“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”
—Unknown
My friend and biking buddy Bill Rothenberg invited me to take an early bike ride to beat the expected heat wave, but I slept in and began my solo ride at 10:30 AM. The Greeks and Romans considered “dog days,” as those hot, sleepy afternoons when dogs (and people) prefer to lay around and languish in the summer heat. I’m not one of them unless a pool is nearby. That will come later. As I write this the temperature is 95 degrees. By the time I rode my bike onto our driveway, Bill had already completed his ride and was walking his dogs Misty and Roscoe at about the time I was talking to my neighbor Bonnie with her black dog Blue and her friend who was walking her dog as well. It looked like a Labradoodle show and set the tone and theme for the day. When I hopped on the Los Gatos Creek Trail, heading toward Campbell and then San Jose for an 18 mile ride, I saw a mass of people in the distance. As I approached them more closely, I noticed it was a group walking their dogs. I stopped riding for a few minutes to take some photos of this rare spectacle.
By the time I made it to the colorful Willow Glen section of San Jose, I was ready to strip off my light, bright yellow riding jacket and indulge myself in a large icy blended "Apples and Greens" with ginger and energy boost. I saw a young girl and her dad sitting near the entrance with their little racing bike No. 4 also taking a respite and cooling off. I love this downtown area and though there are closer Jamba Juice shops, it was an excuse to ride. Not that I need an excuse to ride, mind you. After all it is never about the destination but the journey which always includes people watching and enjoying nature. When I returned to our home at Rinconada Hills, the flag in front of our clubhouse was flying at half mast, reminding me to take a moment to honor those who’s served our nation and who are no longer with us.
Postscript: The phrase “Dog Days” of summer is actually a reference to the fact that during this time, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog. Also Dog Day Afternoon is a 1975 American biographical crime drama starring Al Pacino chronicling a 1972 robbery and hostage situation that goes bad. Dog Day Afternoon is a metaphor meaning everything and anything (plans made, emotions, work, friendships, weather, etc.), can turn bad, very bad, unexpectedly and quickly with little or no chance of making it better.
