Dog days of Summer

Kirby sporting my Tom Ford's
while lounging on my chair. 

As we enter August, there is still little relief from the heat except at night. There are a number of ways to cool off...you can sit in the A/C, jump in the pool, or have a refreshing drink of Hoopers (this is my drink of the Summer). For our 4-legged furry friends, it's not always that easy. So what can you do to add some relief from the heat?



Bring on the pupsicles! These treats are easy to make, take only a few minutes (plus freezing) and your dog will love them. I've made two different kinds and I think Kirby may like them more than I like my Hoopers.

1) Peanut Butter & Banana
Mash 2 bananas. Mix in 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Pour into your ice cube tray. Add a tiny treat (I use mini milk-bones) and freeze. Pop them out and give to your pup.

2) Yogurt and Apple Sauce
Mix a cup of yogurt (I use vanilla) with some apple sauce. Pour into an ice cube tray. Add a tiny milk-bone and freeze.

You can also make these with watermelon and blueberries, and even chicken broth. Your dog will love them because they are cold and delicious. I wonder if dogs get brain freeze like humans do?

My sister's Bullmastiff, Lucy on the left and my Cockapoo Kirby on the right. They anxiously await these treats. Lucy tends to gulp hers down in 2 chomps but Kirby likes to lick and savour his treat.










Another relief I've found for Kirby is a kids pool. Although we have a pool, he doesn't like it much unless he's on a float. The kids pool is perfect as he can touch the bottom, lay down and drink the water.

It's important to keep your pets cool in the Summer. Try making the Pupsicles and hosing your pooch down when outside. Make sure there's plenty of shade in your yard. Most importantly, leave your pet to enjoy the A/C at home while you run errands. Hot dogs belong on a BBQ...not in a vehicle!

Enjoy the rest of Summer. Stay cool!

~MT

Camping

My first camping experience was as a Brownie. I needed to earn my camping badge and headed to Camp Peco-Dah-Quah in Wyoming, Ontario with my Girl Guide troop. We spent the weekend pitching our tents, going on nature hikes, cooking over a campfire and singing Kumbaya.

Zach getting comfy on the
mattress while Kirby stands guard. 

My nephews Drew and Zach (aged 12 and 10) never joined Boy Scouts but I wanted them to experience the great outdoors. They would have preferred "glamping" in a yurt or teepee but they settled for a tent in my backyard.


They didn't complain much as they had a blow up queen size air mattress, access to wifi, a swimming pool, and they were steps away from the backdoor leading to a bathroom with running water and flushing toilets.

Drew would have spent the entire night on his watermelon float but was worried about the bugs. He loves swimming and spends hours at a time in the pool. No lake swimming at this camp, but the pool was a good substitute.










Bonfires are prohibited in Windsor, so I had to make do with a gift from my friend Paula, a ceramic fire pot. Not quite the same affect as a real bonfire. Fires were the best part of my camping memories where we roasted marshmallows and sang songs.





My sister found a recipe for Campfire Cones which I dare say, are even better than S'mores. You take a waffle cone, add ingredients such as marshmallows, peanut butter, chocolate chips and Gold Fish graham crackers. You wrap the cone tightly with tinfoil and bake it in the oven at 350° for 5-7 minutes. You can also heat them over a campfire for 3-5 minutes for those lucky enough to have one going in their backyard. Yummy!




The weather was perfect and the boys lasted all night without sneaking inside to sleep on a real bed with the A/C. We woke up the next morning to find their dog Lucy sitting outside. She was probably wondering why Kirby got to sleep inside the tent and she didn't. The tent is a 4-man and held 3 people and a dog. Two dogs would have been a tight squeeze.


Drew and Zach had a great time and asked if we could do it again. They conquered their fear of sleeping outdoors. They don't have all the skills I learned as a Girl Guide, but hopefully in time, they'll get there. So if you're looking for a fun "getaway" this summer, you don't have to go far. Pitch a tent out back and enjoy!

~MT