Officially, the Dog Days of Summer run from July 3 – August 11, so clearly they are over, or are they. Just what are the Dog Days of Summer and where did that term come from?
According to Wikipedia (along with other reliable sources), the dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the “Dog Star”), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Interesting stuff, right?
Well, depending on where you live, this week is going to be one of the hottest weeks of the summer with temps topping out at 99° with feels like temps reaching 105°! Yesterday’s humidity here in southeastern Wisconsin was by far the most disgusting it’s been all summer (in my opinion). Kind of feels like the dog days aren’t quite over yet. And, of course, it comes at a time when many students and teachers are returning to non-air-conditioned classrooms. Oh goody.
But it is Wisconsin after all, and we complain that our summers are too short, and our winters are too long. Many would love to welcome more of the scorching heat for a much longer period of time, and many are already in search of their pumpkin spice latte’s. Regardless of what camp you’re in, I think it’s safe to say that summer just seems to go by far too quickly. What would we do if we didn’t have the weather to talk about?
Bet you’re wondering how I’m going to pull this all together and connect it to your investment portfolio. Well, it’s been a drought weather year and you can likely say that your investments have experienced a bit of a drought too. And it’s probably safe to say that your investments have experienced drought in past years too. While we can’t predict the weather any better than we can predict the markets, history tells us that the grass will be greener eventually. We will have harvests that are flourishing again, and we can withstand the unpredictability of both weather and markets when we are properly prepared, make wise decisions, and stay the course.
We can’t help you prepare for uncertain weather, but we can help you prepare for uncertainty in your investments. If you know someone that could use this kind of guidance, please have them reach out to us. We’d be happy to put a little sunshine in their clouds of uncertainty.
Quote of the Week: “Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” – Russell Baker