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by winecountrydog
One Christmas was so much like another in those years around the near-sea-towns of wine country, out of all sound except the distant speaking of voices and rattling of wine glasses I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it rained for six days and six nights when I was six or whether it rained for twelve days and twelve nights when I was two.
All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my paws in the sand and bring out whatever I can find. In goes my paw into that wool-grey bell-tongued ball of holidays resting at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Sonoma County photos on a Christmas eve. . . .
Christmas eve afternoon, we wandered around on Cherry Ridge, northwest of Sebastopol, in the Russian River Valley.
After dark, we walked down Snowman Lane in east Santa Rosa.
Mouse, rabbit, and cat were caroling. . . .
Wine country dog friends were stringing lights. . . .
And Snoopy, whose doghouse is nearby, came by to put Mr. Snowman's hat on his head.
All's well that end's well.
Paw-note: Much thanks to dog-ma fur readin' to us the original story A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas.
The town of Occidental, just down the Bohemian Highway from the Russian River Valley, has a dog-friendly watering hole: Barley and Hops Tavern. It's the tall yellow house with dogs and humans on the porch.
Chloe and Squirt loved the porch. From their bench they kept an eye on the bar.
Chloe, Border Collie/Shepherd/Greyhound mix, is a rescue dog from Placerville. Her buddy and housemate Squirt is a Blue Heeler who does canine karaoke.
From our porch pawspective, we could see people sitting inside downing craft beer and food.
My dog-ma looked blissful with her Lagunitas Farmhouse Saison draught in hand as she surveyed the bottled brew list.
Tavern owners Noah and Mir are very nice. Also extremely efficient, smart, and friendly. . . . I'm talking highest paw rating. They're so spot-on that they're putting up leash hooks for dogs to sit-stay on the porch.
Dog-ma sez she couldn't help drooling over a grass-fed beef Occidental Burger. A customer was devouring one and praising it wildly. Noah was behind the bar. He finally quipped, "Yes, our food is every bit as good as our beer, and our beer is fantastic." Dog-ma raised her glass to Noah's summation.
Mir appeared with a tray of Lata's vegetarian samosas and mint chutney. Dog-ma and dining companion ordered quickly. I soon overheard dog-ma telling Noah they're the best samosas ever, and a perfect pairing with Saison ale. I wonder what they meant by "synergy" and "grassy" qualities. Woof?
Such juicy, on-the-dogspot, mouth-watering foods and beers. If only I'd been beneath the bar, catching scraps. Imagine the scraps that Porter the cat (seen on the tavern logo) must get.
Read Noah's lively blog. There you'll find Tavernmistress's lunch and dinner menus. Plus a brilliant beer menu and eclectic little wine list.
Shouldn't I go back right now for some Porter Walnut Pie and Guinness Mousse?
Credit for photos: Pat (PR Petsitting, Napa) and Tina (Chloe and Squirt's dog mom, Placerville)
Credit for tip about this dogstination: Henry Ehlers (The Midglen Studio, architects & builders)
by winecountrydog
Are you a dog headed for wine country? . . . It's not easy in summer for a dog traveling in hot California, Oregon, and Washington wine country. Where are you gonna hang out and stay cool? Dog-friendly places? . . . In California, you can't go in restaurants or farmer's markets, and relatively few winery tasting rooms. There are few places that'll let you inside with your guardian/owner. Yet you could die from heat stroke waiting in the car.
I've got to admit that, if I were a tasting-room manager or gift buyer, I wouldn't want rowdy dogs wagging merchandise off the shelves. And as a winery patron, I wouldn't want to run into big rowdy dogs, especially in crowded tasting rooms.
So what's a friendly dog in wine country to do?
1) Get to googly pawing. Find dog-friendly tasting rooms, not just dog-friendly wineries — there's a difference. Ask wineries whether they have shady outdoor spots for us dogs. And look for other dogstinations — you know, dog events like Bark in the Park, Graton Day festival Pet Parade, and Healdsburg Dog House Halloween parade. Always make sure you've got your dog bytes right though: Contact wineries, inns, and events to confirm their dog policies!
2) Make a plan for how you're going to stay cool, which means all day long in summer. Don't worry about evenings; it cools off before sunset. You could get a professional dog walker, doggy daycare, or a dog spa visit along your travel route. (Consider a single-run kennel 'cuz you might get overwhelmed by strangers.) Tell your people to see about advance reservations and other requirements!
3) Pack everything you need to stay cool: your water bowl, plenty of water, your leash and outdoor tie-down, cooling bandana neck-scarf, cooling pet mats, Cool Vest, shade umbrella, and a stack of towels. Towels soaked in cold water and wrung out will help you and your people stay cool. Remember, too, to pack your food, treats, travel ID, toys, emergency contacts, vaccination records, and other regular stuff.
4) Get a good doggie seatbelt harness. I wear my Ruff Rider Roadie harness and wouldn't do car travel without it. Forget the dog crate! You'll suffocate inside that thing in the summertime here.
5) Tell your people to sit-stay flexible. Be prepared to change the itinerary on super-hot triple-digit days. We have only a few in a row, then it cools off again. On the hottest days, head for wineries and recreation spots in the cooler Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. (See WineRoad.com.)
6) If you get desperately hot on the wine road: Ask your driver-person to stop and buy bags of ice to arrange close to you — not directly on you! Even with ice and cooling mats, you cannot survive long alone in the car. If your people park in the sun instead of the shade, you're done for. You're taking a risk if you even try to stay in the car, so just don't let your people leave you there.
7) If your people have an emergency: Tell your guardian/owner to speak up, and go get the people at the winery or restaurant or wherever to let you go inside with them while they take care of the emergency!
