Missoula got its own heat dome recently, with temperatures in the upper 90s. Orly and Dotty came up with a few ways to beat the heat.

Get out the splash pad

The splash pad is always a popular way to cool off. Several of Orly’s siblings have had the same idea and shared photos on our group chat.

Orly bounds right in; Dotty is a little more tentative. Once Orly splashes in after a toy, though, Dotty is eager to try it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eat special frozen treats

Get your mom to make frozen treats. Cubes of watermelon freeze nicely and are delicious. Other favorites are coconut water ice cubes (put a couple of berries in each one!) and a new addition to the menu: yogurt-peanut butter-banana mash.

Orly and Dotty love this mixture in frozen into a Kong or Toppl (and it takes them a good 10-15 minutes to lick out every cool, yummy drop). Or just freeze blobs on a cookie sheet. The girls are NOT fussy!

 

Take a walk in the woods

One of our favorite hiking spots, Crazy Canyon, is always shaded and at least a little cooler than our neighborhood.

Head for the river (along with all of Missoula)

We got there early and went a bit off the beaten path for a cool swim / splash. Orly is a strong swimmer. Dotty is more of a splash around the shallows gal, with the added excitement of giving occasional soaking hugs to her favorite human.

Orly loves to swim after a stick, and Dotty … doesn’t, so they made up a game. The nearest human throws a stick; Orly swims out to grab it. As she returns, Dotty meets her partway and grabs the stick. The human must be ready with a new stick to throw … and the game continues.

… Or farther out of town

Packer Meadow, located at a higher elevation, is always a cool spot that offers opportunities to run and swim.

 

And of course … visit the Big Dipper

Summer would not be complete without several visits to the Big Dipper, the iconic Missoula ice-cream stand conveniently located a few blocks from our house. The free dog cones are definitely a lure. The dogs’ only complaint is that they are not open at 7 am when we pass by on our morning walks …