The dog days of summer are upon us. This weekend brings with it the unofficial half-way point of summer. When we think of the lazy, hazy days of summer, we normally think of August, but this past week’s heat wave has had us running from air conditioned office to car to home. And back again. Thankfully, next week looks like we will have some relief from the staggering heat after this weekend’s storms pass.
August, the time of year when many Greenwichites are elsewhere. Already our Facebook feeds are showing photos from faraway places such as Aspen, Scotland, Acadia and, of course, Nantucket. Greenwich seems to empty out during the month. There is less traffic around town and you can actually find a parking space on Greenwich Avenue without having to circle the block. We love this month. For those of us who remain in town, it feels as though there is a little more breathing room. The pace is less hectic. We are able to get done some of those projects we have been putting off.
It is also the perfect month to just slow down a bit. American author Sam Keen wrote: “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Take time for a walk at the beach or read a book. Even our pets seem to relax and enjoy lying under a tree. If you are in our neighborhood at dusk and hear insistent barking, chances are good it is our goofy black Lab barking at fireflies while his sister watches with amusement as he chases them around the yard. We have noticed a larger firefly population this summer, which must be a good thing. A word of caution about our furry friends: if it is too hot outside for you, it is too hot outside for them. Make sure they have enough water and never, ever leave them in a car with the windows rolled up.
The Sentinel has had a busy summer so far, with our Sentinel Award and our LEGO party, which lasted for much of July. Both were hugely successful, in large part due to our incredible group of high school and college interns. Now several of our interns have completed their time with us and are off with their parents for faraway adventures. Even our offices seem a little quieter.
We are going to take some of our own advice. The middle two weeks of August we will not be publishing a printed copy of the Sentinel. Our reporters will still be hard at work covering news and happenings around town, and those stories and photographs will be put out via social media and on our website. We are going to use this time to focus on several new initiatives, which we will announce in September. We will be back in full production with our print edition on August 26, with lots of information on Labor Day weekend and early fall activities.
As you enjoy the second half of summer, we encourage you to send us photos of your summer adventures. Send them to us via email, or put them on social media and hash-tag them with #SentinelSummer16. We will collect them and share them in late August with all of our readers. The photos can be of your adventures around town, an island get away, a summer hike, or your favorite tree. Let us see how your summer is through your eye.
This Monday is the birthday of Star Spangled Banner author Francis Scott Key (1779-1843). After witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry on the night of September 13, 1814, Key saw the American flag still flying over the fort at daybreak, and wrote the poem that would become our national anthem.
Welcome to the dog days of summer.
