The dog days of summer
The dog days of summer have hit me hard, and this hot weather has me inside, which not good for me physically, mentally, and emotionally.
As you know, “Dog Days” refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat/ While I haven’t gone mad, I do know that the Texas heatwave and the dog days have affected me.
This period of oppressive weather coincides with the year’s heliacal (meaning “at sunrise”) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris—the “Greater Dog”—which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Not including our own Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. In ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome, it was believed that the dawn rising of Sirius in mid-to-late summer contributed to the extreme weather of the season. In other words, the “combined heat” of super-bright Sirius and our Sun was thought to be the cause of summer’s sweltering temperatures. The name “Sirius” even stems from the Ancient Greek seírios, meaning “scorching.”
I am thankful I am not outside having to battling the heat, and I traded the heat for A/C, though we are going to have to move some keeper heifers on horseback in a few days. After a week of PJs and yoga britches, recovering from the cattle works it is time to stop streaming and scrolling (I am thankful there is only one Wordle game a day) and do something in order to feel a sense of purpose and productivity. Thus, I started the week with a framework, waking up every morning with a new attitude of embracing the indoors.
Day one: I decided to organize and clean five pantry shelves that were a complete mess. It gave me an opportunity to take a pause and thank my significant other. We will not go hungry since he has 50lbs of flour, 50lbs of beans, 50lbs of rice, and 50lbs of sugar in the pantry. The 50lbs of beans reminded me of the cattle works earlier in June. I probably cooked at least 20 lbs of beans. I will let you in on a little secret, the key to cooking great beans is in the pot. I use a McWare Large Heavy Duty Gumbo Stock Pot made from heavy duty 1/8 inch thick aluminum. For years, the cowboys have complimented me on my beans, and during this past works we had one family member who insisted on no canned beans. My recipe is pretty simple: one jalapeno sliced with seeds, one onion, loads of Cavender’s all-purpose Greek seasoning, and a ham bone if you have one. Just writing the recipe motivated me to cook yet another pot of beans! Beans and cornbread make for a nice inexpensive meal.
Read more Maintaining Balance:
If you are battling the dog days of summer, here are a few indoor activities to consider trying.
Bake or cook a complex meal.
Clean out and organize your closets
Organize a night of board games, Play Backgammon, card games, complete a jigsaw puzzle
Go 24 hours without checking your email, phone, or internet
PJ Day or Spa Day: Embrace your free time and take a bubble bath or put on a face mask.
Learn to do something from a youtube video such as a new language, a magic trick, origami, faux calligraphy.
Write a short story, poem, start journaling.
Write a letter or send a card instead of sending a text
Read a book.
10.Call a friend to run errands.
11.Try yoga in your living room.
12. Take an online course
While we combat the dog days of summer, please remember to take care of your pets in this heat. I recently spoiled my boyfriend’s hound dog Sable after she was bitten by a Mohave rattlesnake two weeks ago. Her recovery was a little touch and go with a 50/50 chance of recovery, and I am thankful for Dr. Mark Lenox at Crossroads Animal Hospital for his expert care. Sable has recovered, and some would consider her a much smarter dog since she has embraced spending most of her time in the A/C and will now eat only people food, though she is not a big fan of my beans.
In other words, “dog days” has a completely different meaning for Sable. No wonder we say, “lucky dog.” Everybody take care. This too shall pass.
Feel free to share your thoughts with me: ashton@ashtoncannon.com.
Ashton Graham is an educator, book publisher, photographer, cowgirl and yoga teacher. She is currently studying to become a yoga therapist and lives on a ranch in West Texas. Visit www.ashtoncannon.com to learn more.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: The dog days of summer
