The first hint of autumn was in the air today. The weather must have dropped 30 degrees from yesterday. It was downright cold! The skies were gray and threatened rain this morning, but then in the afternoon the sun came out and the skies were clear blue, a welcomed change from the smoke-clogged air of the past week due to forest fires in California. A splendid day. Bubba got to go the park with my friend Nancy's basset, CC. Both dogs are about the same age, although since both are rescues we aren't sure. They get along great, as do their owners. We couldn't let them off leash in the public park, though. The pooch police would have descended on us for sure.

Afterward, we took them to Bella Bru, a dog-friendly cafe nearby. One of the servers even brought a bowl of water out to Bubba and CC, which was so nice of her. I sure hope that more al fresco restaurants and cafes in Sacramento become Fido friendly, although the trend is very slow in catching on. The usual reason is that it's not considered sanitary for dogs to be near eating areas. As for me, I'd a lot rather sit next to a dog than a smoker when I'm dining. As long as owners control their dogs and don't allow them to soil the patio (and I've never seen this happen yet), there shouldn't be a problem. If they did, though, "Pass the Grey Poupon" would have a far different meaning.