Well, here we are, definitely in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer. But, what really is meant by the Dog Days of Summer?  The dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which Greek and Roman and Roman astrology, connected with heat, drought, and sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs and bad luck. (I certainly can relate to the heat and lethargy!) They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Although Sirius is the brightest proper star in the night sky, it…