August
August, a word that means “inspiring reverence or admiration,” is the name of the eighth month of the year in our Gregorian calendar. It’s the sixth month of the ancient Roman calendar used by the Roman kingdom and republic. Back then, the month of August was known as Sextilus, Latin for “sixth month.” The Senate decided to honor the first Roman Emperor and changed the calendar in 8 B.C.
The month was named after the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar and originally had 30 days; however, the month was deemed not as important as July (named after Julius Caesar) and adjusted to have 31 days, the same as July.
August is also a special month for Leos (those born between July 23 and August 22) and Virgos (those born between August 23 and September 22). Those born under these signs have their pick of words, from lionhearted to ardent (Leo) and from elegant to orderly (Virgo).
In August, you can choose to celebrate a favorite fruit (Watermelon Day is the 3rd), a beverage (International Beer Day is the 6th) or oysters (they have their own commemorative day on the 5th).
August is also known for the Dog Days of Summer, simply meaning that Sirius (the Dog Star) is the brightest star of the constellation Canis Major.
Perhaps you remember August as the month you started the scramble of getting ‘Back to School’ clothes and supplies, trying to get the kids back to a ‘normal’ schedule, even trying to cram in the last of the summer activities.
At Trutina, we are trying to keep our flowers and lawns alive and taking advantage of the cooler mornings, before the blazing heat drives us to seek shade. We also know that fall is closer than we may wish. We too will try to cram in more summer events and think that in the not-too-distant future our snow birds will be making preparations to make their annual migrations south.
Written by Gary and Jen Ballantyne
