Please Pay Special Attention To Your Loved Ones On A Hot Day

     My son had four of his friends over swimming today. They are all good kids and had a great time. My biggest problem was the weather. It felt like a wall of heat every time I went out to replenish their water and make sure they had put their sunscreen on. I also made sure they sat underneath our umbrella a few times a day to protect them from the sun's penetrating rays. When I was a teenage lifeguard for the city of Holyoke, we used to make the kids get out of the pool so they could rest and not be susceptible to the adverse affects of heat stroke. I will never forget how it feels. It happened to me when I was around ten-years old. I had the worst headache and spent the afternoon in the bathroom.

     What really upset me today was hearing about two dogs that had tragically died due to being left in a hot car. The owners couldn't understand what had happened. They thought that if they left the windows open enough so the dogs could breath but not get out of the car, surely their dogs would be safe. Besides they weren't going too far. The poor things were trapped. Sadly the owners learned the hard way that even if you leave the windows open it still gets blistering hot within a few minutes. I only let my kitty Minnie out in the morning before the heat and humidity becomes overbearing and dangerous. Thankfully, we have air conditioning where we both can get some relief. Besides, she's afraid of her own shadow and stays close to the house. In the winter I make sure she stays in the house. Hopefully more people will pay special attention to their pets when the weather becomes extreme otherwise more innocent and trusting animals will needlessly perish.