Dog park by the Mississippi

I accompanied Diane and her lovely dog Maddy to a dog park between Hiawatha Ave and the Mississippi. The stairs leading down to the park were icy-snowy, so I held onto the railing with both hands going down. The sun was out, casting crisp shadows on the snow, and we ended up following a path down to shore of the river, where you couldn't quite tell where the bank left off and the frozen river began.
There were scores of dogs of all kinds, from Russian wolf-hounds to pugs, beagles, boxers and golden retrievers, an Australian shepherd that tried to herd all of us, a hound that treed a squirrel; there were spaniels, terriers, and german shepherds, mixed breeds of all shapes and sizes. Some dragged sticks, some chased balls, others chased each other or displayed their ever-shifting rank in the swirling pack. All were friendly and filled with joy, as were we, to be out and about. Maddy ran until she could barely respond to another dog's invitation to play, and the assorted people of all ages accompanying their dogs chatted and laughed and made sure the toddler didn't fall into the hole where there was some open water, in a little creeklet running from the slope to the river. It was not windy and the temperature was just right to be out without hat or mittens, snug in a parka and boots, but not hunkered down in the chill. I only got a few shots on my cell phone camera, but here is my favorite.
While we were hanging out with the dogs, other folks were frolicking with the Art Sleds!