We're past the dog days of Summer now Nature while still bountiful is not as profligate or flagrantly female as it was a week ago warming those who rub their magic lamps in the hope of raising a genie but don't necessarily knock at her Durin's Door but speak friend and enter nevertheless pushing the limits of barely passable propriety Sirius's return to the night sky signaled the annual flooding of the Nile and this dog star tucked in Orion's belt figured forth for the Greeks heat and fevers enough to make even Achilles pause in his assault on Troy and enfeebled others not so admixed with bronze as he parching their heads and knees and feet in a way that even the following rains failed to salve and balm in these days of sun burned lawns and shriveled flowers some beauties yet grow and raise their heads the sunflower for instance holding high its many pocketed hive of a head to bees and heat and other tawdr...