It is not over, this pleasant culmination of the energy of summer. Last week- the one before last Sunday, that is, actually was said to end things on August 12th. From here out, our weather will reflect the changing season as the days grow shorter and the temperatures stay modest. The slide into the transition of Fall has been startling amid the blare of publicity about boiling oceans and hysterical blazing inland temperatures.

The Salts do not remember the variance of seasonal temperatures like that. “Fall” began when school started after Labor Day. Summer had marked its opening with the opening of the Big Pink concrete swimming hole. That event was signified with the observation of our Memorial Day, and the memories of the soldiers and sailors who did not return from conflict to keep us free.

Definitionally, we are challenged. It used to be simple, almost thoughtless in execution. Summer began when the pool opened. That seasonal period continued for several weeks, or until the first “back to school” sales begin to flood the flatscreen, The words “Dog Days” were useful, since the idea of humid still air conveys the idea of lassitude and lazy behavior for which we are not directly responsible.

We were not aware of the speed of the change. The seasons appear to have come unmoored from the academic calendar. Yesterday was a perfectly ordinary summer day that marked something special in the sky above, Not to mention the Blue Moon that will be on display next week.

Historically, the canine calendar would have run out on August 12th with something happening in the heavens. It helps to recall some of the astronomy that has nothing to do with weather. The ancient Greeks seemed to have a lot more time than we do. They watched the stars at night and tracked the “heliacal rising” of the stellar system Sirius. Some call that system the “Dog Star,” although they left it unlabeled. The astrologic system back then was associated with “heat and “drought,” so it is a logical enough description of our dog days. Other common descriptive terms included lethargy, fever, rabies, sudden thunderstorms and bad luck.

We are not going to consider rabies or misfortune at the gaming table for this one. We instead will remember Jim Champagne’s seasonal admonition that there are no longer or shorter days in our system of stellar accounting. They are all the same, with the difference being the amount of light in them, not whether they are the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in our Northern Hemisphere.

The rise of Sirius follows the track of our leading navigational star. Sirius dogs the path of mighty Orion in the evening sky. Since there are no labels, you have to improvise for orientation, The Dog Star can be easily located by following the line created by the prominent asterism of Orion’s Belt.

Or, you may just point upward and make an announcement that the Dog Days are done, and we can start getting ready for the changing of the leaves. We have a neat transition, since we need to get through the passage of the Blue Moon. This will be our second full moon of this month to get through, you know? And don’t forget to look up for evidence of the Perseid Meteor showers.

The experts say viewing will not be optimal, but the days are getting shorter, you know? We think even Jim would agree it is bearing down swiftly!

Copyright 2023 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com