THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Written by: Brian Neudorff

Merriam-Webster defines the "Dog Days" of Summer as:
1 : the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere
2 : a period of stagnation or inactivity

That is how many of us think of the Dog Days as we are feeling the sultry humid air this week as our highs reach near and into the 90s through the middle of the week. In ancient Rome the Dog Days were the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star Sirius. It was believed by ancient civilizations that Sirius (the Dog Star), was responsible for for the added heat during this period.