The big news from Zip is the weather. He is sluggish, sleepy, and quiet in this heat, a winter dog.

I go out there to organize my flower photographer, and he joins me. After some stroking, he goes under the wicker sofa and goes to sleep. The hot weather slows him down.

I see him prowling around in the dark, so I think he hunts at night. During the day, he often goes into the barn, where there are cool spots.

We now meet on the back porch, away from the intense sun and blessedly away from the chipmunks he’s been killing. What happens when it gets cooler? I love the back porch; it works for me and has fewer bugs.