IN MY HUMBLE OPINION

Dog day afternoon

BY JONATHAN CHARLES FOX
Posted 7/26/22

Wow, man—it’s hot out there! In between wiping my furrowed brow and fanning the pooch, I checked the list of events that Dharma the Wonder Dog had scratched on her chalkboard and became alarmed.

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IN MY HUMBLE OPINION

Dog day afternoon

Posted

Wow, man—it’s hot out there! In between wiping my furrowed brow and fanning the pooch, I checked the list of events that Dharma the Wonder Dog had scratched on her chalkboard and became alarmed.

“They’re all outdoors girl,” I moaned. “And the temperature’s rising! In fact,” I said, checking the weather app on my phone, “I think the dog days are upon us!” 

Sure enough, a glance at the Old Farmer’s Almanac confirmed my suspicions.

“The dog days of summer are from July 3 to August 11 each year; they’re usually the hottest and most unbearable days of the season. We often hear about the dog days of summer,” the printed prognosticator explained, “but few know [IMHO] where the expression originated. Some think it’s a reference to the hot, sultry days that are ‘not fit for a dog,’ while others suggest it’s the time of year when the extreme heat drives dogs mad. 

“But where does the term come from? And what does it have to do with dogs? You may be surprised,” the almanac teased, “to find that the answer can be found in the stars.”

“What? I exclaimed, watching Dharma heave her stroller into the truck. “Don’t get heatstroke girl—we have a wedding to attend!”

Turns out that the phrase is a reference to Sirius, the Dog Star. During the “dog days” period, the sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any spot on Earth. Sirius is a part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog. On July 23, Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. They referred to this time as diēs caniculārēs, or “dog days.” The term “dog days of summer” came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the sun. Who knew?

Not only did we have chanteuse (look it up!) Laura Garone’s pop-up wedding  to Gregory Scott Cherry on our to-do list, but also Hurleyville Pride, where dogs are always prevalent, plus the 32nd annual RiverFest, which commences each year in Narrowsburg, NY with “River Dogs on Parade.”

I cranked up the AC and headed for Hurleyville first, as Dharma checked on the ice packs in her stroller. Too overheated to talk (you’re welcome!) I snapped numerous pics at each of our stops, content to let them tell the story. For more photos, follow the River Reporter on Facebook and Instagram. Even Dharma is on social media and trust me, she’s got more followers than you can shake a stick at. 

Fun Fact: “Dog Day Afternoon” is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick, and Charles Durning.

Dharma the Wonder Dog, dog days, Sirius, Farmer’s Almanac, RiverFest, Hurleyville

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