Even that Bloodhound knows it's time to stay in the shade.
So, here we are turning the page on the calendar and now the "Dog Days" of summer attack us with all of the heat and humidity that we can stand, sometimes too much. The air conditioning bill goes up, people lose their energy to do the outdoor chores with enthusiasm and even the poor old hound dog knows it's time to stay in the shade under a tree or dig a hole in rain soaked earth to rest his overheated bones.
For some, it's worse than others. In the Southeast and particularly Florida, the "Dog Days" more realistically start in May or June and last well into September, but no period is worse than August and very early September. You can't even walk across the yard without attracting an assortment of nasty bugs, many the "no see 'ems" which drive you crazy but, like their name says, you can't see 'em to swat 'em. The humidity that comes with the approaching rain clouds while the sun still shines brightly makes you feel like you are walking around in clothes that you went swimming in. Five minutes later, you might as well be swimming if you are caught in the deluge, but it does bring some cooling relief until the sun pops back out and the temperature soars again. But it is, after all, Florida, and if we want to live here we have to take the bad, including the excessive heat and the threat of hurricanes, with the good, the period from October to April.
The point of all this is to show that there is no perfect place to live, for this is earth with climactic features up the wazoo and life, an ever changing adventure that we face during our time on earth. If you don't have heat and hurricanes, you might have fires, tornadoes, earthquakes and drought. After all, many people thought of Hawaii as the island paradise until Kilauea reminded them recently what a lava flow can do. Beautiful Northern California is suffering from major wildfires, destroying upwards of eight hundred homes. Blizzards at a different time of year up north shut down entire cities and many are woefully unprepared to weather the storm. And even in a place like New England they get some heatwaves which are difficult to deal with, especially since so many don't have air conditioning. So, what are we supposed to do?
Well, consider your glass half full instead of half empty and appreciate the wonderful weather when you have it while you prepare for the opposite which as sure as the sun comes out will come again. Be positive, be happy and remember that some of the little changes that our environment throws at us are to keep us alert and smart. And whatever you do, don't forget to give that poor old hot hound dog a cool bowl of water and a shady place to stay, because in August, he understands the "Dog Days" better than any of us.
Life is about learning to cope with changing situations effectively and maintaining a steady hand. When we do that, life is quite interesting and an adventure. When we don't, we get stuck in the mire and sometimes never pull ourselves up to enjoy it. When that happens, we are setting up a permanent "Dog Days" scenario of sorts for our own life. Which path do you want for your life? The answer is obvious.
For some, it's worse than others. In the Southeast and particularly Florida, the "Dog Days" more realistically start in May or June and last well into September, but no period is worse than August and very early September. You can't even walk across the yard without attracting an assortment of nasty bugs, many the "no see 'ems" which drive you crazy but, like their name says, you can't see 'em to swat 'em. The humidity that comes with the approaching rain clouds while the sun still shines brightly makes you feel like you are walking around in clothes that you went swimming in. Five minutes later, you might as well be swimming if you are caught in the deluge, but it does bring some cooling relief until the sun pops back out and the temperature soars again. But it is, after all, Florida, and if we want to live here we have to take the bad, including the excessive heat and the threat of hurricanes, with the good, the period from October to April.
The point of all this is to show that there is no perfect place to live, for this is earth with climactic features up the wazoo and life, an ever changing adventure that we face during our time on earth. If you don't have heat and hurricanes, you might have fires, tornadoes, earthquakes and drought. After all, many people thought of Hawaii as the island paradise until Kilauea reminded them recently what a lava flow can do. Beautiful Northern California is suffering from major wildfires, destroying upwards of eight hundred homes. Blizzards at a different time of year up north shut down entire cities and many are woefully unprepared to weather the storm. And even in a place like New England they get some heatwaves which are difficult to deal with, especially since so many don't have air conditioning. So, what are we supposed to do?
Well, consider your glass half full instead of half empty and appreciate the wonderful weather when you have it while you prepare for the opposite which as sure as the sun comes out will come again. Be positive, be happy and remember that some of the little changes that our environment throws at us are to keep us alert and smart. And whatever you do, don't forget to give that poor old hot hound dog a cool bowl of water and a shady place to stay, because in August, he understands the "Dog Days" better than any of us.
Life is about learning to cope with changing situations effectively and maintaining a steady hand. When we do that, life is quite interesting and an adventure. When we don't, we get stuck in the mire and sometimes never pull ourselves up to enjoy it. When that happens, we are setting up a permanent "Dog Days" scenario of sorts for our own life. Which path do you want for your life? The answer is obvious.
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