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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | APRIL 2026 23 Four Seasons residents may suer falls during spring cleaning. Care must be taken to avoid trip hazards around your home. You must watch where you walk. Tripping or losing your balance can be dangerous. Loose rugs may create trip hazards. You may be o balance when you reach for things. Watch where you walk and use a ladder to reach things that are stored up high. Hosting your grandkids may mean toys on the oor. Avoid distracted walking. Do not text and walk at the same time. Keep heavily traveled areas free from loose rugs, toys and extension cords. Do not attempt to clean if you are feeling tired or dizzy. We should monitor our homes twice a year, around the fall and spring, for example. If you babysit your grandkids, try and teach them to clean up aer themselves. Store their toys away from well-traveled areas. If you have rugs that will not lay at, maybe it is time to replace them. Rearrange your shelves so that the items you use most are at eye level. Lastly, we must remember that we are senior citizens, not teenagers. Just because we can remember doing these things when we were younger does not mean that we can do them now. A fall may lead to a few bumps and bruises, or it may mean having broken bones and having to attend rehab. e choice is yours. We meet on the rst Tuesday of the month at 10 am in the RCN Conference Room. ~ Michael A. Mendoza, srmendoza@verizon. net Safety Committee SAFETY 4 "ALL" SEASONS The last couple of weeks of February were unusually hot for this time of year, which brings to mind about getting your pet ready for the hot summer months ahead. Summer is the time to have outdoor fun with our dogs. Longer walks in the park, ambitious hikes, beach days, or family travel — the sun is shining, and the outdoors is calling. But hot weather can also make us uncomfortable, and it poses special risks for dogs. From increased exposure to ticks and other insects to sunburn and even heatstroke, all sorts of things can go wrong for your dog in summer. Keep the following safety concerns in mind as the temperature rises, and follow these tips for summer safety for dogs. They will help you keep your pet happier and healthier during the dog days of summer. Please read these recommendations from the American Kennel Club. Help Your Dog Beat the Heat • Give your dog a shady spot to hang out on hot days or keep them inside where there's air-conditioning. Doghouses are not good shelter in the summer because they can trap heat. • Fill a child-size wading pool or pool designed for dogs with fresh water for your dog to cool off in. • Never leave your dog in a closed vehicle, or even in an open vehicle for that matter, on a hot day. The temperature inside a car can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit in just 20 minutes. • Provide plenty of cool, fresh water, perhaps in an insulated dog bowl. • Avoid exercising your dog strenuously on extremely hot days. Take walks in the early mornings or evenings, when the sun's heat is less intense. • Avoid exposing your dog to hot asphalt or sand, which can burn their paws, for any prolonged period. • Be mindful of your dog's breed. Dogs that are brachycephalic (have a short head and snout), such as Bulldogs, Boxers, Japanese Chin, and Pekingese, have an especially hard time in the heat because they do not pant as efficiently as longer-nosed dogs. Keep your brachycephalic dog inside with air-conditioning. Currently there are three days on which groups meet at the Corral: Saturday at 9 am, Sunday at 9 am, and Wednesday at 3 pm. Starting in May the Saturday and Sunday morning times will change to 8 am. Our Wednesday 3 pm time is also very popular. Please join us on one of those days or set up alternative play dates with other members via the Canine Corral Facebook Group, Four Seasons Canine Corral (https://www.facebook.com/groups/638146317048512) The Steering Committee is always looking for new members to join the Canine Corral Council. They meet the first Thursday of the month at 9:30 am in the RCN Conference Room for approximately one hour. ~ Barbara Morton, Co-Chair, barb93720@yahoo.com Canine Corral

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