Pippa buys a bowl
One would think that buying a bowl is a very mundane thing to blog about, however when you are helping your dog on her bravery journey buying a bowl is an adventure.
Now, Walter’s dinner bowl was getting a bit awkward for him so I thought this would be a great outing and I knew exactly where to go! The Bone & Biscuit in Garneau! I met the lovely owner Courtney when I got the opportunity to photograph her beautiful dog Ellie last fall so I knew she would have the perfect kind energy for Pippa’s introduction to something new.
Pippa and I jumped in the car and away we went. Walter was snoozing and by the way his legs were motoring I could tell he was dreaming (most likely about chasing squirrels) so he stayed home with his dad :)
This shop is so lovely and spacious and full of good things to sniff so even though Pippa was nervous, her curiosity took over and she settled right in like she was a shop dog!
She got lots of skritches, met a new friend and checked out all of the aisles (even the one with cat treats!)
Thank you Courtney for having such a wonderful inviting shop and for making it such a positive experience for Pippa!
Walter says Thank you for his new dinner bowl! He approves!!
The New Name!
After a lot of back and forth and we decided to rename the blog “Pippa & Walter’s Toodle Chronicles” and I love it!
Even though it will primarily be Pippa in these posts (Walter prefers to nap in his advanced elder years) it was important to include them both, and include a tribute to Rupert. He was known for his Toodles around the neighborhood and was the reason we started this!
So I hope you follow along and enjoy our little adventures!
xoxo
It's been a while!
Hi Everyone!
I think it’s time to revisit the blog! “Out & About with Mr.Roops” will be getting a new name, once we figure out what it will be, but the premise will be the same, visiting pet friendly places and spaces and supporting and promoting pet friendly businesses.
I have to say, I haven’t looked at this blog page on my website in over 6 years and rereading these posts made me cry. Losing Rupert in December 2023 was devastating, he was a magical prince and loved love and adventures. I could never start this from scratch so his jaunts are staying right here here and hopefully they’ll make you smile (especially the harbour ferry one!). Some of the businesses we visited aren’t open anymore but it’s still fun to read about them.
Rupert would be very happy to know that his little sister Pippa will be taking over the reins. Walter (who is 16 now!) isn’t keen on going into places, he wasn’t back then and he’s even less so now, so he’ll be making his appearances during outdoor excursions in between his old man naps.
We adopted Pippa last January from the wonderful people at Alberta Homeward Hound. She was a young stray who had recently had puppies. She was scared of the world but had a brave spirit. We spent that first year going very slow and teaching her how to trust and how to be the young sassy dog we knew she was. Watching her come out of her shell and blossom into a hilarious scruffy lady has been one of the greatest joys of our lives and watching the quirky relationship between her and her old man brother has been so beautiful. We know that Rupert is watching over her and is her guardian angel (we also know he’s the one who told her how much fun it is to chew on Walter’s back leg!)
Now that Pippa is comfortable in the car and curious about the world, we can open it up for her and all the fun and joys it can offer!
So stay tuned and follow along and if you know of any special pet friendly places you think we should visit please let us know!
Cheers
Sarah, John, Walter & Pip
Walter & Rupert visit Esquimalt Gorge Park
Esquimalt Gorge Park (on Tillicum Road just south of the Gorge Waterway. You can also enter on foot from Sioux Place, off Craigflower Road) is a great place for a stroll with the pups. It has nice wide paths along the Gorge waterway, information signs about the park, an off leash area and the lovely Japanese Gardens.
We stopped by bright and early one morning last week (8am...which is very early for me! lol) It was very quiet which is always lovely (this is a very popular places during the warm summer months!) Our first stop was the off leash area (visit here for more details) Walter and Rupert love a good frolic so they ran and wrestled.
After they tuckered themselves out, we continued (on leash) down the path at the far end of the off leash area. It lead to the playground and nature building.
We then continued along the waterway to the bridge, It was so lovely and such a pretty area. There were lots of benches to enjoy the view and informational signs telling the history of the park.
Our final stop was the Japanese Gardens. The history of the gardens can be read here. It doesn't seem very big from the outside, but once you enter it's incredibly peaceful. We loved it and I highly recommend a visit!
Gorge Point is one of those parks that we really need to visit more often. We'll definitely be back!
Walter & Rupert visit Macaulay Point Park
We visit Macaulay Point Park in Esquimalt quite a lot (it can be accessed from Fleming Beach, as well as from Clifton Terrace off Munro Street). It has a lovely off leash area, beautiful scenery and lots of little places to explore.
We keep the pups on leash as we pass by the rock climbers and Fleming Beach. Once we get to the breakwater the leashes come off and they can run like the wind (or saunter and sniff...whatever they prefer!) Rupert can get a bit weak in his back end, so the wide paths and easy trail are perfect for him when he wants to take it easy!
This was once a coastal defence fortification built in the late 1800's so there are lots of cool buildings, old gun emplacements and a guard tower (with a cool tunnel leading to it!). Last summer they installed a series of informative signs around the park, telling you what each building was used for. It's very interesting and Walter & Rupert have lots of fun exploring!
I take a lot of photos here! I'm a sucker for textures and lighting and this place has it all! Below is a small selection of some of my favourite photos with Walter and Rupert here over the last couple of years. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!
For more info about dogs visiting Esquimalt parks visit: www.esquimalt.ca
and click here for pdf map that has the off-leash areas highlighted.