That's One Hot Doggie!

The dog days of summer are officially here. My neighbors recently adopted a handsome one-year-old Alaskan Malamute. Bred for cold weather, Storm is finding life in the hot, humid city a bit of a trial, especially when you sport a dense fur coat.

All playful puppy chasing squirrels around the yard in the cool mornings, by afternoon Storm sprawls across the porch, looking for all the world like a melted puddle of fuzz. As the day drips along, his tongue gets longer and longer until I'm sure he's going to trip over it on his way to the water dish. He lives for air conditioning! Like my teenager, Storm doesn't perk up until the sun goes down.

The catchphrase the dog days of summer dates back to the ancient Romans. They associated hot weather with Sirius, the dog star, which orbits close to the sun at this time of year. The dog pictured in our featured stamp looks like he's run a little too close the sun himself! He and his much perkier friends (they must have stayed inside in the air conditioning) grace this charming 2007 souvenir sheet from Guyana. Click the post title to order from County Stamp Center.

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