Hot, hot, hot. That is all we can say about the dog days of summer. Why are these sultry days called “dog days?” I did some research on Wikipedia, and found quite a few bits of information. Here is what I found:

1) In the northern hemisphere, these days usually fall between early July and early September. OK, that makes sense. It is usually very warm here during those months.

2) The Romans associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the “Dog Star” because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius is also the brightest star besides the Sun.

3) The Dog Days originally were the days when the star, Sirius, rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes.

4) The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

5) The modern French term for both this summer period (and for heat waves in general) “canicule”, derives from this same term. It means “little dog”, again referring to Sirius.

6) “Dog Days bright and clear / indicate a happy year. / But when accompanied by rain, / for better times our hopes are vain.”

In recent years, this  phrase has found new meanings. See the following:

10) Some people believe the phrase refers to the laziness of domesticated dogs (who are in danger of overheating with too much exercise) during the hottest days of the summer.

11) When speaking of “Dog Days” there seems to be a connotation of lying or “dogging” around, or being “dog tired” on these hot and humid days.

12) Although these meanings have nothing to do with the original source of the phrase, they may have been attached to the phrase in recent years due to common usage or misunderstanding of the origin of the phrase.

13) The feast day of Saint Roch, the patron saint of dogs, is August 16.

14) And there is this mention of “dog days” in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol:

“Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.”

Check out this picture! Palisade Head is a large rock formation on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. It was formed from a rhyolitic lava flow which was extruded some 1.1 billion years ago. It created extremely hard volanic rock which resisted a billion years of erosion which cut down surrounding formations. This formed both Palisade Head and Shovel Point. Its high point is over 300 feet above the level of the lake; the lakeside cliffs stand up to several hundred feet above water level.

There is a small man-made wall along a part of this cliff, at the lookout.  As I mentioned SMALL, so it would be very easy to walk off a cliff. If you’ve been to the Grand Canyon, along some of those edges, you know what I mean. It’s absolutely beautiful and really takes your breath away.

This is a better place for Pupper Wupper during explorations like this. Word to the wise, always check out the “lay of the land” before inviting your canine to accompany you. I shudder to think of her being curious of things along the cliff. . .

by Peter and Connie Roop

pictures by Peter E. Hanson

I couldn’t help but recommend this story after having recently visited a lighthouse with my own Abby. Though their names aren’t spelled the same, there are things these two “Abbys” have in common. They are brave and they are smart! Take a journey back in time to the days of the lighthouses and feel the importance these great monuments once played in early America.

Synopsis:

Based on a true story of an 1856 storm off the coast of Maine, Abbie’s tale is one of endurance and bravery. When her father, the lighthouse keeper, sails off for supplies, he leaves Abbie in charge of lighting the oil lamps in the twin towers of their lighthouse and making sure that they don’t go out. When a huge storm hits, preventing her father from returning for four weeks, Abbie keeps those lamps burning, getting up several times each night to climb the towers to check them, scraping ice from the windows so the lights can be seen at sea. In the course of the storm, she also rescues her chickens from a huge wave, thus saving the family’s only source of food. The Roops allow the natural drama of Abbie’s story to emerge in simple sentences that are sometimes cut up awkwardly, but for the most part they are clear and compelling. An author’s note gives the interesting historical basis of the story, but the tale stands alone as an exciting account of a young girl’s courage. The vivid watercolor paintings are highly effective in detailing Abbie’s job as well as creating atmosphere.

Abby Sunshine sees the rocky shores as one more opportunity to dive into the fresh waters of a big lake. I’m not even sure that she noticed the lighthouse. She has different things on her radar.

The huge rocks add a challenge for Abby as she maneuvers her way out to the small stick. She doesn’t use a lighthouse, or any other modern technology to find her target. She uses her canine sense. A stick isn’t her preference, but if she doesn’t have a ball handy, she’s willing to retrieve whatever works.

She is remarkably sure footed on the rocks making her way without hesitation. It seems like she isn’t really conscious that she’s on big rocks with gaps. She just cruises along smoothly, no clumsy moves.

She often looks down into the water. I wonder what catches her attention.

A little dog and a big lake- sounds like a story.

It does not, however, intimidate Abby. I found an interesting article put out by the Associated Press July 9, 2010, entitled “Lake Superior warms up earlier than usual, with July temps about 20 degrees above normal.” Maybe this is in part why Abby is so brave in the water. . . Check it out.

Normally frigid Lake Superior has warmed up faster than usual this summer due to a winter with little ice and a record-warm spring, according to researchers.

Surface temperatures are about 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year and could be on their way to record highs, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory said.

That’s good news for people who want to swim in the typically bone-chilling waters, but the long-term implications aren’t clear.

In the spring, the sun warms the water fairly uniformly as deep and shallow water mix. Once it reaches about 39 degrees, however, the behavior of the water changes and warmer water starts to form a layer floating on the colder water below. The process, known as lake turnover, usually happens in mid-July on Lake Superior, but this year it happened in early to mid-June instead.

UMD researcher Jay Austin said data from three buoys in the lake show that the warm-up is on par with 1998, the fastest since records began being kept in 1979.

“We would normally just be getting to turnover, to 39 degrees, about this time in July,” Austin said. “But it happened so early this year that we’re already at 59 degrees (at a western Lake Superior buoy near the Apostle Islands). That’s 20 degrees warmer than we should be right now.”

The surface temperature of Lake Superior could reach record highs by mid-August, the typical peak for water temperature, they said.

In 1998, a warm year, the lake peaked at 68 degrees, “and we’re well on our way to that, or higher,” Austin said. That compares with a high of just 54 degrees in August 1996, a cool year.

Climate change is responsible for the warming effect, the researchers said.

“Lake Superior is responding to global climate shifts as clearly as anywhere on Earth,” they said.

Scientists are just starting explore what effect the warmer water might have, but it could mean a more fertile lake with more organisms that thrive in warmer conditions. And it could cause “cascading biological effects to fish and other species that we can surmise but haven’t confirmed as yet,” said Steve Colman, director of the Large Lakes Observatory. For example, lake trout may have to move deeper or further offshore.

A 2007 study by Austin and Colman found that Lake Superior’s summer water temperatures were warming twice as fast as air temperatures over the past 30 years, based on buoy data. They considered it one of the most pronounced temperature increases on the planet.

They say there’s a self-perpetuating correlation: The warmer the air and water, the less ice forms. The less ice, the warmer the water gets. Then less ice forms next winter.

“There’s a climate momentum going on out there,” Colman said. “The traditional thought was that there really wasn’t any carry-over from one year to the next with this kind of system. But it looks like there is.”

The warmer water also means warmer breezes for people on shore. Now, even when winds are off the big lake, they’re more refreshingly cool than chillingly cold. Alex Lamers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, said that’s meant narrower air temperature differences in the past from near the lake to farther inland.

Chris Chandler, 39, of Duluth, said Thursday he has been coming to the beach on Duluth’s Park Point all his life, and that the lake is “definitely warmer earlier.”

In past years, he said, there might be a day here and there when the water felt warm, but otherwise it would be cold. “We’d come here, but we’d be blue,” he said.

This year, “it’s cold at first, and once you’re in it for a minute it’s very nice.”

Austin said UMD researchers don’t track water temperatures in the other four Great Lakes.

Remembering basic rules of etiquette make life better and make it possible for dogs to continue to be embraced at such wonderful places. We often run into “NO DOGS ALLOWED,” but not everywhere. It’s crucial to demonstrate that dogs and dog owners can be respectful.

As you can see, on this trail Abby is on her leash. We also have dog baggies handy, so if she has some “business” to do, we will pick it up. Don’t you hate it when you are on a trail and you see that someone has not picked up after their dog? It gives dogs and owners a bad name, not to mention it is yucky.

Anyway . . .

Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes in surface area and volume. It is the second largest lake in the world by volume. Lake Superior is the cleanest lake of the Great Lakes. It could contain all the other Great Lakes plus three more lakes the size of Lake Erie. Wow.

The shoreline is breathtaking. There are cliffs and rocky shores.

More to come. . .

Oh, I see some people, but is Abby near? We must look closely.

There she is! Abby Sunshine is exploring by the shores of a slough. Her nose is down and her tail is up.

Now what does she see? Is there a pheasant? Is there a duck? Maybe a bunny has been hopping nearby. Abby knows that there is a lot animal life going on right before our eyes. . .we just can’t see it. She can smell it.

More exploring in the weeds. . . Abby doesn’t shy away from tall grass, and neither to parasitic insects. It’s a good thing Abby has on her flea and tick medicine. We apply Frontline regularly, and it pays off on occasions like this. Wood ticks and other pesky insects can definitely find good hiding in Abby’s long fur. We must brush her well after these escapades, too.

Oh, did someone say fetch? Aunt Gert watches as Todd plays a game of fetch with Abby. I guess Abby is up for this game in almost any circumstance. Are you surprised?

There is a stop in the water flow. Abby walks toward Todd, wondering why it stopped? She’s got her fast twitch muscles ready to run and play.

Oh, Todd was adjusting the spray. Now it is a “jet” stream of water, aimed right at Abby. It often brings out a smile to watch Abby go toward this intense stream of water. It seems like she would want to run from it, but not Abby. . .

While Abby is busy getting wet, and next shaking off, Doug watches Abby and Eero has found something interesting to look at on the ground. . .

Ah, yes, Abby is back for more water. She prances around playfully.

What is Eero so busy with while Abby is having her game with the water?

Abby runs fast, doesn’t always shake off the water right away. She’s WET.

Now Piper is in the picture. I think she knows Abby is very wet, so you can see her posture is tentative as she approaches Abby. People tend to avoid getting sprayed with water by a dog if they can help it.

And she’s back again. . . I think Todd enjoys it, too.

This looks like it could be an artful poster. What are these three thinking about?

No more thinking time, back to the spray of water. I think Piper is getting splashed, too.

Look at Abby watching that nozzle. She is attentive and ready to run and play. Though she’s wet, she’s also hot. It’s a hot day and she’s been running a lot.

There it goes. Abby will catch some in her mouth.

A good roll in the grass is another part of this game. It must feel so good.

What next? More game or have you had enough?

This is very wet dog, with an equally soggy tennis ball in her mouth.

Game over for now. . . Abby will rest a bit. . . She is one hot, wet dog. . .

Abby would much rather have a quiet day with this big, red ball than listen to fireworks. She doesn’t even want to fetch when she hears the pop of a firecracker. . .

There once was a fluffy red dog,

Who panted right after her jog,

She turned to her right,

That red ball is “tight!”

Now a  limerick is here on the blog.

What kind of a limerick can you write about these pictures of Abby and the big, red ball?

The Little Turtle

by Vachel Lindsay

There was a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in a puddle.

He climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at a mosquito.

He snapped at a flea.

He snapped at a minnow.

And he snapped at me.

He caught the mosquito.

He caught the flea.

He caught the minnow.

But he didn’t catch me.

What would Abby Sunshine think about this little turtle? What would Abby think if the little turtle snapped at her??