Page Hardware And Appliance Co: A Cool Drink Of Water On A Hot Day

I was at Page Hardware and Appliance Co. earlier today, twice. The first time was to pick up some essentials (a heart-shaped cookie cutter for me and a Green Eggs And Ham bib for my new grand-nephew Jack. Oh wait, did I just admit to being old enough to having a grand-nephew? Forget that part.)

While I was checking out, Cashier Ray Murphy, who has worked there for 28 years, offered to fill up my water bottle for me. I was on my bike today, so I readily agreed. Ray not only filled it up, but he filled it up with cold, filtered water from one of their display kitchens.

Happy to have the cold water, I went off to a meeting at Perk on Church, right across the town green from Page Hardware, which is located at 9 Boston Street in Guilford. I was back at Page Hardware later that afternoon to work on a story. While I was there Ray noticed another customer who might want a bit of water, Jacob, a beautiful black lab-golden retriever mix who brought his owner, Josh Magnotta of Durham, to the store.

Ray went off again to fill up the store's dog bowl with, you guessed it, cold, filtered water from the display kitchen. Another satisfied customer.

I filled up again before I left and Amy Earls, the store's vice president of operations, who has worked there for 17 years, walked by. "Back again?" she asked, as I stood at the sink filling up my bottle. "Stay as long as you'd like."

While riding home, I noticed dog bowls outside several other local businesses in Guilford. And I know there are some in my home town of Madison that do that as well, including, always, The Modern Dog on the Boston Post Road in the town's retail district.

So there's another great reason to shop local. Because you can't beat a cool drink of water on a hot day.

Here are some more "beat the heat" tips from Huff Post. And here is a list of cooling centers in Connecticut from WTNH.com. In Madison, those seeking to beat the heat are always welcome at town campus on Duck Hole Road just north of the Hammonasset Connector in Madison and at the library downtown.