Write Team: Enjoy the summer while it’s here

We are in the midst of the Dog Days of Summer.

The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, found in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog). It rises alongside the sun between July 3 and Aug. 11. In ancient days, people believed that the two stars together caused extreme heat and humidity that could make people and dogs go mad.

Modern research indicates that although high heat may be associated with aggression and anger in some people, Sirius has no effect at all on our weather or climate.

So we can’t blame the Dog Star for our grumpy moods; we’re just dealing with typical summer weather here in the Midwest. We know what to do; drink plenty of water, limit outside activities and seek air conditioning when possible.

More than just the heat, our crabby moods might reflect those end-of-summer blues. The season of longer days and relaxing ways is waning away. And perhaps we aren’t quite ready to let go yet.

Busyness in summer looks different than it does in the other seasons. Cutting the lawn is preferable to shoveling snow. Watering flowers and blooming gardens in the early morning gets us up and moving. Everyone is going for walks; we see families with babies in strollers and puppies on leashes sharing sidewalk space with bike-riding kids and seniors keeping fit. The parks are packed with picnics and impromptu ballgames. Splash pads and pools provide cool relief on hot afternoons.

When I was young, I thought that life would move at a slower pace when I got older. Now that I am close to turning 67, I find that this is not true at all. The months and years still rush by, and the days seem to get tangled together in a frenetic race to finish first.

What is it that we are in a hurry to finish?

As we age, we realize that there are more seasons behind us than in front of us. I cannot control Father Time, but I can appreciate where I am right now without thinking too far ahead of myself.

As tempting as it is to walk through Hobby Lobby’s aisles and admire the Fall and Christmas décor, I think I’ll wait. I saw this word recently: Fallsummoween: the time when the inside of your house looks and smells like a hayride through a pumpkin patch, but it’s still 101 degrees outside.

Fall is my favorite season. But I’m not rushing anything. We’re going to continue sitting on our enclosed porch with a cool beverage and a fan pointing right on me. I’m going to watch the cardinals in the trees and wave at the neighbors driving by and read lots more books.

Keep on running through the sprinklers and eating popsicles and grilling burgers and hot dogs. Let’s stretch out these Dog Days of Summer a little longer and enjoy the accompanying delights that are still with us.

After all, Pumpkin Lattes will be here soon enough.

Karen Roth is a semiretired librarian/educator living in Ottawa. She can be reached at dbarichello@shawmedia.com .