My trust Old Farmer's Almanac planner told me that the Dog Days of summer started yesterday, July 3rd and will extend through August 11th. At least for us in the Northern Hemisphere. Here in PA, this humid sultry season will extend deeper into August. As I mentioned before, I love this weather. The moniker of 'dog days, goes all the ways back to the Romans and even the Greeks who associated the dog star, Sirius, with this time of year. Wikipedia explains that the Sirius no longer rises at the same time as the sun in the summer so we don't have to sacrifice a red dog anymore to forestall the evils of the hot weather such as spoiled wine, dogs going mad and all those killer fevers that plagued mankind during that era. Good to know.
I'm working on my next romance novel, another space adventure, and weather is going to come into play as it did in one of my previous novels. In The Marine's Heiress, the first part of the novel was set on a planet that had a peculiar but predictable weather cycle. Every tenth day, drenching downpours would move across the occupied area of the distant world. Of course the weather issues came into play in the novel's plot. There are lots of things to consider when world-building for science fiction or fantasy. Weather can be a minor or major factor an author needs to create.
So what fun are you having this holiday? Did Arthur hit you? Are you familiar with the term 'dog days?' Did you cook out today?
