The "Dog Days of Summer" Have Begun

This was Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, which is my least favorite season. The girls did their best to make me feel cool & comfortable: they installed the window air conditioners; brought the "canine cooler" doggie pad down from the attic; and resumed making those homemade chicken-flavored ice cubes I love so much. But the best thing was I got to go swimming at the Peninsula in Prospect Park! The Peninsula is funner than Dog Beach cuz a) I don't get ear infections (I've heard Thelma call it "Otomax Beach" for the name of the antobiotic ointment that's been prescribed for me more than once to clear up the gunk that sometimes grows in my ears after I've gone swimming there) and b) it's way bigger than D.B. (which is small & shallow & really about wading) and you have to actually dive into the water and really swim--like 10-20 feet--to retrieve tennis balls. It's the BEST!!! There were 2 kids who really wanted their poodle to jump into the water, but their mom wouldn't let them throw the ball b/c she thought the water was dirty & she was afraid she might have to jump in to rescue their dog. "Let's wait until we go to the Hamptons next month, OK?" she whined. Boy, she really made that poodle nervous! I'm sure the dog could swim just fine; she was just a little scared. So the kids took turns throwing the ball & I paddled out to get it & brought it back. It was so great! I made sure to shake myself dry right next to them to show my thanks.