Here’s to the lazy dog days of summer
July 3 marks the start of lazy, hot dog days of summer.
Everyone slows down to cope with the humidity and hazy heat in July. Dogs take a bit of a bum rap for this weather, or so I suspect a friend would say. Dogs don’t care about what we call it, they just love to romp with humans. And yes, I know I used this last year, but I’m lazy, it’s July 3rd and time for a summer repeat.
So to celebrate Dog Days of Summer, I present a few dogs. There are over 18.000 dog stamps out there and it took quite a long time to narrow down to this small selection. I’ll start with what is arguably the best dog in the world – Scottie Dogs!
Issued by Tuvalu in 2000
Designers: D. Keren and Joel Iskowitz
And from Canada Post’s Adopt a Pet booklet
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) or as I title them A Big Dog and A Little Dog
Designer: Monika Melnychuk
What? Not enough dogs? If you insist, but no more Val. You’ll have to wait until next year.
Assistance Dogs
Issued as part of a larger series on types of dogs.
Released in 2016
The phrase Dog Days of Summer actually has roots in history.
This period of intense heat coincides with the heliacal rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, part of the constellation Canis Major. Ancient civilizations noticed the star appeared in the eastern sky just before dawn during midsummer.
The Greeks believed its brilliance intensified the summer sun, and its name, “Sirius” (σείριος), even means “scorching.” For the Egyptians, Sirius—called Sothis—signaled the annual flooding of the Nile, a critical event for agriculture and survival. While the star has no actual effect on Earth’s temperature, the lore surrounding Sirius has endured for thousands of years.
https://www.almanac.com/content/what-are-dog-days-summer
The last two SODs: