The Crew of the HMS Beagle enjoys its diversity. Mr. Darwin, the ship’s naturalist, is of the canine persuasion and, on occasion, enjoys the society of other canines. Captain Fitzroy ensures that at our ports of call, we are likely to find the better sort of canine, well mannered and civil. None of this overly aggressive vulgarity which one sees so frequently in society today.
Luckily the port of Homestead Florida has two places where canines can gather and enjoy each other’s company – Mayor Roscoe Warren Park and James Archer Smith Park. But, as is the case so often today, these two venues are not in the same class. Smith Park is where one can find, of a Saturday or Sunday morning, the more genteel class of canine. On the other hand, at Warren Park, one usually comes across the less cultured sort – large, unruly and aggressive (what can you expect of a park named after a Mayor Roscoe?) Needless to say, the Captain has authorized transport for Mr. Darwin to Smith Park and has directed that Master Chaffers take him there in the Captain’s barge.
We have also met a number of gracious people at Smith Park. There is Bunny, who comes with Bones, Ruger and Bitzy. Bones is very active and enjoys the frisby. There are Jonny and Vanessa who bring Xena the black and white great dane and Frodo the basenji. Spencer and Major come with Shannon who also comes with gifts of tomatoes from the agricultural station where she works. Reddington comes with Randy and Laurie or Mike bring Stella. Many of these canines can be seen in the short video below.