We’ve been taking our morning walks in the neighborhood for the last couple of weeks. We were going to head over to the Gathering Place this morning, because Wednesday is the day they reserve especially for dogs. I’ve never been there, and I was so excited, I don’t think I slept very much. Since I was up early, I figured my brother would be, too. He didn’t seem quite as excited as me, but he got up anyway, and we headed up Riverside Drive.
Well, I guess the Gathering Place folks are not morning people. It was closed! Maybe the sun was not technically up yet, but there was definitely light. We weren’t sure when it would open, so we decided to walk the tried-and-true Utica Square-to-Temple Israel-to-Cascia Hall-to-Nakatomi Gardens circuit.
After being gone for a couple of weeks, it’s always nice to get reacquainted with all the good smells. Plus, there are so many new ones! You know what I mean, right?
One great new smell: bacon! The Wild Fork was open for breakfast and, when we got out of the car, it hit us like a breath of fresh air! I don’t think the Gathering Place has bacon.
Temple Israel’s garden was beautiful, but their sprinkler system was going full blast, so we side-stepped it and headed toward Cascia Hall. There was a good crowd at St Rita’s Chapel for early morning church. Maybe one day I can go inside. I promise not to sniff around too much.
There was a group of young folks getting ready to play tennis. And we saw a sign we had never noticed before.
Oops! There goes our shortcut. Oh well, it’s a nice walk the longer way around – and more new smells!
After a quick swing through Nakatomi Gardens, we got back to Utica Square. My friends weren’t open at Anthropologie yet – they always come out to say “hi” if we’re there during business hours – but I think my brother finally understands why I always plop down in front of their door. Their air conditioner runs full blast and it comes out of the gap between and under the doors like an icy jet!
My brother calls peaches “God’s Candy”. I appreciate the clarification, because I always thought that was a little piece of Egg McMuffin that someone dropped on the ground. But, we all know that God has more than one favorite. He’s God, after all!
There were a lot of people buying peaches. Luckily, I didn’t have to bring my wallet. I even got to walk around in the orchard.
I thought I looked like Indiana Jones in search of treasure, but when the fruit started dropping out of the trees, I didn’t want to be Sir Isaac Newton!
The Livesays have a little schooner in their yard. I would like to take a ride in it sometime. Fortunately, though, no one wanted to hitch me up to it, because I had already had my exercise for the day.
These little wagons were more my speed.
If you’re near Porter, come on out and enjoy Summer – by the bushel!
I never even thought about hockey pucks having names, but ours is Alexa and my brother talks to her a lot. He asks her to add things like butter, bacon, and (my personal favorite) dog treats to our shopping list. That’s one less thing for me to have to remember. She can turn lights on and she even must be friends with all kinds of musicians. On many evenings, if my brother is going to be gone a while, he’ll ask her to get Brad Paisley and, a few seconds later, there he is singing to me for the evening!
Here’s something I thought about the other day: remember to always say “please” and “thank you”. Otherwise, you might forget to do that when you talk to people or dogs who don’t look like hockey pucks.
Alexa must work out a lot. She is a lot harder than other hockey pucks. The first (and last) time I tried to pick her up, my teeth were surprised. Now, she lives up on the top of the bookcase. I miss seeing her on the table.
Every once in a while, you just need a little sprucing up to give you a new lease on life. I got to go to the barber shop!
First off, there were two other Golden Retrievers when I got there, so we had our own, private waiting room. Fun times!
It had been a while since I got a trim. The pile of fur on the floor was bigger than some of the other dogs that were in the place.
Before I show you the finished product, here’s a flashback to a couple of months ago, when my Older Brother tried to give me a bath. Bless his heart; he did his best, but I don’t think either of us enjoyed the experience.
Kind of like what Mark Twain said about baptizing a cat.
On the other hand, take a look at the groomer’s handiwork. Poetry in motion!
They cleaned up my “potty area” and gave me a nice, patriotic bandana around my neck. I call it the Reverse Mohawk: party in front, business in back!
Whether you call it the barber shop, the day spa, the beauty parlor, or the groomer, give yourself a treat. It’ll lift your spirits!
I love this day! The pretty flag with the stripes and stars is everywhere and the whole neighborhood smells like meat cooking. Yum!
Rather tricky out, because it looks like it would be cooler than it is. We got a nice walk in earlier, nonetheless. I still just can’t quite reach that water that the nice lion is trying to give me at Nakatomi Gardens.
Maybe we can bring a ramp next trip.
There are little flags all over Utica Square. Even the moles are patriotic, I guess!
The moles’ fireworks ought to be interesting. Be sure to wear protective eyewear.
A fellow’s got to be careful when he’s doing his business around there: don’t want to disrespect the flag!
A little later, my Elder Brother is going to be heading out to watch some fireworks. When we first got together, he was concerned that I might get nervous around fireworks. As you can see from the Mardi Gras parade fireworks we watched on the boat, he needn’t have worried.
Bass Pro Shops, that is. Every time we go through Memphis, I get to go inside the big pyramid on the river. There are waterfalls, fish, and all kinds of things to smell. I’ve been told it looks like the start of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World.
Well, did you know that there’s one in Tulsa, too? Bass Pro, I mean; not Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s not in a tall pyramid, but it also has waterfalls and ponds with fish. It also has more light, and there are those magic rooms that you can walk in, the doors close, and when they reopen, you’re somewhere else! Have you ever been in one of those? They’re amazing!
I like our boat in the District, but these would be nice for finding more fish that I could be friends with.
Speaking of which – when we got inside, I made a beeline for the fish area!
We took one of the magic rooms and, before you know it, we were upstairs, looking down on the store.
Wow! There were things I missed when I was looking at the fish.
Before church this morning, we had a pleasant surprise. Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue (of which I am a proud alumnus) held a doggy birthday party for Dax, our oldest cousin. First, I got to meet some new friends.
Pardon me, but you look (and smell) very familiar.
Dax turned 17 today! He was getting around great. Must be all that clean living.
The birthday boy. Happy birthday, Dax!
Sharon and Dwight Yenzer were there with Abe and Toby Sue. I got to stay with them last fall while my Elder Brother, Doug, was coming back to town to pick me up.
Commentary by Dwight Yenzer, who was filming his own video at the same time.
They were trying to get us to pose for a photo, but we had more important things to do.
We all sang Happy Birthday and then – treats all ’round!
Even the people got birthday treats.
Dax took me aside and I asked him the secret to his longevity. I was sure the answer was going to be “Have a drink out of the toilet and a piece of bacon every day” but he must not have understood my question.
The birthday boy was giving me some pointers on a long and healthy life.
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Psalm 85:10
Here I am: footloose and fancy free! Having a wonderful time at the doggy party!
A beautiful day with beautiful friends!
If you’d like to donate to Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue, please click on this link. Thanks for your consideration. I am living proof that they do a wonderful job!
Last Saturday, June 20th, at 5:44 pm Eastern Daylight Time, the sun reached its highest point in the sky. This was the summer solstice – the longest day of the year, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. For the next three months, we’re officially in the good old summertime. Strolling down the shady lane. Sailing up a lazy river. Fishing. Traveling. Grilling out. Chilling out.
But as much as we all love to be immersed in the joys of summer, it’s nice – maybe even necessary – to have a few cubic feet of winter within easy reach. These coolers will supply the arctic environment needed to keep drinks, food, and ourselves icy cold, even in the doggiest of dog days. And they’ll continue to serve us well as the days grow shorter – camping, tailgating, and serving as overflow iceboxes for all the feasts of fall and winter.
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The Elephant – er, Yeti – in the Room
Let’s get this one out of the way quickly. Yeti coolers may be the 600-pound gorilla in terms of what people think of when it comes to high-end ice chests, but their products are not 100% made in the USA. Yeti’s website says that their Tundra coolers are made at facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Philippines, so that’s a roll of the dice. To give them an E for effort, their website does say that you can call them if you really want to make sure you purchase a 100% made in the USA cooler, and they will source it for you. However, with all the other great coolers to choose from – often with smaller price tags – you might as well save yourself the trouble.
I feel the same way about kale. As my Granddad used to say, “Youcan make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but it’s seldom worth the effort.”
Rumor has it that Yeti’s five-gallon bucket is made in South Carolina. If you’re feeling lucky about that, here’s the Amazon link:
You may rightfully wonder why anyone would pay around $50 for a five-gallon bucket. Actually, it gets good reviews for sturdiness and durability (4.8 stars over 211 ratings). Even if you’re giving it a hard pass, you might enjoy looking at the comments. Some of them – comparing it to the buckets you can get at Lowe’s and Home Depot – are pretty hilarious to read.
Rotomolding: a new spin on an old process
Rotational molding, the process that sets Yeti and the other high-end coolers apart from traditional ice chests, has been around since the 1950s. Polyethylene resins are placed inside a mold, heated, and rotated simultaneously around two different axes. This distributes the resin throughout the entire mold. As an added benefit, centrifugal forces place an extra amount of resin in those areas where shock absorption is most needed.
GI’m at little dizzy right now just contemplating that.
If Roto is your Goto, but Yeti is a Nyeti, then here are your Affordable Snowmen
The rotomolding process undoubtedly produces some coolers with outstanding insulation properties. That comes with a price – both literally and figuratively. Rotomolded coolers are generally much more expensive than other types. They are also considerably more heavy. The irony here is that the very quality that makes them desirable in remote locations also makes it harder to get them there. When it comes to the Yeti brand, there is also the problem that they are not all made in the USA. However, if you’re really looking for the Yeti experience without going full Yeti on your wallet, then these American-made coolers – representing a variety of sizes – should fill the bill. Just be aware that all of the Rotomolded offerings are going to be more expensive than a traditional cooler.
Bison Coolers
Bison Coolers is a family-owned company and their coolers are made entirely in the USA. They set forth the entire USA production chain in detail on their website.
Bison’s Rotomold line comes in 25, 50, 75 (not shown) and 125 quart models. If you follow the links to Amazon, you can also view the color choices.
Unlike the usual “T-latch” system that constricts in cold weather and is difficult to open or close, Bison uses a cantilever latch system. These beefy rubber latches are tear resistant to 170 lbs.
Oversized drain plugs make for fast draining. The 50 QT, 75 QT, and 125 QT have dual drain plugs for easy access. The 25 QT has a single plug. You can also leave the plug in and rotate it open.
All models feature non-skid feet and silicone gaskets that retain their shape and ensure a great seal. Bison reports ice retention in excess of a week when you start with a pre-chilled and full cooler.
Bison’s soft-sided models are also made in America. They’re not going to offer the superior ice retention capabilities of the rotomolded coolers, but they still do a great job. As an added feature, the exteriors don’t sweat.
The 24-can soft cooler holds 24 cans and holds 10 pounds of ice. The 12-can version holds 5 pounds of ice and 12 cans. All soft-sided models come with a bottle opener built in to the carrying strap.
All Cordova hard-sided coolers are rotomolded. The company is headquartered in Nampa, Idaho. If you really want to amp up the made-in-America quotient, their website offers even more patriotic choices than are available on Amazon on their Americana page.
Cordova Extra Small
Cordova 35 Small Cooler – Hard Sided Rotomolded Ice Chest with 28 Quart Capacity & Built In Bottle Opener – Made in the USA
Cordova 50 Medium Cooler – Hard Sided Rotomolded Ice Chest with 48 Quart Capacity & Built In Bottle Opener – Made in the USA
Cordova 100 Large Cooler – Hard Sided Rotomolded Ice Chest with 88 Quart Capacity & Built In Bottle Opener – Made in the USA
Cordova 125 Extra Large Cooler – Hard Sided Rotomolded Ice Chest with 128 Quart Capacity & Built In Bottle Opener – Made in the USA
From the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee website.
Grizzly 15 Cooler, G15, 15 QT
Grizzly 20 Cooler, G20, 20 QT
Grizzly 40 Cooler, G40, 40 Quart
Grizzly 60 Cooler, G60, 60 Quart
Grizzly 75 Cooler, Tan, G75, 75 QT
I’m a dog not a bear, and it’s a Baby Shark not a salmon, but can I get my own coloring book?
Icehole Coolers
Icehole Coolers is a family-owned business that has been supplying equipment to the military for 35 years. When they decided to start making coolers, they knew they wanted to go full USA and they consulted with customers to learn what they wanted. You’ll need to go to Icehole’s website to order their coolers online.
Traveler: 20 cans of beer, 26 pounds of ice. Six colors
Weekender: 38 cans of beer, 56 pounds of ice. Four colors.
The company also lists a Basecamp (110 quart) rotomold cooler, but there is a broken link on the website.
A portion of every sale goes to veterans, their families, and survivors, so please order on their website if you can. You can also learn about the organizations they support.
Icon Coolers
Icon’s founders grew up together on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. They founded Icon in 2012. In 2014, they stopped importing and began designing and sourcing materials for USA manufacturing.
Some of Icon’s features include:
Commercial grade gasket
Tie down and cable lock ports
All-rubber, flush-mounted pull latches
Optional cork and rope handles
Self-draining bottom
Icon’s 32, 50, and 75 quart models, in three of the available colors.
Kong Coolers are made in the USA by Elkhart Plastics, Inc., which has been designing thousands of components for the marine, agricultural, food processing, heavy trucking, and other industries since 1988.
KONG Coolers | 25 Quart Rotomolded | Proudly Made in The USA | Durable, Safe, No-Slip Feet, Extended Ice Retention Cooler (Boulder Blue)
Kong 50 Quart Cooler | Durable Medium Ice Chest | Perfect Hunting, Fishing, Boating and Camping Accessory | Extended Ice Retention | Made in The USA (Rugged Red GR Series)
KONG Coolers | 70 Quart Rotomolded | Proudly Made in The USA | Durable, Safe, No-Slip Feet, Extended Ice Retention Cooler (Rugged Red GR Series)
KONG Coolers | 110 Quart Rotomolded | Proudly Made in The USA | Durable, Safe, No-Slip Feet, Extended Ice Retention Cooler (Woodland Green)
Kong coolers are also certified grizzly bear resistant by the IGBC.
Lifetime Coolers
Lifetime Coolers is part of the Lifetime family, which makes a wide variety of outdoor, sporting, and gardening equipment. The all-American coolers boast these attributes:
Easy-to-drain spout with garden hose compatibility
Up To 7-day ice retention
Stainless steel hinge rod
Rubber latches, which can be easily opened with one hand
Stainless steel bottle opener with padlock compatibility
Dual-purpose grip and slide feet
Heavy-duty polyethylene construction
5-Year limited warranty
Certified to withstand a bear for up to an hour
Lifetime Durable Performance Cooler (28-Quart)
Lifetime 90820 55 Quart High Performance Cooler, Grey
You can also purchase a two-pack of the 55-quart model here for a volume discount price.
LIFETIME 91005 65 Quart High Performance Cooler, Arctic White
Lifetime Durable Performance Cooler (77-Quart)
ORCA Coolers
Through a stroke of luck, the company’s full name is Outdoor Recreation Company of America. It’s kind of a chicken and egg thing – or maybe whale and cooler is the better analogy. The company was founded in 2012 “by outdoor enthusiasts for outdoor enthusiasts” with the goal of creating an American made, roto-molded cooler. They are based in Nashville.
Appearing below is a wide variety of ORCA coolers that are available on Amazon. Besides being bear-resistant, ORCA also boasts of their customizable designs available on their website, with licensing rights from just about every college and professional team.
20 quart.
26 quart
40 quart
58 quart
75 quart
140 quart
Orion Coolers
Orion is part of Jackson Adventures in Tennessee. Jackson Adventures manufactures pieces of outdoor equipment, including kayaks.
Orion Heavy Duty Premium Cooler (25 Quart, Forest), Durable Insulated Ice Chest for Maximum Cold Retention – Portable, Bear Resistant, and Long Lasting, Great for Hunting, Fishing, Camping
Orion Heavy Duty Premium Cooler (35 Quart, Forest), Durable Insulated Ice Chest for Maximum Cold Retention – Portable, Bear Resistant, and Long Lasting, Great for Hunting, Fishing, Camping
Orion Heavy Duty Premium Cooler (45 Quart, Ocean), Durable Insulated Outdoor Ice Chest for Maximum Cold Retention – Portable, Bear Resistant, and Long Lasting, Great for Hunting, Fishing, Camping
Orion Heavy Duty Premium Cooler (55 Quart, Desert), Durable Insulated Outdoor Ice Chest for Maximum Cold Retention – Portable, Bear Resistant, and Long Lasting, Great for Hunting, Fishing, Camping
Orion Heavy Duty Premium Cooler (65 Quart, Stone), Durable Insulated Outdoor Ice Chest for Maximum Cold Retention – Portable, Bear Resistant, and Long Lasting, Great for Hunting, Fishing, Camping
Orion Heavy Duty Premium Cooler (85 Quart, Ocean), Durable Insulated Outdoor Ice Chest for Maximum Cold Retention – Portable, Bear Resistant, and Long Lasting, Great for Hunting, Fishing, Camping
Winston’s friend Tripp lives in Tennessee on a lake in the Smoky Mountains. Tripp’s dad went to the University of Tennessee and is a huge Vols fan. He has one of Orion’s custom-made “Go Vols” coolers and it is a beautiful orange and white sight to behold, even if my colors run more toward blue, red, and white.
Otterbox Coolers
Chances are you already know of Otterbox from their excellent line of iPhone and Galaxy covers. Their Venture line of hard coolers expands the Otterbox commitment to durability and quality from phone cases and applies it to coolers.
OtterBox Venture Cooler 45 Quart – Deyoung Salt (White/Blue)
OtterBox Venture Cooler 65 Quart – Deyoung Salt (White/Blue)
Pelican
Pelican has developed quite a customer base with the military, law enforcement, fire, EMS, government, industrial, energy, aviation, and aerospace industries. Some of Pelican’s qualities include:
Stainless steel hardware
Press and pull latches, not rubber
Raised rubber feet
Lifetime guarantee
If you’re looking for a roto-molded cooler but also want the mobility of a wheeled one, then this Pelican is the only way to go:
Pelican Elite Coolers with Wheels
Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler, 95 Quart
Taiga
Taiga coolers are injection molded rather than rotomolded, but they have additional insulation and are extremely durable. The coolers come with a full lifetime warranty. They specialize in camouflage, and the colors are solid throughout the cooler walls. They also come in white and tan, or you can contact them for custom colors and logos. Oh yeah: a “taiga” is a subarctic forest, in case you were wondering.
Taiga Coolers Navy Soft Sided Cooler with Taiga Bottle Opener/Keychain
Taiga was founded by two retired military guys in Texas. They give a 10% discount to all military veterans if you order on their website, so I recommend that you take advantage of that benefit if you qualify – and thank you for your service. Otherwise, three of their coolers are available on Amazon Prime.
Thanks for your service!
Winston’s Wags and Woofs
If you’re looking for a wheeled, rotomolded cooler, the Pelican is the way to go. If you’re current or retired military, please considering buying directly from Taiga. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with any of these coolers. And you know you’ll always be glad you bought American!
…because we need a little Christmas, right this very minute…
Let’s roll out the holly! This is one of my favorite days of the year!
From now on, we’re getting closer to Christmas than farther away from it.
By a cool coincidence, the Feast of St John the Baptist is also six months away from Christmas. Just like Christmas comes right after the shortest day of the year (so that the Light is coming into the world), John the Baptist’s birthday comes right after the longest day of the year (so when he says, “I must decrease and He must increase” he really means it).
So crank up the carols, light the lights, and party like it’s Christmas morning! And let’s hope the next six months just keep getting better and better!
On our early morning walk, a pleasant surprise. While we were strolling, the clouds suddenly moved in and, just as we were about as far from the car as we could be, the heavens opened up. What fun! At least for me.
As we approached the driveway into Nakatomi Gardens (my Older Brother will need to explain why he calls it that), we came across a nice bit of flowing water. Naturally, it called my name…
Now I know how golden nuggets felt during the California Gold Rush.
I was content to just relax in the flow, but there must have been some flooding downstream, because my Older Brother kept telling me to dam up the water, or words to that effect. It must have been serious, because the longer I stayed there, the louder his voice got. I was only too happy to oblige, and who knows what kind of disaster was averted.
