Happy Fourth! Please be safe

Happy birthday, America! Tomorrow is July 4, our nation’s birthday. Celebrate safely.

DEAR READERS >>

Were you tested for the coronavirus? The type of test you received was probably the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test. But did you know that dogs are being trained to sniff out COVID?

This procedure is in its very early phases, but, as we’ve mentioned in this column, dogs have an incredible sense of smell; theirs is up to 100 times better than ours.

The COVID infection has a distinct scent to it, and it can present on socks, shirts and other clothing items. The idea of training dogs to sniff out the virus was proposed to make screening large groups of people easier and faster — at theaters, sporting events, the airport and other places where people have close contact with each other. Accuracy rates in trials? About 94%. Stay tuned.

DEAR READERS >> Diane K. sent in pics of her little buddy, Charlie, who, after mastering his mountain of toys and putting everyone in their place, is ready for a nap. Such a cutie!

Readers, would you like to see Charlie and our other

Pet Pals? Visit Heloise. com and click on “Pet of the Week.” Do you have a funny and furry friend to share? Email a picture and description to Heloise@Heloise.com.

DEAR HELOISE >> I was fed up with my cluttered silverware drawer, so I did something about it.

I took everything out of the drawer and the silverware organizer and gave it all a good wash, including the inside of the drawer. Here’s what I discovered:

If I lay the forks, spoons, knives, etc., back in the organizer sideways, I can fit a lot more forks and spoons in there — wow! What a spacesaver! Everything looks clean and symmetrical, too. So sideways is a spacesaver — who knew?

Now to tackle the junk drawer ... goodness knows what I will find in there! — Roberta M. in Michigan

DEAR ROBERTA >> Love it! Yes, symmetry is important when organizing; it gives balance to a space.

DEAR HELOISE >> My toddler daughter hates for me to apply sunscreen on her arms, legs, face, etc. I came up with this idea: I daub some sunscreen into a dedicated makeup brush and apply it to her skin, especially her face.

She feels special because she’s seen Mommy do her makeup with a similar brush! — Kaitlyn M. in Florida

DEAR HELOISE >> Can you settle a neighborhood issue of dispute? Multiple neighbors have posted signs stating no pet waste on their properties. This includes no eliminations that require pickups or urination.

The question is: Is the grass easement between the sidewalk and street side reasonable grounds if the pet should stop and eliminate? Neighbors want to know. — Elizabeth L.

DEAR ELIZABETH >> Always pick up dog mess, if only for a prettier neighborhood.