Nyikki!" he says in his Russian accent. Then he bends over and pets me on the head and pulls out a big doggie biscuit that he always carried in his pocket just in case he ran into me. He used to have his own dog, but the dog died. "Why don't you get another one," Pops asked him. Well, that's when we found out Leon was sick. You wouldn't know it from the way he walked - chin out and back straight like a soldier marching. In fact, he always gave Pops a salute when he saw him. Leon was a Navy man - in Russia and after he came to America. He was an engineer - a very smart one, at that! You could tell Pops liked him a lot, not just 'cause his name was Leon but I think it's 'cause they are both old guys from the Old World. Pops said Leon was an inspiration because of his pride and dignity and positive spirit. I'm not sure what all those big words mean but, yeah, Pops really liked him. Pops was really sad when Mr. Leon passed away.

Today we went really late 'cause Pops slept in late. Guess we missed everybody. It's so nice when its early but... oh well... next time!