Milinda’s Questions

So that this blog doesn’t expire entirely due to inattention, I am determined to post something today, no matter how far from my stated purposes it may seem to be. And what better subject for today’s post than the day itself? Today is, according to this site here, the first of the Dog Days, which extend, at least in certain latitudes, from July 3 to August 11.

The dog days are defined as the period . . . when the Dog Star, Sirius, rises in conjunction (or nearly so) with the Sun. As a result, some felt that the combination of the brightest luminary of the day (the Sun) and the brightest star of night (Sirius) was responsible for the extreme heat that is experienced during the middle of the summertime.

Needless to say, I myself was not up nearly early enough this morning to confirm that Sirius could be seen in the predawn sky. And if I had been, I’m not sure where I would have gone to look for it. Somewhat to my surprise, a Web search indicates that the view from Mount Bonnell is pretty good. I knew it was the highest point in Austin, and the view of the sunset is spectacular, since it’s straight over Lake Austin, or Town Lake, or whatever name the dammed-up Colorado River is given at that point. But apparently you can also see the sun rise from there, even though when you look east you’re looking pretty much in the direction of downtown Austin at that point.

But Siriusly, folks . . . (sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Dog Star or no Dog Star, one thing is indisputable about the weather in Austin right now. It’s HOT — 101 degrees as I write, and hasn’t rained since the first day of last month. For the ancient Egyptians, the appearance of the Dog Star meant that the annual flooding of the Nile would soon occur, rejuvenating the parched land. We could sure use some of that around here.