After a period of vaguely okay weather, with some rainy days and nice things like that, it is now extra-July here in the middle of Texas.
Combine that heat with all that Saharan dust, and people are staying indoors in droves. In fact, if I had a Gratitude Journal, my only entry this week would say, “Air Conditioning!” I’ve been dealing with most annoying asthma symptoms all week.
Mandi was trying to paint the inside of the house she’s remodeling this week, but it doesn’t have air conditioning yet. She now has heat exhaustion.
I’m being careful and plan to feed horses and chickens at sunset, and will probably drive over there rather than walk.
What about the animals?
It’s also hot for all the domesticated animals at the ranch. The cattle spend a good part of the day wading in the tanks/ponds. Then they graze, then they chew their cuds in the shade of the trees in the pastures. That’s why we are glad for our woods and the savannah-like trees where the bulk of the cattle are.
The horses go into their woods when they are in the wooded pasture. Earlier in the week, they had to go in the small pasture near the tack room, so we left the gate open so they had a choice of shelters to go in. They’d probably wade in a pond if they had one.
The chickens are lucky enough to be housed under a very large tree, and they have shelter in their coop. We also replenish their water every day.
The cats all go hang out under their respective houses, where it is amazingly cool. I guess that’s a benefit of pier and beam construction. When Shadow (office cat) comes to say hi, no matter how hot it is, she feels great. And Joe (Rattlesnake house guardian) is even luckier. For the past few months there has been a hole in the bathroom floor he can enter and exit through, so he’s had house access. Don’t worry, he will have a dog/cat door once the bathroom is finished.
Our dogs go swimming often, and they take advantage of a water trough we have behind the house and a kiddie pool we have in the front. That seems to help. But the big dog, who generally loves being outside, has taken to running inside to sleep. His favorite thing about our house is the air conditioning! If he can’t do that, he digs until he finds cool dirt to lie in.
If you aren’t lucky enough to be vacationing in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, or Colorado (I know people traveling in all these places right now, grr), be sure to drink a lot of water, stay inside as much as possible, and make sure your animals are safe.
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