Pug Sunday!

They're squat, fat, and prone to a myriad of health issues. They resemble miniature Ewoks and can be heard blocks away by their heavy snorting and grunting. Of course the people of San Francisco want to dedicate one day each month to this creature, the pug. Pug owners, enthusiasts, and friends of the pug gather every first Sunday of the month at Alta Plaza Park in Pacific Heights to play, socialize, and butt sniff. As many as 75 pugs are known to take over the park. All breeds are welcome to the gathering as long as they're pug friendly. Some people (pugophiles?) even like to lay down a blanket, have a picnic, and simply enjoy the pugs in the sun. 

On this day, Z and I set up a blanket and let Finnegan run loose. He hopped over to every pug and picnicking owner in order to try and ham it up for a few pats on the head. At times, it was a bit difficult to capture Finnegan's photo because he kept darting back and forth trying to get pugs to chase him. We saw so many pugs of all shapes and sizes. We even saw Winston and his owner Susan of Modcloth! This is probably my favorite day of the month because I get to "ooh" and "ahh" over the myriads of pugs and not feel out of place. Hope that you can come and check out Pug Sunday next time you're in the area. Maybe you'll see the chunky black pug wearing a stripped harness prancing around, trying to sneak some food out of your picnic basket.

McNee Ranch State Park

Hiking. One of the things that strengthened my appreciation for living in the Bay Area was its close proximity to beaches, mountains, whatever you would want for a quick day trip activity outside of the city. Last weekend, Z and I drove about 15 minutes down the coast towards Pacifica on Highway 1 to try out a new dog-friendly hiking trail. McNee Ranch State Park is a beautiful, scenic, and easy hike if you take the Gray Whale Cove Trail north from the trail-head to the incredibly scenic rest bench facing west. This short hike is a wonderful choice when you just need a break from the world. The trail information recommended bringing binoculars in the winter for whale watching. The Gray Whale Cove Trail hugged the coast-line with sweeping views of the ocean and beach down below. Its small dirt path was flanked by the beautiful California wildflowers, blackberry bushes, shrubs, ferns, and succulents. I really wished I had a pocket-sized botanical guide with me, so that I could learn to identify more of the plant life in the area. I highly recommend checking out this hike if you're ever in the area. Z and I are going to try at least one new hiking trail each month and this guide for dog-friendly hikes is an awesome jumping point. Now, for the never-ending picture filled post: