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Boy, has it been hot!

How hot is it?

It's so hot Urbana's dogs are demonstrating what the term dog days actually mean. It isn't really about the conjunction of Sirius, the Dog Star, and the sun.

It really is about dogs.

Our dog, Patches, has not told us she wants her medium-length fur coat shaved yet, but she is showing us how she tries to keep cool.

Patches has long, mostly white, hair. Her name comes from the patches of black – her ears and one oval space on her right side so large I've threatened to rent it as advertising space. In the heat, I've noticed three signs of her comfort level: she lies as close to a fan as possible, she stays out of the sun, and if the sun does shine on her, she lays on the dark spot.

Marty, my walking buddy, was surprised to learn The Depot was dog friendly. Marty met friends at the coffee house and expected to sit out back with the dogs under the awning. She and the dogs were invited inside. I think the dogs had to vouch that their owner knew how to behave indoors.

Three times during the week, electrical power was down for more than a few minutes. On Wednesday afternoon, I came home to find clocks flashing or blank. The lone analog timepiece showed power had been off for about 40 minutes. Within a half hour of coming home, the power failed again. I knew immediately more than our house was affected. The chatter of neighboring air conditioning units was silenced. Within about five minutes neighbors on both sides were on their porches questioning our status.

We are so accustomed to being plugged in that we question what our senses are experiencing.

The lack of power was a good excuse for finding air conditioning and supper in one establishment. Many others seemed to have a similar thought. I suspect quite a few were escaping the heat at the fair by eating at Frisch's.

The electricity was on when we returned home, but it was still unbearable in the house. Husband suggested a trip to the river to cool us all down. Patches eagerly jumped into the air-conditioned van. That was not a surprise since she loves to ride in the car.

Her eagerness remained when we arrived at the Mad River where she tried to be the first out of the car. She always lets us know she doesn't want to be left behind.

I did wonder if my brain had been scorched when I saw what she did next. This dog so despises water she entrenches herself rather than allow two strong adults to place her into a tub for a bath. The word "bath" is a magic word in our home — it makes her disappear. This night, however, she casually walked into the cool Mad River. She must have been one hot dog.