That's Why it's so Hot

The weather recently has been so good. These are indeed the dog days of summer. The name "dog days" refers to the usually sultry period from about July 3 through August 11. So-called because it marks a period extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun. According to Brewers, the Romans called these the dog days, caniculares dies, based on the theory that the dog star, rising with the sun, added to its heats. The dog days were thought to bear the combined the heat of both. Here is a picture of my brother's dog, Benjy, having his day.