Day 15: Hot

Today the mercury has climbed over 90 degrees.  Gracie and I had an ambitious beginning watering and weeding the garden and attempting to move the compost heap I've started in the back yard to a spot more readily accessible for dousing.  I even made a long, detailed list of errands for us to run on the bike.  The reality of the heat took the wind out of Gracie's sails though, and I was happy to follow her lead.

Too hot for Gracie!

So, instead of  relating our exploits, I will briefly discuss a few items that are making our life of constant companionship on the go easier: a dog blanket (from LL Bean: medium sized); a  Zuka Bowl (from itzadog.com); a small Nylabone (available everywhere including Target and the grocery store); and a carabiner.

LL Bean blanket; small, portable dog bowl with carabiner, Nylabone, large carabiner

The Blanket: Gracie loved this blanket--fleece on one side and denim on the other with filling in-between--the moment I opened it.  She knew right away that it was for her.  At the moment, the blanket it on the couch in the sunroom where--as you can see in the picture above--she is napping on it.  If I put it on the wood floor in the dining room, she will lay on it while I pay the bimonthly bills.  If I put it on the floor in living room, she will lay on it while Bruce and I watch TV.  What all this means is that I can take it with me, and wherever we are, she will lie on this blanket.  It's washable too.  Though we have not washed it yet, the reviewers at LL Bean claim it washes beautifully.

The Zuka Bowl:  This bowl is just the right size for water.  It holds enough to allow Gracie to have a drink but not so much that emptying it afterward is a problem.  It came with the carabiner in the loop for attaching easily to my backpack or purse.  Other bowls seemed to be for larger dogs that drink a lot more water all at once.  Gracie is a sipper and easily satisfied yet needs, like all of us, to stay hydrated, particularly in this hot weather.

The Nylabone: small, washable, just right for those moments between meals when chewing on something chicken-flavored briefly provides comfort.  I chew gum; I understand.

The large carabiner:  I had this on my backpack.  I think I got it at a conference--probably a tech conference since they give away little things.  English discipline conferences rarely give anything away other than the occassional pen, and even those generally come from some hopeful publisher of grammar handbooks.  Anyway, after week one with Gracie, I needed to get back to doing what I do.  To do this, I needed both hands free.  I also needed Gracie to stay with me.  I put a belt around my waist--not in belt loops, just loose around my waist--and hook the carabiner on the belt.  Then I hook Gracie's leash to the carabiner.  She stays with me, and I have my hands free.  The carabiner moves along the belt more easily than the leash alone would. 

If anyone else has ideas about simple products that enhance life for dogs and their people, I would love to hear about it.