Dog Days of Summer

Written 7/14/10: Long days. Pretty sunsets. Red skies at night. These are/were the Dog Days of Summer. Yes, I just spent the last 15 minutes reviewing why it's called "the dog days," but the bright star, Sirius, of Canis Major is no longer in the same spot when the Romans first gave this period of hot, sweaty days its moniker. You can see what the night sky looks like today and waste all sorts of time at http://www.sky-map.org/.


This is my favorite time of year, when the right brain is gently lulled into a lyrical, lazy reflection on a slow rocker with a glass of lemonade, just before it wipes the sweat off its refreshed brow and says with a sigh, “ Ok… back to work.”

Dog days, literally. Grethen and I unintentionally rallied a couple neighborhood dawgs on our Sunday morning walk this past week. I was out at 530 am, earlier than usual, but I woke up without an alarm, turned to Gretchen and said “it’s not getting any coolor. Lets go.” I’ll be damned, the flea-bag un-neutured troops were already out, sniffing butts, marking mailboxes and potted plants. The little terrier and black lab, both collarless, didn’t harass us too much. They ran towards us, exchanged butt sniffs and trotted next to us for an eighth mile stretch. Then galloped off, sensing bigger turds to roll in up ahead.

Summer hasn’t been all that lazy:

I took two two eight-week twice-a-week classes for my Masters (only two more terms to go!).
Good friends, Nick and Karen, arrived for their new two-year tour of duty after driving and ferrying from Eagle River, Alaska.

Girls went to Peurto Rico with their mom.
Took a day trip to Bay Saint Louis for their Crab Festival 2010 (no shortage of shellfish here, oil spill be damned! Mmm-mmm, Old Bay's and BP sweet crude seasonings... still tastes like chicken.)

Has it already been 20 minutes? Time for another break.

Haz(ardous) Mat(erials) workers hard at work too.

I don't know this family on the left in the crab hats, but they sure seem fun! I think they brought their hats from home because I didn't find them for sale. I looked.