Anyone who has attended the World Quilt & Textile Show in Lansing, Michigan probably noticed the ballpark just outside the convention center. It has such a neighborhood feel to it. I think it's magical. Well, this month, I saw it from the inside. Madison and I joined a couple hundred other dog owners for Dog Days with the Lansing Lugnuts. It was a fantastic outing. First, we got to parade around the bases. Madison wore his Hawaiian shirt and carried a fabric pizza. Then, we took our seats on the grass way over behind right field. That's us in the yellow circle. Actually, that's Madison at the far left of the circle—the yellow blur—I'm taking the picture. See how much he's missing me? All the dogs and their people had to stay pretty much in one area, which was OK, but not too comfortable. Talk about a slippery slope. Our "seats" were at a pretty drastic incline. We're talking INSTANT WEDGIE! Every time Madison laid down to rest, he slid down the hill. After the first four or five times I believe he actually did it on purpose. He'd roll onto his back, kick his paws up, wriggle a little, and body surf headfirst into the railing. After that got old, he planted himself behind me using my back to keep him from sliding down the hill, just like this fellow did with his human. The best part of the day was the costumes. Lots of the dogs dressed up. Here's Madison waiting for the judging to start. Check out the other dogs: Here's Madison's buddy, Charlie, in a tuxedo. Mattie wanted me to point out that Charlie is a black Labrador and that's his TOP HAT that slipped down onto his neck, not some growth or anything. There was another Hawaiian dog there, plus a Purple Hat Lady. Here's Madison's other buddy, Baron von Trapp. (We gall him Baron or "Goofball" for short.) He's the famous "wolf" in sheep's clothing you've heard about. Here Baron's practicing his "the-better-to-see-you-with-my-dear" look even though that's from a different folk tale altogether. Mattie wanted to mention that when he grows up he'll be a Leader Dog for the Blind. Everybody had a great time, but please don't ask me anything about the game. I only looked up occasionally to make sure I wasn't going to get beaned with a foul ball, and I didn't notice the score. Or what team "we" were playing. Did I mention I’m not particularly interested in sports? (©August 2004)