Now it is getting dark earlier, so I started my doggie walking a full 30 minutes earlier than I have been. I was starting at 7:00 p.m., and I waited that late because any earlier it was too hot for the doggies to be walking. It has cooled down allowing me to start earlier without hurting the doggies. I don't hurt them anyway, but they will not walk fast when it is hot, and if it is very hot the smaller doggie, Rand will lay in the shade and wait for me. The bigger doggie, Scooby, the one in the picture here, will sit down, and stay there until he feels that he is no longer tired and hot. The one morning I walked too late in the morning, and it was too hot, I managed to walk most of the distance, but he got too hot and too tired, and he just laid down in the shade, and looked at me as if to say, I am not going any further. I let him rest a long time, and then finally I encouraged him to get up, and we were close to home, so we went directly there! Tonight I started our walk at 6:30 p.m., and the doggies walked right along, so we got back pretty early, well, two hours later, but that is pretty fast for 6.5 miles. Carol went in the hot tub, which now has cool water in it, with our daughter instead of walking, and that is okay. She is old enough that she can decide what she wants to do. We did walk faster without her, but I am happy to have her walking even if it makes us walk slower while she is with us. She is only able to walk half the distance that she was able to last year, but any walking is better than no walking! I guess she has gone down hill physically that much since last year. It happens when we get older, and she is past 70 years old! She works hard to take care of herself, and whatever she can do to be comfortable and happy is great!