Friday, July 29, 2011

RELAXATION ?

When you have a healthy athletic shepherd around, there is no relaxation in the form of uninterrupted reading or even uninterrupted gardening when you're outside. Indoors, you have a quiet sweetheart lying on the floor or couch. But outside ... she's returning her favourite toy again and again to be thrown "immediately"; otherwise you'll get an earful of barking, "Throw it now! Throw it NOW !!!"

I wonder if some of my friends who camp with their dogs manage to relax completely without interruption? And for how long?

Saturday, July 23, 2011

DOCK DOGS !

Take the Plunge I went to see the dock dogs at Rideau Carleton Raceway today but arrived late in the day due to the heat; i.e., I was reluctant to go outside under the sun because I knew there would be little shade at the site. There were a number of tables set up for dog rescue groups, dog food and toy/accessory companies, photographers, etc. I missed many demos such as the OPP K9 Unit and Treibball (teaching your dog to ultimately “herd” eight balls into a goal net). Treibball might interest Terri.

Friday, July 22, 2011

HEAT WAVE

Fri. Jul 22, 2011, 0:00 EDT 28°C
Officially, a heat wave is three consecutive days with temperatures of 32°C or higher. Given the humidex, it feels like we're in the middle of one.

Last night, I stayed awake late reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Today, hot sunshine kept my walks outside with Terri very brief. We spent a lot of the day lying on the bed in the breeze from the standing fan while I finished the book. At 9 PM my attempt to relax in the cooling air was stymied by small biting insects. At 11 PM, Terri and I were able to enjoy the peace of a quiet deck and cooling air. She felt cool enough to persist in retrieving a half chewed up plastic toy every time I tossed it into the dimly lit yard. Finally, I insisted that she settle down and rest. Belgian Shepherds do not rest outside willingly unless it is very hot. The Canadian BSD standard includes the sentence: He should be watchful, attentive, and always in motion when not under command. Terri can certainly be described that way.

Tomorrow will be another hot day but cooler than today: 29°C with humidex = 35°C I think I'll join Terri and splash in the cold water from the hose at some point.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

KARS

Every year, this weekend in Kars is hot and sunny. Terri and I watched horses and dogs trot around in the heat this afternoon. This year they didn't have an amusement park so the attendance level was lower. In fact, it was so low, I expect that the organizers were disappointed.


My straw hat kept the sun from my face, the umbrella protected both of us while we watched parts of the dog show, and ice melting in our bottles provided cold water.


By good luck, I spotted a clump of smoke trees in Kars. I want to plant one in my back yard. I'll look for the variety that has a lovely dark colour like the ones I photographed.