On trees and dogs

In the Scheveningse Bosjes, my running forest park, the seasons are changing. The top photo was taken when we first arrived and the one beneath it this morning. There are new leaves on the trees and more birds. There are magpies that are black and white with a cobalt blue blaze near the tail. The other day I saw a red squirrel. Smaller and more fidgety than a possum, it scurried up a tree out of my way.
People walk their dogs in the park, mainly big dogs. However some little dogs arrive in the park in their masters’ bike basket for a trot. One guy I see running has a British bulldog that runs following him getting further and further behind. It’s one of those scenarios where the owner resembles his dog. I have started smiling at the dog owner because I see him often and he has finally started contorting his face into something akin to a smile but you can see it’s an effort. The bulldog does not smile either – everything just droops.
Dogs are permitted in cafes and shops. When we first arrived there was a dog in the upmarket Chinese restaurant we were dining at. Sometimes the dogs bark at each other which I find annoying if I’m reading in the bookshop or something but it’s completely tolerated here. I have seen people “walking” their dog on the bike paths and in the bike lanes by holding the dog lead whilst riding their bike, poor Rover has to run for his life to keep pace.