Just Jakin BY Wow, is it hot. Dog Days are definitely here. Have you ever wondered how the hottest part of summer became known as “Dog Days”? It all has to do with the night sky. On a clear summer night you can see Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation called Cannes Major. Sirius is also the brightest star we can see besides our sun.

During the time of the Pharaoh of Egypt, the Egyptians’ Sirius would appear just before the time of the Nile River’s flooding season. They considered Sirius to be a helping watchdog to warn them when the time was approaching.

Though the term Dog Days were used earlier by the Ancient Greeks, it was the Ancient Romans who believed that the star Sirius was the cause of the hot weather and would sacrifice a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease Sirius so that he will not go into a rage making the weather even hotter.

In other times Dog Days were believed to be an evil time causing wine to turn sour, dogs go mad, Jakin BY seas boiled, fevers, and

other illnesses. They didn’t know back then that those things could have been caused by the heat, abundance of insects, and the fact that diseases such as rabies occur more in the summer. I’m glad I live in present time.

A saying I read about Dog Days is Dog Days bright and clear indicate a happy year. But when accompanied by rain, for better times our hopes are vain." I don’t know if I agree with that, especially in a farming area where rain can make or break a crop.

While it’s too hot to be outside long, it’s a great time for reading. A few books we think you may enjoy are Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich: Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum has her hands full this time with her boss kidnapped by mobsters who want either money or his life. How in the world can they come up with the money or find Vinnie in time to save him?

Death Echo by Elizabeth Lowell: When she joined St. Kilda's, an elite security consulting firm, Emma Cross thought she'd left Jakin BY behind the tribal wars at

the CIA. Yet, trading spying for investigating yacht thefts didn't alleviate the danger. Now, the same good instincts that got her into trouble at the agency might be what will help her survive her latest case. Emma and her new partner, MacKenzie Durand, are tracking a yacht named Blackbird, but Emma and Mac aren't the only eyes watching Blackbird. Will they uncover the yacht’s secrets or even come out alive?

Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson: As a little girl, Jane has no one. Her mother, the powerful head of a Broadway theater company, has no time for her. She does have one friend-a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael-but only she can see him. Years later, Jane is in her thirties and just as alone as ever. Then she meets Michael again-as handsome, smart and perfect as she remembers him to be. But not even Michael knows the reason they've really been reunited.

The Jakin Community Library & Museum is open Wed. - Fri. 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.