Now that we’re in the heart of summer and many parts of the world are experiencing extreme heat, we thought it would be a good time to share Ella’s lesson on staying hydrated.
For Ella’s complete book of 40 life lessons, visit the book page on Mom’s website.
“Water is like oil for your body's engine. Keep it lubricated and running smoothly.”
—Unknown
Ella
I spent my life in Colorado where the air is really dry. The two places we lived were at about 5,500 feet and 8,000 feet above sea level. That’s high! There’s not much humidity in the air and with 300 days of sunshine per year, not a lot of rain. That all meant I needed to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.
Mom sometimes called me a camel, because I would be at the water bowl for a while, drinking up as much as I could. They say that once you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, so I made sure it didn’t come to that. Mom brought a collapsible bowl with us on hikes so if there wasn’t a creek or river nearby the trail, she could share water with me from her bottle. We would take breaks along the way, especially during the summer, and I would take a long drink (after getting my treat, of course).
I don’t know all of the science, but according to the people at the Mayo Clinic (thanks to Mom for looking this up):
Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly. For example, water:
Gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements
Keeps your temperature normal
Lubricates and cushions joints
Protects sensitive tissues
Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. That’s not good. There’s so much adventuring to do, and you need energy to fuel you.
Mom drank a lot of water and had either a hydration backpack or a reusable water bottle with her on hikes. At home, she kept a glass of water on her desk while she worked and would get up to refill as needed. It meant we both had to take breaks to pee frequently, but it’s better than being dehydrated.
The only thing I drank was water. Mom would drink other things, including alcohol. I’m not sure why because that stuff is poison. She would sometimes let me sniff her beer or glass of wine, but I would turn up my nose and pull away. It didn’t smell good at all, and I’m sure it tasted even worse. I’m not sure why she bothered drinking it. Sometimes she would have too much and spend part of the next day feeling awful. I would think she would have learned her lesson, but it happened more than once. Luckily, it usually made her feel better to get outside, so after laying on the couch for a bit, she’d grab my leash and we’d go out for a walk. The fresh air seemed to make it better.
I recommend you stick with water. It’s much better for you. Mala learned from me and was good at hydrating. We both liked to drink from the same bowl, and the cats did too, so that bowl had to get refilled a lot. Kali (the cat who thought I was her best friend) was particular about the water in the bowl. If it got some dirt or hair in it, she’d paw at it until Mom would notice what a mess she was making and dump it out to replace it with fresh water. It’s good to keep water around so you have it available when you need it. Don’t leave home without your reusable water bottle or bowl.