Page 8 - Sentinel August 2017

CARUSO Continued from page 6 Flamingo Friday season kicked off about four weeks ago, and
the first party of the season drew about 35 people. There is one
anything like the Saga of Caruso—and the hundreds of people constant theme in each of these events. All of them establish
who responded to his plight. Within an hour of the posting that some sort of shared experience where you can develop a dia-
he’d been found, over 100 people responded with cheers on the logue with neighbors. There is a lot of value in knowing your
Facebook page. One said it all: “This made my day!” Mine neighbors, since we can all watch out for each other. We’ll
too. know if there is someone in the neighborhood who doesn’t be-
long. We can band together whenever a neighbor needs help.
But, listen, Caruso. While this little episode made you the dar-
ling of an entire area, let’s not try it again. Stay home. Be good. I can remember three incidents in this small neighborhood
Love your family. Grow old. ~KDale where residents banded together to help. Two of the incidents
involved the loss of a loved one, but neighbors provided mor-
al support, visitation and help with providing food at a time
DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS? when families were grieving and didn’t have the time to think
Michael Stone... about cooking. The other incident involved a serious illness,
and neighbors banded together to help with food, medication
Many years ago, it was customary to know your neighbors and pickup, visitation, and whatever else they could think of. Two
to be able to greet them by name. In today’s world, it seems to ladies in the neighborhood even arranged to decorate the house
be more difficult to build and maintain neighborhood friend- at Halloween.
ships. In some communities governed by an HOA, there will
be a once-per-year party of some sort, and residents have to Stories like these are what make this such a magical place. On
wear those goofy stick-on name tags. People from the neigh- top of that, we have beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, and an
borhood ask the same questions every year. “How long have extremely low crime rate. If you live in Perry Park or Larkspur,
you been here” and “which house are you in” are the two ques- then you know. When you can have a whole neighborhood full
tions most frequently asked. After that, you usually head for of friends, it’s icing on the cake.
the food or for some liquid refreshment. Some people try to
be cute or memorable by using made-up names. I’ve been to PET TALK WITH PILAR
parties that were attended by “Tara Dactile”, “Jimmy Changa”, Pilar Starman, DVM...
“L.C DeKowe”, and “Bill Yuss.”
How to Keep Your Pet Healthy
But you know what? It doesn’t have to be that way.
There are three major areas of
In the Hidden Forest neighborhood, things are a little different. care you need to provide to your
The #1 icebreaker seems to be walking the dog. It’s easy to stop pets to keep them as healthy and
and say hello to other dog owners and to chat for a few minutes. happy for as long as possible.
Another advantage in this area is to frequent dog parks. The These are Optimal Body Condi-
point here is that you can feel comfortable breaking the ice, tion and Quality Diet, Appropri-
because you already know you have something in common. ate Behavior, and Dental Care. If you succeed in those areas
you will keep your furry family member longer.
The same feeling applies to people who ride motorcycles. They
generally enjoy looking at other bikes, and enjoy stories that are 1) Body condition and diet: A pet in the ideal body condition
told about riding experiences, places visited, and are genuinely will live longer and suffer fewer illnesses. Diseases related to
interested in where you are headed. If you have a club affilia- excess weight include arthritis, cancer, urinary problems, dia-
tion, then they’ll want to know about the club. But if you see betes, skin disorders, and general malaise. The body condition
someone with a “1 % ” in red on a diamond shaped patch, they of your pet is far more important than just the weight. You
may not want to engage in conversation. should be able to easily feel (but not see) your pet’s ribs, there
should be an abdominal tuck from the side, and an hourglass
Returning to Hidden Forest, about 10 years ago a resident start- figure from the top.
ed a tradition known as “Flamingo Friday.” From June through
September, residents would sign up to be the hosts of the next A body condition improvement plan will include increased ac-
party, and the parties were scheduled nearly every Friday. The tivity and reduced caloric intake. This plan is best determined
previous hosts would pass along a set of plastic pink flamingos in collaboration with your veterinarian. Your pet may have
to the upcoming hosts, and the flamingos stuck into the ground medical issues, like arthritis or hypothyroidism, that require
identified where Friday’s party would take place. Residents pharmaceutical intervention. A prescription diet may also be
would bring a dish to share and their own libation of choice. recommended.
That has turned out to be a great way to meet neighbors, and the
tradition continues. If your pet is at an ideal weight, a nutritional consultation is still
Continued on page 9
Page 8 - August 2017 Perry Park Sentinel