Just photos this week, I’ve been either ridiculously busy or brain dead from the heat. It’s been hot and humid forever, and it’s going to continue for at least two more weeks. Getting up extra early to work the BC’s before it gets too hot. Watering my desperate plants before the sun is too strong. Going outside to garden or walk dogs for short periods; coming inside sopping wet with sweat. (In the late 60’s, on my very first night as an independent semi-adult at UC-Boulder, I walked downtown to a bar and danced with some guy who said “You sure sweat a lot for a skinny girl”.)
So it’s all photos this week. Here’s my favorite:
I was taking close ups of the day lilies, and didn’t discover the star of the show until looking at the photos on my computer. I was, and still am, enchanted. (I have no idea who this quixotic creature is. Any thoughts?)
Excuse me, little geranium, but there appear to be fireworks behind you. Better watch out. (The red color is actually from Bee Balm flowers.)
The Monarchs have arrived full force, I’m so happy to see them. I have a batch of Milkweed Seeds in moist paper towels the frig, getting ready to plant in the fall.
Friend Donna (that’s her and her dog Davy) worked dogs at a friend Janet’s on Friday, but not for very long. (That’s Janet’s good dog Jess driving the sheep down the field.) Maggie did an outrun for sheep halfway between the far gates and the woods. A long way for us after little distance work all winter and spring, but not as far as she’s going to have to run in the (hopefully) upcoming Open trials. Skip could have run that far, but I need to get a better stop on him at the top of the outrun, so in his case the sheep were in front of the gates. Argh, still too far! He settled down once the sheep got to me, but came much too fast on the fetch. Working on it, working on it. (Decreasing the length of his outrun to create a pattern of success . . .)
None of us worked for long because of the heat–for the sake of our dogs, the sheep, and ourselves. Thankfully it was less humid that day, and cooler degree wise than here, but Skip was still happy to cool off in the tank provided for that very purpose. Donna and I were grateful to Janet for providing such a great place to work our dogs. Neither of us have an area even approaching this scope.
Hot weather and baling hay go together like strawberries and cream. This lovely field is owned by some good friends who provide hay for our sheep in winter. We’ll be getting our hay mid August, hopefully it won’t be so hot when we are unloading it and stacking it in the barn. Please, please, let it not be this hot.
Guy and Martha, the owners of the field and a gorgeous farm to boot, also own three Norwegian Fjord horses, who they graciously allowed us to pet and coo over. I had no idea they were so muscled up (but are also agile and fast). I want some.
I couldn’t get over their manes. One wonders if they have any piercings . . .
What’s keeping you going this week? Is the weather making it hard to keep your dogs exercises? (We’re working on some indoor manners this week to try to stay cool. You?)
HFR says
Gorgeous photos! What beautiful country.
I was telling someone the other day when it’s super hot there might as well be a snowstorm since the consequences are the same. Try not to leave the house at all. I’d rather have snow.
Diane says
Very hot here as well…not my favorite weather.
Luckily my dog likes to lay in the shaded front yard and watch available activity. It is not the physical exercise he needs, but it’s great for reinforcing a “stay in the yard” off leash. I pass the time watering and watching and praising him for keeping to the yard when walkers, bikers, squirrels or whatever make an appearance.
Skip must enjoy water to lay in it! All my dogs were water loving dogs, except for my current dog, although he did let me cool down his paws today (well actually I was washing off mud he found as a result of my watering) .
I really enjoy looking at all the pictures. I have no clue about the “star” bug in the first but I do agree that is a cool camera capture.
Keep cool and well
Frances says
Here it is cool, which the dogs and I prefer, but wet, wet, WET! It seems every time I get to the door to take the dogs out someone up there is ready with a giant watering can. The gel I put into the pots to keep plants alive during the drought a month or two back is oozing over the top like something out of a 50s sci-fi movie (I know it said to use less than a teaspoonful but that seemed such a tiny amount…), soil has washed away from newly planted geraniums, everything is grey and soggy and dripping. It does make the occasional interval of blue skies and sunshine very welcome, though, and the reservoirs and aquifers should be replenishing fast.
Gorgeous photos – I don’t know what the tiny insect is, but he looks as if he should be the hero of a story. Those feet are like mediaeval shoes with turned up toes!
Kat says
Glorious photos. I especially love the one of Skip cooling off.
Fortunately it’s not overly hot here and we’ve been able to do lots of park adventures. There’s a Parks and Trails Challenge sponsored by the local Kids’ Directory (quarterly magazine with fun activities for kids). The Challenge is to visit all 232 currently identified Parks and Trails in the county in a year. More parks and trails keep being discovered so who knows how many there will be in the final tally. We’re at 122 currently. Working from home and not being able to get out is really hard on my husband and checking off more parks after work most evenings is his sanity saver and good for D’Artagnan. Today he saw Deer for the first time. He really wanted to race across the field and play with those strange looking dogs. Instead, he got to practice his “Look” cue. It’s not quite as fun as chasing but it’s a lot more acceptable to the humans so he’ll take it. If anyone wants to check out the challenge the Facebook Page is 2020 Parks & Trails Challenge Group. We document each park as we check it off the list. Quite a few photo of D’Artagnan, or as I call him in the group, the floof, show up in my albums.
Ann Marie Fry says
Absolutely lovely! Those horses are gorgeous 🥰 it looks like the human – dog pairs had a great time with the sheep too! 🙂 What kind of camera do you have?
Martha says
Oh this heat. ….oh my goodness. MyOhMy
Fabulous photos Trish! after our slow start in spring…(down to 0C in early May with some snow, lots of rain etc). Farmers were really late planting hay
Your flower pics are just bursting with colour and excitement.
My roses are hysterically happy, other plants,with too much hot sun,are struggling. Usually I would be able to buy “cover plants” to put in front but mostly stayed away from crowded nurseries once it was safe to plant.
I had Scarlet Runner pods dried from last year,they are growing well but need more root protection
We’ve gone from 2 hour wood hikes daily to no more than 40′ on a rather slow urban walk before 0600. Sidewalks are not my thing. ಠ_ಠ
Duff is in fantastic shape. He is 8. He doesn’t like water much. I wish he would! Just to cool off, even the lid of a large Rubbermaid container!
This heat drains our energies.
Between The Virus, Heat & Humidity and neighbourhood (major) construction it’s
all…. ugh x 10000000.
****I stand strong that winter remains my Awesome Time Of Year.
It’s 9 a.m. here and over 30C. … 39C expected later.
Some think we have snow year round in Canada! bhhhhaaaaa
2020 has been really weird all around. We do the best we can.
Stay cool all.
I’m going to continue my purging.
Laurie says
Lovely photos–now I want a fjord horse, too. The star of the first photo looks like an assassin bug. Beware the stinger tucked in front.
Margo Harris says
Trisha, what fantastic photos!
Your weather is amazingly, consistantly, similar to our weather here near Ottawa Ontario. I too, sweat a lot for a skinny girl. I hope that guy learned to give better compliments to gals… he wouldn’t get far with stuff like that!
Get a Fjord horse. Do! The “Golden Retrievers” of the horse world. I had Mojo, and years later I now have Annie, whose best friend is Stella who is not a Fijord horse but a Haflinger and Quarter horse cross — chunky, but not quite as chunky as Annie. Baby Fjord horses are beyond cute, and adults are cute too and funny and sweet.
Your tiny creature on the Day lily is beautiful. Wish I knew what it is!
Love that picture of Skip in the tub.
Thank you for the lovely diversion on our hot muggy day.
Dominique says
I love your photographs, thank you for sharing. I too am a member of “the sweat way to much” club requires a full change of clothes every time I go out. Speaking of, you mentioned several times in your post about working the dogs outside for “short” periods. What is short and how do you know if your dog is to hot. My pup is young (1 year) so full of energy. We jog (slowly) together and I don’t want to overdo it. I’m hoping you’ve blogged on this topic.
Anita says
I’m currently reading your book “Educating Will” and am thoroughly enjoying it and finding it useful and inspirational in trying to devise a training plan for my fearful Border Collie who is very non-aggressive but is terribly afraid to be in new environments. I love your photo of the herding and your comment that you are “working on it…working on it”… It’s helpful to know that no matter what stage your dog is at and no matter what the issues, you can be “working on it”.. Thank you.
Anne Johnson says
I love the Fjords as well. So gentle fir their size and enormous necks. I have a new filly at my house. A friend brought her to me as I lost an older gelding last week..
She is so cottony soft.
Pat says
We are in Phoenix, so walks have to be at 5:30 or 6 AM so that my pup can walk on the pavement without burning her feet, and I can walk without passing out – fortunately we have very little humidity, but when it gets to be 110 in the afternoon, it’s just plan HOT!! We pay the price in the summer for having beautiful weather the other 9 months of the year. It would be lovely if it were cool in the morning, but it’s usually 85 or 90 as the sun is coming up during June, July and August.
I love looking at all of your pictures of the green pastures and beautiful flowers!!! Cactus are our plans during the summer.
Melissa McCue -McGrath says
@Dominque
Hey there! General rule of thumb I give my students (to be fair, I’m in the city, so there might be different guidance from a veterinarian who might be lurking and could give better advice!)
Place the back of your hand with pressure on the pavement, sidewalk or blacktop. If you can’t hold it there comfortably for over 15 seconds, it’s too hot for a dog to walk on.
Now, grass is cooler so that doesn’t quite track, so keep in mind:
– Puppies don’t regulate their temperature very well. They don’t have a dimmer switch, so they are off or on. Keep a careful eye.
– Dark dogs (like, big black Greyounds and Newfoundlands!) The darker coats, like with us, absorbs heat.
– Short friends (Corgis and Dachshunds) – sun reflects off of surfaces like pavement to their torso which heats them faster.
-Heavy Coated Breeds (back to the Newfs!) Can you even imagine?
-Older dogs : Seniors might have a harder time regulating their temperatures.
-The No Body-Fat Club : Back to the Greyhounds. Dogs like Greys, due to their lack of fat, have a hard time regulating temperatures as well! Funny, our Grey was only truly perfectly comfortable between 67 and 70 degrees. Any colder and he begged for his sweater. Any hotter and you’d think he was walking to get a second neuter.
– Brachycephalic dogs (Pugs, Bulldogs, represent!) – these guys have a shorter snout, which aside from sweating out of their paw pads, the only other way they can cool off is by panting. With less face (I’m sure there is a better way to word this but I have a kid running around on a sugar rush) they have less surface area to cool off by panting, so they suffer immensely in the heat. Arguably more so than any other group above.
So use your best judgement, but those dog categories tend to have a harder time with skyrocketing temperatures. As for what an individual dog can handle comfortably, ask the dog! If they are stopping a lot, panting super heavily, or are struggling in other ways, it might be too much for them.
Good luck!
Trisha says
Fantastic advice, Melissa! So glad you chimed in here!
Kathy says
Nice photos! The tips on heat related concerns for dogs is good. I am always concerned when I see folks walking dogs on warm days on black asphalt.
I think the insect may be a cricket or a katydid. I see some of
both in my insect book that are similar. I have used “ask an expert” through the extension service that’s nation wide. It has been helpful to me in the past. A photo can be submitted along with details of location, etc.
Trisha says
Looks like it is an instar of an assassin bug. Gotta love the internet. (And previous reader comments!)
Trisha says
Right on Laurie, found photos of assassin bug instars that fit perfectly. Thx for the tip!
LisaW says
Gotta love evolution and the internet. Imagine the lilies’ stamen, pistols, and petals adapting just enough to draw insects in far enough to pollinate effectively without worrying about wind or position hampering their efforts; then imagine bugs adapting just enough to mimic their preferred pollinating hosts to lessen their predator’s odds of a good meal. Then imagine humans learning how to use our opposable thumbs and invent tools that capture this in a beautiful frame in a beautiful moment in time. Wow! That photo is remarkable. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, too, for piquing my interest to try and identify the stamen (assassin) bug. That led me to identifying the pupi infesting my mother’s living quarters that had us all perplexed. She is 96+ years old and is almost blind and hard of hearing living in an independant living community slowly coming out of a complete lock down. At least now we can figure out what to do next.
I love when the internet really does connect us in positive ways.
Hot, hot, and hotter here in the Northeast. We are on Lake Champlain for the week, in a spot that is isolated and beautiful. Here’s what Olive and I do several times a day: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jvvuon3yo1o2wqe/AABYvYM8DuLdH4u4xF0QH09za?dl=0
She loves to swim as much as I do 🙂 In spite of ourselves, we are lucky to be here.