This week, The Joy Club member and facilitator Kathy Feest shares her dog days of summer so far…
Have you heard the expression the “dog days of summer”? They occur during the hot, humid late summer days at the end of July, and throughout August. While dogs might be yapping a bit more, as they become more uncomfortable in the heat, the meaning of “dog days” actually refers to the celestial body above our heads and not to our furry friends. Of course this is the UK, and the weather may only be hot, sticky and warm for a split second or two, or maybe a week or more, but nevertheless, these months are still often referred to as the “dog days”. The name comes from the stars above our heads. The brightest star in the sky, Sirius, was named by the ancients because it was right next door to the constellation of Orion that was, according to the old namers of these things, a hunter. When Sirius shone brightly in the sky it brought with it the hottest days of summer. Plutarch, a Greek writer, called this time hēmerai kynades, literally, “dog days” – the days of the Dog Star and since the days of the Ancients, these times throughout our hemisphere have been known as the Dog Days.
During these languid days of summer, it’s a useful time to sit back relax and take stock. Many of us are on holiday at some point during this time and our break from our normal routine helps us to recharge.
My dog days this year began with Covid! A time indeed to reflect. My husband and I both had the wretched summer version despite the many vaccinations that we both have had. We wanted to know what was up besides our temperatures. We tested although it seems that there are many who aren’t bothering doing that anymore. Some people it seems need reminding about the seriousness of this disease. Remember all those times we kept away from anyone at all who might have had Covid? That doesn’t seem to be happening anymore. Many carry on with whatever they planned with or without the disease. It seems that isn’t a very friendly approach to health, and I would encourage you to refrain from doing that. We weren’t hospitalised and survived the onslaught but it wasn’t pleasant. With the dog days still around and no longer testing positive we decided to head to one of our favourite places to totally recover.
We flew to Venice, hired a car and drove to Lake Garda. We have been going to Gargnano on the Lake for over twenty years and always delight in its spectacular scenery. By the last two of our five day break we were able to walk a bit and headed up to Mount Baldo where the view from the top of the mountain means you can see most of the lake. There is a reason people took to the mountains to recover! The air is clear and crisp and the heat of the summer subsides somewhat. The next day we visited the other side of the mountain and walked up to view a different lake. Again, the air was fresh and the sun not too hot up in the mountains.
We walked!
Our dog days were extended even further when we returned home to the UK to discover a heatwave. Perfectly wonderful way to return in total health.
It afforded my husband and I both the time to reset and recalibrate our health and make plans for the next few months as the summer moves in to autumn. Concerts and classes were booked along with dates with friends and diaries were filled with a renewed sense of gratitude and purpose.
Dog days encourage a slowing down, a reassesement and if we are fortunate a break from our norm. You still have plenty of time left to book that holiday, or just get out that journal and discover what you’ve been up to so far this year. The Greeks knew a thing or two about not only naming the stars above, but enjoying the earth below. Have a fantastic rest of the summer! Enjoy!