New month, new fun…and the dog days of summer?

You might be feeling a little melancholy about now thinking that summer is over, but don’t fret!  Here are some special days to celebrate these lazy, hazy days before heading back to school….

International Clown Week – August 1-7 Do they make you nervous?

National Scrabble Week – August 6-10-Brush up on your spelling!

August 9th National book Lovers day- Be sure to come and see us!!

August 10th National Lazy Day- Take it easy and stay cool!

August 11th National Son and Daughter Day- Perhaps celebrate with dinner? Or ice cream? Or both?

August 13th National Left-handers Day- Hooray for Southpaws!

Elvis Week – August 8-12- What’s your favorite Elvis tune?

National Aviation Week – August 15-21 (Always during week of Orville Wright’s Birthday August 19)

August 19th National Aviation Day- Check out the Chicago Air and Water Show along the lakefront- Charles Tillman is skydiving on the 20th!!

Be Kind to Humankind Week – August 25-31- Pay something forward!

August  26th   National Dog Day   http://www.nationaldogday.com/

The hot, hazy days of late July and August are also known as “the dog days of summer”, but what does the weather have to do with dogs?

 

According to Farmers’ Almanac and other sites, people explain 
dog days
that when the weather is so hot, dogs become lazy and rest to stay cool and not get overheated.

 

 

 

 

It sounds like a good explanation, but both the Farmers’ Almanac and Wonderopolis trace the phrase back to the dogdays wonderopolisancient Romans believing that Sirius (Dog Star), or the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, was so bright that it caused the Earth’s temperature to rise.  Of course, it’s really about the tilt of the Earth towards the sun and the distance between them, but it’s a good story!

To learn more about constellations, visit the  520 section of the library for books like these:

                                               

J 523.8 SAS                            J 523.8 LOR                        J 520 LOV

And star-gazing on a warm summer night could be just the thing to add to your summer memories!