Consult Your Local Groundhog

I’ve worked with more than my share of television meteorologists. For the most part they’re really nice guys who get all the blame when the weather sucks and none of the reward when the weather is nice. So it makes sense that they’ve come up with a rodent whipping boy to take the blame for continued crappy weather in the late winter. But expecting a Pennsylvania groundhog to predict Midwestern weather is just foolish. I have a better solution. […]

Summer Sensibilities

A couple days ago my ape went to the pet store to get food for me and my cell mate Roswell. He has to go to a pet store with an onsite vet because Roswell is overweight and needs special food – sort of Weight Watchers for cats. So sad for him, but anyway I digress.

After my ape returned he told me the tale of watching customers bringing their pets, mostly dogs, into the store with them. Now this is a very Good Thing. It helps the bond between animal and ape.  But there is something that bothered us both as he told me this story. When people drag their animals with them they need to consider among other things that the animals are barefoot!!

This is a shady spot on the porch. The concrete is always cool.
This is a shady spot on the porch. The concrete here is always cool.

While standing in the check out line, my ape watched two dog owners standing outside in front of the store and talking while holding their dog’s leash. It was a hot day and the concrete was sizzling. The dogs were literally dancing trying to keep their paws cool. One dog was even trying to stand in the shadow of his master’s friend but kept being pulled back because his actions were misinterpreted as an annoyance to other ape. The spectacle was over by the time my ape was leaving the store or he probably would have said something to the inconsiderate owners.AnimalsMatterScarf500x500

There are always plenty of warnings in the summer about remembering to not leave animals or even children in hot cars. There was an actual incident a week ago at a grocery store near our compound where animals trapped in a hot car were released by heroic passersby. But remember to be considerate to all of the conditions you inflict on to your animals. Not just hot cars but any man-made environment, like hot concrete, can be harmful to an animal if left there too long. And always provide fresh water.

The Late Summer Blues

Yeah, I’ve sorta taken a break from writing. The fact is that there hasn’t been much to tell and I was in and out of such a dark mood I was afraid that if I did write something, just for the sake of writing, I’d hear the voice of Edgar Allen Poe screeching, “Hey dude, Lighten up!” Maybe the appointment I have to get my teeth cleaned on Thursday will brighten my mood. […]