The summer weather in Cincinnati can be just obnoxious, as it is many places. While we're not suffering like those poor people in California, it has been cookin' hot here over the past few days. The weather forecasters (now there's an oxymoron) have begun using their three favorite words over and over again during the news: Hot, Hazy and Humid. They go on and on about heat emergencies, staying inside, and not mowing your grass until late in the day. Very predictable.
Well, the 3 T's have been begging to go to the Park for weeks, and I do mean weeks. We haven't had the time or energy to take them on a romp recently - Chris has been working long hours including Saturdays, so our free time is scarce. The weather hasn't been co-operative much either - too hot or rainy. Anyway, the 3 T's can sense when it's the weekend and they just know there's a chance we might take them to the P. Tandie in particular will follow us around with a hopeful look on her doggie face, raising one eyebrow then the other as she wags her tail really fast. I swear, she really is asking to go to the P in best way she knows how. Then the other two pick up on her vibes (seriously), they all start barking and racing around the house, from door to door hoping it's really true, that it's time to go to the P - absolute chaos. This was finally their lucky weekend - we had the time and the energy (and felt guilty enough) to go for a walk in the P. It was a steamy hot day so we waited until after dinner to go - I packed up the leashes, the water dish and water bottle, my camera and we were off.
Though it was a sunny day the park didn't seem too busy - the heat was keeping people inside, I guess - granted, it's no fun walking the trails or picnicking when it's so humid. The dogs didn't seem to mind the heat at all - they were just happy to be there, leaping out of the van and immediately sniffing, running, sniffing, running ... dog heaven. We walked down the road, up the hilly path into the woods, following our favorite trail. The woods were lush and green, the canopy so thick that the woods were dim with only momentary splashes of sunlight breaking through to the ground (off with the sunglasses). When we crossed over from the woods to the big field the sun was bright (sunglasses back on) and the grass was tall and dense where it wasn't mowed - a big change since we'd last walked there early in the summer. The berries were almost ripe (Chris was taste-testing as we walked), the summer flowers were in full bloom around every bend, and the direct sunlight was so hot after the comparative cool of the woods!
We managed one lap around the field (we usually go for 2 laps), stopping only when we got to the shady side by the RC area (a group of radio-control airplane enthusiasts have a complete set-up with a paved runway and a few work tables for their equipment). We decided we'd had enough and the dogs had too. Tandie noticed a big plastic jug filled with water under one of the tables and just stood there by it, looking at us, looking back at the jug, looking at us again ... we don't usually carry their water with us, but keep it in the van so they can have a long drink at the end of their walk in the P. We had to convince her to keep walking, come on, girl, you can have a drink when we get back to the car.... I thought we might have to carry her the last little bit. The 3 T's were all panting hard and moving slowly by the time we finished and they lapped up their water with gusto!
I vote we wait until the temperatures are back down in the 60's before we go to the P again! We were all a hot mess by the time we got home - the panting was loud and long as the dogs cooled down in front of the fan. Chris and I, on the other hand, stayed home just for a few minutes before heading down the road to St. Bart's Frestival - another way-too-hot activity for a day like yesterday. We should have stayed home with the dogs! There's something to be said for laying on a cool floor in front of a fan ...
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