It's official: the dog days of summer are upon us now.
Although there is some dispute about their start date (July 3? July 6? July 8??), most agree that they bring 40 days (biblical!) of heat and humidity and stillness, relieved only by the occasional welcome thunderstorm.
Why "dog days"? According to the Romans, it was caused by Sirius, the Dog Star (brightest element in the constellation Canis Major, or "Big Dog"), which is closest to the sun at this time of year. And these canine references continue to this day: canicule ("little dog") is, of course, the French term for heat wave...
Anyway, I hope all of y'all are near a body of water in this time of torpor. And keep those mint juleps comin'!!
- Illustrators illustrated: portraits of practitioners
- Emma Mason: British prints
- Dog portraits, while we are on the subject...
- And finally: a tip of the hat to Maximum (aka The Best Cat Ever™), who went walkabout four years ago today. And was never heard from again. Come back, Pic-pic!
PS. This blog is going on its summer break — see you when we get back!
