Observation, Creating a Story or an Article from the Odd Things you Notice

This sign is posted at our local La Estancia Park just down the street from us.The dog looks like one of those from the Disney movie "101 Dalmations" and I'm not sure what's in his mouth...an eraser? Anyway, it basically reads;

"Your dog forgets nothing,
it is you who forgets
your responsibility
to collect their excrement."
From the Board settlers

It is a very nice park with lots of trash cans and most neighbors pay attention to this sign.

Below is a short article I wrote a while back about this very subject.

Baggie Blooms
by Teri Saya

If you walk through a lot of the neighborhood parks here in Guadalajara, you will notice that the trees and bushes are blooming baggies. The first time I noticed this was when my husband and I were exploring our new neighborhood, and while strolling along a path in a beautiful park, I noticed odd-looking blooms on some of the trees and bushes. Upon closer examination, the blooms turned out to be small, plastic baggies tied into the branches all along the trail. How very odd, I thought. Maybe it's an artistic statement? We had never encountered this in the states. We were both clueless until we decided to get a puppy.

Not only am I a Gringa in Mexico, but I am also learning how to live in the city. I was born and raised in the country, and in my adult life; I always stuck to rural living in California. I have always had a dog or three in my life, and whenever we went for walks, it would be off leash, through the forest or along the beach. I always taught my dogs not to do their business on a trail or walkway. They knew to go in the bushes or high grass where it would go unnoticed and eventually, washed away by rain. If we were anywhere near an asphalt road, I made sure they were leashed. This is actually a law in the states. You never know when a dog might see a cat or squirrel across the road and dart out into what little traffic there might be….So, I knew these basic, rural etiquettes for walking dogs.

The etiquette for city-walking your dog is so very different. We have now learned how to walk our Schnauzer on a short leash while maneuvering the obstacle course of people, skateboards, bicycles, motorcycles, buses, cars, and street drains. Pretty much, anywhere you look, anyone can walk. Thus, the beauty of the baggie blooms and abundance of trash bins. We have even added our own blooms upon leaving the park.

How often do you walk out of the door with your pet forgetting the poop bags? Head for the nearest neighborhood park, the shrubbery is in bloom!

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