Gowanus Canal Park-ing lot

When Jen says she’s going grocery shopping I always feel too guilty to let her go alone, without help. The store is just a few blocks away but she usually shops for almost two weeks worth of food which is a lot, even with a cart to carry everything home. I just picture the worst; Jen struggling to get the 2-ton cart over sidewalk curbs, blowing out a flip-flop, or that wobbly wheel finally falling off. I did find this cart on the side of the road so it didn't exactly come with a warrantee.

Today I thought of a wonderful compromise to my predicament: take Pup to the small Gowanus Canal park next to the grocery store while Jen does her shopping then meet up with her when she’s done to help her carry everything home.  After walking Jen to the store, Pup and I headed to the park benches by the water where I could read for a bit while she did some sniffing, hole-digging, and pigeon chasing. I doubt Jen was having as much fun. Being well-known for its pollution, I first made sure there were no holes in the fence that Pup could fit through and accidentally fall in the water. She did in fact get too excited at a park once and chased a duck right into a lake.

This small waterfront park is a hidden gem, only visible from the bridge that crosses the canal and accessible only from the Lowe’s parking lot. It sounds really random I know, but was a nice place to let Pup roam and enjoy the cool, clear fall weather. Other visitors to the little park included an artist sketching the bridge, a photographer taking pictures of the canal, and a mother with her two daughters that seemed to need a breath of fresh air after a big shopping trip.

Although it is mid-October already, the weather has been relatively warm. Keeping in mind it has snowed the last two years in October, it was nice to be able to ride our bikes around Prospect Park this evening without being bundled up (Jen in jeans and a t-shirt).  We didn't let the swarms of gnats ruin our good time, even after they went in our mouths and our clothes were splattered with their tiny carcasses. The warmer weather also means that the park still looks very green, not yet full of trees shedding their fall-colored leaves.  I hear Prospect Park and Park Slope are particularly beautiful in the fall and plan on taking some pictures. Stay posted!