Monday Park Report

We just got back from a seriously uncomfortable trip to the park.

I complain a lot about our summer weather. Truth is, I’m not very good in the heat, even though I grew up in a warm climate. I sunburn easily, and I quickly overheat and start to feel nauseous. Silas isn’t a lot better. The trick is, supposedly, to get outside every day in the spring, so that your body can adjust to the heat as it gradually warms up. Well, this year summer flipped on like a switch, and it happened while I had the flu.

It’s very easy to stay inside all summer. Silas really doesn’t mind. One outing a week is fine by him, as long as we’re playing indoor games. The downside of that is that he needs exposure to people and moving objects and other animals, otherwise his anxiety levels start to go back up. After living like a hermit for a few weeks, he is very sensitive to anything “unusual,” which is basically everything.

Today I thought, “Well, I’ll just put on my big girl pants, and we’ll go out first thing.” Except after a month of not using Silas’s big park bag (the one that holds water for both of us, which I have to carry if we’re going to be out more than half an hour. Otherwise I carry a small bag with just water for him.) its contents were all over the house. Then I wanted to go to the park that was the furthest away. It was, all told, a little before 10:00 when we hit the trail, and about 11:00 when we got back to the car. Now I know that this is too late. It wasn’t even that hot. 88, with 68% humidity, but the sun was just brutal for that last half hour.

On the plus side: Silas got over his fear of the park bridges. He was always fine with them, and then I made the mistake of stepping on a loose expansion plate one day. Ka-Pow! And then he was afraid to cross them. A little time away and he’s forgotten about it. He did bark at some pedestrians, but not too much.

The far away park, with it’s longer walks and less shade, is probably getting dropped off our repertoire for the next few months, though.