According to dictionary.com – the noun definition of dog days is – “the sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun” This period is typically from July 3^rd to August 11^th. EndorphinGirl^™ agrees with the definition of dog days, as in the expression “dog days of summer”; however in her opinion the dog days of summer have already begun. Well it is already summer as she briefly noted in last Friday’s blog, which was June 21^st! Not only did she mention in that  blog that it was the first day of summer she also mentioned it was Midsummer. Now it is completely acceptable if  bloggees finished reading last Friday’s blog confused.  Why is the first day of summer called Midsummer. Truthfully that  'contradiction’ never occurred to EndorphinGirl^™ until she started blogging this evening. And in fact she was not going to blog anything about Midsummer until the contradiction conundrum was realized.  So first she will clear up why Midsummer is called Midsummer even though it is only the start of summer.  Well be ‘suspensed’ no more.  Midsummer is celebrated at the onset of summer because it is ‘in the midst’ of the growing season in Europe.’  At least that is one idea! 

Now back to the dog days of summer and how it relates to endorphins.  It is really very simple. Dog days of summer are hot days.  Extremely hot days, at least as they are known and felt by the people who live in the city that never sleeps. In fact they are so hot that ‘sweating’ or as EndorphinGirl^™’s mother may call it ‘glowing’ is prevalent by these city dwellers. Now EndorphinGirl^™ is NOT going to try to persuade bloggees that dog days produce endorphins. No way, she would not even go there. The connection is however simple. Bloggees know that serious workouts produce endorphins.  Bloggees also know that serious workouts produce ‘sweating’ scratch that she means ‘glowing’. So what else produces ‘glowing’?  Yes, therein lies the connection between endorphins and dog days of summer.   



Now back to the dog days of summer, again. The days between July 3^rd and August 11^th are considered by The
Old Farmer’s Almanac  as the 40 days of summer, with August 11^th coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. [There is that ‘dog’ again.] These ’40 days’ historically were the days with the least rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere, which is certainly a debatable statement these days!

In Ancient Rome the dog days ran from July 24^th to August 24^th and EndorphinGirl^™ ponders if this is why southern Europe began its tradition of August as vacation month.  The dog days were too hot and sultry to be doing anything but vacationing, perhaps.

Yes, these are interesting tidbits to ponder?  There are certainly other ideas about the dog days of summer to consider, but EndorphinGirl^™ will leave you with these. Partly because she has done it again.  She has lost track of time in this Tuesday, perhaps it can be blamed on ‘heat exhaustion’ due to the dog days.  This losing track of time has made her run out of blog time and she must meet 'publishing’ deadline.  So she will now blog off!

But first a picture of one happy exercising EndorphinGirl^™
sans sweating (ah scratch that, sans glowing) because she is working out in a very AC’d locale!  Lovely image is courtesy
of EndorphinGirl^™’s daughter!

Thanks for following and until next time, guest comments
always welcome in guestbook and keep on endorphin’.

EndorphinGirl^™