A Stomp through Wirth Park

If you haven't been in a while, the nature trails at Wirth Park are really quite good walking. I laced up my favorite walking boots yesterday and headed out for about forty-five minutes.

You'll find a few photos with this post. It's a lovely time of year to be there. I watched a (what I think was, anyway) woodchuck scurry for cover. I walked across the most amazing multi-colored mat of leaves recently fallen with the rain.

Oh, and city parks folks — I did notice there was a felled tree across one of the minor paths. I moved a couple of smaller ones that had given way to the recent wind and rain, but that one will require a chainsaw and an extra set of hands. But like I said, it wasn't a main path.

If you go you can manage a trail walk anywhere from half an hour to over an hour. It is an easy walk with only one optional route that has anything other than a flat grade. Do be careful because since it is an unpaved trail you will find the occasional root or nub coming through the chipped-bark path.

There's something else we need to talk about, though, and that's trail etiquette. The sign at the trail head says no pets, but that rule must be just for me and not for you. On top of that, the dogs I encountered were not even leashed.

Now I know Fluffy is just like family and should have every human privilege, but when Fluffy approaches me to sniff, it throws off my walking gait, and that darn near landed me on my albeit well-padded backside. Imagine how mad you'd be at me if I landed on Fluffy?

Brookfield offers a park where dogs may run unleashed. I don't go there and expect not to be bothered by your little wunderkind, but when I hit the trail at Wirth Park, given that pets are not allowed on the nature trail, I don't want yours under my feet.

A final complaint to the City of Brookfield: You have a well-placed sign indicating pets are not allowed. Interestingly enough, that sign is about three feet from a stand that holds dog poop bags asking for a pet owner to clean up. Way to send a mixed message, folks.

Now I am well aware most of you will have more fun picking on me and this aggravation I've just explained than taking advantage of the trail yourself. Please don't do that. Just for once, can we not all agree that rules exist because everyone is supposed to follow them? If you want Fluffy to walk unleashed with you on the same path where I expect to only encounter humans and wildlife, then head to city hall and petition the council for a change in the policy.

But readers, let me ask you, how am I supposed to handle an unwanted dog running under my legs? Do I have any recourse at all or am I simply to assume that rule followers will always land at the mercy of those who break the rules without any consequence whatsoever.