Dog Days of Summer

Corona de Tucson

July 29, 2025 

The phrase "dog days of summer" refers to the hottest and most humid days of the year from July 3 to August 11. Growing up in small town Georgia, I loved these days...no school, napping or reading in the glider on the front porch, ice tea and homemade cookies, and playing hide and seek with friends at dusk.  I never really thought much about the heat and humidity back in those days or why the "dog days of summer" was even a phrase I heard often. 

This summertime saying actually goes all the way back to the Ancient Romans who associated the rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Great Dog) with the hottest part of the summer and believed the star contributed to the intense heat.  Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and can be seen in the southern sky.  

There are many bewitching and crazy beliefs about the dog days of summer...

1) Dogs and men (it didn't mention us women) go mad (or crazy) during this time of year.  I get it !  That's why the hot time of day is for napping and reading at our little oasis in the desert. 

2) It's the time of year haints (or ghosts) are more active.  Back in the day, women washed walls in their homes with vinegar while men wore their socks inside out and their baseball hats backward.  So that is how the fad started ! And it's also the reason why a lot of southern porch ceilings are/were painted blue like water...haints can't cross water.  Blue porch ceilings are pretty and remind me of the beautiful sky...water never crossed my mind !

3) If dogs eat grass during a dog day morning, we can expect rain before the end of the day.   I'm not sure about that...who knows?  

4) The dew on dog day mornings is poisonous to open wounds.  There is actually evidence that this might be true, but we won't worry about that here...whew! 

And the list goes on...but do the dog days of summer really have anything to do with dogs.  If your pup goes swimming in ponds/lakes this time of year, then the answer might be yes.  A bacteria, leptospirosis, grows in hot, damp areas around the water's edge in all parts of the country.  It transfers to pups through through their yes, nose and mouth.  During the dog days of summer, your pup is at a greater risk for this.  Thank goodness there is a vaccine for "lepto bacteria"...better safe that sorry !

And then there is this...

The Sonoran Desert Toad or Colorado Toad is North America's largest native toad. It can reach lengths of over eight inches and weigh up to 2 pounds. They live mostly in semi-aquatic desert and semi-arid areas. They live under ground and during the dog days of summer which just happens to also be the monsoon season here, they emerge for breeding purposes.  The rains provide a temporary aquatic habitat for them to lay eggs.  These not so attractive toads are nocturnal as they enjoy the cooler temps and moister conditions to forage for food. For most of the year these toads remain under ground, we never see or hear them, but last week the toads  were so noisy.  I was startled, but not surprised to open the patio door for Lucy and see my first ever Sonoran Desert Toad.  I grabbed up Lucy and Joe came to the rescue.  Although they get kudos for being the largest toad, they also get a very huge thumbs down as they secrete a poisonous slime like fluid which can be deadly to dogs.  So maybe there is something true about the myths that dog days of summer cause bad luck and disease...

On a much brighter note, the Tucson Botanical Gardens hosts their version of Dog Days of Summer.  Furry canine members of the family are invited to join their people for sniffs and paw-perfect summer mornings.  The gardens opens at 7:30 and it's a nice shady walk before the heat settles in for the day. It was Lucy's first fun outing as a family.  Lucy was not a perfect puppy by any means...very excited is a good description for her behavior.  She loved the other puppies and the folks attached to the end of their leashes.  She does have a way of putting a smile of the faces of strangers and definitely enjoys the attention. 

This was the only photo I took of Lucy at the gardens...the only time she was still !

Pink was my favorite color as we walked the paths that twist and wind there way thru the different gardens...

Coral Vine or Queen's Wreath

Easter Lily Cactus...native to south Brazil

Crepe Myrtle

Phlox

And looking back at the photos, I only had one upshot.  I like the filtered sunlight.

Our only other outing was an appointment to get Joe's stitches taken out.  It's nice to have that done and we celebrated at Five Guys.  Joe's favorite fries and my favorite burger.

Back at the oasis, daily walks, 

Ocotillo leaves

playtime with Lucy, 

rainy days, 

Agave

A wet male Bullock's Oriole

A reflection...

and patio time fills our days.

Back on the east coast...

Felix has a birthday...9 years old !  

Edith...such a girly girl  

July is almost a wrap with a few more of those dog days of summer still on the calendar in August.  It's nice to enjoy the days we have when we have them and at the same time remember/hope that fall is on it's way.  Until next time, 

HAPPY TRAILS!