Dog days

We interrupt this "We want Pumpkin" blog assault on Glenn to satisfy my curiosity about the origin of the term "Dog Days."

I've been hearing and reading the term a lot lately because of the rotten hot weather we've had this past week in the San Diego area and that much of the rest of the US has been "enjoying" for a few weeks.  I had a vague idea that the term was in some way related to a constellation, but didn't know or couldn't remember anything beyond that. 

So, where did I go for information?  To Wikipedia, of course!

I LOVE the internet.

So, it turns out the term, like so many things, goes way back to the early Romans.  They believed that Sirius, also known as the "Dog Star", was somehow responsible for hot weather.  It is hard enough for we "modern, enlightened" people to understand our world.  How much more difficult it was for ancient people!  I think the myths they created for things they couldn't yet explain scientifically, are wonderful.  For example, I would NEVER in a million years have been creative enough to think the earth was formed on the back of a turtle!  But, I digress.   Following is the first "Dog Days" entry on Wikipedia,  for more you'll have to go here.

"Dog Days" (Latin: diēs caniculārēs) are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. In the southern hemisphere they are usually between January and early March. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, was somehow responsible for the hot weather.

And, here are some photos of my dog enjoying the relatively cool morning temperatures on this Dog Day.