Dog days

 Ruadh decided it was hot today and took cover under the table on our terrace. Dog days, suddenly makes sense. 
Alcaeus back in the 5th century BC advised his readers to "steep your lungs in wine" before the arrival of the dog days since "women are at their foulest but men are weak since they are parched in head and knees". Sound advice it seems to me and certainly true about the knees and the parchedness but I couldn't possibly comment about the rest.
To help with the aforementioned steeping, it was off this evening to neighbours for aperos ce soir. Very genial evening on a well shaded terrace looking up the hill to ours blasted in full sun.