"Unsafe to Breathe"

That's what they were saying on the radio this morning about the air, due to 94 degree temperatures, high humidity and dangerous ozone levels. There was no suggestion of what to breathe instead of the air, so I went ahead and sucked it up anyway, which always makes me feel a little hard core.

But seriously, these conditions do require a change in routine for many of my older dogs, as well as Stanley, whose unique physiology puts him in the same breathing category as, say, 13 year old Billie. I kept the walks casual and shaded and sprayed the dogs' underbellies to keep their organs from getting overheated, as well as keeping plenty of drinking water on hand.

And for myself (some of you may know I'm fighting off a bacterial infection and going in for a dreaded round of antibiotics tonight) I also made sure to drink plenty of water, and took breaks in between walks. I got started as early as possible (while making sure not to come too early for the dogs' comfort), thus avoiding the worst parts of the mid-afternoon, and I'm proud to say we all made it through the day unscathed!

Tomorrow the forecast calls for thunderstorms with small hail(!!! - hail! - in late June!!) ahead of dropping temperatures, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Assuming it's safe to breathe by then.