See how dry and brown the lawn is? That’s because we’ve been experiencing sweltering temperatures in the upper 90s and low 100s, and it’s been humid, with no rain. I don’t even want to run around the yard, so I walk around inspecting the yard with my nose. Then I enjoy a roll on the dry, crunchy lawn.
Then I lie like this and look at Mom. When she says, “Okay, Harper, let’s go in,” I run to her, then up the wooden steps onto the deck, where I wait for her to get up the steps and open the patio door, and we retreat into the comfortable air-conditioned house.
I will mention that yesterday we did have a thunder storm that poured some wonderful rain down for a short period of time with a few minutes between two downpours, and it amazes me how green the lawn looks this morning. But the temperature is already near 90 and it’s just 10:30 a.m.
We live in a townhouse, and in these pictures you can see a white vinyl fence. That fence belongs to one of our neighbors and it runs the length of our yard on the left. The neighbors on the right also have a fence, not as tall and not white vinyl, that runs the length of our yard on the right. Therefore, for my first birthday, Mom and Dad bought some fence posts and coated wire fencing and closed in the back of our yard so that I could have a nice place to go out and play and run without having to be leashed.
So, Mom has been trying to get me to play ball with her out in the back yard. She takes a tennis ball out when we go out, and she stops halfway down the steps while I stop at the bottom of the steps and look up at her expectantly. Then she throws the ball and I run after it. In the above photo, I am approaching the ball.
In the photo above, you can see that I am sniffing around the ball.
In this last photo, I am walking away from the ball. We have stray cats in our neighborhood and I’d rather sniff for them than play ball with Mom. Mom has even come out into the yard, picked the ball up, and tried to get me to catch it when she throws it up in the air. If I do decide to pick the ball up, I don’t take it to Mom — not even for a treat, (and yes, she tried to get me to play ball by offering treats to me too). Instead, I play keep away. I take the ball and run away from Mom and drop the ball somewhere in the yard.
But I do play fetch in the house with my rubber balls and rubber bones. I run from the living room to the dining room and back and often leap onto the love seat like a super hero.
I don’t really know why I don’t want to play ball outside in the back yard. Maybe it’s just because I have the freedom to run a longer distance, and when mom acts like she’s going to chase me and encourages me to run, I will do that!
Wow! Summer started out with some major heat here this year. All last week, temperatures were in the low to mid 90s! This week, Monday was awesome — temperature was in the mid 80s and there was a blustery breeze all day! Nice relief from last week. But then yesterday and today, we’re back in the 90s. We’re supposed to get rain and/or thunder showers today, which is supposed to put us back into the 80s.
No, this entire post isn’t going to be about the weather, but it is about how the weather affects my life. So, how do those hot days affect my life? Well, I only get two walks a day on those days. Mom takes me out in the morning before the sun is too high in the sky and heating things up, and then again in the evening when the sun has gone below our house roofs and tree lines and the pavements, roads, and driveways have cooled down enough so that they don’t burn my paws.
So, how do I do my potty the rest of the day? Well, Mom goes out and scans the entire backyard, shovel in hand, to clean up any dirt the stray cats leave in our yard. Thankfully, she usually only finds one pile. Then she pours bleach on that area and puts the lid to our fire pit over it so that I know not to get near it. Then she takes me out in the backyard. She takes me out in there once or twice while it’s really hot, and once again in the early evening, when most of our yard is in shade.
Mom hates this heat, and I don’t really like it either. I’m usually panting in no time, so even though I enjoy the freedom of running around the backyard without a leash, I like to get back into the air-conditioned house in a short amount of time. When we get inside, I go straight to my water bowl for a drink. But did you know if a dog is hot and panting and drinks too much water too quickly, it can cause them to vomit? Yeah, so Mom always makes sure she has ice cubes in the freezer during the summer months, and she’ll get one out and give it to me. I hold it in my mouth a few moments, then bite it into smaller pieces to eat. It’s a nice refreshing summertime treat!
Hello, it’s me, Harper. I come from a family with three boys. Well, I guess I should say men. Anyway, one of them no longer lives with the rest of us. He lives in an apartment building in another city, and he really misses having a dog. He hasn’t lived here, since I’ve been in this home. My family had two Labrador Retrievers before me, and he moved out while the second one was still living.
Mom and Dad have taken me to visit their oldest son a couple times, and I think they’re going to take me again sometime. This son had a birthday a little while ago. Mom felt bad that, based on certain circumstances, he decided not to get a dog yet. But, some days he misses having a dog more than others. Mom wanted to get him a stuffed Labrador Retriever. She thought it might help if he, at least, had a stuffed Labrador Retriever that looked like me. She thought he couldt hug it when he was really missing having a dog.
Mom searched three stores to no avail. However, she did find the Labrador Retriever in the picture below. She decided to settle for it, even though it wasn’t soft for hugging, because of the “Welcome” sign around its neck. She thought he could sit this dog inside the apartment near the entry door, so that he sees it anytime he comes home. She hoped seeing the dog “welcome” him, everytime he comes in, might help a little.
Well, he liked it, and he does have it sitting where he can see it when he comes home. Mom suggested he give it a name and talk to it, when he misses a dog too. After all, she talks to me all the time. I’m not sure a grown man would do this. I don’t even know if he gave it a name, but I do hope he gets some comfort from this little greeter.
The above picture is me, sitting on the arm of the loveseat. I can see out the window from there. There are also two other places I can go to look out the window. So, what do you think? Does the little “Welcome” Labrador Retriever look like me?
Kelly F Barr 