Teddy and Mummy Beat The Heat
The thermometer was rising. For about a week, each day seemed to get hotter. Sometimes Teddy wondered what was going on. He decided that the best place to be was on the kitchen floor, in front of the fan. He abandoned his favourite spot on the sofa. Even when Mummy was in the lounge, Teddy stayed in the kitchen with Daddy. This hardly ever happens! Mummy’s students and clients have got used to seeing his head pop up from time to time when she is working on line. Very occasionally they are startled by Teddy’s booming voice, if someone dares knock on the door. On this particular week, no one got to see Teddy.
At night, he still slept on his bed but Mummy had taken away his duvet to help him stay cooler. His bed was comfortable, but it wasn’t quite as soft. The windows were wide open and Teddy could hear the outside sounds. Sometimes they disturbed his sleep. He liked the fan but somehow it too disturbed his sleep. He moved about from one spot to another in an attempt to find somewhere that hadn’t absorbed the combined heat of his body and the air. He was restless.
Then came the extra hot day. Mummy put him the shower a few times. He liked how he felt afterwards. He seemed to get extra energy. They went out, but Mummy carried him to the car because she worried he might burn his paws on the pavement. Daddy had made sure the car was cool for him. He really liked it. He heard Mummy and Daddy talking. They were saying the next day was going to be hotter. Teddy raised his eyebrows. He wanted to stay in the car forever!
The next morning was hotter! It was so hot that even getting up early didn’t help Mummy. She had been having extra early breakfasts so she could go to the allotment. On this morning, she stayed home. Teddy was worried, but Mummy smiled and said, “don’t worry. Daddy and I have a plan”.
He watched her as she made lunch, and packed lots of different things. Daddy looked busy too. Teddy hardly wanted to move. He panted if he just stood up. Mummy looked at him and said, “come on, let’s give you a little shower”. “Yes, please!” Thought Teddy.
After the shower he felt much better. He noticed Mummy was putting on her shoes and that Daddy was going out the door. She put on his harness and then carried him into the cool car. Teddy was happy! Daddy brought all the packed things into the car and they were off! He didn’t care where they were going, he just loved lying in the bed that Daddy always puts in the car for long journeys, and feeling cool.
After a long while, the car slowed down and Teddy knew they had arrived. He sat up, looked around and was very excited. He knew this place. They hardly ever came here but he remembered it well. When Mummy opened the car door, the heat hit his face. He’d forgotten all about that! Still it felt better here than at home. He sniffed everything excitedly and marked the most interesting places. This was a lovely place, so many trees meant the Sun couldn’t find him. There was lovely shade everywhere. There was even a tiny breeze. While he was off exploring with Mummy, Daddy had found the perfect spot to put a blanket and their bags. They had only been exploring a little while and Teddy was a little disappointed that Mummy said it was time to find Daddy. He perked up though when she said the word, “lunch”.
They sat on the blanket. Mummy got lunch out for Daddy and for herself and then Teddy. She had a sardine cake for him. This was one of his favourites. She gave it to him in tiny pieces to help it last a long time so he could savour it. Teddy needed help to make things last. His love of food often meant it was gone in seconds. He liked Mummy helping him. Occasionally she got distracted and focused on her lunch. Teddy knew that he could make a special sound to remind her that his lunch was more important than hers. All he had to do was say “Hooommmm”. She would turn to him, smile and say, “wait a minute”. Sure enough, he was soon enjoying another bit of cake.
After a while, Teddy was bored. Lunch had finished and he was ready for a change. Mummy bribed him with bits of venison while Daddy finished eating. He seemed to need longer than Mummy to savour his food. Teddy was getting impatient. He eyed up the little pine cones on the floor and was desperate to put them in his mouth. Mummy was very adamant about this. She reminded him of the time on his third birthday party when he had almost choked on one and nearly passed out. It was a full three days later when Mummy understood why he seemed to have been having a funny turn in the car. She and Daddy were so worried that they had pulled over to check he was ok. Thankfully the funny turn passed but although they were relieved, they were anxious. Then one morning just before it was time to get up, Teddy threw up. Mummy was shocked to see a pine cone on the bedspread. Suddenly the incident in the car made sense. She was horrified when she fully realised the danger Teddy had been in.
Now she refused to take her eyes off him and Teddy wasn’t happy. He gave her his most defiant stare but she was not giving in. No pine cones! To make sure, she reached over to those closest to the blanket and threw them far away. Teddy was cross and frustrated. Then, finally Daddy finished eating. They all stood up and Teddy thought he now had a chance to get the pine cones. But Mummy was on to him. She walked very fast, keeping him on the lead, saying something about swimming. They were heading for the lake. Teddy was now happy. The lead came off and he was in. It was soooo cool! Now Mummy was coming in. Teddy isn’t normally interested in swimming but on this day, it was a great thing to do. He swam next to Mummy who thought this was magic. Teddy joined Daddy on the shore but Mummy stayed in the water. He rolled on grass and did a bit of exploring before joining her again. After a while, they took a break and she gave him a chew. Then they swam some more. Mummy was right. This was a magic day!