Did The Fireplace Get Smaller?

Well, contrary to a previous post, summer has finally arrived here in the Bay Area.  And like an annoying in-law who shows up unannounced on your doorstep, summer sort of caught us unaware.  On Memorial Day it was raining and cold.....by the end of the week it was in the 90's.  Yes, we commonly hit the 90s out here in the valley in summer but we usually get a warning shot across the bow first.  Mother Nature must be off her manic-depressive meds.

When the pups first came to us, it was September of 2010 which was a pretty mild summer compared to what we usually get.  Still, I worried about them in their furry black coats as I had read that Bernese can get overheated quite easily.  But it wasn't long (Day Two, I believe!) that the pups discovered the cool granite fireplace hearth under the ceiling fan, and claimed it as their own territory.  Almost the entire lower level of the house is stone floor, so it's not like there were not other cool places to crash, but the black granite hearth became the official Cool Puppy Destination, which it remains today.  There was plenty of room for two toasty puppies to stretch out, either tail-to-tail or nose-to-nose.  If one got there first and plopped down right in the middle, hogging up all the cold, no worries!  There was still plenty of room for the other to curl up besides the first and still relish in the relaxing chill.  The hearth is surrounded by warm, heat-holding carpet but no fear!  The pups were quite content on their black granite island all to themselves (no cats allowed).

That being said, when the temperature hit 102 last week, Bodie and Leila spent much quality time on the granite hearth.  Just like old times, they migrate to the fireplace hearth by default, hoping to soak up the cold.  I'm not sure if they notice, but they don't exactly fit there anymore.  They try to lie the way they did before, only now it's just the back ends that are getting cooled, while their heads overlap onto the carpet.  After plopping down, they glance up at me as if to say "Did this thing shrink?"  And if one gets there before the other (usually Bodie) and stretches out to relax, the second one is, well, pretty much screwed.  Leila is lucky to get her butt and tail on the granite, while the rest tries to get comfy on the carpet.  This has caused Leila to get a bit crafty.  Not one to be gypped out of her happy place, she will come up to me on the couch and get all silly and barky, pleading for some attention and ear rubs.  When Bodie sees that he is losing out on the loving, he gets up and comes over as well to get his fair share.  That's when Leila makes her move, slyly extracting herself from the lovey-frenzy and making her way back to the hearth, where she plops down with a satisfied "Oof" and claims her stake.  When Bodie realizes he just got snookered, he tries to make his 85 pound body as comfortable in the small remaining corner of granite as he can, usually ending up with his backside right in front of (and sometimes on top of) Leila's face.  Always the gentleman, he's not about to push her off, but he CAN make her stay there as unpleasant as possible.

Meanwhile, the dog blankets have been washed and put away, hopelessly unnecessary for the next few months.  Although as I was folding their favorite huge brown one to store it in the garage, Bodie watched me with his big brown eyes and I know what he was thinking.

"Does this come in granite?"