YOUR POOCH HAS POSED... in front of every yard on your block, and perhaps a few more houses beyond that. You have pictures of your Fido standing among flowers, and sitting in them, and sometimes on them, and sniffing them, too. The reasons why this is so, for many dog people, are pretty obvious: Seeing our furry charges frolicking in nature stirs something in our calendar-loving, poster-admiring souls. We've never quite gotten over the kitten hanging onto the tree branch poster of our youths, the iconic and adorable one practically every kid had, so posing our own pups in nature comes, well, naturally. Should you have one too many -- or twenty to many -- of your dog sitting in front of your neighbor's lilacs, then clearly you and your canine need to find other flowery, tree-filled, shrub-lovely pastures. Or botanic gardens, as the case may be. Of course, dogs are typically allowed inside botanic gardens, which are the sole space of we bipeds. That changes, though, on one day of the year 'round about Encinitas, when the 5K Paw Walk struts into the San Diego Botanic Garden. Are dogs, then, allowed inside? You bet, or "woof," if you prefer the affirmative answer in Dog-ese. It's not just a fun, in-nature to-do, though, it is also a...
BIG FUNDRAISER... for the Rancho Coastal Humane Society (the garden, too, is a beneficiary). Cost to join the Saturday, Feb. 20 stroll? Well, it's $32 per adult, but there are family rates, too. Dog-themed vendors'll be on the capacious grounds, and food possibilities for the people, too. And there, before you, is a 37-acre expanse dotted with California-amazing flora, the kind of succulents and trees that so easily, and quickly-to-the-eye, symbolize the Golden State. Consider the ample photo opportunities with your pup, or simply consider the joy of being in a fresh, and fresh-of-air, space with your one-and-only lovey. Your neighbor's lilacs will still be there for future pup photos, but a botanic garden only opens to hounds every so often. Don't let "every so often" pass you and your Lassie by.
