As July brought us blazing sunshine and scorching temperatures, I have heard people refer to this time of year as “the dog days of summer.” But what exactly are the dog days, and what do they mean for life here in Saskatchewan and beyond?
Do you know that the phrase has ancient roots and traces back to the time of the Romans? They observed that during the hottest days of the year, when the star Sirius, known as the Dog Star, would rise and set with the sun.
For many, dog days bring a change in pace. The heat encourages a slower pace, and a more relaxed rhythm, but this does not seem to happen at my house; it is the busiest time of the year.
Sure, we may go to Kenosee Lake to take a walk on the beach and play a little mini golf. We may even go to the Prairie Dog Drive-In and watch a movie. We do more barbecuing on the grill, and we visit the Red Market Barn and have backyard fires, but the work is still there.
To me dog days of summer means more work. The calendar may be filled with events such as rodeos and fairs, but this does not make the summer workload less, it just means that we pack more things into it.
Do not get me wrong, I love summer, but it does get a little crazy around my house, with garden work and this year I was crazy enough to plant two gardens. It means watering and lawn mowing, all of which I can do, but not in the scorching heat.
My dad always said, “make hay while the sun shines,” I wonder if this was his term for dog days of summer. I do not remember him taking it easy in the summer or if things slowed down for him. I recall that when the haying was completed for the day, we went to the lake to go swimming. This was a huge treat and Dad’s way of slowing down.
I guess they mean a slower pace because of the heat. Animals seem to move slower in the scorching heat and will find shelter in the trees. It is a time for thunderstorms to roll in and to sit on the deck and watch the lightning storms, although this is not a favourite of mine as I am terrified of thunder and lightning storms.
Although the dog days can feel endless during the peak of summer, they will eventually pass. August nights can bring cooler breezes, harvest time is just around the corner and the crisp promise of autumn begins to whisper through the trees,
It should be for me the dog days of fall as this is when things slow down at our house. The garden has been harvested, the lawn mower is stored away, and the planters are emptied and put in storage. Fall is when I feel the calm and slower pace and I plan things like sewing and crocheting, and I could stay at home during the fall if I wanted to and not feel rushed.
This is a time when the trees change colour and the leaves slowly tumble to the ground; this makes me relaxed and shows me that things are going to slow down. Kids return to school, and this is when we take a road trip as the highways are not as busy and we can soak in the beauty of the fall colours that surround us in the fields and the beauty of nature.
It does not really matter what season we enjoy, the phrase “dog days,” means slow down and smell the flowers. Take time to enjoy life, as we all know that a dog sleeps up to 16 hours a day and they are in no rush to do anything.
