Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda for February 25, 2024
February is the month we celebrate my “Gotcha Day”, and I cannot believe that I will be starting my fourth year as the Roving Reporter for the Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda. For those of you that don’t know about Gotcha Day, it is the day when a rescue animal—like me—finds a forever home. In my case, I found a home after being at FAAS for over seven months. Everyone there was great, and I was treated so well, but at night there was no warm body to snuggle up to like I have now.
I was so happy to have a human companion, and the big bonus was that it came with a job as a beat reporter. It has been quite an adventure! I have learned so much about this wonderful community called Alameda and all the great people that live here.
I want to celebrate with a big party and invite all our loyal followers along with having some kind of fundraising effort for FAAS. My human companion (HC) reminded me about my reactivity to cats, squirrels, and other dogs. I pushed back saying that we could put up a sign saying NO CATS OR SQUIRRELS allowed. He said he would think about it… I will keep bugging him especially as the weather gets warmer and the days get longer.
Even though we haven’t had a big bash, I had a great week of celebrating at some of Alameda’s dog-friendly restaurants. We went to Cinema Grill one night and my plant-based HC ordered the Farmer’s Market Veggie Pesto Pasta (although the pesto sauce may have cream) with a $4 side of beef for me.!
He asked them to hold the pesto and use some olive oil instead. Such a pain, yet our server was especially accommodating. There is a nice cozy seating area, too. I have included the current menu so you can see the offerings.
My celebration did not stop with just one outing. The weather was so nice on Friday night, we headed over to The Preacher’s Daughter to check out their outdoor pet-friendly parklet and Happy Hour Hummus Duo. I just love pita bread, and they have some of the best. Check out the menu, they are famous for the flatbreads. We ordered the Bacon Pesto Flatbread.
“What” you say? “Mr. #aspiringvegan ordered a flat bread with bacon?!?!” Well, actually, the bacon was “on the side,” for me. I should thank him for the rare occasion when some type of meat creeps into the menu. I decided to be a good sport and not to call him out on the goat cheese topping. No point in figuratively biting the hand that feeds me. I am hoping to get one more celebration in at the German restaurant called Speisekammer. I understand they have a separate dog menu that is really good.
While my Gotcha Day occupied a lot of my time recently, I do have a job to do… so here is this week’s report.
Youth art hit the street on Alameda Avenue (actually, it was the sidewalk) when youth artist Mabel created an exhibition of chalk art masterpieces along one of the blocks. I wonder, Mabel, Is that you in a self-portrait?
The art theme continued later in the week when I found a metal sculpture of a sheep.
The combination of rain and sun created a growth spurt for the city’s cherry trees. There are thousands of pink blossoms contrasted against dark brown bark all over Alameda. These trees are so beautiful. I am still looking for one with white flowers, though.
During my dining experience at Cinema Grill, I noticed that the Park Street Wine Company storefront was completely empty. Sadly, I think there might now be a space for rent next to the theater.
Closing out this week’s report is one final Valentine’s Day image I found earlier this week and just knew I had to include it, since it featured the most famous beagle in the entire world.
This is already my last report for February. Can you believe how fast the year is going? The next thing you know, we will be turning our clocks forward an hour!
Hope your week goes well.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos by Jeff Cambra.
