Wednesday, August 20, 2008
We didn’t really start to feel the effects of TS Fay until last night. But since last night we have gotten rain, rain and more rain with a little bit of wind thrown in there. Luckily, nothing too bad at this point. However, Fay is a bit fickle and it has been difficult for forecasters to really pin down her path. Right now it looks like she is going to skirt right by us out on the Atlantic and then turn back and hit Florida again. We have been keeping a watch on the weather and Benny has been more than happy to help us out. He was getting an updated report this morning as we were eating breakfast.
TS Fay reminded me of a question that was sent in a while back by a blog reader that wanted to know how we prepare for hurricanes. I’d be more than happy to share, but first let me preface this with we have never actually been through a hurricane. We are relatively newcomers to the state of Florida and have been lucky enough not to have to ride out a storm. With that being said here are some of the preparations we make each year with a focus on the pugs and the cat.
Water, batteries and other staples
We stock up on all these things. Many have told us all about being without electricity for several days so we make sure we have plenty of batteries on hand to power our flashlights and little lanterns for a good long time. We make sure we have enough water not only for us, but also for the pugs and the cats.
Crates
We make sure the dog crate that fits in the car along with the cat’s carrier are handy in the garage. If we are ever forced to evacuate or go to a shelter, I like to have a crate with me if for some reason we would need to keep the pugs contained. We also have 6 foot leashes and harnesses handy.
Food
One of the biggest problems with the pugs is that their food must be refrigerated. If we lose electricity for several days it is likely their meals will spoil. So we always keep a big bag of Wellness kibble on hand during hurricane season. During that time we give them kibble as treats and we mix some in with their food so it would not be a complete shock to their digestive system if they had to switch to an all kibble diet suddenly.
In all honesty, with 3 dogs and a cat, if a serious hurricane threatened our area we would most likely evacuate. So we try to keep a list of our essentials. For example, Luna’s eye drops. Can’t forget those.
Hopefully, our lucky streak over the last 3 years will continue.
Monday, February 7, 2005
Sorry for not posting much recently, but life has been pretty uneventful lately. The weather has been chilly and it has snowed the last two weekends. So what isn’t covered in snow is a muddy mess from the snow melting.
Despite the bad weather, the boys and I were ready to get outside and have some fun. So, yesterday we made a point to go to the dog park. We went very early in the morning while the ground was still frozen to help avoid a lot of the mud. There were about five other dogs there who’s owners all had the same idea about coming early while things were still frozen, so the boys had plenty of playmates.
When things warmed up and the park started turning to mud we left and went to the children’s playground area to play on the jungle gym. The boys love to climb on the jungle gym and go down the sliding boards. This jungle gym was very large and had 6 different slides. I was very proud of them because they even went down the tunnel slides that are curved. They usually hesitate and try to avoid the enclosed slides but yesterday they were up for anything!
Saturday, January 22, 2005
It has been very chilly here lately and we are in the midst of a snow storm. The heavy snow is yet to come, so we decided to head out and play while there was just a dusting on the ground.
The boys both had their coats on and were running around like mad stopping to gobble up snow along the way. They kept trying to shake off the cold and any snow that may have gotten on their coats. Luckily, I was able to snap a picture of Benjamin as he was giving himself a good shake!
If the boys are up to it, we may try to venture out later after there has been some accumulation. If we do, I will be sure to post some more pics.
Monday, December 20, 2004
We just had a major cold front move through here in Maryland and it is now freezing cold outside. The coldest December morning we have seen in Maryland since 1989!
When we went outside this morning for the first potty rounds it was a chilly 6 degrees outside. The worst part was that it was so windy! Both the boys had their jackets on, but poor Benjamin was shivering and could not get back in the house soon enough.
Hopefully, it will warm up a little bit or the wind will at least die down. At this point, the boys can really only run out to go potty and then it is right back in the house.
All this and it is not even officially winter yet!
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
It was a chilly 31 degrees when we headed out for our morning walk which meant it was time to break out the boys’ winter jackets. Ben’s favorite is his red hooded sweatshirt and Henry loves his leather jacket.
Ben has a really short and thin coat of fur so he gets cold really easily. Henry, on the other hand, has a very thick coat and he handles the cold much better. But in the morning, it is hard to get Henry out from under the covers, so he likes to wear his jacket because there is nothing worse than getting out of a warm bed to go outside to brave the cold weather. Trust me, I know!
