Downside of having fur…

I don’t want to whine about the heat but damn it is hot, hot, hot in Melbourne. I am missing my evaporative cooler at home. It must be really hard if you are covered in fur in weather like this.

I have a black lab and she really suffers in the heat. She digs holes and sits in them to keep cool. I have been extremely uncomfortable and I am sure the animals must be too. When I got home the cats barely acknowledged me until I turned the air conditioner on and they came upstairs to cool down.

It was difficult to sleep too and having a wakeful period at 2.00 am meant I slept in and as it was already 29 degrees when I woke up, I decided not to take Guy out for a walk. I am praying that it cools down soon.

This article explains how to care for your dogs in this heat. Really common sense: http://blog1.rspcasa.asn.au/2007/01/04/caring-for-your-animals-in-hot-weather/

If you have a ceiling fan or bedroom fan but no air conditioning you can stay cool by trying this:

1. Have a cool shower and dry off
2. You may want to place a towel on your bed before you lie down
3. Lay naked under a wet sarong

Hopefully tonight it wont be so bad!

Without a hitch

The cats visited on and off all night the tinkle of their collar bells woke me up. A few times in the night I was licked on the face by a wet dog tongue (not as pleasant as it sounds - ugh) but relatively restful night. I think it will be alright.

I ventured off to the local leash off park this morning at 6.15 am, it was still dark. Despite being told that the dog would lead me there, I eventually asked for directions. Chatted to a few of the local dog owners. Met Jack and Gemma. Traded dog bios… yes he’s about 18 months, from the lost dogs home his name is Guyus Maximus Finklepuss… Guy for short. I am dog sitting. Yes he is gorgeous.

I am looking forward to the late evening walk to see who turns up.

The other plus about living in East St Kilda for a week is that it is only one train stop from work and a 10 minute bike ride (woo hoo). I could really get used to this. Last night I sampled some of the local fare.

I have also been relishing the access to a very eclectic music collection. Last night I added Kate Bush, Elvis Costello, Massive Attack, The Carpenters, Goldfrapp, Mika, Miles Davis and The Velvet Underground to my music library. I can’t wait to spend some more time sampling from this collection.

It’s fun to step out of your usual routine and try new things.

Peace