DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
Where does the term, Dog Days of Summer, come from?
” The dog days, in the most technical sense, refer to the one- to two-month interval in which a particularly bright star rises and sets with the sun, shining during the daylight hours and staying hidden at night.
This star is known by three names: Sirius, the Dog Star, and Alpha Canis Majoris. Apart from being the most prominent star in the constellation Canis Major (Latin for “Greater Dog”), this heavenly body is responsible for the origin of the expression dog days, a phrase that has endured through millennia.
The Dog Star’s connection to dogs was not only maintained by constellations and mythology, it was boosted by the fact that dogs seemed to take the brunt of the dog days. They suffered from the heat more intensely than humans seemed to, and were at greater risk of madness.
The Dog Star, being the second brightest star that can be seen with the naked eye, did not escape the attention of ancient astronomers. Nor did its annual disappearance from the night sky and the corresponding influx of heat. Initially, ancient Greeks blamed the Dog Star for the sweltering weather, assuming that its brightness paired with the sun manifested in the hottest days of the year. This belief was debunked in the first-century BC by Greek astronomer Geminus, but the significance of the Dog Star remained untempered.” http://blog.dictionary.com/dog-days-of-summer/
My work in progress The SEAL’s Undivorce features a very protective mama Rotweiler named Auntie. She’s a rescue family pet, come to the Sander’s crazy brood of five young boys, and newly arrived baby girl.
Including Auntie in the story was great fun! I’m a dog lover so of course Jake and Danika are dog lovers too! Featured is my Sheppard, Lexi when she was a puppy.
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Filed under: Writing INSPIRATIONS Tagged: dogs, romance books, SEALS, summer
