The Puppies’ Solution To Playing Outside In June In Iowa

June in Iowa is notoriously hot. So are July, August and September, but we’re not quite there yet. Even with acres and acres of trees around the property, the area by the house is pretty sparse. So the puppies don’t get to be outside right now as much as normal, but they love their time on the deck.

The deck faces west, so it’s in the shade all morning. By evening, as the sun is setting, it starts to cool off. But in the middle of the day, they don’t even want to be out there more than a few minutes.

So our solution was to put up a specially designed netting on the sliding glass door so they can go out onto the deck in the cool times and come back inside when they get too hot. Not only is this easier for them to run around and bark and stuff whenever they want, it also means they’re not barking at me to go outside every other minute. Bonus!

What I love more than anything is seeing them happy, enjoying the fresh air. Our work schedules have gotten pretty crazy over the past few weeks, meaning the dogs are inside and crated for a few hours at a time. That’s why we treasure seeing their faces in the sunshine whenever possible.

They love to bark at things the can see from the deck, like birds, deer, fish in the pond and those shifty-looking squirrels. And sometimes leaves. And sometimes wind. They’re just doing their due diligence, right?

The puppies’ smiles are a great reminder of the blessings God has given us. They don’t need a house full of toys or fancy dog clothes to be happy. They just want to sit in the sunshine and see what’s happening in the world. Maybe we should take that example to heart!