Did I mention I hate hot weather? At least over half of the year in Ohio involves cold and damp or cold and frozen. Those are easy to navigate because you can keep putting on clothes.

Heat sucks because there is only so much clothing one can safely remove. Even in the privacy of home behind closed doors, when you’re stark naked and still sweating like a whore in church, there’s not much more you can do.

At least I am doing better than right after my hysterectomy. I literally had the AC turned down to 59° – and was still dripping with sweat and tempted to sit in the freezer.

I am not sure what possessed me to get a heeler puppy last year. Blue is now a year old. (born 6-4-23) He was 10th out of a litter of 10, and the runt. The vet tech (who I have known 30+ years) laughed her ass off when I called to schedule him for a well check and the last of his puppy shots. Being a rural practice, and many of their customers are sheep farmers, they are very familiar with heelers, and heelers are not their favorite patients.

“You do know heelers are a handful, right?” She giggled about this. She breeds Rottweilers, and compared to heelers, they have a really mellow personality.

I replied, “But I have a Catahoula, and I know you remember Clara- the Malinois.”

“Oh, yeah. If you can hang with a Mal, you can take a heeler easy.”

I think the characterization of heelers, (or more accurately, Australian Cattle Dogs) as “miniature redneck Malinois” is pretty accurate.

Blue is a sweet boy. He will always be on the small side for a heeler- 35# and he’s likely done growing. He’s always active, always in motion, but not as serious as a Mal. He likes people and other dogs. And there is a hell of a mind behind those so brown they’re almost black eyes. 

Dogs make me happy. People, most of the time, not so much.