Another heat wave has graced us this week. Temps made it over 100 degrees and it is way too hot for all of us who wear fur coats full time… especially black fur!

After watching several other dogs playing this weekend, i discovered a most delightful way to cool down ….. I just go have a seat in the water over at Derby Wharf. At first i was scared of the waves, but after sitting in the cold water they no longer seemed spooky. I have not tried to swim yet. (Of course Beta-chic is terrified i may swim across the channel to Marblehead if she lets me off the leash. She also has an annoying habit of hosing me down when we come home while mumbling something about stinky water and salt.) Humans do make such a fuss over the funniest things sometimes. I hope that she lets me off the leash soon just so i can try to swim and make her scream “Quan Yin come back!”

News is that Hurricane Earl is heading up the coast soon. I can only hope he passes us by. I am terrified of flooding and fire trucks. Perhaps it has something to do with being abandoned in the floods this year. It will be 3 months this weekend that i was transported up from TN. I do hope that the pet humans throw a surprise party with plenty of organic chicken and apple sausage for me.

Stay cool. Until my next post .. happy tails,
Quan Yin

Who said you can’t travel back in time? During the Salem Heritage Days and Maritime Festival i was so fortunate to come across these kind people having a tea party. The nice woman even gave me a piece of sausage! I cannot tell you how happy that made me! Beta-chic thinks it was magic sausage because i started wagging my tail and held it up for the rest of the day. It’s the simple things that make me happy. More sausage please.

This is the Friendship, Salem’s very own tall ship. I am a very lucky girl to be able to walk over to Derby Wharf every day and see it. On a real good day there are geese hanging out begging to be chased. What more could a girl want… well maybe another slice of that sausage please.
Until next post,
Happy Tails,
Quan Yin

O’ peppermint tea -
two delights per sip
as steamy hot as passion
cool as a wintry lake dip
~Astrid Alauda

One of my favorite spots to nap is on the balcony among the peppermint. It smells so good. And i think it must keep those pesky bugs away. I simply adore it. Of course i am from the South where this plant is revered by proper old ladies who drink tea and mint juleps!

Peppermint has been used medicinally for ages to treat tummy aches, indigestion, breathing and respiratory problems, headache, nausea, fever, stomach and bowel spasms. It is also great for stinky dog breath. My pet human aka Beta-chic chops up a small leaf of peppermint everyday and adds it to my food…. not that i would ever have stinky breath.

The latin name for Peppermint is Herba Mentae Haplocalycis and in Chinese it is called Bo He. It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine in several herbal formulas. In the Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica by Bensky & Gamble, it is listed in the category of Cool, Acrid Herbs That Release the Exterior. (And for all those herb geeks it’s properties are acrid, aromatic and cooling.) Please note that the Materia Medica is the herbal bible memorized by all acupuncture students preparing for licensing boards.

Bo He has several uses such as:
* Treating Wind Heat with symptoms of fever, headache and cough.

* Clears wind heat in the head, eyes and throat. Vents rashes and can even be used in early stages of measles. This of course is for people with measles!

* And it ….. allows constrained Liver qi to flow freely. Something of course only those trained in TCM would understand. But it does sound powerful. Beta-chic seems to think most of those people living in the state of Massachusetts suffer from some strange ailment called liver qi stagnation. I have no idea what she means. Perhaps it is the way they drive? Or the way they are always in a hurry? Maybe the snappishness – is that a word? This is probably why she treats dogs and not people. Liver qi stagnation seems to be an epidemic here in New England according to her. ( And sometimes after a long day of driving she even seems to suffer from it. But of course i would never say that out loud!) Fortunately most dogs do not suffer from this affliction.

So, i am wondering if everyone took the time to enjoy a nice cup of peppermint tea, might they be nicer during this horridly hot weather? Or perhaps they could just add a sprig of peppermint to their ice tea? I am not sure if it would help their driving but we can only hope it does!

Until next blog ….Be nice. Stay cool. And have some peppermint!
Quan Yin

If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live. – Lin Yutang

I love to walk… so the pet humans took me for a hike a few weeks ago at Breakheart Reservation in MA. It was a nice cool day with lots of trees, lakes and clean air. They would not let me off my leash so it was hard to chase squirrels. …. i had a great time anyway. Here are some of our pics.

I love watching the squirrels and chipmunks while roaming through Breakheart. And it is a dog friendly park too. This is a great place to walk your pet humans.

Alpha-guy poses with me. Don’t you love his hat?

This artsy collar was a gift from my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Laura. It was handmade. Beta-chic added a herbal insect repellent on my leash. She is terrified of fleas and ticks.

Oh and my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Laura just adopted a beagle from Beagle Rescue in MD. Her name is Giulietta. I hope one day i can meet her. Beagles have the best bark!

It has been way too hot for the pet humans to take me back for a long hike this week. Hoping that soon we can go again. Meanwhile there is always walks to the Salem Commons which we now call Squirrelandia.

Stay cool
xooxox
quan yin

For more info on BreakHeart Reservation visit the website at:http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/breakhrt.htm

Wow! Thanks so much for noticing our blog. We try to think of it as a prayer flag for promoting acupuncture and TCM for both humans and animals. Below are the top 30 blogs. Enjoy!

30 Best Blogs to Learn More About Acupuncture

The practice of acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, and millions of people around the world believe it has helped them overcome everything from allergies to back pain. If you’re interested in learning more about the ancient practice of acupuncture, whether for an additional lesson in alternative medicine outside of medical training school or just for your own personal education, then check out these blogs. You’ll find general information on Chinese medicine, news about the benefits of acupuncture and a whole lot more that can lead to a happier, healthier, more well-informed you.” To read more of this article please visit : http://www.medicalcodingcertification.com/blog/2010/30-best-blogs-to-learn-more-about-acupuncture/

Quan Yin director of Pawsitive Relations with Nubi wan Kenobi, Office Snoopervisor. (Other staff members Zevo Calamari and Luna miso Poosie were on their lunch break when this picture was taken!)