Dog Days of Summer

What are the dog days of summer?  Where did that expression come from?  Aren't we in almost there?   dog days. the sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun: now often reckoned from July 3 to August 11. a period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence. Wikipedia says the term refers to the hottest and most humid time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.   National Geographic says:  “If you go back even as far as Homer, The Iliad, it’s referring to Sirius as Orion’s dog rising, and it describes the star as being associated with war and disaster,” said Jay B. Holberg, author of Sirius: Brightest Diamond in the Night Sky and senior research scientist at the University of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Laboratory. “All throughout Greek and Roman literature, you found these things.” The phrase “dog days” was translated from Latin to English about 500 years ago. Since then, it has taken on new meanings.

All I Need to Know…About Birthdays

All I Need To Know

Now that we've found out how old Tortoises and Koi can live, we arrive at Dezi's birthday. I found a greeting card last week that gave me insight into everything I could ever need to know about Birthdays.  It is reproduced below Dezi's picture.  I couldn't resist looking up canine records on goggle.  The Guinness Book of Records popped up with interesting records:

Balancing glass of water 

Sweet Pea, an Australian shepherd/border collie, holds a couple of the strangest records on our list: most steps walked down by a dog facing forward while balancing a 5-ounce glass of water (10 steps) and fastest 100 meters walked by a dog with a can balanced on its head (2 minutes and 55 seconds).

Fastest skateboard ride 

Tillman, an English bulldog, traveled a 100-meter stretch of parking lot in just 19.68 seconds during the 2009 X Games in Los Angeles, winning him a world record and making him the Tony Hawk of the canine world.

Most dogs skipping rope 

Uchida Geinousha's dogs are the star attraction of the Super Wan Wan Circus in Japan. The 13 jumping dogs hold the world record for most dogs skipping rope.

Most tennis balls in mouth 

Dogs love to chase tennis balls, but perhaps no pup loves the chase more than Augie, an 8-year-old golden retriever who holds the world record for most tennis balls in the mouth at one time. Augie has successfully gathered and held five tennis balls in her mouth at the same time.

Ah, the life of a dog is indeed full!