Editor's Note: Kick Back, Jack

A word about down time, Plas Johnson follow-ups and photos from my strange walk

New York downshifted into the low 80s last week (26.7-29 celsius), a relief from the crushing 90s and 100+ temps of previous weeks. We’re now in what’s known as the “dog days of summer.” This period is named for Sirius, the bright “Dog Star,” because our Northern Hemisphere ancestors believed that the star’s alignment this time of year with the Sun caused extra heat to be beamed down. [Photo of Central Park’s 79th St. Transverse above and photos below by Marc Myers]