The following story has been created by Bingley Fitzwilliam Ireland, with translation and typing by Beth Ireland:
Hello, my name is Bingley, and I like to go to Imagination Glen Park in Portage with my human because it’s a great park with a lot of trees to sniff and there are SQUIRRELS!
The park is my favorite because you can fish in Salt Creek. I like to watch the fish swim around and sometimes, when my human isn’t looking, I try to catch them. I haven’t caught one yet, but I’m sure one of these days I will.
My human likes to walk me around the park which seems to go on forever. I think I heard my human say it’s the biggest park in Portage, with 276 acres, whatever that means. There are a lot of different grassy areas for me to run and catch a ball. My human always wants me to bring the ball back to her, but I don’t like that game. I would much rather run away and have her catch me — that’s a really fun game.
I like to watch the other humans who come to the park, especially when they kick a black-and-white checkered ball around, and run back and forth kicking it into big nets. There’s lots of cheering and excitement. My human doesn’t let me get the big ball they’re kicking, though. She says that they’re playing “soccer” and I can’t interrupt their game.
Sometimes, there are other humans there playing with smaller balls and big sticks. I like to see them hit the ball and then run around. I don’t know why my human won’t let me chase that ball either, it’s the perfect size for me to catch. She calls it “softball” and tells me that dogs can’t play softball. It makes me sad that I can’t play.
But don’t worry, I cheer up quickly when my human takes me on the trails in the park. I like to walk and sniff all the trees and logs. I know my human loves to stop every time I find something good to smell. And let me tell you, there are LOTS of things to smell on the trails.
Sometimes we see other humans zooming by us on these big contraptions and my human tells me that they are “bikers” heading to the special trails that run through Imagination Glen. I stick close to my human when they rush by because they scare me a little bit. But she gives me lots of pets and reminds me that I’m OK when I’m with her. That always makes me feel better and lets me get back to my sniffing. (I’m going to track down that squirrel!)
There’s always something for me and my human to do at Imagination Glen. Some of our best days together are when we visit there. You should go and bring your pup, and maybe we can play catch together.
Hello, human here. Imagination Glen is a wonderful park for the whole family. There are plenty of picnic areas, two playgrounds, and lots of room to run, play, or go for a lovely hike. If you are a bike enthusiast, you can also enjoy their ten-mile Outback Mountain Bike Trail.
The park is also the home of the Portage Park Department’s softball and soccer leagues. You can often catch a fun league game as you wander through, or if you’d prefer to be active yourself, there are also two sand volleyball courts to play on.
For more information on Imagination Glen Park, visit their website.