Eye on the Esplanade: Those idyllic dog days of summer

By Medicine Hat News on August 10, 2018.

As a child, summer seemed to begin on the last day of school. There was always a year-end picnic or camping trip with the whole class and one harried teacher to mark the end of another school year. Then, it was time to clean out lockers and head jubilantly out the door.

Every year, growing up, I spent the entire summer holidays at my grandparents’ farm on Lake Manitoba. As I think back, I recall a different world. It was like a storybook. My cousins and I led a Tom Sawyer kind of existence for those two months every year. We enjoyed the freedom of childhood adventures from sunrise to sundown that few kids of today will likely ever experience or even understand. We lazed our way through the dog days of summer, as my gran would say.

For me, though, the beginning of August was always bittersweet. It marked the halfway point of summer holidays and although some of the most peaceful lazy days on the farm were in August, it was always in the back of my mind that each day brought us closer to summer’s end.

My school days are long past and grown-up work goes on through the summer in the same way it does the rest of the year. This July was full of activity, for Community Development staff as we prepared the new Veiner Centre for daily operations, so my week off in August to relax and be lazy is a treat. Weekends at the Esplanade have also been busy with weddings since May and booking requests for 2019 and even 2020 continue to pour in.

The first wedding booking for the Veiner Centre was made a few days ago. It will take place in August 2019. There have been two family reunions and an anniversary party booked to date so we are off to a good start.

The Veiner games room, complete with dart boards, snooker and shuffleboard tables is generating interest for company Christmas parties. There’s also a special event planned for Culture Days this September.

As an adult, I still feel that hint of anxiety when the calendar turns to August and I have to remind myself that I don’t get two months off in the summer anymore. September, and even October, can still be full of warm sunny days to look forward to. Who cares if school starts in a few weeks and the dog days of summer are gone for another year! What exactly are dog days anyway? Google it, just for fun.

Sandi Reimer is Event Services Coordinator for Community Development.

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