Everyone in my neck of the woods probably already knows what this phrase means—but I couldn’t quite bring it to mind. (I blame this heat for my lack of clear thinking!) Somewhere in the back of my mind, I connected the phrase with panting dogs in search of water and that means hot, summer days. Nope, I was wrong.

Here’s where it comes from… The Romans originally associated the hot weather from early July to early September with the bright star Sirius, which they also called the Dog Star, that appeared during those months. They believed that Sirius was somehow responsible for the hot weather. Of course, the days and months depend on which hemisphere you’re in!

I do wish we could blame this heat (and humidity here in DC) on a bright star. When I drive west from the bright city lights and see the stars, I revel in their brilliance. Somehow if they’d be at fault, these glorious celestial points, perhaps this weather wouldn’t be so unbearable.

The Midnight Blue color in the Corinthian Bells, Bells of Vienna and Gentle Spirits chimes is a perfect, cool, celestial color for these crazy-hot days. Tell me if that doesn’t cool you off!

Here’s what’s caught my eye in the front garden this spring…

When the clematis started climbing, I decided to train it on a garden shepherd’s hook instead of the lamp post like every other year. I was curious to see how the vine would look with a lovely small chime close to it. It’s been delightful!

And this Bells of Vienna 29-inch wind chime (the 206 model) looks just right —the black is surrounded by green—a cool visual in the midst of a very hot season.  I only wish these muggy DC days hadn’t wilted the blooms so quickly (I missed my photo op!)

—Carolyn

Yes, this is a real question from a customer just this past week. And it, amazingly, is a common one. I guess people think that either we are a large company with many employees that don’t really know the chimes or we have arranged for all orders to be drop-shipped from various points around the country to customers. Neither is true for BuyChimes!

We are a small, family-owned business. And we know these chimes well. We see them in various states (out of the box, hanging from hooks, ringing in strong winds, chiming in a little breeze) all the time. Often we hang chimes around just to ring them, test them, learn to know what makes each one unique. If you call us to wonder whether the Copper Vein color would match a brick house, we know the answer. If you email us with a concern about a warranty issue, we can put you in touch with the manufacturer. We do not rely on seasonal employees or drop-shippers to know the ins and outs of the chimes and to trust them to package the chimes to ensure a safe and speedy delivery.

This is us. Give us a call or email us your question—we’re here for you.

—Carolyn

(By the way, that’s a Corinthian Bells 626 (the 53″ model) in Copper Vein behind my left shoulder. It hangs from the pergola above our brick patio. Right now the wisteria on the pergola is threatening to spiral down the tubes…I need to spend an afternoon in the garden soon!)

When we first started selling the popular Corinthian Bells chimes, we couldn’t figure it out either. I remember answering one gentleman that it was probably due to the ancient city of Corinth in Greece. And the chimes were reminiscent of that architecture. What a crazy, made-up answer!

Yet the answer is quite simple. With each Corinthian Bells chime, there is a small black hang tag that easily identifies the chime model, color and key. On the back of each hang tag, here’s what it says… “So faith, hope and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13.”

It’s a perfect sentiment for a gift for a special couple, friend, or spouse.

See the full set of Corinthian Bells wind chimes we sell.

Carolyn

BuyChimes.com

A friend of ours recently bought a chime from us. When queried about the site, he exclaimed that the choices were overwhelming. Wow! Sorry about that! As of this writing, we sell about 99 chime models. And figuring that they come in different colors, lengths, and musical scales, I can see how it would be a daunting task to pick one as a gift for someone.

Here’s an über short primer on the 10 lines of chimes we sell and their relative quality:

• Top tier: Bells of Vienna, Corinthian Bells, Gentle Spirits
• Middle tier: Majestic Spirits, Shenandoah Melodies, Arias Elite
• Lower tier: Arias, Festival, Majesty Bells, Weatherland

It’s not that the lower tier chimes are bad, but they have a shorter warranty (if any) and the tubes are generally thinner and don’t have the central pin suspension, and the striker and cap are made of wood. They are still fine wind chimes, however, giving good sounds, and lasting for years.

The middle tier chimes have a bit higher quality because of their thicker (but fewer) tubes, and most have a 3-year warranty. Arias Elite chimes are a close cousin to the Arias chimes (lower tier). But they belong in the middle tier because they have six thicker-walled tubes and come in great colors. The striker and cap are made of wood.

The top tier chime lines are the best on our site.  They have all-metal tubes, wind sail and top cap.  They have central pin suspension in the tubes and a high-density, top-quality plastic striker.  It’s that combination of the striker with the thick-walled tubes that gives that fantastic, resonant melody that customers love.

More detail regarding each line is on the BuyChimes website. For example, click the Corinthian Bells link, and you will see the full description of the features above the individual model pictures.

Of course, if you have any questions about the chimes we offer, feel free to contact us.

Jeff

What’s your favorite chime? Currently, I have a Corinthian Bells 306 (the 36 inch) chime hanging close to my front door. Even in the slightest, metro-DC breeze, which is never strong, I can hear it ringing. I love it! It’s not one of the deepest chimes, but the resonance and lilting melodies make it perfect for my flower garden. Many friends and family comment on it as they come up the walkway to the house.

Tell us what chime you have and why you love it.  Maybe it’s right by the water garden in your back yard?  Or perhaps it greets you in the morning outside the bedroom window?  We’d enjoy hearing your story.