By Anelia K. Dimitrova
Who gets to celebrate their birthday in the midst of nose-tickling deliciousness, wafting from food trucks right in the heart of downtown Cedar Falls, not to mention all kinds of friendly fist bumps and tail wags?
Ripley, the precocious standard poodle, did. She turned 3 on Saturday, so her human mom, Stephanie Berlin, marked the special occasion by taking the pup to the Cedar Falls Farmers Market, her favorite hangout.
There, Ripley got a special peanut butter treat – and so did her mom, who named the pup after the main character of the series ‘Aliens’ and in keeping with her tradition of naming her pets after strong female characters.
The pair then moseyed around, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of this vibrant space where farmers, neighbors and pups meet on Saturday mornings.
Pets, their owners say, love to socialize at the market as much as the rest of humanity.
So many and so full of neighborliness are the wagging tails here that this informal people-and-pups parade palpably livens up the culture of the market as much as the fresh goodies on the stands.
The joy from the pets’ presence is shared not just by the fellow dog owners, but also by anyone who asks permission to ruffle a long-eared head, scratch a stretched neck or get a special handshake.
For humans, the rewards are genuine and generous, the dog equivalent of a thank-you, usually in the form of a lick or a tail flick.
Then there’s the unbridled fun of pulling on leashes, sniffing up other dogs or yapping with excitement as humans wait by the food trucks, stroll by to scope out the scene or line up to buy tomato plants, flowers, eggs, meat or pastries.
All of this is to say that the best human besties have a lot in common with their owners and with each other. Even though they come from different pedigrees and breeds, they all have fun at the farmers market. And by the time the week rolls to an end, they are ready for the next one.
Take for instance Candy, a 6-year-old greyhound, whose favorite thing is to nap at home but when her human parent, Caleb Gilvin, utters the word “market,” she perks up.
“You say ‘market’ and she’s ready to go,” he says.
The downtown market is the perfect place for pets and humans to bond on summer mornings.
It’s a judgment-free zone where one can sniff or saunter at one’s own pace.
It’s also the place where stories are shared in words and barks, old friends are greeted with hugs and licks, and new ones are made with kindness and tail wags.
Each dog has a story and the details aside, there’s always a common thread. It’s about loyalty and love for their humans. It’s about togetherness and compassion, which often heal a harsher reality some dogs had endured prior to being adopted. Such is the story of 3-year-old Nori, who was rescued, along with 30 other dogs, from a dismal situation but now has her doting human parents, Dana and David Brown, to thank for a caring home.
Meeting the pets and the people at the market for this assignment and hearing their stories filled us with affirmation that we live in a community where pets hold a special key to people’s hearts.
Fleeting as our conversations were with sheer strangers, we were grateful to meet dog lovers and their four-legged companions.
The stories abounded and so did the smiles each new encounter brought us, as it is impossible to scowl when someone asks a human parent about their pup.
What pups love to do away from the market
What dogs like to do is a matter of family lore so asking about it almost immediately wipes away the drowsiness from morning faces and validates the special bonds.
Brian and Heather Fosters’ 5-year-old shih tzu Maltese yorkie, Penny Mae, for instance, loves car rides and food.
Speaking of food, 8-year-old Minnie has a special ritual–she eats out of her bowl on the couch at home.
“Otherwise, she won’t eat,” says her owner, Ben Rowe.
But for pup Ruby, who turned 3 last week, happiness is not about couch comfort, it’s about pup cups.
“She’ll eat whipped cream right out of the can,” her owner, James Prier, says.
Not all favorite dog activities revolved around food, though.
Ginger, a 2-year-old beauty named after the character in the TV show ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ is proof of that. She sat obediently on the steps leading up to Overman Park waiting for her owner, Jeff, to finish his food, so she could get her share of loving.
“She loves to give people hugs,” says Jeff.
Like Ginger, Hawkeye, a 10-year-old toy goldendoodle parented by Erin McElligott and McKinley Hawe, is all about being loved.
“She loves belly scratches,” says Erin.
Similarly, Jon and Katie Bohle’s pup, Walter, 2, fancies getting scratches, especially from kids, and let’s not forget the pleasure of chewing on doggie bones.
Michaela Cox’s golden retriever, Finley, 5, who walked around the market with Michaela’s friend, Tien Thach, is always ready for a walk, while Georgie, a 1-year-old golden retriever, prefers chasing bunnies for fun, say his human parents, Rob and Annie Flattery.
By contrast, Stella, a 4-year-old boxer, favors a more leisurely lifestyle. She cherishes sunbathing on the deck, Devin Rathjen and his son, Jaxson, tell me.
Then there’s Frannie, an aussiedoodle, who enjoys short car rides and especially putting her face out of the window to sniff fresh air, say her parents, Tommy and Josie Bitter.
The stories kept coming and had we stayed longer, we would have met half the dogs in town.
But we had to go home, where our 13-year-old pup, Mecho, waited for us by the front window, curious to see our pictures and eager to help us write this piece.
After all, it’s not always that family pets get their own special space in a feature story about a farmers market.
Tales like this only happen in Cedar Falls, that’s for sure.
Rick Truax contributed reporting.