I learned from the weather news last night that the phrase, Dog Days, derives from the stars.
The brightest of the stars is Sirius, referred to as the "dog star." It happens to be the brightest star in the night sky, and the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it.
In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun, and it was believed that its heat, added to the heat of the sun, created a stretch of hot and sultry weather. And so, “dog days” was named after the dog star.
Okay, that's academic.
All I know is that it is unbearably hot and humid for so early in the summer. I thought we started "dog days" in mid-August.
So is this another effect of global warming? Some scoff at the idea of global warming, but I don't see how it can be denied. So many changes in the atmosphere lead me to be a believer.
Webster's secondary meaning of "dog days" is: a period of stagnation or inactivity.
So that explains it!
My husband and I are sitting around in a funk today. Now I know why. It is to be expected. That is reassuring.
I can proceed to do nothing today. Absolutely nothing. This is going to be a good day.
Except it's hot......
