Saturday, August 4, 2007

Hot August Day

We went to breakfast at the neighborhood Grill and Provisions this morning and enjoyed some good 'ole eggs and sausage with hashbrowns; He had whole wheat toast and I had an english muffin. This was a treat for us since we have been on low fat diets since he had his "cardiac incident" in February. However, we got back home hot and full. I slipped the dog a sausage I brought home from my plate, then slipped into my recliner for a nap. It was 10 a.m. and this was a "dog day."

Ever wonder why they call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?” Well, I looked it up and
the brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it.

In the summer, however, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star.

So now you know. (Thanks Wilstar-d0t-com)

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