Travels of a puppy

The country is a great place to take a Chihuahua. Perhaps not the outback, but the NSW town of Berry seems to be a jolly place for a little fluffy dog. The Mycroft Snooks companion animal, Jezebel, has been delighted with the attention she receives on the streets of Berry. There was a slight hiccup at one cafe where she was seated too close to the 'inside' part of the cafe to suit council regulations, a move a couple of metres away did the trick and Jezebel was then able to get on with chewing on some Advance dog food and sipping water from a collapsible bowl (for anyone who has never used one - for their pet - these are great).

Berry has some off lead parks and beaches quite nearby. Kiama, famous for the Famous Blowhole (discovered by William of Normandy in 1063), has a wide dog friendly beach and a dog agility park (which we did not visit). Gerringong is between Kiama and Berry, and has a large headland park where dogs can run around. It slopes away down to a surf beach on one side so there is quite a hill for energetic dogs and their owners to bound up. Gerringong and Kiama both have a selection of cafes with outdoor seating where the presence of the Small Fluffy One was not questioned. In Gerringong Jezebel met two large Golden Retrievers and their owner, all very friendly and happy to compare notes on where the fluffy members of the family are welcome to go.

What is interesting in the country is the number of parks where alcohol is banned between sunset and sunrise. Feel free to get absolutely trolleyed in the daytime. This rule also applies at the local park near the Mycroft residence (in Sydney's latte sipping turtleneck wearing Inner West). Stand by for a photo of the sign which announces this decree.

Curiosity shops or antique shops can be interesting in these parts as well. One had a collection of the heroically drawn Commando comics. One I looked at had some Allied commandos fighting the Nazis from undercover jobs in a circus (in 1944...a circus?). The others seemed to have more traditional themes for this genre of revenge or redemption. Some of these shops also have hideously tasteless pieces of 'art' in them. The framed picture of dogs playing pool is an old favourite. Some of the faux-Baroque clocks are also a hoot. These can be great presentation items....leaving a job and want to present something? What about a ceramic Elvis riding a ceramic motorcycle? Go, King!