It's hot, the days are way long, and I find myself lolling about, facing a million deadlines. These are the times when the big questions pop into my head. Like, "What's in a pet blog, anyway?"

The BlogHer blog directory, excellent as it is, says, hey, pretty much anything. Got animals? Nice. 

This is pleasing to me, because I'm not so down with restrictions, and if there is room for anything in the blogiverse (-sphere has been bothering me lately) it's variety. My dog was central to my life, and until he died in March, he was my regular photographic subject and I wrote about him frequently too. I'd never have called my blog a "pet" blog, though - at least not solely. There were many days when it did qualify, though.

Thankfully, all I need to do to find some lovely blogs - a little or a lot about pets - is to click over to the BlogHer Pets Blog Directory and go a little crazy.  (Yes, it's there, and yes, you should add yourself to whatever category works for you if you haven't already. The post ideas, they don't grow on trees, friends. Kidding. Seriously kidding.)

Some blogs are pets-only, and many of those, like Dog Park Days, are heavy on the photos. Yay photos! Marla Baltes shares the adventures of Australian Cattle Dog Stella and German Shepherd Darwin there in words and many, many photographs. 

Yes, adding photos can be time-consuming, but sometimes there's no better way to show the cuteness or the true beauty of an animal than in a photo. 

Alison Bowman writes Self Help for Cats (a book and a blog) which might hold some interest for those with an interest in quirky feline news. City Cat Summer Camp? Sure. 

Some bloggers choose to share the joy of a specific breed or type of pet, like Julo at CorgiTails does in a whole blog, or Amy at Pugs in Raincoats does in a category.(Amy's writing bravely through a divorce right now. Stop by and give her some good vibes.)Others, like Jill at Our Furry Family, like to mix it up. 

Need proof that not all mommyblogs are created equal? One Doggy Mamma has it. 

HeatherInk has a nifty design and dog blog.  She and her husband have also been spotted communing with exotic birds at the Playboy Mansion. 

Liza at It's Just Me - My Life and All That -  has a lovely blog, with photos and stories of birds and dogs.

Finally, my favorite name of this surf through the pet blogs, and a really good writer at that: Living La Vida Alpo.  I like. I'll be back. And that's the point of surfing the blogs, really. I hope you will too. 

If you have a pet blog, completely or just a little bit, add it to the directory, please. I want to know about you. 

Laurie White blogs at LaurieWrites.