Pet Portrait Sessions and surviving these dog days of summer | Chapel Hill, NC

Did you ever notice how the days of summer are always noted and marked?  We have the unofficial start of summer with the Memorial Day weekend.

Then we have the first day of summer with the solstice.

Then there’s my favorite, the dog days of summer.  Some say that this term signifies the hot stuffy days “not fit for a dog,” and when I see my own dog come in and flop down on one of our air vents, I am inclined to agree.  Years ago, I looked up this phrase because I was genuinely curious as to what it meant.  Farmer’s Almanac to the rescue with a very thorough – and understandable – explanation:

“The phrase is actually a reference to the fact that, during this time, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog.  This is why Sirius is sometimes called the Dog Star.

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. They referred to this time as diēs caniculārēs, or “dog days.”

Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to Aug. 11.”

While this period we are currently in is the hottest stretch of summer, I find myself waffling between the a/c indoors and the hot-hot-hot sunshine outdoors.  While this heat is great for my tomatoes, I am not convinced I was made to withstand these sweltering days without lots of water, gobs of sunscreen, and a serious hat for shade.  What I do know is that since we have kicked off these dog days of summer, I enjoy watching dogs splashing in pools.

 

To share some of that joy, and to remain cool during these dog days of summer, I am going to post some images from our pet portrait sessions here, as well as on Instagram. Pet portraits include all the animals we hold dear as pets, and as members of our own families.

Maybe it’s the cat you hold dear

or the dog who waits for you to get home.

Maybe it’s the horse that scratches her head against you

or the turtle you found and adopted.  If it’s the toad your child picked up in the garden, that’s fine too.  Pet portrait sessions are fun and lively, and a way to show off all the members of your family.

Stay cool during these dog days of summer!

Contact Barbara Bell Photography today to book your pet portrait session.