The Dog Days Of Summer In Rockland

Websters defines dog days as:

1: the period between July and early Septenber when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere.

2: a period of stagnation and inactivity.

The brightest star in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be quite the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius, the dog star, rises and sets with the sun. Apparently the Ancients and the Romans too believed that when Sirius was in conjunction with the sun during late July, it's heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of very hot, very sultry weather. This period of time, from 20 days before the actual conjunction to 20 days after, is named the Dog Days after the dog star. Although the Ancients as well as the Romans believed that the extra heat and the warmest days of summer were caused by the added radiation from this far away star, we all know now that that is not so. It is, indeed, merely the direct result of the earth's tilt.

To all points north, south, east and west in Rockland County, most of us are feeling as slow and sluggish as the three toed sloth with these off the chart temperatures, stagnant with this awful continuing humidity and believe that inaction is the best action to take considering the circumstances. No matter how enervating it is out there though, do your best to help with the economy and make sure to shop the local farmers markets. The Piermont Farmers Market on Sundays from 9am-3pm and the Nyack Farmers Market on Thursdays from 8am-2pm.

I'm not sure that I like these Dog Days very much. I really prefer the snappy cooler weather of fall and the fresh heady breath of spring. Don't get me started on the winter, although I wouldn't mind an icy cold hint of it right about now.