Easter in the south

Easter Sunday, Kiawah Island, SC 2010.







Charleston is in the first real flush of spring.  Billows of pollen cover the cars.  The forsythia are long gone.  You can smell jasmine here and there, although I have not seen any.  Once in a while, you even get a whiff of that heavy summertime air.  Atlanta is probably a little cooler than Charleston, but Charleston's warm spring weather is heading its way.

Now is the time to think about your dog and hot weather.  This is when the "Rule of 140" comes into play.  The Rule of 140 means that you should not exercise your dog if the sum of the temperature in Fahrenheit and the percent humidity tally to 140 or above.

A 70 degree dawn with 70% humidity is common in Atlanta on the 4th of July.  This means no hard exercise nearly the whole day.  Try a  sunrise hike at Lake Alatoona, with plenty of time for splashing, to keep everyone happy and healthy.

Other thoughts on prevention:

1. Carry a bottle of water.  Not for you!  You're not going to shrivel up.  Your dog can drink from a bottle, right?
2. Let puppy get acclimated.  This is important when the hot weather comes as though someone threw a switch, as can happen in the south.
3. Be aware of water temperature.  Lake Alatoona can get into the 70s, which does not provide much cooling.
4. Take a break on your hike.  Guess what?  Sitting around and watching the scenery with your dog is fun.