#backyard barbecue

[shift-change]

Skylar from Backyard Barbecue is back to celebrate Independence Day, maybe with another long, delicious hot dog.

(Also, it should hopefully go without saying, but I feel the impulse to clarify anytime I do anything remotely patriotic, so: fuck Trump and everything he stands for.)

Happy Fourth of July!

New stories coming very soon!

-Shift-Change

[enchantedchocolatebars]

🐶 Station 51: Grill Duty 🔥

Summary:

The backyard barbecue is a serious operation, and someone has to enforce the safety codes.

That duty falls to the two dachshunds of the house, Axel and Engine Zero, who have taken their roles as self-appointed "Grill Safety Firefighters" very seriously.

Ao3 version

Enjoy!

A hand reached out and turned the gas valve, the final step in a perfect summer ritual.

The Grill Master stood patiently on the patio, completely unaware of the alarm system he had just triggered inside the quiet house.

With a familiar pssh-CHUFF the pilot lit, and a low, dry heat began to bloom beneath the grates.

...

Firefighter Axel—black fur bristling beneath his tiny uniform—was instantly awake. He didn't bark, but the urgency in his eyes was absolute.

The heat was on.

Axel scrambled onto the wooden ramp built for easy access off the bed.

He was out of his fire station and flying across the hardwood floor in one smooth, low dash, heading straight for the patio door.

Moments later, the frantic, awkward clatter of Engine Zero sounded from the side of the room.

The second dachshund, encased in a cumbersome, bright red fire truck box, struggled to maintain speed as he rushed behind his partner, trying desperately to keep pace.

The box tilted precariously, and his little bell accessory was ringing wildly in a panicked, off-key jangle as he finally burst onto the patio and headed for the grill.

...

The Grill Master, busy checking the flow of the gas, heard the unmistakable sound of canine chaos erupting from the house.

The Grill Master turned just as Firefighter Axel slid expertly to a stop right in front of the warm grill.

"Ah, the Grill Safety Crew," the Grill Master chuckled, not even slightly surprised.

He didn't bother checking the firebox; he knew the dogs' self-appointed "mission" was a success—the fire had been contained, according to their standards.

He was currently holding a heavy ceramic plate, already laden with the first batch of plain, perfectly grilled hot dogs, ready to be served to the human guests.

He set the plate on the cooling rack on the side of the grill.

"Mission complete, boys," he announced. "Time for your reward."

From his pocket, he pulled out a small, crinkly plastic bag filled with hot dog-shaped dog treats.

Axel immediately forgot about the phantom flames and sat down, perfectly still, his eyes locked on the bag.

Engine Zero, after finally navigating the patio door and rushing past his partner, slid clumsily to a halt, the red box costume squeaking slightly.

He let out a hopeful little whine, the sound getting muffled by the cardboard.

The Grill Master knelt down and immediately placed a hot dog dog treat right into the eager mouth of Axel, and then quickly gave one to Engine Zero, laughing as they gobbled them up in one delighted chomp.

"Good job, gentlemen. Now, how about we stay out of the fire station for a little while?"

Axel let out a satisfied "woof." The mission was done, the danger was past, and the reward was delicious.

The Grill Master stood, picked up the ceramic plate of human hot dogs, and finally started the real barbecue.

[comfortspringstation]

Dreaming of a Garden Party

[brenthofacker]

Barbecue Meal

www.brenthofacker.com

[baconhawk-official]

Evan Eggers // Good Vibes Only

[babygruenwald]

Old postcard showcasing Pasadena, California’s imposing Gruenwald Arch, built by Chinese immigrants during the long hot summer of 1923.

Having considerably overbought construction material for a sturdy backyard barbecue, Baby Gruenwald donated what was left of the brick, mortar and wrought iron to the City of Pasadena in the form of a colossal arch he dedicated to himself in a ceremony attended by Charlie Chaplin’s pet monkey Kevin and Lillian Gish‘s favorite floral print scarf (lost weeks before and deposited by fierce autumn winds onto a folding wooden chair).

The mammoth edifice stood until 1938, when it was destroyed by a team of maddened circus elephants under the direction of Martin “Baby” Bibsy, former child star and Gruenwald’s bitter theatrical rival.

[asgoodasdirt]

Can’t stop thinking of that BBQ the other night.

[bughead-in-the-comics]

From Backyard Barbecue, Betty #115 (2002).