Dog Days of Summer!
It certainly is hot out there! Seems like the "Dog Days of Summer" are upon us…those long, hot days perfect for summer reading lounging at the beach or on the patio. My dog certainly likes to lounge around when it is so hot, but that's not why they are called "Dog Days". Actually "Dog Days of summer" are all about the alignment of the stars: according to Wikipedia "the Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated
the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in
the constellation Canis Major(Large Dog)."
There is some controversy as to when the "Dog Days" actually happen. For Ancient Romans it was from July 24th to August 24th. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac "The dog days of summer are the period between July 3 and August 11. It is during
this time that the sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the Dog
Star. It was once believed that due to the star’s position at this time of year
that it somehow conspired with the sun to make the days hotter."
In honour of the dog days, check out some amazing books about our four legged friends:
I love having a dog companion in my life, but if for some reason you can't have one, why not knit yourself a dog (or get a friend to do it for you if you can't knit!). There are detailed instructions and patterns for 25 pedigree dogs in the books Knit Your Own Dog and Knit Your Own Dog:The Second Litter by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne
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