It’s true that our hot here might not be quite as hot as your hot there. We are whiny sissies of weather here in California, a little dip or rise in the temperature is cause for some serious alarm. Even the neighbor that hates you the most is ready to talk about weird weather. Global warming, a great way to make friends with the crazy guy across the street.

Pretty much all I want to do when it’s hot is lie around under some shady trees. The dogs like to get wet in the pond. Since I got Gustavo his fireworks loud fans, laying around in the house in front a fan isn’t so bad either.

When we went to the beach in the morning on Sunday, we could see a rainstorm across the bay. Exactly where we were supposed to go for some agility later in the day. Not just any rain storm. Lightning strikes, and thunder booms making it all the way across the water. This isn’t normal here. Climate change keeps us hopping.

I wasn’t sure if we really wanted to go down to Monterey. I entered Gustavo in 2 classes. And had thought to walk Banksy around and see if she could be calmish ringside. Calmish is all I ask.

I figured maybe the rain would dust the cobwebs and dirt off my car, so I drove down there. I’m supposed to love going to agility trials. Missed the rain but got some kind of crazy hot humid southern muggy sweat weather. Banksy took some walks around and laid down quietly and calmly to watch some agility from not too close. Worked pretty good. A work in progress. I would say calmish definitely accomplished. Just not too close yet. Gustavo ran his snookers, all three sevens meant running across the whole field for 3 in a row tunnels 3 times over again. We were winded. We made a boo boo at number 5 in the close and ran out.

Just before his next turn, when I went to go get him, he was panting hard and didn’t seem exactly right. He just looked really hot and uncomfortable. He makes those little squinty eyes and hangs his mouth open when he doesn’t feel good. He’s never been good at doing anything in the heat, especially not agility. He’s good at frolicking in water and sitting in my lap. That’s about it.

We stepped to the line in Grand Prix. Off we went, 1-2-3-4-5 into a tunnel. He came out of the tunnel, he went back in, wheezing and reverse sneezing and standing there looking very sad. I pulled him out. The judge came over to see if he was ok. I shrugged and told her he was having some kind of little attack. And then carried him down to a little baby pool to cool off. He was still panting hard and I took him for a drink and poor little guy looked sad and miserable.

So we went home and all the dogs laid in front of a fan. Me too. Sometimes I don’t know about this whole agility thing. Maybe we should have just stayed at the beach longer, then gone home to lay in front of the fan. Maybe next time.