Dog day thoughts

With less than four weeks of summer remaining my thoughts are turning to making them as enjoyable as possible. It's still hot and the biting bugs are still happily feasting on whatever flesh they can find. A quick and easy culinary cure is to swipe exposed skin with white vinegar. You can also swab down outdoor tables with same to discourage flies from attending your al fresco meals. Old-fashioned sticky flypaper and flytraps are nontoxic and therefore safe to use anwhere you choose to enjoy your food.

Another favorite food-based cure for hands (and feet) that have been gardening all summer long is a recipe I vary according to the contents of my kitchen. Massage the cut ends of fresh lemons or limes (that you might not use for anything else except possibly to freshen the garbage disposal) over any areas that need softening: feet, elbows, hands, cuticles. The juice also whitens stained nails. Of course, if you know the trick my Grandma Gargano taught me (scrape your nails over a bar of soap before you slip on your gardening gloves) you won't have that particular problem. When you're done working remove your gloves and use a nail brush to remove the soap — and the dirt it prevented from getting under your nails. If I have more time and the inclination I'll mix lemon or lime juice with a handful of salt and a tablespoon or more of olive oil for a quick and refreshing scrub.

My friend Michele and I knew how to enjoy the best my grandparents' yard had to offer back in the old dog days. I'm the one in the dark suit with the stylized flower (of course) on it.