Dog days overstay their stellar welcome

As of Aug. 11, the dog days of summer are officially behind
us – at least, according to the calendar. But somebody
might want to tell Louisiana.
The “dog days” – that slow-cooked stretch of
heat and humidity – are often misunderstood.
Many folks assume the phrase refers to any
point in summer when it’s so hot the dogs (and
people) are too worn out to move and retreat to
the porch, either stretched out on top or flopped
underneath. In other words, we’re talking about
pretty much every day from early June to late
September.
But technically speaking, the dog days are
tied not just to heat but to the heavens.