Dog days of summer hard for dogs

“I’d much rather be walking “barefoot” on a hot sidewalk in a noisy crowd of thousands of people with temperatures over 100 degrees than in the comfort of my own home and backyard.” Said no dog ever.

I don’t understand why people bring their fur friends to huge events like Ironman and the Fourth of July parade, putting them eye-level to small children, surrounded by all of the noise or heaven forbid leaving them locked in a car. I’m a pet owner and as much as I love my dog I know she appreciates being comfortable at home during the dog days of summer.

Not everyone is comfortable around dogs in any circumstance, but in crowds it’s even more uncomfortable. The best dog in the world can be unpredictable in crowds and in the heat of the day. Unless your pooch is accompanying you in arms or a puppy purse, consider choosing to leave them in the comfort of their own home for events. They’ll thank you.

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Since 2003 when Ironman first came to Coeur d’Alene I embraced the experience. Never as a competitor but as a volunteer and enthusiastic spectator. In the early years the bike portion was routed through Post Falls, including around the track at the Greyhound Park and across an active railroad trestle which was converted to a bike path and taken down in record time by the Post Falls Lions Club.

The routes for all except the swim portion have changed through the years but the inspiration of the athletes never varied. I’ve met athletes and their families and fans from all over the country and the world.

I’ve been behind the scenes with media credentials and been out on the lake at the crack of dawn to watch the swimmers. I’ve volunteered at runner’s aid stations for local charities, as a pointer in the bike segment, body marker, sunscreen applicator, as a Doping Control escort for the pro racers, and as a finish line catcher, always choosing the last shift before the race cut-off where the inspiration of seeing regular people who had set a goal finally, blessedly crossing the finish line to become Ironmen.

If you’ve never volunteered, believe me, it’s incredibly rewarding to be in the company of people who are achieving at the highest level. People who might not consider themselves athletes in their regular life. Maybe they’ll never do another Ironman again but on June 27 there will be people who will amaze themselves with what they’ve accomplished.

There are still volunteer openings for this Sunday in a variety of areas. Go to Ironman Coeur d’Alene Volunteer on Facebook or ironman.volunteerlocal.com/?id=51901 for information.

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When I posted the graphic for our forecasted temperatures, featuring three days over 100, daughter Sarah who lives in Phoenix posted one from her neck of the woods for the same time frame. It was like Arizona saying to Idaho, “here, hold my beer!”

Arizona is going into Week 2 of daily triple-digit temperatures, which is to be expected in the desert southwest … but here in the Inland Northwest, triple digits are not the norm, especially in June. Hydrate or better yet, jump in the lake and river!

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Happy birthday today to Dawn Forest, Nancy Nick, Lynne Hammond and Carly Cline. Tomorrow Jim Reynolds, Kathy Bush, Kimi Coles, Rhonda Ellis, Ian Sadler, John Phelps, Sara Wegner and Laura Lahr put on their party hats.

On Friday Joann Hildebrant, Bill Reagan, Mikki Stevens, Patty Vogt, Addison Johnson, Jim Guy, Jan Olsen, Angela Mort, Connie McGee, Kylie Gibson, Shanda Johnson, Sally Mackin (70!) and Megan Ownbey celebrate another trip around the sun. Sam Davis, Rick Rasmussen, Alecia Warren, Shannon Fish, Chloe Hutter, Ben Wolfinger, Karen Hanson, Cathleen O’Connor, Sheryl Snyder (70!) and Ernie Hunt blow out the birthday candles on Saturday.

Sunny Sunday birthdays belong to Trigger Weddle, Todd Banducci, Gayle Bolton, Leslie White, Scott Hamilton, Terri Mercer, Cherry Jones, Nathan Gubbe and John Goodlander. On Monday Gene Tillman, Connie Gridley, Dave Stutzke, Janet Smith, Cherry Jones, Jack Danelson and Sheryl Sipe put on their party hats. On June 29 Jessica Zazueta, Brandan Stone, Neil Conner, Kiley Archer, Krystal Gordillo, Kiley Nick, Lyndon Harriman and Carolyn Havens celebrate.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.