Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Florence And The Machine - Dog Days

'The phrase Dog Days or "the dog days of summer", Latin: Caniculae, Caniculares dies, refers to the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere they usually fall between early July and early September whilst in the Southern hemisphere they are usually between January and early March. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress.'

I know what they mean.

17 comments:

Queenie said...

That doesn't sound like fun. Sending hugs.

Pat said...

Queenie: appreciated:) It gets better - girl's day out on Friday and family arrive on Sunday.

Eryl said...

Unusual to find you in such a mood, I hope things are ok and you are just experiencing a bit of a lull.

No hot sultry days here – there may have been one at some point in June – but it sure is dull. As for progress: oh god!

sablonneuse said...

Couldn't see the picture again. Does it show something that's making your life dull?
If so, hope the weekend cheers you up.

Anonymous said...

and they apparently are when Sirius the dog constellation is visible in the sky at night.

or did you tell me that, PI?

Pat said...

Eryl: just a lull and nothing personal but for the last two days someone has been burning stuff which although it may not be illegal is criminally anti- social when there is a rare glimpse of sun and windows open and I'm not allowed to say anything but if they dare do it next week when the family are here - just look out!

Pat said...

Sandy: it's just a video of a song - 'Dog Days'. I'll be happy as Larry by the week-end.

Belleek: I don't think I knew that:)

Kim Ayres said...

Hottest days round here seem to be in May and early June. After that it's time to put the heating on again

Kevin Musgrove said...

Some workplaces have dog decades...

...chin up, me girl! All can be solved with a pot of tea and a lardy cake.

Leigh Russell said...

The weather's been quite oppressive today and I've not been able to settle to writing at all for the past two days. You are not alone, PI. I hope a walk by the sea will clear my head - I'm off to Brighton tomorrow, for a BBC Radio interview, book signing and talk on Thursday - I hope I rediscover my focus by the time I arrive at the BBC Studios... gulp!

Pat said...

Kim: at least then the mozzies will go. I don't like it in August when ants start to fly.

Kevin: just a momentary blip. MTL's got me back on line without knowing I'd come off.

Leigh: you'll be fine - the adrenalin will kick in and you'll sail through. You are probably having so much excitement that a quiet spell comes as an anticlimax. Have fun;)

L'Artisan said...

Dear PI, I hope your dog days pass quickly. Same here -- 95 degrees in the shade today, and our air conditioning upstairs isn't working, so we are all sprawled on various mattresses and sofas downstairs in order to sleep. Those poor English settlers at Jamestown in the 1600s -- what hell it must have been for them between the boiling heat and the mosquitoes.

kenju said...

Our dog days are right now. Fall can't come quickly enough for some people - but I will miss summer until it is here again.

lom said...

Don't get me started on people and bon-fires, it happens all the time where I live, lovley day and you have to bring in washing and shut up windows, then go out and wash the ash from window sills and veg.

Pat said...

Edelweiss: we don't know we're born here but it's in our genes to grumble.
Hope you get cooler soon.

Judy: I think you are a spring or autumn person. I'm spring.

LOM: one can always ring the council and discover what the byelaws are.

Anonymous said...

My mom always told us that the Dog Days were to be feared because the incidence of polio always increased during that time. TG for Jonas Salk.

Cheers.

Pat said...

Randall: well if your mother said that it must be so. Here here for Salk.