It's so dog gone hot.... This week in the Washington D.C. area, the temperature has been hovering around 100 degrees Fahrenheit  with a stifling humidity. The car gets so hot in the sun that it's sickening to drive (even with air conditioning). Our dog stays inside most of the day ... except  in the early morning and evening. We thought we'd get rain last night, but we only got a quick lightening show; tonight, we got another lightening storm but the rain was short and intermittent.

I add a collar of ice to our dog when he's outside: I took a sweat band and cut a hole in it big enough to slip in some blue ice (plastic covered ice-like cubes you can buy at most supermarkets and drugstores), cut the ice packets into strips, threaded them into the sweat band, closed it, and slipped it over my dog's head. The ice melts quickly and only helps to cool the dog while unmelted;  our dog pants less and doesn't mind it.  It's  just perfect for his short walks and I put the collar in the freezer to reuse on the next walk. [hmmm... would these sell?] Even so, I wouldn't leave our dog outside at all right now; the weather is unbearable for a dog with a heavy fur coat. Note: never leave a dog unattended when it's wearing one of these 'ice necklaces', just in case it decides to eat it and chokes...

Even Alaska hasn't escaped a heat wave of sorts: Phil Ackley of Radio Thingumabob writes, "Laugh all you want, but this heat wave (75-85 F) is becoming unbearable. 20 Below zero (f) doesn't bother me a bit, but once the thermometer tops 80, I start to melt."  Saturday, August 3... Amen

$1.34 million awarded in dog attack  WA "A Tacoma family must pay a real estate agent $1.34 million after its 140-pound Rottweiler knocked her flying, badly damaging her knees." The jury deliberated a week before delivering its verdict; the owners have already filed a motion to reduce the award and to request a new trial. [Seattle-Post Intelligence]