With the incessant heat, our attendance at our Saturday 2-3 PM Topeka LabFest has sometimes dwindled down to 3.
So I e-mailed everyone and extolled our location (in the shade of a tall stand of pines with their lowest branches at least 20 ft. off the ground) on a knoll where -- if there's any breeze at all, we'll have it.
So 10 people and 7 Labs showed up and we did have the breeze. It was strong enough that one of our members with 2 preschoolers flew a kite for their amusement.  The wind was coming from a point that he had to stand in the sun to fly it. The kids, wisely, stayed in the shade and watched.
We had one guest from KC, MO, and her Lab, a BF ("Jordan") who was a cousin visiting one of our regulars.
To my surprise, Puff instigated a couple rounds of "Catch me if you can"Â in which she played the part of the uncatchable mechanical rabbit at dog races.
Several people brought jugs of ice cubes along with the usual water and most Labs enjoyed those.
Two Labs with unquenchable desires for swimming wandered off about a quarter mile away and found a branch of the Shunganunga River and swam. Their owners had to help them find a way out because they'd scampered down a bank too steep and crumbly to climb back up. That's the first time THAT'S happened (swimming) in 4 years.
It was comfortable out there -- while we stayed there. On the quarter mile walk back, everyone unconsciously headed for the islands of shade -- "connect these dots" -- to escape the searing sun on the way back to our cars. It reminded me of how we crossed Vermont brooks when growing up, jumping from one big stone to another.
So I e-mailed everyone and extolled our location (in the shade of a tall stand of pines with their lowest branches at least 20 ft. off the ground) on a knoll where -- if there's any breeze at all, we'll have it.
So 10 people and 7 Labs showed up and we did have the breeze. It was strong enough that one of our members with 2 preschoolers flew a kite for their amusement.  The wind was coming from a point that he had to stand in the sun to fly it. The kids, wisely, stayed in the shade and watched.
We had one guest from KC, MO, and her Lab, a BF ("Jordan") who was a cousin visiting one of our regulars.
To my surprise, Puff instigated a couple rounds of "Catch me if you can"Â in which she played the part of the uncatchable mechanical rabbit at dog races.
Several people brought jugs of ice cubes along with the usual water and most Labs enjoyed those.
Two Labs with unquenchable desires for swimming wandered off about a quarter mile away and found a branch of the Shunganunga River and swam. Their owners had to help them find a way out because they'd scampered down a bank too steep and crumbly to climb back up. That's the first time THAT'S happened (swimming) in 4 years.
It was comfortable out there -- while we stayed there. On the quarter mile walk back, everyone unconsciously headed for the islands of shade -- "connect these dots" -- to escape the searing sun on the way back to our cars. It reminded me of how we crossed Vermont brooks when growing up, jumping from one big stone to another.
