What do the Dog Days of Summer mean to you? Every year, I hear that phrase and wonder. I conjure up images of days before air-conditioning when it was so hot people sat on front porches holding lemonade and fans with lazy dogs at their feet, too hot to move. This summer that image is certainly applicable. It's been HOT!

On June 7th, I participated at the Farmers' Market at 38th and Meridian Street. The market manager had themed that week's market "The Dog Days of Summer" and we had been invited. It was the first 90 degree day. The wind was in excess of 30 mph so no tents could be erected and all of our wares kept blowing off of the tables. The humidity was high, the sun was intense (no shade) and the black asphalt was radiating heat. It was miserable. It was an omen of things to come.

In July, I participated in the event of that name at First National Bank in Broad Ripple. The Humane Society was present and there was a pool set out for dogs to splash in.

In the Indianapolis Star, I saw mentioned that the cicadas that we are hearing are called the "Dog Day Cicada," so named because they emerge this time of year and can call longer and louder when the temperatures are hotter.

So where did the term Dog Days originate? It is an ancient phrase translated from Latin coined by the Romans after Sirius (the dog star) that is the brightest star in the heavens after the sun. According to Wikipedia, the dog days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as the sunrise (which is no longer true owing to precession of the equinoxes). The ancients sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the dog days to appease the rage of Sirius who was thought to cause the hot, sultry weather. The Farmers' Almanac states that the dates are 40 days beginning July 3rd through August 11th which coincides with the ancient sunrise rising with the dog star Sirius.

In the picture below, my Sheltie dog friends Piper (2 years old) and his new puppy mate Tink play in their backyard pool. They are owned by Sarah Larkin. She also treats them to dog ice cream during these "Dog Days". It gives new meaning to the words, "It's a dog's life". It makes you smile.