Giving back

You know what? Buzz and I really use the heck out of the public parks in our city. We are in a park almost every day. So, a few weeks ago, I finally volunteered my time helping to maintain one of the local parks. It felt so great to go in there and remove the invasive species and put wood chips down on the trails!



That little taste of do-gooding wasn't enough for me, so I made this quilt for a fundraiser (a silent auction for Ann Arbor's Ecology Center.)

The info is here for you locals

But folks, even that wasn't enough. I have decided to donate 10% of the proceeds from my etsy store to a dog rescue. Specifically, to That'll do Border Collie Rescue which is a rescue in Vancouver, Canada. I've chosen this rescue because
(1) They save border collies and Buzz is a border collie and border collies rule!
(2) Sheena, the founder and director of the rescue writes my favorite dog blog Three Woofs and a Woo.
(3) While I have never met her in person, Sheena has often taken the time to help me understand Buzz's behavior (recalls!) and needs (raw feeding!)
(4) Because the shelter I got Buzz from is...how to say...sketchy. In fact I never name it because they gave me Buzz without looking at my ID, calling my vet, or checking my lease. I gave them $40, they gave me Buzz. I'm glad of it, but that's not modern rescue; they could have been putting Buzz into a worse situation than the one from which he came.
(5) When you are British and American...from Wisconsin but living in Michigan...and Seattle is your heart's city...well, then, Vancouver seems local.
(6) The Canine Mafioso are a crime syndicate, not a charity!

So, more bags are in the shop (link is in the sidebar). And some quilts, too. And 10% of the purchase price will be forwarded to That'll Do Border Collie Rescue. You could also, of course, just donate to the rescue directly, if you want to do some unadulterated good. Just go to their website, and click on the "donate!" button on the left-hand side.

If you are in the market for a bag, though, here's some more information:

This is my bag, full of the usual stuff.


All of that stuff fits into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.




I don't think you'd want to jam much more than this into the bag or you'd end up not being able to use the front pocket.

Here's what I usually carry around (the bag below is pictured inside out).

(1) using the clip (included!) I have a set of keys attached to the bag.
(2) In one of the inside pockets, I keep a roll of plastic bags for picking up after Buzz.
(3) In the other inside pocket, I keep a photocopy of my driver's license and health insurance card (I don't carry my wallet to walk the dog).
(4) In the main pocket, I have two balls, an extra leash, a bag of treats, a pair of gloves, and a small cloth bag which holds more pick-up bags.



I don't have any plans to make these bags bigger because that would involve adding side panels and at least an hour's more work for each bag; basically, the extra cost in materials and labor would make the bag too pricey. If you need something bigger, I recommend checking out the men's section in Target for their messenger bags; they tend to be a good size and have pockets and places to clip things.



And I hope you are having weather as nice as ours! Buzz is way too hot in his winter coat; I keep telling him to shed!