.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days of Summer were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck and unrest, “when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat.” That description from almanac.com for the months of July and August isn’t far off what’s happening in parts of the western United States as record heat and fires scorch the land. Fortunately, we have some advantages the Greeks and Romans lacked, namely air conditioning and powered fans to deal with heat that can cause illness and even death. But swamp coolers, refrigerated air and fans run on electricity – and more than 47,000 customers of Public Service Company of New Mexico are behind on their PNM bills and could be facing disconnection soon. The state’s largest electric utility says that’s the last thing it wants to happen and people should know there is a safety net available to help make sure it doesn’t.