It's been a very long, hot, dry summer, and quite awhile since the last update, so let's catch up a bit, shall we?
Thanks very much to everyone who has come out to the South of the James and Byrd House markets this summer. It's been great to put faces to names, and especially to meet all the lovely dogs you've brought out to the booth. Giving a Dried Chicken Finger treat to each visiting dog has been my favorite part of the summer. Making eye contact with dozens of earnest and enthusiastic dogs provides much-appreciated validation and motivation for each batch of food and snacks made here at the Lounge. I've recently purchased a new digital camera, and have been uploading photos of all your lovely dogs to the DogTown Lounge Facebook page. They will also be added to this blog as soon as a real photo gallery can be put in place. Please don't hesitate to tag your pet on Facebook, and to contact me for the high-res digital file of your pet's photo.
Currently, the freezable Bagasse containers for Charley Chow and Spike's Chicken Salad are working ok, but I'm still searching for a compostable container for the Dried Chicken Fingers. Additionally, there has been an issue with the lids coming off when overfilled contents expand in the freezer, so the search for a more tightly fitting lid and more consistent fill method is ongoing.
DogTown Lounge was mentioned in an article about the South of the James market in Magazine 33, including a photo of yours truly alongside a sweet but unnamed black dog, is this your puppy?
Many of you have requested some kitty treats in addition to the meager crop of catnip available this summer, and there are several items in testing now. The current favorite with the Tasting Team is dehydrated ground chicken gizzards, which we hope to have available for sampling in November. Other items in process now include a page and handout for better fitting your dog's Gentle Leader, more information about canines and carbohydrates, and making Dried Chicken Fingers available for purchase in more locations this winter.
Thanks very much to everyone who has come out to the South of the James and Byrd House markets this summer. It's been great to put faces to names, and especially to meet all the lovely dogs you've brought out to the booth. Giving a Dried Chicken Finger treat to each visiting dog has been my favorite part of the summer. Making eye contact with dozens of earnest and enthusiastic dogs provides much-appreciated validation and motivation for each batch of food and snacks made here at the Lounge. I've recently purchased a new digital camera, and have been uploading photos of all your lovely dogs to the DogTown Lounge Facebook page. They will also be added to this blog as soon as a real photo gallery can be put in place. Please don't hesitate to tag your pet on Facebook, and to contact me for the high-res digital file of your pet's photo.
Currently, the freezable Bagasse containers for Charley Chow and Spike's Chicken Salad are working ok, but I'm still searching for a compostable container for the Dried Chicken Fingers. Additionally, there has been an issue with the lids coming off when overfilled contents expand in the freezer, so the search for a more tightly fitting lid and more consistent fill method is ongoing.
DogTown Lounge was mentioned in an article about the South of the James market in Magazine 33, including a photo of yours truly alongside a sweet but unnamed black dog, is this your puppy?
Sadly, Mais Oui, the grande dame of the DogTown Lounge Tasting Team passed away on October 1, following a debilitating stroke. She died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family. Mais Oui had a rather dramatic 12 years of life, and deserves her own bio page, which is in the works. Her discriminating taste and unique personality are sorely missed, but she did approve of one last batch of catnip in her final days. The last officially approved bags of Mais Oui's Purrrrrrfectly Dried Catnip will be available at the South of the James market while they last.
With the end of summer, some farmer's markets close, but DogTown Lounge will continue to be a presence both Tuesdays at the Byrd House Market when it goes Renegade all winter in the same location, and Saturdays at the South-er Market, which is moving to the field between the school at Jahnke Rd and Blockbuster on Forest Hill, just west of Westover Hills Blvd. That market starts the second weekend of December, and goes on until the South of the James market re-opens in May, 2011. Dried Chicken Fingers are now available at Farm to Family's store on Mechanicsville Tpke; if you'd like to pick up Charley Chow or Spike's Chicken Salad there too, just ask. You can also find DogTown Lounge products online at Lulu's Local Food - two websites: Fall Line Farms and Local Roots - where you can order all weekend from a wide variety of farmers and producers, and pickup your entire order every Thursday at a location near you.
Finally - just a little reminder to keep Halloween candies away from all pets, and to keep roaming cats indoors safely out of reach of the ignorance and cruelty practiced by unenlightened humans during this prank-filled weekend's festivities.