MacGougan at Large
Notes on Secondary Seasons - 5
Dog Days
Dog Days refers to a stretch of summer featuring an unrelenting heat wave. What does this have to do with dogs - other than making them wish they could switch into lighter fur coats for a while?
Summer is the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when Sirius - the Dog Star - becomes visible. Some punctilious souls assert that the Dog Days are specifically and only the days (meaning, of course, nights) when Sirius is visible. This is currently early June to mid-August, with exact dates depending on the year and latitude. If this isn’t nerdy enough for you, others note that the expression goes back at least to the ancient Greeks, and that Sirius appeared a little later in the summer back then.
Personally, I believe most people think of Dog Days simply as any summer heat wave. In fact, some parts of the country are already regularly experiencing the Dog Days of spring and autumn. I suspect the Dog Days of winter are not far behind.
Because New England has historically had snowy winters, some people assume that we have mild summers. Actually, southern New England can get quite hot and steamy in the summer. Many of us look to head either out to the shore or up north. (By this time, we’re well past Mud Season and Black Fly Season mentioned earlier in this series as afflicting northern New England and upstate New York.)
Which brings us to our song lyrics for today.
“HOUSE ARREST” Another day of scorching rays No wonder that our dogs are dazed Another week of soaring highs And lows that work to cook some fries. Too hot to go out Too hot to get dressed Might as well be under house arrest Yes, might as well be under house arrest. The big, bad world don’t want you steppin’ out of place. Look out the door and it’ll punch you in the face. Another month we should have flown Somewhere in the Temperate Zone Another year to sit and sigh And hope that our AC won’t die. Too hot to go out Too hot to get dressed Might as well be under house arrest Yes, might as well be under house arrest.
You’re always an A+ in my book!!